Interest in a Deck of Monster Cards?

InkwellIdeas · Oct 8, 2012

I'm looking for feedback on creating a deck of monster cards...

I've put together a survey here:
Monster Card Survey

Please take it if you have any interest in the project. Thanks.
More details, and feel free to post comments here:

I simply love the art of something like the Marvel Masterpieces card set (1992 in particular.) And while I can't promise Joe Jusko art, I think I can do something pretty good. Plus I love the utility of being able to put together 9-pocket card page(s) of the creatures I expect to use in a session, module or even in my game world. I'm hoping others like the idea too and I'd like to get feedback on the idea.

What has been done before:
*D&D had a small number in the early 80s.
*The 1991-ish D&D card deck had some monsters.
*I think Paizo has done some monsters that were specific villains from some of their Adventure Paths in related GameMastery Card Decks.
*And the D&D minis from a few years back came with cards (One side with D&D stats and the other side with a miniatures battle game stats... the only art was line art I think.)
*You can also print your own for Pathfinder or 3.5SRD if you buy a PDF at DriveThru/RPGNow. But these are stats only (no art) IIRC.
*Warhammer Fantasy RPG 3e did a set.

Do you know of other RPG related monster card sets that have been done before?

I'd probably go with a front that is just a nice full color painted image with just the name of the creature on front and maybe a box to kind of define it/give it some style. (See the Marvel Masterpieces 1992 card deck mentioned above.)

There are a bunch of questions in the survey, but I'll just ask one more here: What do you think of the core idea? Is it useful? Do you see other uses/how will you use them?

Treebore · Oct 8, 2012

I think for me to actually use these cards over my Monster books they would have to have a nice picture on one side, and ALL of the info I need on the other. Otherwise I will keep doing just fine with the book(s) and my mini's.

The appealing advantage of the cards, for me, will be to pull out what I need for my planned encounters and random encounter tables. Making them far easier to carry than however many monster books I would otherwise pull them from. The added bonus would be an additional visual aid for my players, in addition to the mini/token/Pog's I likely have as well.

The price point is definitely going to be tricky, because if I decide it is too high, which is highly possible since I already have the info in books, as well as some form of mini, I won't buy them.

So its hard to say if I will even end up buying these, since I see their use beyond what I already own to be pretty marginal.

I say this because I bought a ton of the Paizo item cards, and my players used them for a brief time before they got tired of them. However, I make use of the NPC cards on a regular basis, so can see myself using Monster cards in a similar manner, and most importantly, as often, if not even more often. Especially if they have all the info I need for them, so won't need my books.

So its not exactly easy for me to predict how much I would actually use them, and there fore find them worth the money in the first place.

Quickleaf · Oct 8, 2012

[MENTION=26988]indyjoe[/MENTION]
It's an idea with merit, but I think you'd need to go Pathfinder or something else OGL and equally popular.

Personally, I use custom-made monter "cards" (they're more paper fold-ups) which I drape over the top of the DM screen to track initiative, provide a visual reference, and also to show the monsters defenses (as suggested by Sly Fourish). We've mostly gamed 3.5e and 4e, but we're looking for a system that's even faster for fights. Not sure if I'd be your target market, but there ya go

the Jester · Oct 9, 2012

Treebore said:
I think for me to actually use these cards over my Monster books they would have to have a nice picture on one side, and ALL of the info I need on the other. Otherwise I will keep doing just fine with the book(s) and my mini's.

This. If the cards don't preserve utility and offer a pretty picture, they don't interest me. If they do (and I still have some of those 80's D&D monster cards!), then I am interested, so long as the monsters featured are cool and likely to get a decent amount of use (e.g. don't put out a set that consists of the tirapheg, runehound, gelatinous bear and giant sunflower).

Quickleaf · Oct 9, 2012

[MENTION=1210]the Jester[/MENTION] Wait, in 1e you could fight gummy bears?

that's awesome!

Stormonu · Oct 9, 2012

I'd love to have monster cards, if you can fit all the combat stats on them. Bonus if they have a picture.

Now, if you could make 'em out of plasticard with a pop-out token, that'd be uniquely cool, but you might have to up the size (say a 3X5).

InkwellIdeas · Oct 9, 2012

Plastic will probably triple the cost.

I've been sort of down that road already.

But here's a 2 card sample of an ancient dragon and a lich using Pathfinder SRD info. I tried to pick a system and creatures that are complex with lots of info. (Systems with creatures that typically have fewer details will be easier to fit, of course.) http://www.inkwellideas.com/pf-sample.pdf

I'm still tweaking the layout and font and all, but I hope it gives you a good idea of where I'm going and if it is possible to get all the needed info on a card. I also may be able to cheat on space by using more color and/or icons. And that may let me increase the font size. (Most of the back is 6pt.) Of course I'd love to have more room so each spell level of the spells known could have its own line (for example) but I hope the sample shows the layout is doable.

the Jester · Oct 9, 2012

Quickleaf said:
[MENTION=1210]the Jester[/MENTION] Wait, in 1e you could fight gummy bears?

that's awesome!

No, actually the gelatinous bear is a Savage Species critter (bear with gelatinous template).

Stormonu · Oct 9, 2012

indyjoe said:
Plastic will probably triple the cost. I've been sort of down that road already.

But here's a 2 card sample of an ancient dragon and a lich using Pathfinder SRD info. I tried to pick a system and creatures that are complex with lots of info. (Systems with creatures that typically have fewer details will be easier to fit, of course.) http://www.inkwellideas.com/pf-sample.pdf

I'm still tweaking the layout and font and all, but I hope it gives you a good idea of where I'm going and if it is possible to get all the needed info on a card. I also may be able to cheat on space by using more color and/or icons. And that may let me increase the font size. (Most of the back is 6pt.) Of course I'd love to have more room so each spell level of the spells known could have its own line (for example) but I hope the sample shows the layout is doable.

Well, you fit the dragon on a single side, so that's a pretty impressive feat in of itself.

It does look too cramped though. I think more "blocking-out" of the stats would really help make information pop out. "Watermarked" icon also might might certain info pop as well (such as the faded image of a shield behind AC, perhaps a sword or flexing muscle for melee, a bow or bullseye for ranged, etc.)

As for spells, for things with long spell lists like the lich, it would probably be better to "bleed-over" into an extra card. Also, that would allow you to mix and match spells; you could have 1 lich card and several different spell lists (Necromancer, Transmuter, low level, mid level, high, etc.).

<EDIT> Also, I think it would be a good idea to put the creature name on the picture side where the DM can easily position his thumb over the name to hide it when showing it to players. Lich is fine in this regard, but might be difficult on Ancient Red Dragon.