Pathfinder Deck of Endless NPCs

Are there four separate decks (role, motivation, personality trait, and secret agenda) that you pull four cards from or is it all that information in one card and you pick what you like from the four cards you pulled?

Based on “over 100 millions combinations” we know that each cards has one option for every type of info.

There doesn't appear to be instruction cards in the downloads, unless I'm missing something.

The Ancestries mentioned have me very curious; I'd love to see whatever Amurrun, Iruxi, Kobold, and Ysoki NPCs get in.

Tuckbox text:

Creating a new character every time the players enter a shop or chat with a local on the street can be a real challenge, but the Deck of Endless NPCs makes it as simple as drawing four cards from the deck. These cards combine to form a unique NPC, each with their own role, motivation, personality trait, and secret agenda! With over 100 million different combinations, you are sure to get an interesting new character every time!

I had received my ship notice for this subscription item, but there doesn't seem to be any instruction cards in the digital files that I have downloaded (both .jpg and .pdf versions).

Is this an oversight or expected for the digital side of the product?

I had received my ship notice for this subscription item, but there doesn't seem to be any instruction cards in the digital files that I have downloaded (both .jpg and .pdf versions).

Is this an oversight or expected for the digital side of the product?

An oversight, I believe. Please email customer please, and will will notify the team internally.

Barbaric Gug Swarm wrote:

I had received my ship notice for this subscription item, but there doesn't seem to be any instruction cards in the digital files that I have downloaded (both .jpg and .pdf versions).

Is this an oversight or expected for the digital side of the product?

An oversight, I believe. Please email customer please, and will will notify the team internally.

We are working on updating the file.

This could have been called the Deck of Many Faces?!?!

WHYYYYYYYYY!

(Still looks rad, though!)

Hello, just stopping by the thread to inquire and encourage about an app-version of this deck. I would be willing to pay good money for it, and I know of several others who would be willing to do so as well.

Hello, just stopping by the thread to inquire and encourage about an app-version of this deck. I would be willing to pay good money for it, and I know of several others who would be willing to do so as well.

Thanks! Paizo does make apps, but has partners that do. I'll pass it on.

Hey, I got the digital version of the cards, and I noticed a few things:

1. The cards explaining how to use the deck are completely missing. I looked through both downloads and all of the files.
2. On the PDF, the watermark is a _bit_ big. It covers up text at some points. I fully support having the watermark, but could it be made a tiny bit smaller?
3. The numbering on the JPG files would be more useful if it was the card number, and front or back. The front of the cards don't actually say which card number they are.

Hey, I got the digital version of the cards, and I noticed a few things:

1. The cards explaining how to use the deck are completely missing. I looked through both downloads and all of the files.

Noted above.

2. On the PDF, the watermark is a _bit_ big. It covers up text at some points. I fully support having the watermark, but could it be made a tiny bit smaller?

I believe the watermark is based on your email address and is a fixed process.

3. The numbering on the JPG files would be more useful if it was the card number, and front or back. The front of the cards don't actually say which card number they are.

Thanks for your feedback.

Thinking about getting these, for those who have it does this help a lot in creating interesting NPC's on the fly or its just OK, hit and miss?

Thanks

Tom

For those who only got the digital version and wonder how these work it's pretty simple:

You put one card face up and three cards face down. You use the entirety of the face up card and the left, right, and bottom segments of the face down cards. The arrows on the face-up card point to the alignment traits on the face down cards to give you an alignment. You add up the scrolls and hearts to resolve the random elements applied to each character. It's really fast, easy, and can make for some great NPCs!

I just wish we could release a deck of custom NPCs using these rules on Pathfinder Infinite! Especially so we could stretch out the available ancestries...

For those who only got the digital version and wonder how these work it's pretty simple:

You put one card face up and three cards face down. You use the entirety of the face up card and the left, right, and bottom segments of the face down cards. The arrows on the face-up card point to the alignment traits on the face down cards to give you an alignment. You add up the scrolls and hearts to resolve the random elements applied to each character. It's really fast, easy, and can make for some great NPCs!

I just wish we could release a deck of custom NPCs using these rules on Pathfinder Infinite! Especially so we could stretch out the available ancestries...

How do we know which cards the alignment arrows point to? The alignments listed on the back are different on each card. Also, the scroll/heart tables only go up to 6, but you can get up to 9 of them from three cards (each has 1-3). Are we not supposed to count scrolls/hearts from all three cards?

