Really like the additional mechanics for this. CCN is a fun idea that can be easily tracked. I would think this entry as a sketch for something with more details. I think it is runnable right now, with probably a lot of prep and homebrewing. I would love to see a version with detailed castles engaging with the CCN and extra life mechanics a bit more. Also, even if the writing is short and summary, there might be some editing work needed there, especially the intro text seems a bit off to me. Thanks for your work!
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8 Castles of Sand and Sky's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Inspiration | #46 | 3.154 | 3.154 |
| Vibes | #52 | 2.385 | 2.385 |
| Overall | #54 | 2.487 | 2.487 |
| Usability | #56 | 1.923 | 1.923 |
Ranked from 13 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Comments
This seems like a really solid foundation to build out from! Exploring 8 different and unique castles could be an entire campaign. The CCN is a genius move to make it scale, great work!
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Cairn ClimberThank you for the time and effort, very much appreciated.
I understand tinkering with death mechanics can be a bit contentious, though since how it's done in Galaga was so unique, I felt I had to do something with it.
And yea, maybe 8+1 castles is a bit much, needing to dress them down as much as possible to make them fit was a tough call. Maybe even the wrong one; but then again, SMB-LL had that special 9th world I wanted.
Very sparsely written. Also a little repetitive with every castle being combat upon combat. I can see the germ of the ideas, but they need to bloom a little more. The death/extra lives mechanic is pretty good, but characters don't die immediately with death saves, so this might be better suited to a Gauntlet mechanic rather than a level 1 adventure. Unless you're building around a specific hardcore mode where 0 = death.
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Gristle & Vine: Crypt of the ChildThere wasn't much room for all the castles, I hope the vibes carry through enough at least.
All combat was straight out of the games, all three games are basically nothing but combat and some platforming.
I suppose this could be a 0=death thing. Perhaps the term "corpses" was a bit too extreme, but anyone unable to fight, unconscious and unobserved would be taken away.
With how succinct the writing was, the vibes feel a little muted. I don't know that I would have described those 3 games as straight combat. You have 2 platformers which are frequently filled with hazards, obstacles, traps, & treasure. From collapsing platforms & climbing walls to gap clears & falling objects, you have lots of variety you could add to each castle to create opportunities for interaction & exploration within the dungeon. I think there's a lot here to build upon, but it lacked a lot of the things that make Shadowdark different from other systems.
CCN usage is a smart way to scale the castle's difficulty, especially if players may travel through them out of order. The consistent castle layout is helpful and very Super Mario. The Silverfish's transform mechanic is a neat way to "promote" a mob monster.
I'd agree with the other comment that the sheer amount of enemies may overwhelm Shadowdark characters. Shuffling in unique treasures or giving the transformed commoners personalities might enrich a castle's unique feel.
Fun concept and very NES-style!
Submitted
Tetromino BrawlThank you, the promotion was from Galaga, and it's just a thing the bees do, except into three bigger ones. That would obviously be too much. It's probably too much already, but the numbers can be tweaked by the DM if it's clearly a bit too much for the party as is.
I'd make treasures if there were pages left, there's bound to be a use for the fire flower. As for the commoners, they're based on the Toads, which don't have much goin on on their own unlike in SMB3's kings, but if this were developed further then definitely.
The extra lives mechanic is very fun and definitely gives it an 8-bit vibe!
I was a little confused on the CCN as far as the STR check goes. So the STR check gets harder each level the party completes? I'm assuming that's it, I just wanted to clarify.
Submitted
Sewer Are We Going?Dragons, Dracoliches, and Drakes (Roses, Thorns, and Buds but elfgames)
Dragons: I really like the extra lives mechanics as well as the Castle Cleared Number.
Dracoliches: The rooms in each castle are all dressed up and there aren't really anything to them aside for enemies, which in a game like shadowdark, isn't gonna go well for the PCs.
Drakes: The skeleton is there for eight dungeons though the GM is going to need to beef them up substantially. Definitely enough information given to do so though.
Submitted
The Forgotten Dorani Plateau
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