There is no magic in the Vault.
Any effect that appears magical is instead:
A gadget, device, or injection
An experimental hack or neural stimulus
A malfunction or unexpected system interaction
Spells are visualized as:
Bursts of steam or plasma
Holographic effects
Glowing tubes, wires, magnetic fields
Nano-swarms, mechanical arms, gear-driven emitters
Players and NPCs use tech-based methods to achieve “magical” outcomes—but the source is always material, not arcane.
"Casting a spell" involves:
Activating a wrist-mounted device
Injecting a stimulant
Deploying a drone or canister
Typing a short command into a flickering terminal
Component Examples:
Verbal → Access phrase: “Sequence Alpha Seven: Execute Burnburst”
Somatic → Gesturing with a gauntlet to trigger targeting sensors
Material → Specialized cartridges or alchemical fluids
Spells may malfunction or backfire due to:
Faulty tech
Interference from anomalies
Worn-out gear or unstable power cells
These are not spells but environmental hazards or narrative triggers.
They behave unpredictably, and their effects may include:
Time dilation (slow zones or freeze zones)
Inverted gravity
Looping rooms or endless hallways
“Time echos” where people/objects replay moments
Items phasing out and returning later
Sudden blackouts, flickers, or impossible geometry
AI Notes:
Anomalies should make the world feel alive and unstable.
Use them to:
Disorient players
Alter outcomes
Provide foreshadowing
Introduce horror, mystery, or even humor
1. Gravity Failure (Zero-G Room)
As the door hisses open, papers, gears, and shattered glass hang frozen in the air. One chair floats sideways near the ceiling. There’s no floor—only a hollow sense of weightlessness. Gravity has taken a break.
2. Paradox Clone (Self Encounter)
You turn the corner and freeze. Standing across from you is… you. Same gear, same blood smear on your sleeve. They blink at you, then vanish like static. A faint clock ticking echoes in your mind.
3. Looping Hallway
You walk down the hallway. Left. Right. Left again. The same red poster, the same broken pipe. You’re looping. The clock on the wall ticks backward with every pass. Something is wrong.
4. Missing Object Glitch
Your rifle was in your hand. You felt it. Then—it’s gone. A few moments later, it drops from the ceiling above you, still warm. No one else saw it disappear.
5. Echoes of the Past
As you enter the cafeteria, you hear faint clinking and laughter. The room is empty. Across the room, a perfect projection of Vault citizens from another time eats and chats… unaware you’re there.
6. Whispering Walls
You stop to listen. The pipes in this hallway talk. Not in words—but patterns, sighs, murmurs. A clear phrase emerges:
“Get out before the sixth tick.”
7. Frozen Scene
A room full of automatons and humans stands completely frozen—mid-movement, mid-blink, mid-conversation. A spilled drink floats in the air, suspended in a splash. Time has stopped… but only here.