Concepts
This page gives you an introduction to the most important concepts used in Alkemion Studio.
Modules
A Module in Alkemion Studio can be anything from an entire adventure or campaign to the complete lore of an epic fantasy city, or even just the backstory of a player character. It's the foundation of your project, helping you organize and link all the different elements together.
The essence of a Module is its composition of interconnected Nodes. Each Node represents a specific piece of content that the application allows you to map out and visually connect.
Nodes
A Node represents any interactive element within a Module that players can engage with during a tabletop role-playing game. Types of Nodes include Locations, Entities, Plot Items, Clues, Events, Challenges, Resolutions, and Plot Hooks. Each Node serves a specific purpose, contributing to the overall structure and flow of the adventure by providing information, challenges, or narrative progression.
Nodes are designed to be flexible and interconnected, encouraging non-linear exploration based on player choices and dynamic storytelling.
Templates
Templates are pre-constructed elements that you can integrate into your Modules. They serve as foundational blocks, and can provide a starting point for adventure creation. Templates can be complete Modules or specific constructs, like a village setup with associated entities and locations.
You can access a diverse library of Templates created by Alkemion and the wider community. Or you can create your own.
Random Tables
The application includes a wide range of Random Tables covering various topics. Each Random Table is composed of a collection of themed entries. Any Node within your module can be linked to a Random Table, transforming it into a Random Node, capable of dynamically changing based on random outcomes.
You can create your own Random Tables using the provided editor, which allows to add as many items as desired. Each item can include a title, a description and an optional visual representation.
Furthermore, Random Tables are fully accessible within the application, enabling you to view every entry in a table. This feature serves as a rich source of ideas by allowing you to browse through the complete collection.
Widgets
Widgets are visual elements that enhance the aesthetics of your Board. Unlike Nodes, Widgets do not participate in the adventure mechanics; they are purely for visual aid and context. They serve as decorative or informational additions without impacting the functional structure of your adventure design.
Widgets can include image widgets, icon widgets, and text widgets. Additional types of Widgets will be introduced in future updates.
Anchors
An Anchor serves as a connection point to another Module. This functionality is important if you aim to develop extensive campaigns or complex story arcs that span multiple Modules.
Anchors can be represented by multiple Tokens on the Board. Interacting with an Anchor’s Token will simply open the connected Module.
In future updates, Anchors will expand to link to predefined views within the same Module or to other assets.
Tokens
Tokens are visual representations of elements on the Board in Alkemion Studio. They serve as the graphical instances that you interact with during the creation and organization of your Modules. Each Token corresponds to a Node or other components such as Widgets and Anchors on the Board. Most elements can be represented by multiple Tokens to illustrate different instances or states. Group Nodes and Widgets are the only elements currently limited to a single Token each.
Tokens allow customization to differentiate or highlight their represented Nodes visually. Customizable features may include background colors, size, featured image or icon, and other visual identifiers that enhance your ability to manage and navigate your Modules efficiently.
