Shard (role-playing game)
Encyclopedia
Shard by Shard Studios is an anthropomorphic heroic-fantasy
role-playing game
set in Dárdünah, the World of the False Dawn, a secondary world fantasy setting which draws its influences from oriental culture.
orbited by three moon
s and two sun
s. Albeit some ancient force cracked the planet at its very core and thus separated entire continent
s by deep, insurmountable chasms, the world appears to be largely stable.
Dárdünah is also called The World of the False Dawn. This is because due to the configuration of the planet's suns, the real dawn
of the amber sun Lokáynü is preceded by the gloomy, blue dawn of the holy sun Edü.
deposits are mostly absent from this world, existing only in trace quanitites and thus most objects are being fashioned out of wood
, chitin
, a special tree sap
called Amber and of course, the ever-present crystal
s.
These crystals however sometimes possess wondrous qualities. They can be treated with chemistry, magic or other techniques to suit many needs such as to form blades as hard, if not harder than conventional metals.
s on Dárdünah. Instead, the world is inhabited by a plethora of anthropomorphic races (more than ~90 types so far, 90 more being delivered with the next book Magic & Martial Arts) including Vajrah (mammal
s), Paksin (avian
s), and Sarpah (reptile
s) with many different animal abilities such as Natural Weaponry, Flight
, Venom
, Thermal Sensing or Nightvision.
The setting substitute
s many ordinary animal
s with exotic insect
oid counterparts, called Suthra and many other alien creatures. There is also many examples of strange and dangerous plant
life.
.
Mahist Faith. Mahists believe in deities called the Mother and Father, who came to their world and created their gods, the Devah, and subsequently them. This belief also incorporates concepts such as the Edge of Heaven where the deceased go to dance with the gods until they are reborn and the Swirling Hells of Narákah, where wicked souls receive punishment.
of Dárdünah follow a caste
-system similar to the one present in India
.
to graceful and refined martial arts
techniques.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
set in Dárdünah, the World of the False Dawn, a secondary world fantasy setting which draws its influences from oriental culture.
Geography
The game takes place on Dárdünah, a unique, crystalline planetPlanet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
orbited by three moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
s and two sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
s. Albeit some ancient force cracked the planet at its very core and thus separated entire continent
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
s by deep, insurmountable chasms, the world appears to be largely stable.
Dárdünah is also called The World of the False Dawn. This is because due to the configuration of the planet's suns, the real dawn
Dawn
Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the presence of weak sunlight, while the sun itself is still below the horizon...
of the amber sun Lokáynü is preceded by the gloomy, blue dawn of the holy sun Edü.
Crystals
MetalMetal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
deposits are mostly absent from this world, existing only in trace quanitites and thus most objects are being fashioned out of wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, chitin
Chitin
Chitin n is a long-chain polymer of a N-acetylglucosamine, a derivative of glucose, and is found in many places throughout the natural world...
, a special tree sap
Sap
Sap may refer to:* Plant sap, the fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant* Sap , a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia...
called Amber and of course, the ever-present crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
s.
These crystals however sometimes possess wondrous qualities. They can be treated with chemistry, magic or other techniques to suit many needs such as to form blades as hard, if not harder than conventional metals.
Flora and Fauna
There are no humanHuman
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s on Dárdünah. Instead, the world is inhabited by a plethora of anthropomorphic races (more than ~90 types so far, 90 more being delivered with the next book Magic & Martial Arts) including Vajrah (mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s), Paksin (avian
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s), and Sarpah (reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s) with many different animal abilities such as Natural Weaponry, Flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
, Venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
, Thermal Sensing or Nightvision.
The setting substitute
Substitute
Substitute may refer to:In economics:*Substitute good: two goods are substitutes in demand if, when the market price of the first good rises, the price of the second good also rises, and vice-versa....
s many ordinary animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s with exotic insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
oid counterparts, called Suthra and many other alien creatures. There is also many examples of strange and dangerous plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
life.
Society
The societies and culture of Dárdünah have largely been inspired by oriental culture. There are many kingdoms with different types of regimes, such as the Amín, Khanate and PrincipalitiesPrincipality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
.
Religion
The dormant religion is the polytheisticPolytheism
Polytheism is the belief of multiple deities also usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own mythologies and rituals....
