--- title: "Card design: the-beginning (World 15)" date: 2026-07-04 status: draft tags: [world, walker-narrative, grief-arc, acceptance, destiny-entity, keyword-cost-modifiers, unburden, finale, card-design] modules: [data-worlds] related: - .lore/work/specs/the-beginning.md - .lore/work/plans/the-beginning.md - .lore/work/design/questions-card-design.md - .lore/work/design/answers-card-design.md --- # Card design: the-beginning (World 15) The spec (`.lore/work/specs/the-beginning.md`) deliberately deferred concrete card templates, exact numbers, and deck counts to an authoring pass (see its Scope note and Open Questions), matching `questions.md`/`answers.md`'s scope discipline. This document is that pass — every world/reward card template below is ready to drop into `src/data/allCards.json`, and the deck composition is ready for `src/data/worlds/the-beginning/cards.json`. **Calibration source:** costs, keyword-apply values, and deck-slot counts are matched against `questions-card-design.md`/`answers-card-design.md` (Worlds 13/14's own authoring passes), since Acts I/II here are explicitly a reprise of that same material, just faster (Act I) or gentler (Act II) per REQ-W15-17/18. ## Read this first: this pass follows the plan's redesigned Acceptance mechanic, not the spec's original REQ-W15-12 `.lore/work/plans/the-beginning.md` documents a confirmed deviation from the ratified spec, worked out with the user during plan-prep: `Destiny` is the same shared, unmodified card template `questions`/`answers` already use (cost `15`, no authored keywords, `onCleared: SurviveWorld`) — not a fresh per-world instance with a placeholder cost of `50`. `Acceptance` is not applied via `Destiny`'s own hook at all. Instead, **every reward card in this world that strips one of the four reprised grief keywords via `RemoveKeyword` also applies `Acceptance` directly to `Destiny` by name**, using the plan's new `ApplyKeyword` target `worldCardInHandByTemplateId` (a no-op if `Destiny` isn't in hand yet, which is true for all of Acts I/II — the discount only becomes real once Act III begins and `Destiny` is drawn). Concretely: **all four grief-release reward cards below carry this as a second `Sequence` step**, not just cards authored fresh for Act III. This is what makes "unburden" mechanical — a reward earned releasing `Denial` in Act I still chips at `Destiny`'s cost if played once Act III's hand includes it, since the player's earned reward cards persist across acts within a run. **Chosen `Acceptance` applied value: `15`** — exactly `Destiny`'s base cost. A single successful engagement (any one of the four reward cards, played while `Destiny` is in hand) drops its effective cost to `0`; the "dramatic swing on first contact, not gradual accumulation" framing from the spec's own REQ-W15-12 correction survives the redesign even though the delivery mechanism changed. Because `withAppliedKeyword` refreshes to the larger value rather than summing (confirmed in the plan), playing a second (or third, or fourth) different grief-release card in the same or a later turn does not stack past `15` — it simply keeps the discount at full strength. Stop engaging (chase `Door` instead, or simply run out of these reward cards to play) and `Acceptance` decays by 1 per turn, climbing `Destiny`'s effective cost back up at 1/turn until it's gone. `costPer: -1` (REQ-W15-9) is unchanged from the spec and matches every other keyword's `costPer` in this trilogy. ## World cards (`src/data/allCards.json` → `cardTemplates`) All templates below define all five hooks explicitly (`{ "kind": "None" }` where empty), per C3. ### Act I — Denial + Anger, reprised (faster saturation than World 13) ```json "It's Fine, Actually": { "kind": "world", "name": "It's Fine, Actually", "rarity": "uncommon", "cost": 4, "keywords": [], "discardable": true, "onDiscarded": { "kind": "None" }, "onCleared": { "kind": "None" }, "onPartialClear": { "kind": "None" }, "onDraw": { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Denial", "value": 3, "target": "self" }, "onEndOfTurn": { "kind": "KeywordGate", "keyword": "Denial", "min": 2, "zone": "hand", "then": { "kind": "ForceDestroy", "amount": 1 } } }, "Somebody Else Will Handle It": { "kind": "world", "name": "Somebody Else Will Handle It", "rarity": "uncommon", "cost": 4, "keywords": [], "discardable": true, "onDiscarded": { "kind": "None" }, "onCleared": { "kind": "None" }, "onPartialClear": { "kind": "None" }, "onDraw": { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Anger", "value": 2, "target": "self" }, "onEndOfTurn": { "kind": "KeywordGate", "keyword": "Anger", "min": 