McRogueFace/games/unwritten/design/SYSTEMS.md

UNWRITTEN — Systems Spec (numbers are canon)

Playtime target: 30–45 minutes. Grind is abbreviated by design: XP is generous, maps are small, encounters are visible (bump to fight, avoidable), and every number below is tuned for "one sitting, slightly under-leveled feels tense but fair."

1. Stats & leveling

Stats: HP, SP, ATK, MAG, DEF, SPD. Levels 1–8. XP to next level = 20 * level (cumulative table: 20/60/120/200/300/420/560). Whole party (all 6, benched included) gains full XP — swapping is never punished.

Per-character base (level 1) and per-level growth:

Char	HP	SP	ATK	MAG	DEF	SPD	growth (per level)
PIP	34	10	7	3	4	9	+6 HP +2 SP +2 ATK +1 DEF +1 SPD
BRAMBLE	46	8	6	2	7	4	+9 HP +1 SP +1 ATK +2 DEF
MOTH	28	16	3	8	3	6	+4 HP +4 SP +2 MAG +1 DEF +1 SPD (alt levels)
VERA	31	12	5	6	4	6	+5 HP +3 SP +1 ATK +1 MAG +1 DEF +1 SPD (alt)
CANTOR	40	12	8	6	6	2	+7 HP +2 SP +2 ATK +1 MAG +1 DEF
NYX	22	12	9	5	2	10	+3 HP +3 SP +3 ATK +1 SPD

("alt levels": the +1s marked (alt) apply on even levels only. Keep it simple in code: a per-char list of 7 growth dicts is fine.)

NYX joins at the party's average level; everyone else joins at their scene's scripted level (Bramble 1, Moth 2, Vera 2, Cantor 4).

2. Damage model

• Physical: dmg = max(1, round((ATK * mult - DEF) * var)), var uniform in [0.85, 1.15].
• Magical: same with MAG and DEF//2.
• Crit: chance per skill (base 6%, NYX base 18%), crit = dmg * 1.5, gold flash.
• Guard: incoming dmg halved until next turn, +2 SP on guarding.
• Turn order: sort by SPD desc, ties random, recomputed each round. Shown as a portrait ribbon top of battle screen.

3. Skills (unlock L1 unless noted; SP cost in parens)

Char	Skill A	Skill B (unlocks L4)
PIP	Twinstrike (3): two hits at 0.7x each	Pickpocket (2): 0.6x dmg + steal bonus gold (8-20), once per enemy
BRAMBLE	Shieldwall (3): party takes half dmg until his next turn	Vow Strike (4): mult 1.0 + 0.1 per 10% HP Bramble is missing (max 2.0)
MOTH	Kindle (4): heal one ally 24 + 2*MAG; works on NYX	Moonflare (6): AoE magic 1.1x
VERA	Acid Flask (4): AoE 0.7x + DEF -25% (2 turns)	Tonic Toss (3): heal one 16 + MAG and clear debuffs (NOT Nyx)
CANTOR	Resonate (4): 1.2x magic; vs construct/undead also stun 1 turn	Bass Drop (7): single 2.2x, acts last that round
NYX	Grave Chill (3): 1.0x magic + SPD -30% (2 turns)	Second Shadow (5): her next attack this battle is a guaranteed crit; using it does not end her evasion

NYX passive: 20% evasion. NYX cannot be healed by items (silently blocked with battle log line "The tonic passes through her."); Kindle and shrine rest work.

4. Enemies

hue = hsl_shift degrees applied to the base sprite for area variants.

Enemy	Sprite	HP	ATK	MAG	DEF	SPD	XP	Gold	Notes
Gloom Bat	120	14	5	0	1	8	6	4	25% chance to skip (flutters)
Hedge Slime	108	20	4	0	3	2	7	5	splits once at death into 1 Slimelet (8 HP) in Gearwood packs of <=2
Loom Spider	122	16	6	0	2	6	8	6	Web: SPD-30% 2 turns, every 3rd action
Waxwing Scarab	123	24	6	0	5	3	10	8	guards when under 50%
Unwoken Skeleton	86	26	8	0	3	5	13	10	undead (Resonate stuns)
Pale Echo	121, hue -40	18	0	8	1	7	12	0	magic attack; drops no gold, drops Chalk (see items) 40%
Chime-Imp	110, hue +160	22	7	4	3	7	14	12	construct (Resonate stuns)
Mimic	92	45	10	0	6	1	30	60	the Undercroft chest that bites; always drops Second Trinket
GATEKEEPER	20	150	11	6	8 (13 buffed)	3	80	100	boss, see BIBLE §4; starts with Ward (+5 DEF) until [OATH] talk
CUSTODIAN	41	210	9	12	7	6	0	0	boss, two phases, see BIBLE §4

