The Inside Scoop on Gaming

First of all, I'd like to thank Mr. Jared Nielson for being kind enough to provide me with a review copy of his staggeringly hefty game at GenCon. I didn't get a chance to look at the game until the third day of the Con, and by that time I was pretty much out of money. After seeing JAE's superb artwork and talking briefly with Mr. Nielson, I definitely needed my own copy, which the aforementioned Mr. Nielson was kind enough to supply. So thanks again.

The first thing that strikes you about Shards of the Stone: Core is that Jared Nielson's claim of "It'll stop a bullet (I don't guarantee that)" might very well be true. Practically a full inch thick, it ranks among the largest RPG books out there. Weighing in at 384 pages, I was expecting an equally hefty price tag, but that's the second thing you notice about the book - it's only $25. Part of that might be the paper (which is much coarser than a lot of other books - but I actually quite like that effect) but that's still quite a bargain. During a time when prices just seem to keep rising and the page counts dropping, the sheer massiveness of Shards of the Stone: Core was quite a welcome surprise.

As I mentioned, JAE's (which presumable stands for Jason A. Engle, also Obsidian's Art Director) artwork is consistently superb. The only artist in the book, his work (with a few notable exceptions) is interesting, fresh and just damn fine. The color plates in the middle, especially, attracted my eye to both the booth and got me to stop in and delve a bit deeper into the game. The writing is, on the whole, frank, clear and solid. There is a bit more than a fair share of typos and editing errors, but nothing that I'm not willing to forgive considering the size and value of the book as it stands already. Slightly more frustrating were misplaced tables, sidebars or duplicated blocks of text - all of which happen at least once through the book. Also as I noted previously, the paper stock is rougher than industry standard, but it's also tastefully faded and colored, giving the entire book an aged "parchment" feel befitting its fantasy nature - definitely a good looking product, despite a few errors.

The first 50 pages of the book (consisting of the first three "pre chapters") contain solely setting information and the mythos for the game. By far the most interesting part of the book, this is also among the most adventurous. Built on the premise that before the beginning of time, about two dozen gods fought a war over the Stone, a device that shapes the universe into a vision of utopia. The war ended (re: went into the shadows) when the Stone shattered and a variety of distinct Realms grew up around the larger pieces. This allows for an easily explainable multi-genre fantasy game reminiscent of Everway and Planescape. The game's true genius reveals itself in the discussion of the twenty five Elements, however. Going far beyond the traditional four or five of real history, the game introduces Elements like Unreality, Matter, Pride and Fear. Furthermore, each Element is not only a force of nature, but a piece in nature. That is to say that every Element has a physical manifestation, whether a metal or a stone or a viscous gooey liquid. You can go to a mountain, mine Pride from it, and mint it into coins. There is just something so gleefully surreal there that I can't shake the idea from my mind. These Elements are one of those ideas that makes you wish you had thought of it first. Unfortunately these wonderful Elements aren't used any where near enough. They are mentioned reasonably frequently in later rules chapters, but they don't feel like that take the center stage like they should.

The rest of the book (aside from the thirty of so pages giving mention of various major monsters and foes) is rules and lots of them.

I'm not going to lie, I don't like Fuzion all that much, and Shards of the Stone relies heavily on the generic system. Like the basic Sengoku volume, Fuzion rules fill up a huge percentage of the book. For setting junkies like myself who could care less about detailed systems, this is not a bonus. It is, however, a field day for the gamers out there who love to have some rules to crunch into and chew on for a while.

That said, Shards of the Stone: Core does use the Fuzion rules, it doesn't just provide them. After straightforward chapters on character creation and the basics of the system (which were interesting enough to keep my reading through all the numbers) and combat, a lot of the book's bulk is taken up by a nearly 100-page magic section. There aren't a lot of spells or schools of spells (or even a very clear "this is how this all works" sidebar, but…), instead most of the chapter is a detailed system to create your own spells. The system is rather detailed (nothing popped out at to me as glaringly inappropriate or missing) and is both compatible with the creature power design system later in the book and general enough to work on a broad range of other fantasy powers. Mind you, I have not tested that, but it seems robust enough to work with equal ease on pointed hat and book spells or intangible blessings of fate. The only thing that really irked me about the magic (other than the fact that I've been completely spoiled off spell lists now) is the inclusion of psionic powers. Rules-wise and in the mythos it is just another kind of magic, but the idea of telekinesis and telepathy as powers of inner focus and the application of the Will just doesn't seem to fit perfectly into the swords-'n'-sorcery setting. Some of the later supplements may mesh this in better, but it just seems to be a square peg right now.

