Shadowdark Session 0-level

Last week, our current Shadowdark resulted in a TPK. The party got in over their heads a bit and, as is so often the case, chose to not cut their losses or abandon their companions to their fate. To a character, they went done fighting. The last to go, Justo the Pit Fighter, simply refused to back down from the fight (plus the monster was just going to chase him anyways unless he came up with some clever way of escaping). I decided–quickly–following the TPK that we would start with 0-level characters and shared that with the players. Then I had to come up with something we’d do…which I won’t share quite yet. I didn’t want to just continue with the game. I tossed and turned (figuratively and literally) much of the week out what to do next. Settling on something and then, also as is so often the case, tossing it aside and turning to something else before finally settling on what I’ve settled on…which I won’t share quite yet.

This week we spent some time rolling up some 0-level characters and got started. During the week, I decided to tweak the Shadowdark rules for 0-level characters and the Gauntlet. Not because they are bad or anything, but because I just wanted something a bit different. My modifications are largely based on stuff out of Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) and I’ll share these after the break and before getting to what happened in the session.

My GM comments, as usual, are in italics.

These rules replace the rules for 0-level characters (pg. 14), Background (pg. 26), Starting Gear for 0-level characters (pg. 33), and the Gauntlet (pg. 116). I think some of the impetus for these changes is that I don’t have a single gauntlet in mind…as in a single, largely self-contained, adventure which the characters run through where the character making it to the end becomes the 1st level character. We’re starting a little more open and “sandboxy.” The characters are headed to a frontier region to make their name, stave off the encroaching Chaos (whatever that might be), and hopefully become heroes.

As per the normal Shadowdark rules, a 0-level character can wield all gear as well as scrolls and wands until they reach 1st level. While a player is playing a 0-level character, they do not get a luck token.

• Stats. Per the normal Shadowdark rules of 3d6 in order and including the optional rule for re-rolling if no stat is 14 or higher.
• Ancestry. Choice of ancestry from Dwarf, Elf, Goliath (half-orc just reskinned), Half-Elf (new ancestry), Halfling, or Human. If the group prefers, ancestry can be determined randomly by rolling a d12: 1-4 Human; 5-6 Elf; 7-8 Dwarf; 9-10 Halfling; 11: Half-Elf; 12: Goliath.
• Hit points. Hit points are equal to 3 plus Constitution modifier with a minimum hit points of 2.
• Background. Roll a d100 and lookup the results in the DCC Occupation table (pp. 22-23). You receive the weapon and trade goods associated with the rolled occupation. Treat any weapon on the table that is not in Shadowdark as a dagger or club as appropriate and removing finesse and throwing properties if appropriate. Also, ignore any ancestry modifier to the occupation on the table (e.g., Elven sage is just a sage). If the players desire, re-roll any occupation that results in a duplicate with another character.
• Equipment. One random item and 2d6x5 silver pieces. I have a slightly different random table than in Shadowdark with 20 items instead of 12.

Only one 0-level character per player is in play at any given time. The others are assumed to be off to the side and off the screen so to speak waiting for their opportunity to come in.

A 0-level character gets 1xp for each session in which they participate (and survive) at the GM’s discretion. Bonus XP may be awarded based on what happens during the session and the character’s role in the activities. A 0-level character begins play with -3xp. They advance to 1st level once they reach 0xp.

Once a character advances to 1st level, select a class, determine class abilities and talents, gain class equipment (if not already owned), and add +2 to any one stat as long as it does not result in a score of higher than 16. Choose an alignment and, if you want, a deity that the character worships (assuming this has not already been determined by gauntlet play). A character advancing from 0-level to 1st level does not get the 2d6x5 gold pieces to buy gear. They begin with the gear and treasure acquired during their time as a 0-level character. They are also subjected to any class restrictions on gear as soon as they reach 1st level.

If the gauntlet continues after your character reaches 1st level, you may continue to play them or to play a different 0-level character. If you play a 1st level character, they will not accumulate any additional XP until the gauntlet phase of the campaign has finished. They will, however, continue to accumulate treasure and equipment.

Once every player has advanced at least one character to 1st level, the GM will typically bring the gauntlet to a close…unless the players would like to continue with other 0-level characters.

At the conclusion of the gauntlet, you may play any of your characters that advanced to 1st level.

End of rules and on to the session!

Everyone rolled up four 0-level characters and we started play.

