The deserted or abandoned setting
Your Shadowdark or D&D players have been travelling on the old road for days when they finally see a town in the distance. It rests between two small mountain ranges, nestled on the valley floor with a winding river beside its defensive walls. Strangely there are...
Pick up Between Two Fires
Do yourself a favor and pick up this book by American writer Christopher Buehlman, a USA Today bestseller. It is a haunting gothic tale set in France during the Hundred Years War. The great plague sweeps across Europe in 1348, affecting everyone, everywhere. Survivors despair amid...
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...
Played The Black Sword Hack
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to try many other ttrpgs as often as I would like. Conventions are a great way to sample other RPG systems and settings. And there are always Discord channels or Start Playing to try different flavors and mechanics. I...
WARHORSE Zine review for Shadowdark RPG
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here is a walk-thru of my new Zine #1 "WARHORSE" written for #Shadowdark, including the one-shot adventure, Horselord of Tanishorn. Introducing warhorses and other mounted travel stats, the new Knight Lancer Class, Jousting rules, NPC tables, maps, new monsters, equine magic, spells, and magic items!...
North Texas RPG 2025 was a hit!
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Attending the heralded North Texas RPG Con in Dallas, Texas was a goal for me this year, and I can honestly say the reputation and hype around this event were well-deserved. I just got home to Houston yesterday, and I am worn out. Only had...
Merry Mushmen’s Knock! #5 Zine is coming
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]RAISE THE ALARM! THE FRENCH ARE COMING! From France, the Merry Mushmen publishes fantastic third-party supplements for TTRPG and several that can be used with Shadowdark RPG. I am a big fan of their Knock! zine series of fanciful and esoteric tables and articles for GMs....
Awesome medieval melee combat in RPGs
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Director Roman Polanski brought Shakespeare's "Macbeth" to the big screen in 1971. And the final fight sequence of men in plate armor with swords, axes, and daggers is still one of the best ever caught on film. It shows the grit and ingenuity of two men...
Using Shadowdark to flesh out NPCs
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our Monday night YouTube livestream with Tim Shorts, Flint Fireforge, and Vance A. was all about NPCs: How do we create them? Where do we find inspiration? And, how we use them in our #TTRPG sessions. When I need a quick NPC, I look no further...