The gamemastering chapter was something of a disappointment because it was so general. Borrowing heavily from Obsidian Studio's other major product, the Fantasy Roleplaying Gamers' Bible, the chapter is almost entirely lacking in Shards of the Stone-specific information. While it is all useful advice (especially for beginning gamers), I doubt that anyone who hasn't heard that very advice half a dozen times already will be buying Shards of the Stone - it's not really an easy beginner's entrance into the world of gaming. What I would have much preferred is an extended discussion of the power and influence of pieces of the Stone and the Elements, as well as how to use both. A frank discussion of the layout of Core and the nature of the Realms so that it is easier to visualize the game world would also be very useful, as that clarity is something that the book lacks to some degree. But the Elements especially needed a second look. They are of such importance that they influence every day events and are part of the character's make-up. Aside from Realm source material, Obsidian Studios would do well to put forth some sort of gamemastering or Elemental resources.

The book finishes with a chapter on the various monsters and generic NPCs of the setting, as well as a few appendices with a wide array of very useful information. Almost every chart (and then some) throughout the book is gathered easily in the back, almost eliminating the use of a game screen. As I mentioned above, the Denizens chapter includes the rules for designing new creatures and powers (as well as new PC races as well, which was a nice touch). I quite liked a lot of the creatures presented, and JAE did a serious of very nice images indeed, but I still wanted more, one page each just isn't enough for me I suppose. Yes, I know, maybe I'm greedy is nearly 400 pages won't satisfy me, but that's the way it is.

Shards of the Stone is a rather ambitious entry into the fantasy gaming genre, and its experimental nature shows through a fair bit in the basic book, which can be both a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, ideas like the Elements and the Realms and the tying of the Elements to each of the PC races (through Sympathies and Antipathies) shine brightly and make you realize that this is probably one of the best fantasy games available today, especially since they are done with subtlety and elegance. On the other hand, the game seems to have some hold-overs from older fantasy RPGs, including the standard slew of major races (elves, dwarves, orc, etc., although with the basic inclusion of lizard men and catpeople) and uninspired spell lists. The game certainly does show a great deal of promise however, due in large part to the ease with which Shards of the Stone could soar above the crowd of D&D clones. With a healthy dose of surrealism, detail and the all-pervasive and all-amazing Elements, the game could solidify its position among the other Great Fantasy Roleplaying Games: Earthdawn, Planescape and finally Everyway. I'm hoping that Obsidian takes the opportunity to do so in their Realm sourcebooks as well as on their website, because it is truly the supplements that will make or break the game after this initial and somewhat tentative offering.

