Warrior layout

Still lots of WIP here (icons, illustration, table design) but sharing anyway...

Character creation layout...

Added orange rules to section headers for clearer division.

Note-to-self: We should put a contextual note on Fairy, War-Mech and Immortal (as they are calling + species combinde) rather than just in body text.

Colour?!

Getting more comfortable (and quicker) with colour. Was originally thinking black and white interior art but might go wild. Could be useful for the infographics too (bonus/penalities etc)

WARP!! (or break!! in space)

Assault fey + robo-chib


Skimmer with robo-chib dock

The Primary Faiths and Philosophies of Outer World

The Church of the Sacred Chain
In spite of its relative youth among the Outer World's faiths (having only surfaced at the beginning of the Fourth Aeon) The Sacred Chain has become so ubiquitous in the Kingdom of Shard that it is often referred to simply as "The Church". There are multiple reasons for this, but most obvious is the looming presence of its Knightly Order in just about every corner of civilization of the Wistful Dark. Even the most bitter of the Church's detractors must quietly admit that they ensure the peace and tranquility they enjoy each day.

It's primary tenets encourage a balance of Light and Darkness within the greater structure of society as well as reverence towards the Sealed Gods and "enlightened moderation". Its followers often come in conflict with members of the Dawn Orthodoxy and Arcane Progressivism.

Umbral Adventism
Communion with the Dark was perhaps the first real faith. Formed almost as soon as mortals could speak, it blossomed into open worship for a brief time after the fall of the High Fey. This aspect did not survive more than a few clashes with the Dawn Orthodoxy, and the religion quickly slunk back to the underground. It has thrived their since then, with both the very affluent and desperate making quiet pleas in the shadows.

Umbralists would contend that it is not a duplicitous theology; neither its followers nor the Gloom itself makes false promises. It is a religion of ambition and the self. It teaches to embrace power and to seek the fruition of your greatest dreams, no matter the cost. While it does not actively endorse wickedness, such things may be hand-waved as necessary or even just practical.

Kingslayer's Mandate
It is said that every mortal has the an oath burned in the back of their minds, waiting to rise to the forefront when robbed of dignity and purpose by another. The second cataclysm and prosperous age of humanity (the Third Aeon, specifically) was brought on by Aken, a woman who declared that no being should be enslaved by another, even if those slavers are the Gods themselves. This deceleration was reinforced by the strength of her spirit and the loyalty of those around her; even those once cowed found might in her words. While she tragically fell to the blade of the Iron King, she proved that he could bleed - and those who held her banner were more than happy to overwhelm him and seal both Asura and Devas away from the world.

The Mandate promotes freedom above all else. In the eyes of a true adherent, no thinking being should be chained or controlled. While generally a lofty ideal, there are no shortage of sociopaths and violent anarchists that also rank among true believers. It is an intense philosophy with a popularity that waxes and wanes. Indeed, even the grand kingdom of Akenia (named for the Mandate's creator) eventually abandoned it to embrace Arcane Progressivism.

The Dawn Orthodoxy
One of the oldest known religions, the Orthodoxy was created by Regulus, now known as the Emperor of Sol. Even with the Sun Machine broken and anchored above the city of Aeon, those under it's gaze still follow it's teaching's quite passionately. It is not limited to them; faith in the power of light even finds its way into the hearts of those stuck in lands of darkness, often to the chagrin of those in power their.

The Orthodoxy's teachings belie their strength with raw simplicity; Truth and clear-eyed obedience above all else. The Darkness is your enemy. It clouds one's vision and deceives them towards unholy paths with honeyed words and promises of power. Darkness can only be banished with Light, and those who would remain righteous must be vigilant. The religion is quite popular with the Devas, but less so with the dark-aligned Asura who are (often rightfully) condemned by it.

Arcane Progressivism
Simply put, Arcane Progressivism is the belief that magic should be put to use for the betterment of all living creatures. It's popularity during the third age can be attributed to the prevalence of casters and magitech in that era's greatest nations. Initially proposed by the great wizard Dizer Gren, the philosophy broadened and grew with time. While the positives and negatives of it's influence are often argued, the cause of it's sharp decline in power is undeniable. When the great Kingdom of Akenia fell before the might of Regulus and the Sun Machine, the faith as it was understood was shattered.

