13. Logo & Key Art Brief

What We Need

A single high-quality illustration to serve as the logo/key art for "The Binding" — an AI-powered RPG platform where players play through classic books.

The Scene

Setting

An old wooden desk. Dark, warm, candlelit atmosphere — like a scholar's study at night. Everything has an aged, literary, slightly worn feel. Think antique wood grain, warm shadows, rich amber tones.

Center of the Desk

A thick, ornate leather-bound book lying flat on its back (cover facing up, spine away from viewer). The book's binding is prominently visible — the spine, the stitching, the leather texture of the binding running along the edge should be a focal point. This is a heavy, old, well-made book — the kind that pulls you in.

On the book's cover, in elegant but clearly legible script/calligraphy: "The Binding"

Right Side of the Desk

A tall, lit candle. This is the primary light source. Warm golden light spilling across the book and the desk surface, casting soft shadows. The candle should feel old — maybe a brass or iron candleholder, partially melted wax.

Left Side of the Book

A paper human figure in a Japanese origami/kirigami paper-fold style. This figure represents the player — a person made of folded paper, standing beside the desk, facing the book's binding. They're looking at it, about to open it. The character should feel like a paper craft creation with visible folds, creases, and geometric cuts — NOT a flat silhouette, but a three-dimensional paper-fold figure. Think Japanese kirigami meets paper doll.

Above the Book (Floating Upward)

Four paper-craft objects rising from the pages of the open book, like the imagination inside the book is coming to life. All four should be in the same origami/paper-fold style as the human figure. They should be staggered at different heights, drifting upward:

1. A paper castle — medieval towers, battlements, all made of folded paper

2. A paper pirate ship — sails, hull, rigging, all in paper folds

3. A paper dragon — wings outstretched, tail curled, made of geometric paper folds

4. A paper spaceship — a sleek hybrid design combining swept-back fighter wings with elongated engine nacelles and a central fuselage. Should evoke "fast starfighter meets deep-space explorer" — distinctly original, not any recognizable franchise ship. All in paper-fold style.

Style Guide

• Medium: Digital illustration, painterly but clean
• Color palette: Warm ambers, golds, deep browns, cream/parchment tones. The paper figures can be lighter — cream/white with warm shadows from the candlelight
• Mood: Intimate, inviting, magical, scholarly. The feeling of sitting down to read by candlelight and discovering that the stories are alive
• Paper-fold aesthetic: The origami/kirigami elements should look handcrafted — visible fold lines, geometric facets, paper texture. NOT flat cartoon cutouts. Think 3D paper sculpture rendered in illustration form
• Composition: Slightly angled top-down view (like you're standing over the desk looking down at the book). The book is the center, the candle anchors the right side, the figure anchors the left, the paper objects draw the eye upward

Text

• "The Binding" — on the book cover in elegant, legible gold script
• "Enter the books you love." — can appear as a small tagline below the scene or integrated subtly

Technical Requirements

• Final deliverable: High-resolution PNG (300 DPI minimum, 4000x2250px or larger for 16:9)
• Will be used for: Website hero image, social media, app splash screen, potential print materials
• Need both a wide (16:9) and square (1:1) crop if possible

Reference Mood

• Warm candlelit Rembrandt-style lighting
• Paper craft art by artists like Jeff Nishinaka or Li Hongbo
• Fantasy RPG key art (D&D sourcebook covers, critical role artwork)
• Vintage book illustration (Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac)

What NOT To Do

• No photorealistic 3D renders — this should feel illustrated
• No modern elements in the desk scene (no laptops, phones, etc.)
• No people besides the origami paper figure
• The spaceship should NOT look like any specific copyrighted ship
• Don't make the origami elements look flat — they should have dimension and fold depth
• Don't make "The Binding" text illegible or overly ornate

Budget Context

This is for a startup game platform. Looking for quality concept art / illustration work. Happy to pay fair rates for good work. Expected range: $100-300 depending on artist experience and revision rounds.

