Supper's Hub

Quick Links

Cyberspell_checklist

6 min read

Cyber Spell - Next Steps & Project Checklist

This document is designed to provide you with a series of small, manageable projects and jumping-off points to continue expanding the world of “Cyber Spell.” Think of these as quests for the world-builder.

Part 1: Bringing the World to Life (Micro-Scale Projects)

These projects focus on the smaller details and the inhabitants of your world, making it feel more lived-in.

  • Project: A Day in the Life

    • Goal: Write a short narrative (a few paragraphs) describing a typical day for an average person in one of your established locations, like “Haven” or for a member of a faction like “The Free Orbital Alliance.”
    • Questions to answer: What do they eat for breakfast? What is their job? What do they worry about? What is their opinion of “Techno Wizardry” or the local faction presence?

  • Project: Create a Key Character

    • Goal: Create a full profile for one new character. This could be a faction leader, a reclusive tech-wizard, a notorious bounty hunter, or the owner of “The Stuttering Diode.”
    • Checklist for a character:
      • Name & Alias
      • Faction Affiliation (or lack thereof)
      • Core Motivation/Goal
      • A brief backstory (2-3 sentences)
      • Their relationship to one other faction and one location.

  • Project: Describe a “Daemon” Encounter

    • Goal: Write a scene from the perspective of someone encountering one of the creatures from “The Daemons.md.”
    • Focus on: What does it look, sound, and smell like? How does it behave? How does the average person react to it? Is there a standard procedure for dealing with it?

Part 2: Deepening the Lore (Macro-Scale Projects)

These projects aim to build upon the foundations you’ve already created, adding depth and complexity to the world’s structure.

  • Project: Detail a Faction Conflict

    • Goal: Pick two factions from your Factions/ directory and write a short history of a specific dispute between them.
    • Consider: Was it a trade war, a border skirmish, an ideological conflict, or espionage? What was the outcome? How does it affect their current relationship in Faction_Interactions.md?

  • Project: Flesh out a Location

    • Goal: Choose one location from Locations/ or Grand_Locations.md and add three new, specific points of interest to it.
    • Example for “Haven”: A black market, a specific corporate office, a memorial from a past conflict, a popular restaurant.

  • Project: Expand “Techno Wizardry”

    • Goal: Design and describe a new “spell,” piece of enchanted technology, or a specific technique.
    • Template:
      • Name: (e.g., “Firewall Hex,” “Ghost-in-the-Machine Protocol”)
      • Effect: What does it do?
      • Components/Requirements: What is needed to cast/use it? (e.g., specific hardware, a rare mineral, a certain level of skill)
      • Common Use: Who uses it and for what purpose?

Part 3: Creating Stories (Narrative Projects)

These projects are designed to generate plot hooks and adventure seeds, turning your world into a place where stories happen.

  • Project: Three Bounties for the Board

    • Goal: Write three new, specific job postings for “The_Bounty_Board.md.”
    • Make them diverse: One could be a creature hunt, one a corporate espionage gig, and one a simple delivery… with a twist. Make sure to mention a reward.

  • Project: The Stuttering Diode Rumor Mill

    • Goal: Write down three rumors a character might overhear while visiting “The_Stuttering_Diode.md.”
    • Good rumors are: Partially true, lead to a location or character, and hint at a larger secret or danger.

  • Project: The inciting Incident

    • Goal: Write the first page of a story set in your world.
    • Focus on: Introduce a character and a problem. This is a great way to test-drive your world and see it through a character’s eyes.

General World-Building Checklist

Use these quick checkbox prompts to spark ideas for smaller details.

Culture & Society

  • What is the most common form of currency? Is it physical or digital?
  • What is a popular form of entertainment?
  • Is there a common religion or belief system? How does it relate to The Church of the Omnissiah?
  • What is a staple food or drink in a major city?
  • What are the social classes? Is there a nobility, a corporate elite, an underclass?
  • What is a common slang term and what does it mean?

Technology & Magic

  • How is data stored and accessed?
  • What is the primary source of power/energy in the world?
  • How common is cybernetic augmentation?
  • Is “Techno Wizardry” something anyone can learn, or is it an innate talent?
  • What is a piece of “lost technology” that factions might be searching for?

Geography & Politics

  • How do people travel between your Grand Locations?
  • What is a major law that is strictly enforced in Aegis Corporation territory?
  • What is a valuable natural resource and who controls it?
  • Is there a neutral territory where all factions meet?
  • What is a major holiday or festival and what does it celebrate?

Part 4: Dangers and Hazards

Every world has its dangers. This section helps you brainstorm the various threats that characters might face, from environmental anomalies to man-made threats.

Environmental & Geographical Hazards

  • What are the long-term effects of living in a highly technological or magically-infused world? (e.g., tech-plagues, magical radiation).
  • Is there a “weird” or “haunted” region known for unexplainable phenomena?
  • Are there areas with extreme weather, and is it natural or artificially created?
  • What happens when old technology or “magic” fails catastrophically? (e.g., a city power-core meltdown, a containment field breach).
  • Are there any dangerous, valuable, or controlled substances in this world?

Technological & Magical Dangers

  • What is the most dangerous form of “Daemon”? Are there classifications?
  • What happens when “Techno Wizardry” goes wrong? (e.g., summoning a data-wraith, a spell corrupting the local network).
  • Are there rogue AIs or automated defense systems left over from a past age?
  • What are the risks of cybernetic augmentation? (e.g., rejection, hacking, loss of humanity).
  • How is hacking or “decking” perceived, and what are its dangers? (e.g., neural feedback, getting trapped in a system).

Social & Factional Dangers

  • What does a faction do to its enemies? (e.g., assassination, public denouncement, corporate espionage).
  • What does crime look like in this world? Is there organized crime?
  • Who enforces the law, and are they trusted or feared?
  • What are the “taboos” of this society? What happens if you break them?
  • What kind of information is considered dangerous or illegal to possess?