Deck of Many Smaller Things [Archive] - Wizards Community

Deck of Many Smaller Things [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Thantrax
08-04-05, 05:02 AM Recently, the D&D game that I was a part of suffered a near-fatal blow. Our DM decided that the Empire we were working for was going to reward our characters by allowing them all the option of drawing from a Deck of Many Things. Since this is a Might Empire, they had these laying around for all 5 of us to draw. The results of the deck were enough that 2 rescue misisons were going to have to be launched for a lost soul and an imprisoned comrade, but three party members jumped from level 9 to level 12 and 13. Leaving behind two players at level 9. The DM put on the kiddie gloves and made it so the players were easily able to recover from imprisonment and soul capture so we could get on with the game. But it raised a problem...

A deck of many things, though fun, makes or breaks a character on the spot.

What we need is a Deck of Many Things where the consequences aren't as powerful. 50 000 XP was way too much to get from a card draw, and though the Dread Wraiths were dangerous, the XP from them was massive. Losing all wealth and magic items can virtually destroy a character in some games. And wishes?

Does anyone have any alternate decks of many things they'd like to share?
Nani?
08-04-05, 09:36 AM I will tell you the story of my smaller deck of many things.

Based off a tarot deck, only the Major Arcana had effects.

One of my characters tried to steal part of a deck, 16 cards. On totally random rolls 11 of the 16 (roughly1 in 4 statically but really warped rolling this time) were Major Arcana. By the time he was done, he was a she of a different race, both smarter and less wise then she had been before. Her alignment had changed and "he" was in love with the female body he had taken over (part of the effects of the justice card, he tried to kill this woman, so he ended up on the floor and in her body, living the life he had just tried to take.) Oh, yeah, the neighborhood dogs like to stop by for conversations.

All the Best,

Nani?
Shadowfax7
08-04-05, 12:24 PM Note that the SUN card in the DoMT was errated in 3rd ed. to grant only 20,000 XP, not 50,000 XP.

This prevents the absurd gain in level possible in 3rd ed. due to the decreased XP requirements from AD&D, where the DoMT originally appeared.

However, in the 3.5 ed. errata document they forgot to include this errata from the 3rd ed. errata document. This would not be the first time such a blunder ocurs . . . :rolleyes:
Thantrax
08-06-05, 05:02 AM Bleh, 20,000 certainly is alot less! But it still is a sizeable chunk of XP, well enough to separate one PC from the pack. Most of the games I play in see the PCs all the same level, and a gap like that causes bitterness.
Sagebane
08-06-05, 03:22 PM I was under the impression that if a character gained a large enough amount of exp to give him multiple levels, he could only gain 1 level from it, anything else was waisted.
I am pretty sure I just read that in the 3.5 DMG the other day.
Example: - A level 9 character draws from the deck a card that awards 50,000 exp, he is now level 10 with only 1 point shy of 11.
I may be wrong, but that is how I would rule it. That basically makes it a "Level Up" card, but a bit more advantagious 'cause you are only 1 exp point shy of the second level.
Mind Rogue
08-06-05, 11:14 PM Sagebane is correct. If you were to somehow gain a huge amount of Xp and were to normally advance two or more levels at one time, you instead stop 1 Xp short of reaching the second level. This can be found in the third paragraph on page 58 of the Player's Handbook.

I would like to personally reprimand your DM for using a full-blown artifact at level nine, particularly a Deck of Many Things. Any of the artifacts in the DMG are potentially game changing, and the Deck will drastically change your game in a random and unpredictable way.