14. Adventure Catalog

Available Adventures with Character Level Estimates

Last Updated: July 17, 2026

Status: Catalog — Content Pending Integration

How to Use

Each adventure has a Level Range that indicates what character levels it's designed for.

Players will see this in the adventure selection dropdown so they can pick content appropriate for their character.

• Fixed: Adventure is designed for a specific level (e.g. "Level 4")
• Range: Adventure spans multiple levels (e.g. "Levels 1–5")
• All Levels: Adventure scales to any character level

Adventure List

Official / WotC Adventures

Third-Party / Homebrew Adventures

Status Legend

• 📋 Manifest Ready — Full scene graph/manifest written, ready for engine integration
• 🔧 In Progress — Currently being built into the engine
• ✅ Integrated — Playable in The Binding
• ⚪ Pending — Cataloged, not yet started

Integration Priority

Notes

• All adventures need to be converted to The Binding's scene graph format before they're playable
• Level ranges are based on the original adventure design; The Binding's rubber-band difficulty scaling may allow wider ranges
• The dropdown in the UI should show: "Adventure Name (Levels X–Y)" or "Adventure Name (Level X)"
• Adventures marked as "Free" have publicly available PDFs/content that can be downloaded and converted

15. Lost Mine of Phandelver — Scene Manifest

Scene Graph Reference for The Binding Engine

1. OVERVIEW

• Levels: 1–5
• Structure: 4 Acts (chapters) + 1 town hub + wilderness sandbox
• Theme: Rescue, mystery, faction conflict, and the discovery of a lost magical forge
• Setting: Sword Coast — town of Phandalin, surrounding wilderness, Wave Echo Cave
• Primary Antagonist: The Black Spider (Nezznar), a drow wizard seeking the Forge of Spells
• Core Loop: Linear intro → sandbox exploration → dungeon climax

2. CHAPTER / ACT STRUCTURE

ACT I: Goblin Arrows (Level 1)

Type: Linear dungeon crawl / tutorial

Goal: Rescue Sildar Hallwinter and Gundren Rockseyer from goblin captivity

Key Items Found: Gundren's map to Wave Echo Cave, Sildar's equipment, Klarg's stash

Quest Trigger: Sildar asks party to find Gundren at Cragmaw Castle; mentions he was heading to Phandalin

Level Up: Characters reach Level 2 after this act

ACT II: Phandalin (Level 2) — The Sandbox Hub

Type: Town hub / social / quest-gathering

Goal: Explore Phandalin, learn about the region's problems, gather quests

Quests GATHERED in Phandalin (all feed into Act III and beyond):

ACT II-B: Redbrand Hideout (Level 2–3)

Type: Dungeon crawl

Goal: Defeat the Redbrand ruffians and their leader Glasstaff (Iarno Albrek)

Key Items: Staff of Defense, Black Spider's letters (reveals Nezznar's involvement), Tresendar Manor map

Critical Intel: Letters reveal the Black Spider is looking for Wave Echo Cave and has agents in the region

Level Up: Characters reach Level 3 after clearing the hideout

ACT III: The Wilderness Sandbox (Level 3–4)

Type: Open-world exploration — multiple locations, player-driven order

Goal: Find Cragmaw Castle (to rescue Gundren) and/or find Wave Echo Cave

The party has multiple leads pointing to different wilderness locations. They can tackle these in any order.

#### Location A: Triboar Trail Encounters

Random and scripted wilderness encounters while traveling. Bandits, orcs, owlbears, etc.

#### Location B: Old Owl Road / Conyberry — Agatha's Lair

#### Location C: Thundertree (Dragon Cult / Druid)

Quest Resolution: Reidoth tells the party exactly where Cragmaw Castle is.

#### Location D: Wyvern Tor (Orc Quest)

#### Location E: Cragmaw Castle (CRITICAL PATH)

Critical Resolution: Rescue Gundren Rockseyer alive. Recover the map to Wave Echo Cave.

