#shadowdarkrpg

Just finished porting another OSE classic over to my Shadowdark campaign. There’s something so satisfying about taking those old-school vibes and plugging them into the d20 roll-to-cast system.

If you’re running a Druid or a particularly nature-adjacent Cleric, feel free to steal this for your table!

🌿 ENTANGLE

Tier 1 | Duration: Focus | Range: Near

You command nearby vegetation to wrap around your foes in a near-sized cube within range. The affected area becomes difficult terrain.

Any creature in the area when you cast the spell, or that enters it, must pass a Dexterity check against your spellcasting check or be stuck. A stuck creature cannot move and must succeed on a Strength check against your spellcasting check on its turn to break free.

If there is no significant vegetation in the area (such as a bare stone floor), this spell has no effect.

The Miracle of the Holding Ground

Pursued for a heresy she did not commit, the pilgrim Neriah fled into the old forest and prayed to Melora for time. Roots and vines rose at her plea, binding her pursuers until doubt took them. When the ground released its grip, the templars turned back, and Neriah walked on under the Wildmother’s care.

Patronages: Druids, pilgrims, (those who ask for time).

Why this works in Shadowdark:

The Focus Duration: This is the real killer. In OSE, Entangle is usually a set duration. In Shadowdark, making it Focus means the caster is standing there, sweating, heart racing, chanting to keep those vines tight while the rest of the party finishes off the enemies. One bad hit or a distracted roll and the templars are loose.

The group stumbles upon a seemingly abandoned cabin in the woods. Roll 1d12. Good luck.

An Encounter For Shadowdark RPG. The exact hook can be left for the GM to decide. The group stumbles upon a quaint, quiet cabin in the woods as they prepare to camp for the night. A little whisp of smoke rises from the chimney, but the door is closed and there appears to be no one home. The outside of the cabin is what one would expect to see from a regular hunting lodge or woodsman’s cabin at…

The group stumbles upon a seemingly abandoned cabin in the woods. Roll 1d12. Good luck.

An Encounter For Use With Shadowdark RPG. The exact hook can be left for the GM to decide. The group stumbles upon a quaint, quiet cabin in the woods as they prepare to camp for the night. A little whisp of smoke rises from the chimney, but the door is closed and there appears to be no one home. The outside of the cabin is what one would expect to see from a regular hunting lodge or woodsman’s…

Roll 1d12. Good luck.

An Encounter For Use With Shadowdark RPG. The exact hook can be left for the GM to decide. The group stumbles upon a quaint, quiet cabin in the woods as they prepare to camp for the night. A little whisp of smoke rises from the chimney, but the door is closed and there appears to be no one home. The outside of the cabin is what one would expect to see from a regular hunting lodge or woodsman’s…

It's an old creative question. Do I risk creating something someone else has already mastered or branch out to try something new and hopefully more original. I just don't know. Sometimes discussion helps even if it's me talking to myself.

I would like to do a memorable and meaningful project for this game. After I wrote Crawler’s Armory for the Shadowdark Game Jam, I felt like I had a niche I could kinda fill within the Shadowdark creator’s community. However, it hit me like a ton of bricks when I discovered I’m very likely wrong about that. You all are doing such a great job and I feel like I’m way out of the loop and don’t…