Zgryźliwość kojarzy mi się z radością, która źle skończyła.
DECK
OF
MANY
THINGS
By
Rodney Thompson
i l l u s t r a t i o n s b y Wi l l i am O ’ C o n n o r
GOALS OF THE
DECK OF MANY THINGS
F
Sow chaos and discord throughout the world.
F
Be present at events of great importance, and
then add a chaotic element to the proceedings of
those events to alter the fortunes of all involved.
F
Topple powerful leaders (good or evil) and cause
far-spanning organizations to crumble.
Of all artifacts to grace the world with their presence,
perhaps none is more dangerous than the infamous
Deck of Many Things
. The artifact has appeared in
every edition of Dungeons & Dragons
®
, and it first
appeared in the Greyhawk
®
supplement in 1975.
Through each of its iterations, the
Deck of Many
Things
has remained a dangerous and chaotic artifact. This
4th Edition update of the classic artifact retains much
of the traditional version’s chaotic nature while bring-
ing its mechanics more in line with what modern
Dungeon Masters can use in their games.
his own fortunes within the cards. Some hold the
Deck of Many Things
responsible for shattering that
ancient empire and giving rise to powerful warlords
that vied for control of the remnants of that empire.
The
Deck of Many Things
passes from hand to hand,
bringing the low the mighty and elevating the meek
(and sometimes vice versa).
The Deck of Many Things Paragon Level
This ornate deck of 22 cards is a tool of the forces of chaos and
anarchy. It frequently appears when the world has grown too
calm, or when someone has grown too powerful, sowing chaos
wherever it lands.
The
Deck of Many Things
is a
+5 magic tome
implement with
the following properties and powers.
Implement (Tome)
Enhancement:
Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical:
+5d12 damage
Property:
Sorcerers with the Chaos Power class feature can
use the
Deck of Many Things
as an implement for sorcerer
powers and sorcerer paragon path powers.
Property:
You cannot be dominated.
Power (Encounter):
Free Action. You alter the fortunes of
your enemies, forcing an enemy to reroll one attack roll,
skill check, or saving throw it made, taking the result you
choose.
Power (Daily):
Minor Action. Roll a d20. Once before the end
of the encounter, you can replace any d20 roll made by an
ally or an enemy within 5 squares of you with your d20 roll.
ROLEPLAYING THE
DECK OF MANY THINGS
The
Deck of Many Things
is an agent of chaos that does
its work subtly and by working through those who
possess it. The
Deck
wants to use its owner as its agent,
making temptation its greatest weapon. Whenever
the owner is contemplating a risky action, it might try
to tempt its owner by providing signs that it thinks
that taking the risk would be a good idea—even if the
chances of success are slim.
The
Deck
never communicates overtly, but occa-
sionally the top card of the
Deck
might f lip over on
its own to reveal whether the
Deck
is pleased or dis-
pleased (this does not trigger the
Deck’s
drawn card
effect).
THE DECK OF
MANY THINGS
The
Deck of Many Things
is appropriate for paragon-
level characters.
The
Deck of Many Things
is, by itself, an object that
holds within it the potential for either great ruin or
great reward. Though the true origins of the
Deck of
Many Things
have been lost to the ages, many histori-
ans believe that the artifact was originally a gift from
a powerful and ancient archfey to a long-forgotten
emperor. The archfey knew that the emperor was
extremely superstitious and could not resist reading
TM & © 2010 Wizards of the Coast LLC All rights reserved.
Ap r i l 2010
|
Dungeon 177
4
DECK OF MANY THINGS
Property:
Any time you roll a result of 1 on any die (except a
d20), reroll that die until you have a result other than 1.
Power (Daily):
Standard Action. You draw two cards from the
Deck of Many Things
, and then choose any one card you
drew, resolving the effect of that card as determined be-
low. The
Deck of Many Things
then vanishes and is lost (see
“Moving On,” below).
Additionally, while the owner is holding the
Deck
,
that character occasionally sees visions of multiple
possible outcomes of any given action, showing the
way luck can affect the outcome.
When first drawn from its container, the
Deck
conveys little more than a sense that so much in the
world is a matter of luck, and not skill.
Power (Daily):
Standard Action. You draw a card from the
Deck
of Many Things
, and then resolve the effect of that card as
determined below. The
Deck of Many Things
then vanishes
and is lost (see “Moving On,” below).
ConCorDanCE
Starting Score
5
NORMAL (5-11)
“Curious, the cards show me how big a role luck plays in
our lives.”
owner gains a level
+1d10
owner is unaligned
+1
UNSATISFIED (1-4)
“I’m afraid that it might not be a lucky time for me.”
