John McCardle
80908f771c
A 30-45 minute turn-based RPG built overnight as an engine showcase: six recruitable characters (party of three), four recurring NPCs, choice-driven dialogue with visible-but-locked skill checks, shops, loot, levels, two bosses with in-battle Talk options, the reverted grey-town beat, and an epilogue assembled from the player's actual choices. 33 dialogue scenes / 171 nodes. Terrain is ColorLayers only; kenney_tinydungeon supplies characters, items, and props. Creative direction, story, dialogue, maps, and systems design by Fable; implementation by four Opus subagents (framework, battle, overworld, integration). Verified by tests/playthrough.py: a scripted headless run of all three acts, 20/20 beats passing, plus per-system unit tests (script integrity, UI kit, 225-battle balance sim, overworld). Run: cd build && ./mcrogueface --exec ../games/unwritten/main.py Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_014vxWJ6GY384SmZiMVXgrF4
152 lines
8.2 KiB
Markdown
152 lines
8.2 KiB
Markdown
# UNWRITTEN — Systems Spec (numbers are canon)
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Playtime target: 30–45 minutes. Grind is abbreviated by design: XP is generous,
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maps are small, encounters are visible (bump to fight, avoidable), and every
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number below is tuned for "one sitting, slightly under-leveled feels tense but
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fair."
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## 1. Stats & leveling
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Stats: `HP, SP, ATK, MAG, DEF, SPD`. Levels 1–8. XP to next level = `20 * level`
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(cumulative table: 20/60/120/200/300/420/560). Whole party (all 6, benched
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included) gains full XP — swapping is never punished.
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Per-character base (level 1) and per-level growth:
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| Char | HP | SP | ATK | MAG | DEF | SPD | growth (per level) |
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|---------|-----|----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-------------------------------|
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| PIP | 34 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 9 | +6 HP +2 SP +2 ATK +1 DEF +1 SPD |
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| BRAMBLE | 46 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 4 | +9 HP +1 SP +1 ATK +2 DEF |
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| MOTH | 28 | 16 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 6 | +4 HP +4 SP +2 MAG +1 DEF +1 SPD (alt levels) |
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| VERA | 31 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 6 | +5 HP +3 SP +1 ATK +1 MAG +1 DEF +1 SPD (alt) |
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| CANTOR | 40 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 | +7 HP +2 SP +2 ATK +1 MAG +1 DEF |
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| NYX | 22 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 10 | +3 HP +3 SP +3 ATK +1 SPD |
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("alt levels": the +1s marked (alt) apply on even levels only. Keep it simple in
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code: a per-char list of 7 growth dicts is fine.)
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NYX joins at the party's average level; everyone else joins at their scene's
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scripted level (Bramble 1, Moth 2, Vera 2, Cantor 4).
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## 2. Damage model
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- Physical: `dmg = max(1, round((ATK * mult - DEF) * var))`, `var` uniform in
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[0.85, 1.15].
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- Magical: same with MAG and `DEF//2`.
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- Crit: chance per skill (base 6%, NYX base 18%), crit = dmg * 1.5, gold flash.
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- Guard: incoming dmg halved until next turn, +2 SP on guarding.
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- Turn order: sort by SPD desc, ties random, recomputed each round. Shown as a
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portrait ribbon top of battle screen.
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## 3. Skills (unlock L1 unless noted; SP cost in parens)
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| Char | Skill A | Skill B (unlocks L4) |
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|------|---------|----------------------|
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| PIP | **Twinstrike** (3): two hits at 0.7x each | **Pickpocket** (2): 0.6x dmg + steal bonus gold (8-20), once per enemy |
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| 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) |
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| MOTH | **Kindle** (4): heal one ally `24 + 2*MAG`; works on NYX | **Moonflare** (6): AoE magic 1.1x |
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| VERA | **Acid Flask** (4): AoE 0.7x + DEF -25% (2 turns) | **Tonic Toss** (3): heal one `16 + MAG` and clear debuffs (NOT Nyx) |
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| CANTOR | **Resonate** (4): 1.2x magic; vs construct/undead also stun 1 turn | **Bass Drop** (7): single 2.2x, acts last that round |
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| 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 |
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NYX passive: 20% evasion. NYX cannot be healed by items (silently blocked with
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battle log line "The tonic passes through her."); Kindle and shrine rest work.
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## 4. Enemies
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`hue` = hsl_shift degrees applied to the base sprite for area variants.
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| Enemy | Sprite | HP | ATK | MAG | DEF | SPD | XP | Gold | Notes |
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|-------|--------|----|-----|-----|-----|-----|----|------|-------|
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| Gloom Bat | 120 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 25% chance to skip (flutters) |
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| Hedge Slime | 108 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 5 | splits once at death into 1 Slimelet (8 HP) in Gearwood packs of <=2 |
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| Loom Spider | 122 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 6 | Web: SPD-30% 2 turns, every 3rd action |
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| Waxwing Scarab | 123 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 8 | guards when under 50% |
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| Unwoken Skeleton | 86 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 10 | undead (Resonate stuns) |
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| Pale Echo | 121, hue -40 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 0 | magic attack; drops no gold, drops Chalk (see items) 40% |
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| Chime-Imp | 110, hue +160 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 12 | construct (Resonate stuns) |
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| Mimic | 92 | 45 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 30 | 60 | the Undercroft chest that bites; always drops Second Trinket |
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| **GATEKEEPER** | 20 | 150 | 11 | 6 | 8 (13 buffed) | 3 | 80 | 100 | boss, see BIBLE §4; starts with Ward (+5 DEF) until [OATH] talk |
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| **CUSTODIAN** | 41 | 210 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | boss, two phases, see BIBLE §4 |
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Encounter packs (visible wandering entities on the map; bump = battle):
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- Gearwood: 2-3 of {bat, slime, spider}; one fixed scarab pair guarding the shrine chest.
