We purchased the original Plot Twist Cards for use in our game and loved them, so it made sense to expand our collection to include this set. Like other reviewers I find some of the descriptions/uses a stretch from the basic description on the card, but they can still be inspirational. The cards in this second set are more of a stretch than the first set and some of them made us say "huh?".In our game they are used as player reward for keeping a campaign journal. Provide an interesting and detailed recap of the previous session: earn a plot twist card. You can then cash in the card to help the story along. It puts a little more power in the player's hands, which can be fun and take some pressure off the GM. Cards have been used to reveal a secret child of a powerful empress, have an NPC get kicked out their rented home (and forced to come to us for aid) and avoid disintegration (though sadly the legendary shield was lost in the PC's place). We have mixed both sets of cards together and since the picture on the back of the cards is almost the same (one has darker lines in the image), it is difficult,thought not impossible, to tell the difference between the sets. If you liked the first set of Plot Twist Cards, this one bulks up your deck nicely and provides some additional options, but if you are deciding which deck to get, go for the original.
However, it is the bullet points below this rules text which offer the most potential for adding a twist to your game. Here are four possible ways to have the theme of the card impact the plot at your table. As to be expected from Paizo, these suggestions have a loose fantasy feel, but are generic enough to be applied to almost any setting. This is not always true of the art, where a few modern images appear.
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From a storytelling perspective, it is these plot suggestions that hold the most potential. When a Player uses one of these cards, they have the opportunity to add a twist of their own to the current plot. This serves to empower the Players in your game, and thereby increase their engagement.
Furthermore, this plot twist will be equally surprising to the GM. This is a perfect way to keep the game interesting for the GM, when you can never be certain where the Players are going to take your game.
There is also advice to the GM here about how to implement the cards. Essentially, the GM is left in charge of their game, and may interpret any alterations to the plot according to the broader needs of their game.
One thing that make these Decks even sweeter, although that might be difficult, is to follow a similar model that was placed in the Condition cards which to add a little something to the Deck to intrigue a wider audience. In the case of the Conditon cards there were 2 additional spells placed to add a little flavor and in the case with the other decks I have an idea. This may work better for the character decks than maybe the chase or plot decks, but what about including 1 or 2 additonal traits in the deck to add as a bonus to people buying these decks as well as providing the possibility of reaching others who might not have thought about the decks before. Just a thought, let me know what you think. game on friends......
Awesome awesome awesome!!!! I love the first deck of plot twist cards and hope these match up to the greatness. One thing I would really like to see with future card decks is something similar to the latest Gamma World game with cards that you can play with a combat benefit and then something you can gamble on for greater or potentially lesser effect. That made the one game of Gamma World I played a whole lotta fun.
The premise behind Plot Twist Cards for Pathfinder is that they allow players to influence the story in ways other than what their character directly does. Each card has a theme, a picture to accompany the theme, a flat mechanical effect, and then four plot-related suggestions that could happen. For example, the "Bad News" card shows a picture of a burning building, has the flat mechanical effect of "Target gets a -4 penalty on a single roll", and then has these plot suggestions: "A messenger brings bad news", "An ally faces peril or death", "A favorite refuge is destroyed", and "Something important is stolen." Players can use the card either for the flat mechanical effect or for one of the story suggestions; the latter use requires GM interpretation and decision-making, and the instructions are quite clear that the GM should feel free to modify the suggestion (or even refuse it) as necessary for the story. The deck comes with 51 different plot twist cards, two cards of rules, a card with the Open Gaming License, and a card that's an advertisement for other products.