An owner that rejects the
Deck
’s desires soon expe-
riences a streak of bad, if harmless, luck. The luck is
mostly an inconvenience for now, but the
Deck
wants
to make sure the owner knows it is displeased.
owner has the fey origin
+1
owner is reduced to 0 hp
+1
owner kills a solo monster that is
+1
higher level (maximum 1/day)
owner obtains a magic item
–1
CASTING FORTUNES
At the Dungeon Master’s discretion, the
Deck of Many
Things
can invite its owner to perform a reading for
individuals for whom a turn of fortune can influence
fate. How might the world turn if a beggar draws the
Sun or the Gem, or an emperor in the middle of a vast
war draws the Void or the Donjon? The
Deck
desires
these readings.
When the Dungeon Master sees an opportunity,
he or she can nudge the owner of the
Deck
toward
performing a reading, preferring persons of great
power and influence, but it is the character’s choice to
perform the reading. Doing so increases concordance
by 2. The lucky (or unlucky) soul must consent to the
reading, but need not know fully what that means.
Mechanically, the player draws a single card on that
person’s behalf, with the result of the card represent-
ing a full reading. The effect of the card takes place as
if the person had drawn it, except the deck does not
disappear.
owner goes a day without casting
–1
an arcane spell (maximum 1/day)
Property:
Any time you roll the maximum result on a die
(except a d20), treat the result as a 1 instead.
Power (Daily):
Standard Action. You draw two cards from the
Deck of Many Things
, and then choose any one card you
drew. You must choose a card with the Ruin descriptor if
one was drawn. Resolve the effect of the chosen card, as
described below. The
Deck of Many Things
then vanishes
and is lost (see “Moving On,” below).
PLEASED (16-20)
“Hmm, seems like the cards are falling in my favor these
days.”
When the owner has finally done the
Deck
’s bid-
ding, or enough of it anyways, the
Deck
gives the owner
the chance to draw from it with better-than-average
odds of avoiding some of the more ruinous cards.
ANGERED (0 OR LOWER)
“The Deck shows me dark portents; my future is looking
grim.”
An angered
Deck of Many Things
can be a danger-
ous item indeed. Anyone drawing from the
Deck
at
this point is extremely likely to find ill luck befalling
him or her.
Property:
Any time you roll a result of 1 on any die, reroll that
die until you have a result other than 1.
Power (Daily):
Standard Action. You draw three cards from
the
Deck of Many Things
, and then choose any one card you
drew, resolving the effect of that card as determined be-
low. The
Deck of Many Things
then vanishes and is lost (see
“Moving On,” below).
SATISFIED (12-15)
“There’s wisdom in the cards; if only you could see it.”
The
Deck of Many Things
is pleased with the chaos
that the owner is sowing, and begins trying to tempt
its owner into drawing from it by sweetening the deal
with multiple draws.
Property:
Any time you roll the maximum result on a die, treat
the result as a 1 instead.
Power (Daily):
Standard Action. You draw three cards from
the
Deck of Many Things
, and then choose any one card you
drew. You must choose a card with the Ruin descriptor if
one was drawn. Resolve the effect of the chosen card, as
described below. The
Deck of Many Things
then vanishes
and is lost (see “Moving On,” below).
5
Ap r i l 2010
|
Dungeon 177
DECK OF MANY THINGS
MOVING ON
“It’s gone! Vanished into thin air!”
EURYALE
Ruin
You take a –3 penalty to saving throws. Only the
Remove Aff liction
ritual can remove this effect, but
only after you roll a natural 20 on a saving throw.
Quest XP:
3,200 XP, and if you choose to do so
you can change your alignment to unaligned or evil
If you are evil or chaotic evil:
The
Deck of Many Things
fades in and out of history,
wreaking havoc and upsetting the order of things from
time to time. It is an agent of chaos in an otherwise
ordered world, and once someone has drawn from the
Deck of Many Things
it vanishes, never to be seen again
by that person. It leaves behind only the fate chosen by
the card that was drawn.
Minor Quest: A Shot at Redemption
None are so vile that they cannot earn redemption if
their desire is true. You must pledge yourself to the
service of a powerful good or lawful good creature
(chosen by the Dungeon Master) of 21st level, and
convince it to grant you spiritual clemency by per-
forming a task it assigns.
Quest XP:
3,200 XP, and if you choose to do so
you can change your alignment to unaligned or good
FATES
You gain the
shelter of fate
legendary boon.
Shelter of Fate Level 21
You feel the hand of fate hovering above you, sheltering you
thanks to the magic of the Deck of Many Things.
Legendary Boon
Power (Consumable):
No Action. Choose one of the following
effects.
