by Fred Haskell ©2007
The Deck of the Scrivener is much like other magical decks in that is usually found wrapped or boxed. It is most often found double wrapped in runed silk wrapped in oiled sealskin to help protect it from moisture and rough handling. This in turn is often in one or more fitted boxes of wood and metal covered in fire and water protective glyphs.
The cards themselves are either vellum with the backs painted on the rough vellum "back,"
or on thin ivory sheets. Sometimes the cards are painted platinum sheets.
The Deck of the Scrivener's images are not normal, however. They magically move with animate liveliness and sparkle and glow with life.
Merely unwrapping the cards bestows the knowledge that the drawer must choose to draw zero to three cards and announce this decision. Only intelligent beings may draw.
Familiars may not draw for the deck owner. 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 drawer who chooses to draw no cards may pass the deck on but may never again draw from this deck. Trying to do so reveals only blank cards. Cards must be drawn within 1 hour of each other, and a drawer may never again draw from this deck any more cards than he has announced (unless the cards direct otherwise). If the character does not willingly draw his allotted number (or if he is somehow prevented from doing so), the cards flip out of the deck on their own.
Each time a card is taken from the deck, it is replaced (making it possible to draw the same card twice or thrice or more) unless the draw is the Scriptorium or the Black Lodge, in which case the card does not reappear even if replaced (For game play simply discard these cards once drawn.). A Deck of the Scrivener contains 22 cards. To simulate the magic cards, you may want to use playing cards. The cards and their effects are fully described below.
Drawers pulling a card a second or more times must roll against 50% for additional
effects or no additional effect. Once any additional effects have occurred, there are no more additional effects unless noted otherwise.
If you have no deck roll 2d10+1d4-2 for 1-22
1) Air: The serene perfection of the ice blue Kirin represents the blessings of sky and the element of Air. The Drawer can now fly like a dove (Fly 12") and knows the languages of the birds. An additional effect would be to fly at Hawk speed 33".
2) Fire: The Foo-Lion of Fire roars at the Drawer granting the blessing of Fire. The Drawer is never again harmed by normal fire and can hereafter produce small fires at will. An additional effect would be to produce a 1d8 damage cone of fire 10" long once per day in addition to normal fires.
3) Water: A green Dragon-fish rides rough waves and grants the Drawer the blessing of Water, granting the ability to breathe water at will and speak to any fish in the seas.
An additional effect would be to swim at dolphin speed 30".
4) Earth: A mighty panda of quartz rests in the mountains. The Drawer is blessed by the Earth and can never again suffer damage from any fall to the earth and can Passwall once a day at will. An additional effect would be to be able to speak to stones.
5) Nature: An albino Celestial dragon relaxes by cool shady trees and grants the boon of Mother Nature to the Drawer. The Drawer can speak to trees and plants and is 10% less likely to ever become lost on the ground. An additional effect would be to naturally have a hallucinatory terrain wherever one travels.
6) Time: Time waits for no man. But now it waits for thee. The Drawer has the power to step outside of time for 5 seconds each day. The world stops but the Drawer can move. But he pays a price this once and ages 1d10 years right now. An additional effect would be to be able to step outside time for 10 seconds and pay another 1d10 years. A third draw would pay the same 1d10 years but allow moving forward or backward in time up to one minute.
7) Scriptorium: The library of infinite knowledge awaits you. From the many possibilities of the Elder Keys of the Akashic Records the temptation is too great. You must draw twice more. Remove this card when drawn.
8) Mobius: The single Mobius has one surface area, the dual has two, but the
Tri-Drawer has completed this life and now reincarnates as something or someone completely different. He only has a 50% chance to remember his old life. His clothes and belongings remain but may or may not fit or be useful. An additional effect would be his old life definitely gone and not remembered. No save. No wishes will reverse this additional effect.
9) Ouroboros: The Ouroboros represents infinity and the constant renewal of life. The snake sheds his skin and is reborn. The Drawer now sheds a level and adds a level in a new class. A new class is added even if a dual class is impossible for the Drawer's race or abilities. The nearest class possible to the Drawer's abilities is chosen, but one is chosen. First and Zero Level characters merely add a zero level in the new class but must pay double experience to raise to the first level. An additional effect would be to add yet another class and another. Even if this card is drawn five times, more classes are possible.
10) Black Lodge: The Black Lodge of ancient hidden mysteries and hermetic wisdom beckons.
The Drawer gains one point of Wisdom but it may change (50%) his alignment. If so, it is an equal chance in any direction. You may draw once or twice more. Remove this card when drawn.
11) Grimoire: The ancient tome of the hoary sorcerer covered with elder cabalistic runes and protective sigils designed in fanciful arabesques executed in blood holds both
knowledge and power. But it also holds danger. Energy bursts forth upon the Drawer and transforms one of his levels into that of a first level magic user. This happens
regardless of whether it is allowed by race or class restriction. Zero and first level characters must save at -2 or be teleported 1,000 miles away. Current magic users gain two levels but lose a point of constitution for 1d4 months due to the strain. Teleported
characters need draw no more cards even if draws were mandatory. An additional effect would be to add yet two more levels but no more are possible after this and the
constitution cost is 2 points for 8 months, in addition to any previous loss.
