The Last Waltz - A Shadowdark Gauntlet

Tabletop Teasers

For the past two weeks, I have been working on a submission to a Shadowdark Game Jame hosted by Dungeon Masterpiece - Baron de Ropp on itch.io. It's been a great time. And honestly, a little too much time -- but a great time nonetheless. I have been a sporadic Dungeon Master for family and friends for a few years of a D&D 5e adventure. In doing so, I have had a chance to scheme and plan and sketch and scheme and otherwise engage in many of the various trappings of a DM. Again, it's always been great fun, taking a non-insignificant amount of my energy and having mixed results (many results likely to come from 13 sessions out from today). I have been reading official Dungeons and Dragons modules, watching and listening to the videos and podcasts, and even reading a blog post or two. (Beginning, modernly, with Critical Role and Brennan Lee Mulligan before finding my way to the likes of Mike Shea and Mastering Dungeons).

Shadowdark and Acronyms

While delving into the TTRPG world, I encountered other popular creators and games who thrive in the D&D adjacent category. I began making sense of terminology like OSR (Renaissance? Revival?) and OSE and, in doing so, inevitably began to hear a little about Shadowdark from the Arcane Library. And, if I get the chance to subject my home game to a TPK, I have the beginnings of a West-Marches style Shadowdark campaign ready for them.

Weird Tales Game Jam

A Game Jam! I had to explain this to my wife, sister, coworker, and friend over the past few days. With games and Shadowdark on my radar, following the incredible run at the 2024 Ennies, I caught wind of Baron de Ropp's game jam. Assigned three random and incredible Weird Tales pulp magazines, I got to work! After an unreasonable amount of time, trial and error, and mediocre art, I submitted a decent project. You can find The Last Waltz on itcho.io. A 0-level Gauntlet for Shadowdark RPG that takes you through an abandoned manor in search of treasure and reward!