Trying a Deck with less powerful results could work though, if the results were properly tailored. Some of the cards could theoretically stay in the deck, since their power scales with that of the drawer, but a number of them would have to be changed. In particular, I would make Donjon do something lesser like teleport them to some dungeon and pile all of their gear nicely outside (so that it can be retrieved upon rescue), the Fool and the Jester should probably be reduced to 1000 or 2000 Xp, the Gem should have the value or quantity of the jewels decreased, the Key should be lessened to either minor or medium magic item, the Knight should be bumped down a level or two or should simply be a leadership bonus, the Moon should probably be reduced to only one limited wish, Ruin might only affect half of the persons gear or only their commodities but not their equipment, Skull would be reduced to an ordinary wraith and allow ressurection (but not raise dead), the Star might be reduced to +1 or else make the benefit temporary, Sun to a medium item and/or 5000 Xp, Talons should probably either remove only some of the items or else it should allow some way to get them back, the Throne should probably give only a +3 bonus and perhaps a house (but certainly not a keep), and the Void should be reduced to some more mundane place, although magic can only reveal where he is. The Balance, Comet, Fates, Flames, Rogue and Vizier cards are mostly balanced by the relative power of the drawer (The Comet, Flames, and Rogue should select a creature of an appropriate CR), while the Fates and Vizier change things that the PCs would ordinarily be changing. The Ruin and Talons cards also are limited by the Drawer's power, but that's because that limits what they can take away. Since losing everything is very destructive, reducing their effectiveness is suggested.

It might also be a good idea to design the deck based off of the theme of the campaign and give the cards completely different results altogether.
Kaya Kenobi
08-14-05, 03:49 PM What I did is this:

You gain 1,000 XP x the character level

Here's my deck, with 78 things ;)

26 bad bad bad
26 good good good
26 that could be good or bad

It's a work in progress, which I am still tweaking further to my tastes.

The Deck of Many Things

0 The Fool: You lose XP equal to 1,000 x character level and you must draw again.
I the Magician: +1 to each Mental Stat
II the Priestess: Gain the ability to Lay on Hands, using your total level rather than just paladin levels
III the Empress: Everyone loses trust in you. -5 to wild empathy, bluff, diplomacy, gather information, handle animal, and perform.
IV The Emperor: Gain the Leadership Feat free and the loyalty of 100 soldiers
V The Hierophant: Gain a major magic weapon
VI The Lovers: A dilemma will occur in the near future
VII The Chariot: Gain an unseen ally that will aid you in the future
VIII Strength: +1 to each Physical Stat
IX The Hermit: Know the answer to your next dilemma.
X Wheel of Fortune: May choose to roll a die, where even = gain a level, or odd= lose a level, or you must draw again the same amount of cards you drew before drawing this one.
XI Justice: Change alignment instantly.
XII the Hanged Man: You are separated from everyone on a distant plane.
XIII Death: Defeat dread wraith or be forever destroyed. Only you may fight the Dread Wraith, no outsiders may help.
XIV Temperance: Enmity between you and an outsider from the outer planes.
XV The Devil: Enmity between you and an outsider from the inner planes.
XVI the Tower: Immediately lose all wealth and real property.
XVII the Star: Immediately gain a +2 bonus to one ability score of your choice.
XVIII the Moon: You are granted a wish.
XIX the Sun: You gain a beneficial medium wondrous item and 2,500 XP.
XX Judgment: You are judged for every action you have made in your life by a deity.
XXI the World: -1 to each stat

King of Rods: Educated: +2 permanent bonus to Intelligence
Queen of Rods: Nature: Gain the services of a 4th level ranger.
Knight of Rods: Exile: You are required to perform a quest or be forever exiled into oblivion.
Page of Rods: Unwitting: -2 permanent penalty to Intelligence.
Ace of Rods: Calamity: A dilemma in the future will have disastrous results.
Two of Rods: Dominion: You are possessed by an evil spirit.
Three of Rods: Separation: Transported randomly from your current location.
Four of Rods: Throne: Gain a +6 on Diplomacy checks plus a small keep.
Five of Rods: Strife: You gain the enmity of a group of people on the material plane
Six of Rods: Next dilemma is guaranteed to be successful
Seven of Rods: Next dilemma will have embarrassing results
Eight of Rods: +2 Permanent bonus to Dexterity
Nine of Rods: +2 Permanent bonus to Strength
Ten of Rods: +2 Permanent bonus to Constitution

