Shadowdarkification

My take?

Shadowdark isn't "destroying" the OSR. By the numbers, Shadowdark has likely taken 1,000 times more 5E players than OSR players. If anything, the Shadowdarkification applies more to the 5E player base than any OSR game, as people walk away and see what a bloated pay-to-play mess D&D is these days.

People want to create a wedge for two reasons:

• Grognards don't want "normies in the hobby."
  
• 5E players are running a stop-loss campaign to "save" 2024.

The whole idea of a wedge existing here at all is dumb. There isn't. Someone invented it to get attention.

Shadowdarkification is an excellent description of what is happening to 5E, not the OSR. The "pressure" being applied here is on the market leader, not the indies. Wizards of the Coast has yet to develop a strategy for younger or casual gamers. They expect everyone to use the website and VTT software and pour through thousands of pages of rules, costing about $200 for the entire game, in an online reader.

Nine-year-old kids are running Shadowdark for their families. Show me how D&D does that. I know some OSR games that can be run like that, too, OSE being one of them. Many other games just fail this test.

Once people have tried Shadowdark, they will be drawn to explore similar experiences here. OSE, DCC, and many other great games offer unique experiences and are part of a vibrant community that can expand your gaming horizons and bring a fresh perspective to your RPG journey.

I have seen many OSE players saying they love Shadowdark, too, but still see OSE as the game they would play for greater depth and long-lasting campaigns. OSE is the spiritual successor for B/X and BECMI, and in a way, OSE was the "Shadowdark" to the entire OSR back when Swords & Wizardry, Labyrinth Lord, and many other retro-clones were out there preaching the gospel.

OSE is the more "in-depth" game. It does not have some of Shadowdark's "board game" aspects. It is better suited for classic campaigning, wilderness exploration, and long-term campaigns and delivers the classic game feeling. OSE has far more options than Shadowdark regarding classes, races, spells, magic items, monsters, and play options with hirelings, ships, land travel, expeditions, and even realm construction.

You can't claim a hex, attract followers, and settle the land in Shadowdark with realm play. That is "built into" OSE at the high level for every class. The two games don't compete, and it is a dumb idea to suggest it. They are very different games with different focuses.

Shadowdark can teach 5E players how to play games like OSE and DCC very well.

DCC is a totally different beast. There aren't many light and encumbrance rules or even a codified gear list in the game. It is more of a "gonzo experience party game" where crazy things happen constantly in an Appendix N stream of consciousness.

OSE came in with a highly organized, easy-to-use, simplified, clean, and fun "common version" of the game that played very old-school. OSE was the Shadowdark of the OSR, and products like this that "change the narrative" become de-facto leaders. I loved Labyrinth Lord, but OSE was a cleaner, easier-to-use, and more presentable product to a larger audience than LL. Shadowdark is that, but compared to 5E, it is the same experience but better.

Where Shadowdark shines is in "dungeon play" at a table, with a ticking clock and limited resources. It is like the classic HeroQuest board game mixed with D&D; it is the best version of that experience. D&D wants to be an "identity game," so that is where their focus is, and it is not on classic dungeon crawling.

OSE and Shadowdark sit side-by-side on my gaming shelf.

Right next to my DCC dice sets I use to play them all.