t1k:designer:rpg:narrative

Field	Value
Module	`rpg`
Version	`1.7.2`
Effort	`high`
Tools	—

Keywords: design, lore, narrative, story

How to invoke

/t1k:designer:rpg:narrative

Game Narrative Design

When This Skill Triggers

Writing game story, screenplay, or script
Designing narrative arc or story structure
Creating characters, companions, bosses with story roles
Designing player choices and moral dilemmas
Planning consequence systems or branching outcomes
Balancing linear vs non-linear narrative flow

Core Narrative Concepts

Story Structure

Frameworks by genre — choose before writing:

Three-act: Setup 25% → Rising Action 50% → Resolution 25% (universal default)
Hero’s Journey (monomyth): Departure → Initiation → Return (best for RPGs)
Kishōtenketsu: Introduce → Develop → Twist → Synthesize (Nintendo level design, no conflict required)
In medias res: Start mid-action, flashback context (action games, high-tension opens)
Episodic: Roguelike runs as micro-stories; meta-progression as macro-story

→ See references/story-structure.md for framework selection table and beat breakdowns

Character Design

Vogler archetypes: Hero, Mentor, Threshold Guardian, Ally, Shadow, Trickster, Herald
Arc types: flat (beliefs unchanged), positive (growth), negative (corruption)
Motivation matrix: what they WANT vs what they NEED vs what BLOCKS them
NPC believability: own agenda, environmental awareness, trait-regulated behavior
Boss design: visual foreshadowing, mechanical identity, narrative payoff

→ See references/character-design.md for companion design, arc types, NPC patterns

Player Agency

Meaningful choice: distinct outcomes + sufficient information + no single “correct” answer
Consequence layering: immediate → delayed → cascading (ripple across acts)
Branching budget: max 3-4 meaningful branches per act (prevents exponential explosion)
Convergence techniques: funnel branches back to key story beats

→ See references/player-agency.md for choice taxonomy, illusion-of-choice rules, convergence patterns

Branching Dialogue Patterns

Pattern	Structure	Best For
Binary choice	2 options, diverge then converge	Moral dilemmas, alliance picks
Multi-option	3–4 options, 1–2 unique outcomes	Skill checks, reputation gates
Timer-based	Auto-selects default after 5–8s	Urgency moments, combat dialogue
Cascading	Choice A unlocks choice B later	Long-term relationship systems

Timer dialogue: show countdown bar; default = most neutral/defensive choice
Skill-gated options: show locked options grayed out — teaches player what stat to build

Quest Arc Structure

3-Act Quest (standard):

Hook (NPC presents problem or player discovers it organically)
Complication (mid-quest twist — ally betrays, objective changes, cost revealed)
Resolution (outcome varies by choices made in act 2)

Chain Quests: each quest in chain unlocks next; finale quest pays off all setup threads simultaneously.

Side Quest Weaving: side quests should reference main quest state — NPC comments on player’s recent action. Prevents side content feeling disconnected.

Character Voice Design

NPC bark templates by context:

Idle: “Have you heard about the raids near Thornwall?” / “My feet are killing me.”
Combat (ally): “They’re flanking us!” / “Keep the pressure on!”
Low health: “I can’t hold much longer!” / “Fall back — regroup!”
Victory: “We drove them back.” / “That was closer than I’d like.”
Greeting (reputation high): “Good to see you, [name].” vs (low): “[silence]” / “Don’t start.”

Each named NPC needs 3 personality traits that filter every line — e.g., “gruff, loyal, secretly scared.”

Environmental Storytelling

Ruins: broken architecture implies event — collapsed gate = siege; char marks = fire attack
Item placement: enemy commander’s journal near his corpse tells the encounter backstory
Found notes: 3-sentence max; present, past, future tense in one note tells full arc
Scene dressing: blood trail leading away from fight implies survivor — creates mystery
Rule: environmental lore must be legible without any codex — standalone meaning is mandatory

Lore Delivery Mechanisms

Mechanism	Player Effort	Depth	Best For
Codex entry	High (menu)	Deep	Lore enthusiasts, world history
Loading screens	Zero	Surface	Core setting facts, tips
NPC gossip	Low (pass-by)	Medium	Current events, faction rumors
Item descriptions	Medium (inspect)	Medium	Item history, world texture
Environmental	None (observation)	Surface–Deep	Atmosphere, event reconstruction

Loading screen lore rule: max 2 sentences; must relate to current zone or current quest.

Anti-Patterns

#	Anti-Pattern	Problem	Fix
1	Exposition dumps	Kills pacing, player skips	Embed lore in dialogue, environment, item descriptions
2	Meaningless choices	Player distrust, feels scripted	Every choice must change at least one future state
3	Lore contradictions	Breaks immersion permanently	Maintain a canon timeline; update it before writing
4	Flat NPCs	World feels empty	Give every named NPC one want, one fear, one secret
5	Forced tragedy	Players feel manipulated	Foreshadow consequences; let player agency influence outcome

Cross-References

game-worldbuilding — factions, culture, lore delivery for narrative context
game-quest-design — quest structure and dialogue trees that deliver narrative
rpg-game-design — stat/progression systems that reinforce narrative themes
game-design-document — where to capture story bible, character sheets, canon timeline

Reference Files

File	Coverage
`references/story-structure.md`	Three-act, Hero’s Journey, Kishōtenketsu, episodic; genre selection table
`references/character-design.md`	Vogler archetypes, arc types, motivation matrix, companion/boss design
`references/player-agency.md`	Choice taxonomy, consequence layering, branching budget, convergence techniques

Gotchas

Branching choices without consequence layering = false agency — the player must feel the choice in subsequent scenes, not just in the next line.
Character arcs need at least 3 beats to read as arcs — single-scene transformations feel cheap.
Interactive narrative budget grows quadratically with branches — every binary fork doubles your writing load. Cap branch points.