Arcane Progressivism is a mostly idealistic philosophy. It is predominantly concerned with the use of one's talents or magical abilities in the service of others, though it speaks predominantly to mortal casters. Even the Asura and Deva themselves are presented as partners at best, and even other mortals without magic are generally referenced in pitying tones. Regardless, the religion has managed to find some footing in the fourth age, thanks to Princess Seika of the Seven Holy Isles adopting it as the primary faith of that region.

Rai-Neko Mousers

Obake

Column Culling

Dear Readers, I am at a slight impasse and could use your input.

Long story short; Each Calling in Break!! has a list of origins. These are here to help define who your character was before the start of the game. It gives you your Purviews (Abstract skill groupings really, generally there for you to score bonuses when they apply) and some bonus starting gear. It also comes with a (hopefully) cool name to write on your sheet.

There is also a description included. My hope was this would help jog player creativity or at least provide some clarity in case there wasn't some. One of my early proofreaders pointed out that really, that job could be covered by Purviews and that the Description was potentially superfluous.

I think I agree with her.

(Please note we are still in draft, so the text in the below entries will likely change here and there)

Warrior Origins (With Description)

d12	Occupation	Description	Purviews	Starting Gear
1	Ronin	You are a wanderer without home or cause. While freedom has its benefits, it doesn’t pay well - you may be adventuring just to get some food. Being a sellsword has taught as how to maneuver through  tense situations without giving yourself away, as well as managing on your own without much help.	Cheaply maintaining gear, judging another’s motives and hiding your own, intense stare downs	Long Grip Weapon, Traveler's Bag and a suit of Skirmisher Armor
2	Gladiator	Once you were owned and made to fight for sport. You were freed by your deeds in the arena (or by your former master’s lifeblood) and have now turned your back on the past, though not on the skills that make you who you are.	Bloody Spectacle, Intimidation and other loud forms of communication, sizing up other fighters	A Chain weapon, Skirmisher Armor and a Net
3	Barbarian	You are from a harsh land or culture, one where might and ruthlessness are the only things that guarantee survival. You also may just be really, really rowdy.	Surviving in the wilderness, Overt displays of strength, Recalling superstitions and ancient tales	A Heavy Weapon, A savage token and a Waterskin.

Warrior Origins (Without Description)

d12	Occupation	Purviews	Starting Gear
1	Ronin	Cheaply maintaining gear, judging another’s motives and hiding your own, intense stare downs	Long Grip Weapon, Traveler's Bag and a suit of Skirmisher Armor
2	Gladiator	Bloody Spectacle, Intimidation and other loud forms of communication, sizing up other fighters	A Chain weapon, Skirmisher Armor and a Net
3	Barbarian	Surviving in the wilderness, Overt displays of strength, Recalling superstitions and ancient tales	A Heavy Weapon, A savage token and a Waterskin.

The One without takes up less space, and allows for more freedom of interpretation with the result. I may need to spruce up the Purviews a bit, but otherwise I think it's a good change. What do you guys think?

EDIT:
Here is what I'm thinking now. I think this is a big improvement, but I've been wrong before. I will likely re-evaluate Purviews a bit as well.

d12	Occupation	Purview	Starting Gear
1	Ronin You once belonged, but those days are gone. Now you are wandering sellsword without home or cause.	Cheaply maintaining gear, judging another’s motives and hiding your own, intense staredowns	Long Grip Weapon, Traveller’s Bag and a suit of Skirmisher Armor
2	Gladiator You were property, forced to fight for the amusement of others. Your freedom was paid for in blood.	Bloody Spectacle, Intimidation and other loud forms of communication, sizing up other fighters	A Chain weapon, Skirmisher Armor and a Net
3	Barbarian You come from harsh, unforgiving lands without civilization. You might also just be very rowdy.	Surviving in the wilderness, Overt displays of strength, Recalling superstitions and ancient tales	A Heavy Weapon, A savage token and a Waterskin.

