06/29/2026

Happy Monday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts!

When I first received my PDF copy of the Western Reaches Player’s Guide, I was genuinely excited. I had been busy and hadn’t looked through the download yet, so I was expecting something that would significantly expand Shadowdark. After spending some time reading through it, though, I have to admit I was a little disappointed.

That doesn’t mean it’s a bad book, far from it. If you’re new to Shadowdark or don’t own any of the Cursed Scrolls, I think it’s an excellent purchase. However, as someone who already owns all six Cursed Scrolls—the original three plus the three released as part of the Western Reaches Kickstarter—I found that most of the Player’s Guide was already familiar. Rather than being a major expansion, it feels more like a compilation of the six Cursed Scrolls with a relatively small amount of new material woven throughout.

Ancestries

The addition of new ancestries didn’t do much for me. In my own campaigns, I already don’t allow Half-Orcs or Goblins because I treat them as monsters rather than player ancestries. For the same reason, Kobolds are another ancestry I wouldn’t allow at my table.

Of course, this comes down to personal preference. I know many groups enjoy monster ancestries, but they simply aren’t something I use.

Classes and Backgrounds

One of the biggest selling points of a new Player’s Guide is usually the promise of new character options. Unfortunately, this is one area where I felt the book fell a little short.

Most of the classes included in the Western Reaches Player’s Guide have already appeared in the Cursed Scrolls or other official products published by The Arcane Library. While there are a few updates and refinements, many of these changes are relatively minor and, in my opinion, could have easily been released as an errata or free PDF rather than requiring a full reprint of the classes.

The Backgrounds section follows a similar pattern. The vast majority are pulled directly from the Cursed Scrolls, with only a handful of new additions. While it’s certainly convenient to have everything collected into a single book, there wasn’t enough new material here to make the section feel fresh for someone who already owns all six Cursed Scrolls.

That said, I do appreciate having all of these options consolidated into one place. New players no longer have to hunt through multiple supplements to find a particular class or background, and that’s a real benefit. My criticism isn’t with the quality of the material—it’s excellent, just as it was when originally released. I simply wish there had been more brand-new classes, backgrounds, or meaningful expansions to existing ones to give longtime Shadowdark players something new to get excited about.

Secrets

The same is true for the backgrounds. They’re largely reprinted from the Cursed Scrolls, with only a handful of new additions mixed in.

I do like the new Secrets table. It provides a quick way to give characters some interesting hooks and can help players who struggle with creating backstories.

That said, I know many players who prefer complete control over their character’s history rather than having random elements introduced into it. It’s a nice option to have, but it won’t appeal to every table.

Factions

This is one section that felt out of place to me.

The random faction generation tables and faction descriptions seem like they belong in the upcoming Gamemaster’s Guide rather than a player-facing book. Generating factions is generally the Game Master’s responsibility, and the faction write-ups are primarily tools for building a campaign world. They’re useful resources, but I’m not convinced they belong in a Player’s Guide.

I also found one naming choice a little confusing. One of the factions is called The Bards, but the book states that its “typical members include bards, fighters, lawful priests, and those with strong moral fiber.” In other words, the organization isn’t made up exclusively of Bard-class characters. Since Shadowdark already has a Bard class, using the same name for a faction that includes many different character types could easily create confusion at the table. I think a name like The Minstrels, The Troubadours, The Songkeepers, or The Wandering Chorus would have conveyed the same theme while avoiding the overlap with an existing player class.

Gear

Like much of the rest of the book, the Gear chapter is primarily a compilation of equipment that has already appeared throughout the six Cursed Scrolls. There’s certainly value in having everything gathered into one easy-to-reference section, especially for new players or groups that don’t own every supplement. However, for longtime Shadowdark fans, there isn’t much here that feels truly new.

I was hoping to see the equipment list expanded with more armor options, weapons, adventuring gear, or even magical curiosities that would inspire new character concepts. Shadowdark thrives on creative problem-solving, and additional equipment often creates new opportunities for players without increasing the complexity of the rules.

