PRD: Canon Tables

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1. Vision

• Multiplayer canon platform for IPs
• Communities co-create “official” timelines
• Feels like D&D + fandom + creator coin, not governance app

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2. Goals

• Let any creator spin up shared canon spaces (“tables”)
• Turn story progression into recurring social events (“sessions”)
• Give community skin-in-game over outcomes (canon coin, odds shaping)
• Make canon legible + queryable for downstream apps

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3. Core Concepts

• World / IP

  • High-level setting; can host many tables

• Canon Table

  • Story campaign / arc inside world
  • Has DM, actors, audience, rules, economy

• DM (Dungeon Master)

  • Curates arcs, proposes scenes, sets stakes/outcomes
  • Power constrained by table rules + “dice moments”

• Actors

  • Players bound to specific characters
  • Submit moves: choices, RP, creative contributions

• Audience

  • Watch, react, lightly influence via coin, perks, badges

• Canon Coin

  • Table-level social/utility token
  • Used for access, influence, rewards, status

• Canon Dice

  • Story-outcome mechanism
  • Key beats resolved via probabilistic roll, odds influenced by community

• Canon Event

  • “This happened” at this table
  • Becomes part of official timeline for that table

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4. Primary User Types

• Founding Creator

  • Starts world, defines tone + meta rules
  • Wants coherent but community-driven canon

• Table DMs

  • Storytellers seeking tools, audience, monetization

• Actors

  • Roleplayers wanting character agency + recognition

• Audience / Fans

  • Consumers wanting light influence, collectibles, social layer

• Builders

  • Game devs / AI tools consuming canon as data source

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5. Key Use Cases

• Run ongoing story campaigns with scheduled sessions
• Spin up short limited arcs with defined start/end
• Let fans submit proposed canon additions (chars, locations, factions)
• Host marquee canon moments (big reveals, wars, deaths) as events
• Enable alt-timeline tables that branch from main canon
• Provide monetized seats (premium actor roles, DM slots, patron tiers)
• Power canon-aware apps (games, bots, readers) using table timelines

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6. Core Mechanics (Product-Level)

• Session Loop

  • DM drafts scene: setup, stakes, candidate outcomes
  • Actors contribute moves bound to characters
  • Audience engages: reacts, uses coin for influence within limits
  • Canon Dice resolves key decision → Canon Event minted
  • Rewards / recognition distributed to DM, actors, key participants
  • Timeline advances; feeds next session

• Odds-Shaping Governance

  • Users influence probabilities, not always direct decisions
  • Preserves suspense, avoids bland majority-rule plots

• Table Rules

  • Define DM powers / constraints
  • Define which events require dice vs DM fiat vs community override
  • Define vibe constraints (e.g. no hard retcons, no tone breaks)
  • Define DM tenure / replacement process

• Reputation Layer

  • DM profiles: reliability, turnout, aesthetic
  • Actor profiles: iconic characters, consistency, audience love
  • Audience badges: early, heavy participant, event-specific honors

• Economy Layer

  • Access passes to tables / arcs
  • Patron tiers (behind-the-scenes, early info, votes, cosmetics)
  • Canon-linked collectibles tied to key Canon Events

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7. UX Principles

• Experience = mix of:

  • Live/tabletop feel
  • Fandom community
  • Clear canon timeline

• Surfaces:

  • Timeline view of Canon Events + arcs
  • Table lobby: DM, cast, rules, schedule, coin info
  • Session view: live interactions + outcome reveal
  • World view: network of tables, forks, status

• Priorities:

  • Low-friction for casuals
  • Power features for DMs/actors
  • Canon always legible: “what’s true, where, since when?”