Using the layout that i wrote earlier, i filled in each section with a play walkthrough and an ongoing piece of fiction to compliment the example each step of the way. Here's part one, it covers some of the fundamental basics of Shards. Italicized text is the fiction, where bold text is the rules instruction.
--- Part 1 Start ---
You wake up, as if being born from a memory consciousness comes to
you. You sit up, nearby a stone kiln which radiates a comforting
warmth like a warm breeze of a distant but familiar land.
Place your character's model on the map in contact with the Ether
Kiln
You do know why you are here, or who exactly you may be, but your
concerns are distant while sitting next to this fire that burns
without end. You feel as if you could sit here till the end of
existence, and not a thing would matter.
Your hand comes across a weapon nearby. Were you a warrior? The
sword feels familiar enough, while staring into the flames, you
remember you were seeking something, but not what. Within the flames
you see purpose for the briefest of moments, but it flickers and
fades away almost as quick as it had appeared.
The flames are comforting, however a realization comes over you,
only in remembering can you once again become whole. You must press
on.
Manoeuvring
In the shadows in-front of you, you see a being that looks to be
clutching a white dove very dearly close to their chest.
Place a Wastrel Model two maneuvers away from the character model.
Reality seems to wither around the being as if looking at the
subject of a water stained painting. There is something sad about
the being nurturing the bird that sits in such contrast amidst it's
grasp. You feel compelled to approach the being, perhaps to offer
comfort. You get up and step away from the warmth of the kiln for
what seems like the first time.
Using the maneuver card, move your model along its length towards
the newly placed model. This is a single maneuver.
Enemies
ahead
The being notices your advance. Despite it raising it's head
towards you, it's features are unidentifiable, shifting in reality as
you approach. It seems momentarily confused at this, then quickly
withdraws as if in self defensive.
You reach out towards the creature, unsure as to how you've
offended it. Abruptly it howls as much in defiance as agony and in a
fit of rage, it crushes the dove it was momentarily holding so
carefully. Throwing the animals corpse to the ground it prepares to
rush towards you now brandishing deadly claws of darkness.
Additional
Manoeuvring
Instinctively your hand goes to the pommel of your blade as it
must have so many times before. With quick gait you close the
distance between you and this adversary.
Maneuver your model once more so that your model is within 1” of
the adversary(the short side of the manoeuvre card). This is your
second manoeuvre for the round so you must expend 1 point of stamina
to do so.
Each additional Manoeuvre costs a number of points of stamina equal
to the number of manoeuvres already preformed that turn.
Your model is now engaged with this enemy, a foul being known as a
wastrel. Because you are engaged with this enemy you can now make
attacks against it.
Making an
Attack Move with a Weapon
With a practiced motion from a long forgotten past you bring the
blade down quickly on the creature before it can close in on you with
it's hands clawed of darkness.
Now it's time to make an Attack using your Short Sword's “Slash”
move!
The Slash move has a Stamina cost of 3, requiring we spend 3 stamina
to from our stamina pool, place these in your stamina discard pool.
The Slash Move on it's own is not a very accurate attack on it's own
and requires a 7+ to hit on the d8 attack die. Time to use some more
stamina to make it easier to hit. Before rolling the attack die, you
can boost your attack roll by spending additional stamina adding +1 to the result of your attack die roll for each stamina spent.
Lets boost with 6 points of
stamina, this will guarantee that your attack hits! Roll the attack
die, and add 6 to the result! A result of 7 or more means the attack
hits and damages the target.
After a nimble dash to the creatures exposed side you sweep your
blade up the creature's side, the blade connects, wounding the
creature gravely.
Now that you've hit with your slash attack its time to apply damage
to the target. The Slash Move deals 5 base damage, and 1x your STR
bonus. Your STR bonus is equal to the tens digit of your strength
characteristic. Currently your character has a STR bonus of 1 and
will deal a total of 6 damage with its slash attack. Place 6 damage
next to the wastrel model.
Passing your turn and Conserving Stamina
The creatures wounds expel darkness from a broad gash along it's side. The creature seems to have no intent on giving up and brandishes its claws in fury. Instinctively you raise your blade to guard against the creatures impending attack. Time to go on the defense.