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- Undercroft: 2-3 of {skeleton, echo, scarab}; chime-imp pairs near the boss door.
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- Act 3 Study approach: 2x pale echo packs only (the world is running out of things).
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Respawn: none. ~9-11 packs total in the game. Flee: 70% base, never from bosses.
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## 5. Items & equipment
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Consumables (usable in battle or menu):
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| Item | Sprite | Cost | Effect |
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|------|--------|------|--------|
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| Bread | 66 | 8 | heal 12 |
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| Red Tonic | 115 | 20 | heal 30 |
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| Green Salve | 114 | 25 | clear debuffs + heal 10 |
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| Blue Draught | 116 | 30 | restore 15 SP |
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| Bomb Flask | 113 | 35 | 22 AoE damage (item, anyone can throw) |
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| Chalk | 102 | — (drop only) | revive fallen ally at 40% HP. Rare: Echoes drop it. Griselda sells ONE, 90g. |
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Equipment: one weapon + one trinket per character. No armor slot (DEF comes
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from trinkets); keep the equip screen simple.
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| Weapon | Sprite | Cost | Effect | Notes |
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|--------|--------|------|--------|-------|
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| Knife | 105 | 15 | +2 ATK | starter tier |
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| Short Sword | 103 | 40 | +4 ATK | |
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| Broad Blade | 106 | 90 | +7 ATK | Act 2 shop unlock |
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| Worn Cudgel | 117 | 15 | +2 ATK | Bramble/Cantor flavor |
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| Twin Axe | 119 | 90 | +6 ATK, +2 SPD | |
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| Wick Staff | 129 | 45 | +4 MAG | |
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| Tide Rod | 130 | 95 | +7 MAG | Act 2 shop unlock |
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| **Toothed Regret** | 118 | — | +10 ATK, +6 MAG | Griselda reforges the Gatekeeper's Tooth, free, only if `griselda_friend` |
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| Trinket | Sprite | Cost | Effect |
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|---------|--------|------|--------|
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| River Stone | 101 | 25 | +2 DEF |
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| Waxed Charm | 56 | 60 | +3 DEF, +5 max HP |
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| Second Trinket | 91 | — | +2 all stats (Mimic drop; the name is the joke) |
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| Gatekeeper's Tooth | 107 | — | +3 ATK trinket until/unless reforged |
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Key items (menu tab, not usable): Blank Book, Brass Key, Gatekeeper's Tooth
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(moves to equipment if reforged), The Wick (Moth's candle, set during her
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recruitment naming choice).
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Shop (Griselda): Act 1 stock through Broad-Blade tier locked; Act 2 unlocks the
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90+ tier. Prices x1.25 if `griselda_grudge`. Buyback at half price. Gold is
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called **cogs**.
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Starting kit: Pip L1, Knife equipped, 2 Bread, 1 Red Tonic, 30 cogs.
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## 6. Flags & Story Points (single source of truth for the writing)
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`state.flags: set[str]`, `state.points: int` (Story Points, shown as small gold
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tally "the Book grows heavier": +1 each on the moments marked below).
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Canonical flags (agents: use EXACTLY these names):
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`quill_confident | quill_dependent | vera_joined_early | vera_grudge |
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vera_reconciled | griselda_friend | griselda_grudge | bramble_grumbles |
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asked_unwoken | cantor_quiet | odd_promised | nyx_read_book | nyx_missed |
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moth_light_name_dark / _lost / _small (one of three) | mimic_slain |
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gatekeeper_relieved | bell_defected | rewoke_quill | rewoke_griselda |
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rewoke_odd | book_read_custodian`
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Story Points (+1 each): recruiting each of the 5, each of the 3 rewakes,
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`odd_promised`, `asked_unwoken`, resolving the shop dispute either way,
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`gatekeeper_relieved`. (Max realistic ~12; thresholds: Bell defect needs >= 6
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plus Cantor present; "Read the Book" battle option needs >= 8.)
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## 7. Epilogue matrix
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The epilogue is the Book read aloud: 6-10 short pages (full-screen INK panels,
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centered PARCH text, one keypress each). Assembled from:
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1. Fixed opening ("This is the story of the vale, as it actually happened.").
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2. One page per major choice: the door, the dispute, Moth's light-name, Cantor's
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name, the rewakes, Odd's promise (new river page), Bell's fate.
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3. Nyx page: recruited-warm / recruited-late / **missed** ("There was someone
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else, almost. Look for her, next time. She waits by the fountain.").
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4. Quill arc page (confident: he schedules the festival, finally; dependent: he
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waits for you to say it's time, and you do, and that's alright too).
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5. Fixed closing: "The Maker built the vale. You were what happened." then the
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title card UNWRITTEN — except now stamped WRITTEN in gold.
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