"Blind in our ways, we warred amongst ourselves as we had for generations. Until black steel scarred the land and our true enemy came upon us." —Koeas-Civin, Words of the Elders

This column details the Black Steel campaign setting using the Pathfinder RPG. The campaign could certainly be run using RuneQuest, the Warhammer Fantasy RPG, D&D, or another fantasy RPG.

It's in the Cards

Beyond spell cards, I've never used cards in D&D. But I enjoyed the deck that came with Torg so when I saw all the card decks for Pathfinder, I had to check them out for the Black Steel campaign.

Pathfinder cards include magic items and NPC portrait cards as well as decks with optional rules that actually change the Pathfinder RPG. I have a few item cards but I'm not currently using them (maybe as my next new project for the campaign). I am using the decks that affect game play and more are on the way including GameMastery Condition Cards which include various conditions like stunned and staggered and GameMaster Chase Cards to handle chases.

Pathfinder cards are not random and do not come in boosters. They are complete in one set and come with all the rules needed to use them in a Pathfinder roleplaying game.

The Critical Hit Deck

The critical hit deck replaces a simple multiplier of damage with a huge variety of effects from bleed to nonlethal damage based on the type of attack. I use my own optional rule for the critical hit deck: reduce your critical by x1 (from x2 to x1 or x3 to x2 for example) and draw a card instead. If the card effect doesn't work disregard it and do not reduce your normal critical range.

The Fumble Deck

The fumble deck penalizes an attacker who rolls a 1 on the attack and then confirms a fumble by rolling to hit again and missing. A card is drawn that produces a wide variety of mishaps depending on the type of attack used. I use a slightly modified version of the rules. Optional rule: you always use your highest BAB to confirm a fumble.

I used this rule because otherwise characters would be tempted not to take the extra attacks from a high base attack bonus because if one of those attacks fumbles, the chance to confirm the fumble by missing again is more likely. This optional rule gives a skilled attacker a better chance to avoid a fumble.

The Plot Twist Deck

A complaint against using the fumble deck is that it penalizes the players (who roll a lot more than any one individual monster) without compensation. Adding in the plot twist cards can offset this disadvantage.

Each plot twist card includes four possible ways a non-combat encounter could be influenced or changed with GM approval, ranging from adding in a handy needed NPC to introducing a random encounter. Optionally, a combat effect can be used instead. A character gets one plot twist card at each level. Optional rules: One card at every odd level if you have six or more characters. If the card is used outside of combat the GM may immediately replace it.

The combat effects for the plot twist cards are powerful. And letting players have story control is a wonderful way to help players who might want to someday GM get their feet wet trying out adding in an idea of their own to the adventure.

The GM may want to encourage players in the use of the plots on the cards until they get used to using them. Many players may forget the have a card that can be used to direct the story, so some gentle GM coaching could help draw these players out and involve them more deeply in the ongoing story of the campaign.

A final note on the plot twist cards. The cards are not just random game and plot effects. Each card has a name and many are tied directly to the Pathfinder world of Golarion. For example, the seven sins used by the Runelords to power magic are also each a named card in this deck. Of course, these sins exist outside of Golarion as well, so the deck works in both Paizo's setting as well as in a homebrew.

Harrow Deck

The Harrow Deck has three uses in a Pathfinder game. It can be used to generate semi-random ability scores, to provide a reading for an upcoming adventure, and it can be used in conjunction with RPG rules that reference the deck.

Ability Score Generation

The debate rages on: random rolling or points to determine ability scores? My preference is semi-random: a good ability score that matters most (Intelligence for wizards for example) and some randomness for the rest.

A while back, Dragon Magazine #346 print edition used the Three Dragon Ante cards to randomly generate ability scores. I extrapolated from that idea to semi-randomly generate ability scores using the Harrow deck. I replaced the names of Three Dragon Ante cards with Harrow cards and changed the points method from D&D 3.5 to match Pathfinder with extra points automatically added to one score of a the player's choice.

While I liked the results of this reading, it does take a while to generate a new character.

A Harrowing Reading to Enhance the Adventure

The Harrow deck includes rules to use it during an adventure. I tried this in a game and it didn't work as well as I would have liked. Optional rule: the GM does the reading before the adventure and ties it into the story. The GM then recreates the reading before the game.

I think the GM needs to have the reading done before hand so that he can tailor the adventure specifically to the reading.

Also, Paizo is publishing a module called the Harrowing this year that takes characters into the locations depicted on the cards. The artwork of the Harrow deck is stunning and includes some interesting locations like the Waxworks so this module should be another enhancement to using the Harrow cards.

The Harrower Prestige Class

Found in the D&D 3.5 Golarion setting, Pathfinder Chronicles: Campaign Setting, and planned to be updated in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea World Guide the harrower prestige class uses draws from the Harrow deck to power class abilities. Using a real Harrow deck to determine effects is a great touch. Class abilities range from boosting random ability scores to increasing caster level checks to increasing a spell's DC.

Harrowed, a feat from Pathfinder Chronicles: Campaign Setting, also uses a draw from the Harrow deck. The character can draw a Harrow card to determine a random ability score. One time a day, the character can modify any d20 using the ability score drawn with a +2 bonus.

Conclusion

Using cards to enhance already existing rules with non-randomized decks is an interesting addition to Pathfinder. The critical hit and fumble decks do not require much additional work for the GM beyond being able to adapt to changing fortunes in combat.

The plot twist cards require much more active GM participation but they also draw in the players quite a bit more as well. A GM who shares story power with his players may find the shared story the group is telling growing quite a bit by introducing these cards.

Finally, the Harrow deck isn't likely to be used every game unless a character specifically takes a class or feat that uses the deck. I think the cards could be distracting if the reading is overused, but using them on occasion for particular adventures or as needed for character abilities is a great idea.

Next Month

The column shifts to world-building in fantasy while using the theme of horror. First up: what can a GM do before work on a new horror-themed fantasy campaign setting begins to give his future efforts the best chance of succeeding?

But before the horror begins, the column tackles the challenge of what a GM does when a world he's been building dies because real life intrudes on game night. Is there life after death of an RPG campaign?

May you find the path,
Charlie