Deck of Many Things

A *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, the Fool, or Purge, in which case the card is discarded from the pack. A *deck of many things* contains 54 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. Effects denoted with an asterisk (\*) are changed in the Deck of Mythic Things, 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.

*The Bear:* The character gains the lycanthrope template, becoming a werebear lycanthrope, and as such, *remove disease* and heal have no affect on this affliction.

*The Beating*: While in combat, the character is always considered to be flanked. Attackers gain a +2 flanking bonus on attacks made against the character and may sneak attack him at will.

*The Carnival*: Upon drawing The Carnival, the card is set aside and the GM draws nine additional cards from the deck. These cards are laid face up for the character to view, then flipped over and shuffled by the GM. The player draws one card from the nine, taking that card’s effects as normal.

*Chance*: Once this card is drawn, you are given the choice to discard it without taking its effects. If you do so, you may not draw any more cards. When this card is drawn, choose either physical or mental ability scores and a specific score of each. The specific score you choose for the kind you choose gains a +10 bonus, and the other two gain a +5. The specific score you choose for the kind you did not choose takes a -10 penalty, and the other two take a -5 penalty.

*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.

*Command*: The save DC for this effect is 40. The source is determined at random or by the GM.

*The Courtesan*: Your main weapon (the one you use most or that is in your dominant hand) becomes an intelligent item. If multiple or no weapons match this description, your armor becomes intelligent. If you do not wear armor, a random item on your person of some value to you becomes intelligent.

*\*The Cricket*: All forms of movement you have, such as land, burrow, fly, swim, or climb, are increased by +10 feet per additional card you choose to draw (Maximum of 5 cards). Temporary speeds (such as from the monkeyfish spell) are not.

*Dance*: From this point on, whenever the character rolls initiative, he rolls twice and selects whichever result he prefers.

*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.

*Dust to Dust*: Your caster level for this effect is equal to your HD. You must use this within 1d12 months.

*Eclipse*: From the hours of dusk to dawn, the character is treated as being one level lower than normal. If the character has multiple classes, he must decide upon drawing this card which class is affected.

*\*Eruption*: The spell is treated as having a +30 to hit and the save DC is 40. All four meteors target the drawer of this card.

*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.

*Foreign Trader*: The mysterious entity known as the Foreign Trader appears and offers the character any treasure he wishes in return for years of his life. If the character accepts, he must choose to age a number of age categories. The character takes all the ability score penalties for his new age, but gains none of the benefits. For each age category he advances, however, he gains 20,000 gp worth of credit with the Foreign Trader, which can be spent on any non-unique magic items. Any credit a character does not spend is lost. After the character is done spending his credit, the Foreign Trader vanishes. Years taken by the Foreign Trader cannot be restored by any means. The Foreign Trader does not trade with characters who cannot die of old age. If the character is immortal, the Foreign Trader vanishes, leaving behind another card. If the character declines to bargain with the Foreign Trader, the trader disappears in a puff of acrid yellow smoke.

*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.

*Greed*: You must continue to draw cards until you draw a card that is beneficial to you in some way (directly or indirectly). These do not count towards the number of cards you first elected to draw.

*Idiot*: This card causes the drawer to lose 1d4 Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Roll separately for each. Since this is a reduction, not damage or drain, it cannot be negated or restored except by a Divine source. The additional draw is optional.

*Inquisitor*: This card grants the character the one-time ability to force another creature to answer a single question truthfully. The card does not grant the character or creature questioned any special insight, so a creature might still answer a question falsely if it believes the falsehood. If the creature is truly ignorant, it informs the character that it doesn’t know the answer and this effect is wasted. The character may use this card’s effect whenever he wishes, but only once.

*Jester*: This card is always discarded when drawn, unlike all others except the Fool. The redraws are optional.

*Juggler*: The character gains a +2 bonus to two ability scores of his choice, but must swap them with one another.​

*The Keep*: The character gains a personal demiplane, as per a permanent create greater demiplane spell.

*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.

*Lost*: The character cannot gain another level in whichever class he currently has the most levels. This effect can be circumvented if the character is killed and returned to life, but the next time he is restored to life he is affected as if by the spell reincarnate, regardless of what spell was cast.

*Metamorphosis*: You treat your HD as your effective summoner level. You have one hour to allocate the points.

*\*Might*: You gain the Advanced simple template.

*\*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. Roll 1d4 to determine the number of wishes granted.

*Mountain*: The character grows one size category, gaining all the benefits and penalties of increased size. His equipment increases as well.

*Paladin*: The character is granted a holy avenger. This weapon has all the properties of a normal holy avenger, along with a special ability that can be used once. Upon being thrust into the ground by its bearer as a standard action, the weapon transforms into a paladin two levels higher than the wielder. This paladin possesses her own holy avenger and aids the character in any way her alignment permits for 30 minutes. Once this time is over, the paladin vanishes and the sword reappears, though it is forever reduced to a +2 cold iron longsword.

