Fortune Cards: and randomized collectible cards come to D&D

[Tortoise]

I'm kind of the opposite on this.

There's already so much stuff in gaming that when it hits the shelves it's a "Well that seems cool... But do I REALLY want to spend 30 bux on it?" moment...

This gives me a little bit of gaming coolness that I don't really have to break the bank on.

I can buy a pack every now and then and still get the fun.

I should have clarified that I was thinking of it from a DM perspective.

 

[Scribble]

I should have clarified that I was thinking of it from a DM perspective.

Well- me too. (But also from a general I like buying game stuff perspective.)

 

[MrMyth]

You see, this is where I just plain don't get it. I see little reason why WotC should be the one randomizing anything for me. As the DM, I should have say in my randomization. I also don't particularly love the idea of my players spending so much money on these cards that they put together decks made from booster cards. It's not CCG territory, yet, but when players are constructing decks made of randomized cards, it's walking too close to the periphery for my tastes.

This came up earlier in the thread. Some DMs want randomness. Some don't. A DM can absolutely replace the 'Wand of Wonder' table with their own list of results. But other DMs just want a table to roll on without having to come up with anything on their own.

If you want some random events, you can grab a booster to add some flair to the game. If you want control of it, you can just come up with your own table of random events, and tell your players not to get these.

No randomization is going to be forced on anyone who doesn't want it, but the option is there for those who do. I don't really see the problem with this.

 

[Wicht]

Since I was at the panel where they announced this, I'll try to provide some information for context:

-There will be 80 cards total in the set(or there is, tentatively)
-They will have rarities(common, uncommon, rare)
-They are intended to be opened at the table(and I got the implication that each player was intended to have his own stack of the cards) because that way you have no idea what is in your own deck until the random events actually happens.
-The cards are supposed to be random events that happen during a battle. They didn't say what any of the cards in the set actually do, but things like someone tripping over something or a fire starting were possible examples
-The reason they would have rarities is to allow some of the more powerful effects to happen less often. So, you might go through your card deck during a single session, but have only 1 or 2 really strange things happen(the rares)
-The cards are not intended to be collected(they repeated this about 10 times)
-On the other hand, if you happen to collect them all because you buy a booster every week for your session, there will be rules on how to make decks out of them. This is to make sure a player doesn't show up with a deck that contains 10 copies of the most beneficial card for his or her character.

Wow. Now that's a scheme. Buy a new deck for every game for every player to make sure you don't know what's in them.

No thanks. Give me one deck I buy once thats always useful and we can do business. To suggest I buy a new deck for each player for every game. Not going to happen.

 

[TheNovaLord]

if they are collectable and randomised, im guessing 'some are better than others', which could then mean the person with the deepest pockets gets an advantage?

legal for 'organised' play?

I like adventures decks in SW, as its that sort of game.
I dont like the PF ones from Paizo, as its not that sort of game?

 

[sjmiller]

No one ever checks their email or cell phone during your sessions? No one ever takes a smoke break? You do nothing but deeply immersive gaming hour after hour with everyone equally engaged every minute of the time?

No, didn't think so.

Someone taking 15 seconds out of the game to look at a twitter feed on their Iphone is not in any way a commentary on the quality of the DM.

No cell phone or computers are allowed at our gaming table, so checking them is not an issue in our gaming sessions. Smoke breaks happen very rarely, now that our last two smokers have quit smoking. Be that as it may, even if we did such things I know that the DM in our game would not allow some random Twitter feed to have an effect on the game. How am I so certain of this? Simple, I am the DM. What gets added to the game, what has an effect on the game, is decided by me as the DM, not something someone shows me on their cell phone. Sure, it's a cute, fad concept for being "crazy and cool" in the game, but it is not something I would like.

 

[Scribble]

Wow. Now that's a scheme. Buy a new deck for every game for every player to make sure you don't know what's in them.

No thanks. Give me one deck I buy once thats always useful and we can do business. To suggest I buy a new deck for each player for every game. Not going to happen.

Umm... who suggested that?

They said people can buy them when they feel like it, open it at the table, and have a random element added to the game.

There are also rules for building a deck just in case you happen to be the type that enjoys buying these cards a lot and wants to continue using your collected cards in a fair way.

You're attributing motives they never pushed forward.

In fact the design seems to almost be counter to what you're suggesting. They're designed in such a way that allows you to buy as many or as little as you want, and still get full use out of the cards.

The only down side is for someone who happens to be the type that has an uncontrollable NEED to collect every card in the set. In which case, WoTC can hardly be held accountable for that person's lack of self control.

 

[Imaro]

Since I was at the panel where they announced this, I'll try to provide some information for context:

-There will be 80 cards total in the set(or there is, tentatively)
-They will have rarities(common, uncommon, rare)
-They are intended to be opened at the table(and I got the implication that each player was intended to have his own stack of the cards) because that way you have no idea what is in your own deck until the random events actually happens.
-The cards are supposed to be random events that happen during a battle. They didn't say what any of the cards in the set actually do, but things like someone tripping over something or a fire starting were possible examples
-The reason they would have rarities is to allow some of the more powerful effects to happen less often. So, you might go through your card deck during a single session, but have only 1 or 2 really strange things happen(the rares)
-The cards are not intended to be collected(they repeated this about 10 times)
-On the other hand, if you happen to collect them all because you buy a booster every week for your session, there will be rules on how to make decks out of them. This is to make sure a player doesn't show up with a deck that contains 10 copies of the most beneficial card for his or her character.

Wait, what!!! . So the default is that everyone ( 5 players and 1 DM) is expected to buy a new pack for every new game session?... I guess from a profit perspective that's even better than collectible... Yeah, I'm gonna pass on this product.

 

[Azgulor]

Per Mike Mearls from an interview

Fortune Cards

MM: "As a whole they make the game a little more unpredictable and makes things work out in an interesting new way."

This made me smile. In 4e design philosophy, I thought too much unpredictability was bad; it made things "swingy". Now it's a feature.

FWIW, I've got no issue with the concept. Just found it a bit ironic. Game on.

 

[Mallus]

The cards sound like a cool product...

... which I'm not particularly interested in. Okay, I might be in for 1 set, but I'm no collector...

... but they make sense from a business perspective.

TSR wanted to sell you modules, then campaign setting. WotC wants to sell you cards. The more things change...