12) Reliquary: The scintillant dark crystal surface of the Octahedron Sepulcher sparkles as it floats in the æther of nilspace. Also known as the Reliquary of Thom, it holds untold and unknown primordial powers. The Drawer must defeat himself to gain a powerful magic weapon. An additional effect would be the gift of another weapon or magic item at no cost with no combat required!
13) Oubliette: The Oubliette is a dark and hopeless place with no door…no exit. The grate of light is the only opening. The Drawer is sucked away to be a prisoner of a powerful outsider on another plane of existence. No more cards can be, nor need be, drawn after this card.
14) Fastitocalon: The great monster turtle as old as Oerth itself, who swims the seas of eternity gulps down the entire group of the Drawer and pulls them to a random outer plane. Roll 1d20 with 1-16 going to the upper level of the outer planes on the wheel starting with the Seven Heavens, 17 going to Concordant Opposition, 18 to the Astral, 19 to an alternate Prime and 20 to an unknown plane. No more cards can be, nor need be, drawn after this card unless the deck came through with the party. Roll to determine this, 50%. There are no additional effects, other than constantly moving between planes.
No 50% roll needed!
15) Behemoth: From neath earth's shadowed hide comes the Behemoth. The Drawer has invoked the anger of the earth and is swallowed up. The Drawer is teleported into the nearest section of the caverns of the Underdark. No more cards can be, nor need be, drawn after this card.
16) Leviathan: Rising out of the waves is the great Leviathan, armored and terrible. The Drawer has invoked the anger of the seas and is teleported deep under the ocean to the nearest Sahuagin city. No more cards can be, nor need be, drawn after this card.
17) Ziz: Flying from above with thunder in its wake is the mighty Ziz, Roc of Rocs. The Drawer has invoked the anger of the air and is teleported to the nearest cloud island thousands of feet in the air. No more cards can be, nor need be, drawn after this card.
18) Salamander: The flaming elemental sprite of Fire, the Salamander, marks the Drawer.
The Drawer is whisked away to the fabled City of Brass in the Elemental Plane of Fire, to its slave quarters. No more cards can be, nor need be, drawn after this card.
19) Lama: The great long-lobbed Lama waits floating in the lines of probability over the sea of thought. The Drawer rolls against his Wisdom. Rolls below allow for 3 questions to be answered, much like a Contact Higher Plane. Rolling above sends the Drawer on a Geas Quest to find himself and gain wisdom. No more cards can be, nor need be, drawn after a wisdom quest result. Rolling exact to the Wisdom score allows for more complete answers.
Creatures who draw with no Wisdom characteristic use a base score of 10. An additional effect would be gaining a second round of three questions but no more after that.
20) Kraken: The Kraken has been released! Rising from his phosphor-starry depths the Kraken pulls down the Drawer and takes away all his carried possessions, removes all but one life level, and removes all but one hit point, leaving him brine soaked and naked, scarred with the claws of the Kraken. Familiars, mounts, and linked intelligent magic weapons save at +2. There are never additional effects from drawing this card a second or third or more times, only a horrible roaring and the fetid breath and briny miasma of the Kraken washing over the party.
21) Phoenix: The Phoenix rises flaming from the ashes reborn. The Drawer is burned in fire. He loses all his possessions that fail to save. Magic items are not affected nor are mounts or familiars. His race, sex, age, and memories do not change but he looks like a new person different and changed forever. The Drawer also now always regenerates like a Troll, gaining 1 hit point per melee. An additional effect would be staying the same 'new self' but with sex reversed (or adding a sex if none was present)!
22) Occam's Razor: Simple and elegant, with an edge like sharp diamond, Occam's Razor cuts to the point. The Drawer gains a bejeweled hilt that can generate a blade of brilliant blue energy that can cut through almost anything. The blade responds at will and lasts as long as needed. It acts as a +4 hit and damage broadsword. It can affect even creatures requiring +5 and above weapons to hit. The blade is 1.5 inches long per Intelligence point of the character, maximum of 37.5 inches. It is usable by ANY class or race. An additional effect would be gaining a 2 inch increase per intelligence point on the drawer's existing blade. A third effect would be an additional shorter blade of 1 inch per INT point at +3 to hit and damage but otherwise identical to the first blade. No additional effects would occur after this.