F
One attack roll just made against you becomes an auto-
matic natural 1.
F
One saving throw you just failed becomes an automatic
natural 20.
F
One Athletics, Acrobatics, or Endurance check you just
made becomes an automatic natural 20.
THE CARDS
Each card drawn from the
Deck of Many Things
has a
special effect that triggers when it is drawn. Though
the concordance score of the artifact determines how
many cards are drawn, only one card triggers each
draw. The effect of each drawn card is described
below.
Some of the cards are marked as a Ruin. This helps
determine which card’s effect comes into play when
the
Deck of Many Things
is unsatisfied or angered.
COMET
Double the XP award for the next major quest the
party completes.
DONJON
Ruin
You are imprisoned by magic—which leaves you in
a state of dreamless sleep—deep beneath the earth.
Though your body vanishes, your magic items and
other gear remain behind you. The party gains the
following major quest:
FLAMES
Ruin
You earn the enmity of a powerful being from
another plane, and gain the following minor quest.
BALANCE
Ruin
You have been judged—and found wanting. You gain
one of the following two minor quests, depending on
your alignment. If you are unaligned, you can choose
either quest.
Minor Quest: enmity of Flames
You must defeat the creature that has sworn enmity
against you, which has vowed to slay you or plague
your life in some way. The Dungeon Master choose the
enemy, and it can be any 21st-level creature that is not
an elite, solo, or minion from another plane, such as a
ghaele of winter (
Monster Manual,
page 103), a marut
blademaster (
Monster Manual,
page 185), a marut
castigator (
Monster Manual 2,
page 162), a marut pros-
ecutor (
Monster Manual 2,
page 162), a storm archon
Major Quest: Prison of the Donjon
The characters must find the location of your
imprisonment. The prison is deep beneath the earth
(possibly within a dungeon, or in a drow citadel in the
Underdark). The characters must journey to that loca-
tion, find your imprisoned body, and use the Remove
Aff liction ritual to free you from the prison.
Quest XP:
16,000 XP
If you are good or lawful good:
Minor Quest: A Walk on the Dark Side
To be truly a model for good, you must experience evil
firsthand. You must slay or otherwise bring ruin to a
specific good or lawful good creature (chosen by the
Dungeon Master) of 21st level.
6
Ap r i l 2010
|
Dungeon 177
DECK OF MANY THINGS
KNIGHT
You gain the service of a companion character (see
Dungeon Master’s Guide 2
, page 31). The companion
character is of the same race and gender as you, and
he or she has a level equal to your level – 1. The com-
panion character is summoned from elsewhere in the
world, appears instantaneously, and knows that it has
been summoned by powerful forces to aid you.
tempest weaver (
Monster Manual 2,
page 17), or a
cyclops feyblade (
Monster Manual 2,
page 40).
Quest XP:
3,200 XP
A QUESTION OF ENMITY
Two of the cards in the
Deck of Many Things
earn the
character the enmity of another being. In the case of
the Flames card, the enmity should be more overt,
and the character should experience this rivalry on
multiple occasions. Seeking out the creature should
not be a simple task, and the character should clash
with the creature’s allies and followers a few times
before the quest is resolved. In the case of the
Rogue card, this enmity is secret and should come
from someone once thought of as a friend or ally.
The Dungeon Master should wait for a dramatically
appropriate moment to reveal this enmity, leaving the
character guessing which of his or her allies is going
to soon become a source of betrayal.
FOOL
Ruin
Any time you draw the Fool, before any choices are
made you discard the Fool and draw a card off of the
top of the
Deck of Many Things
until you draw a card
with the Ruin descriptor. Keep only the last card
drawn, then make any choices you are allowed.
MOON
When you gain the benefit of the Moon card, you
have 1 minute to choose any ritual. You instantly
gain the benefit of having performed that chosen
ritual with the maximum possible result (if the ritual
allows for variable results). You do not expend any of
the component costs for the ritual, and you gain the
benefit instantaneously. You cannot choose any ritual
that creates a permanent object, such as the
Enchant
Magic Item
ritual.
GEM
You gain 225,000 gp worth of gold and gems.
IDIOT
Ruin
You take a –2 penalty to Intelligence checks and
Intelligence-based attack rolls and skill checks. Only
the Remove Aff liction
ritual can remove this effect,
but only after you roll a natural 20 on an Intelligence-
based attack roll or skill check.
Once this effect begins, you draw another card and
gain its effect.
characters, or another creature that is not an elite,
solo, or minion, chosen by the Dungeon Master.
