/variables-and-mythos - Variable System & Mythos Patterns

Complete reference for Valkyrie's variable system and mythos phase configuration.

Variable Types

Quest Variables (no prefix)

User-defined variables for tracking game state. Any name without a special prefix.

code

operations: "cluesFound,+,1"
operations: "doorUnlocked,=,1"
vartests: "VarOperation:cluesFound,>=,3"

System Variables (`$` prefix)

Built-in variables that control game mechanics.

Variable	Effect
`$end`	Setting to 1 ends the scenario
`$fire`	Fire/damage system variable
`$mythosMinor`	Trigger minor mythos event
`$mythosMajor`	Trigger major mythos event
`$mythosDeadly`	Trigger deadly mythos event

Ending the scenario:

code

upsert_event("EventVictory", {
  buttons: "1",
  operations: "$end,=,1",
  event1: "EventVictoryText"
})

Read-Only Variables (`#` prefix)

System-provided values you can test but not set.

Variable	Value
`#round`	Current round number
`#heroes`	Number of investigators
`#heroName`	Name of current hero
`#heroAshcanPete`	1 if Ashcan Pete is in play, 0 otherwise
`#heroAgnesBaker`	1 if Agnes Baker is in play, etc.
`#randX`	Random integer 1 to X (e.g., `#rand6` for 1-6)

Content pack detection variables:

Variable	Expansion
`#BtT`	Beyond the Threshold
`#HJ`	Horrific Journeys
`#SM`	Sanctum of Madness
`#PoI`	Path of the Serpent
`#CotW`	Call of the Wild (fan)

Trigger Variables (`@` prefix)

Set by external game events (monster defeat, puzzle completion, etc.). Generally read-only in quest context.

Mythos Scaling

The mythos system creates escalating tension over time. Three tiers of mythos events fire based on round count.

Scaling Formula

code

deadlyRound = 20 - #heroes
majorRound  = deadlyRound / 2    (integer division)
minorRound  = 1                  (starts immediately or at a set round)

For 4 heroes: deadlyRound = 16, majorRound = 8, minorRound = 1.

Mythos Setup

Step 1 — Initialize in EventStart chain:

code

upsert_event("EventMythosInit", {
  display: "false",
  buttons: "1",
  operations: "deadlyRound,=,20 deadlyRound,-,#heroes majorRound,=,deadlyRound majorRound,/,2 mythosMinorStarted,=,0 mythosMajorStarted,=,0 mythosDeadlyStarted,=,0",
  event1: "EventSetupContinue"
})

Step 2 — StartRound-triggered events with vartests:

code

# Minor mythos — starts at round 1
upsert_event("EventMythosMinorCheck", {
  trigger: "StartRound",
  display: "false",
  buttons: "2",
  vartests: "VarOperation:#round,>=,1",
  event1: "EventMythosMinorSkip",
  event2: "EventMythosMinorFire"
})

upsert_event("EventMythosMinorFire", {
  display: "false",
  buttons: "0",
  operations: "$mythosMinor,=,1"
})

# Major mythos — starts at majorRound
upsert_event("EventMythosMajorCheck", {
  trigger: "StartRound",
  display: "false",
  buttons: "2",
  vartests: "VarOperation:#round,>=,majorRound",
  event1: "EventMythosMajorSkip",
  event2: "EventMythosMajorFire"
})

upsert_event("EventMythosMajorFire", {
  display: "false",
  buttons: "0",
  operations: "$mythosMajor,=,1"
})

# Deadly mythos — starts at deadlyRound
upsert_event("EventMythosDeadlyCheck", {
  trigger: "StartRound",
  display: "false",
  buttons: "2",
  vartests: "VarOperation:#round,>=,deadlyRound",
  event1: "EventMythosDeadlySkip",
  event2: "EventMythosDeadlyFire"
})

upsert_event("EventMythosDeadlyFire", {
  display: "false",
  buttons: "0",
  operations: "$mythosDeadly,=,1"
})

Important: Use >= not == for round checks. If a check is skipped for one round (e.g., due to conditions), >= will still catch it on the next round.

