--------------------------
C.A.R.D.S. CORE RULES 1.01
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This is a simple impromptu RPG system made for gamers on the move.
It took me 32 minutes to design, so the rules should be relatively straight-
forward and easy to remember.
All you really need is a good game master, some bored gamers and a pack of
ordinary playing cards. Nothing else.
At the time of writing, I have completed writing up the rules for the random
quest generator. Unfortunately, I still haven't play-tested the game yet.
Please mail feedback, thoughts and such to me as I value your opinion to
further enchance this game.
Created by Leonard Tai vtky@pc.jaring.my 26Sep98
-Contents-
*THE CARDS & WHAT THEY SIGNIFY*
*PLAY PREPARATION*
*OPTIONAL LEVEL SYSTEM*
*TESTS & FEATS*
*COMBAT*
*USING SPECIAL ABILITIES*
*WOUNDS & DYING*
*TREASURE*
*QUESTS*
*GAME EXPANSION*
*SYSTEM PROS & CONS*
-------------------------
Requirements: At least 1 pack of playing cards.
Players: 1-3 per pack + 1 Game Master (GM).
*THE CARDS & WHAT THEY SIGNIFY*
'Jack/Queen/King' = One use of a player special ability. The player loses one
of these cards per use of his ability.
'Ace & 2-10' = One Hit Point per card. The player loses one of these cards
per wounding.
'Jokers' = Treasure.
*PLAY PREPARATION*
1)Divide deck into 4 types (Spades, Hearts, Clubs & Diamonds), and take the
3 Jokers out.
2)Every player picks a type:
Spades = Fighter
Hearts = Cleric
Clubs = Thief
Diamonds = Mage
Special Abilities: Fighters = Win a test or single opponent automatically
per use.
Cleric = Recover to full HP. (Draw back enough cards
randomly from his discarded pack to fill his
initial number of cards.)
Thief = Steal a card from an opponent or NPC, and add it
into the thief's pack per use / Gain a Joker card
from the GM's deck per use.
Mage = Reveal anyone's pack, including the GM's once per
use. OR Let the mage see his own deck during the
duration of one test / single combat opponent per
use.
3)GM takes the last remaining pack.
4)GM sticks the 3 Jokers into his pack. The Jokers are counted as treasure.
*OPTIONAL LEVEL SYSTEM*
5) a)No level advancement, every player starts with a full deck of his type.
(Ace, 2-10, Jack, Queen, King.)
b)Simple level advancement. Allows level advancement from 1-3.
First level, Randomly pick 3 cards out of 'Ace & 2-10', randomly pick
one 'Jack/Queen/King'. Randomly add 3 'Ace & 2-10' cards and one
'Jack/Queen/King' card per level advanced. All cards from player's deck.
c)Normal level advancement. Allows level advancement from 1-10.
First level, randomly pick 1 card out of Ace & 2-10, add one random card
from 'Jack/Queen/King'. Add one 'Ace & 2-10' per level advanced, and
add one 'Jack/Queen/King' every 3 levels. All cards from player's deck.
This is the player's starting deck. The other cards in his deck are out of
play for the duration of the game.
NOTE: After every game, the Players gain a level, and are restored to full
strength.
6) Start game!
*TESTS & FEATS*
This ability check doesn't come into play unless the player tries to do
something extraordinary. Mundane actions such as sitting down and looking
at a sign do not require a feat/test check, while doing things such as moving
a very large boulder, stealing someone's underwear while he's still wearing
them and such do.
1) Player/GM declares feat/test/combat accepted/forced upon player.
2) Player randomly draws a card from his 'Ace & 2-10' pile, otherwise he may
choose to use his special ability, in that case he will randomly draw one
card from his 'Jack/Queen/King' pile.
3) If the player randomly drew a card from his 'Ace & 2-10' pile, read on.
4) If the player randomly drew a card from his 'Jack/Queen/King' pile,
read *USING SPECIAL ABILITIES*.
5) According to the situation, the GM will choose or randomly pick a card
from his entire pile. If the GM or Player picked a Joker, he will note the
pick and pick another card until a non-Joker card is picked.