The biggest addition is the inclusion of siege weapons. They’re well done and will certainly be useful for campaigns focused on warfare, defending strongholds, or large-scale battles. That said, I suspect most Shadowdark groups will rarely, if ever, find themselves using a ballista or trebuchet during a typical dungeon crawl. They’re a nice bonus, but they don’t add much value for the average campaign.

Overall, the Gear section is solid, but it follows the same pattern as much of the Player’s Guide: it’s an excellent collection of existing material with a few worthwhile additions. I just found myself wishing there was more content aimed at expanding the everyday equipment options that players are likely to use session after session.

Magic

The Magic chapter is easily one of the strongest parts of the Western Reaches Player’s Guide and contains some of my favorite material in the entire book.

That said, it’s important to point out that the alignment-based spells aren’t actually new. They were originally introduced in the Cursed Scrolls and are simply reprinted here. If you’ve never owned those supplements, they’re a fantastic addition and help reinforce the identity of each alignment by giving spellcasters unique magical options that reflect their beliefs and worldview. It’s an elegant mechanic that fits Shadowdark extremely well.

For those of us who already own the Cursed Scrolls, however, this felt like another missed opportunity. Rather than simply reprinting the existing alignment spells, I would have loved to see the concept expanded with additional options for each alignment. The framework is already there—it just needed more content to build upon it.

The same feeling applies to thematic spellcasting. If someone wants to play an elemental wizard, for example, they receive a handful of fire-themed spells, but there isn’t comparable support for air, earth, water, or other magical themes. Shadowdark’s streamlined spell list is one of its greatest strengths, but this seemed like the perfect place to broaden those options while keeping the game’s elegant design philosophy intact.

The chapter also includes magical mishaps and other spell-related material that continue to flesh out the magic system. These additions fit the tone of Shadowdark well and reinforce the unpredictable nature of magic.

In fact, my desire for more spell options is what inspired me to create my own Shadowdark supplement, Forged in Darkness. One of its core features is a framework that allows Game Masters to design new spells—or carefully import spells from other fantasy RPGs—while preserving the balance and feel of Shadowdark. If the Western Reaches Player’s Guide had expanded on the alignment spell concept and introduced more thematic spell lists, I think the Magic chapter could have become one of the defining reasons to buy the book.

As it stands, the Magic chapter is still one of my favorite sections, but much like the rest of the Player’s Guide, I couldn’t help wishing it had built upon the excellent ideas introduced in the Cursed Scrolls instead of primarily collecting them into a single volume.

Gods

Like the Magic chapter, the Gods chapter is one of the strongest sections of the Western Reaches Player’s Guide. However, it’s also another example of the book compiling material that originally appeared in the Cursed Scrolls rather than significantly expanding upon it.

If you’ve never owned the Cursed Scrolls, this chapter is excellent. It provides a complete pantheon that can be dropped directly into a campaign, along with enough detail to make each deity feel distinct. Even if you prefer creating your own setting, the chapter serves as a fantastic template for designing custom gods and religions.

One of my favorite features is the inclusion of Holy Days. This wasn’t introduced in the Player’s Guide—it comes from the Cursed Scrolls—but I still think it’s one of the best ideas in the game. Holy Days encourage Game Masters to keep an in-game calendar and make the passage of time matter. Festivals, religious observances, and seasonal events all help the world feel alive instead of existing only when the adventurers are present. If you’ve followed Tabletop Thoughts for any length of time, you know I’m a strong advocate for maintaining an in-game calendar, and the Holy Days system reinforces exactly why that’s important.

The chapter also includes the Patron rules, which again are largely drawn from the Cursed Scrolls. They provide a flavorful way to strengthen the connection between divine characters and the gods they serve, and I think they’re a worthwhile addition for any campaign that emphasizes religion.