Playable species

Faeries

Malagast

Malagast (Pensive, repentant shade) Immortal, dark aligned. Once the lonely, brooding and evil sort, he was convinced by Vahnal to do something more benevolent with his power. Does his best, but he tends to accidentally scare children and attract adolescent admirers. Levitates everywhere, generally attacks via darkbolt.

Dreaming: The End of the First Aeon

Prologue; The Song

It was a different time, you see. Not in a way that you could understand. This was an era where thoughts and ideas were tangible things. They were not limited by the restraints of shape, or the physical. Save that nonsense for the dwarves, deep in their little passages. Save it for Promise, sealed away from us entirely. We had no need for something so brittle and temporary as substance.

The Outer World was our playground. We sang joyously and lived our many tales. The Cosmic Things and their lesser counterparts played and battled with us interchangeably. Mortals were our game pieces and toys, all too fragile but interesting enough. It was our finest time, as children of possibility. I lived a thousand stories in mere moments, each one intensely real. Even now. Especially now.

The Wondersmith gave us the world, amused with us at first. For reasons unknown to me, it sent forth a terrible warrior to end us. The Cosmic Things chittered as it marched past them, perhaps glad to see us go. Our greatest deeds crumbled like fallen leaves against its great sword called "Doubt". For the first time we felt that which you mortals have always known, as fear bled into our beings.

One remained to stand against him, our hope, the golden knight Regulus. Father of swords, second to none, great Regulus needed but four exchanges to defeat the blackguard. Each of the first blows broke part of Doubt, and the final one ended the march of its terrible wielder for good. We cheered so loudly that none heard the words the broken blade whispered. None, save Regulus.

"As with all things, this too must end." He would later tell me.

Our hero changed after that. He would not take part in any tales, even when goaded or begged. He spent much time contemplating something, furrowing his brow, palming the broken bits of the black blade on occasion. His eyes had grown cold. When he finally stood again to speak, I knew our time was over.

"No more." He said, descending on us at once. We were unprepared. Armed with but a fragment of the black sword that was our intended doom, Regulus dispatched many of our number like a farmer would harvest grain. We ran, and the strikes that followed cut away the things we could be, leaving us with but one form. Some became what mortals would come to call elves. Others were forced into strange and terrible shapes, monsters that still roam this world in pain and confusion.

His dark task done, Regulus set out to build a great city on the world's farthest point, intending to helm all creation from it one day. He left the mortals in the charge of the Great Cosmic Things and their God children, who were all to pleased with their new acquisition.

I, and the other elves, did our best to adjust to this new existence. Another Era has come and gone, and they have changed, grown content with hedonism or simple reminiscing. I have not. I persist. I tell you this story with bile in my throat, and I promise you this: 

One day, I will kill Regulus. But not before I have torn down his golden city and made him watch.

Hobo Thundercats and Pushover Monsters

Running a new game is exciting, if a bit stressful. No matter how intimately you know the rules, no matter how much you understand the theory behind the game, it's almost always a bit different on the ground. These concepts to not exist in a vacuum; there are other people there to, and they interact with mechanics differently then you do. It's multi-leveled learning experience, and one I dread and never get tired of.

Multiply that by ten and it sums up how I felt today, running prototype of a game that I've put a great deal of effort into.

Fortunately, I can say that I had enough fun that any nervousness I felt was shooed of for the duration of the playtest. Not only was Trident Con full of lovely, friendly people, I also managed to find enough players to fill my table and they all seemed to have fun playing Break!!

(Special thanks to My friend at Dungeons & Donuts, who helped me with the Pre-Gen character sheets. Great guy, I'll tell you what)

Also fortunate was that I got both positive and critical feedback. While you secretly want everyone to tell you how great it was and how you're obviously some game design prodigy, the truth is that critique is necessary for this sort of thing - and regrettably uncommon. (Well, in a constructive manner at least.)