2, "zone": "hand", "then": { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Anger", "value": 1, "target": "randomWorldCardInHand" } } }, "A Story You've Told Yourself": { "kind": "world", "name": "A Story You've Told Yourself", "rarity": "common", "cost": 3, "keywords": ["Obstructed"], "discardable": true, "onDiscarded": { "kind": "None" }, "onCleared": { "kind": "GainCard", "template": "Say It Out Loud" }, "onPartialClear": { "kind": "None" }, "onDraw": { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Denial", "value": 1, "target": "self" }, "onEndOfTurn": { "kind": "None" } }, "Somebody Should Be Mad About This": { "kind": "world", "name": "Somebody Should Be Mad About This", "rarity": "common", "cost": 3, "keywords": ["Obstructed"], "discardable": true, "onDiscarded": { "kind": "None" }, "onCleared": { "kind": "GainCard", "template": "Put It Down" }, "onPartialClear": { "kind": "None" }, "onDraw": { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Anger", "value": 1, "target": "self" }, "onEndOfTurn": { "kind": "None" } }, "Every Excuse Sounds Thinner": { "kind": "world", "name": "Every Excuse Sounds Thinner", "rarity": "common", "cost": 3, "keywords": [], "discardable": true, "onDiscarded": { "kind": "None" }, "onCleared": { "kind": "None" }, "onPartialClear": { "kind": "None" }, "onDraw": { "kind": "None" }, "onEndOfTurn": { "kind": "ForceDestroy", "amount": 1 } }, "One More Excuse": { "kind": "world", "name": "One More Excuse", "rarity": "common", "cost": 2, "keywords": ["Obstructed"], "discardable": true, "onDiscarded": { "kind": "Draw", "world": 1 }, "onCleared": { "kind": "None" }, "onPartialClear": { "kind": "None" }, "onDraw": { "kind": "None" }, "onEndOfTurn": { "kind": "None" } } ``` - `It's Fine, Actually` is the Act I signature `Denial` threat: self-applies `Denial:3` on draw (strippable) — higher than `Everyone Says It's Nothing`'s `2` — so `KeywordGate{min:2}` is already tripped the same turn it's drawn, no second Denial-carrying card needed. This is the "faster saturation, less patience" REQ-W15-17 calls for, made concrete: World 13's version needed value `2` to just barely meet its own `min:2`; this one clears the gate with room to spare. - `Somebody Else Will Handle It` is the Act I signature `Anger` threat, same faster-saturation treatment: self-applies `Anger:2` (vs. World 13's `1`), tripping its own `KeywordGate{min:2}` alone and spreading `Anger:1` to a random hand card every turn it's left undealt. - `A Story You've Told Yourself` / `Somebody Should Be Mad About This` are Act I's two Obstructed tool-fetch cards (REQ-W15-20): clearing them grants `Say It Out Loud` / `Put It Down`, this world's `Denial`/`Anger`-strip rewards (see Reward Player Cards — both also carry the `Acceptance`-to-`Destiny` step). - `Every Excuse Sounds Thinner` is a keyword-free `ForceDestroy` pressure card, mirroring World 13's `The Monitor Keeps Beeping` — baseline pressure independent of the keyword mechanic. - `One More Excuse` is a keyword-free `Obstructed` filler/foreshadow card, mirroring `Waiting Room Silence`. ### Act II — Bargaining + Depression, reprised (gentler than World 14) ```json "A Smaller Ask": { "kind": "world", "name": "A Smaller Ask", "rarity": "uncommon", "cost": 4, "keywords": [], "discardable": true, "onDiscarded": { "kind": "None" }, "onCleared": { "kind": "None" }, "onPartialClear": { "kind": "None" }, "onDraw": { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Bargaining", "value": 1, "target": "self" }, "onEndOfTurn": { "kind": "KeywordGate", "keyword": "Bargaining", "min": 2, "zone": "hand", "then": { "kind": "ForceDestroy", "amount": 1 } } }, "It's Not So Bad": { "kind": "world", "name": "It's Not So Bad", "rarity": "uncommon", "cost": 4, "keywords": [], "discardable": true, "onDiscarded": { "kind": "None" }, "onCleared": { "kind": "None" }, "onPartialClear": { "kind": "None" }, "onDraw": { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Depression", "value": 1, "target": "self" }, "onEndOfTurn": { "kind": "KeywordGate", "keyword": "Depression", "min": 2, "zone": "hand", "then": { "kind": "ForceDestroy", "amount": 1 } } }, "Terms You Already Know": { "kind": "world", "name": "Terms You Already Know", "rarity": "common", "cost": 3, "keywords": ["Obstructed"], "discardable": true, "onDiscarded": { "kind": "None" }, "onCleared": { "kind": "GainCard", "template": "Close the Book On It" }, "onPartialClear": { "kind": "None" }, "onDraw": { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Bargaining", "value": 1, "target": "self" }, "onEndOfTurn": { "kind": "None" } }, "The Same Tired Weight": { "kind": "world", "name": "The Same Tired