Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard

About

Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard drops you into the storm-ravaged world of Eberron, where three factions clash over the Heart of Siberys, a powerful magical artifact. Developed by Liquid Entertainment and released in 2005, this RPG-strategy hybrid tasks you with managing resources, building bases, and leading customizable heroes through a story-driven campaign. Play as the militant Order, the rogue-driven Free League, or the druidic Wardens, each vying for control of the Heart. The single-player modes include full campaigns and skirmish maps, while multiplayer lets you team up or battle friends in co-op or competitive matches. The game’s setting in D&D’s Eberron is its strongest point, with writer Keith Baker shaping the narrative. But some lore inconsistencies pop up, like blue Siberys shards and unrestricted Warforged construction. Despite Atari’s claims of being the first D&D real-time strategy title, older games like Stronghold existed. Still, Dragonshard remains a niche entry for fans of tactical base-building and D&D’s unique fantasy politics. Its blend of strategic depth and fantasy storytelling holds up, even if the execution feels dated by modern standards.

Storyline

Dragonshard takes place in the world of Eberron. In the creation myth of Eberron, the dragon Khyber warred with his sister Siberys and shattered her body to pieces. In his anger, Khyber's brother Eberron wrapped him in his coils, trapping Khyber. The bodies of the three dragons became the three parts of Eberron's world: the surface Eberron, the Ring of Siberys that encircles Eberron, and the underworld of Khyber. The three world parts produce dragonshards, crystal and rock fragments imbued with magic power. The Heart of Siberys is the largest dragonshard in Eberron. When it fell from the Ring of Siberys to the continent of Xen'drik, it created a storm-swept mountain range known as the Ring of Storms and caused a city to sink into the earth. Its immense magical force caused the natural creatures of the Ring of Storm to evolve into the Lizardfolk. To this day, the Heart draws factions into conflict over control of its power. In addition to the playable races, Eberron is populated by a number of neutral non-player factions and creatures, including the illithids, longtime foes of the Umbragen, a host of golems constructed by an extinct elven race, ettins, and thri-kreen. Dragonshard is the first video game set in the D&D campaign setting of Eberron. Eberron's creator Keith Baker wrote the storyline for Dragonshard. However, some discrepancies exist between the game and the canonical Eberron Campaign Setting. Siberys dragonshards should be gold in color, but they are blue in the game. Building new warforged is forbidden under the Treaty of Thronehold that ended the Last War — the only sources for new warforged are Merrix d'Cannith's illegal forge in Sharn and the Lord of Blades' forge in the Mournland. In the game, however, the Order faction can build Warforged Titans.