Week 8, part 1: current state of Stone Words Walk

These are the updated rules of Stone Words Walk, which I tweaked over the last ~2 months of play.

Playing the game

I usually use an A6-sized writing pad (with plain paper) and write a full spread for each thing I make (monument/island). That makes for smaller drawings and shorter written details.

Step 1: Draw the island

Draw a horizontal line of waves, then draw the island (or fort or ship or other thing) from the North (or South) and again from the East (or West). I decided to draw just the silhouette/the outermost outline like it was seen from a distance, but you could add more detail if you want (this is what I did for earlier SWW playtests).

Step 2: Name the island

Maybe the name's inspired by the shape of the island as seen from a distance, maybe not. Maybe the name's a word you came up with that might inspire what comes next, as you explore and leave the island. Maybe you won't discover why it's called that, on your first visit or maybe ever. Maybe it just gets a designation, an alphanumeric code or a date or something like that.

Consider the power of naming something, too. If something has an "official" name then there may be settlement, for various different reasons (military, missionary, communal, weirder shit etc.). If people already live/pass through there, they (almost) certainly use a different name, and probably won't take kindly to colonial intrusions.

Step 3: Stat the island

Roll 2d100. The first number is the island maximum altitude in metres (multiply by 10 if the height you rolled feels too short). Put a decimal point between the second pair of numbers—this is the island's area in kilometres squared. You can adjust each number if you feel like it's not right for the island (e.g. move the decimal point to the left or right).

Step 4: Explore the island

Explore step by step:

1. roll a d6. If you haven't rolled that number yet for the island, describe one of these features of the island:
   1. an Impression: a general feature (maybe a feeling, a sound, a common object) found all (or almost all) over the island.
   2. a Path: a route for hands, feet, or eyes to take across part of the island.
   3. a Focus: a single specific object in detail, diorama, vignette, etc.
   4. an Event: a change in the island.
2. if you have already rolled that number for this island, choose:
   1. leave the island immediately.
   2. roll another d6 and add the result to the first, then check the new number against the list as above.
3. if the larger number also has an entry on the list: add one final number-less Event to the island instead of adding a numbered feature; this event encourages or forces you to leave. Otherwise, add a numbered feature to the island as normal, but add an element of harm, danger, confusion, or offense. This could be the island negatively affecting you, or you negatively affecting the island.

If you haven't left the island yet, go back to step 1.

Island features can be physical, biological, or social; a social Focus might be a single person or meeting, a social Impression could be a common behaviour or tradition; a Path could be a route someone takes or suggests you take, and so on.

Step 5: Leave the island

Write a heading, "Reasons to return". Add at least one reason.

Optional stuff

Oracles

Where I'm currently at with the game is figuring out the role of a card oracle, if there should be one. Option 1: there'll be a small oracle where each suit's a category and each card in a suit has its own unique short prompt (for 52 prompts total), which you'd draw from before getting down to the actual exploration. Option 2: there'll be a deck of cards with island names, shapes, and stats on them (and maybe also short prompts like the other, simpler oracle.

Some extra thoughts

There's a couple things I think are worth pointing out:

1. I think of the 3 things you can add while exploring as being from your actual PoV, which is why they're named as they are; you're not worldbuilding from an omniscient bird's-eye view, you're adding the things a visitor sees and feels.
2. I wanted to avoid oracles/tables being the main mechanism, since in playtests I was adding so little detail per turn of exploration, but if you were writing a lot more on each turn then I could see a per-turn oracle being helpful.

Next?

The next post (coming later this week) will have the rules for the next game I'm gonna be working on. It might also be in a new itch project, since it won't be set in an archipelago.