State Cards for authors

State Cards are how your scenario remembers its people, places and rules. If you haven't yet, read State Cards for how they work during play. This article covers the extra tools you get in the scenario editor's State Cards tab.

Creating cards#

• + Create State Card — write a card from scratch.
• Generate NPC, Generate Loot, Generate Encounter — give a one-line brief and the AI drafts a Character, Item or Creature card for you to review and save.
• Import / Export — move cards in and out as a JSON file, handy for reusing a cast across scenarios.

In the card editor, Generate Entry with AI drafts the entry for the card name and type you've chosen. Turn on Speed Create Mode to save generated entries straight away without a review step.

Character, Item and Creature cards can also have a Portrait — press Generate (the button shows the credit cost) once the card is saved.

Choosing a type#

The Card Type decides how the card is used:

Structured data#

Faction, Class, Quest and Table cards have an extra Structured Data (JSON) field. It holds fixed facts the game engine uses — not things that change during play. Some shapes:

Quest — objectives the narrator can tick off, and rewards paid when all required objectives are done:

{
  "objectives": [
    { "description": "Find the smuggler's ledger" },
    { "description": "Convince the harbormaster to talk", "optional": true }
  ],
  "rewardXp": 100,
  "rewards": "The guild's gratitude"
}

Faction — reputation tiers, from lowest to highest:

{ "tiers": [
  { "name": "Hostile", "minReputation": -50 },
  { "name": "Neutral", "minReputation": 0 },
  { "name": "Trusted", "minReputation": 50 }
] }

Class — a level table (XP needed for each level), starting kit and more:

{
  "levelTable": [
    { "level": 1, "xpRequired": 0 },
    { "level": 2, "xpRequired": 100 },
    { "level": 3, "xpRequired": 300 }
  ],
  "startingKit": [ { "name": "Rope", "qty": 1 } ]
}

Table — weighted rows (a higher weight is more likely):

{ "rows": [
  { "result": "A merchant caravan", "weight": 3 },
  { "result": "Bandits!", "weight": 1 }
] }

If the JSON isn't valid, the editor tells you ("Invalid JSON — check for a missing comma or quote."). A class without a level table never levels up, and a quest needs objectives for your scenario's completion rate to be measured.

Card Generation Settings#

Card Generation Settings (at the top of the tab, once your scenario has been saved) let you control how Generate Entry with AI writes entries:

• Starter Presets — Structured Field List, Narrative Description or Character Voice.
• Command Template — your own generation instructions. It must include {{title}}, which is replaced with the card's name.
• Entry Formatting — wrap generated entries in { } or [ ], or leave them plain.
• Additional Generation Context — extra background given to the generator.
• Log generations in Notes — adds a timestamp to the card's notes each time an entry is generated.

Press Save Config to keep your settings.

Tips#

• Keywords are everything. A card with no keywords (and not a Rule, Class or Quest) is never seen by the AI. Add names, nicknames and titles.
• Keywords match inside words, so elf also triggers on "herself". Prefer distinctive keywords.
• Lock cards whose wording must stay exactly as written, so the AI doesn't revise them during play.
• Mind the content budget. Every card entry counts toward the content budget on the Details tab — see Creating a scenario.
• Use Notes for yourself, not for secrets — notes aren't sent to the AI but are shown to players in the setup wizard's World info step.
• Spoiler cards are hidden on your scenario's public page until the reader chooses to reveal them.