4E Fortune Cards spoiler

[Kurald Galain]

There's been a lot of talk about Fortune Cards lately. The cards have been released, and the WOTC forums have been quick to compile a complete spoiler list. Enjoy.

For those who haven't heard the news, these are a new option for 4E. You can either buy a pack of random cards for the session, or you can construct your own deck out of two or more packs. You can play one random card every turn as a free action, although a handful of cards require e.g. a move action to use. In LFR, you can't have duplicate cards in your deck, but in normal play you can.

[rayne_dragon]

I was glad I was ignorant of this new development until now. 4e is really turning into a blatant cash grab MtG. How do these add anything to the game that couldn't have been done without involving random packs of cards?

Personal distaste aside, if I understand how this works correctly from your description, there seems to be the potential for quite a bit of abuse of these cards. I also don't see why players need any extra abilities or bonuses - there are already enough of those incorporated into the game. They also seem like they'll draw out combat even longer than it already is since a number of them require dice rolls.

[Kurald Galain]

...and predictably, the good rares are now selling for around $4 apiece on eBay. Somehow I find that very funny.

[MeeposFire]

As somebody who plays a lot of 4e (at least relative to other stuff) I can honestly say I am not buying these cards and I really dislike the idea.

[DeltaEmil]

These card-effects don't look as bad as I thought they would turn out.

And now, let's see if this will bring oodles of money into the pocket of Wizards of the Coast or if it will fail spectacularly and bring them shame for the next decades.

I could see them become popular, so I guess that this will be counted towards success. Perhaps they drawed out this card.

# Rarity   Name             Type   Power   
1 Uncommon Stroke of Genius Tactic Wizards of the Coast makes lots of money

[RTGoodman]

I don't HATE the idea (though I'm not a huge fan), but I may grab a few packs (or singles). Of course, I won't be using them as-is. I plan on taking them and giving them out as rewards for good roleplaying, or whenever someone does something really awesome. Right now I occasionally just give an extra action point or some bonus, but these give a lot of new options for that.

[BlckDv]

I don't HATE the idea (though I'm not a huge fan), but I may grab a few packs (or singles). Of course, I won't be using them as-is. I plan on taking them and giving them out as rewards for good roleplaying, or whenever someone does something really awesome. Right now I occasionally just give an extra action point or some bonus, but these give a lot of new options for that.

I give out "FYIA" cards in the game I DM. Each player (not PC) starts with 1, and extra cards are earned for moments of true awesome at the table, IC or OOC. The sorts of moments that folks talk about after the campaign is over, and remind folks why we spend so much time on the game. This tends to happen only once per level or so, for the whole group of 6 players.

Players can cash in a card to cheat at any time. Examples I give are the ability to turn any one roll into a 20 or a 1, being able to use an already spent power or item ability, etc. I strongly encourage players to come up with more creative uses (such as one was used by a player to hurl his shield at an escaping enemy on a flying mount and knock the McGuffin out of his grip so the PCs could recover it, another was used to cause a mind controlling trap to "malfunction" and give the PCs a chance to get out of its reach)

[randomhero00]

Just wait, within a year there will be a rare card that costs 20$ on ebay and one you must tear up to use.

edit: and we use something similar as BlckDv (not really his idea, been around for a long long time). Call em fate points or stunt points. We get them every time we get a feat, max holding 3. Its basically the same, it can turn any action into a success or fail (such as an opponent). We thought about doing it for roleplay (which I kind of like) but there's a few members in the group that are very quiet and would just never get them. So we go by feats.

[Kurald Galain]

I plan on taking them and giving them out as rewards for good roleplaying, or whenever someone does something really awesome.

It appears that if you give a player a random card, the odds are pretty low that this particular card does something useful for his character. For this purpose, I like BlckDv's idea better.

[bokodasu]

Yesterday I found out that my printer will print on 3x5 cards. $1 for 240 at the dollar store! (Oh, wait, those don't come with art. Well, that's what I have kids for.)

[Fox Box Socks]

I made a long rant about this in the other thread about how one of the things I like about D&D is how little you need to play it and this is just a huge slap in the face and the real hidden truth about Trading Card Games is that they're just an insatiable money pit that occasionally demands that you throw X amount of cash into them so that you can stop sucking at your hobby.

Needless to say, I do not like this. I don't like that the new Campaign setting will apparently incorporate Fortune Cards heavily. I do not plan on buying them. Anyone who brings them to my table is going to have to watch as I strap him down and burn his cards.

[Reverent-One]

I made a long rant about this in the other thread about how one of the things I like about D&D is how little you need to play it and this is just a huge slap in the face and the real hidden truth about Trading Card Games is that they're just an insatiable money pit that occasionally demands that you throw X amount of cash into them so that you can stop sucking at your hobby.

Leaving aside that normally you have to keep throwing money at TCGs in order to have tournament legal cards, you don't need fortune cards to play anymore than you need splatbooks.

Needless to say, I do not like this. I don't like that the new Campaign setting will apparently incorporate Fortune Cards heavily.

What campaign setting is that?

[Lost Demiurge]

Can't really say I'm a fan of this idea. I wasn't with Gamma World, and I'm not with this.

If they'd released them as a full, non-randomized set it might've been a neat gimmick. Or if they'd commissioned a tarot like deck to work with and designed stuff for that, it might've been fun. But collectible? Nah.

