Thinking About Light in Shadowdark
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Light is one of the quiet tricks Shadowdark pulls on you. Not cinematic light, not “for atmosphere only” light, but real, anxious, constantly-depleting light. The kind that makes players glance at the clock and ask how many minutes they have left before everything goes wrong. The...
Weaponry: Rondel Dagger
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Your fighter is locked in melee against an Orc or a black knight. On your attack you drop your shield and try to grapple with him. On the next attack roll you successfully knock him prone and pin him on the ground. Now it's time...
Weaponry: The Bardiche
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Continuing my series on interesting historical weapons for use in Shadowdark, I give you the Bardiche. Like some other medieval weapons, the Bardiche came from its primary use as a practical tool in agriculture or animal husbandry. A polearm of sorts, farmers used a very similar...
Weaponry: The Falchion for Shadowdark
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Slash, bash, and chop your way through Shadowdark melee battles Recently, I created a video series about weaponry in Shadowdark, highlighting some additional selections from European history to add more tactical options and flavor for players and the GM. The free pdf below is yours to...
10 Low-Level Spells for Shadowdark
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Never one to be happy with the status quo, recently I thought about expanding the spell list for wizards and priests in my Shadowdark game. Even though our wizards or priests begin at 1st level, we might assume they have had some experience in gaining...
What’s in the Grave?
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The knight pants steadily, loudly on one knee. Sweat pours down his face and beard. He and the northman take turns digging up the grave until they tap on the wooden lid. After a few quick glances, the knight and the northener leap back into...
Review: Saints of the Shadowdark, ZINE #2
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Watch my walk-through review of EruditeZINE No. 2 "SAINTS OF THE SHADOWDARK". It includes the one-shot Shadowdark adventure, SAINTS BENEATH US for character levels 3-5. The new zine is only $8 here on this website. Click now to Shop and review what's included or buy it...
Rethinking The Last Candle for Shadowdark with Chubby Funster
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Welcome back, friends! Prolific TTRPG publisher and writer Greg Christopher, aka "Chubby Funster," joined me last week on a YouTube live stream to discuss his French medieval-themed setting for Shadowdark - 'The Last Candle'. Originally, a setting for his own ttrpg system, Ambition & Avarice, Chubby...
Mounted Combat Rules for Shadowdark
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Shadowdark doesn't have many rules for combats involving mounted riders or knights charging and fighting from horseback. I worked up a table of common situations that players might encounter in open melees. Of course, it's helpful if you have already bought Erudite ZINE No. 1...
We’re coming soon to DriveThruRPG
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][EDIT JUNE 26, 2025: As of today, EruditeDM products are now for sale on DriveThruRPG.com.] At North Texas RPG Con in early June, I spoke with several other RPG authors and game writers. I learned much about getting started in writing my zine, kickstarters, and finding...
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