---
name: theme-inspiration-reference
description: Standard layout for a cross-cutting theme / creative-influence reference document in a TTRPG campaign vault.
version: 1.0.0
---

# [Source Name] Inspirations in the [Campaign Name]

> A full catalog of how [Source] — primarily [specific work] — informs the campaign's mechanics, systems, story beats, and world feel.
> This is a reference file for the DM and for anyone who wants to lean harder into (or away from) the source material.

---

## Overview

The campaign was conceived with [Source] as a core touchstone. The file [explicit inspiration doc, e.g., `Black-Flag-Inspirations.md`] exists explicitly to pillage ideas from [source work], but the influence runs deeper than that single doc. [Core campaign concept, e.g., The Convergence] is structurally [source concept, e.g., the Animus] reframed as a cosmic event. The campaign wants the feeling of [source's emotional pitch, e.g., being a nobody who steals a ship, builds a legend, and accidentally becomes the center of a war they did not choose].

The influence breaks into four layers:
1. **Surface mechanics** — stolen directly from [source] gameplay
2. **System design** — how the campaign treats [core systems] under [source]'s model
3. **Narrative architecture** — how the story is framed and paced
4. **Thematic DNA** — memory, identity, and the cost of knowledge

---

## 1. Surface Mechanics (Directly from [Source])

### [Mechanic Name]
**Source:** [Description of the source mechanic.]

**In the campaign:**
- [Specific rule or system derived from the source]
- [File references with line numbers or section names]

**Files:** `[File.md]`, `[Other-File.md]`

---

## 2. System Design (How [Source] Shaped the Campaign's Bones)

### [System Concept]
[Source]'s [concept] was [description]. The campaign copies this exactly:
- [How it manifests in campaign rules]
- [File references]

---

## 3. Narrative Architecture (The Hidden [Source] Frame)

### [Source Concept] = [Campaign Concept]
This is the deepest and most intentional parallel.

| [Source] | Campaign |
|----------|----------|
| [Source element] | [Campaign equivalent] |
| [Source element] | [Campaign equivalent] |

### [Thematic Element]
- [How the theme manifests in the campaign]
- [File references]

---

## 4. Thematic DNA

### [Theme Name]
The campaign never quotes [source]'s tagline, but it lives in the same moral space:
- [How the theme manifests]
- [The ultimate question the campaign asks]

---

## 5. Quick Reference: Where to Find Each [Source] Element

| [Source] Concept | Campaign Equivalent | File(s) |
|------------------|---------------------|---------|
| [Source mechanic] | [Campaign rule] | `[File.md]` |

---

## 6. For the DM: How to Lean In (or Out)

**To lean IN:**
- [Specific techniques to amplify the source's feel]
- [Audio, visual, or narrative techniques]

**To lean OUT:**
- [How to de-emphasize the source while keeping the mechanics]
- [What to remove or reframe]

---

> *[Optional closing quote from the source or campaign]*