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I'm a big fan of the Item Cards and have two or three sets of each. I usually keep one set boxed "for future use" and alphabetize rest in with the old ones so I can find them easily. Alphabetizing has led me to some observations and suggestions for naming future Item Cards (note: I forget which cards came with which sets, so some of these may have already been taking into account by Paizo):
1) PLEASE try to be more consistent in naming items. We have Chain Mail vs. Chainmail, Scale Mail vs. Scailmail, Studded Leather vs. Studded Leather Armor, Padded Armor vs. Padded Suit, Leather Armor vs. Leather Suit, plus Heavy Shields, Light Shields, Steel Shields, Wooden Shields and just plain Shields. Please try to use the standard nomenclature from the Core Rule Book or whatever other supplement the armor is drawn from.
The same is true for weapons - Short Sword vs. Shortsword, Bastard Sword vs. Bastardsword, Axe vs. Battle Axe, and the whole Crossbow, Heavy Crossbow, Light Crossbow, Hand Crossbow group is inconsistent.
Gems vs. Gemstones, Robe vs. Robes in Wondrous Items, Glasscutter vs. Glass Cutter, Scroll Case vs. Scroll Tube, Thieves Tools vs. Thieves' Tools, Poison vs. Vial of Poison in Mundane (there is also a Poison in Wondrous Items). Even Dress and Gown could maybe be the same, especially when the Dress is a lot more classy looking that the Gown.
There's a Seige Engine that says on the back "This catapult..."
Less variety in names isn't as linguistically entertaining, but it does make it easier to find the card you're looking for.
2) Be more careful which sub-group you put items into. There is a Rum Bottle in the Potions groups, but always before Potions were just Potions, and alcohol was in Mundane stuff - Wine, Sake, etc. And there are Mundane items called Magic Dust and Arcane Dagger. The only Catapult we have is a Wondrous Item, same with Cannon and Balista, Wondrous not Mundane. And why is Treasure a Wondrous Item? Hooked Chain should be a Weapon, not a Mundane
3) Consider avoiding adjectives in front of the names of items unless that is part of the name (ex: DWARVEN Waraxe = okay, SILVER Ring = not so helpful). When I go looking for a ring, I don't look for a SILVER Ring, so the silver part throws me off. More examples: JADE Statue, BITTEN Coins, BLEEDING Ruby, BROKEN Comb, BRONZE Gorget, BUTTERFLY Ring, DAGGER Necklace, DEMONIC Statue, DEVIL Box, DOG Amulet, ELVEN Ring, FAIRY Amber, FLAWED Gem, GOLDEN Chain, HELM Pendant, HEROIC Tapestry, HOWLING Gen, ICE WITCH Talisman (not Wondrous?), LIBRAM Amulet, MONSTROUS Idol, MYSTERIOUS Cage, POLISHED Mask, PORTABLE Ram (vs. just plain RAM), REDSTONE Bracelet, ROUND Harp, RUBY Ring, SATIN Cushion, SCARRAB Buckle, SILVER Ring, SKULLSTONE Amulet, SKULL Pendant, SNAKE Bracelt, SPHINX Coin, SWORD Broach, TEARDROP Gem (whose description actually describes it as a Necklace), TREASURE Map, VARISIAN Idol, WOODEN Pendant. [NOTE: most of these are from the same set awhile back, so I think Paizo has probably avoided this recently, but just a reminded maybe to stick to the new rule and not slip back.]
I think you've standardized this one already, but don't put the names of gods on their holy symbols, Just say Holy Symbol Instead of Holy Symbol of Abadar. And don''s say UNholy Symbol.
Anyway, like I said, more nit-picking than complaining, but maybe a way to fine tune an already excellent product and make it just a tad better.
I don't mind the flavorful names. As long as I know what the item is when I'm sorting it, I sort it for what it is, not what it's named.
I do agree about the rum bottle in the potions category though. That threw me off.
I never have known what the distinction was between what you call "wondrous" and "mundane," I just sort all those together because which category things appeared in seemed random to me. I usually just think of those two card styles as "everything else."
I do agree about the rum bottle in the potions category though. That threw me off.
Heheheh
I think that's awesome.
That would throw off a lot of players :)
1) PLEASE try to be more consistent in naming items.
I so, So, SO agree with you. I'm a newcomer, but bought a lot of decks during last year's Great Golem Sale, and have also bought a couple "pig pile of cards" style collections from eBay, so while new, I have enough cards that sorting is a must. And as I've sorted my cards the varying nomenclature has been an annoyance. Generally I just choose an alphabetization point and jam all the variants together, but you mentioned "Crossbow," and I had no idea whether a "Crossbow is Light or Heavy.
2) Be more careful which sub-group you put items into.
This annoys me even more than does the varying name issue. Often I can't even figure out why a given item is in the "wrong" category. I'm not sure I understand why the "wondrous item" category even exists. Almost everything in it could just as easily be in mundane, and then the GM could decide whether this or that item is magical.
That logic makes sense, though I don't believe it was followed all that consistently in that I've seen some items categorized as both Mundane and Wondrous. I'd have preferred if Wondrous had been left over completely to magical items, but I wasn't even buying this line until about a year or so ago, so of course I wasn't consulted.