Gamemastery Plot Twist cards. Huh?

[Asmo]

I recently bought this product, and it makes me confused; I´ll just crosspost from the Paizo forums where the poster got very little respsonse:

"OK,

I now have bought the cards, they are in my hands, I have examined them- but what do I do with them (yes I have read the instructions). Apart from the black option (ie +10 to a skill) which is a bit too mechanical can someone give me an actual example of how these have been used in an actual game.

I like the idea but they just look like they would be used to thwart other players. For me players that are too mechanical minded will save them up to get max benefit to 'win the game' which appears to be contrary to the spirit -- and players that are not mechanically minded dont really need them to muck around in character and would almost resent using them.

I have some difficulty figuring out how to actually use them- help me out here."

This is exactly how I feel about this cards. My example; I´m dming a group that will hit lvl 2 in the Crypt of the Everflame, and when looking at the cards I´ve no idea how to use them properly.
I need an actual example from drawing the card to how the dm and player made the card work. Please help me out!

Asmo

 

[Dingo333]

My group used them for a while (still do, on and off)

What we did is you get 1 card at the start of session, if you level up, you get an extra card, you return the cards at the end of the session

It was not me who played the card, so I do not know what the card said, but the effect my DM did was "a large calvary rushes in to save the day and drives off/kills the remaining besieging horde" The card was something to the effect, Unexpected consequences for an action.

Yes, there have been times when I just sat on the card and didn't use it, I never needed too or its effect couldn't happen (guard falling asleep at the gate,.... when exploring a dungeon)

Basically, the way we do it is, the player chooses which effect, and the DM works it into the game, within reason.

 

[Asmo]

Ok, Crypt finished, new dm running "Masks of the Living God" and I´m playing the cleric (which the new dm played).

I got this Plot twist card, "Erratic Behavior":

-someone behaves unpredictably
-a fluke causes a bewildering effect
-someone seems to intentionally fail
-a sure thing has an unexpected result

Here´s my idea: I´m going to perform a blood ritual that requires blood from all party members, xp drain (3,5 Permanency style) and some other rp stuff that will lead to - hopefully - a permanent Resistance on all members of the party.

" A sure thing has an unexpected result" is up to the dm

I wonder if this is to powerful, before asking the dm about this.

Asmo

 

[Dingo333]

The more power you put into something, the more powerful the effect of it going wrong can be

The DM could do just about anything from "the ritual fail, all xp is lost, everyone gains a negative level" (rather neutral) to "A powerful being gains control of this blood and can use it to control party members to its advantage" (rather bad for party) to "Everyone gains the abilities of everyone else up to half the level they were at the ritual" ie. Rouge can cast spells like the wizard, cleric can now rage like the barbarian, (rather good)

It sounds like it could be fun to try and see what the result would be though

 

[hippononymous]

They don't sound very useful to me. IMO, you could make up all those plot twists as you go along. The cards just seem like a way to remind the DM to be creative and stay on their toes to keep entertainment value high.

I bought the crit/fumble decks and found that it's a lot more fun making up bonuses for the player. The players tend to like it more, too, as it shows that the DM is not just on the side of the evil NPCs.

 

[Thazar]

We use them every now and then. They serve a couple of purposes.

1. If you ever have a player that always tries to describe some elaborate action in combat, these cards give them a limited way to try and do that without letting them do it all the time. It is up to the player trying to spend the card to narrate what he wants to happen... and then up to the DM to decide if it works or not and if a dice roll is needed.

2. Outside of combat it allows players an option to solve a problem they are in the middle of. They are lost, or are having trouble getting info in town, or maybe they need to sneak past a guard. The player must think of what is on his card and use it to RP an action that the party needs to happen.

3. They allow a DM to be surprised at his own adventure as they party of players help write the story. This does require a DM who is very good at on they fly gaming however.

If you are in a Power Gamer, Heavy Tactics, or Munchkin style game the cards are not really that great in my opinion. They are GREAT for the people that like to tell stories and have their characters occasionally do something other then say... "I rolled a 14 and thus hit AC 32 and do 47 points of damage. That should kill the ogre so I take a 5' step and attack the next ogre in line with my second attack."

Using the sample card above a player could say, I throw a bag of marbles on the floor and try and get the first orge to fall into the second ogre and trip them both. The DM then decides if the player rolls a CMB for the trip... or if maybe the DM rolls the CMB using the first ogre vs the second orge. Etc. It is all up to how the DM and players want to try and make the story go.

 

[special_area]

My group and I have been using these for a few months now. Right away we decided that the black text options (+10 to something, etc.) we're too powerful and not as interesting as the four story-like options, so we don't use them.

As for how we use them we are given the option of using them on ourselves, other members of the party, or against any NPCs. All we have to do is describe to our GM how we think the card should be applied, the GM then gives it any minor twists he thinks is applicable. Kind of like a badly worded wish. We can even use two or three cards in conjunction with each other.

A good example would be our last game where we were ambushed by dozens of orcs, and an evil spell caster. Were were losing badly so we decided to play the "It all comes crashing down" effect of one of our cards against a group of the ambushers that was positioned on some rocks. The rocks collapsed damaging those on top. Then we played the "A bad situation gets worse" affect against the same group. The collapsing rocks ended up evolving into an increasingly widening sinkhole that started swallowing up our enemies and allies alike.

We even used the "a secret society has plans against you" affect against the entirty of the PC group. Why? Because it sounded interesting, and it resulted in a great ongoing sub-plot.
Each PC draws a car from the pile when they gain a level, and then adds it to the communal pile used byall of the PC's. However, for every 3 cards that the PC's draw, the GM gets a card from the deck to use on the behalf of any NPCs (allies or enemies).

We're still trying to figure out how to use the "Where did that tentacle come from?" effect and not have it either kill us or be extremly pornographic.