Quest XP:
3,200 XP
ROGUE
Ruin
You earn the secret enmity of one of your compan-
ion characters (
Dungeon Master’s Guide,
page 31), or
another community or religious leader, chosen by the
Dungeon Master. You do not learn of this person’s
enmity immediately, since it is secret, but you do gain
the following quest:
RUIN
Ruin
All your magic items turn into residuum equal to 80
percent of their purchase value.
JESTER
Draw two more cards from the
Deck of Many Things
.
If either of them has the Ruin descriptor, that card
replaces the Jester as your chosen card (if both do, you
must select one of those two cards). Otherwise, you can
choose any other card from this draw (including the
two you drew) to replace the Jester as your chosen card.
SKULL
Ruin
Four sword wraiths (
Monster Manual,
page 167),
a nightwalker (
Monster Manual,
page 197) and an
immolith demon (
Monster Manual,
page 56) appear
and attack you and your allies immediately.
Minor Quest: Rogue’s Curse
You must discover the person who has been turned
against you by the
Deck of Many Things
and either
defeat that person or successfully persuade him or
her to cease his or her enmity toward you. The person
turned against you is either one of your companion
KEY
You gain a magic item (a weapon) of your choice,
which must be of 21st level or lower.
7
Ap r i l 2010
|
Dungeon 177
DECK OF MANY THINGS
STAR
You gain the legendary boon, the
mark of the star:
creatures. The characters must go to the keep and
claim it as their own, ousting those that currently
inhabit it.
Quest XP:
16,000 XP
DONJON/THE VOID
Two of the cards in the
Deck of Many Things
, the
Donjon and the Void, each remove a character from
the party, either physically or mentally. If a player
gains the effect of one of these cards, you should
allow the player to create a new character (at the
same level as the character who drew from the
Deck
of Many Things
) who joins the party soon after. This
can be a good chance for the player to try out a race,
class, or character archetype he or she has not played
before, so don’t be afraid to encourage the player to
try something radically different from the character
that is imprisoned. When the characters complete
the major quest and rescue that player’s character,
give the player the option of continuing to play the
surrogate character, or resuming play as the impris-
oned character. If the player chooses the latter, apply
any XP gained since the character was imprisoned
to that character, in addition to any XP earned from
the quest. That way, the player isn’t punished for
resuming the imprisoned character, and the story can
continue as normal.
Mark of the Star Level 21
The symbol of the Star card from the Deck of Many Things is
permanently emblazoned upon your body.
Legendary Boon
Power (Daily):
Free Action. Choose one ability score. Until
the end of the encounter, you gain a +1 bonus to attack
rolls made using that ability score, and a +1 bonus to skill
checks with skills that use that ability score.
VIZIER
You gain the
vision of the vizier
legendary boon.
Vision of the Vizier Level 21
The Deck of Many Things has blessed you with knowledge well
beyond that possessed by other mortals.
Legendary Boon
Power (Consumable):
Free Action. You instantly gain the ben-
efit of having performed the Consult Oracle ritual or the
Voice of Fate ritual with the maximum possible result. You
do not expend any of the component costs for the ritual
and learn the answers to your questions instantaneously.
Once you have learned the answers to all your allotted
questions, you lose this legendary boon.
SUN
You gain a magic item (a wondrous item) of your
choice, which must be of 21st level or lower.
TALONS
Ruin
You cannot use magic item at-will, encounter, or
daily powers. Only the Remove Aff liction
ritual can
remove this effect, but only after you have given away
a magic item of your level or higher.
THE VOID
Ruin
You fall unconscious and cannot be awakened. The
party gains the following major quest:
THRONE
If you have a lair, keep, or other base of operations,
you gain 225,000 gp worth of wondrous lair items
(Adventurer’s Vault 2, page 79) of your choosing.
These items immediately appear anywhere you
desire.
Alternatively, if you do not already have a lair,
keep, or base of operations, you can choose for the
party to gain the following major quest:
Major Quest: Recovering the Prison
The characters must find the object in which your
psyche is imprisoned. The prison is on another plane,
and the characters must journey to that plane, find
the object containing your psyche and recover it,
and then break the object to release your psyche.
Once the prison object is broken, you are no longer
unconscious.
Quest XP:
16,000 XP
About the Author
Rodney Thompson
is an RPG developer and designer at
Wizards of the Coast. Originally from Chattanooga, TN,
his credits for the Dungeons & Dragons game include the
Eberron
®
Campaign Guide
and
Martial Power
™
2
, and he is
the lead developer for the
Dark Sun
campaign setting books.
Rodney is also the lead designer and developer of all of the
Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition
books.
Major Quest: What’s Rightfully Yours
The characters have been rewarded with a keep
somewhere in the world to claim as their home.
