While exploring The Vanishing Tower, the party discovered a strange deck of cards built into the altar. They took the cards and have been learning about them ever since. Here's what we know:
On the night of Flamerule 23rd, 1369, A.F.A.L. ransacked The Vanishing Tower. In the upermost room, they found an enchanted altar which contained a deck of cards, of the sort usually used by diviners. Two cards, The Tower and The Hermit were face up and sideways, covering the rest of the deck. Later, the party learned that The Moon was face up below them, but fully obscured. Darius cast detect magic on the deck and was knocked out by the force of the magic he detected. When he woke up, his first words were "I want". Stewart carefully removed the deck from the Tower without physically touching the cards or changing their configuration.
On Eleasias 1, 1369 Devlin cast identify on the Deck. The results (see below) led the party to the belief that this was a Deck of Many Things. Darius, who had already made up his mind that this was the case, was very excited about this, as Wild Mages have limitted control over such decks.
On Eleasias 12, 1369, on their way to Quaervarr, the party stopped to experiment with the Deck for the first time. Darius was the first and most eager to draw and thereby became the one to discover that this was a Deck of Wondrous Transformations, a heretofor unknown magic item of even greater power than the Deck of Many things. However they learned that Darius' Wild Mage 50% chance to influence the deck still applied. Darius drew the High Priestess, Maanamere (with Darius' help) drew The Magician, Hahrvee drew the King of Swords, and Henkles drew the Seven of Cups. Details can be found in the log.
On Eleasias 14, 1369 between forays against the Spinners, Stewart drew The Knight of Pentacles, Steve drew The 5 of Swords, and Dexter drew Judgement.
On Eleasias 17, 1369, while travelling to the lower Nether Mountains, Misery Jones drew The 10 of Cups.
On Nightal 4, 1369, in the safety of Fair Winds, Cassie, with Darius's assistance, drew the Devil. Marcae, also with Darius's help, drew The 10 of Cups, which gave him the ability to cast priest spells from the Healing sphere but reduced his hit dice to a d3.
The next night, Stalker, with the help of two Alternate Reality spells from Darius, drew Death, which granted him spells from the school of Necromancy and the spheres of Animal and Plant (not known by other characters).
The night after that, Denyae, also with assistance from Darius, drew the Queen of Swords. This reduced her future (beyond 3rd level) hit dice to d8s, restricted her from using potions, oils or scrolls, gave her the opportunity to specialize in additional weapons and gave her a magic resistance of 2% per level.
One night later, Moogh, also assisted by Darius, drew either The Fool or the Six of Swords from the Deck.
In the Year of the Tankard, on the evening of Alturiak 15, Ag, assisted by Darius, drew the The Hermit, which gave him longsword specialization, Bard spellcasting ability, extreme cowardice, an irritating personality (which may have been a no-op, it was too early to tell), and a phobia of trolls.
One night later, Tristan, also assisted by Darius, drew Strength/Fortitude.
On the 5th of Tarsakh, Brogan (with Darius) drew The Moon.
The party learned that each card in the deck would magically affect the person drawing it in some way.
They then learned that there was nothing more to be learned about the deck from identify spells.
0) The Fool
The person drawing this card aquires three of the following mental
disadvantages (their choice):
1) The Magician
This card grants the person drawing it the bonus spells of a
specialist wizard. In other words at first level she may cast one
first level spell from her specialty school (determined randomly), at
3rd she gains the ability to cast one second level spell as well, etc.
In exchange for this, she loses 1 hit die class thereafter (d10
becomes d8, d8 becomes d6, d6 becomes d4, d4 becomes d3, not
retroactive) and must take an additional 10 points in class
disadvantages or lost class abilities. If a wizard draws this card,
the lost class abilities must include the loss of access to the
opposition school of the specialty school she just gained. If the
wizard is a specialist, the new school will be neither her current
specialty or opposition schools. The card also grants the saving
throw bonuses and penalties of a specialist wizard in that school. No
other specialist bonuses are gained.
