Ideas for Deck of Many Dares?

[Kol Korran]

Guy, Ariel, Alon, Tomer- please don't read this!

hey all! i've recently started a sandbox pirate campaign. as part of a treasure hunt i planned on the party finding a unique treasure, who's main purpose was to propel future adventures, complications and fun.

originally i planned on some sort of a brain imprint, that the characters could use to project an illusory map towards something they desire, with partial clues and way points to it.

and then last night i saw pirates of the carabean 2 for the first time (haven't seen the third yet, please no spoilers! and yes- "how could i start a pirate campaign without seeing these movies?!" shame on me. shame on me.). well, Jack Sparrow's broken compass does pretty much what i planned, and i don't want to copy this, mainly since my players will recognize it too well.

so, impressed by the story of the deck of many cards told on a different thread, i thought to perhaps create the "deck of many dares". i'd love to hear your creative ideas, both to the initial design and how they should work. and to the nature of the cards them selves.

requirements:
- first and foremost, they are to be a potential adventure propelling/ adventure hook generating tool. they should be interesting.
- i don't want them to be as campaign altering as the deck of cards. i want cool influence, but not something that will throw the campaign over it's head just to the draw of a card.
- the cards shouldn't fell like "we're screwed no matter what we do" kind of deal, not like the traditional wishes. they should be actually beneficial, but... "cost" something. the players should have a generally positive experience about using these. it should also be coveted by others.
- as this is a sand box, and the cards are a cool thing but not essential thing, they should not become pivotal or necessary to the campaign.
- i want the players to have a bit more influence as to the kind of boon they get, and the potential price they pay.
- i don't want the cards to have a set influence ("oh, i drew X again, so Z must happen") instead i want them to hint at a possible boon/ price, but be open for interpretation to let the DM put in twists and interesting turns.
- if possible, i'd love there to be some sort of mystery behind the deck of cards, but i will keep that to later in the campaign.


initial design thoughts:
- the party can touch the deck at a certain time a day/ a week/ a month/ under special circumstances, when they are transported to a small black space, in front of them hands shuffling cards, and a silky voice. "what boon do you ask of the hands of fate? each boon carries a price".

- the party can seek different boons (a bit like wishes) which might be later fulfilled, mostly in a favorable way (so the characters might wish for them again), but with some twists (to keep them on their edge, and because messing with things is fun). the boon asked can be small, moderate, or significant.

- the shuffling hands deal 3-5 cards, from which the character chooses one, as a price. the price is interpreted by the DM according to the adventure, and the size of the boon. for example: "ship" might mean damage to their party's ship, meeting an enemy ship, having their ship recognized by goverment officials, have a ghost ship find them and more.)

possible cards
- gate
- ship
- fire
- lord
- witch
- beast
- stars
- death
- chains


other ideas?

(search word: piratewitch)

[Kol Korran]

such a resounding lack of interest? huh... guess i got it wrong.

[Tvtyrant]

I am not entirely sure what you want help with. Are you just asking for new cards?

Fish
This card leads to Fish. Big fish, small fish, spikes in fish sales, flying fish falling from the sky, the point is that fish are always involved with this card.
Moon
The Moon card is associated with strange happenings, and is often linked to madness. The world seems to stop making sense when this card is drawn.
Key
Something secret will come to light, but what it is cannot be told until it happens. It might be as small as a liking for ponies, and as large as a global conspiracy to take control of the lighthouses.
Serpent
This card is associated with betrayal and corruption, but it can also mean determination and enlightenment.

[Cespenar]

Why not use an actual tarot deck? It offers a lot of vague stuff that you can pull anywhere you want. Not unlike real life fortune tellers.

[Rockphed]

The Ship
When a character draws this card while on a vessel, the vessel becomes unsinkable. If they leave the vessel or die, the vessel sinks immediately regardless of how damaged, or undamaged, it is. The effect lasts until the next moonrise after the next moonset(so at least 12 hours, up to 36).
If the card is drawn while on dry land, it can either be replaced and a new card drawn without penalty, or it can be thrown into a body of water where a vessel suitable to the character will appear. After the character enters the boat, it behaves exactly as if the card had been drawn on while on the boat.

[nedz]

There is a risk that your players might not be all that interested and just put the cards in someone's backpack.

[Logic]

I am not entirely sure what you want help with. Are you just asking for new cards?

Fish
This card leads to Fish. Big fish, small fish, spikes in fish sales, flying fish falling from the sky, the point is that fish are always involved with this card.

Just cast Summon Bigger Fish and be done with it!

