Last part of this, promise. More writing mechanic ideas:
- Mentioning an NPC enough times to other NPCs makes them a celebrity.
- Alliterative actions.
- Writing a book as part of an in-game quest. NPCs who have read the book have their opinion of you influenced by how much of it they understood.
- Writing your name on the moon causes people to fear you.
- A mad spell-chemist in whose laboratory only words made up of elements can be used. e.g.
GO NORTH
fails butWALK N
(W for Tungsten, Al for Aluminium, K for Potassium) is ok. I think. I’m not a chemist.