Dustin Knight wrote:

For those who only got the digital version and wonder how these work it's pretty simple:

You put one card face up and three cards face down. You use the entirety of the face up card and the left, right, and bottom segments of the face down cards. The arrows on the face-up card point to the alignment traits on the face down cards to give you an alignment. You add up the scrolls and hearts to resolve the random elements applied to each character. It's really fast, easy, and can make for some great NPCs!

I just wish we could release a deck of custom NPCs using these rules on Pathfinder Infinite! Especially so we could stretch out the available ancestries...

How do we know which cards the alignment arrows point to? The alignments listed on the back are different on each card. Also, the scroll/heart tables only go up to 6, but you can get up to 9 of them from three cards (each has 1-3). Are we not supposed to count scrolls/hearts from all three cards?

I only have the digital copy, but I played around with it for a little bit. For the 3 face down cards, you place them in such a way where you place the face-up card on top of them, allowing the arrows to point to the alignments listed on the cards.

In other words, take your face-up card. Then take a face-down card & place it behind. Pulling it out the left, right, or bottom side to reveal the relevant information about the character. You do this 2 more times (3 in total) for all 3 sides. What ends up happening is the left card does not show its hearts (don't count those), the right card does not show its scrolls (don't count those), & the bottom card shows both. (count both)

If I'm reading the bottom card correctly, whenever it talks about the "secret", you use the same card (the bottom card).

Here is a visual example of how to line up the four cards.

This would give us a neutral evil kobold who is leaving town because of family reasons. They are in charge of a local watch but have a reputation for being lazy and slow. They do not have a secret because they have zero scrolls.

JD-95 wrote:

Dustin Knight wrote:

For those who only got the digital version and wonder how these work it's pretty simple:

You put one card face up and three cards face down. You use the entirety of the face up card and the left, right, and bottom segments of the face down cards. The arrows on the face-up card point to the alignment traits on the face down cards to give you an alignment. You add up the scrolls and hearts to resolve the random elements applied to each character. It's really fast, easy, and can make for some great NPCs!

I just wish we could release a deck of custom NPCs using these rules on Pathfinder Infinite! Especially so we could stretch out the available ancestries...

How do we know which cards the alignment arrows point to? The alignments listed on the back are different on each card. Also, the scroll/heart tables only go up to 6, but you can get up to 9 of them from three cards (each has 1-3). Are we not supposed to count scrolls/hearts from all three cards?

I only have the digital copy, but I played around with it for a little bit. For the 3 face down cards, you place them in such a way where you place the face-up card on top of them, allowing the arrows to point to the alignments listed on the cards.

In other words, take your face-up card. Then take a face-down card & place it behind. Pulling it out the left, right, or bottom side to reveal the relevant information about the character. You do this 2 more times (3 in total) for all 3 sides. What ends up happening is the left card does not show its hearts (don't count those), the right card does not show its scrolls (don't count those), & the bottom card shows both. (count both)

If I'm reading the bottom card correctly, whenever it talks about the "secret", you use the same card (the bottom card).

Oh I see now, thanks. That's genius!

I did a live-stream showing how the cards work you can watch right here.

As nice as the help is here, is there any update on getting the missing instructions added to the digital cards? Because most customers won't think to look here, if we're being honest.

As nice as the help is here, is there any update on getting the missing instructions added to the digital cards? Because most customers won't think to look here, if we're being honest.

Apologies for the delay, but the files have now been updated to include the missing instructions. You should be able to download the new version from your Digital Content page at your convenience. I'll be sending out an email momentarily to folks who have the download, letting them know that this issue has been resolved.

Thanks again for your patience!

Note: If you want to receive emails when a digital download you own has been updated, you'll want to make sure you enable that in the Privacy Settings section of your Account Settings page.

Here is a visual example of how to line up the four cards.

Thanks for this post! Now I'm excited and can't wait for my local game store to get the deck! This looks like the Starfinder Deck of Many Worlds, which is so much fun even if one doesn't actually play Starfinder! Looking forward to getting this into my hands.

Just a quick question on the app possibility?

Don't mean to be annoying but I really would like this to be an app as it would replace all my other character creation apps more or less immediately.

Just a quick question on the app possibility?

Don't mean to be annoying but I really would like this to be an app as it would replace all my other character creation apps more or less immediately.