The characters are on their way to a frontier town on the edge of the kingdom. They got a rousing speech about adventure and Law vs Chaos and how the town may not even know how much it needs their aid and yada yada yada. It was quite moving…at least for the individual who gave them the speech. Lodging had already been arranged for the group in the town and Mr. Carr, the Steward of Otus House, was awaiting their arrival. It would take three days of travel to reach the town and supplies for the trip (rations, firewood) had also been arranged. Beyond that, their fate, for better or worse, was in their own hands.

The astrologer, butcher, and woodcutter were the initial active characters (one player was late and so didn’t join in until later). We didn’t bother naming them quite yet. On their first day of travel, I asked the players if they would like something interesting to happen. The answer was yes. I asked what sort of terrain were they currently traveling through and the first answer was forest. Some dice were rolled and the Shadowdark random encounter table was consulted…wolves.

Two wolves were following the group. They were staying in the woods and not approaching the road. The butcher, who was carrying a salted and cured side of beef, cut off some of the meat and tossed it towards the movement on one side of the road. There was a good bit of movement and then a wolf dashed across the road from the opposite side. Two wolves, clearly malnourished, were tussling for the beef. The party continued down the road.

Of course, what is likely going to happen if you feed a hungry animal, it is going to try to get more food. Everyone agreed and so the pair of wolves were now following, on the road, a short distance away. More beef was thrown, tussled over, and more following. The woodcutter, a halfling by the way, found an oak tree that had fallen near the edge of the road. The party, including the beggar of the recently arrived player, took up defensive positions against the tree. The wolves approached warily.

The halfling woodcutter charged at the wolves, yelling and waving his arms about. Wolves are pack hunters and typically will go for smaller or infirm prey. They will separate one individual from a herd or otherwise “corner” a single individual. The halfling’s actions triggered this instinct in the wolves as he slowly backed to the tree again. At this point, it was pretty clear that the wolves were going to attack.

As the wolves crouched in closer, a few rocks were thrown. The first couple badly missed their mark. The next, as the wolves got pretty much in pouncing distance, struck. The wolves charged. The woodcutter charged. The wolves, even as malnourished as they were, were larger, quicker, and more skilled at this than the woodcutter. His throat was quickly ripped open and he went down…clearly dead. The wolves began dragging his body off in a bit of a tug-of-war. The rest of the group continued down the road. A blacksmith stepped up to take the place of the woodcutter.

Nothing interesting happened that night. Well, except that the beggar tried to steal the blacksmith’s silver pieces but failed. (The next day…same question. Do you want something interesting to happen? Yes was the response. The group was now traveling through some grassland with copses of trees. Another roll and the encounter tables and…the Wandering Merchant!)

A man was running down the road from the same direction that the characters had traveled. Two wolves were giving him chase. As he reached the characters, he reached into his massive backpack and pulled out a live hare. Tossing to the ground, it bolted. The wolves gave chase. The merchant then settled down to business…would anyone like to purchase something? (When the characters raised some concern about the wolves catching the rabbit and coming back, the merchant indicated that he had fed the hare a potion of speed earlier so it would keep the wolves busy for a bit).

Some business was conducted. The character would ask for something and the Wandering Merchant would pull it from his backpack. In addition, he would pull out a box (much too large to fit) or a sack or pouch and offer the players either the item they asked for OR what was in the box, sack, or pouch he had also presented. The characters pretty much all picked the box, sack, or pouch. For some, it was a good choice…for others, not so good. The blacksmith ended up with leather armor. The astrologer somehow got a trio of giant rats with full bellies…at the moment. The butcher ended up trading her side of beef for a live pregnant cow. The beggar got a small vial of liquid with a spray top. With the transactions complete, the Wandering Merchant walked off, slowly sinking into the ground.

(Here’s how it worked. When a player took what was behind door #1, they would pick odd or even and roll a d20. If the die matched what they picked, they’d get something at least as valuable as what they had originally asked for. The higher the roll, the more valuable…almost all of these rolls were single digits. If the roll did not match, they got something not so valuable. If the roll indicated valuable, I had the player roll percentile and I used the random treasure tables from Shadowdark. I then kind of settled on finding an object of approximately the same value as what was being purchased and then adding the number corresponding to that item to the roll. If this resulted in a value over 100, then the next treasure table up would be used and the result would be the roll minus 100.

Here’s an example to try and clarify the above. Let’s say someone is asking to buy something worth 40gp. They choose Box #3 and get something of value. I look on the Treasure 0-3 table and find that the first 40gp item is from a roll of 74-75. So I have the player roll and I add 74 to their roll. Let’s say they roll a 5. That’s a result of 79 so they get a mithril shield worth essentially the same. If they had rolled an 80. That would be a result of 154 so I would look at the next table up, Treasure 4-6, and find 54…a statuette worth 50gp. A bit more valuable.