In seriousness:

Swords
Drawing the Swords card compels the characters to seek out a powerful legendary sword (such as the Sword of Kas.) Or perhaps drops a powerful sword into the possession of the characters. One that belongs to someone else. And that "someone else" wants his sword back.

[Erik Vale]

The Ship
When a character draws this card while on a vessel, the vessel becomes unsinkable. If they leave the vessel or die, the vessel sinks immediately regardless of how damaged, or undamaged, it is. The effect lasts until the next moonrise after the next moonset(so at least 12 hours, up to 36).
If the card is drawn while on dry land, it can either be replaced and a new card drawn without penalty, or it can be thrown into a body of water where a vessel suitable to the character will appear. After the character enters the boat, it behaves exactly as if the card had been drawn on while on the boat.

I can imagine the players trying to draw this card just to damage some cities harbour...

Also
Swarm
The Town/Area is suddenly plauged with swarms of insects or small animals. DM's choice in wether or not this is an attack or just unual occurence (that could lead to plauge).
Mirrage
One of the characters starts seeing things. Things they want. At dangerous times..... (Say person they want to kill mid battle instead of a friend)

[Logic]

Mirrage

This made me think of another:
Marriage!
If drawn, the player must propose marriage to anyone and everyone until a yes answer is received. No other verbal actions may be taken (towards other characters, such as diplomacy or bluff) until the other character responds with either a "Yes," "No," or "Maybe." If a maybe is the answer, the character so compelled must ask the answerer to marry them upon every subsequent meeting that a "maybe" answer is given.

[Hecore]

Modifying some of your initial ideas.

- The Deck of Many Dares is sealed in an old bronze box, weathered, tarnished, and covered in barnacles. It looks as though one should be able to open the container, but it is impossible under ordinary circumstances.

- A faint writings from a dead elvish language have been etched into the box. With a sufficient knowledge check the writings can be deciphered. They describe the boxes immense magic powers*, and how it can be activated. Some writing has been scratched out or has faded completely and can't be read, although it appears to be some kind of warning.

- Under a full moon a player may knock on the top of the box three times while wishing for a boon. The box may then be opened and a single card withdrawn. As soon as the card is glimpsed it crumbles into ash**. The card appears blank for any but the player who made the wish.

- Another card cannot be withdrawn until the next full moon. If a player tries to take multiple cards bad things happen. Each cards boon or curse only applies once.


* This gives a basic rundown on what each symbol means. For example, The Ship represents safety. Using the deck has a slight deleterious effect that is used to power its magic, causing one point of temporary incurable constitution damage until the next full moon.

** Players know what kind of card they drew, but do not know if it was positive or negative.

/The Deck of Many Dares was used in the past to trap the spirit of a powerful dread pirate lord. As such, the spirit in the deck attempts to blunt the effect of any curses drawn to entice players to free it from its prison. Whenever the deck has been used seven times the dread lord is returned to the world, in all their ruinous power. When the lord is returned the Deck can still be used, though the beneficial nature of the dread lord is no longer applied on the Reversed cards, and the player no longer takes temporary constitution damage when they use it.


The Ship

The Ship represents safety.

Normal - This card provides a shielding effect to a player or the party when they need it most, turning a failed save or skill roll into a passing roll.
Reversed - A player is made more vulnerable, causing a failed save or skill roll when it would be very disadvantageous. The dread lord prevents this failed save or roll from being the direct cause of a players death, however.

The Anchor

The Anchor represents stability.

Normal - This card provides protection in a storm, blunting the effect of any waves or wind that would cause more than superficial damage to any vessel the player or party is currently in.
Reversed - The power of storms are intensified around the player, either damaging their craft and/or greatly hampering them in combat. The dread lord prevents any player from drowning as a result from a supernaturally powerful storm, however.

The Chest

The Chest represents bounty.

Normal - The players find a powerful magical item that is well suited for their current adventure. This item appears only in appropriate locations (a treasure vault would be fine, but in the tavern's fireplace would not).
Reversed - The players find a powerful magical item that seems well suited for their current adventure. In actuality it is subtly cursed, the true nature of which reveals itself at an in opportune moment. The dread lord saps the power of this curse, causing the items effects to wane and eventually become mundane once revealed.

The Ocean

The Ocean represents knowledge.

Normal - In the next 1d7 days the players are given a piece of useful knowledge in their current quest. The hint should represent something substantive - the warlocks greatest fear, where the lich king hid the treasure, or the masterfully hidden death trap are all appropriate bits of knowledge.
Reversed - In the next 1d7 days the players are given a piece of knowledge that appears to be true and useful, and would aid them in their quest. This bit of information is false, often disastrously so. However, the dread lord prevents any such falsehoods from being much more than a wild goose chase or momentary setback.