Paizo doesn't work in-house on APPs, so they would need a third party to approach them with the project. I would say to look for other PF2 APPs developers and poke them about it (like Digital Dragon Studios that worked on the Digital Combat tracker for mobile devices).

If there's already plans for it, it is not here that it would be announced, but in a PR letter and/or a blog post.

Freehold DM wrote:

Just a quick question on the app possibility?

Don't mean to be annoying but I really would like this to be an app as it would replace all my other character creation apps more or less immediately.

Paizo doesn't work in-house on APPs, so they would need a third party to approach them with the project. I would say to look for other PF2 APPs developers and poke them about it (like Digital Dragon Studios that worked on the Digital Combat tracker for mobile devices).

If there's already plans for it, it is not here that it would be announced, but in a PR letter and/or a blog post.

Please direct me via link? Also, I will check with the folks who made the people who made the critical hit and fumble deck apps.

Edit: Paizo made the critical hit and fumble deck apps.

Elfteiroh wrote:

Freehold DM wrote:

Just a quick question on the app possibility?

Don't mean to be annoying but I really would like this to be an app as it would replace all my other character creation apps more or less immediately.

Paizo doesn't work in-house on APPs, so they would need a third party to approach them with the project. I would say to look for other PF2 APPs developers and poke them about it (like Digital Dragon Studios that worked on the Digital Combat tracker for mobile devices).

If there's already plans for it, it is not here that it would be announced, but in a PR letter and/or a blog post.

Please direct me via link? Also, I will check with the folks who made the people who made the critical hit and fumble deck apps.

Edit: Paizo made the critical hit and fumble deck apps.

Thanks for your suggestion. We do not make apps in-house. I will pass your suggestion along to our Licensing Department.

Elfteiroh wrote:

Freehold DM wrote:

Just a quick question on the app possibility?

Don't mean to be annoying but I really would like this to be an app as it would replace all my other character creation apps more or less immediately.

Paizo doesn't work in-house on APPs, so they would need a third party to approach them with the project. I would say to look for other PF2 APPs developers and poke them about it (like Digital Dragon Studios that worked on the Digital Combat tracker for mobile devices).

If there's already plans for it, it is not here that it would be announced, but in a PR letter and/or a blog post.

Please direct me via link? Also, I will check with the folks who made the people who made the critical hit and fumble deck apps.

Edit: Paizo made the critical hit and fumble deck apps.

I cannot find these APPs you're speaking of? If you're talking of the old PF1 iCrit and iFumble apps, well, these have not been updated for 10 years, and are only "still" availaible on the google play store because they never remove apps, even if it doesn't work with the most recent android version, it seems. I would guess that was an experiment back then and it didn't quite work out.

Freehold DM wrote:

Elfteiroh wrote:

Freehold DM wrote:

Just a quick question on the app possibility?

Don't mean to be annoying but I really would like this to be an app as it would replace all my other character creation apps more or less immediately.

Paizo doesn't work in-house on APPs, so they would need a third party to approach them with the project. I would say to look for other PF2 APPs developers and poke them about it (like Digital Dragon Studios that worked on the Digital Combat tracker for mobile devices).

If there's already plans for it, it is not here that it would be announced, but in a PR letter and/or a blog post.

Please direct me via link? Also, I will check with the folks who made the people who made the critical hit and fumble deck apps.

Edit: Paizo made the critical hit and fumble deck apps.

I cannot find these APPs you're speaking of? If you're talking of the old PF1 iCrit and iFumble apps, well, these have not been updated for 10 years, and are only "still" availaible on the google play store because they never remove apps, even if it doesn't work with the most recent android version, it seems. I would guess that was an experiment back then and it didn't quite work out.

But here is the Digital Dragon Studios website for both Starfinder and Pathfinder licensed combat tracker.

Weird. I still use them both on my current phone and they work just fine, sound effects and all. I would say the experiment was a success!

Thank you for the information, and thank you Aaron for moving things forward where you can.

Have reached out to them and I hope they get back to me soon.

This looks like a fantastically useful product. I'm definitely grabbing the physical version. One question: Does the digital version come with printable or copyable versions of the Portraits to show to my players without the gm-only bits surrounding the card? Are these portraits available elsewhere in another product?

I have in fact grabbed images off the cards to use as NPCs when I needed a face in Foundry.

VTT/digital product questions have outpaced marketing's ability to answer. I will work on that. I appreciate fan replies. That's what makes a good forum.