Mahist Faith. Mahists believe in deities called the Mother and Father, who came to their world and created their gods, the Devah, and subsequently them. This belief also incorporates concepts such as the Edge of Heaven where the deceased go to dance with the gods until they are reborn and the Swirling Hells of Narákah, where wicked souls receive punishment.
Caste System
Most societiesSociety
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
of Dárdünah follow a caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
-system similar to the one present in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
- Holy Caste - Highest casteCasteCaste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
, elders, masters, priestPriestA priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
s, practitioners of ritual magic, etc. - High Caste - The sunborn, blessed by the light of both suns. Along with the holy caste the only caste that is allowed to wield Suthra insect weapons and Vaylah firearms. Warriors, rulers, landowners, etc.
- Trade Caste - Traders, artists and skilled Laborers, etc.
- Peasant Caste - FarmerFarmerA farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s, servants, unskilled workers, etc. - Outcaste - Ones born into the outcaste are considered punished by the gods for wrongs done in earlier lives. Yet, sparing them from the swirling hells is still a sign of their hope that these souls might stray from their previous erroneous paths. Otherwise individuals might get downgraded into this caste as a judicidal punishment. Escaped slaves, outlawOutlawIn historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
s, beggars, etc.
Game System
Shard uses a comparably simple but powerful D6 based role-playing system which features about 37 Animal Abilities, 20 talents and 100 different skills with countless of specializations.Combat
Combat in Shard can be performed with many different types of skills from brutal untrained brawlingBrawling
Brawling or Brawl can refer to:* Brawl, a large-scale fist fight usually involving multiple participants*Brawl, Scotland, a crofting community on the north coast of Scotland*Brawling , a rowdy argument on church property...
to graceful and refined martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
techniques.
- Martial Arts - The ability to fight according to chosen martial stylesMartial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
(which are to be delivered with the supplement Shard: Magic & Martial Arts shipping in late 2010). - Melee Combat - The ability to use handheld weapons in a normal fashion.
- Brawling - Basic, dirty Hand-to-Hand combat.
- Missile Combat - Use small non-gunpowder projectile weapons such as bowsBow (weapon)The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
and crossbowCrossbowA crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
s. - Throw - Allows characters to use thrown weapons such as spearSpearA spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
s, javelinJavelinA Javelin is a light spear intended for throwing. It is commonly known from the modern athletic discipline, the Javelin throw.Javelin may also refer to:-Aviation:* ATG Javelin, an American-Israeli civil jet aircraft, under development...
s, shurikenShurikenA shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...
, dartsDart (missile)Darts are missile weapons, designed to fly such that a sharp, often weighted point will strike first. They can be distinguished from javelins by fletching and a shaft that is shorter and/or more flexible, and from arrows by the fact that they are not of the right length to use with a normal...
, etc... - Firearm Combat - Allows the player to use Vaylah, which are small gunpowder weapons such as pistolPistolWhen distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
s, musketMusketA musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s, rifleRifleA rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s, blunderbussBlunderbussThe blunderbuss is a muzzle-loading firearm with a short, large caliber barrel, which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore, and used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity and/or caliber. The blunderbuss could be considered to be an early form of shotgun,...
es, etc. in combat. - Suthra Use - Use trained beasts to perform various tasks, including combat.
Magic
The magic in Dárdünah is of very shamanic nature. Magic users, the sir'hibasi, traverse and utilize the dream plane, a ghostly world composed of magic and dreams, to peer into the future and past, manipulate their own or foreign energy flows to endow magical items or heal mortal wounds.External links
- Shard RPG home page
- Shard RPG Forums
- Shard Welcome Booklet (free)
- Free Downloads Forum
- ISBN 0980242606
See also
- IronclawIronclawIronclaw is a Furry fandom fantasy role-playing game published by Sanguine Productions, in which players take on the roles of anthropomorphic animals. The game is set in a Renaissance-inspired fictional world, on a continent called Calabria...
- World TreeWorld Tree (role-playing game)World Tree is an anthropomorphic fantasy role-playing game designed by Bard Bloom and Victoria Borah Bloom and published by Padwolf Publishing in 2001. The setting is the World Tree, a gigantic - possibly infinite - tree, with multiple trunks, branches tens of miles thick, and thousands long...
- Shard at WikiFur