Level Up: Characters reach Level 4 after Cragmaw Castle

ACT IV: Wave Echo Cave (Level 4–5)

Type: Mega-dungeon crawl — the climax

Goal: Find the Forge of Spells, defeat the Black Spider, and claim (or destroy) the Forge

Key Items: Forge of Spells (can enchant weapons/armor permanently), Wave Echo Cave treasure hoard (7,000+ gp in gems and art objects)

Resolution: Defeat the Black Spider. The Forge of Spells can be claimed, sealed, or destroyed — major narrative branch.

3. LEVEL PROGRESSION

4. KEY NPCs — COMPLETE ROSTER

Allies & Quest Givers

Antagonists

Faction Representatives

5. MAIN QUEST LINE & SIDE QUESTS

Main Quest Line (Critical Path)

`

START → Ambush on Triboar Trail

→ Cragmaw Hideout (rescue Sildar, learn Gundren taken to Cragmaw Castle)

→ Travel to Phandalin (gather information and quests)

→ Redbrand Hideout (defeat Glasstaff, learn about Black Spider)

→ Find Cragmaw Castle (via Reidoth in Thundertree, or other leads)

→ Cragmaw Castle (rescue Gundren, recover map)

→ Wave Echo Cave (defeat Black Spider, claim Forge of Spells)

→ END

`

Side Quests

Faction Quests (Long-term hooks for post-module play)

• Lords' Alliance: Sildar may recruit capable PCs for future missions
• Zhentarim: Halia offers membership if Glasstaff is captured alive
• Harpers: Sister Garaele may invite PCs who complete her quest
• Order of the Gauntlet: Potential hook via the orc quest resolution

6. SCENE GRAPH CONNECTIONS (for engine implementation)

Entry Points (how players reach each scene)

`

1.0 (Ambush) → 1.1 (Cave Mouth) [follow goblin tracks]

1.1 → 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 [branching paths in cave]

1.2/1.3/1.4 → 1.5 (Klarg) [converge on boss]

1.5/1.3 → 1.6 (Prisoner) [find Sildar]

1.6 → 2.0 (Phandalin) [travel to town]

2.0 → 2.1-2.9 [explore town freely]

2.7 (Sleeping Giant fight) → 2.8/2.9 [Redbrand hideout hook]

2.9 → 2.10-2.17 [dungeon crawl]

2.0 → 3.0-3.7 [wilderness locations, any order]

3.4 (Reidoth) → 3.8 (Cragmaw Castle) [critical path]

3.8-3.14 → 4.0 [Wave Echo Cave]

4.0 → 4.1-4.9 [linear dungeon with branches]

4.9 (Black Spider) → FINALE

`

Branching Decision Points

1. Cragmaw Hideout: Kill Klarg or negotiate? → affects later reputation

2. Redbrand Hideout: Kill or capture Glasstaff? → affects Zhentarim quest

3. Thundertree: Fight or negotiate with Venomfang? → massive risk/reward

4. Agatha: What question to ask? → affects information gathered

5. Forge of Spells: Claim, seal, or destroy? → major narrative branch

6. Nezznar: Kill or capture? → affects faction outcomes

7. ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTY REFERENCE

Generated for The Binding Engine scene graph implementation.

Adventure: Lost Mine of Phandelver (Wizards of the Coast, 2014)

16. Campaign Mode Plan

Drafted: July 17, 2026

Status: SPEC — Not Started

Executive Summary

Campaign Mode is The Binding's Phase II: a full AI Dungeon Master that runs open-ended D&D 5e sessions for 1-6 players. Unlike Adventure Mode (curated book-based scenes), Campaign Mode is sandbox — the AI DM creates worlds, NPCs, quests, and combat encounters on the fly, responding to player actions in real time.

The Phase 1 architecture was designed for this from Day 1. The session model, message router, rule engine, and combat manager all accept multi-player inputs already. Campaign Mode is purely additive — no rewrites to existing code.