Weight", "rarity": "common", "cost": 3, "keywords": ["Obstructed"], "discardable": true, "onDiscarded": { "kind": "None" }, "onCleared": { "kind": "GainCard", "template": "Set It Down" }, "onPartialClear": { "kind": "None" }, "onDraw": { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Depression", "value": 1, "target": "self" }, "onEndOfTurn": { "kind": "None" } } ``` - `A Smaller Ask` / `It's Not So Bad` are Act II's signature `Bargaining`/`Depression` threats, deliberately gentler than Act I's pair (REQ-W15-18): both self-apply value `1`, so `KeywordGate{min:2}` genuinely needs a second Bargaining/Depression-carrying card in hand — unlike Act I's threats, neither trips its own gate alone. This is the "same shapes, turned down" REQ-W15-18 calls for. - `Terms You Already Know` / `The Same Tired Weight` are Act II's two Obstructed tool-fetch cards (REQ-W15-20): grant `Close the Book On It` / `Set It Down`, this world's `Bargaining`/`Depression`-strip rewards. - No `AddThreatToWorldDeck`, `Modal`, or `DiscardThenDraw` card is authored for Act II — the spec's "smaller stakes, gentler bargains, slower cycling" language (REQ-W15-18) describes a difference in *degree* from World 14's own cards, not a specific effect this world must newly introduce; Act II stays deliberately thin here (4 templates vs. Act I's 6), which is itself the "lighter, slower-paced" REQ-W15-21 calls for. ### Act III — the Destiny/Acceptance loop ```json "He's Still Fighting": { "kind": "world", "name": "He's Still Fighting", "rarity": "common", "cost": 3, "keywords": ["Obstructed"], "discardable": true, "onDiscarded": { "kind": "None" }, "onCleared": { "kind": "GainCard", "template": "Watch Over Him" }, "onPartialClear": { "kind": "None" }, "onDraw": { "kind": "None" }, "onEndOfTurn": { "kind": "None" } }, "The Weight You're Still Carrying": { "kind": "world", "name": "The Weight You're Still Carrying", "rarity": "common", "cost": 2, "keywords": ["Obstructed"], "discardable": true, "onDiscarded": { "kind": "Draw", "world": 1 }, "onCleared": { "kind": "None" }, "onPartialClear": { "kind": "None" }, "onDraw": { "kind": "None" }, "onEndOfTurn": { "kind": "None" } } ``` - `He's Still Fighting` is Act III's one new tool-fetch card, realizing the companion-figure framing (REQ-W15-6): clearing it grants `Watch Over Him`, a caretaking reward (see Reward Player Cards). It carries no keyword of its own — Act III introduces no sixth keyword and no new grief pressure (REQ-W15-14); it exists to deliver one reward card, not to threaten. - `The Weight You're Still Carrying` is a keyword-free filler card, mirroring `One More Excuse`/`Waiting Room Silence` — gives Act III a small amount of deck bulk without adding mechanical noise, consistent with REQ-W15-21's "centers on the loop, not card volume." - `Destiny` and the fixed `{ "templateId": "The Walker", "count": 1 }` closer are referenced only in Deck Composition below, never redefined here — no change of any kind to `Destiny`'s authored template (REQ-W15-2/3, and this plan's central deviation). ## Reward player cards (`src/data/allCards.json` → `cardTemplates`) ```json "Say It Out Loud": { "kind": "player", "name": "Say It Out Loud", "rarity": "common", "energyCost": 1, "effect": { "kind": "Sequence", "steps": [ { "kind": "DealProgress", "base": 2 }, { "kind": "RemoveKeyword", "keyword": "Denial", "target": "hand", "amount": 2 }, { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Acceptance", "value": 15, "target": "worldCardInHandByTemplateId", "templateId": "Destiny" } ] } }, "Put It Down": { "kind": "player", "name": "Put It Down", "rarity": "common", "energyCost": 1, "effect": { "kind": "Sequence", "steps": [ { "kind": "DealProgress", "base": 2 }, { "kind": "RemoveKeyword", "keyword": "Anger", "target": "hand", "amount": 2 }, { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Acceptance", "value": 15, "target": "worldCardInHandByTemplateId", "templateId": "Destiny" } ] } }, "Close the Book On It": { "kind": "player", "name": "Close the Book On It", "rarity": "common", "energyCost": 1, "effect": { "kind": "Sequence", "steps": [ { "kind": "DealProgress", "base": 2 }, { "kind": "RemoveKeyword", "keyword": "Bargaining", "target": "hand", "amount": 2 }, { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Acceptance", "value": 15, "target": "worldCardInHandByTemplateId", "templateId": "Destiny" } ] } }, "Set It Down": { "kind": "player", "name": "Set It Down", "rarity": "common", "energyCost": 1, "effect": { "kind": "Sequence", "steps": [ { "kind": "DealProgress", "base": 2 }, { "kind": "RemoveKeyword", "keyword": "Depression", "target": "hand", "amount": 2 }, { "kind": "ApplyKeyword", "keyword": "Acceptance", "value": 15, "target": "worldCardInHandByTemplateId", "templateId": "Destiny" } ] } }, "Watch Over Him": { "kind": "player", "name": "Watch Over Him", "rarity": "common", "energyCost": 1, "effect": { "kind": "Sequence", "steps": [ { "kind": "Heal", "amount": 2 }, { "kind": "GainLight", "amount": 1 } ] } }, "Help Him Focus": { "kind": "player", "name": "Help Him Focus", "rarity": "uncommon", "energyCost": 2, "effect": { "kind": "DealProgress", "base": 3 } }, "Keep Him Upright": { "kind": "player", "name": "Keep Him Upright", "rarity": "common", "energyCost": 1, "effect": { "kind": "Brace", "amount": 1 } } ``` - `Say It Out Loud` / `Put It Down` / `Close the Book On It` / `Set It Down` are the four grief-release rewards (REQ-W15-15/20) — one per reprised keyword, each pairing the standard small `DealProgress` + `RemoveKeyword{amount:2}` shape (matching `Ask The Question`/`Let It Out`/`Call In The Favor`/`Let It Sit` exactly) with the new third step that applies `Acceptance:15` to `Destiny` by name if it's in hand. This is the mechanism carrying this plan's central redesign: **every one of these four cards is the "unburden" verb made literal**, whichever act it was earned in. - `Watch Over Him` / `Help Him Focus` / `Keep Him Upright` are the companion-figure reflavors REQ-W15-6/16 calls for — `Heal`/`GainLight` combined as tending to him, `DealProgress` reframed as helping him focus on a threat (not the player striking it — works against whichever hazard the player targets, including but not limited to `Destiny`), and `Brace` reframed as steadying him rather than self-preservation. No new effect kind or mechanic anywhere in this group — flavor text only, per REQ-W15-16. ## Deck composition (`src/data/worlds/the-beginning/cards.json`) ```json { "worldId": "the-beginning", "deckComposition": { "acts": [ { "cards": [ { "templateId": "It's Fine, Actually", "count": 2 }, { "templateId": "Somebody Else Will Handle It", "count": 2 }, { "templateId": "A Story You've Told Yourself", "count": 1 }, { "templateId": "Somebody Should Be Mad About This", "count": 1 }, { "templateId": "Every Excuse Sounds Thinner", "count": 1 }, { "templateId": "One More Excuse", "count": 1 } ] }, { "cards": [ { "templateId": "A Smaller Ask", "count": 2 }, { "templateId": "It's Not So Bad", "count": 2 }, { "templateId": "Terms You Already Know", "count": 1 }, { "templateId": "The Same Tired Weight", "count": 1 } ] }, { "cards": [ { "templateId": "He's Still Fighting", "count": 2 }, { "templateId": "The Weight You're Still Carrying", "count": 1 }, { "templateId": "Destiny", "count": 1 }, { "templateId": "The Walker", "count": 1 } ] } ] } } ``` Act I: 8 cards, fast and dense — reprising two keywords at once (REQ-W15-21). Act II: 6 cards, lighter (REQ-W15-18/21). Act III: 5 cards, thinnest of the three, centered on the loop rather than volume (REQ-W15-21), including the referenced `Destiny` and the fixed `The Walker` closer (REQ-W15-22). ## Open items this pass did not resolve - **The `Acceptance` applied value of `15` is chosen to exactly zero `Destiny`'s unmodified cost on first contact** — a placeholder pending a real numbers-and-feel pass, not sim-checked. Whether a single reward-card play should fully zero the cost (as authored here) or leave a smaller remainder needing further `DealProgress` is exactly the open question the spec's own Open Questions flagged, now answered with a concrete number rather than left as a shape. - Rarity weights and exact costs haven't been checked against `sim/` balance tooling — recommend a `bun run sim` pass once authored, same recommendation the prior two worlds' design docs made. - No in-world `GainKeywordGuard`-granting reward card exists in this design, by choice — matches `questions`' own precedent (no `Brace`/guard-granting reward exists there either) and is consistent with REQ-W15-17's framing that guard charges come from the meta-progression pre-load (plan Slice 1 Step 6), not from an in-run source. - Whether Act III's two new cards (`He's Still Fighting`, `The Weight You're Still Carrying`) give the act enough texture, or read as too thin next to `Destiny`'s own weight, is unconfirmed until manual playtest (plan Step 24, final item). - Whether playing a grief-release reward card for flavor reasons in Act I/II (before `Destiny` is ever in hand) reads oddly, given its third effect step silently no-ops until Act III — flag during manual playtest; the effect's `describe()`/card text should make clear the `Acceptance` step only matters once `Destiny` is present, not fabricate a false promise on the card face in earlier acts.