Trumps similar to those in Amber

[the Jester]

I've used trumps imc for years. When they are introduced, they typically change the game significantly.

I have toyed with various systems for the cards over the years. They've hardly come up yet in 3e; on the few occasions they did I required an Int check, DC 15 (? or maybe 10, and maybe it was Wis... have to look in my notes), to activate them (and attempting to do so was a full-round action).

I've long put trump-making in a special category of its own. I have a Use Trumps skill imc, though it's very difficult to find training in it. I also have a Trump Maker prestige class in my head (haven't had the need or occasion to actually write it up). I haven't codified much of the 3e rules for trumps yet; but you can use the Use Trumps skill untrained if the DC of the check is low enough. With ranks of Use Trumps, you can take the Draw Trump item creation feat. There are a few other trump-related feats I'll prolly write up when the time comes.

With the Draw Trumps feat, you can make trumps more quickly and cheaply than you could with Craft Wondrous Item. There are people trumps and location trumps. In all cases you can transport yourself through the contact with a decent Use Trumps check.

Ahh, trumps. I might make the Trump Maker an epic prc, on reflection.

 

[Digital M@]

Some really great stuff here. I like adding the skills to the mix as well. Things you can do with the cards.

Talk to others
transport others to you or be transported to them
transport to specific area
scry specific area
May force someone to answer the trump
may attack through a trump
May transport others through trump - Skill check DC determines how many & how long it takes
A full deck of Trumps can reveal clues about the fates and futures of those depicted on the Trumps

Full Round activation, provokes attack of opportunity
50 Charges per trump
Does not take up body Slot
Skills Required: Use Trump, Metamagic Feat Create Wonderous Item & or Make Trumps Feat.
UMD - Will give a bonus to the USe Trump Skill.
Objects that block Scrying can protect people from Trump Contact. They may just increase the DC of the Use Trump Skill.

Detect Thoughts [Sor/Wiz 2]
Scrying [Sor/Wiz 4] 1800
Sending [Sor/Wiz 5] 1800
Teleport, Greater [Sor/Wiz 7]

Cost is 12,000GP and 800XP

There are lots of potential uses for these, but I think that the cost in both gold & XP will deter the PCs from abusing them. That and the addition of anti Scry makes it difficult to force a trump contact should allow a DM to protect NPCs who are aware the PCs have or are capable of making Trumps.


Any other suggestions? Do you think I should change something?

 

[Digital M@]

In the books the Trumps would work across different planes of existance, do you think this would be too powerful or just make a tough Use Trump DC for the check, this will limit the potential for abuse.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Amber has a very different cosmology; basically there are only parallel prime material planes arranged around two poles; the Pattern of Amber at one end, the Courts of Chaos at the other. No outer planes, no inner planes, no transitional planes. The main characters can shadow walk to other primes.

It would make perfect sense to say that the trumps only work on a Prime Material Plane. Or on another level of the plane you are on. (Hell specific trumps could be made that let you move around the Hells, say). Having a high DC to use would also make sense. If you want to mimic the Amber item more closely, you could say that the user must have the ability to shadow walk. Which in the series means you have a blood connection to either the royal family of Amber or the Courts of Chaos. In DnD it would either be a bloodline feat or a template. A UMD check might make up for the lack.

Real Trumps would probably only work for someone with the feat/template, and require a skill check. A magic item inspired by them but more broadly usable- well, it would be more expensive for one, and it might have charges.

Some of the special tricks possible with the trumps (attacking people, reading their thoughts without their knowledge, etc.) would either require special feats or very high skill DCs. They wouldn't be automatic features of the item.

 

[Digital M@]

Some of the special tricks possible with the trumps (attacking people, reading their thoughts without their knowledge, etc.) would either require special feats or very high skill DCs. They wouldn't be automatic features of the item.

Agreed. I was thinking of very high DCs with a resistance roll to boot to see if the other person notices. The Trumps were so diverse and their powers were never fully explained or explored within the story. I have always loved them and I figured with greater teleportation as a spell, they would always be a great flavor piece.

 

[Pyrex]

*throws in 2cp*

First suggestion: People Trumps and Location Trumps should be different.

Location Trump: Clairaudience, Clairvoyance and Word of Recall at will command-word activation. Must make a DC ~15ish Use Trump roll or DC ~20ish UMD check to activate as a full-round action.

Person Trump: Telepathic Bond and Teleport, Greater at will command word activation. Similar activation checks as above.

Other effects would require feats, possibly requiring spells/psionic powers as prereqs:

Example:

Trump Mind Reading
PreReq: 8+ Ranks in Use Trump; must be able to cast Detect Thoughts (or similar psionic power)
Effect: If you have a persons Trump card you may cast ~X~ on them with no range limitation if you first make a DC 20 Use Trump check to establish a connection.

Trump Psionic Combat
PreReq: 11+ Ranks in Use Trump. Ability to Cast/Manifest a spell/power with the [Mind Affecting] descriptor
Effect: If you possess someones trump card and make a DC 20 Use Trump check to establish contact you may use any [Mind Affecting] spell or power on them regardless of range.

 

[Sigurd]

1. There was an Ethos Mag that had a class called the Carteomancer. I don't think it would be innapropriate to demand a prestige class around images and painting in order to make Amberite trump Decks.

2. Place vs People. The majority of useful trumps would be places, perhaps tied to planar touchstones or gates. If you had the trump use skill - similar to scrying I guess - you might be able to reach out to someone concentrating on the same place card in the same orientation.

3. A wonderful artist might be able to create a trump card with your image or a personalized arcane mark that would allow greater accuracy of communication and greater assurance of secrecy.

4. Trumps might be made for shared symbols - alignment, guild marks, or Eberron Dragon marks. this would reduce the chance of trump interference.


Dont forget in Amber the primary characters already have the powers to move through the weave by visualizing changes that become real. In D&D characters have no such advantage - you'd have to come up with a replacement mechanic.

5. One trump card might not be worth that much. Two keyed Trump cards would probably be necessary for communication unless the object of your communication was pictured in the trump - which would probably suck for the object.

6. Not all trump cards need be created equal.

7. Likely anything you can do with trump cards you could do with an appropriate magic crystal Ball. The cheapest crystal ball in the DMG is 42k.

Sigurd