If someone wants to bring these to my table that's fine, as long as they've got enough for everyone to share. Otherwise forget it.

But you say that there's a new campaign setting coming? Re-he-heally? Details, pleaze!

[Fox Box Socks]

The next campaign setting is Neverwinter (for some reason).

The next D&D Encounters season will make Fortune Cards mandatory.

Time will tell what the Campaign Setting will say, but I have a hard time thinking they won't weave Fortune Cards into the setting.

[Squark]

^I'm confused. How is Neverwinter anything other than an expansion of the existing... Thing 4e calls FR. Yeah, I'm still bitter about what they did to the setting.

I made a long rant about this in the other thread about how one of the things I like about D&D is how little you need to play it and this is just a huge slap in the face and the real hidden truth about Trading Card Games is that they're just an insatiable money pit that occasionally demands that you throw X amount of cash into them so that you can stop sucking at your hobby.

Needless to say, I do not like this. I don't like that the new Campaign setting will apparently incorporate Fortune Cards heavily. I do not plan on buying them. Anyone who brings them to my table is going to have to watch as I strap him down and burn his cards.

Now now, let's leave TCGs out of it. While they do require some innitial investment (Then again, most of us spend a lot on D&D, too), A good Legacy deck will be playable years later. And that's not even considering fan formats like pauper (commons only) or the like, Or even just regular casual games, which are a lot less cutt throat.


That being said, I hate this idea. I like MTG, and I like D&D, but I don't want the two mixed together like this. A MTG RPG might be cool, and, if done right, you might be able to pull of a TCG based on one of the campaign settings, but this is an unholy mix that wasz not ment to be.

[Reverent-One]

The next campaign setting is Neverwinter (for some reason).

The next D&D Encounters season will make Fortune Cards mandatory.

Time will tell what the Campaign Setting will say, but I have a hard time thinking they won't weave Fortune Cards into the setting.

A) Neverwinter is a part of the Forgotten Realms setting, B) Cards being mandatory at an event doesn't translate into the cards somehow being a part of the setting.

[Fox Box Socks]

A) Neverwinter is a part of the Forgotten Realms setting, B) Cards being mandatory at an event doesn't translate into the cards somehow being a part of the setting.

A) http://www.amazon.com/Neverwinter-Ca.../dp/0786958146

B) You're right, that's purely speculation on my part

[Tengu_temp]

Awesome. Now I can use those in my game without actually buying any cards! Thanks, KG.

[Kurald Galain]

Anyone who brings them to my table is going to have to watch as I strap him down and burn his cards.

Please post that on Youtube

[Reverent-One]

A) http://www.amazon.com/Neverwinter-Ca.../dp/0786958146

Yep, it's a "campaign setting" (a place with lots of detail for a campaign) within a campaign world (FR). Means that mixing in a new element like fortune cards directly into the setting is going to be somewhat difficult since the overall world doesn't.

B) You're right, that's purely speculation on my part

Then you shouldn't be saying that it "will apparently incorporate Fortune Cards heavily".

[Kurald Galain]

A) http://www.amazon.com/Neverwinter-Ca.../dp/0786958146

The second set of fortune cards is named "Glory of Neverwinter", so there's probably a connection there. The third set is "Fury of the Feywild"; both of these are expected to be released this year, as is the DM's Despair Deck.

[Fox Box Socks]

Actually, I'm not opposed to the idea printing out the cards, gluing them do index cards, and letting players use them.

I just refuse to give WotC money for them.

[kestrel404]

This is a gimmick that will only work for their tournament games. Anyone who's got an ounce of sense will just write out the deck they want on a bunch of 3x5 index cards.

I didn't buy Minis when they started coming out in random packs, and I'm not going to buy these.

[Squark]

At least the miniatures had their own game going for them... These are just... Dumb.

[RTGoodman]

It appears that if you give a player a random card, the odds are pretty low that this particular card does something useful for his character. For this purpose, I like BlckDv's idea better.

Ah, no, I meant that I'd have a stash of those and could pick through them to find a good one. Yeah, I could just print them out and glue them to cardstock, but my players like fancy-looking stuff and a few bucks here and there isn't much to add that little something to the game.

[LansXero]

Ah, no, I meant that I'd have a stash of those and could pick through them to find a good one. Yeah, I could just print them out and glue them to cardstock, but my players like fancy-looking stuff and a few bucks here and there isn't much to add that little something to the game.

Assuming there is either a secondary market for them or avoid getting too many repeats. Random boosters suck; most anyone who takes constructed MTG even half seriously avoids them like the plague.

[The Glyphstone]

"It's only a flesh wound": +5 vs. Death saving throws for a turn. Hehehehe.

[RTGoodman]

Assuming there is either a secondary market for them or avoid getting too many repeats. Random boosters suck; most anyone who takes constructed MTG even half seriously avoids them like the plague.

Eh, I don't mind the collectible aspect of stuff mostly. My other big money-sink hobby for the last couple of years has been Axis & Allies War at Sea Naval Miniatures, so I'm used to random boosters. (i do end up getting a good amount of stuff from the secondary/singles market, though.)

[Shatteredtower]

Please post that on Youtube

The police and prosecutors will be especially grateful.

[The Glyphstone]

The police and prosecutors will be especially grateful.

Better, make it a video download for $.99. You'll be able to pay for your own successful defense and still take a nice vacation to Aruba afterwards. Just make sure you get the case heard in a district where the judge is an avid AD&D player.