2) High Priestess
This card grants the person drawing it the ability to cast priest
spells from one or more spheres. 12 or 13 points of spheres are granted.
They are selected randomly from Table 6, on p38 of Players Option:
Spells & Magic according to the following chart:
| d100 Roll | Randomly Choose: |
|---|---|
| 01-35 | One 5 pt. sphere & one 8 pt. sphere |
| 36-65 | Two 5 pt. spheres & one 3 pt. sphere |
| 66-90 | One 10 pt. sphere & one 2 pt. sphere |
| 91-94 | One 8 pt. sphere & two 2 pt. spheres |
| 95-00 | Four 3 pt. spheres |
Those who were not priests before gain spells as for 10 of cups but with folowing addition if they got a major sphere (wisdom bonuses do apply):
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 13 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| 16 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
8) Fortitude/Strength
Stands for power, energy, action, courage, magnanimity;
also complete success and honors. Reversed: Despotism, abuse of power,
weakness, discord, sometimes even disgrace.
This card grants the person drawing it a +2 to all saving throws, an increased hit die size (d4 becomes d6, d6 becomes d8, ...d10 becomes d12) for all future hit die rolls, and the two-weapon style as described in Players Option: Combat and Tactics (note that Rangers would be considered to already have this skill, so this would count as specialization in two-weapon style, which allows a size M weapon in each hand).
That person would also gain the Tongue-tied and Compulsive Honesty disadvantages and would have to take 11 more points in general or class disadvantages (as outlined in Player's Option: Skills & Powers).
9) The Hermit
Stands for prudence, circumspection; also and especially treason,
dissimulation, roguery, corruption. Reversed: Concealment, disguise,
policy, fear, unreasoned caution.
A non-rogue drawing this card gains backstab ability and selects additional Thief skills worth 15 character points from the list in Chapter 4 of Player's Option: Skills & Powers. A Rogue drawing this card instead gets weapon specialization (as a Fighter) in a weapon he is already proficient in and gets to choose 10 points worth of Bard skills (also Ch. 4, PO:S&P).
Regardless of class, the person drawing the Hermit aquires the severe version of the Cowardice disadvantage (as described in Chapter 6 of PO:S&P) and must take another 10 points of either additional disadvantages from that chapter or removal of racial or class abilities the character previously posessed (or a mix of the two). Racial abilities are described in Chapter 3 of PO:S&P.
11) Justice
Stands for equity, rightness, probity, executive; triumph of the
deserving side in law. Reversed: Law in all its departments, legal
complications, bigotry, bias, excessive severity.
A character who draws this card gains the innate ability to cast Detect Lie, as the 4th level clerical spell, twice per day. She also gets to chose 10 points worth of abilities from her oposition race or opposition class.
Balancing these advantages, the person drawing Justice gains the Compulsory Truth disadvantage and a compulsion to help the victims of any crime find justice (as a moderate disadvantage vs. WIS, but the GM may assign modifiers based on the situation). He must also loose 10 points worth of abilities for his own race or class or take 10 points of class disadvantages (see Players Option: Skills & Powers and Players Option: Spells & Magic).
13) Death
The person drawing this card gains retroactive posession of a talisman
- the Mask of Death - they have always had this talisman, they
inheritted it from a relative or mentor who is no longer alive. They
have just learned how to use it. The Mask of Death is a necklace
consisting of a woven mithril chain and a small (2" high)
cloisonne mask, with holes for eyes. To creatures of good alignment,
it appears to be a mask of the face of a male human with black hair,
mustache and muttonchop sideburns - the human face of Kelemvor
Lyonsbane, who recently ascended to the position of God of the Dead.
To creatures of evil alignment, it appears as a skull outlined in
black with tranparent red glass rimming the eye holes to give a redish
glow to the eyes and a rotting flesh "beard" clinging to the
chin - the face of an Avatar of Myrkul, the former God of the Dead.