However, the keep is currently in the hands of other
8
Ap r i l 2010
|
Dungeon 177
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl hannaeva.xlx.pl
OF
MANY
THINGS
By
Rodney Thompson
i l l u s t r a t i o n s b y Wi l l i am O ’ C o n n o r
GOALS OF THE
DECK OF MANY THINGS
F
Sow chaos and discord throughout the world.
F
Be present at events of great importance, and
then add a chaotic element to the proceedings of
those events to alter the fortunes of all involved.
F
Topple powerful leaders (good or evil) and cause
far-spanning organizations to crumble.
Of all artifacts to grace the world with their presence,
perhaps none is more dangerous than the infamous
Deck of Many Things
. The artifact has appeared in
every edition of Dungeons & Dragons
®
, and it first
appeared in the Greyhawk
®
supplement in 1975.
Through each of its iterations, the
Deck of Many
Things
has remained a dangerous and chaotic artifact. This
4th Edition update of the classic artifact retains much
of the traditional version’s chaotic nature while bring-
ing its mechanics more in line with what modern
Dungeon Masters can use in their games.
his own fortunes within the cards. Some hold the
Deck of Many Things
responsible for shattering that
ancient empire and giving rise to powerful warlords
that vied for control of the remnants of that empire.
The
Deck of Many Things
passes from hand to hand,
bringing the low the mighty and elevating the meek
(and sometimes vice versa).
The Deck of Many Things Paragon Level
This ornate deck of 22 cards is a tool of the forces of chaos and
anarchy. It frequently appears when the world has grown too
calm, or when someone has grown too powerful, sowing chaos
wherever it lands.
The
Deck of Many Things
is a
+5 magic tome
implement with
the following properties and powers.
Implement (Tome)
Enhancement:
Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical:
+5d12 damage
Property:
Sorcerers with the Chaos Power class feature can
use the
Deck of Many Things
as an implement for sorcerer
powers and sorcerer paragon path powers.
Property:
You cannot be dominated.
Power (Encounter):
Free Action. You alter the fortunes of
your enemies, forcing an enemy to reroll one attack roll,
skill check, or saving throw it made, taking the result you
choose.
Power (Daily):
Minor Action. Roll a d20. Once before the end
of the encounter, you can replace any d20 roll made by an
ally or an enemy within 5 squares of you with your d20 roll.
ROLEPLAYING THE
DECK OF MANY THINGS
The
Deck of Many Things
is an agent of chaos that does
its work subtly and by working through those who
possess it. The
Deck
wants to use its owner as its agent,
making temptation its greatest weapon. Whenever
the owner is contemplating a risky action, it might try
to tempt its owner by providing signs that it thinks
that taking the risk would be a good idea—even if the
chances of success are slim.
The
Deck
never communicates overtly, but occa-
sionally the top card of the
Deck
might f lip over on
its own to reveal whether the
Deck
is pleased or dis-
pleased (this does not trigger the
Deck’s
drawn card
effect).
THE DECK OF
MANY THINGS
The
Deck of Many Things
is appropriate for paragon-
level characters.
The
Deck of Many Things
is, by itself, an object that
holds within it the potential for either great ruin or
great reward. Though the true origins of the
Deck of
Many Things
have been lost to the ages, many histori-
ans believe that the artifact was originally a gift from
a powerful and ancient archfey to a long-forgotten
emperor. The archfey knew that the emperor was
extremely superstitious and could not resist reading
TM & © 2010 Wizards of the Coast LLC All rights reserved.
Ap r i l 2010
|
Dungeon 177
4
DECK OF MANY THINGS
Property:
Any time you roll a result of 1 on any die (except a
d20), reroll that die until you have a result other than 1.
Power (Daily):
Standard Action. You draw two cards from the
Deck of Many Things
, and then choose any one card you
drew, resolving the effect of that card as determined be-
low. The
Deck of Many Things
then vanishes and is lost (see
“Moving On,” below).
Additionally, while the owner is holding the
Deck
,
that character occasionally sees visions of multiple
possible outcomes of any given action, showing the
way luck can affect the outcome.
When first drawn from its container, the
Deck
conveys little more than a sense that so much in the
world is a matter of luck, and not skill.
Power (Daily):
Standard Action. You draw a card from the
Deck
of Many Things
, and then resolve the effect of that card as
determined below. The
Deck of Many Things
then vanishes
and is lost (see “Moving On,” below).
ConCorDanCE
Starting Score
5
NORMAL (5-11)
“Curious, the cards show me how big a role luck plays in
our lives.”
owner gains a level
+1d10
owner is unaligned
+1
UNSATISFIED (1-4)
“I’m afraid that it might not be a lucky time for me.”
