Deck of Many Things Aftermath

[Qc Storm]

First of all, welcome back after this long giantip-less hiatus.

Just today, my players found and used a deck of many things. Obviously, things did not go according to plan

In particular, one player got Void'd and one got Donjon'd.

To make up for this, the party's knight went and made a pact with a devil. Two, in fact. One, to trade his soul for a cast of Freedom (to dispel Imprisonment), and one, to trade a Lawful Good soul for the soul of the Void victim. (The victim's soul went to Asmodeus).

Does this seem like the kind of things a devil would do? They are obviously profiting from this deal, since his own soul is valuable (him being level 9 and lawful good) VS casting a spell is a good trade, I think. As for the other, a lawful good soul is worth more than a neutral one as far as I know.

Kinda related. Most of the players drew bad-to-decent stuff from the deck. However, the party's Pseudodragon, a non-combatant NPC, drew an unhealthy amount of cards and is now chilling around with his shiny Holy Avenger, 50000 gold worth of diamonds, and a necklace of prayer beads. (And 30k exp)

[BWR]

Off topic:
We got to draw from a DoMT once. Apart from the wizard losing all his magic items, we did ok except that everyone drew the Donjon and we all ended up in Ravenloft. We were lucky enough to keep our gear. I suspect DM fiddling but hey, it was for story purposes.

As to your question, sure. There are probably devils that would make this deal. IIRC, nothing has been stated canonically about the relative worth of souls, other than the generic 'the more levels the better'. I don't think souls' alignment has a universal worth.

The most important thing here is not the souls that are being bargained away but the proof that the devils are right. Whenever someone doesn't choose sacrifice and suffering and the reward of a good afterlife, but instead play the devil's game for temporary gain, they are proving the devils right. Also, that knight is no longer Lawful Good. I may have allowed him a gross violation which an atonement could fix if all he had sacrificed was his own soul. Sacrificing someone else's soul is a flat out evil act. He didn't just fall to the dark side, he took a running leap off the cliff.

[gr8artist]

Ever wanted to use a DoMT as a weapon? There's a creature (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/undead/red-jester)that can!

Anyway, I am confused as to how the knight managed to sell someone else's soul, without their permission. Seems kinda... invalid... to me. I mean, wouldn't all the demons sell all our souls to all the devils, then?
Also, is this like in "Supernatural" where selling your soul still lets you go on living for a while, or is that knight pushing up daisies right now?

[Qc Storm]

A few precisions. Knights need only remain Lawful to keep their class abilities. Fiendish pacts are said to instantly bring you to Lawful Evil, or so I've read in the Fiendish Codex 2. There's no sugarcoating the whole "bargaining other people's souls" though. That's real ****ing evil.

The Knight's soul is sold to the devil, but they will only earn it when he dies, as is custom. Which may or may not be accelerated by devil intervention.

His "selling other peoples souls" contract is not just giving away a soul he doesn't own. He will have to seek people, and convince them to make a pact with the Erinyes he summoned. He has an item that will call that Erinyes.

The mortal needs to be ready to sign a pact before calling her.

[Sith_Happens]

Ever wanted to use a DoMT as a weapon? There's a creature (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/undead/red-jester)that can!

That's horrifying.:smalleek:

[BWR]

If by 'horrifying' you mean 'frickin' awesome', then yes!

[Doorhandle]

If by 'horrifying' you mean 'frickin' awesome', then yes!

A lot of horrifying monsters are.

[prufock]

Ever wanted to use a DoMT as a weapon? There's a creature (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/undead/red-jester)that can!

Deck of Many Things as a ranged touch attack, CR 10 (!!!)?

[Arc_knight25]

To this day I still say a deck of many things is a great way to halt a campaign right in it's tracks.

My most memorable use of Deck of many things was with a 1st ed campaign. I think there was about 4 in the party. A 1/2 orc cleric(99%orc rolled it. His pinky toe had a little pinky hue to it), A human fighter, a human monk, and I forget the last one was a few years ago.

Anyways moving on. We came across a deck of many things, so we start drawing cards. Monk draws a few benifitcal cards then last card he draws is void. Now we have a Mindless monk that doesn't move. Fighter had the best luck all benifical cards. increase in level, plus to stats and a fighter cohort.

Now its my turn. 1st card i draw Donjon. I am now enslaved to one of the Lords of hell, he gets all my possessions including the deck of many things. As he is monologing, he draws a card...Ruin. DM drew just for theatrics.

I am now buck naked free from the Demon Lord that now has lost a complete Plane of the Abyss, who is in complete and utter shock at all that he has just lost.

I then cheesed it and meet up with the group. Our campaign ended shortly there after.

To this day I am still terrified to draw a card from one. So much bad in such a little deck of cards.

[Scow2]

Now its my turn. 1st card i draw Donjon. I am now enslaved to one of the Lords of hell, he gets all my possessions including the deck of many things. As he is monologing, he draws a card...Ruin. DM drew just for theatrics.

I am now buck naked free from the Demon Lord that now has lost a complete Plane of the Abyss, who is in complete and utter shock at all that he has just lost.His Ruin didn't destroy you because you were his property? That's surprising.

[BWR]

Don't think of it as a hindrance, think of it as an opportunity.
Used a DoMT to great effect as the springboard for a longish adventure. Player drew the Donjon, and I interpreted it rather broadly as being trapped in a distant land with no magic able to detect where the player was. She then had to make her own way home, overcoming some serious obstacles.

If a PC is hit by Ruin, have him pass out drunk while some high-level thieves steal everything not nailed down. Revenge story and an opportunity to get his things back.

[nedz]

Decks can go badly, though I have run games where they worked. I usually used my own decks though, which were slightly more restrained whilst also being much more left field.

One interesting idea is rather then have them as instant events — the cards drawn become future plot points. This wouldn't suit all games, but is probably a better approach than the instant end of campaign disaster.


A few precisions. Knights need only remain Lawful to keep their class abilities. Fiendish pacts are said to instantly bring you to Lawful Evil, or so I've read in the Fiendish Codex 2. There's no sugarcoating the whole "bargaining other people's souls" though. That's real ****ing lawful evil. FTFY

[Talderas]

If by 'horrifying' you mean 'frickin' awesome', then yes!


For all intents and purposes, horrifying and awesome are adjectives to describe the same thing. Perspective just dictates which one you use.

[dysprosium]

dear red jester

would you mind throwing that 50,000 xp card at me?

thanks a bunch!

[Arbane]

I find myself in complete agreement with the Penny Arcade guys (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/6/28/) on the DoMT:
That artifact EATS campaigns.

[Qc Storm]

Related to my aftermath above. Can dragons be paladin? I would think a Pseudodragon would prefer a paladin of freedom. Especially that guy. He gained a few levels so I figured he could use his new shiny sword.

Can dragons even wield swords?

[Spuddles]

We have a pretty poor player we've been gaming with for several years. For some reason we let him DM- no idea why we let him DM. He was a terrible DM, too. I stopped showing up to games for the month and a half he DMed.

Anyway, one of the first things he does is let people draw from the deck of many things. It messes some stuff up. This is in PF, with lots of 3.5 stuff, so I an using versatile spellcaster on a druid1/wizard1 to get unlimited 1st lvl spells and early access to 2nd level spells.

I get the free castle, 50k gp in gems, and a dread wraith. Earthbind, magic missile to death. Oh hello, level 3.99, how are you?