Rule on Harrow Deck of Many Things effects and players


Rules Questions


So the AP I'm running gives the option for me to allow for the drawing from the Harrow Deck of Many Things. Planning on doing it because I love train wrecks. Have a question about the effects though. Do the players know what the effects are when they draw the card? Or I guess I should say, do I tell them the effects that aren't obvious? The AP gives them a chance to spend Harrow points to draw a different card with no effect so I'm confused why they'd redraw if you didn't know what the effect would be. thanks


Doshkin wrote:
So the AP I'm running gives the option for me to allow for the drawing from the Harrow Deck of Many Things. Planning on doing it because I love train wrecks. Have a question about the effects though. Do the players know what the effects are when they draw the card? Or I guess I should say, do I tell them the effects that aren't obvious? The AP gives them a chance to spend Harrow points to draw a different card with no effect so I'm confused why they'd redraw if you didn't know what the effect would be. thanks

After looking over the list of options, most of the cards stipulate what the PCs know and don't know about the cards effects. The Betrayal, for example says 'Upon drawing this card, the character knows that someone or something will turn against him, but nothing more.' but the publican says 'The GM chooses one of the character’s enemies. This enemy has a complete change of heart and now favors the character.' so the PC doesn't know which enemy.

That said, I expect the players don't know what the cards are, and if they have an ability to redraw then the only way that ability makes any sense is if they can make an informed decisions based on what the card they drew does.

So, yes. They get to read the effect description, make the choice to keep it or not, but if the specifics are vague as written, they won't get to know what those are.


Kasoh wrote:
Doshkin wrote:
So the AP I'm running gives the option for me to allow for the drawing from the Harrow Deck of Many Things. Planning on doing it because I love train wrecks. Have a question about the effects though. Do the players know what the effects are when they draw the card? Or I guess I should say, do I tell them the effects that aren't obvious? The AP gives them a chance to spend Harrow points to draw a different card with no effect so I'm confused why they'd redraw if you didn't know what the effect would be. thanks

After looking over the list of options, most of the cards stipulate what the PCs know and don't know about the cards effects. The Betrayal, for example says 'Upon drawing this card, the character knows that someone or something will turn against him, but nothing more.' but the publican says 'The GM chooses one of the character’s enemies. This enemy has a complete change of heart and now favors the character.' so the PC doesn't know which enemy.

That said, I expect the players don't know what the cards are, and if they have an ability to redraw then the only way that ability makes any sense is if they can make an informed decisions based on what the card they drew does.

So, yes. They get to read the effect description, make the choice to keep it or not, but if the specifics are vague as written, they won't get to know what those are.

That makes a ton of sense, thanks a ton!

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