An owner that rejects the
Deck
’s desires soon expe-
riences a streak of bad, if harmless, luck. The luck is
mostly an inconvenience for now, but the
Deck
wants
to make sure the owner knows it is displeased.
owner has the fey origin
+1
owner is reduced to 0 hp
+1
owner kills a solo monster that is
+1
higher level (maximum 1/day)
owner obtains a magic item
–1
CASTING FORTUNES
At the Dungeon Master’s discretion, the
Deck of Many
Things
can invite its owner to perform a reading for
individuals for whom a turn of fortune can influence
fate. How might the world turn if a beggar draws the
Sun or the Gem, or an emperor in the middle of a vast
war draws the Void or the Donjon? The
Deck
desires
these readings.
When the Dungeon Master sees an opportunity,
he or she can nudge the owner of the
Deck
toward
performing a reading, preferring persons of great
power and influence, but it is the character’s choice to
perform the reading. Doing so increases concordance
by 2. The lucky (or unlucky) soul must consent to the
reading, but need not know fully what that means.
Mechanically, the player draws a single card on that
person’s behalf, with the result of the card represent-
ing a full reading. The effect of the card takes place as
if the person had drawn it, except the deck does not
disappear.
owner goes a day without casting
–1
an arcane spell (maximum 1/day)
Property:
Any time you roll the maximum result on a die
(except a d20), treat the result as a 1 instead.
Power (Daily):
Standard Action. You draw two cards from the
Deck of Many Things
, and then choose any one card you
drew. You must choose a card with the Ruin descriptor if
one was drawn. Resolve the effect of the chosen card, as
described below. The
Deck of Many Things
then vanishes
and is lost (see “Moving On,” below).
PLEASED (16-20)
“Hmm, seems like the cards are falling in my favor these
days.”
When the owner has finally done the
Deck
’s bid-
ding, or enough of it anyways, the
Deck
gives the owner
the chance to draw from it with better-than-average
odds of avoiding some of the more ruinous cards.
ANGERED (0 OR LOWER)
“The Deck shows me dark portents; my future is looking
grim.”
An angered
Deck of Many Things
can be a danger-
ous item indeed. Anyone drawing from the
Deck
at
this point is extremely likely to find ill luck befalling
him or her.
Property:
Any time you roll a result of 1 on any die, reroll that
die until you have a result other than 1.
Power (Daily):
Standard Action. You draw three cards from
the
Deck of Many Things
, and then choose any one card you
drew, resolving the effect of that card as determined be-
low. The
Deck of Many Things
then vanishes and is lost (see
“Moving On,” below).
SATISFIED (12-15)
“There’s wisdom in the cards; if only you could see it.”
The
Deck of Many Things
is pleased with the chaos
that the owner is sowing, and begins trying to tempt
its owner into drawing from it by sweetening the deal
with multiple draws.
Property:
Any time you roll the maximum result on a die, treat
the result as a 1 instead.
Power (Daily):
Standard Action. You draw three cards from
the
Deck of Many Things
, and then choose any one card you
drew. You must choose a card with the Ruin descriptor if
one was drawn. Resolve the effect of the chosen card, as
described below. The
Deck of Many Things
then vanishes
and is lost (see “Moving On,” below).
5
Ap r i l 2010
|
Dungeon 177
DECK OF MANY THINGS
MOVING ON
“It’s gone! Vanished into thin air!”
EURYALE
Ruin
You take a –3 penalty to saving throws. Only the
Remove Aff liction
ritual can remove this effect, but
only after you roll a natural 20 on a saving throw.
Quest XP:
3,200 XP, and if you choose to do so
you can change your alignment to unaligned or evil
If you are evil or chaotic evil:
The
Deck of Many Things
fades in and out of history,
wreaking havoc and upsetting the order of things from
time to time. It is an agent of chaos in an otherwise
ordered world, and once someone has drawn from the
Deck of Many Things
it vanishes, never to be seen again
by that person. It leaves behind only the fate chosen by
the card that was drawn.
Minor Quest: A Shot at Redemption
None are so vile that they cannot earn redemption if
their desire is true. You must pledge yourself to the
service of a powerful good or lawful good creature
(chosen by the Dungeon Master) of 21st level, and
convince it to grant you spiritual clemency by per-
forming a task it assigns.
Quest XP:
3,200 XP, and if you choose to do so
you can change your alignment to unaligned or good
FATES
You gain the
shelter of fate
legendary boon.
Shelter of Fate Level 21
You feel the hand of fate hovering above you, sheltering you
thanks to the magic of the Deck of Many Things.
Legendary Boon
Power (Consumable):
No Action. Choose one of the following
effects.
F
One attack roll just made against you becomes an auto-
matic natural 1.