With only 6 points of Stamina left in your stamina pool, it is time
to go on the defense. Evading attacks also requires Stamina so its
important to save some to defend against incoming attacks. For now
we will PASS instead of taking any further actions.
Evading or
Blocking an Attack
This creature, so different then the docile being it was moments ago. It's sole purpose, intent on spilling your blood, now lashes out towards you with attacks in quick succession. Finding your footing you prepare to roll out of the way.
This wastrel attack indicates that it must be evaded with a single
d6, this die is called an evasion die. First we'll spend our 6
remaining stamina points to evade this attack, we then roll the
evasion die and add the how many stamina points we spent to evade.
In this case we would add 6 to the result rolled. If the total is
greater than the highest value on the evasion die, we've successfully
evaded the attack. Because we spent 6 stamina on a d6 evasion test,
we flawlessly dodge the attack with no chance of failure!
Stamina
Recovery
Doubling over at the momentum of the evaded attack, the wastrel leaves its back exposed, disoriented and unprepared for what you have planned next. You recover your breath in the moment's respite.
Now that the wastrel has acted for the round and there are no other
adversaries to activate, a new player turn begins. At the beginning
of a new turn, any stats that have been temporarily reduced return to
their full amount. This means that we begin this turn with another
full 15 points of stamina!
Making a
Combo Move with a Weapon and Combo Points
Now is the time to finish this! With the skill imparted from
unknown memories you wield your blade with calculated grace.
This time we attack the wastrel we are going to make a Combo. A
Combo is a series of moves, preformed in a specific order all for a
single stamina cost. This usually results in a reduced stamina cost
for the moves being used and additional effects for completing the
combo. The Combo we will use is called Slash and Jab, which combines
both a Slash and a Jab Move at a cost of 5 Stamina. When using this
combo the second move, Jab, does a bonus +2 damage!
Boosting
Attacks and Poise
You see an opening and know exactly what to do, this time you will
stagger the creature with a first decisive blow and then finish the
job once and for all with a swift jab of your blade.
All Adversaries have a Poise value much like character's. If an
attack roll ever equals or exceeds the target's Poise value, the
target is staggered and all future attacks targeting this adversary
automatically hit till the end of the round. The Wastrel has a Poise
of 8, so if we roll 8 or higher the wastrel will be staggered.
To Attack we first need to spend the 5 Stamina required to use the
Combo Slash and Jab.
The first Move in the Combo is Slash. Once again Slash hits on 7+,
but we can stagger our target if we roll 8+. This time lets boost
the attack with 7 additional stamina to guarantee that we stagger the
target on this first hit!
We roll the attack die (1d8) and add the amount we boosted the attack
by. In this case not only will we have hit the Wastrel for another 6
damage, but we've also staggered the target, allowing our next Jab
move to auto hit!
Without Rolling to hit with the Jab move we apply it's 5 additional
damage to the target as well (1 base plus 1 for STR bonus, 1 for DEX
bonus and 2 more damage for the combo special effect). More than
enough to defeat the Wastrel who had 15 health points to begin with.
Successfully completing the combo also scores us 1 Combo Point (CP)
which we can use later to unlock further skill memories with the
weapon.
Collecting
Fragments from Slain Enemies
The Body of the creature slumps over to the ground. Defeated, it
lets out a sigh of release, as its body bursts into luminous
fragments like embers in the wind. The fragments are drawn towards
you, reminding you of the comfort of the kiln with the warmth the
emanate. Flowing through you, you feel invigorated by the shards
which seem to briefly reignite long forgotten memories, ruminating in
the ether.
Each defeated foe grants you a number of ether fragments which can be
later spent at an ether kiln to level up your character. This
defeated Wastrel grants 20 Fragments, which should be noted on the
player's character sheet.
--- End of Part 1 ---
That wraps up the first part of the tutorial. The second part introduces the character to an NPC and teaches some of the more nuanced aspects of playing the game as well as a bit of a primer on the setting. There's still a bit more that needs to be covered in Part 2 but i'll be posting a rough draft up here soon.
Till Next time
-Tom K.
