The Writer's Desk: work on your story!
| A player-created Guide is available for this content: Short Stories (Guide) |
| Spoiler warning! This page contains details about Fallen London Actions. |
Game Instructions: It can be hard to keep Potential high, especially if you write hastily – but you can rework it later.
Unlocked with 
Potential 1
Locked with 
Key Writing Desk Lodgings (hidden)
Storylet appears in 
Your Activities
Options:
Write.
- Spoiler Action Cost: 5
Challenge information
Broad,
Persuasive 10 || 7 - very chancy (42%) || 9 - chancy (54%) || 11 - modest (66%) || 12 - very modest (72%) || 14 - low-risk (84%) || 16 - straightforward (96%) || 17 - straightforward (100%)Success
Good progress!
Persuasive is increasing…
You've gained 5 x Manuscript Page
Rare Success
Good progress, but...
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 6 x Manuscript Page
You've lost 1 x Potential
Failure
Slow progress
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 1 x Manuscript Page
Write rapidly.
- Spoiler Action Cost: 4
Challenge information
Broad,
Persuasive 40 || 28 - very chancy (42%) || 34 - chancy (51%) || 41 - modest (61%) || 48 - very modest (72%) || 54 - low-risk (81%) || 61 - straightforward (91%) || 67 - straightforward (100%)Success
Good progress
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 5 x Manuscript Page
Alternative Success
Swift but uncertain
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 5 x Manuscript Page
- You've lost 1 x Potential
Failure
Slow progress
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 1 x Manuscript Page
Write frantically
- Spoiler Action Cost: 4
Unlocked with
Persuasive 40
Challenge information
Broad,
Persuasive 100 || 69 - very chancy (41%) || 85 - chancy (51%) || 102 - modest (61%) || 119 - very modest (71%) || 135 - low-risk (81%) || 152 - straightforward (91%) || 167 - straightforward (100%)Success
The Muse's favour?
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 6 x Manuscript Page
Alternative Success
A creeping uncertainty
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 6 x Manuscript Page
- You've lost 1 x Potential
Failure
Led astray
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 1 x Manuscript Page
- You've lost 2 x Potential
Write frenziedly
- Spoiler Action Cost: 3
Unlocked with Persuasive 50
Challenge information
Broad,
Persuasive 150 || 103 - very chancy (41%) || 128 - chancy (51%) || 153 - modest (61%) || 178 - very modest (71%) || 203 - low-risk (81%) || 228 - straightforward (91%) || 250 - straightforward (100%)Success
A river of words
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 6 x Manuscript Page
Alternative Success
A convulsion of words
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 6 x Manuscript Page
- You've lost 2 x Potential
Failure
Accidental plagiarism
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 1 x Manuscript Page
- You've lost 2 x Potential
Laudanum!
- Spoiler Action Cost: 3
Unlocked with
1 x F.F. Gebrandt's Superior Laudanum
Challenge information
A matter of luck: It could go either way (success chance: 50%)Success
A feverish brilliance?
- You've gained 10 x Potential (up to 100)
You've lost 1 x F.F. Gebrandt's Superior Laudanum
Wounds is increasing… (+1 CP)- You've gained 3 x Manuscript Page
Failure
Where is that sweet white sleep?
- You've lost 1 x F.F. Gebrandt's Superior Laudanum
- You've lost 10 x Potential
- Wounds is increasing… (+1 CP)
- You've gained 1 x Manuscript Page
Honey!
- Spoiler Action Cost: 3
Unlocked with
50 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey
Challenge information
A matter of luck: It could go either way (success chance: 60%)Success
Distant visions
You've lost 50 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey- You've gained 2 x Potential (up to 160)
- You've gained 2 x Manuscript Page
Failure
Leaping horrors
- You've lost 50 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey
- You've lost 2 x Potential
- You've gained 1 x Manuscript Page
Use your Ornate Typewriter
- Spoiler Action Cost: 4
Unlocked with
1 x Ornate Typewriter
Challenge information
Broad,
Persuasive 50 || 35 - very chancy (42%) || 43 - chancy (51%) || 51 - modest (61%) || 60 - very modest (72%) || 68 - low-risk (81%) || 76 - straightforward (91%) || 84 - straightforward (100%)Success
Respectable speed
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 5 x Manuscript Page
Failure
The mechanisms of Hell
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 1 x Manuscript Page
- You've lost 1 x Potential
Rework and Finish!
- Spoiler Action Cost: 0
Unlocked with
3 x Manuscript Page
Success
The next step
Redirects to: The Writer's Desk: rework!
^
Summary
| Option | AP | Success | Failure | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pages | potential | pages | potential | |||
| Write. | 5 | +5 | -1 occasionally | +1 | 10
| |
| Write rapidly. | 4 | +5 | -1 occasionally | +1 | 40
| |
| Write frantically | 4 | +6 | -1 occasionally | +1 | -2 | 100
|
| Write frenziedly | 3 | +6 | -2 occasionally | +1 | -2 | 150
|
| Use Typewriter | 4 | +5 | +1 | -1 | 50  Ornate Typewriter
| |
| Use Laudanum! (50% Luck) |
3 | +3 | +10 (up to 100) |
+1 | -10 |  Laudanum + 1 CP Wounds
|
| Use Honey! (60% Luck) |
3 | +2 | +2 (up to 160) |
+1 | -2 |  -50 x Honey
|
