D&D 4E Great idea for 4E!

[Maggan]

something like this?

<snipped excellent card>

Exactly!

Well, not exactly like that, the picture doesn't really illustrate dodge, but the general intent is exactly how it should be done!

Now imagine punching a hole in the upper left corner of each card and then stringing them together on a chain. The result: a very convenient and compact "rules compendium".

/M

 

[WhatGravitas]

I wouldn't mind seeing reference cards for combat options but not cards to chose an action from.

Why? I mean as a purely helpful thing... it's great! Numerical bonuses can be added before hand, but things requiring an action... I constantly forget about them, as well as my spells. And I hate leafing through my character sheet. Cards that spell out what you can do are incredibly helpful.

I mean if you get more abilities to use, that's a fantastic idea to handle the increasing complexity, as many people are visual people.

I mean... how is using cards different from a character sheet?

(sidenote: I'm less of a card-type, I prefer a DIN A4 reference table with size 8 font because I'm one of the persons who never use mindmaps, but tables instead, it just clicks better with my head, but I've seen that card idea at my table... and it's great!)

Cheers, LT.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

Have 3 piles, Swift-Standard-Full

Printing each type in its own color would really help too.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

We also use a new visual aid in our game.

It's a folded DIN A4 paper or so with "Now I'm scared" written on it.

 

[AWizardInDallas]

D&D establishes limits.

By having rules, some things are limited. D&D is one of the more limiting games out there, compared to say, HERO or GURPS. Things like Levels and Classes limit your options.

The only one suggesting "choose an action from" is the OP, who is doing so out of sarcasm.

I was referring to the limited decision tree of a computer game vs. the unlimited decision tree of a pencil and paper role playing game.

 

[AWizardInDallas]

Why? I mean as a purely helpful thing... it's great!

Because I don't enjoy flipping to the combat section every session to recall the process for a grapple, charge or overrun.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Or maybe you just have Cards with what action they are at the top. To use them, you "Pay" an action, and when you do the action, you turn it sideways, "Tapping" that action out.

What? WHAT? Why are you looking at me that way?

I hate to admit it, but I have to agree that rules on cards isn't such a bad idea.

Imagine you're DMing, and you have to deal with complicated rules for situations X, Y, and Z. Pull those cards, leave 'em out, and no flipping through books. Surely, people used the DDM stat cards to easily reference stats in their home games? Why would this be any different? In 1e and 2e, I used to keep NPC stats on index cards.

D&D doesn't become a card game because you use cards as a prop/visual reminder. It can only become a card game when you let cards limit the open-ended nature of the game itself.

RC

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Though I guess one can overdo it.

Imagine if you really had all the possible actions, spells, magical items, and whatever else on cards - you end up with one (or several) card decks that you would have to go through too, which would be just as bad as skimming through a rulebook, except that you certainly don't have a table of contents for your "combat maneuver deck".
Though, this of course depends on how many different options (cards) are available for each type of card/deck you're making.

Magical Items: Works well, because each player has only a limited amount of actions.
Combat Maneuvers: Might become a real hassle for a high level Fighter. A table containing all possible options is probably easier.
Spells: High level casters probably would benefit more from ring binder containing their spells (but the things you bind might in fact be cards), possibly organized by level or alphabet or both.
Quests: Good idea, might be also organized in some kind of ring binder or journal for long-running or very free-form campaigns.

The important thing is always to keep the information organized, so you find it quickly. If you memorize the pages for each combat option in the rule book, you don't need cards, and if you have 40 cards, they won't help that you much...

 

[Sadrik]

Horrible idea. Wanna play a card game? Go play a card game instead of turning D&D into a card game.

Give me a break. Reference cards do not make it a card game.

I really like the idea because in my opinion anything that speeds up the game at the table (especially combat) is a welcome addition at my table!

I dont think I would buy something like this but I do buy 3x5 cards for my games (I use them for initiative order, character stat references, and the occasional note or magic item reference card) So, it will be very easy to have all of the players jot down their pertinent info on a 3x5 for each of their abilities.

 

[Jackelope King]

It sounds like a pretty helpful idea, honestly. It could even (if packaged correctly) be an excellent "newbie" present to attract new players who are eating up CCGs and make D&D seem more accessible.

Make a "deck" for each class with all of the abilities for that class spelled out on it. Put cool art on the side showing the iconic for that class using the ability. Make it possible to run through a game with a one-sided, one-page character sheet and a hand of cards without needing to thumb through the PHB.

Heck, this would make having pre-generated characters waiting for interested newbies a breeze. "Oh, you want to sit down and give it a shot? Okay. You can be the ranger, and your abilities are on these cards here. You can use one ability of each card color on your turn, okay? Great! We'll handle the rest." Sell them for $5-10 and you have a pretty decent product.

Although I'd pity the poor wizard who had to buy a huge stack of spells almost as much as I do Imperial Guard players in Warhammer 40k for having to buy all those expensive tank models