I enjoyed this. I laughed out loud enough to get curious looks from my wife when I read the Camp Followers skills: Profession (Oldest). Very funny. I was glad to see the character filled out in a more practical and useful manner than the simple expression of that one profession might show. The porter and steward are going to become regualr features in some of my games, specifically one that has a mid-level party that has already come into a working estate (now the wizard doesn't have to pay the taxes and the fighter isn't always carrying in the luggage). Guides are always useful and seldom ever carrying ranger levels, so this one fits the bill just fine.
The Idea of being able to have nifty cards that the DM can "pass out at the table" to help get players to view their treasures as more than filled in slots on the paper is an excellent one. I would love to be able to ask my players to hand me the card for the "potion of Heroism" or whatever they want to use instead of saying, "oh, I think I remember you used that two encounters ago, but I see its till on your list, so I'll have to pretend you still have it, but erase it right now." Only to miss the player fudging the system by re-filling the slot while I take a bio-break at the next session. Back in 1992 I had a very similar idea with various colord poker chips and game tokens for keeping track of potions and the like, and then had index cards made for the really cool weapons and armor that my players were hauling around. I thought maybe this would be a good replacement for what I lost in the flooding we had here several years ago, but as soon as I saw the words "booster pack contains xx random cards" I immediately blew this off as a no sale. Give me a whole set of 110 cards in one shot and maybe some 10 cards "boosters" for weapons, potions, wands, staves, rings, and then armor that aren't a total crap-shoot and we may have a deal. Especially when those notes on the back start making dagger A way cooler than dagger B and the rogues just want to filch it from the wizard that got the lucky draw.
A friend (read absolutely gorgeous young lady) working at a bookstore introduced me to a huge booster pack while I was waiting for the Monster Manual IV to come out. I was planning on using the Bluespawn Godslayer in a campaign and lo and behold, in that box, there he was sitting all scary and terrifying. My room-mate and I have since bought three more boosters and gotten not only another Bluespawn Godslayer, but the Dracolich, the Golden Protector, and several other rares that we thought would be just too cool to have. We are not dissapointed at all. The other players who don't know what's coming won't be either, bwa-ha-ha-ha!!!