Architecture Overview

What Already Exists (Build On These)

What Needs to Be Built

Implementation Phases

Phase 2A: Campaign Foundation (Weeks 1-3)

Goal: A single player can start a campaign, the AI DM generates a world, and the player can explore and interact.

#### 2A.1 Campaign Session Manager (src/campaign/index.js)

`

CampaignSession extends Session:

- mode: 'campaign'

- world: WorldState (generated locations, NPCs, quests)

- party: PartyState (characters, positions, shared inventory)

- campaignLog: CampaignEvent[] (full history for context)

- dmContext: DMContext (current situation, active threads)

`

Key functions:

• createCampaign(options) — Initialize a new campaign session
• generateStartingWorld(theme, level) — Create the initial world state
• processCampaignAction(session, playerId, action) — Handle player actions in campaign mode
• advanceWorldState(session, action, result) — Update world based on what happened

#### 2A.2 World Builder (src/campaign/world-builder.js)

Generates a sandbox world from a theme seed:

`javascript

WorldState = {

locations: {

'loc_tavern': {

id: 'loc_tavern',

name: 'The Rusty Flagon',

type: 'settlement',

description: 'A weathered tavern at the crossroads...',

npcs: ['npc_innkeeper', 'npc_mysterious_stranger'],

connections: ['loc_forest', 'loc_castle_ruins'],

discovered: true,

events: [] // things that happened here

}

},

npcs: {

'npc_innkeeper': {

id: 'npc_innkeeper',

name: 'Elara Thornwick',

race: 'Human',

role: 'innkeeper',

personality: ['warm', 'gossipy', 'secretly afraid'],

attitude: 0.5, // -1 to 1, affects info sharing

knownInfo: ['rumors_about_castle', 'local_politics'],

secrets: ['saw_the_creature_last_night'],

dialogueHistory: []

}

},

quests: { active: [], completed: [], available: [] },

globalFlags: {},

timeOfDay: 'evening',

dayCount: 1,

currentLocation: 'loc_tavern'

}

`

Themes (preset starting points):

• gothic_horror — Dark villages, haunted forests, vampire lords
• sword_coast — Classic D&D frontier, dungeons, dragons
• noir_mystery — Urban intrigue, thieves guilds, political corruption
• wilderness_expedition — Exploration, ruins, ancient civilizations
• custom — Player describes a setting, AI generates from description

#### 2A.3 Campaign DM Prompts (src/campaign/campaign-prompts.js)

The core difference from Adventure Mode: the DM has no pre-written scenes. It must:

1. Describe the world — Rich sensory descriptions of locations and NPCs

2. React to player actions — Resolve open-ended actions with consequences

3. Drive narrative — Create tension, stakes, and story arcs organically

4. Manage NPCs — Distinct personalities, memory of past interactions

5. Track consequences — Actions have lasting effects on the world

System prompt structure:

`

You are the Dungeon Master for a D&D 5e campaign.

WORLD STATE:

{serialized world state}

ACTIVE QUESTS:

{quest list with status}

PARTY STATUS:

{character sheets for all players}

CURRENT SITUATION:

{what's happening right now, recent events}

YOUR ROLE:

• Describe environments vividly (sights, sounds, smells)
• Roleplay NPCs with distinct voices and personalities
• Call for dice rolls when actions have uncertain outcomes
• Track consequences — actions matter
• Create tension and stakes organically
• Never speak for the players or describe their actions

RESPONSE FORMAT:

[Your narration here]

[DICE_ROLL: ability_check, DC 15, Wisdom (Perception)]

—or—

[SUGGESTED_ACTIONS: action1, action2, action3, action4]

`

#### 2A.4 Campaign API Routes (src/api/campaign-routes.js)

`

POST /api/campaigns — Create new campaign

GET /api/campaigns/:id — Get campaign state

POST /api/campaigns/:id/actions — Submit player action

GET /api/campaigns/:id/events — SSE stream for campaign events

POST /api/campaigns/:id/join — Join existing campaign (Phase 2B)

GET /api/campaigns/:id/character — Get character sheet

POST /api/campaigns/:id/character — Create/update character

GET /api/campaigns/:id/map — Get discovered locations (theater of mind)

POST /api/campaigns/:id/save — Save campaign state

GET /api/campaigns — List active campaigns

`

Phase 2B: Multiplayer (Weeks 4-6)

Goal: 1-6 players can join a campaign, with host/spectator roles and turn management.