And for the best way to do it, I recommend Token Tool. I have a folder full of NPC faces now for use when I need them. About to do the same with the Bestiary Battle cards.

And for the best way to do it, I recommend Token Tool. I have a folder full of NPC faces now for use when I need them. About to do the same with the Bestiary Battle cards.

I second TokenTool. Before I was using a command line tool to extract all images from PDFs, but the latest version of TokenTool let you mass export images in webp, which is now the format used by most of the FoundryVTTs module because it's small and without much quality loss.

This deck presents a number of Gnomes and a handful of Halflings with human ethnicities. Is that something we should see in canon? I'm not sure I've heard the idea before.

This deck presents a number of Gnomes and a handful of Halflings with human ethnicities. Is that something we should see in canon? I'm not sure I've heard the idea before.

They had halflings with varying ethnicities in the Mwangi expanse, or do you mean they have exact same as the human ethnicities?

keftiu wrote:

This deck presents a number of Gnomes and a handful of Halflings with human ethnicities. Is that something we should see in canon? I'm not sure I've heard the idea before.

They had halflings with varying ethnicities in the Mwangi expanse, or do you mean they have exact same as the human ethnicities?

There are Chelaxian, "Kelishite," Kellid, Mwangi, and Taldan Gnomes, alongside a few of the groups listed in LOCG (Fell, Bleachling) and Svirfneblin. Halflings get a mix of their LOCG ethnic groups plus Chelaxian.

Given that Chelaxian has been folded into Taldan in 2e and Keleshite is spelled wrong, I'm inclined to believe this product didn't have Lost Omens eyes on it and this element can safely be ignored.

For those interested, I'm making a simple python script to create npc dynamically using the card's images by overlapping the images, saved as jpg.
I'll post the link to my github here once it's finished.

For those interested, I'm making a simple python script to create npc dynamically using the card's images by overlapping the images, saved as jpg.

I'll post the link to my github here once it's finished.

So it would be like what I was interested in?

Akarius wrote:

For those interested, I'm making a simple python script to create npc dynamically using the card's images by overlapping the images, saved as jpg.

I'll post the link to my github here once it's finished.

So it would be like what I was interested in?

Here's the github.. If you have any question, just ask :)

Example of random output

I wanted to add this deck to Fantasy Grounds, but I'm not sure what is covered by the OGL (clearly not images and terms like the Human Ethnicity). Anyone have a guess if I can use all the rules/tables on a software?

If it's only for your own game you should be fine, it's only if you're building a module for others to use that you would run into problems.

I wanted to add this deck to Fantasy Grounds, but I'm not sure what is covered by the OGL (clearly not images and terms like the Human Ethnicity). Anyone have a guess if I can use all the rules/tables on a software?

Disclaimer: this does not constitute legal counsel, but my best understanding.

Cori Marie is right for personal use, and probably free distribution too as it touch the CUP. Note that the CUP (Community Use Policy) has rules about credit and disclaimers though, so make sure to read up on that if it's going on the "free" route.

Otherwise, if it's for a release in an official marketplace:
You can include anything that is "mechanical", like how to use the cards. I think most text used to make the NPCs is fair game too. The only problem comes with propoer nouns included in the text. Specifically the "Ethnicity" label. Example: "Nidalese".
The list of example names might be excluded to, as they are technically "proper nouns"? So basically, the "artwork" side of the card mostly need to be cut (the scroll/heart table at the bottom is ok, as is the ancestry, but the ethnicity, artwork are not, and I don't know if the list of example names are.)

Also, because "trade dress" is also excluded from the OGL, the format of the card can't be used as if either. IMHO the best way to make a module that generate quick description of NPCs using this exact set of rules would probably be all under the hood, with the display only showing the resulting text. (Ancestry, aligment, details, goal, role, trait, and secret, all set in a "narrative" stat block-like paragraph?)

Again, the OGL also has strict rules about disclaimers and "crediting", so read up on that.

The Raven Black wrote:

Aaron Shanks wrote:

captain yesterday wrote:

Will this have stats as well?

I assume so but I have to ask.

Good question. They do not include stats. These are good for role-play. I'd pair them with the Pathfinder NPC Battle Cards. Reskin the stats based on the unique NPC this new deck creates.

A blog post with a few examples of use would be awesome ;-)

We will get sample card images here on the product page in time.

Is now the time?