[Item] Card of Masters

[Lysander]

Card of Masters

This thin rectangular object acts as a portal between this dimension and one occupied by a demonic business. The owner of the card can summon as much money as they like, in any denomination, though they can only withdraw when they owe less than 5000 gold (or equivalent value) overall. This money must be repaid regularly, by holding any money and willing it to the other plane. Any outstanding debt not repaid by the end of the month is increased by 30%. Should you ever owe more than 5000 gold your soul is instantly claimed by demons, leaving your body in a coma. Your soul is trapped, preventing restoration or resurrected, and can only be released through divine action or a wish.

[Cult_of_the_Raven]

is this like a demonic loan? weird.

[Lysander]

Yup. Money at your fingertips but the interest is killer.

[Cult_of_the_Raven]

At the levels where that would come into play, wouldn't 5 k gold be a little bit too stingy?

[Collin152]

Perhaps rather than owing more than 5,000, it should be based on how much you borrowed. Like say, 300%. Makes the small loans bite you harder.

[Callos_DeTerran]

My god...this thing is just plain evil! Is it an artifact or a Wonderous Item?

[Lysander]

It is horrible! Thank goodness it's just fictional.

[Jarl]

Nine Lives Stealing Longsword: 23,057 gp
Mithral Full Plate of Speed: 26,500 gp
Heavy Warhorse: 400 gp
Tiger pit your enemy didn't notice until the last second: 5 sp
The look on the fighter's face when he realizes he has no way to pay off his equipment: Priceless.

-There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's the Card of Masters.

[Gyrfalcon]

*laughs* Nice. *grins*

Otherwise, I do agree that 5k is very low for when this sort of item would show up... unless, of course, they come in multiple grades, with larger and larger credit limits to encourage excess. *grins*

[XtheYeti]

What about having the "Credit limit" be 1000gp x Chr level and if you owe more than 300% intrest you are gone

[Iron_Mouse]

Maybe just a detail, but that thing sounds a lot like it's been "offered" by devils, not demons :smallwink:

[Lysander]

Hmm...well I suppose there could be your basic card for 5k, your gold membership card of masters for 10k, your executive mithril premium for 25k, and the Shadow Select Exclusive for 50k.

[Yakk]

Up the limit.

5,000 gp per character level.

30% monthly interest.

10% minimium payment.

The card is bound to you by a drop of blood. The next word you state is the activation word. If you hold the card and use the activation word, you can state a quantity of coin. You will then see an illusion of the cash. If the next word is affirmative, the cash will come into being in place of the illusion.

Payments are to be made by holding a sack containing the payment in one's left hand, then saying the activation word backwards.

The above periods are lunar, not calendar, and on the solstice and equinox there is an additional 5% minimium payment and 10% interest due. The date system in question will be that used by the majority of intelligences within a 100 mile radius. Loss of card does not idemnify you from any obligations. You are responsible for any use of the activation word. The card holder agrees that no statement of account will be provided. Other Verbal and Blood-written agreements between the card holder and the provider of credit are superceded by this agreement. Payment of souls may be accepted in lue of payment penalties at going market rates. In the event of default, card holder will owe an obligation commesurate with ten times the amount unpaid. Outstanding credit is guaranteed against one's soul. Monthly minimium payments are calculated on the full moon, based off payments made since the last new moon, and the maximium balance since the penultimate new moon. Credit limits may, from time to time, be altered in commesuration with cardholders power. Credit supplier not responisible if interdimensional barrier prevent payment of credit. No warrenty, express or implied, is provided by this agreement. In addition, if some subset the digits of the date can be arranged, using addition division multiplication subtraction and exponentiation, to be equal to the number 666, there is a 0.5% minimium payment due during that date. Failure to enforce does not absolve card holder of responsibilities. Interest is calculated on the night of the new moon based on the maximium balance since the last new moon. Additional credit may be extended to the card holder. From time to time, these agreements may be extended by arrangement between credit provider and card holder. In the event of contradiction between extended agreements and these terms, these terms will take precidence. Card holder agrees that these terms are fair, and these terms where agreed to volutarially. Use of card consists of agreement to these terms.