#### 2B.1 Session Lobby System

The session model already has SessionState.LOBBY. Build out:

• Lobby UI — Host creates campaign, gets share code (like adventure mode rejoin codes)
• Player join flow — Enter code → create character → join lobby
• Ready check — All players must ready up before campaign starts
• Role assignment — First player is host, others are players (spectators join separately)

#### 2B.2 Turn Manager (src/campaign/turn-manager.js)

`

TurnManager:

- turnOrder: Player[] (determined by initiative or narrative)

- currentPlayer: Player (whose turn it is)

- turnPhase: 'action' | 'bonus_action' | 'movement' | 'reaction' | 'free'

- turnTimer: optional (for pacing)

- calculateTurnOrder(characters) — Initiative-based or narrative-based

- advanceTurn() — Move to next player

- isPlayerTurn(playerId) — Check if it's this player's turn

- forceAdvance() — Skip AFK player after timeout

`

Turn modes:

• Initiative-based (combat) — Dexterity order, strict turns
• Narrative-based (exploration/social) — Free-form, DM calls on players
• Hybrid — Narrative in safe areas, initiative in combat (auto-switches)

#### 2B.3 DM Whisper System

The message router already supports whisper type. Build out:

• DM → Player whisper — Private information (perception checks, secret knowledge, NPC secrets)
• Player → Player whisper — Side conversations (limited to adjacent players in-game)
• DM → Party — Broadcast narration (default)
• Implementation — DmMessage.targets[] controls who sees what

#### 2B.4 Per-Player State Isolation

• Shared state — Current location, visible NPCs, environment, active combat
• Private state — Individual perception results, personal quest hooks, secret items, private NPC relationships
• Implementation — Session worldState splits into shared and private[playerId]

Phase 2C: Combat & Progression (Weeks 7-9)

Goal: Full D&D 5e combat with initiative, spell slots, abilities, and loot.

#### 2C.1 Monster Manual (src/campaign/monster-manual.js)

SRD creatures as stat blocks:

`javascript

MONSTERS = {

goblin: {

name: 'Goblin', cr: 0.25, type: 'humanoid',

ac: 15, hp: 7, speed: '30ft',

str: 8, dex: 14, con: 10, int: 10, wis: 8, cha: 8,

skills: ['Stealth +6'],

traits: ['Nimble Escape'],

actions: ['Scimitar +4 (1d6+2)', 'Shortbow +4 (1d6+2)'],

xp: 50

},

// ... 50+ SRD monsters

}

`

#### 2C.2 Encounter Builder (src/campaign/encounter-builder.js)

• CR-based balancing — Match encounter difficulty to party level/size
• Dynamic encounters — AI DM can create encounters on the fly based on narrative
• Template library — Pre-built encounter templates (ambush, dungeon room, boss fight)
• Integration with Dynamic Difficulty — Rubber-band scaling applies to campaign combat

#### 2C.3 Loot Engine (src/campaign/loot-engine.js)

• Treasure tables — SRD treasure hoards by CR
• Magic items — Common through Legendary, with attunement rules
• Gold/XP distribution — Split among party members
• Shop system — Towns have inventories, prices vary by region

#### 2C.4 Leveling System

• XP tracking — Per-character, shared from combat + quest completion
• Milestone leveling — Optional mode (DM awards levels at story beats)
• Level-up flow — New HP, class features, spell slots, ability score improvements
• Multi-class support — Rule engine already handles this in SRD classes

Phase 2D: Polish & Advanced Features (Weeks 10-12)