This chapter perfectly illustrates my overall thoughts on the Western Reaches Player’s Guide. The material itself is excellent—I have no complaints about its quality. My only disappointment is that, for those of us who already own all six Cursed Scrolls, there isn’t much that’s actually new. The Gods chapter is well worth reading, but I found myself wishing it had expanded the existing pantheon with additional deities, new Holy Days, more Patron options, or guidance for creating regional religions unique to the Western Reaches. That would have made this section feel like a true evolution of what came before rather than simply a convenient compilation.

The Patron rules are also carried over from the Cursed Scrolls. They’re a flavorful addition that helps strengthen the connection between divine characters and the ‘gods’ they serve, but like much of the rest of the Player’s Guide, they’re presented here as part of the compilation rather than as a significant expansion. I would have loved to see the concept pushed further with additional Patron abilities, divine boons, or guidance for creating custom Patrons tied specifically to the Western Reaches.

Gameplay

The Gameplay chapter is probably the most mixed section of the entire Western Reaches Player’s Guide. There are several good ideas here, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that much of this material would have been a better fit for the upcoming Gamemaster’s Guide rather than a book aimed at players.

The Fast Travel and Camping rules are good examples. I like both systems, and I think they’ll be useful for many campaigns, but they’re primarily tools that the Game Master uses to run the game. Players certainly benefit from understanding how they work, but these aren’t the kinds of rules I immediately think of when I hear the words “Player’s Guide.”

The Downtime and Carousing rules, on the other hand, feel right at home. These are player-facing systems that encourage characters to spend time and treasure between adventures, creating memorable stories while giving players meaningful choices outside the dungeon. They fit Shadowdark’s philosophy perfectly by rewarding risk-taking and adding flavor without introducing unnecessary complexity.

The new Bastions and Warbands rules are also interesting additions. They’ll appeal to groups that enjoy domain management, building strongholds, or commanding followers as their campaigns progress beyond simple dungeon delving. However, I suspect these systems will only see regular use in a relatively small percentage of campaigns. Many Shadowdark games remain focused on exploration and adventure, so it’s entirely possible for a group to play for years without ever interacting with these rules.

Unlike many of the previous chapters, much of the Gameplay section is actually new material rather than content reprinted from the Cursed Scrolls, and I appreciate that. My only criticism is that it feels like some of these systems were included in the wrong book. Had they appeared in the upcoming Gamemaster’s Guide, alongside the travel, camping, and world-building tools, I think they would have felt much more at home. As they stand, they’re solid additions—I just question whether they belong in a Player’s Guide.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think the Western Reaches Player’s Guide is a well-produced book with some genuinely good additions. My disappointment comes from my expectations. Based on the title, I expected a major expansion for players. Instead, I found what is primarily a compilation of all six Cursed Scrolls with a modest amount of new material.

If you don’t already own the Cursed Scrolls, this book is an outstanding value and probably the best way to get all of that content in one place.

If you already own all six Cursed Scrolls, however, you’ll need to decide whether the convenience of having everything collected into a single volume—and the relatively small amount of new content—is worth the purchase. For me, it wasn’t the game-changing release I was hoping for, but it’s still a quality addition to the Shadowdark line.

What are your thoughts? Have you picked up the Western Reaches Player’s Guide? If you already owned the Cursed Scrolls, do you feel the new material justified the purchase? I’d love to hear your opinion in the comments below.

Keep on gaming!

2026 Goals Progress

Shadowdark Release on DriveThruRPG: 2/1 – COMPLETE

Minis Painted: 219/150 – COMPLETED

Large Models / Terrain: 22/ 6 – COMPLETE

YouTube Videos:15/ 24

Game Reviews: 6 / 4 – COMPLETED

Games Played (TTRPG + Board Games): 0 / 4

Thursday Drop-Ins Created: 6 / 12

New TTRPG Systems Tried: 0 / 3

Shadowdark Mini-Campaign Sessions: 0 / 3