Encounter packs (visible wandering entities on the map; bump = battle):

• Gearwood: 2-3 of {bat, slime, spider}; one fixed scarab pair guarding the shrine chest.
• Undercroft: 2-3 of {skeleton, echo, scarab}; chime-imp pairs near the boss door.
• Act 3 Study approach: 2x pale echo packs only (the world is running out of things). Respawn: none. ~9-11 packs total in the game. Flee: 70% base, never from bosses.

5. Items & equipment

Consumables (usable in battle or menu):

Item	Sprite	Cost	Effect
Bread	66	8	heal 12
Red Tonic	115	20	heal 30
Green Salve	114	25	clear debuffs + heal 10
Blue Draught	116	30	restore 15 SP
Bomb Flask	113	35	22 AoE damage (item, anyone can throw)
Chalk	102	— (drop only)	revive fallen ally at 40% HP. Rare: Echoes drop it. Griselda sells ONE, 90g.

Equipment: one weapon + one trinket per character. No armor slot (DEF comes from trinkets); keep the equip screen simple.

Weapon	Sprite	Cost	Effect	Notes
Knife	105	15	+2 ATK	starter tier
Short Sword	103	40	+4 ATK
Broad Blade	106	90	+7 ATK	Act 2 shop unlock
Worn Cudgel	117	15	+2 ATK	Bramble/Cantor flavor
Twin Axe	119	90	+6 ATK, +2 SPD
Wick Staff	129	45	+4 MAG
Tide Rod	130	95	+7 MAG	Act 2 shop unlock
Toothed Regret	118	—	+10 ATK, +6 MAG	Griselda reforges the Gatekeeper's Tooth, free, only if griselda_friend

Trinket	Sprite	Cost	Effect
River Stone	101	25	+2 DEF
Waxed Charm	56	60	+3 DEF, +5 max HP
Second Trinket	91	—	+2 all stats (Mimic drop; the name is the joke)
Gatekeeper's Tooth	107	—	+3 ATK trinket until/unless reforged

Key items (menu tab, not usable): Blank Book, Brass Key, Gatekeeper's Tooth (moves to equipment if reforged), The Wick (Moth's candle, set during her recruitment naming choice).

Shop (Griselda): Act 1 stock through Broad-Blade tier locked; Act 2 unlocks the 90+ tier. Prices x1.25 if griselda_grudge. Buyback at half price. Gold is called cogs.

Starting kit: Pip L1, Knife equipped, 2 Bread, 1 Red Tonic, 30 cogs.

6. Flags & Story Points (single source of truth for the writing)

state.flags: set[str], state.points: int (Story Points, shown as small gold tally "the Book grows heavier": +1 each on the moments marked below).

Canonical flags (agents: use EXACTLY these names): quill_confident | quill_dependent | vera_joined_early | vera_grudge | vera_reconciled | griselda_friend | griselda_grudge | bramble_grumbles | asked_unwoken | cantor_quiet | odd_promised | nyx_read_book | nyx_missed | moth_light_name_dark / _lost / _small (one of three) | mimic_slain | gatekeeper_relieved | bell_defected | rewoke_quill | rewoke_griselda | rewoke_odd | book_read_custodian

Story Points (+1 each): recruiting each of the 5, each of the 3 rewakes, odd_promised, asked_unwoken, resolving the shop dispute either way, gatekeeper_relieved. (Max realistic ~12; thresholds: Bell defect needs >= 6 plus Cantor present; "Read the Book" battle option needs >= 8.)

7. Epilogue matrix

The epilogue is the Book read aloud: 6-10 short pages (full-screen INK panels, centered PARCH text, one keypress each). Assembled from:

1. Fixed opening ("This is the story of the vale, as it actually happened.").
2. One page per major choice: the door, the dispute, Moth's light-name, Cantor's name, the rewakes, Odd's promise (new river page), Bell's fate.
3. Nyx page: recruited-warm / recruited-late / missed ("There was someone else, almost. Look for her, next time. She waits by the fountain.").
4. Quill arc page (confident: he schedules the festival, finally; dependent: he waits for you to say it's time, and you do, and that's alright too).
5. Fixed closing: "The Maker built the vale. You were what happened." then the title card UNWRITTEN — except now stamped WRITTEN in gold.