I don't want to drone too long, but basically;

The Positives!

- The basic rules were easy to pick up and were fun in play. Someone pointed out that they would likely be easy to teach to someone who didn't have much experience with these games at all, which is a big pro for me.

- People liked the special species and calling abilities for the most part. They came into play a lot, and while I could use a bit of tightening on the verbiage, there was enough there that people felt their characters unique and interesting to play.

- I had one unplanned player, but we had a new character rolled up for him rather quickly. The "Hobo Thundercat" he ended up with was popular, so I think I may have to make it an official pre-gen.

- Apparently the bits of setting they got to interact with interested some of the players enough they wanted to see more, which is a great feeling when you're a giant ham like me.

I should note that the group itself was a very good mix of players; some of them were fans of games like Dungeon World and Fate, others liked older games and Dungeon Crawl Classics and one had only recently started playing, with 4E D&D. I was really happy for this, because what they seemed to like during the session was pretty diverse. I want Break!! to be enjoyable on multiple layers.

Though...

The Negatives!

- The Wounds system has a good structure, but it isn't as severe as I'd like it to be as is. I'm going to tweak it a bit to be a tad more dangerous, at least in the standard game. I'll probably keep the current method in as a sort of "Easy Mode" for GM's who want to tone back character death/mutilation without eliminating entirely.

- The Monsters were a bit too easy to beat. While the players enjoyed themselves, they pointed out that with the exception of one rather nasty creature they were generally convinced they could take on anything they met without much hesitation.

- Minor, but as stated before, I really need to tighten up some of the verbiage.

I think of all the problems to have, this is one of the best. Hope you are all ready to hear me go on about monsters for a while.

Objects of Wonder: Biomechanoid Characters

Mechanoids as a whole are regarded somewhat distantly by the other species of the Outer World. As orphans of a lost era and keeper of its secrets, they are feared, scrutinized and all too seldomly loved. In the worst cases they are forced into servitude or even destroyed on sight, though this is thankfully rare.

Most of these lost constructs "awaken" without any clear recollection of the past and are bereft or home or purpose. It's not surprising many are drawn to adventuring!

All Biomechanoids have the following qualities;

• Biomechanoids use the Damage/Destruction table in lieu of the Injury/Death table
• They do not heal naturally through rest, but may be repaired by anyone with the proper ability and tools. They may only benefit from repair once a day.
• Effects intended for purely organic creatures do not function on Biomechanoids, for good or ill. Healing Spells, Potions, Poisons, Radiation and the like are all equally ineffective.
• Effects intended for objects do work on Biomechanoids, including arcane enchantment.
• While they do not need to eat, Biomechanoids must go offline periodically to maintain their systems. This is more or less mechanically equivalent to sleep, including the onset of "fatigue" if it is missed or skipped.
• After Rank 5, Biomechanoids may choose a standard War Mechanoid upgrade instead of an elective calling ability. This may only be done once.
• There is no standard appearance among Biomechanoids, primarily because such a thing seemed cruel to do to beings that are able to think and feel. Many even have distinctly masculine or feminine designs, though gender is a largely arbitrary factor among them.

There are three common variants of Biomechanoids, each created by one of the three prominent societies during the golden age of humanity.

Akenian Magiroid - Created for both magical research and application, Magiroids are able to interact with the arcane du to their Spell-Engine cores.Thanks to Akenian aesthetic senses, they often appear to be beautiful suits of armor or idealized metal sculptures.

• Magiroids are the only Mechanoids capable of being Battle Casters, Casters, Murder Princesses or Battle Princesses
• Magitech Analytic systems allow them to identify the properties of an artifact or magical script with 100% accuracy, assuming they have at least 4 hours to do so.

Calian Expy - Designed as companions, spies and assassins, the Expies epitomize the Dark Empires skill at blasphemous fleshwork. They appear completely human under all but the most intimate scrutiny.

• Expies have an exterior identical to a normal human being, but have obviously mechanical inner workings. Severe damage or inspection that goes beneath the skin will reveal their true nature.
• All have either a retractable concealed weapon or 20ft length of grappling cord hidden within one of their arms, usually emerging from the wrist. These may be deployed or pulled back freely.