One-Shot Mythos Events

For events that should only fire once (e.g., a story beat at round 5):

code

upsert_event("EventRound5Story", {
  trigger: "StartRound",
  display: "false",
  buttons: "2",
  conditions: "round5Fired,==,0",
  vartests: "VarOperation:#round,>=,5",
  event1: "EventRound5Skip",
  event2: "EventRound5Fire"
})

upsert_event("EventRound5Fire", {
  buttons: "1",
  operations: "round5Fired,=,1",
  event1: "EventRound5Narrative"
})

The conditions check ensures the event is silently skipped after it has fired once.

Random Number Generation

Use #randX to generate a random integer from 1 to X. The value is assigned when the operation executes.

code

# Roll a d6 and store the result
upsert_event("EventRollDice", {
  display: "false",
  buttons: "1",
  operations: "diceResult,=,#rand6",
  event1: "EventCheckRoll"
})

# Branch on the result
upsert_event("EventCheckRoll", {
  display: "false",
  buttons: "2",
  vartests: "VarOperation:diceResult,>=,4",
  event1: "EventRollLow",     # 1-3
  event2: "EventRollHigh"     # 4-6
})

Hero Detection

Random Hero Selection

Use {rnd:hero} in localization text to insert a random hero's name. Use {c:EventName} to recall the same hero in subsequent events.

code

set_localization({
  "EventChosenOne.text": "{rnd:hero} feels a strange presence...",
  "EventChosenOneFollowup.text": "{c:EventChosenOne} hears the whisper again."
})

Testing Specific Heroes

Check if a specific investigator is in the game:

code

upsert_event("EventAshcanSpecial", {
  display: "false",
  buttons: "2",
  vartests: "VarOperation:#heroAshcanPete,>=,1",
  event1: "EventNoAshcan",
  event2: "EventAshcanPresent"
})

Scaling by Hero Count

code

# Give items based on party size
upsert_event("EventScaleItems", {
  display: "false",
  buttons: "2",
  vartests: "VarOperation:#heroes,>=,4",
  event1: "EventSmallPartyItems",    # 2-3 heroes
  event2: "EventLargePartyItems"     # 4-5 heroes
})

Content Pack Detection

Gate content on expansion ownership to avoid crashes:

code

upsert_event("EventBtTContent", {
  display: "false",
  buttons: "2",
  vartests: "VarOperation:#BtT,>=,1",
  event1: "EventBaseGameFallback",    # no expansion
  event2: "EventBtTExclusive"         # has Beyond the Threshold
})

This is essential when referencing monsters, tiles, or items from expansions. Always provide a base-game fallback.

Variable Operations Reference

Operators

Operator	Example	Effect
`=`	`var,=,5`	Set var to 5
`+`	`var,+,1`	Add 1 to var
`-`	`var,-,2`	Subtract 2 from var
`*`	`var,*,3`	Multiply var by 3
`/`	`var,/,2`	Integer divide var by 2

Comparators (for vartests)

Comparator	Meaning
`==`	Equal
`!=`	Not equal
`>`	Greater than
`<`	Less than
`>=`	Greater or equal
`<=`	Less or equal

Multiple Operations

Space-separate multiple operations — they execute left to right:

code

operations: "clues,+,1 totalClues,+,1 roundClues,=,0"

Logical Operators in vartests

code

# AND (default) — all must pass
vartests: "VarOperation:key1,>=,1 VarOperation:key2,>=,1 VarTestsLogicalOperator:AND"

# OR — any can pass
vartests: "VarOperation:key1,>=,1 VarOperation:key2,>=,1 VarTestsLogicalOperator:OR"

/variables-and-mythos - Variable System & Mythos Patterns

Variable Types

Quest Variables (no prefix)

System Variables ($ prefix)

Read-Only Variables (# prefix)

Trigger Variables (@ prefix)

Mythos Scaling

Scaling Formula

Mythos Setup

One-Shot Mythos Events

Random Number Generation

Hero Detection

Random Hero Selection

Testing Specific Heroes

Scaling by Hero Count

Content Pack Detection

Variable Operations Reference

Operators

Comparators (for vartests)

Multiple Operations

Logical Operators in vartests

System Variables (`$` prefix)

Read-Only Variables (`#` prefix)

Trigger Variables (`@` prefix)