I know most DMs avoid this magic item like the plague. However, due to the nature of my campaign (sandboxy, back up characters, etc) there's no real danger of this thing screwing up my game. So my question is thus...
What is a good level to introduce this magic item? Right now, the average party level is 6th. I'm pretty sure most of my players will be apprehensive about using it anyway, and will probably sit on it. So, any suggestions?
Give it to them, there's really no "right time" in my books for the Deck.
The item can be a lot of fun, part of the reason for the dislike of it though is the lack of recourse. If you draw a bad card you have no way of stopping the actions. You draw a good card and the DM may want to table flip. Just make sure the players know the risks, they'll choose to move forward with it or not. Also make sure you're willing to have the potential boons available at level 6.
My personal twist to the Deck is I make it much more annoying; in that you get one draw, whether it's a single card or multiple. After that draw, the Deck spirits away to taunt another unsuspecting person. The card(s) remain with the person who drew until they die or until the last card is drawn from the deck.
My main advice would be to not just throw the deck in a random pile of loot but to create some sort of storyline around it. If your players just find this in a hoard somewhere and start pulling cards from it, it's going to derail whatever else is going on in your game, regardless of whether the cards are good or bad. Instead, make it the center of a quest or story arc in its own right. Even though yours is a sandbox game, I think the deck really benefits from being used this way.
My main advice would be to not just throw the deck in a random pile of loot but to create some sort of storyline around it. If your players just find this in a hoard somewhere and start pulling cards from it, it's going to derail whatever else is going on in your game, regardless of whether the cards are good or bad. Instead, make it the center of a quest or story arc in its own right. Even though yours is a sandbox game, I think the deck really benefits from being used this way.
This is a darn good idea. That's exactly what I'll do. Turn it into a story hook and quest. Thanks!
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Dungeonmastering since 1992!
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I know most DMs avoid this magic item like the plague. However, due to the nature of my campaign (sandboxy, back up characters, etc) there's no real danger of this thing screwing up my game. So my question is thus...
What is a good level to introduce this magic item? Right now, the average party level is 6th. I'm pretty sure most of my players will be apprehensive about using it anyway, and will probably sit on it. So, any suggestions?
Dungeonmastering since 1992!
Give it to them, there's really no "right time" in my books for the Deck.
The item can be a lot of fun, part of the reason for the dislike of it though is the lack of recourse. If you draw a bad card you have no way of stopping the actions. You draw a good card and the DM may want to table flip. Just make sure the players know the risks, they'll choose to move forward with it or not. Also make sure you're willing to have the potential boons available at level 6.
My personal twist to the Deck is I make it much more annoying; in that you get one draw, whether it's a single card or multiple. After that draw, the Deck spirits away to taunt another unsuspecting person. The card(s) remain with the person who drew until they die or until the last card is drawn from the deck.
My main advice would be to not just throw the deck in a random pile of loot but to create some sort of storyline around it. If your players just find this in a hoard somewhere and start pulling cards from it, it's going to derail whatever else is going on in your game, regardless of whether the cards are good or bad. Instead, make it the center of a quest or story arc in its own right. Even though yours is a sandbox game, I think the deck really benefits from being used this way.
This is a darn good idea. That's exactly what I'll do. Turn it into a story hook and quest. Thanks!
Dungeonmastering since 1992!