Shadowdark WHAT IS SHADOWDARK? Shadowdark RPG is a fantasy adventure game where you and your companions delve into buried ruins, lost cities, spider-infested forests, and even fearsome dragon lairs in search of gold and glory. The Shadowdark is any place where danger and darkness hold sway. It clutches ancient secrets and dusty treasures in its rotting claws, daring fortune seekers to tempt their fates. With your adventuring companions at your side, you confront the Shadowdark's sinister traps, formidable magics, and ruthless monsters. If you survive, you'll bring back untold riches plucked from the jaws of death itself. And before long, you'll hear the Shadowdark's call once again! WHAT DEFINES THIS GAME? Speed, danger, and simplicity. Magic is perilous, and battles are fast and deadly. Being clever is crucial for survival. Shadowdark RPG is rules-light and intuitive. It encourages quick decisions rather than hunting through the rulebook for answers. In this game, a torch only holds back the pressing darkness for one hour of real-world time. There isn’t a moment to waste when the flames are burning low... HOW DO I PLAY? Everything you need to play or run a game is in this tome. Turn to the next section to get familiar with the basics! Shadowdark

T hey were crawlers, and so they dared the lost halls of the Shadowdark. They went down through the old trapdoor in the Rusty Mug's cellar, greasing the owner's palm with a few silver drems. First came the spiders. Prickling legs, burning fangs, they descended on silent threads from the dark, high ceilings. Creeg finally burned the skittering devils to ash with blasts of magical fire. The carved stone walls grew denser, darker. Iraga almost lost her head to a scythe snapping out of the wall. It was Ralina who found the hidden door behind a demonic statue. And so they went deeper. The worked stone turned to damp cavern walls. Distant hisses and screams echoed in the pitch black, and leatherwinged abominations swooped in with hooked talons, tearing at Jorbin's shield and flesh. But the treasure they found! Dusty gold coins stamped with forgotten emperors, fat rubies dangling from silver chains, glittering swords plucked from the hands of moldy skeletons. Soon, the torches grew thin. The wounds grew numerous. The magic grew weak. The crawlers had met their true foe. It was all around them, never slowing, never sleeping, never ending. It was the ShadowDark. And the fight had only just begun.