6) The Player and the GM will reveal their picked cards and pit them against
each other. Whichever card has the higher value from the deck wins the
test. Value table:
Ace -> 10 -> 9 -> 8 -> 7 -> 6 -> 5 -> 4 -> 3 -> 2 -> Ace
Note:(Ace is the only value higher than a 10 and 10 is the only value
lower than an Ace. For instance a 9 is still higher in value to
and Ace.)
Example: Jack the Fighter wishes to bash a door open. He announces that
he is going to do so and decides no to use his special ability.
He randomly picks a card from his 'Ace & 2-10' pile. The GM
randomly picks a card from his entire pile.
They both compare their cards picked. The GM has an Ace, and
Jack has a 10, so Jack fails the test and fails to open the door.
7) If the player succeeds in his test, he completes his task, and the GM
will also hand him the Joker(s) (if he picked any) as a reward.
8) If the player loses, he fails the task and depending on the GM and the
situation, may randomly lose a card from his 'Ace & 2-10' deck as a
penalty. If the player picked a Joker, he will also lose the joker(s) to
the GM. (He dropped/spoiled his treasure in the test.)
Example: Nick the Thief fails to open a lock chest and instead springs
its trap. Thus he loses a card from his 'Ace & 2-10' deck when
the chest explodes, wounding him.
If the player survives, he may choose to attempt the test again. He may
only repeat a test for a maximum of 3 times.
9) If both values are the same, nothing happens, unless the GM or the Player
picked a/some Joker(s) from his pack before-hand, whence he will have to
give the Joker(s) to the other party.
*COMBAT*
1) The GM will arrange his deck himself beforehand to control the difficulty
of the NPC or enemy under his control, or he can just pick cards from his
deck randomly.
2) The GM / Player may decide to use his special ability in combat, in which
case refer to *USING SPECIAL ABILITIES*. Otherwise read on.
3) The GM and the Player randomly picks from his 'Ace & 2-10' deck. If the
GM picked a Joker, he will note the pick and pick again until he has
obtained a normal 'Ace & 2-10' card.
4) The GM and the Player compare the cards they picked. Value table:
Ace -> 10 -> 9 -> 8 -> 7 -> 6 -> 5 -> 4 -> 3 -> 2 -> Ace
Note:(Ace is the only value higher than a 10 and 10 is the only value
lower than an Ace. For instance a 9 is still higher in value to
and Ace.)
5) Whoever has the higher value wins the round. The loser's card is out of
play. The winner's card is shuffled back into his own deck. If the GM or
Player has picked one or more Joker(s) that round, and lost to the
opposing party, he will give the Joker(s) to him.
6) If both values are the same, the round ends in a draw, unless either
GM or Player picked Joker(s). In that case, lose the Joker(s) to the
combat opponent. (Dropped treasure in combat).
7) Return to step 2.
8) Combat continues until the GM's NPC or monster has no more 'Ace & 2-10'
cards left, or the players have no more 'Ace & 2-10' cards left,
signifying death. Of course, surrendering is an option, and its effects
and availability is up to the GM.
Example:
Tina the Cleric and Jack the Fighter fight an Orc together.
Jack swings first, randomly draws a '7' while the Orc also randomly draws
a 'Joker', then draws again and gets a '7'. Both blows are countered, and
it was stalemate.
However, the Orc drew a 'Joker', and since it was a stalemate, must give
the 'Joker' to Jack. It dropped an item of treasure in the clash of
swords, and Jack picks it up.
Tina now swings, randomly draws an 'Ace' while the Orc randomly draws a
'4'. The Orc hits Tina and Tina loses the card.
It is now the Orc's turn. It decides to press its advantage on Tina, and
randomly draws a '4' against Tina. Tina, who randomly draws a '3', gets
hit and loses the '3' card.
Jack, aware that Tina is in danger of dying because she has only 1
'Ace & 2-10' card remaining, decides to use his special ability.
The orc, who doesn't have any special abilities, cannot counter Jack,
so it suffers the full effects of Jack's roundhouse punch.
The orc automatically loses all its 'Ace & 2-10' cards and collapses.
The fight ends.
*USING SPECIAL ABILITIES*
1) The GM / Player declares his use of his special ability in a combat or
test.