And speaking of websites, content is not the only experimental side of Shards of the Stone. Obsidian is also taking on the lofty goal of creating something like a unified table-top and internet game, trying to draw fans and players into the game along side the writers and the creators. Again and again throughout the book, computer resources are advertised and sought after. The company apparently intends to produce a full line of computer utilities for the game as well as extensive internet support for the game, from rules to setting. In fact, the book makes an open call for submissions on more than one occasion and the url for the game (http://www.shardsofthestone.com) is even worked into the cover logo. The Obsidian Studio's homepage is at http://www.obsidianstudios.com and the company's gaming magazine, Game Codex (which will presumably support Shards of the Stone as well), can be reached at http://www.gamecodex.com. As you can see, there is already a strong net-presence for the game, and I am curious as to how this will develop. Obsidian's is very ambitious, and such plans often crumble under their own weight (especially on the internet, where lethargy and apathy reign supreme), but either way, Shards of the Stone is definitely a game to keep an eye on.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Shards of the Stone: Core
Author: Sean Patrick Fannon, Dan McGrit and Matt Forbeck Category: game Company/Publisher: Obsidian Studios Line: Shards of the Stone Cost: $25.00 Page count: 384 ISBN: 0-9674429-1-5 SKU: OBS 1000 Capsule Review by Derek Guder on 08/16/00. Genre tags: Fantasy Horror Espionage Conspiracy Generic	First of all, I'd like to thank Mr. Jared Nielson for being kind enough to provide me with a review copy of his staggeringly hefty game at GenCon. I didn't get a chance to look at the game until the third day of the Con, and by that time I was pretty much out of money. After seeing JAE's superb artwork and talking briefly with Mr. Nielson, I definitely needed my own copy, which the aforementioned Mr. Nielson was kind enough to supply. So thanks again. The first thing that strikes you about Shards of the Stone: Core is that Jared Nielson's claim of "It'll stop a bullet (I don't guarantee that)" might very well be true. Practically a full inch thick, it ranks among the largest RPG books out there. Weighing in at 384 pages, I was expecting an equally hefty price tag, but that's the second thing you notice about the book - it's only $25. Part of that might be the paper (which is much coarser than a lot of other books - but I actually quite like that effect) but that's still quite a bargain. During a time when prices just seem to keep rising and the page counts dropping, the sheer massiveness of Shards of the Stone: Core was quite a welcome surprise. As I mentioned, JAE's (which presumable stands for Jason A. Engle, also Obsidian's Art Director) artwork is consistently superb. The only artist in the book, his work (with a few notable exceptions) is interesting, fresh and just damn fine. The color plates in the middle, especially, attracted my eye to both the booth and got me to stop in and delve a bit deeper into the game. The writing is, on the whole, frank, clear and solid. There is a bit more than a fair share of typos and editing errors, but nothing that I'm not willing to forgive considering the size and value of the book as it stands already. Slightly more frustrating were misplaced tables, sidebars or duplicated blocks of text - all of which happen at least once through the book. Also as I noted previously, the paper stock is rougher than industry standard, but it's also tastefully faded and colored, giving the entire book an aged "parchment" feel befitting its fantasy nature - definitely a good looking product, despite a few errors. The first 50 pages of the book (consisting of the first three "pre chapters") contain solely setting information and the mythos for the game. By far the most interesting part of the book, this is also among the most adventurous. Built on the premise that before the beginning of time, about two dozen gods fought a war over the Stone, a device that shapes the universe into a vision of utopia. The war ended (re: went into the shadows) when the Stone shattered and a variety of distinct Realms grew up around the larger pieces. This allows for an easily explainable multi-genre fantasy game reminiscent of *Everway* and *Planescape. The game's true genius reveals itself in the discussion of the twenty five Elements, however. Going far beyond the traditional four or five of real history, the game introduces Elements like Unreality, Matter, Pride and Fear. Furthermore, each Element is not only a force of nature, but a piece in nature. That is to say that every Element has a physical manifestation, whether a metal or a stone or a viscous gooey liquid. You can go to a mountain, mine Pride from it, and mint it into coins. There is just something so gleefully surreal there that I can't shake the idea from my mind. These Elements are one of those ideas that makes you wish you had thought of it first. Unfortunately these wonderful Elements aren't used any where near enough. They are mentioned reasonably frequently in later rules chapters, but they don't feel like that take the center stage like they should. The rest of the book (aside from the thirty of so pages giving mention of various major monsters and foes) is rules and lots of them. I'm not going to lie, I don't like Fuzion all that much, and Shards of the Stone* relies heavily on the generic system. Like the basic *Sengoku* volume, Fuzion rules fill up a huge percentage of the book. For setting junkies like myself who could care less about detailed systems, this is not a bonus. It is, however, a field day for the gamers out there who love to have some rules to crunch into and chew on for a while. That said, *Shards of the Stone: Core* does use the Fuzion rules, it doesn't