Quest Prep
Quest prep is where responsive generation becomes practical. A player posts intent; the GM generates what’s needed; the results become canon; the session runs.
The workflow: player declares intent → GM checks existing canon → identifies gaps → selects appropriate system → generates → updates wiki.
Step 1: Read the Intent
A player posts something like: “I want to find the assassin who killed my mentor. Looking for anyone in the Thieves Guild who might know. Who’s in? Thinking Thursday.”
Parse this into:
- The goal — find the assassin
- The approach — social investigation through the Thieves Guild
- The implied location — wherever the Thieves Guild operates
- The gap — does the Thieves Guild have an established presence? Do we know this assassin?
Vague intent (“I want to explore”) needs a follow-up: “What are you hoping to find?” Goal-driven play requires a goal.
Step 2: Check Existing Canon
Before generating anything, review what already exists in the wiki:
- What’s established about relevant factions?
- Have other parties visited the relevant location?
- What lore nodes have been pinned that connect to this goal?
- What faction clocks are running that might intersect?
This prevents contradictions and often surfaces content that’s already half-generated. The world has been running between sessions — check what’s there before adding more.
Step 3: Identify the Gaps
What needs to exist for this session to work that doesn’t already exist?
Each gap maps to a generation system:
- New settlement → Ex Novo
- Key NPC → Street Magic
- Dungeon site → Ex Umbra
- Wilderness route → Hexmancer
- Deep history → Microscope / Chronicle
Step 4: Generate
Run the appropriate system for each gap. The Pandemonium Engine handles the rest — everything not explicitly generated is provisionally real in the Shadow Horizon.
For social investigations: generate the key NPC, their faction posts, one lore node they’ll share under the right circumstances, and one they’ll protect at all costs.
For dungeon delves: start with the rumors (what do players think they know), generate the site from those rumors, then seed the site with lore that confirms some rumors and contradicts others.
For wilderness expeditions: seed the discovery pool with content tied to the focal player’s goal, generate the destination site, let travel deliver the seeds.
Step 5: Prep Time by Complexity
| Expedition Type | Prep Time | What You’re Generating |
|---|---|---|
| Revisiting known location | 30 min | NPC reactions, faction clock consequences, new lore |
| New settlement, known region | 1-2 days | Medium generation + key NPCs + hooks |
| New dungeon site | 2-3 days | Rumors → site → ecology → treasures |
| Major new settlement | 3-5 days | Full Ex Novo generation, possibly a building session |
The GM preps after knowing what the players want, not before hoping they’ll bite on a hook. This is why the timelines work.