I want monster cards!

[William Edmunds]

I love the various cards Paizo makes for the Pathfinder game (crit deck, fumble deck, magic item decks, et al). I would love to see monster cards for at least the adventure paths, printing the monster/NPC stats on both sides of the card, if needed. Thoughts?

[John Spalding]

Even better if they came with paper minis.

[Evil Lincoln]

I would like to see what R&D might come up with on this.

My first inclination is that a card is too small for many monsters, and the advantage over a simple statblock isn't that great.

There is potential here, but I'd want a clearer picture of how this would work!

[Vic Wertz]

Evil Lincoln wrote:

I would like to see what R&D might come up with on this.

My first inclination is that a card is too small for many monsters, and the advantage over a simple statblock isn't that great.

There is potential here, but I'd want a clearer picture of how this would work!

I have to say, I don't see how to do it... I'd say that we could *maybe* fit half a column's worth of stat block onto one side of a standard poker-size card, and even *that* would be pushing it. So any monster whose stats take even a full column in the book probably wouldn't fit—and that's a lot of them.

[Steve Geddes]

Vic Wertz wrote:

Evil Lincoln wrote:

I would like to see what R&D might come up with on this.

My first inclination is that a card is too small for many monsters, and the advantage over a simple statblock isn't that great.

There is potential here, but I'd want a clearer picture of how this would work!

I have to say, I don't see how to do it... I'd say that we could *maybe* fit half a column's worth of stat block onto one side of a standard poker-size card, and even *that* would be pushing it. So any monster whose stats take even a full column in the book probably wouldn't fit—and that's a lot of them.

I'm a big fan of these - the card line is so far the only Paizo offering which doesnt really fit with my group. What I would want would be:

1. Tarot sized cards rather than poker sized*
2. Picture on one side
3. "essential" statblock only - a list of special abilities rather than the text. Most of the time, I don't need a recap of how those abilities work, just a reminder than the monster regenerates (or whatever)

In my perfect world (though I doubt this is going to suit everyone) there wouldnt be any actual statblock - rather then back of the card would contain the relevant knowledge skill plus three paragraphs at three different DCS relating what PCs can know about the monster.

* I am of course, clueless about commercial realities - in my opinion the larger card would be superior for something like this (likely to be held up for the group or clipped to the DM screen or somesuch, rather than handed out) it would be important to be bigger than the usual cards. I suspect it's not that much of a significant cost, but recycling artwork from the Bestiary, APs or wherever would seem to be an economical use - at the moment I rather awkwardly hold up my bestiary for players anyhow, since it's such a shame if only I get to see the art.

[Green Left Eye]

I'd be happy with "monster cards" that contained just the artwork, similar to the NPC Portrait Cards that I use and love.

[DitheringFool]

Green Left Eye wrote:

I'd be happy with "monster cards" that contained just the artwork, similar to the NPC Portrait Cards that I use and love.

Me too

[Kyle Baird]

DitheringFool wrote:

Green Left Eye wrote:

I'd be happy with "monster cards" that contained just the artwork, similar to the NPC Portrait Cards that I use and love.

Me too

Me three, but put descriptive text on the back!

[thenorthman]

Or even the 8x5 cards like the map packs.

Not to sure I would use these though.

One side would have to have the stats and the other a really good photo. That way I can say this is the monster and then use the needed stats on the other.

Though I'm a completeness type of person so it would have to be all the monsters. Bestiary I and II closing on 340 monsters?

Hmmmmm

Edit: Which show how much it's killing me to have skipped Swallowed Whole map pack.....just didn't like that one but.....it is killing me.

[William Edmunds]

Vic Wertz wrote:

Evil Lincoln wrote:

I would like to see what R&D might come up with on this.

My first inclination is that a card is too small for many monsters, and the advantage over a simple statblock isn't that great.

There is potential here, but I'd want a clearer picture of how this would work!

I have to say, I don't see how to do it... I'd say that we could *maybe* fit half a column's worth of stat block onto one side of a standard poker-size card, and even *that* would be pushing it. So any monster whose stats take even a full column in the book probably wouldn't fit—and that's a lot of them.

The key is to include only information that is relevant to combat. For example, don't print ecology sections, don't include feats that provide benefits already included in the stat block, don't include xp values. You might not even include the six basic stats. Special abilities go on the back of the card; you don't need to list them on the front, so that gets rid of another line.

And, of course, making them tarot card sized would solve other issues.

I think these would be a big seller if you could make them work. I'd be willing to drop $15 on a pack of a few dozen over-sized monster cards. Maybe $20. Anyone else?

[Shining Brow]

Personally I'd like to see just a Summoners Deck of Monsters for players. That way those creatures are all consolidated together instead flipping pages and you can pull out just the ones you prefer to summon. I'd also like to see blank template cards included so players can add or create some monsters from other sources as they release.

It would be great if this could be done for Pathfinder and 3.5 material. A 5x7 card is probably big enough for summoning purposes and you could use both sides of the card, maybe limiting a picture to half of one side.

[Bwang]

I did cards for my Champions villains and npcs back in the 80s on 8x5s, cut and pasted image photo-copies on the backs of their 'combat' cards. The names where also posted so players could keep track. worked well.

[Deanoth]

What I personally would love to see for monster cards is as stated in a post earlier is the information for knowledge checks and that is it. Maybe and I stress maybe a portrait of the monsters on the other side of the card. I think that having the knowledge check information on the card would be the most useful because of all the information provided in the stat block the only information that is missing is the information for the knowledge check and most DM's usually struggle with that type of information to give to the players when they do the knowledge checks like that.

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Deanoth wrote:

What I personally would love to see for monster cards is as stated in a post earlier is the information for knowledge checks and that is it. Maybe and I stress maybe a portrait of the monsters on the other side of the card. I think that having the knowledge check information on the card would be the most useful because of all the information provided in the stat block the only information that is missing is the information for the knowledge check and most DM's usually struggle with that type of information to give to the players when they do the knowledge checks like that.

What, you mean something like...... this?

[Deanoth]

Enevhar Aldarion wrote:

Deanoth wrote:

What I personally would love to see for monster cards is as stated in a post earlier is the information for knowledge checks and that is it. Maybe and I stress maybe a portrait of the monsters on the other side of the card. I think that having the knowledge check information on the card would be the most useful because of all the information provided in the stat block the only information that is missing is the information for the knowledge check and most DM's usually struggle with that type of information to give to the players when they do the knowledge checks like that.

What, you mean something like...... this?

Yes like that... and I own that. But as a game mastery pack and official.Also it would be IN print instead of a PDF :)