Argussian Laborer - The strongest and most durable of mechanoids not specifically meant for combat. Originally intended to work alongside a human populace, they have a strong, encouraging work ethic and sense of community. While obviously robotic, they tend to have friendly looking faces.

• Laborers may carry a base of 12 items before becoming burdened, and begin play with an additional heart.

The Cavern of the Forgotten Song (Playtest Blurb)

Beyond the untainted water of Prism Falls lies a dark and dangerous cave. For many generations it was ignored, for it was clearly haunted by some terrible ghost of the old world. This fact was made clear by the strange song that echoes from within. Even the most foolish among the locals knew such a place was to be avoided.

Alas, the same can not be said of the most foolish of travelers...

Not three months have passed since a trio of wizards entered the Cavern in hopes of unearthing some dark secret. No advice could dissuade them, no warnings could clear the poisonous greed from their eyes. Now the song swells in volume, drawing innocents in and guiding horrors outward. Fearing the worst, adventurers from throughout the province and beyond form an alliance to enter the terrible place together.

Will they end the threat the Echoing Cavern? Perhaps unearth the power the Wizards sought? Or will they to vanish, like the others before them...?

Assemble, Vagrant Heroes!

A stalwart Tenebrate Warrior who tires of the suffering of his people, be it from their shadowed home or some strange phantom melody.

A compassionate Mechanoid Knight, awoken from a long slumber to find that her duties as a protector are not over, nor her strength obsolete.

A determined Chib Troubleshooter and his boon companion, who have decided that the big folk just aren't up to this daunting task and that the treasures within the cave are likely worth seeking.

A reckless Promethean Battle Caster, who seeks to undo the damage done by her former companions and test her own might against their wayward magics.

A strange girl from the Other World, whose heart born powers are mighty enough that her companions can easily forgive her unerring fixation on the "selfie."

And a mischievous little pixie who can't resist such an adventure, even if it does mean revealing themselves to both mortal and monster. (Portrait Forthcoming) 

Updated Calling Table

One of the things I was working on today. You can totally just pick your character's calling, but I think having the option to roll it randomly is always nice.

BEES!! (a magic spell)

Path: Verdant

Rank: 2nd

Tell: Magic users with this spell prepared tend to drag their z's out noticeably and somewhat obnoxiously. 

Flare (bee)
The caster summons a single bee that catapults towards a chosen target within thirty feet or so. Said insect flutters about and stings the victim mercilessly, saddling them with a Snag on all rolls in till the little pest is dealt with. Swatting one requires a successful attack against a Defense score of 14, which destroys it instantly.

Only one such bee may be summoned at any given time, but the caster may willing cancel this effect whenever they like or summon another if it is squashed.

Burst (BEEEEES) 
The caster brings a swarm of buzzing menaces into the world and designates a target within their sight. The Swarm pursues the victim tirelessly and has a speed rating of Fast. The target loses a Heart on each round that the bees are able to catch or remain on them. The Caster must stay focused to direct the swarm, but may cancel this spell at any time. Otherwise, it remains in effect until one of the below circumstances comes to pass.

• The Caster is hit and fails their check to maintain the spell, or the Caster loses track of the Target
• The Swarm is hit with any attack that effects an area. This will destroy them instantly.
• The Target dies or the Swarm is otherwise unable to pursue and attack them. Note that they can be surprisingly patient. Submersing oneself in liquid will generally result in the creatures hovering patiently nearby, waiting for their prey to emerge.

(A quick reminder/refresher on Break!! general and spell practices; a Path is a category of magic, Magic Users may Prepare a handful of spells a day, a Snag means you roll two dice and pick the least favorable result of the two, you may use a Flare effect as long as the spell is prepared, and a Burst effect is more potent but expends the spells energy when used, making it no longer prepared)

Credit goes to this guy who came up with the original version of the spell.

Should be posting a general rules reference sheet for y'all's approval soonish.

