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

[pemerton]

I don't envisage my players picking up fortune cards. The power creep issue isn't a problem for me provided that it players out at the level of encounter design (like the 2 solo dragons encounter described above). If it starts to affect the design of individual monsters, that will be a different matter.

(Btw, I am one of those who is finding that the monster boost in MM3/MV is a good thing, independently of fortune cards.)

 

[DMZ2112]

The problem with your conjecture is that, from what I've read, the cards really aren't that powerful. I mean, the Rare is pretty dang good, I'll grant you! But for the most part? This doesn't blow the power curve off anything.

And the power gap makes the cards okay?

Now you've got a majority of players at the table with a 30-40 Fortune Card deck made up primarily of commons, a few uncommons, and maybe a rare or two; and one or two players who hit eBay with a vengeance and have a deck of 20 rares. So not only is there power creep, but only a minority of players gets to enjoy it.

Awesome, because what I look for in my campaigns as a player and a Dungeon Master is character disparity. That makes everyone happy.

This is such a good idea. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would not support it.

::head explodes::

 

[DMZ2112]

They can say that as often as they like, but the randomized rarity element makes it collectible almost by definition.

Subjective rarity, by which I mean the relative rarity of one card to another within a set, is not what makes a card game collectible. What makes a card game collectible is OBJECTIVE rarity, which is to say the number of total cards printed.

The reason why collectible card games are now almost universally called TRADING card games is because as soon as there was a lucrative global market for these games, no company wanted to limit their print runs, which made the term "collectible" false advertising. No one wanted to get sued ten years down the line when their cards weren't worth the cardboard they were printed on.

Modern TCGs aren't collectible because, rare or not, there are millions of each card out there. The value of Magic cards is still driven by a surfeit of demand, not a lack of supply.

That said, Fortune Cards may very well become collectible -- if this is the only set ever printed.

 

[Hussar]

And the power gap makes the cards okay?

Now you've got a majority of players at the table with a 30-40 Fortune Card deck made up primarily of commons, a few uncommons, and maybe a rare or two; and one or two players who hit eBay with a vengeance and have a deck of 20 rares. So not only is there power creep, but only a minority of players gets to enjoy it.

Awesome, because what I look for in my campaigns as a player and a Dungeon Master is character disparity. That makes everyone happy.

This is such a good idea. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would not support it.

::head explodes::

While in a public game like the Encounters this might happen, what kind of DM just wouldn't turn to Bob and say no? I realize that DM's are supposed to say yes, but, come on. How many DM's will just meekly submit to this level of abuse of the rules?

The easy solution to this is, don't play with jerks.

 

[shadzar]

While in a public game like the Encounters this might happen, what kind of DM just wouldn't turn to Bob and say no? I realize that DM's are supposed to say yes, but, come on. How many DM's will just meekly submit to this level of abuse of the rules?

The easy solution to this is, don't play with jerks.

The place where these will be seen first by many will be those public games. This is where the DM cannot say "no". This will likely carry back as accepted behavior for the non-public games.

Either way it is a thing that is a reason many play RPGs as opposed to CCGs. RPGs level the playing field for all. There wasn't a component of "he with the most money does better", unless you were bribing the DM.

Collectible games revolve around the people with the most money do better. The reason being they can afford the collectible parts to get the "best" options, while everyone else has to squeak by with what they can afford.

RPGs were never like that as everyone should have access to the same things, thus the reason DMs set forth some things not allowed to be used by any, and if one player can use it, then ALL players can.

 

[DMZ2112]

While in a public game like the Encounters this might happen, what kind of DM just wouldn't turn to Bob and say no? I realize that DM's are supposed to say yes, but, come on. How many DM's will just meekly submit to this level of abuse of the rules?

The easy solution to this is, don't play with jerks.

It's not abuse of the rules! It's the rules as written! This is how people play Magic -- why shouldn't they play D&D the same way?

I agree with the sentiment of your easy solution, but where do you draw the line? eBay? Buying a box of Fortune Cards? Getting a few lucky boosters?

 

[shadzar]

It's not abuse of the rules! It's the rules as written! This is how people play Magic -- why shouldn't they play D&D the same way?

Because every edition of D&D tells you to NOT try to play the "rules as written" as they are not meant to be played in their exact forms. If the rule could be played as written, the DM would only be a random encounter generator, yet every edition sets him up as a rules arbiter, because the rules are NOT complete nor functional for all.

 

[Hussar]

It's not abuse of the rules! It's the rules as written! This is how people play Magic -- why shouldn't they play D&D the same way?

I agree with the sentiment of your easy solution, but where do you draw the line? eBay? Buying a box of Fortune Cards? Getting a few lucky boosters?

Because DM's have their brains removed with a spoon when they sit down at a table where these cards are being used? I mean, come on, it's going to be pretty obvious if someone busts out a pack of rares at your table. Again, don't play with jerks and that problem solves itself.

I'm not sure about the organized play. Wasn't there something about the idea that you should bring the boosters to the table? Sort of like how you do sealed booster games in MtG? I haven't been following things that closely, but I do recall something about this from a while back.

That would be the easy way to solve the Ebay issue in organized play though. You must play with a sealed booster. End of issue.

 

[DMZ2112]

Because DM's have their brains removed with a spoon when they sit down at a table where these cards are being used? I mean, come on, it's going to be pretty obvious if someone busts out a pack of rares at your table. Again, don't play with jerks and that problem solves itself.

You're dodging my question. How do you define a jerk? Someone who spends $50 on cards on eBay? Someone who spends $50 on boosters at their FLGS? Someone who spends $100 in either place? Someone who purchases discount boxes from a wholesaler? At what point does a player's card collection become illegitimate because they are a 'jerk?'

I'm guessing you do not play Magic. No one calls a Magic player a jerk just because he's invested money in specific cards to make a deck work. If you don't think that we will be seeing characters optimized with a coordinated Fortune Card deck within a year -- heck, within _months_ -- you are sorely mistaken.

I'm not sure about the organized play. Wasn't there something about the idea that you should bring the boosters to the table? Sort of like how you do sealed booster games in MtG? I haven't been following things that closely, but I do recall something about this from a while back.

That would be the easy way to solve the Ebay issue in organized play though. You must play with a sealed booster. End of issue.

So you have to buy new boosters every time you play? Wizards must love you.

 

[Nagol]

You're dodging my question. How do you define a jerk? Someone who spends $50 on cards on eBay? Someone who spends $50 on boosters at their FLGS? Someone who spends $100 in either place? Someone who purchases discount boxes from a wholesaler? At what point does a player's card collection become illegitimate because they are a 'jerk?'

I'm guessing you do not play Magic. No one calls a Magic player a jerk just because he's invested money in specific cards to make a deck work. If you don't think that we will be seeing characters optimized with a coordinated Fortune Card deck within a year -- heck, within _months_ -- you are sorely mistaken.



So you have to buy new boosters every time you play? Wizards must love you.

This is particularly true when there is a great discretionary income disparity at the gaming table.

At my gaming table, the top household income is over 300K and the bottom is up to 40K after a period of unemployment. Is the top guy a jerk if he buys a case of cards?