Complete Card Prompts
This table provides specific prompts for each card. These are starting points—interpret them through your settlement's current situation, history, and needs. As you become familiar with the game and setting, you're encouraged to create your own prompts based on the suit themes and rank intensities described above.
Special Cards:
- Aces: A character emerges (see Characters section)
- Jacks: Wild card—table chooses any suit interpretation
- Queens: First of each suit triggers Growth Phase; subsequent Queens use prompt below
- Kings: First of each suit triggers Crisis Phase; subsequent Kings use prompt below
Hearts (♥) — Community & Culture
| Card | Prompt |
|---|---|
| A | A character emerges (see Characters section) |
| 2 | A child asks to learn something from the old world that few still remember |
| 3 | Two neighbors discover a shared interest that bridges a cultural divide |
| 4 | A minor disagreement at a communal meal reveals deeper tensions |
| 5 | Someone proposes changing a traditional ceremony to better fit Duskaran life |
| 6 | A wind-singer composes a new song that captures the community's current mood |
| 7 | A serious argument erupts over how to teach the next generation |
| 8 | A beloved elder announces they're considering leaving for another settlement |
| 9 | Two factions organize separate celebrations of the same event |
| 10 | A marriage, partnership, or bonding ceremony becomes a flashpoint for identity questions |
| J | Wild Card (table chooses any suit) |
| Q | Growth Phase Milestone (first time) / A major cultural achievement brings the whole settlement together in celebration (subsequent) |
| K | Crisis Phase Milestone (first time) / Someone important to community cohesion dies, leaves, or betrays trust (subsequent) |
Diamonds (♦) — Resources & Technology
| Card | Prompt |
|---|---|
| A | A character emerges (see Characters section) |
| 2 | A minor system needs routine maintenance but parts are scarce |
| 3 | Atmospheric collectors yield slightly more water than usual this cycle |
| 4 | A key piece of equipment begins showing signs of wear |
| 5 | Someone discovers an efficiency improvement in daily resource use |
| 6 | Engineers successfully restore a piece of salvaged Earth technology |
| 7 | Underground water readings show concerning changes |
| 8 | The main power grid experiences brownouts during peak usage |
| 9 | A critical resource stockpile runs lower than expected |
| 10 | Major infrastructure failure occurs without warning |
| J | Wild Card (table chooses any suit) |
| Q | Growth Phase Milestone (first time) / A technological breakthrough or resource abundance transforms capabilities (subsequent) |
| K | Crisis Phase Milestone (first time) / Essential infrastructure collapses or critical resource is exhausted (subsequent) |
Spades (♠) — Environment & Adaptation
| Card | Prompt |
|---|---|
| A | A character emerges (see Characters section) |
| 2 | The wind shifts into an unusual but manageable pattern |
| 3 | A young person's latent psychic ability manifests gently |
| 4 | Native creatures behave strangely near the settlement |
| 5 | Temperature readings indicate a gradual shift in the twilight belt's position |
| 6 | Weather workers sense an opportunity to improve crop yields through wind patterns |
| 7 | A superstorm forms on the horizon, larger than normal |
| 8 | The day-side's heat begins creeping closer to the settlement's boundaries |
| 9 | A psychic talented individual's abilities spiral unexpectedly |
| 10 | Environmental catastrophe strikes—choose: temperature spike, wind shear, atmospheric event |
| J | Wild Card (table chooses any suit) |
| Q | Growth Phase Milestone (first time) / Deep harmony with Duskara is achieved; adaptation bears fruit (subsequent) |
| K | Crisis Phase Milestone (first time) / Duskara itself turns hostile in unprecedented ways (subsequent) |
Clubs (♣) — Mysteries & Change
| Card | Prompt |
|---|---|
| A | A character emerges (see Characters section) |
| 2 | Someone finds an object or data fragment that doesn't quite make sense |
| 3 | Scouts report geometric patterns in distant rock formations |
| 4 | Old records contradict something everyone thought they knew |
| 5 | A group of young people spontaneously adopt a new practice nobody taught them |
| 6 | Recovered data crystals reveal uncomfortable truths about the Stellar Horizon's voyage |
| 7 | An expedition returns with reports of something inexplicable |
| 8 | The settlement discovers evidence of other human survivors from the ship |
| 9 | An ancient structure in the scorched lands begins exhibiting unusual activity |
| 10 | A profound truth is revealed that forces the community to reconsider its fundamental assumptions |
| J | Wild Card (table chooses any suit) |
| Q | Growth Phase Milestone (first time) / A mystery is solved or transformation embraced that opens new possibilities (subsequent) |
| K | Crisis Phase Milestone (first time) / Terrible knowledge or irreversible change shatters old certainties (subsequent) |
Using These Prompts:
These prompts are designed to work for most twilight belt settlements, but you should always interpret them through your specific context:
- What has happened recently in your settlement?
- What challenges and resources do you currently have?
- What questions are already open?
- What characters exist and what do they care about?
Example: The prompt "A child asks to learn something from the old world" (2♥) plays very differently in:
- An Earth Rememberer settlement (honored, immediate teaching)
- A Duskara-Born settlement (awkward, maybe refused)
- A fractured settlement (becomes a factional issue)
Creating Your Own Prompts:
Once familiar with the game, create custom prompts by:
- Choose a suit (Hearts/Diamonds/Spades/Clubs)
- Match the rank's intensity (2-5 everyday, 6-9 significant, 10 critical)
- Ground it in your settlement's specific situation
- Leave room for interpretation
Custom prompts often emerge naturally from play: "That situation would make a perfect 7 of Hearts for next time..."
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