1) Air: Deuce of Spades 2) Fire: Deuce of Diamonds 3) Water: Ace of Spades 4) Earth: Queen of Spades 5) Nature: Ace of Hearts 6) Time: Queen of Clubs 7) Scriptorium: Joker
8) Tri-Mobius: Deuce of Hearts 9) Ouroboros: Deuce of Clubs
10) Black Lodge: Joker (red or colored or with trademark) 11) Grimoire: Queen of Hearts
12) Reliquary: Jack of Hearts 13) Oubliette: Queen of Diamonds 14) Fastitocalon: Jack of Spades 15) Behemoth: King of Spades 16) Leviathan: Jack of Clubs 17) Ziz: Jack of Diamonds
19) Lama: Ace of Clubs 20) Kraken: King of Hearts 21) Phoenix: Ace of Diamonds 22) Occam's Razor: King of Clubs
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THE DECK OF FICKLE FORTUNE (of Tegal Manor)
This enchanted deck of intricately hand-colored pasteboards has been in the Rump family for generations, though its origin is unknown. Its capricious nature has also earned it the name "Dame Fortune's Folly". It's magics are very potent, and the results usually permanent (though the details have been deliberately left somewhat vague for the GM to adapt to his own campaign and game system used). Normally, one may only draw once from the deck in any moon to derive a magical effect from the card drawn (unless one draws
"Fortune's Wheel"); further attempts will only reveal the cards themselves, not their effects. In order for the cards to activate their magicks, they must be drawn blindly-stacking the deck will achieve either nothing, or a most dire consequence (GM
discretion). There are 22 cards. To determine the consequences of a card drawn from the pack, roll D100 and
consult the table below:
Roll: Card drawn, and its effect:
01-02 The Star: Major Blessing
03-04 The Star, reversed: Minor Blessing
05-06 The Enchantress: Alter Magicks (spell, good) 07-08 The Mage: Alter Magic Item (good)
09-10 The Moon: Enhance Magic Spell (adds skill to one) 11-12 The Sun: Enhance Major Skill
13-14 The Sun, reversed: Enhance Minor Skill
15-16 The Coin: Nourish (eliminates hunger for one day)
17-18 The Chalice: Restore Vitality (negates all fatigue penalties) 19-20 The Candle: Alter Form (beneficial effect)
21-22 The Wand: Alter Race (Roll 1D6: 1-Human, 2=Elf, 3=Dwarf, 4=Halfling, 5=Half-Elf, 6=Orc)
23-24 The Quill: Alter Color (beautiful, even if bizarre) 25-26 The Masque: Alter Sex
27-28 The Sword: Alter Weapon (an enhancement) 29-31 The King: Enhance Strength
32-34 The Queen: Enhance Intelligence 35-37 The Prince: Enhance Constitution 38-40 The Princess: Enhance Wisdom 41-43 The Knight: Enhance Agility 44-46 The Lady: Enhance Dexterity 47-49 The Jester: Enhance Charisma
50-52 The Jester, reversed: Diminish Charisma 53-55 The Lady, reversed: Diminish Dexterity 56-58 The Knight, reversed: Diminish Agility 59-61 The Princess, reversed: Diminish Wisdom 62-64 The Prince, reversed: Diminish Constitution 65-67 The Queen, reversed: Diminish Intelligence 68-70 The King, reversed: Diminish Strength
71-72 The Sword, reversed: Alter Weapon (an impairment)
73-74 The Masque, reversed: Twin (become duplicate of random party-member) 75-76 The Quill, reversed: Alter Color (ugly/repellent)
77-78 The Wand, reversed: Exchange Form (with a random party-member) 79-80 The Candle, reversed: Alter Form (detremental effect)
81-82 The Chalice, reversed: Reduce Vitality (doubles all fatigue accrued) 83-84 The Coin, reversed: Famish (hunger cannot be appeased for one day) 85-86 Sun Eclipsed: Diminish Major Skill
87-88 Sun Eclipsed, reversed: Diminish Minor Skill
89-90 The Moon, reversed: Diminish Magic Spell (reduces skill with one spell) 91-92 The Mage, reversed: Alter Magic Item (bad)
93-94 The Enchantress, reversed: Alter Magicks (spell, bad) 95-96 Old Night (The Dark), reversed: Minor Curse
97-98 Old Night (The Dark): Major Curse
99 Fortune's Wheel: Double (draw twice, but ignore this roll if repeated) 00 Fortune's Wheel, reversed: Nothing (and the deck vanishes!)
Key
Some are explained the rest are here:
Major Blessing -- wish
Minor Blessing –- limited wish
Alter Magicks –- random beneficial spell cast on oneself or a bad spell Alter Magic Item -– gain beneficial magic item or gain cursed item
Enhance Magic Spell –- gain or lose spell or proficiency slot (for weapon or otherwise) Enhance Major Skill –- plus one level or lose one
Enhance Minor Skill -- +10,000 exp pts or minus
Alter Form –- add wings, extra thumbs etc. or something bad like turn green Alter Weapon –- add +1 to weapon or -1
Enhance Strength etc. -- +1 or -1 for Diminish Minor Curse -- +1 to be hit by everyone
Major Curse -- +2 to be hit by everyone