To C deck or not to C deck?


Pathfinder Adventure Card Game General Discussion


A very basic idle question (I have unsuccessfully looked for discussion on it)...

We're about to start WotR, and for the first two paths we just added the add-on decks in automatically. It occurs to me now that essentially doubling the number of B-level cards in the box must pull down the average encounter level slightly, even after basic and elites start getting pulled.

We play with 4 characters, so aside from the new PCs in the add-on deck, we don't actually *need* extra cards. This time around, I'm thinking of being more selective and just adding the cards related to the new PCs, or even doing a quick 'draft' of which cards to add.

Do most of you use the C decks in full even when playing with fewer than six characters? Was there designer intent that the add-on decks mainly be used with larger parties?

Grand Lodge

Specifically, in WotR, I avoid doing so. Having MORE Arboreal Blights and Demonic Hordes is seriously unpleasant. It only took one 4-player game with three Demonic Hordes showing up to talk our group out of ever doing that again.


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Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, PF Special Edition, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I always use the C deck regardless of player count, even in WotR where it makes the base scenarios harder.


I'll second James. Normally, I'd add the C deck, especially if I'm playing a character from said deck. With Wrath, though, the added skirmish barriers seriously detract from the experience, in my opinion.


Maybe I'm a little cheesy, but I'll add the boons regardless of character count if they'll be helpful (e.g., boons that specific characters can take advantage of such as Ahmotep using boons with the Staff trait), but I won't add the banes unless we have five or six characters. As the players above identified, Wrath of the Righteous and its PITA banes, notably the Arboreal Blight and Demonic Horde, were the catalyst for the boon/bane split method.


James McKendrew wrote:
Specifically, in WotR, I avoid doing so. Having MORE Arboreal Blights and Demonic Hordes is seriously unpleasant. It only took one 4-player game with three Demonic Hordes showing up to talk our group out of ever doing that again.

^This, all the way.

Otherwise, I also keep Deck C even with fewer players. I have laso considered adding only selected boons from C though - in which case, I would remove the same number of cards from B, matched by card type and Basic/Elite traits.


Since we always play with 3 characters, I usually add each card from C that is not already in B, regardless of being bane or boon.
I use the remaining duplicates to sleeve printed cards from organized play.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32

I add the C cards in my first playthrough of any campaign, and also in later plays if we're using any characters from the C deck. I never add the C cards for OP unless there are 5-6 players, as that's just asking to ruin everyone's upgrade experience.

Grand Lodge

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With fewer than 5, I only add the unique C Deck boons and banes that aren't in the base set. Just so I'm not missing out on anything!


I always just add the C deck. Though, I'm not the box owner for organized play, so I'm not sure what is being done there.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

I'd add the entire C deck, and if you're concerned about the difficulty from the extra barriers, see this FAQ.

Sovereign Court

Pathfinder Maps, Rulebook, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I've noticed while Playing MM, tat most the str based weapons are in the C deck.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Tim Statler wrote:
I've noticed while Playing MM, tat most the str based weapons are in the C deck.

The MM Base Set has only 1 melee character (Zadim), while the MM Character Add-On Deck has 2 (Ahmotep and Drelm).

Sovereign Court

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Vic Wertz wrote:
I'd add the entire C deck, and if you're concerned about the difficulty from the extra barriers, see this FAQ.

This is my solution for WotR. And I just add the C deck in for everything else. It's just easier, and it gets you the deathbane light crossbow in RotR.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

For my next home game I'm planning on adding 3 class deck to a base set and so not adding the C deck boons. I may still add the C deck banes though.


James McKendrew wrote:
It only took one 4-player game with three Demonic Hordes showing up to talk our group out of ever doing that again.

Oh that was the worst!

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