need feedback on gear cards

[Janx]

Hi,

I'm making a template document of index cards for gear. We're using normal index cards, and I'd like to move to pre-printed cards. Much like ToGC's cards for spells and monsters.

Anyway, I've gone and made the template cards, but I want to make sure I got all the fields I need. Things like weapon qualities might be missing. I do 3e, not 3.5, so I might be missing a new attribute (like DR).

Anyway, here's a dump of my cards in txt format. Please tell me what you think. I'll take that feedback and incorporate it into my real document, which I'll post when I'm done.

You'll note there's more fields for each type of item than you might need. My goal was to be relatively complete. I assume you wouldn't fill in a field you don't know or need.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Weapon:
Attack: Damage: Critical:
Range: Type(SPB): Page:
Weight: Size: Cost:
Hardness: Break DC: AC: HP:
Notes:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Armor:
Armor Bonus: Speed Mod.: Don Time:
Max Dex: Arcane Spell Failure%: Don Hastily:
Armor Check: Page: Removal:
Weight: Size: Cost:
Hardness: Break DC: AC: HP:
Notes:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Scroll
Spell Spell Level Caster Level






Weight: Size: Cost:
Hardness: 0 Break DC: 8 AC: 9 HP: 1
Notes:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Shield:
Armor Bonus: Armor Check: Page:
Weight: Size: Cost:
Hardness: Break DC: AC: HP:
Notes:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Ammo:
Attack: Damage: Quantity:
Weight: Size: Cost:
Hardness: Break DC: AC: HP:
Notes:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Potion:
Spell: Spell Level: Caster Level:
Page:
Weight: Size: Cost:
Hardness: Break DC: AC: HP:
Notes:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Poison:
Type: Initial Damage: Secondary Damage:
Weight: Size: Cost:
Hardness: Break DC: AC: HP:
Notes:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Gear:
Weight: Size: Cost:
Hardness: Break DC: AC: HP:
Notes:

------------------------------------------------------------------
Container:
Capacity:
Weight: Size: Cost:
Hardness: Break DC: AC: HP:
Notes:

------------------------------------------------------------------
Grenade-like Weapon:
Direct Hit: Splash Damage: Range:
Weight: Size: Cost:
Hardness: Break DC: AC: HP:
Notes:

------------------------------------------------------------------
Money
Platinum
Electrum
Gold
Silver
Copper
Notes:

------------------------------------------------------------------
Gem:
Weight: Size: Value:
Hardness: Break DC: AC: HP:
Notes:

 

[Janx]

So when I'm done verifying the fields, these will be set up to print 4 to a sheet. I'll probably put in a few pages of instructions on use and the d20 license blurb. They will have grid lines and such for filling in the forms. If I can get someone with a real PDF maker, I can even make it be a PDF form.

If these turn out, I might be able to use them to build a whole series of gear cards from the SRD.

Janx

 

[Aaron2]

For weapons and armor I'd add the Proficiency required (Simple, Martial, Exotic). For total completeness, you might want to include the Craft skill type and DC to make.

 

[Janx]

Good ideas. The proficiency would definitely apply.

I'm a little hesitant to include the craft skill info, but only because my assumption is that you hand the card to the player because he just picked up the item. Thus he's not building it and not needing to know that info.

Am I right in that assumption? Or should I just stick the extra fields on, since we have space on the card?

Any other fields I'm missing?

Janx

 

[AsEver]

I see you have included "page" on some. I'd suggest including the book you are referencing, assuming that is what the field is for.

 

[Janx]

Yup, the Page field means book and page#.

When I write the how to part, I'll explain what each field is for, and that'll be in there.

is "Page" a good field name? Or would "Page#" or "Src." be better?

I'd like to make this a useful product, which I'll basically release as a freebie.

Janx

 

[jmucchiello]

I've been considering doing something like this for ages.

Move Hardness closer to Hit Points. They are needed at the same time and should be separated. In fact, that line would have this order for me:

Break DC: AC: Hardness: HP: Current:

In 3.5, "Spell:" is redundant with "Potion:" as potions must be the name of the spell. All other weird potions are now Elixirs in the Wondrous Item list.

You could add Wand as a card type. It is the same as Potion except there is a charges count. And Staff would be similar to Scroll. Replace Caster level with Charges Used since some spell effects in a staff use 2 charges (and caster level is the level of the staff holder).

------------------------------------------------------------------
Wand:
Spell Level: Caster Level:
Charges: ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo

Spoiler

--------

ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo
Weight: Size: Cost:
Break DC: AC: Hardness: HP: Current:
Notes:

------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff:
Spell Spell Level Charges Used





Charges: ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo

Spoiler

--------

ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo

Weight: Size: Cost:
Break DC: AC: Hardness: HP: Current:
Notes:

------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Aaron2]

I'm a little hesitant to include the craft skill info, but only because my assumption is that you hand the card to the player because he just picked up the item. Thus he's not building it and not needing to know that info.

