Bonus Cards

[Haltherrion]

I just re-read the bonus cards and I like them as they are. Maybe after a mock draft I'd think otherwise, but they seem good to me ... a few great things ... lots of good things. Although, making the cards such that they can be used by any character would seem to be a good thing ... having a 0 value bonus card would suck.

jim

After further thought, I'm inclined to keep them the same. Let's at least do another trial run and see.

There are many combinations where they are basically zero effect though. But before I tweak things, let's just try things out.

 

[Haltherrion]

Did a dry-run of the draft with Jm this weekend and also go Chris and Renee's opinions on the fgireu cards. Specifically on bonus cards, there are these changes:

• All but the most powerful bonus cards were beefed up some.
• The number of 'really interesting' bonus cards was increased by adding these cards:
  • Two wild cards (let you use them for any suit card)
  • Merged the sanctified and saint cards so that they are always useful regardless of the figure they are paired with
  • Two heirloom cards: give figure a 75000 GP item

also made made these changes to the rules:

• Backup PCs cannot be firstborn
• However, backup PCs can use their bonus card (this is a pretty big deal)

 

[Haltherrion]

Since we will be doing the bonus and suit cards face up now, I added a color-coded undertext to the bonus cards to make it easy to spot the "good" ones. The codes are green for realy good, yellow for okay and red for not so good. It's my personal bias but I think most will agree.

I did up the number of green cards so that there are 12, theoretically enough for two per player, assuming you can live with the figure. I increased the number of -1 ECL cards, the number of heirlooms and upped the XP bonus from 5% to 10%.

The links and image at the top of this thread should now point to the updated versions.

 

[Haltherrion]

Atfer further thought and discussion, I think I will remove the 2 +10% XP cards. These cards are, for all practical purposes, the same as the -1 ECL cards at current level and we have plenty of those already.

I'm considering replacing these cards with some combination of the following. Let me know if you have any suggestions for card effects or preferences. I'll work this up Friday when I get back from holidays.

• -2 ECL. On a non-saint human or elf, it is just -1
• a super heirloom (value 150,000 to 250,000, haven't decided but at least double the other heirloom cards)
• Foresight: +2 to hit, +2 to saves, +2 generic bonus to AC. Occasional visions as well.
• A secret bonus, otherwise known as "the bonus to be named later". Seriously, this is something special to be worked out with the player. Think of your favorite movie where the hero/heroine has something special in their past and we'll work that (Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc.)

I'm kind of inclined to the first two at the moment. Other suggestions/comments welcome.

 

[Chris the Bigger]

Atfer further thought and discussion, I think I will remove the 2 +10% XP cards. These cards are, for all practical purposes, the same as the -1 ECL cards at current level and we have plenty of those already.

I'm considering replacing these cards with some combination of the following. Let me know if you have any suggestions for card effects or preferences. I'll work this up Friday when I get back from holidays.

• -2 ECL. On a non-saint human or elf, it is just -1
• a super heirloom (value 150,000 to 250,000, haven't decided but at least double the other heirloom cards)
• Foresight: +2 to hit, +2 to saves, +2 generic bonus to AC. Occasional visions as well.
• A secret bonus, otherwise known as "the bonus to be named later". Seriously, this is something special to be worked out with the player. Think of your favorite movie where the hero/heroine has something special in their past and we'll work that (Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc.)

I'm kind of inclined to the first two at the moment. Other suggestions/comments welcome.

The tweaks are interesing Marc. i think that there will aslways be some o sum effects. i like the first two options above.

 

[Haltherrion]

The tweaks are interesing Marc. i think that there will aslways be some o sum effects. i like the first two options above.

I think I may go for all of these, possibbly not the foresight. But the 'secret to be named later' can replace one of the boring red cards.

The first two will replace the 10% XP cards.

 

[Haltherrion]

Also, I'm thinking of turning some of the red cards (the weakest ones) into yellow cards (middling) as follows:

• Add 2 super feat cards that grant a lot of feats
• Add 2 super skills cards that grant a lot of skills
• Add one free class card that lets you take a single level in a class (and no further, ever) at no XP or multiclass penalty
• One DR 2/- card
• Archon-blood: child of an archon. Counts as one extra stars card for purposes of determining abilities only.

 

[Chris the Bigger]

Also, I'm thinking of turning some of the red cards (the weakest ones) into yellow cards (middling) as follows:

• Add 2 super feat cards that grant a lot of feats
• Add 2 super skills cards that grant a lot of skills
• Add one free class card that lets you take a single level in a class (and no further, ever) at no XP or multiclass penalty
• One DR 2/- card
• Archon-blood: child of an archon. Counts as one extra stars card for purposes of determining abilities only.

The new cards look cool. I think its going to be hard to pick a bad portfolio.

Like i said earlier, the bonus carsd are just going to be something that is attacked to the cards. I'm not goign to worry about them until i see what on the table for the draft. it is possible that the right bonus card on teh right figrure could cause me to abondon my plans but if that happens i'm going for first born so watch out.

 

[sivousplay]

I like the new cards ... unless it's on a horrible figure ECL -2 would be my first pick ... although that 150K+ heirloom is going to be hard to ignore.

jim

 

[Haltherrion]

I like the new cards ... unless it's on a horrible figure ECL -2 would be my first pick ... although that 150K+ heirloom is going to be hard to ignore.

jim

I added these last night (but didn't update the pdf; sorry had to play Kotor )

There is one -2 ECL card. There are about 8 figures I wouldn't play even with that card. Otherwise, I'd probably take it given the chance.

The heirloom card is 250,000 GP. It's called 'heirloom artifact'. There is one of those but still several of the 75K heirlooms as well. That card, for me, would not be as attractive as a -1 ECL card although on one of my top 3-5 figures, it might be hard to pass up.

The other cards I added I consider "yellow", i.e., good but not as good as the heirlooms, -1 ECLs, etc. Personally, I'm only likely to be taking those if I'm picking in late in the second round and the green cards have fallen heavily on figures I don't care for. But others may have a different opinion. The green/yellow/red designation is my own personal thoughts on the value of the card, nothing more.

I'm guessing that few, if any, PCs will have red bonus cards but I guess you never know. Depends how much someone really likes a figure I suppose.