world-content-generation

World content generation skill

Use this skill when you are asked to:

• Create or revise world lore, factions, NPCs, locations, quests, or narrative tone.
• Author/modify world prompt templates under shared/src/prompts/**.
• Review world-facing content for consistency (tone, lore, traversal invariants).

Do not use this skill for:

• Backend persistence implementation details (belongs in backend/).
• Infrastructure/Bicep work (belongs in infrastructure/).

Source-of-truth rules

1. Prefer linking to existing docs over generating new canonical lore.
2. When new lore is necessary, add it to the correct layer under docs/ (MECE) rather than embedding it in code.
3. Prompt templates should reference doc filenames/sections, not copy entire lore blocks.

High-signal references:

• Tenets: docs/tenets.md
• Exits + traversal invariants: docs/concept/exits.md
• Direction resolution: docs/concept/direction-resolution-rules.md
• DM tone: docs/concept/dungeon-master-style-guide.md

Content invariants

Locations

• Each location should have 2–4 meaningful exits (unless intentionally a dead-end, which must be narratively justified).
• Exit directions are constrained to the canonical set (see docs/concept/exits.md).
• Locations must be connected to the broader world; avoid isolated “content islands”.

Exits (narrative)

When describing exits, avoid bare mechanical labels. Prefer diegetic phrasing:

• Good: “A narrow goat track slips north into the fog.”
• Good: “Stone steps descend into the undercroft.”
• Avoid: “North exit.”

NPCs

• NPCs must have consistent voice, motivation, and faction alignment across encounters.
• Dialogue should include optional skill-check affordances (Insight/Deception/etc.) when it enriches play.
• Anti-griefing posture: NPCs should discourage disruptive behavior via world-consistent consequences.

Factions

• Factions must have distinct goals and constraints.
• Territorial/political implications should show up in location flavor and quest hooks.

Prompt authoring rules (for shared/src/prompts/**)

• Keep templates composable (smaller building blocks over monolith prompts).
• Store canonical templates in code modules (example: shared/src/prompts/worldTemplates.ts).
• Avoid “one-off” prompt strings inside runtime code; prefer importing shared templates.
• Don’t bake implementation details into prompts (no container names, no env vars, no repo paths beyond doc references).

Example: prompt template structure

When you add a new template, provide:

• purpose (1–2 lines)
• required inputs (explicit list)
• output format contract (explicit)
• references (doc links)

Quality checklist

Before finishing a world-content change:

• Does this belong in the right doc layer (Vision/Tenets/Design Modules/Architecture/Roadmap/Examples)?
• Did we avoid duplicating lore in multiple places?
• Are exits/directions consistent with invariants?
• Is the content specific to The Shifting Atlas (not generic fantasy filler)?
• If this is a prompt change: is it reusable and versioned?

Last reviewed: 2026-01-15