#### 2D.1 Session Persistence (src/campaign/session-persistence.js)

• Auto-save — Every N turns or on significant events
• Manual save — Player can save at any time
• Resume flow — Load campaign state, reconnect players
• Campaign journal — Auto-generated recap of key events for returning players

#### 2D.2 Advanced DM Features

• NPC relationship system — Attitude tracking, reputation, faction standings
• Weather/time system — Day/night cycles, weather affects gameplay
• Random encounter tables — Region-based encounter probability
• Dungeon generator — Procedural dungeon rooms with traps, treasures, monsters
• Puzzle system — DM can present logic puzzles, riddles

#### 2D.3 Campaign UI

• Party dashboard — All character sheets visible, HP bars, conditions
• Location map — Theater of mind with text-based "map" of discovered locations
• Quest log — Active/completed quests with objectives
• NPC codex — Discovered NPCs with notes
• Combat tracker — Initiative order, turn indicator, HP/conditions

Technical Design Decisions

1. World State as JSON (Not Database)

Campaign state serializes to JSON, stored in data/campaigns/{id}.json. Same pattern as adventure sessions. Reasons:

• Consistent with existing architecture
• Easy to save/load/share
• No database dependency for beta
• Can migrate to DB later if needed

2. LLM Context Window Management

Campaign Mode generates much more context than Adventure Mode. Strategy:

• Sliding window — Keep last N exchanges in full, summarize older context
• World state compression — Only send relevant location/NPC data, not entire world
• Quest state injection — Always include active quest objectives
• Character sheets — Include on session start, refresh on level-up
• Token budget — ~8K tokens for system prompt + world state, ~4K for conversation history, ~2K for response

3. DM Response Parsing

The AI DM must output structured data alongside narration. Parse tags:

`

[DICE_ROOL: ability_check, DC 15, Wisdom (Perception)]

[COMBAT_START: goblin x4, difficulty: medium]

[NPC_ATTITUDE: npc_innkeeper, +0.1, "shared rumors"]

[QUEST_UPDATE: quest_find_sword, status: completed]

[LOCATION_DISCOVERED: loc_hidden_cave, "A narrow opening in the cliff face"]

[ITEM_GRANTED: potion_of_healing, to: player_1]

[EXPLORED: talk_to_innkeeper]

`

4. Multiplayer Message Routing

`

All messages → MessageRouter

├── narration → targets: [] (broadcast to all)

├── whisper → targets: [specific_player_id]

├── dice_result → targets: [roller_id] + broadcast summary

├── combat_update → targets: [] (all need to see)

├── system → targets: [] (player joined, etc.)

└── suggested_actions → targets: [current_player_id]

`

5. Coin/XP in Campaign Mode

• No fixed coin pool (adventures have theoretical max; campaigns are open-ended)
• Earn rates based on: encounter CR, quest difficulty, roleplay quality, exploration
• Session-length scaling — Longer sessions = more earning opportunities
• Tier thresholds adjusted for campaign length (campaigns run 10-50+ sessions)
• Per-player tracking — Each player earns independently

File Structure

`

src/campaign/

├── index.js — Campaign session manager (main entry)

├── world-builder.js — Procedural world generation

├── quest-engine.js — Quest creation/tracking/completion

├── encounter-builder.js — Combat encounter generation

├── monster-manual.js — SRD monster stat blocks

├── turn-manager.js — Turn order and initiative

├── loot-engine.js — Treasure/magic item generation

├── npc-engine.js — NPC personality/dialogue/memory

├── campaign-prompts.js — DM system prompts for campaigns

├── session-persistence.js — Save/resume functionality

├── dungeon-generator.js — Procedural dungeon rooms (Phase 2D)

└── themes/

├── gothic-horror.js — Gothic horror world template

├── sword-coast.js — Classic D&D frontier template

├── noir-mystery.js — Urban intrigue template

├── wilderness.js — Exploration template

└── index.js — Theme registry

src/api/

└── campaign-routes.js — Campaign API endpoints

data/

└── campaigns/ — Saved campaign state files

└── .gitkeep

public/

└── campaign.html — Campaign Mode frontend

`

Dependencies (No New Packages Required)

Everything Campaign Mode needs is already in the dependency tree:

• Fastify — API server ✅
• uuid — Session/campaign IDs ✅
• ws — WebSocket for multiplayer ✅
• fastify-sse-v2 — Real-time event streams ✅

The only external dependency is the LLM API (OpenAI or equivalent), which is already configured.