To creatures of neutral or no alignment, it appears as a simple white
skull mask. The Mask of Death bonds to a single person and functions
only for that person until their death, after which it bonds to a new
owner. It only functions when worn visibly.
The Mask of Death grants the wearer both Wizard and Clerical spellcasting abilities, aquiring spells as with the High Priestess. The wearer has two choices for the types of spells gained, once this choice is made, the powers of the Mask of Death are activated and the choice can never be altered.
The first choice grants the wearer the ability to learn and cast Wizard spells from the school of Necromancy up to 6th level. The wearer has a 15% bonus to learn spells of this school as a Necromancer would. In addition, the wearer has 10 character points to spend on minor access to Priest Spheres, allowing him to cast spells from those spheres as a priest. For example he could chose the Plant and Animal spheres, or the All, Elemental Air, and Weather spheres.
The second choice grants the wearer major access to the Necromantic sphere of priest spells and treats the 4th level Wizard spell Mask of Death, and the 6th level Priest spell Undead Walls as spells in that sphere. In addition, the wearer may choose two schools of Wizard spells from which he may learn and cast spells. The schools chosen may be schools of Philosophy (Illusion, Necromancy, etc.), Thaumaturgy (Geometry, Wild Magic, etc.) or Effect (Fire, Shadow, etc.). However, the wearer can only cast spells up to 3rd level from these schools using the Mask of Death.
In either case, the casting time for all Necromancy spells by the wearer is reduced by one unit, as determined by the GM. Wisdom bonuses for clerical spells do apply, and can be applied to Wizard spells as well but only at a 2-for-1 cost. Thus a 2nd level wearer with a wisdom of 14 could memorize the wizard spell Chill Touch and two copies of the clerical spell Invisibility to Undead, or use both bonus spells to memorize a second copy of Chill Touch and have only those two spells that day. Spellcasting penalties for low wisdom only apply to clerical spells and the wearers wisdom is considered two points higher for the purpose of assigning the penalty to non-necromantic spells, four points for spells of the Necromantic sphere. Note that this applies to penalties only, not bonus spells. Characters who already have clerical spellcasting ability gain only one set of wisdom bonus spells and must decide where to alot them.
There is, of course, a downside to the Mask of Death. It was once the property of Myklethor, a powerful lieutenant of Myrkul from the lower planes. The Mask was created using a part of his essence in an attempt to enhance his already formidable powers. Myklethor is obsessed with gaining control of the Mask of Death. The wearer of the Mask and Myklethor can sense when they are on the same plane, when they are within five miles, and when they are within 357 feet of each other. When the Mask of Death is first activated, the wearer will become aware that Myklethor walks the Prime Material Plane.
14) Temperance
alcoholism, compulsive gambling, immunity-mind effecting magic (as priest
ability, 15), purify food & drink (druid, 5) AND lose race
abilities, proficiencies or take disadvantages
15) The Devil
This card grants the person drawing it their choice of the Rogue
skills Tunneling or Escaping Bonds. 15 additional
points to be spent on Bard abilities if the recipient is a Rogue or
Rogue abilities otherwise are also granted. In exchange, the
recipient is affected by Extreme Cowardice and must take an
additional 10 points of disadvantages.
If the person aquires any thief skills which advance with level, they get 7 points for each such skill chosen to divide amoung those skills as a first level thief would, plus 4 points per skill per level thereafter. If the recipient has more than one such skill, no more than half the points gained at any given time may be distributed to a single skill.
18) The
Moon
The person drawing this card is granted 25 points
of Wizard abilities as described in Chapter 4 of Player's Option:
Skills & Powers or Chapter 1 of Player's Option: Spells
& Magic. If he does not already have spellcasting ability he
gains spells as for The High Priestess.
In return he must take the following disadvantages, as described
in PO:S&M Ch. 1, details to be negotiated between player
& GM
20) The Last Judgement
This card grants the person drawing it the abilities to Know Alignment
as the spell once/day per two levels and detect undead as the spell
once/day per two levels. In addition, she gets 5 character points to
use for skills from the priest skill lists in the Players Option
books. In exchange, she is stricken with alcoholism (as per
Champions) and a phobia of undead (as per Players Option: Skills &
Powers, Chapter 6. On top of that, she must take an additional 14
points of disadvantages.