King of Cups: Knowledge: Gain a +2 competence bonus to all knowledge skills
Queen of Cups: Gain the services of a 4th level sorcerer
Knight of Cups: Naivety: You will be tricked in the future
Page of Cups: Perfectionist: The following will happen on the next natural 20 or 1 you roll: 20 = +1 permanently to the stat revolving around the roll. 1 = -1 permanently to the stat revolving around the roll.
Ace of Cups: +2 Permanent bonus to Charisma
Two of Cups: Understanding: You have an aura about you that strengthens your spirit. +5 to animal empathy, bluff, diplomacy, disguise, gather information, handle animal, intimidate, and perform.
Three of Cups: Avoid any situation you choose, once
Four of Cups: Character granted 1 miracle, once, at any time the character desires by his god
Five of Cups: Disappointment: Character loses exactly as much XP as he has gained since last level plus 2. (Example: If the PC has 8500 XP, then he loses 2502, which would cause a level loss)
Six of Cups: The Past: You will meet someone from your past
Seven of Cups: Gain 25 pieces of jewelry or 50 gems
Eight of Cups: Indolence: -2 permanent penalty to Dexterity
Nine of Cups: Abundance: You gain XP equal to 1000 x character level and you may draw again.
Ten of Cups: Fear: Lose all nerve permanently. -10 to all fear-based checks. If you are fearless for any reason, you lose your fearlessness permanently.

King of Swords: Cruelty: You take on a vindictive nature and every living creature you make contact with must make a Will save (DC 10 + character level) or forever hate you.
Queen of Swords: Loss: You lose XP equal to 1000 x character level. This loss may result in the loss of up to two levels.
Knight of Swords: Knight: Gain services of a 4th level fighter
Page of Swords: Spy: Gain the services of a 4th level rogue
Ace of Swords: Struggle: All XP the character gains from now on reduced by 25%
Two of Swords: Defeat the next creature you meet without any other help to gain one level. However, if you lose the battle for any reason, you lose one level.
Three of Swords: Depression: You are thrust into a depression. -5 to Will save.
Four of Swords: You are imprisoned
Five of Swords: Rogue: One of your friends turns against you.
Six of Swords: Spirituality: +2 Permanent bonus to Wisdom.
Seven of Swords: Futility: Your most prized possession will be stolen from you.
Eight of Swords: Body functions, but soul is trapped forever.
Nine of Swords: Slander: -2 permanent penalty to Charisma
Ten of Swords: -1 on all saving throws permanently

