Rangers of Shadow Deep

What is Rangers of Shadow Deep

Rangers of Shadow Deep is a solo and co-op miniatures adventure game by Joseph A. McCullough, the designer of Frostgrave. The kingdom of Alladore is being swallowed by the Shadow Deep, and you play the rangers sent in to hold it back.

There’s no opponent. You build a ranger and a small band of companions, then play through missions where the monsters are run by the game. Most people play it alone, and up to four players can play it together.

McCullough self-published it in 2018. Modiphius now publishes the core book, and McCullough still writes and self-publishes most of the missions. All the art in the line is by Barrett Stanley.

How it plays

Four phases a turn. Rangers act, then creatures, then companions, then an event.
Two actions each. Every figure gets two actions when it activates.
Opposed d20 combat. Both sides roll a d20 and add their Fight. The winner’s total, minus the loser’s armour, is the damage.
The monsters run themselves. A simple flowchart, based on line of sight, decides what each creature does.
An event deck. You draw a playing card every turn and check it against that mission’s table, so things go wrong at bad moments.
Injuries stick. A ranger taken out rolls for survival and can come back hurt.
A campaign. Experience is shared across the group, rangers level up between missions, and you can replay missions at higher Challenge Levels.

You need two d20s, a deck of playing cards, a ruler, and some 28mm figures. It’s miniature agnostic, and McCullough encourages people to use whatever figures they like.

How to start

Get the core book. The PDF is $19 on DriveThruRPG. The Standard Edition hardcover is £40, from Modiphius or North Star. It’s the one McCullough says to start with, and it has 17 scenarios.
Find a ranger and a few companions. Any fantasy 28mm figures work. North Star makes the official metal range.
Add missions when you want more. The supplements are on DriveThruRPG, most with print options.

Supplements

A Gathering of Heroes (Modiphius, hardcover): collects Blood Moon, Temple of Madness, Ghost Stone, Incinerator, and Menagerie, and adds 10 archetypes, 52 enchanted weapons, and a bestiary. It’s not a standalone game.
Mission books on DriveThruRPG: Blood Moon, Temple of Madness, Ghost Stone, Incinerator, Across the Wastes, Menagerie, Dungeons Dark, Tenebrous Citadel, House of Spiders, and Ashen Sky (2026).
Run Down the Racklan: a version run by a game master, like an RPG.
Creature Card Deck from Modiphius.
Reap the Whirlwind: a free scenario, linked from McCullough’s Rangers page.