Gameplay Resolution and Basic Mechanics

Gameplay Resolution is done with a deck of cards rather than with dice. A Player's Avatar in the Shadowlands can do whatever the player themselves is physically capable of doing. Anything beyond the capacity of the Player requires the expenditure of cards to accomplish.

The Deck

A deck of 72 custom cards with values of 1 through 4 and two sigils: one for Action Type (6 possible types) and one for Style Type (5 possible dual types).

Card Values

• 12 cards with a value of 0
• 24 cards with a value of 1
• 18 cards with a value of 2
• 12 cards with a value of 3
• 6 cards with a value of 4 

Action Types are divided in two groups: Skill and Story.

Mechanics

Players can perform any tasks in game that they can perform in real life.  To perform an action beyond their real life ability, they must use VAJRA, COOL, or cards.

Tasks are assigned difficulty based on how far beyond the player's current ability the attempted task is. The difficulty is divided into 3 categories: possible, impossible, beyond the impossible. The storyteller does not tell the players the difficulty beyond those three descriptors. Difficulty levels 1 through 3 are POSSIBLE. Difficulty levels 4 through 7 are IMPOSSIBLE. Difficulty levels 8 through 12 are BEYOND THE IMPOSSIBLE. Nothing has a difficulty level higher than 12.

1. New. The task is unfamiliar to the player, but they have done similar and potentially harder things in the past.  
2. Untested. Beyond the player's current capabilities, but achievable in the near future, beginner's luck is entirely possible here.
3. Challenging. Beyond the player's current abilities and near future progress, but potentially achievable.
4. Unbelievable. This would be difficult even for somebody trained to do exactly that.
5. Ridiculous. This would be difficult for an expert in the field.
6. Epic. This would be nearly impossible for the best in the world.
7. Legendary. This would be the equivalent of the first trans Atlantic flight, the first 4 minute mile, etc... 
8. BEYOND THE IMPOSSIBLE. This is simply not physically possible and could only happen in the Shadowlands.
9. BEYOND THE IMPOSSIBLE. This is simply not physically possible and could only happen in the Shadowlands.
10. BEYOND THE IMPOSSIBLE. This is simply not physically possible and could only happen in the Shadowlands.
11. BEYOND THE IMPOSSIBLE. This is simply not physically possible and could only happen in the Shadowlands.
12. BEYOND THE IMPOSSIBLE. This is simply not physically possible and could only happen in the Shadowlands.

First Thoughts on Your Avatar

From Wiktionary

Etymology

1784, Borrowing from Hindi अवतार ‎(avtār) or from Urdu اوتار ‎(avatār), both borrowed from Tamil and Sanskrit अवतार ‎(ava-tāra, “descent of a deity from a heaven”), a compound of अव ‎(ava, “off, away, down”) and the vṛddhi-stem of the root तरति ‎(√tṝ, “to cross”).

In computing use, saw some use in 1980s videos games – 1985 online role-playing game Habitat by Lucasfilm Games (today LucasArts), by Chip Morningstar and Randy Farmer, later versions of the Ultima series (following religious use in 1985 Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar), and 1989 pen and paper role-playing game Shadowrun. Popularized by 1992 novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.

Noun

avatar ‎(plural avatars)

(Hinduism) the incarnation of a deity, particularly Vishnu.

The physical embodiment of an idea or concept; a personification.  

(computing or gaming) A digital representation or handle of a person or being; often, it can take on any of various forms, as a participant chooses. i.e. 3D, animated, photo, sketch of a person or a person's alter ego, sometimes used in a virtual world or virtual chat room.  

THE EARTHLY INCARNATION OF A DEITY, PARTICULARLY VISHNU

THE PHYSICAL EMBODIMENT OF AN IDEA OR CONCEPT; A PERSONIFICATION

A DIGITAL REPRESENTATION OF A PERSON OR BEING

---

Every role-playing game out there uses an avatar. Normally the avatar is described as being your 'character', like actors taking on a role. But this game uses the older form, more like performing Shaman and witch doctors taking on the essence of a god or demon or spirit. And also like astral projection, save that you are not projecting into the astral realm, but the fictional realm: the Mythic World- the Shadowlands.

And unlike most Role-playing games, you do not get to choose anywhere near as much about your avatar as you might like. You project yourself, dreaming, into the Shadowlands.

What the Shadowlands Are

The Dreamtime of the Australian Aboriginal mythology depicts the ideas that some things of spiritual dimension exist outside of regular time or 'everywhen', to steal from anthropologist William Edward Hanley Stanner. Traditional Australian spiritual practises include walking song lines and singing the necessary songs to hold the world together. The writer, Alan Moore, argues through much of his more esoteric writings that story itself is magic, quoting everything from the bible to hermetic writings of such occult figures as John Dee. Grant Morrison talks about his encounter with his own fictional creations that he invented to act as fiction suits for himself to transform his life by dragging the fictional version of himself into the 'real world'.

What does all this mean? Probably not much yet. But the short answer is: fiction is a place. 'Once upon a time' is an incantation to opena portal to a timeless land. When this book calls gods, or magick or demons and many other things fictional, do not for a second think that we mean something tricky or fancy. We do in indeed mean fiction in the classic sense of the word. But also do not imagine that just because something is fiction that means that it is not real.

Prelude

We cannot wait for a savior.

The story needs YOU, right now, to stand up and be a protagonist.

 

You must find the role that you can play and take up the mantle.

You must be First Mother or First Hero, the Witchdoctor or the Walker, perhaps the Dreamer.

You must be a Witch or a Wizard, join the Tenebrati or commune with the Primal One.

 

And you will likely fail. You may even die. But your efforts will not be in vain.

 

You will not be the whole of the story for the character whose role you played.

But together with hundreds or thousands of other First Mothers and First Heroes, Storytellers and more,

You will move mountains, you will turn pages, until the story is a circle and the world is whole once more.