Urban investigation, heist & consequence design
The Silk Web
A masked auction. Four approaches. A debt that follows the party.
- My contribution
- Adventure design, scenario writing, worldbuilding and encounter direction.
- Project
- Tabletop RPG adventure · Level 5 · Prisma setting
The design goal
Connect an investigation to a heist with several supported approaches, then make the party’s method and alliances matter after the object is recovered.
Clues become access
A murder at Dock 17 leads through physical evidence, official records and a witness to the Pier 6B ambush. Gathering at least three major clues gives the party advantage on recognising Crimson Sun tactics in the ambush. The investigation prepares the heist instead of ending when the players identify a culprit.
Four ways to take the same prize
At the masked auction, the party can bid, distract and substitute, infiltrate the side vault, or accept Mirella’s one-round disruption of the wards. Checks, locations and consequences support each approach. Accepting help can create a Veil Debt that survives the encounter.
Track exposure and transfer leverage
Noise, Social Standing and Veil Debt track different kinds of risk. Bloodshed triggers a five-round Veil Lock. Delivering, copying, keeping or destroying the cipher changes patrons, enemies and later hooks; recovery alone does not settle the political outcome.
Work samples
Production context
Design, writing, editing and development are credited in the original manuscript to Kirill Sakhin and ChatGPT. The English development edition preserves the original scenario and mechanics; its Russian GM-name appendix has been translated. Original playtesting credits are retained. Illustrations use AI-assisted art direction.