Making your own power cards

FreeXenon · Apr 20, 2008

Bubble Positioning

To ensure you have enough room for the Power Names you could move both bubbles to the flush with the edges of the card, and then kind of meld it with the edges (like it was a part of a larger circle that got cut off).

tintagel · Apr 20, 2008

emass said:
I would go with the left one.
The action type ("Action: Std") feels constrained in the "bubble", which is just perfect for a pictorial representation of the type of attack.
Furthermore, the graphics for the type of attack (" ") fit much better in a circle-shaped area...

I agree that it's a bit constrained - that's why I ditched the "action" line and just had Std. Min. and Mv

anyhoo, Cheers!

Trolls · Apr 20, 2008

A few more experiments:

My thoughts:

Adding a colour code for power source detracts from the simple design, especially with the circle ones. Changing the colour of the spaces between notches works best, I think, but I'm still not sure about that.
I also think adding power source in another bubble is giving it too much importance. Power Source will never come up in game, as far as I'm aware, so there's no real need for it to have such prominence.
Having an extra bubble at the top makes it seem crowded up there, and will be troublesome for powers with long names, like Curse of the Dark Dream.

WhatGravitas · Apr 20, 2008

Trolls said:
Adding a colour code for power source detracts from the simple design, especially with the circle ones. Changing the colour of the spaces between notches works best, I think, but I'm still not sure about that.
I also think adding power source in another bubble is giving it too much importance. Power Source will never come up in game, as far as I'm aware, so there's no real need for it to have such prominence.

Yeah, power sources are probably not that important - additionally, you can usually spot, as every class only has one.
Colouring the space between the notches is pretty nice - but use that for the action type. Then you have an easy indication of action type, but you can save the bubble for the attack type (which is nicer with a symbol, especially the symbols we have.

For the colour and appropriate action type:
Yellow: Immediate action - the signal colour helps to remind you that you can use it out of turn.
Light blue: Minor action
White: Move action
Neutral grey: Standard action
Black: Full action

Only suggestions, of course.

Cheers, LT.

emass · Apr 20, 2008

I'm still in favor of the original design - no 2nd bubble (too crowded), no color changes (too colored - think when we'll have 8 power sources!).

For me, the power source works fine as it is, written in the 1st notch

FreeXenon · Apr 20, 2008

I like the color change with the bubble at the bottom left for the power source,
then the attack type in the first notch.

Interesting thoughts everyone.
Perhaps the color change will be too much color?
The colored bubble might be enough?

mvincent · Apr 20, 2008

Thoughts on using power cards:
1) Daily use cards could be handed to the DM when used (to be handed them back after an extended rest).
2) 'Per encounter' cards could be discarded (near the DM), but still be easily retrieved by the players after the encounter.
3) Cards that affect others (buffs, on-going effects, etc.) could be handed to the person affected, which they can then discard when the effect wears off... similar to status cards.
4) Players could use colored sleeves to easily recognize their own cards. Buyng a cool or appropriate sleeve might even be part of the fun.

Item cards:
5) DM's might also hand out 'items cards' (some of which might have encounter or daily powers too). The picture on the item cards would always be visible, the description could be easily covered, and the detect magic aura should be easy to uncover without fully uncovering the description.
6) Item cards could even be placed to show what is currently in the player's hand.
7) GP cards could be used similar to monopoly money... kept by player and handed to the DM when spent. This method could possibly even be use for tracking hitpoints.

Some other 'gamer bling' related thoughts:
8) Players could each have their own 'deck box' with their character's picture taped to the outside.
9) The PC's miniature and folded-up character sheet could be kept in the deck box
10) A small piece of color clay (playdough, same color as the player's card sleeves) could also be kept in the box, to be used for when the PC 'marks" an opponent (much easier than trying to balance an opposing miniature on a colored base as suggested here, especially if the miniature is large).

Trolls · Apr 21, 2008

Ok, I think this next one is getting pretty close. I've folded action and type into the single bubble, with a simple colour code (orange = standard, yellow = move, green = minor, blue = immediate). I've discarded any colour coding by power source, I don't think it's necessary, and kept the notches as they were last page.

WhatGravitas · Apr 21, 2008

Trolls said:
Ok, I think this next one is getting pretty close. I've folded action and type into the single bubble, with a simple colour code (orange = standard, yellow = move, green = minor, blue = immediate). I've discarded any colour coding by power source, I don't think it's necessary, and kept the notches as they were last page.

That looks pretty good - I like it! Question: Could you do a mock-up with a longer spell, like Bigby's Grasping Hands or some other spell of that size? Just to see how it looks like.

Cheers, LT.

Riley · Apr 21, 2008

These cards are a beautiful idea, and you're doing really great things with them. I have just a couple thoughts to offer:

1) We already have a color scheme for frequency of powers (at-will powers get green headers, encounter powers get red, and dailies get black...). Adding another color scheme is llikely to be difficult to remember, and not very useful. Still, I think that the most important thing to communicate in the upper left bubble is the action type.

I agree that "Std" and "Min" are not that graceful, either. Perhaps a symbol would be more memorable for indicating type of action?
Off the top of my head,

move = a foot
standard = a hand/fist?
minor = an uplifted finger (a la Azuth's holy symbol)
immediate = an exclamation point, a stopwatch, or an hourglass?

2) Some of the powers (like Priest's Shield, and the various marking powers) confer effects on creatures other than the wielder of the power. Effect cards which would be handed to the affected player (or stuck next to the affected monster), would be a great addition.