Last night my session introduced a Deck of Many Things to my players, one of them picked it up, another identified it, and a third wanted to draw cards after learning of what it could do. I wasn't sure how to rule the situation. If the holder of the cards declares to draw a card, they have to take one, as it states. If you aren't holding the cards does your declaration matter at all? If someone offers you the deck to draw from it but they hold the cards in their hands, can the one declaring but not holding draw from it?
I ask this because the PC who found it wanted to draw one card each session as we reach the end of the campaign, and only wanted the other player to take a single card since that other player was so inclined. He declared 5 which upset the PC holding the cards (both player and character). He survived the ones he drew and then chased the other PC around the room declaring to draw more as the holder tried hiding the cards from him. We allowed more to be drawn but I don't like that ruling, and no where on the item does it explain if only the holder can declare to draw, or if anyone within a distance of the cards can declare it. I want clarification if anyone has better insight than me. Thank you!
Without house rules from you to the contrary, a creature can't directly interact with an item another creature is holding - otherwise the disarm rules wouldn't be in the DMG's optional rules list. Even with those rules, there are opposed rolls involved. You can't just decide to take something from someone and then do it.
Once you're drawing, the Deck of Many Things is explicitly clear and doesn't specify the holder: anyone drawing declares the number, which is how many cards they have to draw, lest the listed consequence happen. This is an effect of the item and can't simply be ignored.
In your situation, the drawer should have been essentially unable to draw more without taking the necessary steps to take the deck from the holder.
The declaration probably doesn't do anything unless you are touching the deck. There is more than enough room for DM discretion without breaking RAW.
Personally, there are several things about this item I don't like: the declaration, the unlimited uses, the effects, the unbalance of good and bad options, etc.
Some of the effects and how to undo them are pretty straightforward, others are not.
What should it take to restore the "Lose d4+1 Intelligence" (Idiot card) result? Obviously a Fates draw would do it, but what about Wish or Greater Restoration? Opinions welcome since the rules don't seem to cover it.
(FWIW I changed this card for my game to be 'random stat' rather than automatically INT--opportune for the wizard who drew it and lost CON instead)
For most of the reasons mentioned above I would rule that you must be holding it or offered draws by the holder who would have to let you touch it to declare (and who therefore couldn't prevent a declaration greater than one).
Since the deck draws for you if you don't pull them yourself within an hour, ("You must draw each card no more than 1 hour after the previous draw. If you fail to draw the chosen number, the remaining number of cards fly from the deck on their own and take effect all at once.") hiding the deck from someone who has already declared a higher number would be ineffectual (IMHO).
The Deck is Russian Roulette of a sort since you will eventually pull either The Void or Donjon, so it is kind of a self-solving problem (Personally, I allow NOTHING to alter the pull unless specifically mentioned in the deck description--you get what you get, no Luck or anything to alter what you pull).
As a Legendary item it would also draw a lot of attention from people looking to steal it if you need it to be removed from the game.
If all else fails, make a secondary effect of one of the cards be "the deck disappears" (I recommend Ruin).
Personally, I like the balance of good and bad (with a tendency towards worse than the benefits gained). It's a gamble. Sun and Key are pretty awesome rewards. For my 4th level characters Gem was extravagant considering how cash poor I've kept them.
Some of the effects and how to undo them are pretty straightforward, others are not.
What should it take to restore the "Lose d4+1 Intelligence" (Idiot card) result? Obviously a Fates draw would do it, but what about Wish or Greater Restoration? Opinions welcome since the rules don't seem to cover it.
(FWIW I changed this card for my game to be 'random stat' rather than automatically INT--opportune for the wizard who drew it and lost CON instead)
We have rules for it in Xanathar's. Basically, a full day of bed rest will restore 1 point.
Draw the first card and follow the instructions on it.
Then draw the next if you declared more than one. And so on until you go through all the draws you declared.