If the initial roll to see if the “surprise” item is valuable or not is a high roll, I added an additional bonus to this subsequent roll. How much? Not really sure…I was making this up as we went so I probably was not perfectly consistent. If someone had rolled a 19 or 20, it would have been at least a minor magic item.)

The astrologer and beggar both “failed” the roll to see if they got something valuable.

That evening the party arrived at an inn, The Lonely Pint, just off of the road. No town, no crossroads, just an inn. The innkeeper was not keen on boarding three giant rats so the astrologer camped outside and the butcher joined her, after arranging for feed and stabling of her cow. The beggar and blacksmith got rooms for the night and were enjoying a meal when six travelers walked in. (Yes, I asked if they wanted anything interesting to happen and dice are rolled and the result is a sailor throws another sailor on the table of the characters.)

They take a table near the beggar and butcher. This group of maybe woodsman ordered food and drink after drink after drink. Soon a scuffle broke out amongst them and one tossed another onto the table with the beggar and butcher’s food and drink, sending it flying. Neither is too happy about this and demand that these drunks buy them a fresh meal. The drunks refuse, a little intimidation is attempted (and fails), and a fight is about to start. The beggar grabs his vial from the Wandering Merchant and sprays it in the face of one of the ruffians, saying that it is acid. The drunks pause momentarily and the one sprayed says it doesn’t burn or hurt at all.

Outside, the three giant rats get very agitated. They run for the inn while loudly squeaking. Once they reach the door, they start scratching at it. The astrologer had followed them and she opens the door. The rats rush in and swarm all over the man that the beggar had sprayed, clawing and biting. He goes running out. The beggar yells at the other drunks and they are run out as well.

The rats kill the man and begin to eat him, forcing the large retinue of characters in waiting to move camp to get away from the gruesome scene. The other drunks scatter in the night. The characters look to see what the drunks left behind. A large sack is on the floor, along with their food and drink. The sack holds a mithril shield with some decorate etching of dragons. The beggar takes it and the group enjoys the food and drink left behind. The rest of the night passed without incident. (And no one thought to ask the innkeeper any questions at all about the travelers, the party’s destination, or anything at all.)

The group heads out in the morning. The rats are still gnawing on the bones of their victim and do not follow the group. The road passes through a swamp (based on player feedback) and they spot the Wandering Merchant approaching again! Standing atop an albino crocodile swimming through the swamp! (Yes, I again asked if they wanted something interesting to happen and where it would happen and a roll of the dice).

The Wandering Merchant gets right down to business and the exchanges result in the following. The beggar ended up with a full length mirror in a gold frame. The blacksmith got a mace inlaid with gold holy symbols, The butcher swapped the cow for 15gp (declining the mystery item). The astrologer, given the mirror by the beggar, received 70gp for the item…also declining the mystery item. The cow stepped on the crocodile, the merchant shared that he looked forward to perhaps meeting at the bottom of the Pit of Despair, and the trio swam away into the swamp, slowly sinking into the muck as the cow let out a moo. (We also established that each character only gets one opportunity to trade with the Wandering Merchant in each encounter.)

Continuing on their way, they party can spy their destination as dusk start to fall…the walled town of Grimhaven situated atop a rocky butte. As they hurry towards town, a loud buzzing can be heard from the nearby river. A half dozen or so large bug type things rise up from the reeds around the river and head straight for the group…stingbats! The party makes a run for town. Unfortunately, the stingbats can fly straight while the group must deal with the terrain. The blood-sucking vermin are going to reach the group!

The blacksmith and butcher start to lag behind and the stingbats catch them. The beggar keeps running for town, but the astrologer comes back to assist her slower companions. A stingbat pierces the butcher and attaches itself. A couple of the things are killed, but the rest continue their attack. The butcher goes down. The astrologer goes down. The blacksmith has one attached and another coming for him. He swings and misses the one coming for him and then flops down in an attempt to crush the attached stingbat. Sadly, although he partially smushes it, the thing is not killed. Prone, and an easy target, another stingbat sinks its syringe of a beak into his flesh, drinking deeply of blood.

Only the beggar and the inactive 0-level characters made it to Grimhaven and will continue to pursue the life of adventure here on the Borderlands!

And that is where we stopped for the night. We will pick up next week with three new 0-level characters and the beggar. This is already long enough so no additional commentary for this session.