Deck of Many ThingsSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 329, PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 544
Aura strong (all schools) CL 20th
Slot none; Price —; Weight —DescriptionA deck of many things is usually found in a box or leather
pouch. Each deck contains a number of cards or plaques made
of ivory or vellum. Each is engraved with glyphs, characters,
and sigils. As soon as one of these cards is drawn from the
pack, its magic is bestowed upon the person who drew it, for
better or worse.
The character with a deck of many things who wishes to
draw a card must announce how many cards she will draw
before she begins. Cards must be drawn within 1 hour of each
other, and a character can never draw from this deck any
more cards than she has announced. If the character does
not willingly draw her allotted number (or if she is somehow
prevented from doing so), the cards flip out of the deck on their
own. If the Idiot or Jester is drawn, the possessor of the deck
may elect to draw additional cards.
Each time a card is taken from the deck, it is replaced
(making it possible to draw the same card twice) unless
the draw is the Jester or the Fool, in which case the card is
discarded from the pack. A deck of many things contains 22
cards. To simulate the magic cards, you may want to use tarot
cards, as indicated in the second column of the accompanying
table. If no tarot deck is available, substitute ordinary playing
cards instead, as indicated in the third column. The effects of
each card, summarized on the table, are clarified below.
Balance: The character must change to a radically different
alignment. If the character fails to act according to the new
alignment, she gains a negative level.
Comet: The character must single-handedly defeat the next
hostile monster or monsters encountered, or the benefit is
lost. If successful, the character gains enough XP to attain
the next experience level.
Donjon: This card signifies imprisonment—either by the
imprisonment spell or by some powerful being. All gear
and spells are stripped from the victim in any case. Draw
no more cards.
Euryale: The medusa-like visage of this card brings a curse that
only the Fates card or a deity can remove. The –1 penalty
on all saving throws is otherwise permanent.
The Fates: This card enables the character to avoid even an
instantaneous occurrence if so desired, for the fabric
of reality is unraveled and respun. Note that it does not
enable something to happen. It can only stop something
from happening or reverse a past occurrence. The reversal
is only for the character who drew the card; other party
members may have to endure the situation.
Flames: Hot anger, jealousy, and envy are but a few of the
possible motivational forces for the enmity. The enmity of
the outsider can’t be ended until one of the parties has
been slain. Determine the outsider randomly, and assume
that it attacks the character (or plagues her life in some
way) within 1d20 days.
Fool: The payment of XP and the redraw are mandatory. This
card is always discarded when drawn, unlike all others
except the Jester.
Gem: This card indicates wealth. The jewelry is all gold set with
gems, each piece worth 2,000 gp, and the gems are worth
1,000 gp each.
Idiot: This card causes the drain of 1d4+1 points of Intelligence
immediately. The additional draw is optional.
Jester: This card is always discarded when drawn, unlike all
others except the Fool. The redraws are optional.
Key: The magic weapon granted must be one usable by the
character. It suddenly appears out of nowhere in the
character’s hand.
Knight: The fighter appears out of nowhere and serves loyally
until death. He or she is of the same race (or kind) and
gender as the character. This fighter can be taken as a
cohort by a character with the Leadership feat.
Moon: This card bears the image of a moonstone gem with the
appropriate number of wishes shown as gleams therein;
sometimes it depicts a moon with its phase indicating
the number of wishes (full = four; gibbous = three; half = two; quarter = one). These wishes are the same as those
granted by the 9th-level wizard spell and must be used
within a number of minutes equal to the number received.
Rogue: When this card is drawn, one of the character’s NPC
friends (preferably a cohort) is totally alienated and made
forever hostile. If the character has no cohorts, the enmity
of some powerful personage (or community, or religious
order) can be substituted. The hatred is secret until the
time is ripe for it to be revealed with devastating effect.
Ruin: As implied by its name, when this card is drawn, all
nonmagical possessions of the drawer are lost.
Skull: A dread wraith appears. The character must fight it
alone—if others help, dread wraiths appear to fight them
as well. If the character is slain, she is slain forever and
cannot be revived, even with a wish or a miracle.
Star: The 2 points are added to any ability the character
chooses. They cannot be divided among two abilities.
Sun: Roll for a medium wondrous item until a useful item is
indicated.
Talons: When this card is drawn, every magic item owned or
possessed by the character is instantly and irrevocably lost,
except for the deck.
Throne: The character becomes a true leader in people’s eyes.
The castle gained appears in any open area she wishes (but
the decision where to place it must be made within 1 hour).
Vizier: This card empowers the character drawing it with the
one-time ability to call upon a source of wisdom to solve
any single problem or answer fully any question upon her
request. The query or request must be made within 1 year.
Whether the information gained can be successfully acted
upon is another matter entirely.
The Void: This black card spells instant disaster. The character’s
body continues to function, as though comatose, but her
psyche is trapped in a prison somewhere—in an object
on a far plane or planet, possibly in the possession of an
outsider. A wish or a miracle does not bring the character
back, instead merely revealing the plane of entrapment.
Draw no more cards.
| Plaque | Tarot Card | Playing Card | Summary of Effect |
| Balance | XI. Justice | Two of spades | Change alignment instantly. |
| Comet | Two of swords | Two of diamonds | Defeat the next monster you meet to gain one level. |
| Donjon | Four of swords | Ace of spades | You are imprisoned. |
| Euryale | Ten of swords | Queen of spades | –1 penalty on all saving throws henceforth. |
| The Fates | Three of cups | Ace of hearts | Avoid any situation you choose, once. |
| Flames | XV. The Devil | Queen of clubs | Enmity between you and an outsider. |
| Fool | 0. The Fool | Joker (with trademark) | Lose 10,000 experience points and you must draw again. |
| Gem | Seven of cups | Two of hearts | Gain your choice of 25 pieces of jewelry or 50 gems. |
| Idiot | Two of pentacles | Two of clubs | Lose 1d4+1 Intelligence. You may draw again. |
| Jester | XII. The Hanged Man | Joker (without trademark) | Gain 10,000 XP or two more draws from the deck. |
| Key | V. The Hierophant | Queen of hearts | Gain a major magic weapon. |
| Knight | Page of swords | Jack of hearts | Gain the service of a 4th-level fighter. |
| Moon | XVIII. The Moon | Queen of diamonds | You are granted 1d4 wishes. |
| Rogue | Five of swords | Jack of spades | One of your friends turns against you. |
| Ruin | XVI. The Tower | King of spades | Immediately lose all wealth and property. |
| Skull | XIII. Death | Jack of clubs | Defeat dread wraith or be forever destroyed. |
| Star | XVII. The Star | Jack of diamonds | Immediately gain a +2 inherent bonus to one ability score. |
| Sun | XIX. The Sun | King of diamonds | Gain beneficial medium wondrous item and 50,000 XP. |
| Talons | Queen of pentacles | Ace of clubs | All magic items you possess disappear permanently. |
| Throne | Four of wands | King of hearts | Gain a +6 bonus on Diplomacy checks plus a small castle. |
| Vizier | IX. The Hermit | Ace of diamonds | Know the answer to your next dilemma. |
| The Void | Eight of swords | King of clubs | Body functions, but soul is trapped elsewhere. |
DestructionThis item can be destroyed by losing it in a wager with a deity
of law. The deity must be unaware of the nature of the deck.
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