forbes.com
Skullduggery Kickstarter: Urban Intrigue for Dungeons & Dragons
Beadle & Grimm's Pandemonium Warehouse launched a Kickstarter for Skullduggery, a D&D book focused on urban adventures, offering new subclasses, organizations, and a level 1-9 adventure.
- What is the core concept of the Skullduggery book, and what player and DM features does it offer?
- Skullduggery focuses on urban intrigue in D&D, providing players with new subclasses (like the Sovereign Blood Sorcerer with four distinct house-based powers) for the 2024 Player's Handbook classes and DMs with new organizations, guilds, and a level 1-9 adventure. It also includes new weapons, gear, and urban establishments.
- How does Skullduggery draw inspiration from existing D&D material and other sources, and what is its unique contribution?
- Skullduggery takes inspiration from adventures like Waterdeep: Dragon Heist and Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus, as well as Lankhmar from Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories. Its unique contribution lies in its comprehensive focus on urban fantasy elements, providing a robust set of tools for both players and Dungeon Masters to create intricate city-based campaigns.
- What are the potential impacts or broader implications of Skullduggery's release on the D&D community and the urban fantasy genre within the game?
- Skullduggery's release could significantly expand the options available for D&D players and DMs interested in urban fantasy settings. By offering a comprehensive toolkit with balanced gameplay mechanics and intriguing narrative elements, it could popularize and refine urban-based D&D adventures, enriching the game's overall experience and genre diversity.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article presents a positive framing of Skullduggery, highlighting its unique features and potential appeal to D&D players. The focus on the project lead's personal experiences and the inspirational influences from other games creates a sense of excitement and anticipation. However, potential drawbacks or criticisms of the product are not explicitly addressed, which could create a biased perspective.
Language Bias
The language used is generally positive and enthusiastic, employing words like "wonderful," "amazing," and "fun." While this creates an engaging tone, it might lack the objectivity of a purely neutral review. For instance, describing the subclasses as having "great story potential" is subjective and could be replaced with a more neutral description of their mechanics and versatility.
Bias by Omission
The article omits any discussion of potential negative aspects of Skullduggery, such as pricing, potential gameplay challenges, or critical reception. While acknowledging space constraints is valid, the lack of counterpoints could lead to an incomplete understanding of the product for potential buyers. There's no mention of the Kickstarter's funding goals or timeline, which is relevant information for potential backers.
Sustainable Development Goals
The game promotes creativity and problem-solving in diverse urban settings, potentially fostering empathy and understanding of different social groups and power dynamics. While not directly addressing inequality, the focus on urban intrigue and power struggles can indirectly contribute to a more nuanced understanding of societal structures and inequalities.