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Holonovel

World-model MCP server for tabletop RPG rooms, parsing, narrative play, and configurable rulesets.

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Install Holonovel

Pick your client, then add it in one click or paste the config.

STDIONode.js
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "holonovel": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "holonovel"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config, merge this into mcpServers, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

Install not yet sandbox-tested— we haven't run this command through our automated sandbox yet. Not a red flag; we're working through the catalog.

Overview

holonovel is an MCP server for running tabletop RPG campaigns as persistent, rules-aware worlds. It models rooms, parses player input, and provides narrative tools for play across a campaign Novel. Rulebooks can be converted into declarative ruleset packages and loaded as needed, with D&D 5e and Starfinder identified as example targets. Reach for holonovel when an agent needs spatial state, campaign memory, and server-side rule enforcement rather than a standalone chat experience.

Use cases

  • Run a persistent tabletop RPG campaign with an AI agent
  • Model rooms and spatial relationships during play
  • Parse player input into game actions
  • Load custom RPG rulesets as drop-in packages
  • Control campaign roles with Novel-scoped badges

Key features

  • Room and spatial world modeling
  • Player-input parsing
  • Narrative tools
  • Declarative ruleset packages
  • Lazy ruleset loading
  • Server-side badge enforcement

Security & health

What it can reach and how reliably it runs — from our own checks, not the maintainer’s claims.

ActiveLast checked Today

Recent health check succeeded.

8/8 checks healthy over the last 55d

Supply-chain signal

No high-severity advisories surfaced by our automated scan.

Critical 0High 0Medium 0Low 0

Scanned 5d ago via OSV.dev · holonovel (npm)

Adoption & maintenance

Factual signals from GitHub, npm, and our automated checks — not a rating.

npm downloads2kPackage downloads in the last 30 days.
Last commit1d agoMost recent push to the default branch.

How Holonovel works

What holonovel does

holonovel provides a world-model base for tabletop RPG play over MCP. Its campaign state is represented as a Novel: a saved game context that holds the ruleset scope, presentation choices, narrative directives, behavioral settings, player signals, autonomy, and badge configuration used during play.

The server is organized around five stages. Convert turns a rulebook into clean Markdown. Build packages that Markdown into a declarative ruleset. Holodeck supplies the simulation layer, including rooms, spatial relationships, narrative state, and the connections between them. Novel stores campaign-specific configuration. Synthesis supports game evolution through ruleset knowledge, external research, internal synthesis, and player-authored material.

How it works

A fresh installation includes a starter Novel, so play can begin without adding a rulebook. Additional rulesets are supplied as drop-in packages and loaded lazily rather than all at startup. The resulting campaign combines a ruleset with the Holodeck's spatial and narrative models.

Badges provide server-side control over how a Novel is used. Each Novel has one active badge, with settings for Player, Game Master, Observer, or Editor. Player, Game Master, and Observer remain in the story; Editor is outside it. These settings shape the allowed relationship between the participant and the campaign.

Synthesis separates several sources of evolving content: knowledge derived from the ruleset, research from outside the server, conclusions produced within the system, and material authored by players. This gives a campaign distinct places for rules knowledge and newly created content.

Setup and configuration

Run the server with Node.js 24 or newer. A new installation can use the included starter Novel without installing a separate rulebook. To add other game systems, install their drop-in ruleset packages; holonovel loads them when needed. Campaign and ruleset state is kept in the server's state directory.

The server is configured as an MCP service for an agent client. Its setup supports a path-based configuration, with the project documentation using a <path> placeholder for the server location.

Tools and capabilities

  • Model rooms and other spatial parts of a tabletop RPG world.
  • Parse player or Game Master input for use during play.
  • Support narrative operations within a campaign.
  • Convert rulebook material into clean Markdown for further processing.
  • Build declarative ruleset packages from Markdown.
  • Load rulesets lazily as campaigns need them.
  • Apply Novel-scoped badge settings and server-side enforcement.
  • Combine ruleset knowledge, research, synthesis, and player-authored content.

Limitations and notes

holonovel is designed as a tabletop RPG world model, not as a general-purpose rules database or ordinary chat integration. Ruleset support depends on packages built for its conversion and packaging workflow. Campaign behavior also depends on the Novel's configuration, including its badge, autonomy, narrative directives, and presentation settings.

The project describes D&D 5e and Starfinder as example rulesets that the specification can build. The included starter Novel supports getting started without a separate rulebook, while other rulesets require their corresponding packages.

Read the full README View source on GitHub

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Frequently Asked Questions about Holonovel

holonovel is an MCP server that connects AI-assisted tabletop RPG play with rulebooks and a persistent world model. Its main tools cover rooms, parsing, and narrative operations, allowing an agent to work with spatial state, interpret player input, and produce or manage story content.

Install it in an environment running Node.js 24 or newer, then configure it as an MCP service using the server path. A fresh installation includes a starter Novel, so you can begin playing without installing an additional rulebook.

Yes, a fresh installation includes a starter Novel that can be played without a separate rulebook. Other game systems can be added through drop-in ruleset packages that are loaded when needed.

Add a compatible drop-in ruleset package. holonovel's workflow converts rulebook content into clean Markdown, builds a declarative ruleset package from that material, and loads the package lazily for campaign use.

Novel-scoped badges control those roles and are enforced server-side. Each Novel has one active badge, with settings for Player, Game Master, Observer, or Editor; the first three are in the story, while Editor is outside it.

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