Appearance
Roguelike Structure Design
Source: Extracted and expanded from
master_gdd.md§5.
Status: DRAFT — node balance and pacing need playtesting.
Table of Contents
- Run Overview
- The Overworld Map
- Two Islands
- Node Types
- Relic System
- Consumables
- Pacing & Difficulty Curve
- MVP Scope
- Open Questions
1. Run Overview
DRAFT → ISLAND 1 (3 fights + shop + boss) → ISLAND 2 (3 fights + camp + boss) → VICTORY
Between islands: brief narrative interlude.
Run won: beat Island 2 boss.
Run lost: all units permadead.
(Island 3 — Spire of Echoes — planned for v0.2.)Timing Targets
| Phase | Solo | Co-op |
|---|---|---|
| Draft + intro event | 2–3 min | 3–5 min |
| Island 1 | 12–16 min | 18–24 min |
| Island 2 | 14–18 min | 20–28 min |
| Total | 30–40 min | 40–60 min |
2. The Overworld Map
Layout Pattern
[BOSS]
│
┌────────────┼────────────┐
│ │ │
[NODE] [NODE] [NODE]
│ │ │
┌───┴───┐ │ ┌───┴───┐
│ │ │ │ │
[NODE] [NODE] │ [NODE] [NODE]
└───┬───┘ │ └───┬───┘
└────────────┼────────────┘
[START]Each island presents 3–4 rows of nodes. The player picks a path from START to BOSS. Nodes have visible types (icons) and sometimes rewards (shown on hover).
Branching Rules
| Rule | Reason |
|---|---|
| At least 2 distinct paths from START to BOSS | Player agency |
| No dead-end paths (all paths reach BOSS) | No wasted nodes |
| At most 1 HARD FIGHT per island | Difficulty pacing |
| At least 1 non-combat node per island (SHOP, CAMP, or MYSTERY) | Pacing variety |
| MYSTERY nodes always have an alternate path around them | Risk/reward choice |
| After Island 1: RECRUIT node guaranteed (if player has empty slot) | Catch-up mechanic |
Path Visibility
- Next row of nodes: fully visible (icon + type)
- Nodes beyond: dimmed but icon visible
- Node connections: visible lines showing valid paths
- BOSS node: always visible, taunting
3. Three Islands
Island 1: The Fractured Plains
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Theme | Grassland, ruins, shallow water |
| New mechanic | Height advantage, basic elements |
| Boss | Golem — slow, highly telegraphed, teaches positioning |
| Node count | 4–5 nodes total (START → 2-3 mid → BOSS) |
| Node pool | 2 FIGHT, 1 SHOP, 1 MYSTERY (RECRUIT available if needed) |
| Difficulty | Tutorial+. Players should win with basic competency. |
| Boss mechanic | Golem has 3 phases: ground slam (AoE around self), boulder throw (line AoE, telegraphed 2 ticks), rage (moves faster below 50% HP). |
Island 2: The Ashen Caldera
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Theme | Volcanic, lava, smoke vents |
| New mechanic | Hazardous terrain, LOS blocking, environmental interactions |
| Boss | Wyrm — burrows between turns, erupts from ground |
| Node count | 5–6 nodes total |
| Node pool | 2 FIGHT, 1 HARD FIGHT, 1 SHOP, 1 CAMP |
| Difficulty | Real challenge begins. Player should need their build online. |
| Boss mechanic | Wyrm phases: burrowed (untargetable, chooses eruption tile), emerged (attacks for 2 turns, then re-burrows). Player must predict eruption and position accordingly. |
Island 3 (Spire of Echoes) — v0.2. Floating platforms, void pits, teleport pads. Boss: Time Warden (manipulates CT timeline). Fully designed but deferred to post-MVP.
