role dealer, returning cards, and stacking the deck

[ohako]

Harrow Handbook wrote:

Role Dealer (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, whenever the card caster randomly draws and throws a harrow card matching one axis of his alignment, the card’s critical threat range increases to 19–20. If the card caster draws and throws a harrow card matching his alignment exactly, the attack’s critical multiplier also increases to 3 and the magus gains a +4 bonus on his confirmation roll. This ability replaces the magus arcana gained at 3rd level.

Harrow Handbook wrote:

Deadly Dealer: [some stuff...]Harrow cards are treated as masterwork weapons when thrown using this feat, but are still destroyed after they are thrown. A harrow deck can no longer be used as a fortune-telling device after even a single card is thrown.

Lastly, one of the enchantments that a card caster magus can put on a ranged weapon (even a harrow card) is returning.

1. If you throw a returning harrow card at someone, is it destroyed after being thrown, or will it return to you?
2. If I just buy sets of the 6 cards that match my alignment, can I 'randomly' draw them out of my quiver/card box?
3. If I count cards so that I know that I've got a good chance of drawing a good card (for the purposes of Role Dealer) from a half-destroyed deck, can I enchant this 'stub deck' with returning for keeping the deck the way I like it?

(would a PFS DM be driven crazy by my carrying around a 'half-used' or otherwise messed up harrow deck? are there any other harrow powers that depend on drawing from a deck that's not all together?)

[ohako]

uh, bumpity-bump?

[Nosdarb]

ohako wrote:

1. If you throw a returning harrow card at someone, is it destroyed after being thrown, or will it return to you?
2. If I just buy sets of the 6 cards that match my alignment, can I 'randomly' draw them out of my quiver/card box?
3. If I count cards so that I know that I've got a good chance of drawing a good card (for the purposes of Role Dealer) from a half-destroyed deck, can I enchant this 'stub deck' with returning for keeping the deck the way I like it?

(would a PFS DM be driven crazy by my carrying around a 'half-used' or otherwise messed up harrow deck? are there any other harrow powers that depend on drawing from a deck that's not all together?)

Okay, gonna do my best here.

1. It's destroyed. The cards are essentially ammunition. You don't put "Returning" on arrows, nu? So this ability is for if you've got something else to throw (like daggers, or a chackram).

2. Check with your DM. I don't feel like this is too OP, so I'd probably let it slide at my table. You're basically throwing a dart (1d4+STR), but with a 19-20/x4 crit. And +4 to confirm. If you do confirm it's going to be in the range of 20-32 damage (assuming you have +4 STR). It's a lot from a dart, but not a lot in comparison to a falchion. But I'd expect table variance on this.

3. Assuming I got number one right (which I feel confidant that I did), the answer to this is "No."

There, that all seems reasonable RAI. I'm pretty sure it's RAW even. Anyone want to correct me?

[Terrordactyl]

Deadly Dealer only considers cards ammunition for the purposes of working with magical enhancements, but are otherwise treated as thrown weapons,ie darts. If the cards were ammunition, they would not work with Harrowed Spellstrike as that specifically mentions thrown weapons.

[Murdock Mudeater]

ohako wrote:

Lastly, one of the enchantments that a card caster magus can put on a ranged weapon (even a harrow card) is returning.

1. If you throw a returning harrow card at someone, is it destroyed after being thrown, or will it return to you?
2. If I just buy sets of the 6 cards that match my alignment, can I 'randomly' draw them out of my quiver/card box?
3. If I count cards so that I know that I've got a good chance of drawing a good card (for the purposes of Role Dealer) from a half-destroyed deck, can I enchant this 'stub deck' with returning for keeping the deck the way I like it?

(would a PFS DM be driven crazy by my carrying around a 'half-used' or otherwise messed up harrow deck? are there any other harrow powers that depend on drawing from a deck that's not all together?)

1. Pretty sure that items which are destroyed, can't return. Don't think it's ammunition issue here, the issue is that the ability which makes them count as weapons also says they are destroyed after throwing them.

2. For PFS, you can't purchase a partial deck. But you can certainly keep half a deck if that's all you have left. I will note that almost every harrow deck related spell, requires a complete deck.

3. You can certainly count cards (can't mark the cards, but you could use math or something to mentally project your odds). But regarding the returning bit, no, it doesn't allow you to override your own special rule that says they become destroyed when you throw them.

[Murdock Mudeater]

ohako wrote:

Harrow Handbook wrote:

Deadly Dealer: [some stuff...]Harrow cards are treated as masterwork weapons when thrown using this feat, but are still destroyed after they are thrown. A harrow deck can no longer be used as a fortune-telling device after even a single card is thrown.

Follow up. The "other stuff" on this one says that, for enhancement purposes (as in, making it a magical weapon), the harrow deck is considerred a ranged weapon with 54 pieces of ammunition. So you enchant it like you would a crossbow or bolts. This is both good and bad, but it does mean you can't give it the returning property.

And since it's not in the harrow handbook, it should be noted that the harrow decks cost 100gp each (Inner sea world guide).