My players are currently within Scarwall, and I'm thinking about how to approach the last book, including the Deck of Many Things. I'm mostly happy with it, but some cards don't feel right to me. This is especially true for Cards that kill/remove a character, because it's either "waste a harrow point", "waste resources reviving them" or "new character" (As I don't think they would - for example - travel to the plane of air, just to get their companion back.
So my goal is to use the hivemind to find other fitting effects for those cards.
Rough Structure: Original Effect - Problem - Suggested Change.
The offenders:
The Avalanche:
The character is imprisoned, either by the imprisonment spell or some powerful being.
This is just a dead PC.
This is just a dead PC.
The Crows:
The character must make a choice between his most valuable item or a major ally of the GM’s choice.Whichever the character does not select is destroyed or slain and cannot be restored by any mortal means.
This is not horrible, but killing a major ally doesn't really have a ton of in-game drawbacks, and just makes life difficult for the GM (me).
This is not horrible, but killing a major ally doesn't really have a ton of in-game drawbacks, and just makes life difficult for the GM (me).
The Cyclone:
The character is drawn into the card, appearing in an arena-like chamber surrounded by ghosts. There, the character must fight an elder air elemental alone. If she can’t defeat the elemental in 1d6+1 rounds, she is instantly transported to the Elemental Plane of Air.
Again, dead PC. With Korvosa on the line, the party won't mount a rescue mission to the plane of air.
Again, dead PC. With Korvosa on the line, the party won't mount a rescue mission to the plane of air.
The Demon’s Lantern:
The character’s body disintegrates. All that remains are her items and a glowing gem containing her soul. This gem is worth an amount equal to the character’s level x 2,500 gp. A miracle, resurrection, true resurrection, or wish is required to restore the character; doing so destroys the gem.
Dead PC or just a wasted card.
Dead PC or just a wasted card.
The Forge:
The PC must choose armor or a weapon he owns to be reforged into another suit of armor or weapon of equal or lesser gp value. Any gp value not spent is lost.
This is OK, but somewhat boring.
The Card is neutral, so any effect should have a positive and a negative side.
This is OK, but somewhat boring.
The Card is neutral, so any effect should have a positive and a negative side.
The Midwife:
The character gains exactly enough experience to advance to the next level.
This is alright, but I'm unsure how to use it with milestone leveling. Is that PC now one level ahead of everybody, or do they just level up earlier? Any other suggestions are also welcome.
This is alright, but I'm unsure how to use it with milestone leveling. Is that PC now one level ahead of everybody, or do they just level up earlier? Any other suggestions are also welcome.
The Paladin:
The PC is granted a holy avenger. If the character who gains this card’s effect currently wields Serithtial, this card has no effect and the player instead gains a permanent +2 increase to an ability score of her choice.
I have one Paladin in my party, and he's probably the one who's going to wield Serithial. For everyone else, a holy avenger is only useful for sale, which is pretty underwhelming.
I have one Paladin in my party, and he's probably the one who's going to wield Serithial. For everyone else, a holy avenger is only useful for sale, which is pretty underwhelming.
The Sickness:
The PC becomes afflicted with incurable blood veil. The disease cannot be cured by any effect short of a miracle or wish spell.
This is thematic, but does nothing but effectively make the PC spend resources on restoration every day.
This is thematic, but does nothing but effectively make the PC spend resources on restoration every day.
The Tangled Briar:
Once per day, the character can use speak with plants to ask a single question of a plant. Using this ability upsets the surrounding flora, however, causing 1d4+2 shambling mounds with the fiendish creature template to erupt from the ground and attack the character, regardless of the surrounding terrain.
Why would anyone ever use this?
Why would anyone ever use this?
The Teamster:
When the character draws this card, he receives a vision of a beautiful ghost. With a successful DC 35 Knowledge (arcana or history) check, he recognizes the woman as Sorshen, Runelord of Lust. The ghost informs the PC that Ileosa intends to destroy her legacy, and commands the PC to defeat Ileosa before the passage of 7 days. If Ileosa has not been defeated in this time, Sorshen is displeased and the PC gains a negative level that cannot be removed—a new negative level is gained each additional week that passes without Ileosa’s defeat. If the PC is slain by accumulated negative levels in this way, he becomes a wraith. As soon as Ileosa is defeated, any negative levels imparted by this card vanish and the character immediately gains a permanent +2 bonus to his Charisma score.
This is wicked cool, but it's a bit sad that any positive effect kicks in only after Illeosa is defeated.
This is wicked cool, but it's a bit sad that any positive effect kicks in only after Illeosa is defeated.