State Cards
State Cards hold the details of characters, places, items and lore, and feed them to the AI exactly when they matter.
A State Card is a note about one thing in your story — a character, a place, an item, a faction, a rule of the world. Each card has trigger keywords. When one of those words comes up in the story, the card's entry is handed to the AI so it remembers the details correctly.
Open them with the State Cards button under the command bar.
What's on a card#
| Field | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Card name | What the card is called, e.g. "The King". |
| Card Type | Character, Location, Item, Lore / Event, Faction, Class, Quest, Rule, Table or Creature — or Unclassified. |
| Trigger keywords | Comma-separated words that bring the card into play, e.g. king, majesty, ruler. Up to 20. |
| Entry (what the AI reads) | The actual details you want the AI to know. |
| Notes (never sent to the AI) | Reminders for yourself. |
| Spoiler | Hides the card on the scenario's public page until a reader chooses to reveal it. |
| Locked | Stops the AI from rewriting this card automatically (see below). |
When the AI sees a card#
Most cards are triggered by keywords. Before each turn, RPGCortex looks through the last 10 turns (your input and the narrator's text) plus what you've just typed. If any of a card's keywords appears — ignoring upper and lower case — that card's entry goes to the AI for this turn.
A few types are always sent, every turn, whether or not a keyword appears:
- Rule cards — how the world works.
- Class cards — your character's class.
- Quest cards — while the quest is still active. Once it's completed, failed or abandoned, it goes back to being keyword-triggered.
Keywords match inside longer words too, so a keyword like king also matches "kingdom". Choose keywords that are distinctive.
If a turn is short on room (see Memory, context and the story summary), keyword-triggered cards are among the last things trimmed — older story history and memories go first. Always-sent cards are never trimmed.
Cards that update themselves#
Stories change, and cards can keep up:
- New characters get cards automatically. When the narrator introduces a new character, a Character card is created for them, with their name as the keyword.
- The AI can revise unlocked cards. Every sixth turn, the AI gets a chance to rewrite the entry of any active, unlocked card — for instance, noting that a character has been injured or has changed sides.
- Suggested cards. When a new name keeps coming up, you may see "Add Name as a state card?" — press Yes to create a card for it.
If you've written a card exactly the way you want it, tick Locked (the AI can't automatically rewrite this card's entry). Locked cards are also protected from scenario scripts.
Managing cards while you play#
In the State Cards panel you can:
- Search, switch between Grid view and List view, and Expand all / Collapse all.
- Press + Create State Card to add your own.
- Click a card to edit it, or use the trash icon to delete it.
- Use Generate Entry with AI in the card editor to have the AI draft an entry for you.
Cards are grouped by type. Quest cards show a live checklist of objectives, and Faction cards show your current reputation — see Stats, inventory and progression.
Changes you make to cards during play only affect your own adventure, never the original scenario.
In multiplayer#
When there's more than one player, Character cards show This is me so each player can claim their own character. Guests can create and edit Character cards; everything else about cards is up to the host.
Writing good cards#
- Keep entries short and factual — a few sentences beat a page of prose.
- Put the most important detail first.
- Use keywords people will actually type or the narrator will actually write: names, nicknames, titles.
Authors can do more with cards, including structured data for classes, quests and factions. See State Cards for authors.