The Knight of Wands
gain chivalry and 16 pts mage abilities
The Four of Wands
The person who draws this card aquires Agriculture proficiency,
Dancing proficiency, Brewing proficiency, and his personal wealth at
the time (in cash, gems, and jewelry) magically increased by 66.7%.
In exchange, he must pay 10 points by taking disadvantages or losing
existing proficiencies or racial abilities.
The Ten of Cups
This card grants the person drawing it access to 5pts of random
schools of magic (Pilosophy 01-55, Effect 56-85 or Thaum (not Wild)
86-00) if he is a Priest, Ranger or Thief or 5 points of spheres (2+3
30% or 5 70%) if he is a Wizard, Bard, or Fighter. However he loses a
hit die class retroactive to first level or gains the bleeder
disadvantage (+1 damage per die from all wounds). Spells are accrued
on the following chart:
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 1 | ||
| 3 | 1 | ||
| 4 | 2 | ||
| 5 | 2 | ||
| 6 | 2 | 1 | |
| 7 | 2 | 2 | |
| 8 | 3 | 2 | |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 11 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 12 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
The Seven of Cups
This card grants the person drawing it opposition racial abilities C (or w & x
if her opposition race has no C), and causes her to lose 10 pts of racial abilities (class abilities if she is human).
The Four of Cups
Stands for contrarieties, Reversed: presentiment
The drawer of this card gains 10 points worth of special talents, as described at the end of Chapter 4 of Player's Option: Combat & Tactics. Briefly, the talents are:
|
|
The drawer also looses a weapon proficiency slot and must also take 6 points worth of disadvantages, as described in Chapter 6 of Player's Option: Skills & Powers. The drawer may opt to take only 9 points of special talents and a 5 point disadvantage.
The King of Swords
This card
subjects the person drawing it 15 pts of specific disadvantages by
class, and 15 pts Fighter abilities as detailed in Player's Option: Skills and Powers or the Special Talents section of Chapter Four of Player's Option: Combat and Tactics. So far, the party has identified the disadvantages confered on the following classes:
The Queen of Swords
The person drawing this card loses a HD class and additional abilities
which are based on the class of the drawer. The drawer is granted 15
points of fighter abilities.
The Nine of Swords
The person drawing this card loses one or more racial abilities with a total character point value of 10 points. The ability(ies) lost will be ability 2 or abilities 51 and 52 on the racial ability tables below. For example, a Dwarf would lose his combat bonuses against different types of giant-class humanoids.
In cases where no ability 2 or 51 & 52 exist (humans), a hit die class is lost for future die rolls. (d10 becomes d8, ... d4 becomes d3)
In exchange for this loss, the character gains 10 points of optional racial abilities that they did not previously have. For example, a dwarf could take a combination of Expert Haggler and Pick Bonus or take Hit Point Bonus or a human could take Experience Bonus.
The Six of Swords
Get opposition racial ability A (or
y & z if no A), lose 10 pts of racial (class for
humans) abilities
The Five of Swords
This card grants the person drawing it racial
abilities y & w (or B if his race doesn't
have a y and a w), and causes him to lose 10 pts of racial abilities (class abilities if he is human).
The Two of Swords
The person drawing this card gains Blind Fighting proficiency (or a second slot in it if she already had it) and the ability to Detect Poison thrice per week, as the Priest spell. In exchange the character must take 15 points of racial, class or general disadvantages as described in Chapters 3, 4 & 6 of Player's Option: Skills & Powers
The Knight of Pentacles
This card grants the person drawing it chivalry and 16 pts Rogue abilities.
The Eight of Pentacles
The person who draws this card aquires Artistic Ability and Sculpting
proficiency, and has an additional 4 points to spend on traits or
proficiencies. In exchange, she must pay 10 points by taking
disadvantages or losing racial abilities.
