Cultist Sim Quest

Cultist Sim Quest

Idea for a Quest using Cultist Simulator as the inspiration. Bungling through the mechanics and aspects of the game and applying it to quest format, seeing what works and what doesn't.

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First up, pick your Legacy. Each one comes with a few starting cards.

Aspirant: Funds, Job, Shop, Early Lore
Bright Young Thing: Funds, Club, Book
Physician: Steady Job, Reason, Funds, Shop

After this you're given a free series of turns to set up and begin. A turn consists of taking an action, though that action may not resolve immediately. 3 Turns make a Season, after which you will be deducted 1 Funds and a random Seasonal Event will occur.

Work: Works your current job in exchange for Funds, locate a new Job, perform a Commission, or perform a Rite. You may also Paint with this, mixing Passion and Reputation.
Study: Can be used to upgrade one of your Abilities, improve on Lore, or decipher Books to produce Lore.
Dream: Can be used to enter the Mansus for Secret Histories or Influences, or be used to produce a Memory.
Explore: Explores the town for a Hireling or a Location by default. If using a Secret History, will reveal a location you can explore as an expedition.
Talk: Allows you to speak publicly about cult affairs to gain Patrons and Followers, speak to Followers to send them on business or invite them out, or hold congress with the cult to exalt or imprison Followers.

Abilities are used for some actions and become Exhausted after use. Timers are not continuous and everything expires at the start of the next season, after the Season Action has been revealed.

Jobs produce more Funds to ensure you only need to work once a season for low-paying jobs, and once every two seasons for high-paying jobs. Selling Tools or items on Auction can produce a ton of funds to help finance cult business.

Studying your Abilities produces 1 extra card for it, but you cannot study that Ability again until next Season. Each time you study an Ability, you must provide +1 card for it (1, 2, 3, 4). Glimmering, Erudition, and Vitality may be provided in place of an Ability card and are consumed. You can only study each up to 4 times, as per the main game. The final upgrade requires you provide a Lore with it.

Season of Silence: Nothing happens.
Season of Ambitions: A Rival, Mentor, or resentful Follower may act, or you may advance Ambition. Otherwise it produces Restlessness.
Season of Ardours: A Lover may invite you on a date. Otherwise it produces Contentment.
Season of Despair: Consumes Dread and may persist if fed. If fed enough, it causes death. If met with Contentment or no more Dead, it will fade and produce Fleeting Reminiscence.
Season of Sickness: Consumes Health or a Follower with an Injury. If neither are available, it causes death. Produces an Affliction from Health.
Season of Suspicion: Looks for Reputation or Hunter. If none found, produces Contentment. If found, may produce a Hunter. If Hunter found, they will search for Reputation and may produce or improve Evidence. If Evidence is damning enough, may bring you or a Follower to court and imprisonment.
Season of Visions: Consumes Fascination and may persist if fed. If fed enough, it causes death. If met with Fleeting Reminiscence or no more Fascination, it will fade and produce Fleeting Reminiscence.

Memories like Restlessness, Dread, Fascination, Contentment and Reminiscence exist until the start of the next season, so they may be consumed by the action that starts next season. Restlessness will fade to Dread and be considered part of the next Season's memories.

Influences also expire at the start of the next season. By upgrading your Hideout you may be able to Persist them or other Memories across multiple seasons. Influences may be produced via money at the HQ, or by using an influence, ingredient, or memory. Performing any work or producing an Influence will persist it across the next season (lasts this season and next). If left, it will degrade in level until it vanishes or produces a Memory.

Exploring the Mansus or going on Expeditions will produce Books, Tools, and Influence, which can used to perform Rites of magic. Unlike the source game, there are only four levels of Lore; 2, 6, 10, 15, like Influences. Combining Lore only requires two of the same level and an Ability card. Subverting Lore is much the same, and Influences work similar.

Performing Rites is similar to the game, with three elements required, however a specific spell is not needed. Depending on the Aspects provided in the Rite, various effects are always caused. Spirits may be summoned, your body and cards may be altered, or something in the world may change. Given enough Aspect, players may request a given action be performed. If a Rite has enough Aspect to control the Spirit, it will follow your commands, otherwise it will act of its own volition. Spirits will dissipate if they are provided no duty for a Season, otherwise they will persist to next season.

Exploring the Mansus works more like an Expedition, and can produce multiple Influences, Memories, and Secret Histories. You may take 1 Tool, 1 Influence, and 1 Spirit into the Mansus when you Dream. Depending on the Path, you will face challenges you can pass with Aspects, which provide greater rewards. Spirits can guide you towards desired rewards and assist. You may also meet Spirits while in the Mansus, and learn the requirements needed for successful rites.

A rite can be attempted so long as 1 of each of its needed Aspects is provided, but if under the required amount, it may go wrong. If a spell is unknown, the type of spell produced will be random, though lower-level spells are more likely.