Non-ingredient encounters during exploration using situation-based prompts.
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Black Suits = Encounters (Situation-Based)
Both Spades and Clubs represent obstacles and challenges, not ingredient gathering. The suit determines whether the challenge is social or environmental:
- Spades ♠ - Social challenges (people, negotiation, authority)
- Clubs ♣ - Environmental challenges (terrain, hazards, structures)
Key Design: Same obstacle type, different suit determines if it’s a person problem or a terrain problem.
Card Prompts (Ace - 10)
| Card | ♠ Spades / ♣ Clubs | PROMPT | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ace | ♠ Authority figure blocks your way / ♣ Unstable terrain threatens your path | An obstacle appears in your path. Something - or someone - is occupying the space you need to move through. | Social or Foraging |
| 2 | ♠ Local expert offers knowledge (for a price) / ♣ Ancient markings provide cryptic guidance | Information you need is tantalizingly close. You could learn the secrets of this area if you can decode what’s in front of you. | Social or Foraging |
| 3 | ♠ Friendly traveler willing to help / ♣ Natural shortcut becomes visible | Progress has been slow and grinding when something catches your attention. Up ahead, there’s movement - or maybe just a shift in the landscape you hadn’t noticed. What looked like hard going suddenly has an alternative. Help from an unexpected source, and your path just got easier. | Social or Foraging |
| 4 | ♠ Territorial creature wants tribute / ♣ Narrow passage requires careful navigation | Your approach slows. There’s something about this space that makes it clear you’re not just passing through - you’re being allowed through, if you play by the rules. Whatever controls this area, living or otherwise, expects acknowledgment. Rush forward carelessly and you’ll regret it. | Social or Foraging |
| 5 | ♠ Rival competing for supplies / ♣ Cache protected by traps or hazards | You’ve found a cache - supplies scattered or stacked, depending on how long they’ve been here. The relief of discovery lasts exactly one breath before reality sets in. There’s another presence here, drawn to the same prize, or the supplies themselves radiate the kind of danger that comes from being deliberately protected. Nothing valuable sits uncontested. | Social or Foraging |
| 6 | ♠ Rival chef’s crew member scouting / ♣ Signs of recent activity (tracks, campfire) | You round a corner and freeze. A campfire crackles softly, smoke still rising in a thin column toward the canopy. Whoever built it was here minutes ago - maybe less. The question burning in your mind: are they watching you right now, or already moving on to the next spot? | Social or Foraging |
| 7 | ♠ Guide offers to show you the way / ♣ Natural landmarks point to shortcuts | You’ve been guessing at your path when something resolves into focus. Help arrives - subtle but unmistakable, the kind that makes you wonder why you didn’t see it before. The uncertainty lifts, and you know which way to go. | Social or Foraging |
| 8 | ♠ Someone needs your help urgently / ♣ Your equipment malfunctions at a bad time | Your momentum shatters. Something needs you right now - the kind of urgent that makes everything else fade into background noise. You can feel the seconds ticking away. | Social or Foraging |
| 9 | ♠ Food critic observing your work / ♣ Environmental hazard tests your skills | Eyes on you - or at least it feels that way. Every movement carries weight now, measured against standards you can only guess at. The difference between competence and failure suddenly feels razor-thin. | Social or Foraging |
| 10 | ♠ Hungry creature will help if fed / ♣ Fog bank obscures your path forward | The world closes in around you. Open space becomes tight, clear sight turns hazy. Your pace slows whether you want it to or not. | Social or Foraging |
Resolution Guidance
Spades (Social) typically uses:
- Social stat for negotiation, persuasion, reading people
- Combat stat for intimidation or handling hostile NPCs
- Success = favorable outcome, new information, safe passage
- Failure = complication, cost, or need to find another way
Clubs (Environmental) typically uses:
- Foraging stat for navigation, reading terrain, finding paths
- Combat stat for forcing through obstacles or dealing with hazards
- Success = safe passage, shortcut discovered, hazard avoided
- Failure = complication, time/resource cost, or minor setback
Group decides which stat applies based on their approach and the situation.
Face Cards
Face cards (J/Q/K) use suit for difficulty tier, not encounter type:
→ See Job System - Face Card Tier System for complete face card rules
- Jack = Merchant (Hearts easiest → Spades hardest)
- Queen = NPC Side Quest (Hearts easiest → Spades hardest)
- King = Boss Battle (Hearts easiest → Spades hardest)
Design Notes
Pattern established from Red Cards revision:
- 2-4 sentence prompts that paint vivid scenes
- Suit determines nature of challenge (social vs environmental)
- Genre-neutral language that players interpret
- Written in Vault Voice (exciting, clear, energetic)
- Varied sentence structure (not formulaic)
Why dual-nature prompts:
- Keeps card count manageable (10 situations, not 20)
- Creates interesting ambiguity until suit is revealed
- Allows same “obstacle” to manifest differently
- Reinforces that environment and people are both challenges
Next steps after review:
- Refine prompts based on feedback
- Ensure Vault Voice consistency
- Test readability with target audience
- Create example scenarios for each prompt