King of Pentacles: Experience: All XP the character gains from now on increased by 25%
Queen of Pentacles: Ruin: All items you possess are sundered/destroyed/stolen.
Knight of Pentacles: Stagnation: You age until you reach venerable age. You gain all of the penalties of aging but you do not gain any of the benefits.
Page of Pentacles: -2 to each Mental stat.
Ace of Pentacles: Spiritual Starvation: -2 permanent penalty to Wisdom.
Two of Pentacles: Falsity: No matter what you do you will always make a mistake in some way, be it small as mistaking north from south, or as critical as stabilizing a dying person.
Three of Pentacles: Rewards: Your next encounter will yield twice as much XP as normal to you.
Four of Pentacles: Greed: Your next encounter will yield half as much XP as normal to you.
Five of Pentacles: Sickness: -2 Permanent penalty to Constitution
Six of Pentacles: Success: Character gains a permanent +1 to all rolls
Seven of Pentacles: Failure: Character suffers a –1 to all rolls permanently
Eight of Pentacles: Training: You gain exactly enough XP to obtain the next level
Nine of Pentacles: Gain: Character Gains a magic item worth approximately 1000GP per level of the character
Ten of Pentacles: Wealth: A Pouch of 1000 x the characters level in platinum coins appears on his side.
neilthrun
08-22-05, 01:17 AM An easy way to make the deck less game breaking would to make the effects non permenent. Or give them the ability to reverse an effect by sacrificing a modest amount of xp.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Thantrax 08-04-05, 05:02 AM	Recently, the D&D game that I was a part of suffered a near-fatal blow. Our DM decided that the Empire we were working for was going to reward our characters by allowing them all the option of drawing from a Deck of Many Things. Since this is a Might Empire, they had these laying around for all 5 of us to draw. The results of the deck were enough that 2 rescue misisons were going to have to be launched for a lost soul and an imprisoned comrade, but three party members jumped from level 9 to level 12 and 13. Leaving behind two players at level 9. The DM put on the kiddie gloves and made it so the players were easily able to recover from imprisonment and soul capture so we could get on with the game. But it raised a problem... A deck of many things, though fun, makes or breaks a character on the spot. What we need is a Deck of Many Things where the consequences aren't as powerful. 50 000 XP was way too much to get from a card draw, and though the Dread Wraiths were dangerous, the XP from them was massive. Losing all wealth and magic items can virtually destroy a character in some games. And wishes? Does anyone have any alternate decks of many things they'd like to share?
Nani? 08-04-05, 09:36 AM	I will tell you the story of my smaller deck of many things. Based off a tarot deck, only the Major Arcana had effects. One of my characters tried to steal part of a deck, 16 cards. On totally random rolls 11 of the 16 (roughly1 in 4 statically but really warped rolling this time) were Major Arcana. By the time he was done, he was a she of a different race, both smarter and less wise then she had been before. Her alignment had changed and "he" was in love with the female body he had taken over (part of the effects of the justice card, he tried to kill this woman, so he ended up on the floor and in her body, living the life he had just tried to take.) Oh, yeah, the neighborhood dogs like to stop by for conversations. All the Best, Nani?
Shadowfax7 08-04-05, 12:24 PM	Note that the SUN card in the DoMT was errated in 3rd ed. to grant only 20,000 XP, not 50,000 XP. This prevents the absurd gain in level possible in 3rd ed. due to the decreased XP requirements from AD&D, where the DoMT originally appeared. However, in the 3.5 ed. errata document they forgot to include this errata from the 3rd ed. errata document. This would not be the first time such a blunder ocurs . . . :rolleyes:
Thantrax 08-06-05, 05:02 AM	Bleh, 20,000 certainly is alot less! But it still is a sizeable chunk of XP, well enough to separate one PC from the pack. Most of the games I play in see the PCs all the same level, and a gap like that causes bitterness.
Sagebane 08-06-05, 03:22 PM	I was under the impression that if a character gained a large enough amount of exp to give him multiple levels, he could only gain 1 level from it, anything else was waisted. I am pretty sure I just read that in the 3.5 DMG the other day. Example: - A level 9 character draws from the deck a card that awards 50,000 exp, he is now level 10 with only 1 point shy of 11. I may be wrong, but that is how I would rule it. That basically makes it a "Level Up" card, but a bit more advantagious 'cause you are only 1 exp point shy of the second level.