4. Node Types
4.1 Fight (⚔️)
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 2–3 per island |
| Enemies | 4–6 common, 0–1 elite |
| Rewards | EXP (100 base + bonuses), Gold (50–80), 1 Relic (pick 1 of 3) |
| Aspect drops | 1 per enemy killed |
| Duration target | 8–12 minutes |
4.2 Hard Fight (💀)
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 0–1 per island (max 1) |
| Enemies | 4–6 elite + common mix, 1 mini-boss |
| Rewards | EXP (150 base + bonuses), Gold (100–150), 1 Relic (pick 1 of 5, all Uncommon+) |
| Aspect drops | 1 per enemy (Uncommon+ from elites) |
| Duration target | 12–16 minutes |
| Additional | More environmental hazards. Tougher enemy combos. |
4.3 Shop (🛒)
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1 per island |
| Stock | 3–5 items (equipment, consumables, aspects) |
| Currency | Gold |
| Aspect slot | 1 guaranteed slot sells a Random Uncommon Aspect |
| Hire | Option to recruit replacement unit (if squad has empty slot). Cost: 100 gold. |
Shop stock table (Island 1):
| Slot | Item | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weapon (Common, random type) | 60–80 gold |
| 2 | Armor (Common, random type) | 50–70 gold |
| 3 | Consumable ×2 (Potion, Antidote, or Speed Seed) | 20–30 gold |
| 4 | Random Uncommon Aspect | 100 gold |
| 5 | Phoenix Down | 150 gold |
Prices scale per island (Island 2: +20%).
4.4 Camp (🏕️)
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1 per island (Island 2+ only; Island 1 has no camp) |
| Effects | Full party heal. Remove all negative statuses. |
| Bonus | Free aspect swap for one unit (any slot except Key). |
| Narrative | Character banter (2–3 lines per character present). |
| Co-op | Cross-player banter (characters from different players interact). |
4.5 Boss (👑)
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1 per island (fixed, end of island) |
| Map | 100% hand-crafted. |
| Mechanics | Unique boss patterns, phases, arena hazards. |
| Rewards | EXP (200 base), Gold (200–300), Boss Relic (pick 1 of 3, Legendary or unique). |
| Difficulty | Gatekeeper. If you can't beat this, you weren't ready for the next island. |
5. Relic System
Acquisition
After every Fight/Hard Fight/Boss: pick 1 relic from a choice of 3 (or 5 for Hard Fight).
Rarity Distribution
| Rarity | Color | Drop From | Pool Size (MVP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | White | Normal fights, events | 20 |
| Rare | Blue | Hard fights, Island 2+ fights | 8 |
| Legendary | Gold | Bosses, Relic Forge | 4 (2 boss, 2 forge) |
Relic Catalog (MVP: 30 Total)
Common Relics (20)
| # | Relic | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spare Shield | All units start battle with +3 DEF. Fades after 1 hit. |
| 2 | EXP Scroll | Earn +50% EXP from all sources this run. |
| 3 | Feather Boots | All units gain +1 move range. |
| 4 | Spare Blade | All units start battle with +3 ATK. Fades after 1 hit. |
| 5 | Gold Pouch | Start battles with +20 bonus gold. +10% gold from all sources. |
| 6 | Healing Salve | All units heal 5 HP at the start of each battle. |
| 7 | Lucky Charm | +10% chance for positive Mystery event outcomes. |
| 8 | Scout's Map | See 1 extra row of nodes on the overworld map. |
| 9 | Traveler's Pack | +1 consumable slot for all units. |
| 10 | Sturdy Boots | All units: move through difficult terrain at normal cost. |
| 11 | Smith's Hammer | Camp nodes: upgrade 1 piece of equipment for free. One use. |
| 12 | Mana Spring | All units start battle with +10 CT. |
| 13 | Thorned Greaves | Thorns: enemies take 1 damage when hitting you in melee. |
| 14 | Wanderer's Map | Mystery events always reveal their odds before choosing. |
| 15 | Echoing Blade | First Strike each battle deals +3 damage. |
| 16 | Potion Belt | Potions heal +20% more. |
| 17 | Spare Parts | Engineer constructs have +3 HP. |
| 18 | Herbal Remedy | Antidote also heals 10 HP. |
| 19 | Battle Standard | All units gain +3 ATK when adjacent to 2+ enemies. |
| 20 | Lucky Dice | Gambler buff table: removes the "no buff" result. (Requires Gambler aspect.) |
Rare Relics (8)
| # | Relic | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quickening Charm | All units' CT fills 15% faster. |
| 2 | Phoenix Down Supply | Revive ability gains +1 use per battle. |
| 3 | Gravity Anomaly | Fall damage ×2 for enemies. Allies immune. |
