I'm back on my bullshit (I always am) and I've been pondering the idea of using a deck of playing cards instead of dice. Yes, I'll admit, I'm inspired by His Majesty the Worm, but I'm not just copy-pasting the idea.
For one, I think I prefer a standard deck of 52 playing cards to the tarot. Don't get me wrong, tarot are aesthetically pleasing, but I think a standard deck accomplishes much of the same goals while being more attainable for the average person, which is good because I've been pondering a game where everyone uses their own deck.
The Basics
Each player and the GM needs a standard deck of 52 playing cards plus a joker. At the start of the game, each player draws a hand of 4 cards. They must play cards from their hand to perform actions, the effectiveness of the action depending on the value, suit, or royalty of the card (as determined by the GM). Cards are played into a discard pile.
- Value is the listed number of the card, where aces are 1, jacks are 11, queens are 12, kings are 13, and jokers are 0.
- Suit is the suit of the card.
- Jacks, queens, and kings are royals.
Sometimes cards must be played to beat a check. The check is succeeded if the value of the card played is equal to or greater than the value of a check, with a bonus reward for hitting the value of the check exactly. A player might choose to play an additional card to add or subtract the value of that card to their total. A player might also choose to push their luck. To do this, they flip over the top card of their deck and add or subtract it from their total. If this new value fails the check, they receive an extra negative effect. Most checks have a value of 10. In addition, a GM might call for a check of a suit (such as a spades check to bust down a door) or a check of royalty.
Note on math: any given card has a 30% chance of being 10 or greater, giving you a 42% chance to have a 10+ card in your first hand. However, this value changes over time, and an important part of the game is knowing rough probabilities based on what cards are in your discard pile.
When all players have run out of cards, or have decided to stop playing cards, they discard their hand and draw 4 more cards and Time Passes. Time passing is relative to the situation, but you can think of it as a round in combat or a dungeon turn.
When someone plays a joker they discard their hand, shuffled their discard pile into their deck, and draw a new set of 4 cards. Whatever they were attempting to do fails automatically, and has an extra negative effect. Jokers are bad. A deck is also shuffled if a player attempts to draw from an empty deck, though they don't draw any cards from the newly shuffled deck. They get what they get.
During standard play, the GM does not draw or play cards, but may flip the top of their card to determine things as they see fit.
Each player plays a character, which is represented by four stats: spades, clubs, hearts, and diamonds.
- Spades represents strength. Spades centered actions are often blunt, a measure of brute force and martial might.
- Clubs represents dexterity. Clubs centered actions are deft and quick, focusing on indirect means.
- Hearts represents faith. Hearts centered actions are about supporting oneself and their allies through devotion.
- Diamonds represents lore. Diamonds centered actions focus on knowledge and the proper application of such.
Each character specializes in one of these four stats, and can add or subtract 1 to any check made with a card of that suit.
Combat
When combat starts, each player discards their hand and draws a new 4 card hand. One of these cards is played as their initiative (they may play cards modifying this if they see fit). Starting at a value of 0, the GM will count up initiative. When a player's initiative is reached, they take a turn. On their turn, they may move once for free (additional moves cost a card, but require no check usually), and can take one major action.
A major action takes time and commitment, such as swinging a weapon. All other actions are minor actions, and can be taken at any time AFTER a creature has just made a major action. Opening a door, taking a defensive stance, or drinking a potion are all minor actions. These still consume cards, just not a turn.
Combat takes place in zones, roughly 30 foot circular areas divided by distance or natural features, such as walls or a river. Within a zone, movement is 100% free, though movement between zones is not.
When a creature is attacked, they become engaged with the creature that attacked them, and cannot move away from that creature without playing a card (with no check) to disengage.
Attacking involves making a check against that creatures initiative. Attacks do more damage the lower the final value is, assuming they beat the initiative. Some actions can negatively modify your opponents initiative, making it easier to hit them, and thus easier to land large damage. Like all checks, hitting the value exactly is an extra bonus, in this case a critical hit.
Unlike usual, the GM also draws a hand of cards, at least 4, though they draw an extra card for each point of peril the bad guys possess, up to 10.
Note: Peril is a system I've been pondering for years now. It's a replacement for the concept of hit die or challenge rating. Roughly, a mook, like a goblin, has a peril of 0. A more powerful creature, like an orc, has a peril of 1. A peril of 6 is the maximum, and is reserved for things like dragons.
As per usual, once all players (and the GM) are out of cards, they draw new hands and Time Passes. At the start of the round, each creature may play a card to modify its initiative if they so wish, but this does not replace their initiative, only modify it.
Example of Play
Ysgor the warrior is attempting to flee down a decrepit dungeon hallway as a horde of skeletons chase after him. He won't be able to beat them, so he has to slow them down, or speed himself up. He has a hand of 4 cards, the king of spades, a 9 of diamonds, a 4 of hearts, and the joker. To escape the skeleton horde, he needs four successes.
The GM narrates Ysgor coming to a massive chasm. Ysgor states his intention to leap accross, and the GM declares this is a check of 10 or spades. As Ysgor can do both with his king of spades, the GM grants him a boon, two successes on escaping the skeletons.
Next Ysgor encounters an overgrown tunnel full of lashing vines. Ysgor ponders a moment before throwing caution to the wind and charging through. The GM rules this is a check of 10, which Ysgor can only beat by playing his 9 of diamonds and his 4 of hearts for a total of 13. A third success on escaping the skeletons.
Ysgor next encounters an immense iron door, too large to open without a feat of super-heroic strength. Sadly, all Ysgor has is the joker, so his attempt to open the door is both a failure and attracts unwanted attention. As Ysgor shuffles his deck, the GM narrates a ghoul crawling out of the darkness towards him. Combat begins.
A ghoul is peril 1, so the GM draws 5 cards as Ysgor draws 4, each play a card for initiative, a 3 for the ghoul and an 8 for Ysgor. The ghoul acts first, rushing towards Ysgor and playing a 9, subtract 1, for an 8, a critical hit. Ysgor takes nearly half of his health in damage. The ghoul then uses a 6 to defend itself, changing its initiative to 6.
On Ysgor's turn, he swings his mighty battle axe, playing a lucky 6 to crit the ghoul back for excellent damage, then as a minor action discards the 2 of diamonds to blow his horn of thunder, finishing the ghoul off in a mighty blast.
With the ghould defeated, Ysgor discards his last card and draws a new set of cards. He is now wounded, and the skeleton horde is dangerously close, but he can almost taste the freedom in the air. The GM rules that opening the door is a mighty check of 15, and Ysgor's new hand is miserable at best, only getting him to a total of 11 when added together. Ysgor pushes his luck, flipping over the 4 of hearts, just barely managing to force the door open and get his final success to flee from the skeletons.
Conclusion
It's not a game, more of a proof of concept, but I think it's neat! And I can't get it out of my head. I've been thinking about how different concepts translate to a card game:
- A fighter might focus on changing the values of cards to land critical hits easier.
- A thief might focus on getting to draw extra cards for free.
- A mage might focus on suits rather than values, needing cards of different suits to cast different spells.
- Magic items grant abilities that require the use of certain cards, such as Ysgor's horn of thunder requiring a diamonds card.
- A GM could create an encounter table using both the suit and value of a card to easily determine what pops out to scare the players.