F
One saving throw you just failed becomes an automatic
natural 20.
F
One Athletics, Acrobatics, or Endurance check you just
made becomes an automatic natural 20.
THE CARDS
Each card drawn from the
Deck of Many Things
has a
special effect that triggers when it is drawn. Though
the concordance score of the artifact determines how
many cards are drawn, only one card triggers each
draw. The effect of each drawn card is described
below.
Some of the cards are marked as a Ruin. This helps
determine which card’s effect comes into play when
the
Deck of Many Things
is unsatisfied or angered.
COMET
Double the XP award for the next major quest the
party completes.
DONJON
Ruin
You are imprisoned by magic—which leaves you in
a state of dreamless sleep—deep beneath the earth.
Though your body vanishes, your magic items and
other gear remain behind you. The party gains the
following major quest:
FLAMES
Ruin
You earn the enmity of a powerful being from
another plane, and gain the following minor quest.
BALANCE
Ruin
You have been judged—and found wanting. You gain
one of the following two minor quests, depending on
your alignment. If you are unaligned, you can choose
either quest.
Minor Quest: enmity of Flames
You must defeat the creature that has sworn enmity
against you, which has vowed to slay you or plague
your life in some way. The Dungeon Master choose the
enemy, and it can be any 21st-level creature that is not
an elite, solo, or minion from another plane, such as a
ghaele of winter (
Monster Manual,
page 103), a marut
blademaster (
Monster Manual,
page 185), a marut
castigator (
Monster Manual 2,
page 162), a marut pros-
ecutor (
Monster Manual 2,
page 162), a storm archon
Major Quest: Prison of the Donjon
The characters must find the location of your
imprisonment. The prison is deep beneath the earth
(possibly within a dungeon, or in a drow citadel in the
Underdark). The characters must journey to that loca-
tion, find your imprisoned body, and use the Remove
Aff liction ritual to free you from the prison.
Quest XP:
16,000 XP
If you are good or lawful good:
Minor Quest: A Walk on the Dark Side
To be truly a model for good, you must experience evil
firsthand. You must slay or otherwise bring ruin to a
specific good or lawful good creature (chosen by the
Dungeon Master) of 21st level.
6
Ap r i l 2010
|
Dungeon 177
DECK OF MANY THINGS
KNIGHT
You gain the service of a companion character (see
Dungeon Master’s Guide 2
, page 31). The companion
character is of the same race and gender as you, and
he or she has a level equal to your level – 1. The com-
panion character is summoned from elsewhere in the
world, appears instantaneously, and knows that it has
been summoned by powerful forces to aid you.
tempest weaver (
Monster Manual 2,
page 17), or a
cyclops feyblade (
Monster Manual 2,
page 40).
Quest XP:
3,200 XP
A QUESTION OF ENMITY
Two of the cards in the
Deck of Many Things
earn the
character the enmity of another being. In the case of
the Flames card, the enmity should be more overt,
and the character should experience this rivalry on
multiple occasions. Seeking out the creature should
not be a simple task, and the character should clash
with the creature’s allies and followers a few times
before the quest is resolved. In the case of the
Rogue card, this enmity is secret and should come
from someone once thought of as a friend or ally.
The Dungeon Master should wait for a dramatically
appropriate moment to reveal this enmity, leaving the
character guessing which of his or her allies is going
to soon become a source of betrayal.
FOOL
Ruin
Any time you draw the Fool, before any choices are
made you discard the Fool and draw a card off of the
top of the
Deck of Many Things
until you draw a card
with the Ruin descriptor. Keep only the last card
drawn, then make any choices you are allowed.
MOON
When you gain the benefit of the Moon card, you
have 1 minute to choose any ritual. You instantly
gain the benefit of having performed that chosen
ritual with the maximum possible result (if the ritual
allows for variable results). You do not expend any of
the component costs for the ritual, and you gain the
benefit instantaneously. You cannot choose any ritual
that creates a permanent object, such as the
Enchant
Magic Item
ritual.
GEM
You gain 225,000 gp worth of gold and gems.
IDIOT
Ruin
You take a –2 penalty to Intelligence checks and
Intelligence-based attack rolls and skill checks. Only
the Remove Aff liction
ritual can remove this effect,
but only after you roll a natural 20 on an Intelligence-
based attack roll or skill check.
Once this effect begins, you draw another card and
gain its effect.
characters, or another creature that is not an elite,
solo, or minion, chosen by the Dungeon Master.