Some cards also mention Opposition Races. Each race has been assigned an opposition race. They are:
The racial abilities and their index codes are listed in the order they appear in Players Option: Skills & Powers.
| Dwarves | |
|---|---|
| z | +1 to hit w/Axe Bonus |
| y | brewing +2 |
| x | close to the earth (fast heal underground) |
| w | +1 to hit w/crossbow |
| v | determine stability |
| u | determine age |
| A | dense skin (1/2 dmg from blunt) |
| t | detect poison |
| s | evaluate gems |
| r | expert haggler |
| B | hit point bonus (+1/die) |
| q | illusion resistant |
| 1 | infravision, 60' |
| p | +1 to hit w/mace |
| C | meld into stone (1/day) |
| 2 | melee combat |
| 3 | mining detection abilities |
| o | +1 to hit w/pick |
| 4 | save v. poison bonus |
| n | +1 to hit w/short sword |
| D | stealth |
| E | stone tell (1/day) |
| m | +1 to hit w/warhammer |
| Elves | |
| 51 | +1 to hit w/bow |
| z | cold resistance |
| A | companion (cooshee or elven cat) |
| B | confer water breathing (1/day) |
| y | +1 to hit w/dagger |
| x | heat resistance |
| 1 | infravision, 60' |
| t | +1 to hit w/javelin |
| w | less sleep |
| C | magic identification |
| 2 | resistance (sleep/charm) |
| 52 | secret doors |
| D | speak w/ plants (1/day) |
| v | +1 to hit w/spear |
| E+ | spell abilities (as drow) |
| 3 | stealth |
| 53 | +1 to hit w/sword |
| u | +1 to hit w/trident |
| Gnomes | |
| A | animal friendship (1/day) |
| 1 | melee combat bonus (+1 gob/kob, -4 gnoll, bugbear, ogre, etc.) |
| z | +1 to hit w/dagger |
| y | +1 to hit w/dart |
| x | defensive bonus (+1 AC underground) |
| w | engineering bonus |
| B | forest movement (pass w/o trace) |
| C | freeze (60% hide undergr) |
| D | hide (in woods as thief) |
| 2 | infravision, 60' |
| 3 | mining detection abilities |
| 4 | save v. poison bonus |
| v | +1 to hit w/short sword |
| u | potion identification |
| t | +1 to hit w/sling |
| E | stealth |
| Halfling | |
| 51 | +1 to hit w/hurled & sling |
| z | detect evil (1/day) |
| y | det secret doors (as elf) |
| A | hide (in woods as thief) |
| 52 | infravision, 30' |
| x | mining detection abilities |
| w | reaction bonus |
| 1 | save v. poison & spells bonus |
| B | stealth |
| v | taunt |
| Half-Elf | |
| z | +1 to hit w/bow |
| y | cold resistance |
| x | heat resistance |
| 1 | infravision, 60' |
| w | less sleep |
| 2 | resistance (sleep/charm) |
| 51 | secret doors |
| A | stealth |
| v | +1 to hit w/sword |
| Half-Orc | |
| z | active sense of smell |
| y | acute taste |
| x | +1 to hit w/weapon of choice |
| w | +1 to damage w/weapon of choice |
| 1 | infravision, 60' |
| v | mining detection abilities |
| Half-Ogre | |
| z | +1 to hit w/weapon of choice |
| y | +1 to damage w/weapon of choice |
| A | +1/die hit point bonus |
| B | infravision, 60' |
| x | +1 vs. poison |
| w | tough hide |
| Human | |
| z | +1 to hit w/weapon of choice |
| A | +5% experience bonus |
| B | +1/die hit point bonus |
| y | secret doors |
| C | tough hide |
Some cards call for action based on a character's opposition class. As with races, each class has an opposition class. If a class is not listed, use the opposition class of the base class that it is based on. For example, the opposition class for a Monk would be a Thief.