just provide them. After straightforward chapters on character creation and the basics of the system (which were interesting enough to keep my reading through all the numbers) and combat, a lot of the book's bulk is taken up by a nearly 100-page magic section. There aren't a lot of spells or schools of spells (or even a very clear "this is how this all works" sidebar, but…), instead most of the chapter is a detailed system to create your own spells. The system is rather detailed (nothing popped out at to me as glaringly inappropriate or missing) and is both compatible with the creature power design system later in the book and general enough to work on a broad range of other fantasy powers. Mind you, I have not tested that, but it seems robust enough to work with equal ease on pointed hat and book spells or intangible blessings of fate. The only thing that really irked me about the magic (other than the fact that I've been completely spoiled off spell lists now) is the inclusion of psionic powers. Rules-wise and in the mythos it is just another kind of magic, but the idea of telekinesis and telepathy as powers of inner focus and the application of the Will just doesn't seem to fit perfectly into the swords-'n'-sorcery setting. Some of the later supplements may mesh this in better, but it just seems to be a square peg right now. The gamemastering chapter was something of a disappointment because it was so general. Borrowing heavily from Obsidian Studio's other major product, the Fantasy Roleplaying Gamers' Bible, the chapter is almost entirely lacking in *Shards of the Stone-specific information. While it is all useful advice (especially for beginning gamers), I doubt that anyone who hasn't heard that very advice half a dozen times already will be buying Shards of the Stone* - it's not really an easy beginner's entrance into the world of gaming. What I would have much preferred is an extended discussion of the power and influence of pieces of the Stone and the Elements, as well as how to use both. A frank discussion of the layout of Core and the nature of the Realms so that it is easier to visualize the game world would also be very useful, as that clarity is something that the book lacks to some degree. But the Elements especially needed a second look. They are of such importance that they influence every day events and are part of the character's make-up. Aside from Realm source material, Obsidian Studios would do well to put forth some sort of gamemastering or Elemental resources. The book finishes with a chapter on the various monsters and generic NPCs of the setting, as well as a few appendices with a wide array of very useful information. Almost every chart (and then some) throughout the book is gathered easily in the back, almost eliminating the use of a game screen. As I mentioned above, the Denizens chapter includes the rules for designing new creatures and powers (as well as new PC races as well, which was a nice touch). I quite liked a lot of the creatures presented, and JAE did a serious of very nice images indeed, but I still wanted more, one page each just isn't enough for me I suppose. Yes, I know, maybe I'm greedy is nearly 400 pages won't satisfy me, but that's the way it is. *Shards of the Stone* is a rather ambitious entry into the fantasy gaming genre, and its experimental nature shows through a fair bit in the basic book, which can be both a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, ideas like the Elements and the Realms and the tying of the Elements to each of the PC races (through Sympathies and Antipathies) shine brightly and make you realize that this is probably one of the best fantasy games available today, especially since they are done with subtlety and elegance. On the other hand, the game seems to have some hold-overs from older fantasy RPGs, including the standard slew of major races (elves, dwarves, orc, etc., although with the basic inclusion of lizard men and catpeople) and uninspired spell lists. The game certainly does show a great deal of promise however, due in large part to the ease with which *Shards of the Stone* could soar above the crowd of *D&D* clones. With a healthy dose of surrealism, detail and the all-pervasive and all-amazing Elements, the game could solidify its position among the other Great Fantasy Roleplaying Games: *Earthdawn, Planescape* and finally *Everyway. I'm hoping that Obsidian takes the opportunity to do so in their Realm sourcebooks as well as on their website, because it is truly the supplements that will make or break the game after this initial and somewhat tentative offering. And speaking of websites, content is not the only experimental side of Shards of the Stone. Obsidian is also taking on the lofty goal of creating something like a unified table-top and internet game, trying to draw fans and players into the game along side the writers and the creators. Again and again throughout the book, computer resources are advertised and sought after. The company apparently intends to produce a full line of computer utilities for the game as well as extensive internet support for the game, from rules to setting. In fact, the book makes an open call for submissions on more than one occasion and the url for the game (http://www.shardsofthestone.com) is even worked into the cover logo. The Obsidian Studio's homepage is at http://www.obsidianstudios.com and the company's gaming magazine, Game Codex (which will presumably support Shards of the Stone* as well), can be reached at http://www.gamecodex.com. As you can see, there is already a strong net-presence for the game, and I am curious as to how this will develop. Obsidian's is very ambitious, and such plans often crumble under their own weight (especially on the internet, where lethargy and apathy reign supreme), but either way, *Shards of the Stone* is definitely a game to keep an eye on. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)