*Politician*: The GM chooses one of the character’s enemies. This enemy has a complete change of heart and now favors the character.

*Prank*: Upon drawing this card, the character selects one of his allies. Three new cards are then drawn by the GM and made visible (the GM may choose whether or not to explain the cards’ effects). The character’s ally must choose one of these cards and immediately gains the effects. The character then selects one of the remaining two cards and gains that card’s effects. The final card is discarded.

*Precision*: Choose a single type of weapon, such as Greatsword, Crossbow, or Rapier. Your critical multiplier (not threat range) is increased.

*\*Purge*: The Tarrasque that awakens has the Advanced simple template 1d10 times, and it awakens somewhere determined by the GM.

​*Purity*: Your caster level is treated as being 50. The redraw is optional.

*Rogue*: When this card is drawn, one of the character's NPC friends (preferably a cohort, familiar, or animal companion) 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. Upon drawing this card, the character knows that someone or something will turn against him, but nothing more.

*Ruin*: As implied by its name, when this card is drawn, all nonmagical possessions of the drawer are lost.

*\*Skull*: A lesser death appears. The character must fight it alone—if others help, lesser deaths 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.

*\*Statue:* The creature is petrified, as if by Flesh to Stone, and made into marble. The petrification lasts until you are freed with the Greater Restoration spell or similar magic.

*Talons:* When this card is drawn, every magic item owned or possessed by the character is instantly and irrevocably lost, except for the deck.

*Timeless*: You do not take any ability score penalties from aging, however you retain the bonuses once you reach the appropriate "age". If middle age or older, you revert back to your prime, removing any age penalties you may already have but keeping the bonuses.

*Theatre*: The next time the character defeats a creature, he is granted a +2 bonus to the same ability score as the creature’s highest ability score.

*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).

*The Twin*: The change is entirely physical and has no other affect on the character itself. The redraw, if necessary, is mandatory.

*Uprising*: Upon drawing this card, 3d6 unruly, accident-prone, 1st-level commoners appear to serve the character. If these followers are killed, the character takes the usual penalties on attracting further followers. Knowledge of these commoners’ mistreatment or death spreads far, with the GM determining any repercussions.

*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.

​*Waxworks*: Upon drawing this card, 1d6 exact duplicates of the character appear within a 20-mile radius. These duplicates have the alignment opposite to that of the original character and oppose his goals. These may be Tulpas, Alter Egos, Waxwork Creatures, or any mix of the three.

## Deck of Mythic Things

This is an even more powerful deck containing 78 cards. As such, it can only be represented with a tarot deck. In addition to new cards, there are also changes to some of the cards above, denoted with asterisks (\*).

*Archmage:* You learn 1d10 spells or cantrips, up to 9th level. You may cast them once per day each (except cantrips, which you can cast at will) without expending a spell slot. If you can cast spells, you may cast them using your spell slots as normal. The casting modifier is your choice of Int, Wis, or Cha.

*Ascension:* You gain a Mythic Rank, as if you have completed enough trials to progress to the next tier. If you already have 10, you may instead draw again. This redraw is optional.

*Brass:* The character chooses the type immunity and the GM chooses the vulnerability.

*\*The Cricket*: As above, except you may draw up to 10 cards.

*The Crows:* The character must choose between his most valuable item and a major ally of the GM’s choice. Whichever is not selected is destroyed or slain and cannot be restored by mortal means. The character is made aware of the ramifications of this choice upon drawing the card.

*Cyclone:* An elder air elemental appears, and the character must fight it alone. If the character cannot defeat the elemental in 1d6+1 rounds, he is transported to the Plane of Air.

*The Demon Lantern:* The character’s body disintegrates. All that remains are his items and a glowing gem containing his soul. This gem is worth an amount of gp equal to 2,500 x the character’s level. A resurrection or stronger spell is required to restore the character, and doing so destroys the gem.

*The Desert:* This card grants the character the one-time ability to travel to any location on the same plane instantly, bringing with him up to 10 other creatures and 2,000 pounds of goods. The character must know exactly where he wishes to travel, such as a place he has been or a location on a map, but not a vague or hidden location, like the richest dungeon in the world or the Lost City of Ird. This transportation ignores all barriers against teleportation or other magical effects. The character may use this card’s effect whenever he wishes, but only once. The other creatures need not be willing, but must still be on the same plane.

*\*Eruption*: The spell is instead a Mythic Cometfall.

*The Factory:* 1d6+4 Homunculus appear within 60 feet of you. They serve you loyally until destroyed, treating you as their creator.

