The Essentials

Dice

The game system in Shadowfall uses the D10 black and red dice from Vampire the Masquerade 5th edition. The dice are divided into reds and blacks. They are D10s where the result on a black dice from 1-5 is a blank, 6-9 is a success and a 10 is a critical success. The red dice are identical with the exception that a 1 on them is a bestial failure. The game works heavily on the number of successes you make per roll so it is important to apply the results of your rolls correctly. To aid with this here is an overview of what each dice result means:

• Blank - Black: This is referred to as a Blank result and is considered a failure. There are no Successes for this result.
• Success – Black: This is referred to as a Success and the result adds 1 Success to the total number of Successes for the roll.
• Critical Success – Black: A Critical Success is treated as 1 Success unless a second Critical success is made in the same roll. If there are two or more Critical Successes rolled than double the result for each pair of 2 Critical Successes, changing them from 2 to 4 Successes for each pairing. It does not matter if the pairing is from 1 red and 1 black dice as long as a pairing is made.
• Skull – Red: If a skull is rolled on a red dice, it is commonly referred to as a Bestial Failure and can potentially lead to some very messy outcomes depending on the supernatural creature we are dealing with. Bestial Failures are explained further under each creature category but the result is at the very least treated as a failure and does not add any Successes to the roll.
• Blank - Red: This is referred to as a Blank result and is considered a failure. There are no Successes for this result.
• Success – Red: This is referred to as a Success and the result adds 1 Success to the total number of Successes for the roll.
• Critical Success – Red: A Critical Success is treated as 1 Success unless a second Critical success is made in the same roll. If there are two or more Critical Successes rolled than double the result for each pair of 2 Critical Successes, changing them from 2 to 4 Successes for each pairing. It does not matter if the pairing is from 1 red and 1 black dice as long as a pairing is made.

The difference between red and black

Black dice are commonly referred to as basic dice and are used by everyone in the game including the NPCs. Red dice on the other hand are more commonly linked to supernatural abilities and generally aren’t made when making rolls for most mortals.

Character Sheet

The Character sheet for Shadowfall is a fan made version based on the original character sheets form Vampire the Masquerade and Werewolf the Apocalypse. The basic mortal sheet is a 2-page character sheet where one side deals primarily with values which remain mostly unchanged through a game session while the second page contains those values that are likely to change within a single session as the game progresses. My advice would be to write down the values on the sheets first and then place them in a plastic foil.

Pen

Try and use an erasable pen to write down the attributes initially and a whiteboard marker to use while the paper is in the plastic sheets. This should make the entire process easier and less messy.

Model

A single model representing your character should be present. While most World of Darkness games focus on the social aspects and do not need the use of such models Shadowfall does have an inbuilt rule for using a tile system both in social and combat situations.

The Right Mindset

The world of darkness is primarily an adult roleplaying experience. It makes use of mature and dark themes for its setting and is not appropriate for those under the age of 18. It is not a story of heroes and adventure but of the harrowing experience of monsters and surviving from one night to the other. If you are looking for an adventure where the journey starts at an inn than this probably isn’t the system for you. If you are looking for a grimdark experience, where the night is filled with predators and each moment might be your last than this is the game for you.