Mind Rogue 08-06-05, 11:14 PM	Sagebane is correct. If you were to somehow gain a huge amount of Xp and were to normally advance two or more levels at one time, you instead stop 1 Xp short of reaching the second level. This can be found in the third paragraph on page 58 of the Player's Handbook. I would like to personally reprimand your DM for using a full-blown artifact at level nine, particularly a Deck of Many Things. Any of the artifacts in the DMG are potentially game changing, and the Deck will drastically change your game in a random and unpredictable way. Trying a Deck with less powerful results could work though, if the results were properly tailored. Some of the cards could theoretically stay in the deck, since their power scales with that of the drawer, but a number of them would have to be changed. In particular, I would make Donjon do something lesser like teleport them to some dungeon and pile all of their gear nicely outside (so that it can be retrieved upon rescue), the Fool and the Jester should probably be reduced to 1000 or 2000 Xp, the Gem should have the value or quantity of the jewels decreased, the Key should be lessened to either minor or medium magic item, the Knight should be bumped down a level or two or should simply be a leadership bonus, the Moon should probably be reduced to only one limited wish, Ruin might only affect half of the persons gear or only their commodities but not their equipment, Skull would be reduced to an ordinary wraith and allow ressurection (but not raise dead), the Star might be reduced to +1 or else make the benefit temporary, Sun to a medium item and/or 5000 Xp, Talons should probably either remove only some of the items or else it should allow some way to get them back, the Throne should probably give only a +3 bonus and perhaps a house (but certainly not a keep), and the Void should be reduced to some more mundane place, although magic can only reveal where he is. The Balance, Comet, Fates, Flames, Rogue and Vizier cards are mostly balanced by the relative power of the drawer (The Comet, Flames, and Rogue should select a creature of an appropriate CR), while the Fates and Vizier change things that the PCs would ordinarily be changing. The Ruin and Talons cards also are limited by the Drawer's power, but that's because that limits what they can take away. Since losing everything is very destructive, reducing their effectiveness is suggested. It might also be a good idea to design the deck based off of the theme of the campaign and give the cards completely different results altogether.
Kaya Kenobi 08-14-05, 03:49 PM	What I did is this: You gain 1,000 XP x the character level Here's my deck, with 78 things ;) 26 bad bad bad 26 good good good 26 that could be good or bad It's a work in progress, which I am still tweaking further to my tastes. The Deck of Many Things 0 The Fool: You lose XP equal to 1,000 x character level and you must draw again. I the Magician: +1 to each Mental Stat II the Priestess: Gain the ability to Lay on Hands, using your total level rather than just paladin levels III the Empress: Everyone loses trust in you. -5 to wild empathy, bluff, diplomacy, gather information, handle animal, and perform. IV The Emperor: Gain the Leadership Feat free and the loyalty of 100 soldiers V The Hierophant: Gain a major magic weapon VI The Lovers: A dilemma will occur in the near future VII The Chariot: Gain an unseen ally that will aid you in the future VIII Strength: +1 to each Physical Stat IX The Hermit: Know the answer to your next dilemma. X Wheel of Fortune: May choose to roll a die, where even = gain a level, or odd= lose a level, or you must draw again the same amount of cards you drew before drawing this one. XI Justice: Change alignment instantly. XII the Hanged Man: You are separated from everyone on a distant plane. XIII Death: Defeat dread wraith or be forever destroyed. Only you may fight the Dread Wraith, no outsiders may help. XIV Temperance: Enmity between you and an outsider from the outer planes. XV The Devil: Enmity between you and an outsider from the inner planes. XVI the Tower: Immediately lose all wealth and real property. XVII the Star: Immediately gain a +2 bonus to one ability score of your choice. XVIII the Moon: You are granted a wish. XIX the Sun: You gain a beneficial medium wondrous item and 2,500 XP. XX Judgment: You are judged for every action you have made in your life by a deity. XXI the World: -1 to each stat King of Rods: Educated: +2 permanent bonus to Intelligence Queen of Rods: Nature: Gain the services of a 4th level ranger. Knight of Rods: Exile: You are required to perform a quest or be forever exiled