I've been using the Plot Twist Cards for about 20 sessions while running an adventure path. Instead of giving one to a player every time their PC levels up (as per the instruction card), I've been more cautious and handed out one to every player at the beginning of each chapter of the AP (and drawing one myself to use against them!), with unused cards going back in the deck. My players have used the cards to do some fun things, like have the "Broken" card cause the floor of an abandoned building to crack open, the "Sanity Check" card to have a tentacled water monster appear in the river, etc. In my limited experience, PCs don't use the flat mechanical bonuses and instead use the plot suggestions, saving the cards for when they're needed in an important fight and centering their suggestions on things that can hamper the enemies or help their allies. On the whole, I'm of mixed feelings about them. I really like the surprising twists that the card facilitates and it's great for the players to have a little something hidden away for a rainy day. On the other hand, it's often challenging as a GM to interpret the card and the player's suggested twist in a way that respects the integrity of the concept while also being careful not to trivialize an important encounter. I think I would suggest the cards are good for a group that is a little easy-going and understands the role of GM discretion, but they'd be a bad idea for a very strict "Rules as Written" group.
That is the SHIZNIT. I knew I kept visiting their site for a reason, even though I truly hate CCGs. AUC.register('auc_MessageboardPostRowDisplay'); AjaxBusy.register('masked', 'busy', 'auc_MessageboardPostRowDisplay', null, null) Thraxus Jan 26, 2010, 07:21 am Sketchpad wrote: These remind me of the Torg/Masterbook cards that came out back in the late 80s/early 90s. Really looking forward to them :) I have adapted both the Torg and Masterbook cards for use in D20 and Gurps.I am currently using the Masterbook cards in my d20 modern game. The cards work in conjunction with action points allowing me to have the PCs face tougher threats then normal. Plus the subplots and campaign card and twist a campaign in different directions.
I have adapted both the Torg and Masterbook cards for use in D20 and Gurps.I am currently using the Masterbook cards in my d20 modern game. The cards work in conjunction with action points allowing me to have the PCs face tougher threats then normal. Plus the subplots and campaign card and twist a campaign in different directions. Thanks...I KNEW a friend of mine in high school had something similar to this, but I just couldn't figure out what. AUC.register('auc_MessageboardPostRowDisplay'); AjaxBusy.register('masked', 'busy', 'auc_MessageboardPostRowDisplay', null, null) Jason Nelson Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games Jan 26, 2010, 01:04 pm I've never been a fan of fumbles, and having played with the critical hit cards I was kind of 'meh' on those, but THESE babies sound like pure 24000 karat gold. I LOVE em! Want!
That's the great thing about gaming - you never know when inspiration can come from the least likely sources.Thinking back, wasn't there a Marvel Superheros RPG that used a similar mechanic to drive plot? Oh yeah - the SAGA system! If I recall, the game was diceless. You used a deck of specially designed cards for everything. Each card had a "suit" and value that effected the success level of your actions. There was even a mechanic that allowed the GM to generate plot twists with a draw from the deck, as each card had a plot idea on it - like hostage situation, unexpected aid, or momentum shift. I think there was a Dragonlance version as well.
OK, I have been gaming for way too many years. Hey, I'm a SAGA fan myself. The system, in my opinion, simply came out at the wrong time and was marketed to the wrong crowd. AUC.register('auc_MessageboardPostRowDisplay'); AjaxBusy.register('masked', 'busy', 'auc_MessageboardPostRowDisplay', null, null) Asgetrion Feb 4, 2010, 02:51 pm Freehold DM wrote: sowhereaminow wrote: Freehold DM wrote: That is the SHIZNIT. I knew I kept visiting their site for a reason, even though I truly hate CCGs. That's the great thing about gaming - you never know when inspiration can come from the least likely sources.Thinking back, wasn't there a Marvel Superheros RPG that used a similar mechanic to drive plot? Oh yeah - the SAGA system! If I recall, the game was diceless. You used a deck of specially designed cards for everything. Each card had a "suit" and value that effected the success level of your actions. There was even a mechanic that allowed the GM to generate plot twists with a draw from the deck, as each card had a plot idea on it - like hostage situation, unexpected aid, or momentum shift. I think there was a Dragonlance version as well. 2ff7e9595c
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