*Filth:* You gain a Corruption chosen by the DM. Your corruption level and manifestation level are both 1. You must take the gift and the stain of the first manifestation.

*The Liar:* The character’s most powerful, most valuable, or favorite magic item (GM’s choice) manifests a curse. Roll on Table: Common Item Curses to generate this effect, rerolling results for specific items.

*\*Might*: You gain the Advanced simple template. You may draw up to 9 additional cards. You gain the Advanced simple template an additional number of times equal to the additional cards you draw.

*\*Moon*: Alternatively, it may show a lunar eclipse, which grants a very powerful wish that can also change reality in ways outside the bounds of the spell’s effects—such as rerouting a river or ending a war. Finally, it may show two crescent moons facing apart, which grants a Divine Intervention. Roll a d% to determine which is drawn (1-20 quarter moon, 21-40 half moon, 41-60 gibbous moon, 61-80 full moon, 81-90 lunar eclipse, 91-100 mirrored crescent).

*Mutation:* You gain an amount of RP equal to your HD+ your mythic rank, which you can apply to yourself. These changes take place over the next week.

*Omnipotence:* The character gains the ability to cast a single 10th level spell, chosen at random. You may cast this spell once.

*Peace:* Upon drawing this card, the character may elect to not draw any more cards. No more cards are drawn from the deck, regardless of why more card draws were required. This character may not be affected by further cards drawn from this deck by others.

*\*Purge*: The Tarrasque that awakens has the Advanced simple template 10 times and 1d10 mythic ranks.

*The Queen Mother:* When the character draws this card, 2d4 giant ants appear to serve the character until they are slain. These creatures eagerly seek to aid and protect the character. They understand the character’s verbal commands, though they cannot respond.

*The Quest: When the character draws this card, a powerful being appears before the character and tasks him to undertake a dangerous quest. If the character proves resistant to undertaking the task, he is afflicted by geas/quest until the quest is completed. When the character completes the quest, the powerful being reappears, granting the character a lavish reward. The specifics of the quest, the powerful being’s identity, and the character’s reward are determined by the GM.*

*The Rabbit Prince:* All attacks the character makes that threaten a critical hit are automatically confirmed. Likewise, all attacks made against the character that threaten a critical hit are also automatically confirmed.

*Scapegoat*: You choose any other card in the deck. You may treat any creature you meet or that you know of as having drawn that card (including yourself). You choose the card and target at the same time, and the decision must be made within one year.

*The Secret:* This card grants the character the one-time ability to call upon an omniscient spirit to fully answer any question or solve any single puzzle. Whether the information revealed can be effectively acted upon is another question entirely. The character may use this card’s effect whenever he wishes, but only once.

*\*Skull*: The Avatar of Death appears.

*\*Statue:* You are instead turned to solid gold, worth 2,500 gp per HD and mythic rank you possessed. Wish or similar magic is required to undo the effect.

*The Survivor:* The next time the character is reduced to 0 hit points, he is instantly restored to full hit points. If he is killed by an effect that slays him without dealing hit point damage (such as by disintegrate), the effect fails to kill him and he is restored to full hit points. If he is killed by a hostile environment (such as a lava flow or when teleporting to a dangerous plane), he is transported to his last safe location and restored to full hit points. This card does not save the character from effects that would permanently disable him, like petrification.

*Trumpet:* This card grants the character the ability to summon an outsider of his alignment once per day. This outsider must be of a CR equal to or less than the character’s level plus their mythic rank and serves for a number of rounds equal to the character’s level.

*The Tyrant:* The character gains the one-time ability to issue a single command to any creature in the multiverse and have the order obeyed. The target is affected as if by the spell dominate monster, and even orders for the target to kill itself are followed. Any creature targeted by this effect knows that it is acting against its will, and knows the identity and location of the character. Immortal creatures cannot effectively kill themselves, and the act only causes them considerable but fleeting pain. Additionally, creatures with the ability to grant such boons typically also possess the power to revoke them, and do so as soon as the command releases them. The GM ultimately decides what this command can accomplish. The character may use this card’s effect whenever he wishes, but may only use it once.

*The Vow:* A comely Fey of the character’s preferred gender appears and proposes marriage. Should the character accept, he must organize a lavish wedding ceremony by the end of the week and ever after be committed to this exotic creature. If the character declines or breaks his wedding vow, the fey is heartbroken and returns to his or her home plane, provoking the ire of the associated court. The fey’s type, personality, actions, and possible retribution are determined by the GM.

*Wyrmling:* A dragon egg appears in front of the character and hatches in 1d100 days. The dragon is a True Dragon of a random type and colour (or chosen by the DM) and views the character that drew this card as their parent. Regardless of colour ad type, the dragon is of the character's alignment and is loyal to the character.