Testing Strategy

Unit Tests (`tests/campaign.test.js`)

• World builder generates valid locations with connections
• Quest engine creates/tracks/completes quests
• Encounter builder produces balanced encounters for party level
• Turn manager handles initiative ordering and turn advancement
• Monster manual stat blocks are valid D&D 5e format
• Loot engine generates appropriate treasure by CR

Integration Tests

• Full campaign flow: create → join → explore → combat → quest → save → resume
• Multiplayer: 3 players take turns, whisper system isolates private info
• DM response parsing: extract dice rolls, quest updates, NPC attitude changes

E2E Smoke Test

• Create campaign session via API
• Generate world (gothic horror theme)
• Send 5 player actions, verify DM responses
• Start combat encounter, verify initiative and turn order
• Save and resume campaign
• Verify all message types route correctly to targets

Effort Estimate

Total: 8-12 weeks for full Campaign Mode.

Phase 2A alone (single-player campaign) is deliverable in 2-3 weeks and provides immediate value — a player can start a campaign, explore a generated world, fight monsters, and complete quests without multiplayer.

Risks & Mitigations

Next Steps

1. Review this plan — Lawman to approve/adjust scope and priorities

2. Start Phase 2A — Begin with campaign session manager + world builder

3. Write campaign DM prompts — The most critical piece — the DM's voice defines the experience

4. Build first theme — Gothic Horror (natural extension of existing Dracula content)

5. Single-player E2E test — One player, one campaign, full loop

This plan is a living document. Update as implementation progresses.

17. Monster Database (SRD 5.1)

Overview

The Binding includes a comprehensive monster database built from the D&D 5.1 Systems Reference Document (SRD), licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0). This database powers combat encounters in Campaign Mode and Digital Dungeon Master Mode.

• 334 creatures from CR 0 (Awakened Shrub) to CR 30 (Tarrasque)
• All 10 dragon families (Chromatic + Metallic) across 4 age categories (Wyrmling, Young, Adult, Ancient)
• Full stat blocks: abilities, AC, HP, attacks, traits, legendary actions, lair actions
• Encounter balancing using official DMG XP thresholds

Future: The Binding will create its own custom monsters beyond the SRD. Custom creatures will extend the same JSON schema and live in a separate file (`data/monsters/binding-custom.json`).

License & Attribution

Source: Systems Reference Document 5.1

License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0)

License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

API Source: https://www.dnd5eapi.co

*This work includes material from the Systems Reference Document 5.1, available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document, and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.*

Custom Binding monsters will be released under the project's own license.

Monster Stat Block Schema

Each monster in the database follows this JSON schema:

Challenge Rating & Encounter Building

CR to XP Table

Encounter Difficulty Thresholds (per character level)

Encounter Multipliers (DMG p.82)

Party size adjustment: Party of 1–2 → multiplier increases one step. Party of 6+ → multiplier decreases one step.

