Hello there! I’m brainstorming ideas for a WIP I’m working on and wanted some opinions. Is the concept interesting? Things to expand upon? Etc.
(Also to get it out of the way, romance will be possible, but it’s not a priority right now. I first want to make sure the concept is good and the characters are solid before going into it further)
Working Title:
When Cloud Waves Break
Description:
You receive a letter from your sister who you haven’t heard from in years. It reads: Dearest, I think someone is trying to kill me. Despite your reservations, you return to your hometown of Golden Gulf at her behest.
But you’re too late.
Now you have to find out who did it. But between dealing with your prickly brother-in-law, the uncooperative police force, and the utter strangeness that seems to have engulfed your hometown in the time you’ve been away, it won’t be easy.
And that’s not even taking into account the weird dreams you’ve been having…
Some Important Characters:
- Your older sister. You can pick her name, her personality out of several options, and customize your relationship with her (negative, positive, etc.).
- Benjamin Mullen, your brother-in-law. He’s very prickly and short with everyone, but especially you. The first time you ever met him in person was the night your sister died. Probably not the best first impression to have tbh.
- Evelyn Ross, your brother-in-law’s admin assistant. She has a morbid sense of humour and isn’t afraid to flaunt it. She’s also considerably more cooperative compared to her boss and is willing to help you, even if he isn’t.
- Officer Wyatt Pierce, the lead officer on the case. He was also your next door neighbour when you were kids. He’s glad you came back to town, but wants you far away from the investigation.
- Officer Casey Young, Pierce’s partner. They’re the black sheep at the station and are pretty bitter about it; so much so that they seem to be willing to go behind Pierce’s back to cover for you every once in a while.
Skills & Marks:
Your skills are Body, Mind, Tongue, Heart, and Spirit. Body is for physical tests (strength, dexterity, running, jumping, climbing, etc.), Mind for mental tests (intelligence, investigating, researching, etc.), and Tongue for social tests (persuading, deceiving, intimidating, etc.).
Regarding skill level-up, you start with 0, +1, or +2 in Body, Mind, and Tongue. It can be further upgraded by beginning the game with a profession (Actor, Doctor, and Soldier have pre-set values) or not (Dilettante gives 4 pts to distribute). You are able to upgrade skills later with exp.
Heart is your health. Spirit is your resistance to the occult. Both can be raised or lowered. The game ends if either reaches 0.
There’s also Marks. These are scars that the occult has left on you. They apply negative modifiers to your skills (modifiers will range from -1 to -3). Once you get them, they cannot be removed or cured.
Inspirations:
Agatha Christie mystery novels, Lovecraftian horror, The King in Yellow by Robert W Chambers (my working title is from his poem, Cassilda’s Song - could this get me in trouble? It was first published in 1895, so I’m not sure if copyright applies), the TTRPG Brindlewood Bay, and Slay the Princess by Black Tabby Games.