Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard

Summary

Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard is a real-time strategy role-playing game created by Liquid Entertainment for Microsoft Windows and released by Atari in 2005. Set in the official D&D world of Eberron, the game blends classic real-time strategy mechanics with role-playing features like hero characters and story-driven quests. Dragonshard offers two solo campaigns, skirmish maps for single-player use, and multiplayer capabilities. The main storyline revolves around three rival factions vying for control of the magical relic known as the Heart of Siberys. While Atari marketed Dragonshard as "the first Dungeons & Dragons real-time strategy game,"[2] Stronghold (1993) predates it by more than ten years.[3]

Storyline

Dragonshard is set in the world of Eberron. According to Eberron’s creation myth, the dragon Khyber waged war with his sister Siberys and shattered her body into fragments. In a fit of rage, Khyber’s brother Eberron coiled around him, imprisoning Khyber. The remains of the three dragons formed the three realms of Eberron: the surface world, the Ring of Siberys that surrounds it, and the underworld of Khyber. These three realms produce dragonshards—magical crystal and stone fragments infused with power. The Heart of Siberys is the largest dragonshard in Eberron. When it crashed from the Ring of Siberys onto the continent of Xen'drik, it triggered a violent storm and formed the mountain range known as the Ring of Storms, causing a city to collapse underground. The immense magical energy from the Heart led the creatures of the region to evolve into the Lizardfolk. Even now, the Heart remains a source of contention among various factions vying for control of its power. In addition to the player-character races, Eberron is home to several neutral non-player factions and creatures, such as the illithids, ancient enemies of the Umbragen, a collection of golems built by an extinct elven civilization, ettins, and thri-kreen. Dragonshard is the first video game to take place in the D&D campaign setting of Eberron. The setting’s creator, Keith Baker, crafted the game’s story. However, there are some inconsistencies between the game and the official Eberron Campaign Setting. Siberys dragonshards are supposed to be gold in color, but they appear blue in the game. Constructing new warforged is prohibited by the Treaty of Thronehold, which ended the Last War—only two forges are known to produce new warforged: Merrix d'Cannith’s illegal workshop in Sharn and the Lord of Blades’ forge in the Mournland. Yet in the game, the Order faction is able to build Warforged Titans.

Screenshots

Supported languages

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