Murder Princess

The Kingdom of Shard, Southeastern Province

(This part of Shard is being included within the GM's guidebook as a sort of sample/pre-made area for reference, and is currently being tested out by me in various games.)

Built over the ruins of Old Akenia, Shard is one of the few bastions of civilizations left in the Wistful Dark. The Kingdom is actually a loose confederation of city states, ostensibly ruled by King Arcturus and guided by the Church of the Sacred Chain. Reality is of course, grimmer; the king is a mere figurehead, while the church maintains a draconian peace via an ubiquitous and aggressive knightly order. Most do not complain - people generally do very little travelling, rightfully frightened of the Shadowed Lands between the light of the Star Shards. And as long as dues are paid, the various Overlords and City Councils are left mostly to themselves.

The Southeastern Province of Shard is a rather busy cut of land. All three of the Kingdom's settlements in the area have a heavy mercantile presence, leaving it's primary roads well guarded maintained, and traveled. It makes an optimal place for would be adventurers to begin their travels.

Well, as optimal as the Wistful Dark can be at least.

Some notable locations in the Southeast Province;

• The Province's main road is known as The Waning Path. It connects all three major settlements, and is rigorously patrolled and maintained by both the Knights of the Sacred Chain and mercenaries funded by various other factions. 
• Spire City was constructed among the ruins of an ancient tower and the town around it, benefiting from the amenities afforded to the people of the previous era. It has since blossomed into a cosmopolitan locale, with a brilliant Star Shard fitted to the top of the spire that the city is named for.
• Torm began as a very small settlement that expanded very rapidly. The people there live happily, surrounded by arable land attributed to venerable oak tree that grows in the northernmost part of the city. Local superstition is that a benevolent spirit resides within, though the Church discourages quietly discourages this notion.
• The Chib village of Homble is a much smaller place than either, but no less important. It lies near the crossroads of The Waning Path, and serves as a resting point for anyone travelling between Torm, Spire or the Shadowed Coast. Home to "Merona's Arcane Bakery", owned by one of the villages only human residents.
• There are rumors of a Tenebrate Settlement being erected in an area that was once a ranch owned by "Cavalier Cecil", a famous tamer of exotic beasts. While they keep mostly to themselves, there have been escalating incidents with the village of Homble that show no signs of stopping.
• Behind a waterfall on the Ink River lies The Cavern of Forgotten Songs. True to it's name, strange music in ancient tongues echo from within. The place is rumored to house numerous secrets and treasures, but those who return from the place do so with glassy eyes and a ceaseless hum on their lips.
• An ageless sage named Allyn lives alone in a small house along the main roads, with naught but a star gem lamp and an extensive library to keep him company. He is no hermit however, and is known to show ample hospitality to friendly travelers,
• To the north are The Woods of Mask, a forest filled with trees - as odd as it seems, this is something of an oddity in a Shard, whose mostly dark landscape is dotted with enormous fungal growths rather than conventional plants. It is rumored that a radiant lake lies in the center of these grand woods, protected by a Dryad and her fearsome retainers.
• To the south is Fort Agrah, named for a traitorous lord who refused aid to outsiders during the second cataclysm. It is said his heart grew so cold that it froze his sanctum as well as transforming him and his knights into terrible, deathless wretches. Recent travelers have been attacked in the area surrounding the fort, many dragged away by voiceless knights in frostbitten armor.
• In the east lies a Crumbling Shrine, where a half summoned Asura lies in tremendous pain, the scent of it's blood drawing terrible Night Beasts towards it. It is rumored that those who brave the shrine and find the Asura can hear the answer to any question, as long as they are willing to provide the creature with a bit of flesh and blood to help continue the construction of it's material body.
• An old Orihalcum Mine is within a days walking distance from Spire; while it has been abandoned by craftsman, criminals often used the place as a meeting and storage spot. Its no longer theirs without contest, however. A persistent group of goblins managed to drill their way into the lowest parts of the mine, and have entered a protracted turf war with the fugitives who had been residing there.

Baby boss