The Sword

The Sword represents battle.

Normal - The next time the enemy would be granted a surprise round against the players, the players are instead granted the surprise round. This occurs regardless of any circumstances that might otherwise prevent it.
Reverse - The next time the players would be granted a surprise round, the enemies are instead granted the surprise round. This occurs regardless of any circumstances that might otherwise prevent it. The dread lord prevents the enemy from taking any offensive actions during this time, though they may still maneuver, buff themselves, etc.

The Skull

The Skull represents mortality.

Normal - If the player that drew this card would die before the next full moon, they are instead effected by a contingent Timeless Body power that takes effect before they would be killed.
Reversed - The player takes 1 point of temporary constitution damage each day until the player is reduced to a score of 0. This damage can be removed as normal, and the curse can be removed with Wish or Limited Wish. The dread lord weakens this effect, causing it to last only until the next full moon.

[AgentofHellfire]

The Lantern

Normal: The Lantern card reveals one major deception to the one that drew it, informing the cardholder only that it is a lie.
Reversed: The Lantern card causes the one that drew it to automatically fail their next will save against an illusion or compulsion effect cast by an enemy.

[Kol Korran]

some interesting ideas folks. i think i will stay from actual set effects, and more focus on symbolism of each card, which then i may use to alter the reality in ways that will make the game more interesting. but some of your ideas do give inspiration.

initialy by Hecore
Modifying some of your initial ideas.

the chest holding the dread pirate sounds a lot like the pirates of the carabean's Davey Jones, which i'm trying to steer away from. but there are some ideas there i like, so thanks! they'll need to be able to draw from it more than once a month though, as that amount of time is worth A LOT of adventuring in game terms... though perhaps less due to traveling over water? hmmm... still new to the pirate theme.

[Doorhandle]

-snip-

If you're using it as a plot device, and you don't want X to happen when you draw Y, I would suggest that you have set cards but no set effects and never the same effect twice,... or have the device work more like a fortune cookie or magic 8 ball.

It could work by giving them plot hooks ("in cellar behind the statue on the third level, there is a treasure trove") provide useful information/divination, (Don't touch the statue; That **** will kill you, son!) or be suddenly silent when a particularly dangerous monster comes along ("...I got nuthin'. ")

Also, this is just a personal pet-peeve of mine, but I always find an absence of capitalisation grating, and so that may be partially responsible if there are others that agree.

[Acanous]

The Hanged Man
The Hanged Man reprisents Law, Justice, and Inevitability.
Normal: The player wo draws this card may name any being on the plane who has wronged him, and that being is subject to a Discern Location spell as though cast by the player, even if they would otherwise be protected from such an effect.
Reversed: The player's location is revealed to the last person whom they wronged, as well as their involvement in how that person was wronged.

The Soldier
the Soldier reprisents Loyalty, Vigilance, and willingness to serve.
Normal: The player who draws the soldier gains the services of an NPC Cohort for the term of one month. This Cohort uses the elite stat array and is equipped as an NPC of their class and level. The Cohort's level is three below that of the character who drew the card at the time they did so, and does not change or progress during the service.
Inverted: The character is compelled as by Geas/Quest to perform the next boon or task asked of them by an NPC. This task can be anything, but may not exceed one month.

[Madeiner]

I'm liking this a lot and might start using it if it ever makes to a full deck!

Once a full deck is made (or even before) it would be great if someone wanted to make the actual cards so that they can be printed!

[Erik Vale]

You could just buy a Tarrot or other deck, look into the basic meaning behind the cards, and come up with a bad effect for drawn in reverse and a good effect for drawn in right order, basing it off dares.

I plan on doing something similar with a Deck of Many things in my Heroes campaign.

[Reluctance]

Make the deck be possessed by a benevolent spirit. If you want to turn a trope on its ear, instead of the usual demon being bound because it's too powerful to defeat outright, make it an angel that was bound to prevent it from stopping some nefarious schemes.

Any willing creature can open themselves to the deck's influence and use it as a divination tool (as per whatever divinations you care to work with), but to avoid being a corrupting influence, the party must build up karmic credit (i.e: charges) by helping others in ways that forward the greater good.

This makes the benefit fairly straightforwards - the PCs can get answers to any question that bothers them - while giving instant plot hooks. The only question is if you want the cards to be tarot cards for the panache, or if you just want to write out a bunch of nouns on index cards.