How The Binding Uses This

The encounter builder (MonsterManual.buildRandomEncounter()) automatically:

1. Selects monsters appropriate for the party's level and environment

2. Calculates raw XP from selected creatures

3. Applies the encounter multiplier

4. Compares against DMG thresholds to determine difficulty

5. Returns a balanced encounter tagged as trivial/easy/medium/hard/deadly

Monster Types

Environment Distribution

Monsters are tagged by their natural environments, which the encounter builder uses to generate thematic encounters:

• Arctic — Polar Bear, Ice Mephit, Remorhaz, Frost Giant
• Coastal — Giant Crab, Merfolk, Reef Shark, Harpy
• Desert — Camel, Jackal, Mummy, Lamia
• Forest — Wolf, Goblin, Treant, Dryad, Owlbear
• Grassland — Elk, Lion, Gnoll, Giant Eagle
• Hill — Orc, Bugbear, Hill Giant, Ogre
• Mountain — Eagle, Giant Goat, Stone Giant, Galeb Duhr
• Swamp — Crocodile, Shambling Mound, Green Hag, Yuan-ti
• Underdark — Mind Flayer, Roper, Hook Horror, Purple Worm
• Underwater — Kraken, Dragon Turtle, Aboleth, Giant Shark
• Urban — Commoner, Spy, Ghost, Doppelganger

Usage in The Binding

Campaign Mode

• The Digital DM uses the monster database to create encounters that fit the narrative
• Encounters are balanced to the party's level using DMG thresholds
• The DM selects monsters based on environment, theme, and story context
• Combat uses full 5e stat blocks — AC, HP, attacks, abilities, and special traits

Digital DM Mode

• Full access to all 334 SRD monsters
• Can create custom encounters with any combination of creatures
• Legendary monsters (dragons, liches) have legendary actions and lair actions
• The DM can scale encounters up or down by adding/removing creatures

Storyline Mode

• Adventures reference specific monsters by name in their scene definitions
• Stat blocks are pulled from this database during combat scenes
• Pre-built encounters in adventures use the same balancing system

Database Statistics

CR Distribution (Top 10)

Future: Custom Monsters

The Binding plans to extend beyond the SRD with original creatures:

• Binding-native monsters — Original designs that fit The Binding's unique settings
• Community contributions — Player-submitted monsters reviewed for balance
• Blockchain integration — Unique monster ownership concepts (future exploration)
• Adaptive encounters — Monsters that learn from player behavior

Custom monsters will use the same JSON schema as the SRD database, stored in a separate file (data/monsters/binding-custom.json). The Monster Manual module will automatically merge both databases.

Technical Reference

18. Phase 2 Progress Tracker

Progress Tracker

Started: July 17, 2026

Last Updated: July 18, 2026

Overall Status: IN PROGRESS

Phase 2A: Campaign Foundation — Detailed Tasks

Phase 2B: Multiplayer — Detailed Tasks

Phase 2C: Combat & Progression — Detailed Tasks

Phase 2D: Polish & Advanced — Detailed Tasks

Test Coverage Summary

Module Inventory

Campaign Modules (`src/campaign/`)

Voice Modules (`src/voice/`)

Blockers (Items Lawman Needs to Act On)

Decisions Made

Daily Log

July 18, 2026 — Day 2

• Built: 5 new modules (encounter-builder, turn-manager, loot-engine, npc-engine, session-persistence)
• Total new code: ~1,450 lines across 5 modules
• Tests: Wrote 124 new tests (phase2bcd.test.js), all passing
• Fixed: MonsterManual import in encounter-builder (uses getAll() API)
• Fixed: srd-monsters.json path (copied to expected location)
• Fixed: Campaign journal test assertion for markdown bold Day format
• Combined test suite: 180 tests (56 Phase 2A + 124 Phase 2B/2C/2D), all green
• Next: E2E integration test, lobby system, whisper system, UI work
• Resolved: B1 (LLM — Novita API key), B7 (E2E — passes with real LLM)
• Blocked on: B2 (theme approval), B3 (naming), B4 (DM scope)

July 17, 2026 — Day 1

• Started: Phase 2 kickoff
• Read: Campaign mode plan, session model, AI DM service, combat manager, monster manual, server.js
• Built: 6 new modules (campaign session manager, world builder, quest engine, DM prompts, API routes, digital DM scaffolding)
• Integrated: Campaign routes wired into main server.js
• Verified: All 6 modules load without errors
• Next: Write unit tests, then start E2E integration test
• Blocked on: B1-B6 (see blockers table above)