into oblivion. Page of Rods: Unwitting: -2 permanent penalty to Intelligence. Ace of Rods: Calamity: A dilemma in the future will have disastrous results. Two of Rods: Dominion: You are possessed by an evil spirit. Three of Rods: Separation: Transported randomly from your current location. Four of Rods: Throne: Gain a +6 on Diplomacy checks plus a small keep. Five of Rods: Strife: You gain the enmity of a group of people on the material plane Six of Rods: Next dilemma is guaranteed to be successful Seven of Rods: Next dilemma will have embarrassing results Eight of Rods: +2 Permanent bonus to Dexterity Nine of Rods: +2 Permanent bonus to Strength Ten of Rods: +2 Permanent bonus to Constitution King of Cups: Knowledge: Gain a +2 competence bonus to all knowledge skills Queen of Cups: Gain the services of a 4th level sorcerer Knight of Cups: Naivety: You will be tricked in the future Page of Cups: Perfectionist: The following will happen on the next natural 20 or 1 you roll: 20 = +1 permanently to the stat revolving around the roll. 1 = -1 permanently to the stat revolving around the roll. Ace of Cups: +2 Permanent bonus to Charisma Two of Cups: Understanding: You have an aura about you that strengthens your spirit. +5 to animal empathy, bluff, diplomacy, disguise, gather information, handle animal, intimidate, and perform. Three of Cups: Avoid any situation you choose, once Four of Cups: Character granted 1 miracle, once, at any time the character desires by his god Five of Cups: Disappointment: Character loses exactly as much XP as he has gained since last level plus 2. (Example: If the PC has 8500 XP, then he loses 2502, which would cause a level loss) Six of Cups: The Past: You will meet someone from your past Seven of Cups: Gain 25 pieces of jewelry or 50 gems Eight of Cups: Indolence: -2 permanent penalty to Dexterity Nine of Cups: Abundance: You gain XP equal to 1000 x character level and you may draw again. Ten of Cups: Fear: Lose all nerve permanently. -10 to all fear-based checks. If you are fearless for any reason, you lose your fearlessness permanently. King of Swords: Cruelty: You take on a vindictive nature and every living creature you make contact with must make a Will save (DC 10 + character level) or forever hate you. Queen of Swords: Loss: You lose XP equal to 1000 x character level. This loss may result in the loss of up to two levels. Knight of Swords: Knight: Gain services of a 4th level fighter Page of Swords: Spy: Gain the services of a 4th level rogue Ace of Swords: Struggle: All XP the character gains from now on reduced by 25% Two of Swords: Defeat the next creature you meet without any other help to gain one level. However, if you lose the battle for any reason, you lose one level. Three of Swords: Depression: You are thrust into a depression. -5 to Will save. Four of Swords: You are imprisoned Five of Swords: Rogue: One of your friends turns against you. Six of Swords: Spirituality: +2 Permanent bonus to Wisdom. Seven of Swords: Futility: Your most prized possession will be stolen from you. Eight of Swords: Body functions, but soul is trapped forever. Nine of Swords: Slander: -2 permanent penalty to Charisma Ten of Swords: -1 on all saving throws permanently King of Pentacles: Experience: All XP the character gains from now on increased by 25% Queen of Pentacles: Ruin: All items you possess are sundered/destroyed/stolen. Knight of Pentacles: Stagnation: You age until you reach venerable age. You gain all of the penalties of aging but you do not gain any of the benefits. Page of Pentacles: -2 to each Mental stat. Ace of Pentacles: Spiritual Starvation: -2 permanent penalty to Wisdom. Two of Pentacles: Falsity: No matter what you do you will always make a mistake in some way, be it small as mistaking north from south, or as critical as stabilizing a dying person. Three of Pentacles: Rewards: Your next encounter will yield twice as much XP as normal to you. Four of Pentacles: Greed: Your next encounter will yield half as much XP as normal to you. Five of Pentacles: Sickness: -2 Permanent penalty to Constitution Six of Pentacles: Success: Character gains a permanent +1 to all rolls Seven of Pentacles: Failure: Character suffers a –1 to all rolls permanently Eight of Pentacles: Training: You gain exactly enough XP to obtain the next level Nine of Pentacles: Gain: Character Gains a magic item worth approximately 1000GP per level of the character Ten of Pentacles: Wealth: A Pouch of 1000 x the characters level in platinum coins appears on his side.
neilthrun 08-22-05, 01:17 AM	An easy way to make the deck less game breaking would to make the effects non permenent. Or give them the ability to reverse an effect by sacrificing a modest amount of xp.