Shatterspine - A Memory-Horror TTRPG

SHATTERSPINE

A Memory-Horror TTRPG 

Shatterspine is a dark fantasy in a world fueled by memories, glyphs, names, vaults, and haunted pasts.

You can try to remember who you were, or become who you think you are. You will likely end up fragmented just like the rest of the world. A patchwork of true memories, false memories, and even memories that once belonged to others. Will you find the truth or make your own?

In Shatterspine: "You are not who you think you are"

Key Features of Shatterspine

• No, I mean ZERO, prep required &  No, I mean ZERO, tracking required!
• Good for play as solo or more, ideal for 3-6+ players and scales accordingly
• Quick but deep character creation: be done in 5 minutes and already start imagining your character. 
• Dynamic world: Responds to the players' actions'
• Magic is done through glyphs: an unknown language that people try to remember
• Corruption mechanics that keep glyph and echo power uses balanced
• Your name has power: Use it or keep it safe. Your echo-self might even use it.
• Echo-Selves: What is this thing inside you? A shadow from a past life?
• Endless replayability: Delve for endless dungeon crawl and combat, Explore for adventure, Rewrite the world for power.
• Mount bonding: Really feel a connection to the world. Really immersive and unique mount system where you may even 'fuse' forms with it whether on accident or on purpose.
• Memory Item Mutation: Items, Mounts, Factions, All things in this world evolve and react to the players actions including items that were forgotten or left behind
• Settlement creation, warfare, faction wars
• Rituals & Group Rituals: Powerful binding effects that come at a risk and cost using memories and emotions
• Unique economy: Memory as currency. Trade your memories. Lose yourself. Rewrite was the truth really is.
• Power through roleplay and feeling: You choose from 5 combat roles from the start. These get awakened and expanded upon through gameplay and character choices.
• Gain unique echo powers, awakening powers, and twisted powers: Really feel the power of your abilities and the strategic weight they hold. These are awakened - and twisted - through gameplay.
• Unique combat system: Features ZERO numbers, just raw visceral action to keep immersion flowing and emotions high mixed in with deep narrative options and situations. You will feel strong but vulnerable.
• Immersive world with unique travel mechanics: "Do you remember going down this path?"
• Immersive auto-writing Echo-Journal: Give players an extra bit of flavor, theme, and may even interfere if it doesn't agree with it's owner.
• A strange world: The sundering happened 50 years ago, or so that's what people think they remember. The empire, Virellia, had immense power and were near divinity had gotten too close to that power and tried to make contact with something they found deep in the center of the empire: the living heart of the world, to control destiny. It may or may not have worked. The world is now trying to re-imagine itself to Virellia's views. What world will you remember?
• Vaults: Dungeons from the past that write themselves back into existence when triggered by the actions of the players or world.
• Dynamic World Bosses: The creatures of the world have all been changed, and may continue to do so. Forgotten mounts, Fractured Echo-Selves and more can return as bosses depending on how you shape your world.
• Perfect for first time DMs and first time Players: You can run it as a traditional TTRPG but where Shatterspine shines is that it was designed to be used alongside ChatGPT (to be used as co-GM as the Memory Oracle or The World)
• Easy (Auto) updating character sheets! Gm just copy-pastes and updates! (Auto-update setup guide in progress, coming soon)

How to Play

Can be run as a traditional TTRPG but is optimized to be used as a plugin to ChatGPT Plus. There is a free 'lite' version for those not subscribed to ChatGPT.

Combat Roles

Scar-Bearer: (Tank) You absorb what others cannot. Pain marks your path.

Glyph-Striker: (Burst DPS) You burn glyphs into the world, detonating echoes and symbols mid-strike.

Memory-Singer: (Support) You weave past and present. Healing through remembrance, or weaponizing regret.

Echo-Binder: (Control) You command what shouldn't exist. Control vault reactions, twist echoes, and disrupt identity.

Witness-Marked: (Wildcard) You were seen by something. Now the world watches. Unpredictable, cursed, marked.

Special Thanks

Heavily inspired by "Xas Irkalla" and "Strain" by James Vail

visit the reddit and share your adventures! https://www.reddit.com/r/ShatterspineRPG/

you can try out a free version without downloading to see if you like the style by clicking here: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68343df2f7808191bcfc52d4ee6edc35-vaultkeeper