Quick-Start Development - Layout

The first and most important thing i decided, was to create a layout of each of the game's elements.  What i'm trying to do is lay out everything you need to know initially to start playing.  Ideally i'd like it to be quick, so laying out things in a logical progression is very important.  Players should be able to read the rules as they play along without having to stop much along the way to read long convoluted rules.

I believe that actually playing a game is one of the best ways to learn how to play a game.  My objective in making this quick start is to guide new players through that very experience.  An actual physical example of gameplay is in my opinion the best example.  By the end of playing through the quickstart, i want them to be able to jump right into creating their own characters and start playing as quick as possible.

So with all that in mind I created a general layout.

(the following notes are brief and unedited, this is not the quickstarter itself just how i want to organize it and what i want to put in each section)

---- start of layout ----

Introduction

Shards is a game for two to five players that uses Miniatures (or any other suitable representations) and Maps to play out adventures. In this game your players will explore locations, finding exquisite treasures and perilous adversaries all while building a rich a developing game lore along the way.

The Tutorial below only uses one character, but that shouldn't stop you from playing through it as a group. Run through the tutorial together, it's a fun and easy way to learn the game with in play examples before setting out on your own adventures.

What You Will Need

-Print outs of the game resources

-An 8 sided die (1d8) and two 10 sided die (2d10) for each player

-The Game Master (GM) will also need 1d4, 1d6, 1d12 and 1d20

-Tape measures are not necessary, but you may use them if you wish

-Miniatures or suitable representations for the Characters, Adversaries and NPCs

(I suggest either using reaper bones minis or the wealth of paper miniatures available on the internet)

-A gaming surface, either a printed copy of the Shards Maps or Tabletop Terrain of your own devising.

Set-up

Place the map and player resources within easy reach of the players. Players then select their characters taking all necessary item cards and tokens, and place their miniature next to the Ether Kiln

Ether Kilns

Gives some quick background information on the world, covers that your form is made of memories and that you may not know exactly why you are here, but you know that you must fight your way to your destiny

Manoeuvring

Teaches the basics of movement in Shards, the concept of a manoeuvre. The maximum number of manoeuvres in a turn.

Enemies ahead

A quick description of the Enemies in Shards, presents the concept that you must fight to survive.

Additional Manoeuvring

Getting to an enemy before it has time to react. This means that the placement of the first enemy must be within

Making an Attack Move with a Weapon

Covers the concept of making a Move from a weapon card

Passing your turn and Conserving Stamina

Covers the concept that how many actions you can make in a turn is dependent on your stamina, covers stamina recovery (just the idea that you will recover stamina each turn) and stamina management ideas.

You may continue to act during your turn until either you pass or run out of stamina.

Evading or Blocking an Attack

How to evade an attack (using up the rest of the character's stamina) then how to block an enemy attack because no stamina left.

Stamina Recovery

How much stamina is actually recovered, getting ready for another round

Making a Combo Move with a Weapon and Combo Points

Covers the concept of Combo Attacks

Collect Combo Points from Unbroken Combos to upgrade your weapon

Boosting Attacks and Poise

Reducing Enemy Poise by Making Combos Attacks

Boosting attacks and breaking poise to automatically hit with the subsequent attacks.

Collecting Fragments from Slain Enemies

Killing an enemy and collecting their fragments, done automatically

Item Drops, Mementos and Lore Points

How enemies drop items, which items they drop, and what a memento is briefly, mementos explained in further detail later

Combo Points and Weapon Upgrades

Spending Combo Points

Approaching a Group of Enemies

A group of enemies ahead, suggest the character to rush into the centre of them and preform a fully boosted combo.

Being Swarmed and Character Death

A talk on how approaching a situation in different way effects the outcome. The above rushing into the centre of a mob of enemies is designed to kill the Character. Also briefly discuss losing your Fragments.

Respawning at Ether Kilns and Wasting

When a character dies, Read this bit about respawning at ether kilns. What wasting is and how it temporarily reduces your maximum health to a minimum of 10 hit points.

Reducing Wasting by Linking Lore Points

How you can use lore points to reduce wasting and recover back to maximum health.

Trying it Again This Time Considering Threat Ranges

Fighting your way back through the initial enemy, and approaching the group of enemies differently so that you can overcome them.

Recovering Lost Fragments

Recovering your lost fragments from an area.

Imbuing at a New Ether Kiln and Recovery

Activating new checkpoints by “Imbuing” Ether Kilns. How resting at an ether kiln recovers your Health and Stamina.

Leveling Up at an Ether Kiln

How to use your Fragments at an Ether Kiln to Level Up your character, called Memory Level

NPC's and Quests

Meeting an NPC, NPC dialogue and Lore Points associated to meeting an NPC.

Quests Granted by NPC's

Area Boss Fights

Encountering a Boss “Arena” fight, and how to fight bosses. Once you enter a Boss Arena, you cannot leave until either the boss is dead or you die. Good luck! Try different tactics, use different items.

Congratulations on Completing the Tutorial!

A congratulations and a suggestion to try out the full game, building your own characters,

---- end of layout ----

So that's the plan!  I'm going to go over each of these sections in more detail and find out how to make the experience tight so that every time you run through it, it yields the same results.

I have a lot of work ahead of me, but like i mentioned earlier, i want to get out a playable copy of this game as soon as absolutely possible.

Till Next Time

-Tom K.

*A note on the game mechanics updates, I do update the files from time to time, so check the downloads section to make sure you have the most recent versions to stay up to date.