| 4 | Arcane Focus | Spells charge 1 tick faster (min 0). |
| 5 | Bloodlust Amulet | +3 ATK for each unit this unit kills in a battle. Resets each battle. |
| 6 | Mirror Shield | 15% chance to reflect any ranged attack. |
| 7 | Tactician's Map | Reposition ALL units before battle starts. |
| 8 | Conduit Stone | Adjacent allies gain +2 MAG. Adjacent enemies lose −2 MAG. |
Legendary Relics (4)
| # | Relic | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Second Chance | First unit that would permadie instead revives at 1 HP. Once per run. |
| 2 | Echo of the Sage | 30% chance to double-cast any spell (free, instant, same target). |
| 3 | Time Loop | Rewind time and replay a battle from start. Keep better result. Once per run. |
| 4 | Geomancer's Crown | All units can Raise/Lower Terrain regardless of aspects. |
6. Consumables
| Item | Effect | Cost (Shop) | Max Per Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potion | Heal 30% max HP. Instant. Adjacent. | 20 | 1 (+ slots from Quartermaster) |
| Hi-Potion | Heal 60% max HP. Instant. Adjacent. | 40 | 1 |
| Ether | Restore 50% MP. Instant. Self. | 30 | 1 |
| Phoenix Down | Revive downed unit at 25% HP. Adjacent. | 150 | 1 |
| Antidote | Remove Poison/Plague. Adjacent. | 15 | 2 |
| Speed Seed | Haste effect. Self. | 25 | 1 |
| Smoke Bomb | Create smoke on self tile. LOS blocked 2 ticks. | 20 | 1 |
| Bomb | 8 fire damage in 2×2 AoE. Range 3. | 30 | 1 |
7. Pacing & Difficulty Curve
Island-Level Difficulty
| Island | Expected Player Power | Enemy HP Multiplier | Enemy Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Base Aspects only, Tier 0 abilities | 1.0× | 3–5 per fight |
| 2 | Some Tier 1 upgrades, 2–4 relics | 1.3× | 4–6 per fight |
Win Rate Targets
| Difficulty | Target Win Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | 30–40% | First-time player: ~10%. Experienced: ~50%. |
| Hard | 15–25% | Unlocked after first win. |
| Lethal | 5–10% | For masochists. |
| Breach | <5% | Achievement bait. |
Catch-Up Mechanics
| Situation | Mechanic |
|---|---|
| Lost a unit | Next island guarantees RECRUIT node |
| Behind on gold | MYSTERY events skew toward gold rewards |
| Behind on Aspects | Elite enemies have +20% drop rarity |
| Co-op: partner in Ghost Mode | Next CAMP node offers free Phoenix Down |
| Behind on EXP | EXP Scroll relic appears more frequently in relic choices |
8. MVP Scope
Included (20–24 weeks)
- [x] 2 islands: Plains + Caldera
- [x] 3 node types: Fight, Shop, Camp (+ Boss per island)
- [x] 20 relics (14 Common, 5 Rare, 1 Legendary — reduced from full catalog for 2-island scope)
- [x] 8 consumable types
- [x] 2 difficulty levels: Normal, Hard (Lethal post-MVP)
- [x] Full permadeath + downed state
- [x] Shop replacement unit hire (covers RECRUIT functionality without a separate node type)
Deferred to Post-MVP
- [ ] Island 3 (Spire of Echoes) — v0.2
- [ ] Node types: Mystery, Recruit (separate node), Relic Forge — v0.3
- [ ] Catch-up mechanics (needs playtesting to tune)
- [ ] Lethal + Breach difficulties
- [ ] Expanded relic pool (30 total)
9. Open Questions
- 2-island run length: Target 30–40 minutes solo. Is this enough for a satisfying roguelike? ITB runs are 30–60 min with 2–4 islands. StS runs are 45–90 min. A 30-min run feels short — should we add more nodes per island (5–6 instead of 3–4)?
- Shop replacement hire: Covers RECRUIT as a shop feature instead of a separate node. Is this discoverable enough, or do we need a "Hey, your squad slot is empty — the Shop can hire" tutorial prompt?
- Relic stacking: Can you have duplicate relics? If you find a second Feather Boots, does move range stack? (Recommendation: no duplicates. Duplicates re-roll to another relic of same rarity.)
- Relic pool size: 20 relics for 2 islands (~6 relic choices per run). Is this enough variety for replayability, or will players see the same relics every run? StS has ~175 relics with ~15 per run. Our ratio is much tighter.
- Boss relic pool: Are boss relics a separate pool or just Legendaries with boss-specific theming? (Recommend: boss relics are unique. They only drop from bosses.)
- Shop restocking: Does the shop refresh? Currently: no. One visit per island. Sufficient with 2 islands?
- Relic Forge post-MVP: Deferred to v0.3. Players may expect a way to upgrade relics at launch. Is the Shop sufficient?
Next: Level Generation