✨ Buff

"All effects are buffs. Some are just shitty."

Target: Characters Only

Buffs only apply to characters, never rooms directly.

If a room needs buffs (e.g., "haunted", "poisoned air"), create a "room spirit" character:

room/dark-cave → character/dark-cave-spirit
Buff the spirit, not the room
Keeps buff system simple: one target type, one closure signature

MOOLLM K-Lines

K-Line	Why Related
simulation/	Buffs live in simulation state
time/	Duration measured in simulation turns
needs/	Buffs affect need decay
character/	Buffs stored in character state
cat/	Cats can grant charm buffs
dog/	Dogs grant loyalty buffs
persona/	Personas grant buffs
yaml-jazz/	Semantic buffs (LLM interprets)
examples/adventure-4/	Grue-repellent in action

Full Spec: SKILL.md

Overview

Temporary effects system. Buffs modify stats, abilities, or behavior. Curses are just negative buffs — no separate system needed.

Quick Example

buff:
  name: "Caffeinated"
  source: "Espresso"
  effect: { energy: +2, focus: +1 }
  duration: 5  # simulation turns

Key Concepts

Concept	Description
Numeric	`{ energy: +2 }`
Semantic	"feeling lucky" (LLM interprets)
Mixed	Both stat mods and vibes
Duration	Turns, natural language, or conditional
Stacking	Same source refreshes, different sources add
Synergies	Some buffs combine into stronger effects

Lifecycle Hooks

Buffs have three lifecycle hooks, written as natural language prompts and compiled to JS:

Hook	Compiles To	When It Runs
`start`	`start_js`	Buff activates on character
`simulate`	`simulate_js`	Each simulation tick
`is_finished`	`is_finished_js`	Returns `true` → buff ends

buff:
  name: "Poison"
  start: "Character turns green, loses 1 HP immediately"
  simulate: "Lose 1 HP per tick, emit groaning sound"
  is_finished: "Character HP below 10 OR 5 ticks have passed"
  tags: [curse, damage-over-time]

Closure signature: (world, subject, verb, object) => { ... }

subject = the character with the buff
Body-only in YAML, engine wraps with signature

Standard Character Properties

Buffs modify these standard character stats:

Sims-Style Needs

Property	Range	Decay	Description
`hunger`	0-100	-1/hr	Need to eat
`energy`	0-100	-2/hr	Tiredness, need for sleep
`social`	0-100	-1/hr	Need for interaction
`hygiene`	0-100	-0.5/hr	Cleanliness
`bladder`	0-100	varies	Bathroom urgency
`fun`	0-100	-1/hr	Entertainment need
`comfort`	0-100	context	Physical comfort

Mind-Mirror Stats (Cognitive/Emotional)

Property	Range	Description
`focus`	0-100	Concentration, attention span
`mood`	-100 to +100	Emotional state (negative=sad, positive=happy)
`stress`	0-100	Anxiety level
`creativity`	0-100	Creative thinking capacity
`confidence`	0-100	Self-assurance
`patience`	0-100	Tolerance for delays/frustration
`curiosity`	0-100	Drive to explore/learn

Combat/Adventure Stats

Property	Range	Description
`hp`	0-max	Health points
`damage`	numeric	Attack power
`armor`	numeric	Damage reduction
`speed`	numeric	Movement/action rate
`luck`	-100 to +100	Chance modifier

Room Spirit Properties

When a room has a "spirit" character, buff its stats to affect the room:

Spirit Property	Affects	Example
`production_speed`	Work rate in room	Factory spirit +20% = faster crafting
`error_rate`	Mistake probability	Haunted spirit +30% = more accidents
`comfort_bonus`	Comfort granted to visitors	Cozy spirit +15 comfort
`mood_influence`	Mood effect on occupants	Creepy spirit -10 mood
`discovery_chance`	Finding hidden things	Mysterious spirit +25% secrets
`danger_level`	Hazard intensity	Cursed spirit = traps more deadly

# Example: Haunted Library Spirit
character:
  id: library-spirit
  name: "Spirit of the Old Library"
  location: room/old-library
  
  # Base stats (affected by buffs)
  production_speed: 100    # Books found per search
  error_rate: 5            # % chance of disturbing something
  mood_influence: -5       # Slightly creepy
  discovery_chance: 20     # Good for finding secrets
  
  buffs:
    - id: poltergeist-activity
      effect: { error_rate: +15, mood_influence: -20 }
      simulate: "Occasionally knock books off shelves"

Sources

Source	Example
Interactions	Petting cat → joy
Consumables	Coffee → energy
Locations	Pub → comfort
Items	Lamp → grue immunity
Personas	Theme-specific buffs

Buff Library

Pre-made buffs ready to use! See buffs/INDEX.yml:

# Reference from any character
character:
  buffs:
    - ref: skills/buff/buffs/INDEX.yml#fire-resistance
    - ref: skills/buff/buffs/INDEX.yml#haste
    - ref: skills/buff/buffs/INDEX.yml#grue-repellent

Categories in library:

Elemental resistances (fire, cold, lightning)
Movement (haste, water-walking, slow-fall)
Perception (darkvision, true-sight, detect-magic)
Stealth (invisibility, silence)
Combat (berserker-rage, stoneskin)
Adventure-4 specific (grue-repellent!)

Tools Required

file_read — Read buff definitions
file_write — Update buff state

Relationship to Mount

Layer	Purpose
Buff	Game mechanics — stats, durations, stacking, chains
Mount	Skill overlays — personality modification, room zones

Buffs are for numeric/semantic effects (energy +2, "feeling lucky"). Mounts are for skill attachment (NO-AI-JOKING™ on Pee-wee).

They can work together: a mounted skill might grant buffs, or a buff might reference a skill.

See: mount/ for skill mounting, NO-AI Brand for mounting philosophy.

See SKILL.md for complete specification. See buffs/INDEX.yml for the buff library.