modding additional books

[ohioguyo]

I've been writing some additional books (well, descriptions of books ;) for a simple mod aimed at adding some interesting variety people can encounter when replaying the game if they'd like. I'm doing my best to try to mesh some new creative content with the really unique style and setting, but not sure I've grasped the right approach for adding content to the JSON files.

Looking at the JSON files in bh_data/StreamingAssets/bhcontent/core, I think I've generally understood the layout of elements/tomes.json , and I think the approach would be to create a file tomes2.json which can add content like the following:

"manifestationtype": "Book"},
{
	"ID":"t.travelsontherhine",
	"Label": "Travels on the Rhine",
	"Desc": "One of the very first mass-market travel guides popularized by Karl Baedeker Verlag, translated to the English by a certain Scheherezade Glossop, later to become a prominent author of unconventional travelogues in her own right.",
	"aspects":{"mystery.rose": 6,
	"cost.tally":2,
	"codex":1
	},
	"xexts":{
	"reading.rose.intro":"Mrs Glossop appears to have taken liberties with the translation, inserting specific recommendations on visiting a selection of obscure local statuary and pre-Christian ruins, and explaining how a detailed horoscope can be used to plan one's itinerary. \n\n 'Whilst in Bavaria it is well worth a visit to the Bamberg Horseman, created by an unknown sculptor in the first half of the 13th century. Fascinatingly, the figure it is meant to depict has been the source of debate for nearly 200 years. Beneath the horse, a mysterious pagan decoration or foliate head known as <i>der Grüner Mann</i> is visible.'",
	"reading.rose":"'The best view is obtained by walking counter-clockwise three times around its base. The traveler should take especial care not to bathe the feet of the statue in mare's blood, particularly not at midnight on the vernal or autumnal equinoctes. \n\n Turning to local sausages, the very best <i>Blutwurst</i> can be found in the charming hamlet of...'"
	},
	"xtriggers":{"mastering.rose":[ 
	{"id":"x.stonestories","morpheffect":"spawn",
	"level":1}],
	"reading.rose":[{"id":"mem.impulse","morpheffect":"spawn", "level":1}]},
	"inherits" : "_book", "unique":true,"audio":"Book",
}

Referring to the Cultist Simulator modding guide[cultistsimulator.fandom.com] and the BoH file decks/catalogue_decks.json , if I understand right the next step would be to add lines extending a deck with new books so they can appear in game:

{
    "id": "d.books.curia",
    "extends": ["d.books.curia"],
    "spec$extend": {"t.travelsontherhine"}
}

However, I'm pretty new to JSON so may not have understood this correctly. Also, I couldn't quite figure out how to go about adding images for new content like this (or perhaps let new books inherit a generic image). It also seems you'd need to test new content using a console command to make it appear in game, since individual books otherwise appear so rarely.

Let me know if anyone has a better understanding of modding content like this in JSON - or maybe the answer is to hold off for a future version that'll specifically address modding content with Steam Workshop.