Be it a sinister sneer, a welcoming glance, or a sly wink, first impressions count in any game. This 54-card set of beautifully illustrated, full-color Face Cards lets you give a new dimension to your game’s NPCs. Each card back includes space to add your own notes for each character. Face Cards are usable with any fantasy roleplaying game.
Face Cards: Enemies contains a diverse mix of character types, from vile cultists to scheming nobles to treacherous blackguards. Appropriate for both player characters and non-player characters alike, the stunning visages of GameMastery Face Cards bring a new visual flair to any fantasy RPG campaign!
I recently picked up the Friends and Foes Deck and was blown away by all the cards in the deck as well as the card stock used. I ordered the Enemies Deck despite the bad reviews and the known issue with the sub paizo standard card stock issues. I just looked through them and while yes the cards are a LOWER QUALITY OF CARD STOCK, BY NO WAY HAS THIS LOWERED THE GREAT ART AND IMAGINATIVE USAGES FOR THIS HELPFUL GAMING AID. There is a much more diverse types of faces, as enemies are not always so common in their guises.
I do want to let those know that there are quite a few "normal" faces in this deck which was also quite pleasing, though they all tend to show a some what sinister or sad expression which I find fantastic given the nature of "enemies".
I'd also like to point out that when placed in a clear Deck Protector sleeve the quality is not noticed and the backs can still be written on with a dry-erase marker and wiped clean.
I personally will be buying all Face Cards put out in the future by paizo and look forward to future sets.
Mona: You want answers?
GM (faithful Paizo customer and more or less devoted subscriber): I think I'm entitled to them.
Mona: You want answers?
GM (etc.): I want the truth!
Mona: You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has deadlines. And those deadlines have to be guarded by men with printers. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. GM (etc.)? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for the enemies face cards and you curse Paizo. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that a few crumbled cards, while tragic, probably saved games. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves games... You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at conventions, you want me on that printer. You need me on that printer.
We use words like honor, code, loyalty...we use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending something. You use 'em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very good paizo quality that I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it!
I'd rather you just said thank you and went on your way!!!
Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a game company and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!
GM (etc.): Did you order the enemies face cards?
Mona: (quietly) I did the job you sent me to do.
GM (etc.): Did you order the enemies face cards?
Mona: You're g@~#%@n right I did!!
GM (etc.)uh.. okay. Thanks.
Thicker cardstock, tough to handle. I understand that this is being remedied.
Now the good:
These are some GREAT pictures. For Oleg in the Kingmaker campaign, I am using the picture you see in the thumbnails above on the left. Kind of portrays his attitude in general at the start of the adventure.
There are many different races of baddies, giving you many options.
Overall, if you are looking for face cards, these are about 5% less desirable than Friends & Foes due to the cardstock quality, but otherwise, these are on par with them.
I recieved these recently and looked forward to disapointment after all the negative hype. Honestly, the quality is lower than usual (but then paizo set a high standard really) but this is a one off by all accounts. Despite the lower quality though, it is still a great product. Excellent, if reused art that is great for all your evil NPC's. Like the faces before it this deck is great for giving your NPC's and villains a readily identifiable face. If you use them in clear sleeves then you won't even notice the problems.
...but it is. Within 2 minutes of thumbing through the deck the top card already had a massive smug on it and most of the other cards have obvious wear signs on them. I shudder to think what this deck will look like after a year or two of use. But maybe that was the point? Get people to buy more decks as the card wear out? I trust that paizo will correct this problem and go back to the quality we saw in Friends & Foes and other GM decks.
I had been waiting for a while for these cards. When I read the poor reviews, I was tempted not to pick them up, but I decided to do so in the hopes that Paizo would see enough support for the product to continue the line (it tortures me that I'm going to have to wait until at least 2011 before Paizo releases another set). Once I got my hands on them, I was glad that I made the purchase, but not as thrilled as I was with the first set.
As has been mentioned before, the card stock is rubbish. The cards stuck together and felt like they'd been printed on discarded cereal box. However, once I separated the cards, I had to admit that I really enjoyed the artwork. Since all my cards are stuck in card protectors in a binder anyway, my players won't be any the wiser that the quality has dropped.
So I'm not thrilled that these are of a lower quality, but as long as Paizo fixes the problem in the future, I'm willing to give them another shot.
The change in quality of card-stock and printing has been noted in other reviews, so I won't rehash it. I notice the difference, but I don't think it's as bad as everyone else is making it out to be. I tend to use these to show players an NPC's face and then put them back in the deck. I don't need them to shuffle, or last through a lot of wear and tear; I'm paying for the art. And the art selection and quality here is as good as—if not better than—the Friends & Foes deck. I see myself using these way more than the first set, even considering the quality of the printing. I recommend this deck, but hope that buyers can look past the change in printing and not set their expectations for something the deck can't deliver. What it can deliver, however, is amazing. So, Paizo, when's the next face cards set coming out?
I was about to post in the forums, thinking I was the only one who got a shoddy quality deck of Enemies cards. I have just started my Gamemastery cards sub and ordered 7 decks and was extremely pleased by them. Then I get this crap. They stick together, do not feel good in your hands at all, and are very difficult to shuffle. This is unacceptable, Paizo, and I am not sure whether I should continue my subscribtion.
edit: Paizo staff has indicated they will not be running a poor quality run of cards like this again. I will wait to see the Plot Twist and Conditions cards.
This is the set of cards I was waiting for - fewer of the big bold faces that are too specific for using for generic PCs. There are many more faces with intriguing looks, that can be a variety of people your PCs might meet. Much more useful.
That said, I'm sad to see the card quality drop - the feel of the cards is pretty important to the whole presentation. If possible I'd like to see a return to the previous quality.
Edit: Glad to hear this change in quality has already been addressed for the sets going forward!