The only reason I'd include it is that it'll make adding a completely new object easier. You'll have all the stats together so there are no questions later.


Aaron

 

[Janx]

Hey Joe! Those are some good ideas. I think I can accomodate that easily.

I'll work those extra cards in (Wand, staff, elixr, do I need Rod?)

I'll also try to add the Craft skill fields

And the Proficiency for weapons and armor

And I'll see if I can re-order the hardness/break DC fields per Joe's comment.

I think there's been quite a few people waiting for somebody to come out with gear cards. Given how long other cards have been out, this is low-haning fruit.

I'd love to be able to partner up with one of the PDF publishers and have them release it under their label. I think that would add exposure to it. But first, I gotta debug the cards. We've been using this format for about a year, but this is the first I broke things up into different gear types.

Thanks for your feedback! I'll post back with the changes in a bit...

Janx

 

[Janx]

Well here's the revised format.

I'm trying to incorporate a common field block that applies to all items. I've also managed to consolidate most cards to a 3 column approach that looks cleaner. It's less visible in a raw text dump, but it shows up on the word doc I'm using.

Once the cards are stable, I'll start working on the document that goes with it. I figure it out to have an explanation of how to use the cards in your game (ex. best practices), an explantion of each card type, and an explantion of what each field means. I was also thinking it might be nice to have a series of tables (from the OGL) of all the weapons, armor, & other gear stats that would have to go on the cards. It's easy to get the basic stats, but AC, hardness, Break DC and HP aren't in the player's handbook...
Or I can save that research for when I do the cards for all gear from the SRD, which would be a later project...

Anyway, here's the current cards:
===================================================
Weapon:
Attack: Damage: Critical:
Range: Type(SPB): Proficiency:
Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: Break DC: Book/Page#:
Hardness: HP: Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:

===================================================
Armor:
AC Bonus: Speed Mod.: Don Time:
Max Dex: Arcane Spell Failure%: Don Hastily:
Armor Check: Removal Time: Proficiency:
Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: Break DC: Book/Page#:
Hardness: HP: Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:

===================================================
Scroll
Spell Spell Level Caster Level









Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: 9 Break DC: 8 Book/Page#:
Hardness: 0 HP: 1 Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:

===================================================
Shield:
AC bonus: Armor Check:
Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: Break DC: Book/Page#
Hardness: HP: Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:

===================================================
Ammo:
Attack: Damage: Quantity:
Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: Break DC: Book/Page#:
Hardness: HP: Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:

===================================================
Potion/Oil:
Spell Level: Caster Level:
Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: 13 Break DC: 12 Book/Page#:
Hardness: 1 HP: 1 Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:

===================================================
Wonderous Item:
Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: Break DC: Book/Page#:
Hardness: HP: Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:

===================================================
Wand:
Spell Level: Caster Level:
Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: 7 Break DC: 16 Book/Page#:
Hardness: 5 HP: 5 Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:

Charges: ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo
ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo

===================================================
Staff:
Spell Spell Level Caster Level Charges used





Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: 7 Break DC: 24 Book/Page#:
Hardness: 5 HP: 10 Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:
Charges: ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo
ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo
===================================================
Poison:
Type: Initial Damage: Secondary Damage:
Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: Break DC: Book/Page#:
Hardness: HP: Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:

===================================================
Gear:
Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: Break DC: Book/Page#:
Hardness: HP: Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:


===================================================
Ring:
Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: 13 Break DC: 25 Book/Page#:
Hardness: 10 HP: 2 Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:


===================================================
Rod:
Weight: 5 Size: Cost:
AC: 9 Break DC: 27 Book/Page#:
Hardness: 10 HP: 10 Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:

===================================================
Container:
Capacity:
Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: Break DC: Book/Page#:
Hardness: HP: Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:

===================================================
Grenade-like Weapon:
Direct Hit: Splash Damage: Range:
Weight: Size: Cost:
AC: Break DC: Book/Page#:
Hardness: HP: Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:

===================================================
Money
Platinum
Electrum
Gold
Silver
Copper
Notes:

===================================================
Gem:
Weight: Size: Value:
AC: Break DC: Book/Page#:
Hardness: HP: Curr. HP:
Aura: Craft Skill: Craft DC:
Notes:



Gimme some more feedback. Given that I'm not making money off these, I can probably release an early version of the cards (sans documentation) once I'm comfortable with the card layout. I'm interested in knowing who would actually use these things in their game.

Janx