Stacking the Deck (of Many Things)

[Orryn Emrys]

I posted this here because it doesn't really apply to a specific edition, per se, but it is D&D related. I just had a scene in this week's 3.5 D&D session where someone in the party was poking around a gypsy wagon they had acquired and found a hidden floor compartment which contained a small wooden box filled with ivory plaques... Most of my players are veteran D&D players; you should've seen their faces. Particularly since not a single character in the group could possibly have any reason to suspect that the plaques are dangerous.

Mind you, that was at the end of the session, and I'm planning on taking them offguard a little. It is an artifact similar to a deck of many things, but I'd like to build an alternative set of results for the cards. One, because it'll throw everyone for a loop; two, because I think the regular old artifact is too swingy and potentially game-breaking for a mid-level campaign; and three, because I've used the deck before in other games and I'd like to do something different.

Has anyone ever seen an alternative set of powers for a deck of many things? Anyone care to help me build one?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I seem to recall a Dragon article with many decks of many things, from some time back ... maybe someone with the index can ID the issue.

 

[Crothian]

PHB2 has a web enhancement for 3.5 has an alternative deck of many things. Pathfinder has a Harrow Deck of many things that you could borrow ideas from.

 

[Orryn Emrys]

Thanks, guys. I should have those resources... I'll get to diggin'.

 

[Nytmare]

You could have it operate less like a Deck of Many Things, where you flip a card, and get an immediate fight/treasure/curse result, and more like the Everway Deck.

Everway was a (dare I say old?) RPG that used a modified/fantasy Tarot deck as it's random number generator. There were two or three ways to use it, but one method was to do what amounted to a full Tarot reading of the character, or their action as a storytelling device.

In your game, the deck could be possessed by a spirit who offers to use the powers of the deck to twist the fates of anyone who has their fortunes read.

Everything could be on the up and up, or it could be that the spirit is actually cursing them. Maybe the spirit is trying to manipulate the characters into unwittingly freeing it, or complete some other nefarious task without their realizing it.

I always enjoy having open ended fortune telling or prophecies. The players usually end up doing most of the mental legwork in trying to come up with explanations and worst possible outcomes.

 

[BriarMonkey]

In addition to the web enhancement found on WoTC's site, Sean Reynolds did an alternative he called the Deck of Past and Future Possibilites. The version for Pathfinder that uses the Harrow deck is also a possibility (as mentioned above).

Those should give you some alternatives. But keep in mind, most of those options are similar in bent to the original Deck of Many Things.

 

[Corathon]

The old gaming company called The Companions released a product with several less powerful magical decks (maybe called "Decks of Mystery"?) but that might be hard too find now - to say the least.