[Gralamin]

Wizard: "Ok demons, now that we have slaughtered you we would like your Shadow Select Exclusive card."
Demon: "But how do we know you'll pay?"
Wizard: "You have my Word."

later...

Rogue: "Hey little timmy"
Timmy the commoner: "Yes sir?"
Rogue: "Take these cards, say <insert command word here> and then 50k."
Timmy does as requested.
Rogue: "Thanks Timmy, You can keep the cards, we'll take the gold."

one month later
Demon: "Finally I can eat those idiots souls, hey whats this? A commoner has the cards? oh well a soul is a soul"

What I mean by that of course is, there is no protection for the poor demons....

[Yakk]

Wizard: "Ok demons, now that we have slaughtered you we would like your Shadow Select Exclusive card."
Demon: "But how do we know you'll pay?"
Wizard: "You have my Word."

later...

Rogue: "Hey little timmy"
Timmy the commoner: "Yes sir?"
Rogue: "Take these cards, say <insert command word here> and then 50k."
Timmy does as requested.
Rogue: "Thanks Timmy, You can keep the cards, we'll take the gold."

one month later
Demon: "Finally I can eat those idiots souls, hey whats this? A commoner has the cards? oh well a soul is a soul"

What I mean by that of course is, there is no protection for the poor demons....

Loss of card does not idemnify you from any obligations. You are responsible for any use of the activation word.

[Gralamin]

Not if we willing give it to someone, making them the owner (as per what the description states)

[Captain van der Decken]

That's pretty good.

Is it a minor artifact?

Yeah, devils would be more appropiate than demons.

[Lysander]

You probably get read the fine print when signing up for the card. So while you could exploit someone else they'd know what you were doing.

[Yakk]

Not if we willing give it to someone, making them the owner (as per what the description states)

Sure, they own the cards.

But that fact does not make you any less responsible for the use of the command word that took the 50,000 gp out of the card.

Now, if you gave the card to a L 1 commoner, convinced them to agree to the agreement, got them to withdraw 5000 gp, then stole the 5000 gp, I suppose it works...

... to deal with that, make it require a L 3 soul, and give 5000 gp for every level over L 2. :) L 3 characters are rare enough that mass harvesting them would be tricky.

[Lysander]

I imagine the victim would get monthly statements too. A letter might pop into existence nearby listing their balance and due dates.

[Cult_of_the_Raven]

if they had monthly statements it would provide dramatic tension (i'm how much overdue?) but it would make harvesting the souls so much harder.

[flawed.Perfection]

I imagine the victim would get monthly statements too. A letter might pop into existence nearby listing their balance and due dates.

I'd imagine a little imp appearing in the person's nightmares, telling the guy how much he owes and when the due date is...

And showing what they do in the Nine Hells with debtors, obviously...


Note: I am uncertain whether imp and Nine Hells were devils or demons, so correct me where wrong.

[Lysander]

Astral Express

This card, rival to Card of Masters, has a higher 50% rate of interest but for every 1,000gp in interest you accrue you gain an Astral Mile on the card. These points can be spent in factors of ten (10 minimum) to teleport an equivalent number of miles across the material plane. This ability can be used once a week.

[Yakk]

Bah, Lysander, you don't like my devilish fine print?

[Lysander]

Oh I do like it. It's positively evil.

[Yakk]

The card holder agrees that no statement of account will be provided.

:)

So monthly statements can be promised, and even given -- but they don't have to be accurate, and if they are skipped or inaccurate, the player in question still owes the payments.

[Nerd-o-rama]

I literally had this idea five hours ago. I like anachronisms, and hate lugging gold around. This is an excellent idea. And the fine print makes it all the sweeter.

Definitely Devils, though. Or maybe Dwarves.

[Grey Knight]

Variant: Platinum Yendorian Express Card (http://nethack.wikia.com/wiki/Platinum_Yendorian_Express_Card); when used, recharges any wand, staff, rod, other-thing-with-expendable-charges.

Why? It's a charge card, of course! :smallbiggrin:

[Lysander]

To avoid someone sacrificing the souls of an entire village the card should probably bond with a single owner.

[Yakk]

Or just require a medium-high level to get any credit from it. L 3 or 5 is enough that people of that level are few and far between.

[Cult_of_the_Raven]

ah, a little higher wouldnt hurt.