The Oracle Engine

Millions of missions.
No dungeon master required.

Wanderhold generates story structure from layered random tables. Roll a type, look up an objective, set a scene — every step adds specificity without a human in the loop.

World:
How it works

Six steps. One mission brief.

Each step narrows the possibility space. Roll a category, then look up a detail. By step six, you have a specific, playable opening premise.

01
Mission Type18 results

The session frame — what kind of story begins.

e.g.First Contact
02
Objective20 per type

A specific task within that type, keyed to your roll.

↳ keyedCompile linguistic database
03
Location Theme10 themes

The broad environment that sets the scene.

e.g.Alien
04
Location Detail20 per theme

A specific detail of that environment, keyed to the theme.

↳ keyedArchaeological artifact that could serve as a Rosetta stone for untranslatable language
05
Incident Verb18 results

An action or complication that opens the first scene.

e.g.Explore
06
Narrative Theme18 results

The underlying human story the session is really about.

e.g.Unknown life-form
18mission types
20objectives per type
10location themes
18incident verbs
18narrative themes
23,328,000+unique mission briefs
Design principles

Built different.

Tables, not scripts

Random tables generate possibility space, not predetermined plots. Every session starts from the same tables and never the same story.

Oracle, not arbiter

The oracle answers questions your character cannot answer alone. It creates pressure, surprise, and consequence — without a GM.

Keyed depth

Roll a theme, then look up a detail keyed to that theme. Broad to specific in two steps — the world fills in faster than a blank page.

Scales with worlds

Each world has its own tables, its own incident vocabulary, its own narrative themes. The engine is world-agnostic. The flavour is not.

Worked example

A real roll, step by step.

Every value below is a real entry from Stellar Odyssey’s tables. This is what a single oracle chain produces.

Mission TypeFirst Contact
↳ ObjectiveCompile linguistic database
Location ThemeAlien
↳ DetailArchaeological artifact that could serve as a Rosetta stone for untranslatable language
Incident VerbExplore
Narrative ThemeUnknown life-form
AI TitleThe Silence Between Stars
All worlds

Four settings. One engine.

The oracle tables are different in every world. The generation logic is identical.

WorldMission typesLocation themesIncidents
Stellar OdysseyAid and Relief, Conspiracy, Deep Space Exploration…Alien, Cataclysmic, Contaminated…Arrest, Build, Command…
The TerritoriesBank or Train Heist, Manhunt, Cattle Drive…The Trail, Settlements, Badlands…
Wind & PlunderTreasure Hunt, Naval Battle, Smuggling Run…Port Town, Open Sea, Island…Ambush, Betray, Capture…
Erebus StationEquipment Cascade Failure, Missing Team Member, Contaminated Supply Cache…The Station, Below, The Ice…