We found one recently and we made a table game of it out in the public. 10 gold per draw paid up front. Drew a crowed in and picked every pocket I could find. The rulers of the city are now after us. But we are moving on to the next city for the same scam.
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Last night my session introduced a Deck of Many Things to my players, one of them picked it up, another identified it, and a third wanted to draw cards after learning of what it could do. I wasn't sure how to rule the situation. If the holder of the cards declares to draw a card, they have to take one, as it states. If you aren't holding the cards does your declaration matter at all? If someone offers you the deck to draw from it but they hold the cards in their hands, can the one declaring but not holding draw from it?
I ask this because the PC who found it wanted to draw one card each session as we reach the end of the campaign, and only wanted the other player to take a single card since that other player was so inclined. He declared 5 which upset the PC holding the cards (both player and character). He survived the ones he drew and then chased the other PC around the room declaring to draw more as the holder tried hiding the cards from him. We allowed more to be drawn but I don't like that ruling, and no where on the item does it explain if only the holder can declare to draw, or if anyone within a distance of the cards can declare it. I want clarification if anyone has better insight than me. Thank you!
Without house rules from you to the contrary, a creature can't directly interact with an item another creature is holding - otherwise the disarm rules wouldn't be in the DMG's optional rules list. Even with those rules, there are opposed rolls involved. You can't just decide to take something from someone and then do it.
Once you're drawing, the Deck of Many Things is explicitly clear and doesn't specify the holder: anyone drawing declares the number, which is how many cards they have to draw, lest the listed consequence happen. This is an effect of the item and can't simply be ignored.
In your situation, the drawer should have been essentially unable to draw more without taking the necessary steps to take the deck from the holder.
The declaration probably doesn't do anything unless you are touching the deck. There is more than enough room for DM discretion without breaking RAW.
Personally, there are several things about this item I don't like: the declaration, the unlimited uses, the effects, the unbalance of good and bad options, etc.
Some of the effects and how to undo them are pretty straightforward, others are not.
What should it take to restore the "Lose d4+1 Intelligence" (Idiot card) result? Obviously a Fates draw would do it, but what about Wish or Greater Restoration? Opinions welcome since the rules don't seem to cover it.
(FWIW I changed this card for my game to be 'random stat' rather than automatically INT--opportune for the wizard who drew it and lost CON instead)
For most of the reasons mentioned above I would rule that you must be holding it or offered draws by the holder who would have to let you touch it to declare (and who therefore couldn't prevent a declaration greater than one).
Since the deck draws for you if you don't pull them yourself within an hour, ("You must draw each card no more than 1 hour after the previous draw. If you fail to draw the chosen number, the remaining number of cards fly from the deck on their own and take effect all at once.") hiding the deck from someone who has already declared a higher number would be ineffectual (IMHO).
The Deck is Russian Roulette of a sort since you will eventually pull either The Void or Donjon, so it is kind of a self-solving problem (Personally, I allow NOTHING to alter the pull unless specifically mentioned in the deck description--you get what you get, no Luck or anything to alter what you pull).
As a Legendary item it would also draw a lot of attention from people looking to steal it if you need it to be removed from the game.
If all else fails, make a secondary effect of one of the cards be "the deck disappears" (I recommend Ruin).
Personally, I like the balance of good and bad (with a tendency towards worse than the benefits gained). It's a gamble. Sun and Key are pretty awesome rewards. For my 4th level characters Gem was extravagant considering how cash poor I've kept them.
We have rules for it in Xanathar's. Basically, a full day of bed rest will restore 1 point.
Declare how many cards you want to draw.
Draw the first card and follow the instructions on it.
Then draw the next if you declared more than one. And so on until you go through all the draws you declared.
We found one recently and we made a table game of it out in the public. 10 gold per draw paid up front. Drew a crowed in and picked every pocket I could find. The rulers of the city are now after us. But we are moving on to the next city for the same scam.