Quest XP:
3,200 XP
ROGUE
Ruin
You earn the secret enmity of one of your compan-
ion characters (
Dungeon Master’s Guide,
page 31), or
another community or religious leader, chosen by the
Dungeon Master. You do not learn of this person’s
enmity immediately, since it is secret, but you do gain
the following quest:
RUIN
Ruin
All your magic items turn into residuum equal to 80
percent of their purchase value.
JESTER
Draw two more cards from the
Deck of Many Things
.
If either of them has the Ruin descriptor, that card
replaces the Jester as your chosen card (if both do, you
must select one of those two cards). Otherwise, you can
choose any other card from this draw (including the
two you drew) to replace the Jester as your chosen card.
SKULL
Ruin
Four sword wraiths (
Monster Manual,
page 167),
a nightwalker (
Monster Manual,
page 197) and an
immolith demon (
Monster Manual,
page 56) appear
and attack you and your allies immediately.
Minor Quest: Rogue’s Curse
You must discover the person who has been turned
against you by the
Deck of Many Things
and either
defeat that person or successfully persuade him or
her to cease his or her enmity toward you. The person
turned against you is either one of your companion
KEY
You gain a magic item (a weapon) of your choice,
which must be of 21st level or lower.
7
Ap r i l 2010
|
Dungeon 177
DECK OF MANY THINGS
STAR
You gain the legendary boon, the
mark of the star:
creatures. The characters must go to the keep and
claim it as their own, ousting those that currently
inhabit it.
Quest XP:
16,000 XP
DONJON/THE VOID
Two of the cards in the
Deck of Many Things
, the
Donjon and the Void, each remove a character from
the party, either physically or mentally. If a player
gains the effect of one of these cards, you should
allow the player to create a new character (at the
same level as the character who drew from the
Deck
of Many Things
) who joins the party soon after. This
can be a good chance for the player to try out a race,
class, or character archetype he or she has not played
before, so don’t be afraid to encourage the player to
try something radically different from the character
that is imprisoned. When the characters complete
the major quest and rescue that player’s character,
give the player the option of continuing to play the
surrogate character, or resuming play as the impris-
oned character. If the player chooses the latter, apply
any XP gained since the character was imprisoned
to that character, in addition to any XP earned from
the quest. That way, the player isn’t punished for
resuming the imprisoned character, and the story can
continue as normal.
Mark of the Star Level 21
The symbol of the Star card from the Deck of Many Things is
permanently emblazoned upon your body.
Legendary Boon
Power (Daily):
Free Action. Choose one ability score. Until
the end of the encounter, you gain a +1 bonus to attack
rolls made using that ability score, and a +1 bonus to skill
checks with skills that use that ability score.
VIZIER
You gain the
vision of the vizier
legendary boon.
Vision of the Vizier Level 21
The Deck of Many Things has blessed you with knowledge well
beyond that possessed by other mortals.
Legendary Boon
Power (Consumable):
Free Action. You instantly gain the ben-
efit of having performed the Consult Oracle ritual or the
Voice of Fate ritual with the maximum possible result. You
do not expend any of the component costs for the ritual
and learn the answers to your questions instantaneously.
Once you have learned the answers to all your allotted
questions, you lose this legendary boon.
SUN
You gain a magic item (a wondrous item) of your
choice, which must be of 21st level or lower.
TALONS
Ruin
You cannot use magic item at-will, encounter, or
daily powers. Only the Remove Aff liction
ritual can
remove this effect, but only after you have given away
a magic item of your level or higher.
THE VOID
Ruin
You fall unconscious and cannot be awakened. The
party gains the following major quest:
THRONE
If you have a lair, keep, or other base of operations,
you gain 225,000 gp worth of wondrous lair items
(Adventurer’s Vault 2, page 79) of your choosing.
These items immediately appear anywhere you
desire.
Alternatively, if you do not already have a lair,
keep, or base of operations, you can choose for the
party to gain the following major quest:
Major Quest: Recovering the Prison
The characters must find the object in which your
psyche is imprisoned. The prison is on another plane,
and the characters must journey to that plane, find
the object containing your psyche and recover it,
and then break the object to release your psyche.
Once the prison object is broken, you are no longer
unconscious.
Quest XP:
16,000 XP
About the Author
Rodney Thompson
is an RPG developer and designer at
Wizards of the Coast. Originally from Chattanooga, TN,
his credits for the Dungeons & Dragons game include the
Eberron
®
Campaign Guide
and
Martial Power
™
2
, and he is
the lead developer for the
Dark Sun
campaign setting books.
Rodney is also the lead designer and developer of all of the
Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition
books.
Major Quest: What’s Rightfully Yours
The characters have been rewarded with a keep
somewhere in the world to claim as their home.
However, the keep is currently in the hands of other
8
Ap r i l 2010
|
Dungeon 177