2) The GM / Player randomly draws a card from his 'Jack/Queen/King' deck.
3) If his opponent has any 'Jack/Queen/King' cards left, he may use it
counter read step 4. If he doesn't have any, or chooses not to, read step
5.
4) Compare the two 'Jack/Queen/King' cards from both Player and GM.
Highest value wins the duel:
Jack -> King -> Queen -> Jack
Whoever wins the duel succeeeds in getting his special ability to work
on the opposing party. Both cards are discarded from play.
If both values are the same, nothing happens. Both cards are discarded
from play.
End the round.
5) The ability of the caster/user works on the target. The card is discarded
from play.
*WOUNDS & DYING*
1) Whenever a player runs out of cards from his 'Ace & 2-10' deck, he is
dead and out of play for the duration of the play.
2) Whenever a player recovers from his wounds, cards are drawn from his
discarded deck of the same type. He may not gain more cards than his
initial number of cards at the start of the game.
3) If a character died, he may rejoin the player in the next game as a new
player at level 1, or be resurrected and lose one level to join the next
game.
*TREASURE*
Depending on the game and the GM, collecting all 3 Jokers may mean that:
-The Players win in their quest (Such as when in a quest to collect
enough gold to pay a ransom) ; or
-The Players gain the ability to use ANY of the 4 special abilities ONCE.
After use, the 3 Jokers are returned to the GM, who will reshuffle it back
into his deck.
*QUESTS*
If the GM knows how to do fortune telling with playing cards, he can create
random adventures with minimal fuss. ^_^
Otherwise he has to rely on quick-thinking and a good imagination.
I will try and create adventure modules for the system whenever possible.
I've written one where a separate pack of cards is used. The cards are
shuffled and laid out on a table one by one as the party moves along the
corridors of a dungeon to create a totally random map with pre-prepared
encounters.
*GAME EXPANSION*
CARDS is an easily expandable system. Just add in another pack of playing
cards or two, and you can accomodate more players, more NPCs, more monsters,
and more level advancements.
However, do remember that CARDS strength is in its simplicity and speed of
play. Playing with too many players and packs of cards may slow the pace
down and complicate the game.
I would recommend a 1 pack game for novice GMs.
I have written the following expansion module(s) for CARDS:
#RANDOM QUEST GENERATOR FOR THE CARDS SYSTEM
*SYSTEM PROS & CONS*
Pros:
-The Players & GM will be able to figure out what their opponent and
their own hand is over the course of a combat, with simple deduction.
Thus they will be able to plan their combat strategy with individual
players.
Example: The players have seen Tina the Cleric pull an 'Ace' out of
her deck during combat before, so when Jack keeps being pummeled by
the GM's Evil Mage who was seen using a '10', the players decide to
have Tina fight the GM, even though she isn't that good at fighting,
because she has a chance at winning.
-The GM can plan the difficulty of the individual encounters beforehand
just by adjusting his personal deck. For difficult encounters he can
pick more number of cards at higher values, and vice-versa.
-Easily expandable by adding in more packs of cards.
Cons:
-This is a very GM dependant system. Since it was a system meant for
non-formal play, the GM has to think of adventures, quest details and
interaction fairly quickly.
-Much detail has been sacrificed for faster game speed and simpler play.
END OF DOCUMENT
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RANDOM QUEST GENERATOR FOR THE CARDS SYSTEM V 1.1
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Created by Leonard Tai 29Sep98 vtky@pc.jaring.my
This is a supplement for the CARDS role-playing system. It's useful for
generating random adventures and quests. I also find it useful for designing
maps for other RPG systems.
You can also play a game of rampaging warbands with it.
Again, please send feedback to me if you can, so that I may further improve
the game. Happy gaming!
Requirements: At least 1 additional pack of cards.
Document Contents:
*MAP PREPARATION*
(1) TURN SENIORITY
(2) AREA
(3) SPECIAL FEATURES
(4) STARTING LOCATION
*LANDSCAPE FEATURES*
*MODES OF PLAY*
*TURN SYSTEM*
(Movement)
*TILE CONTENTS*
*RUNNING*
*DAY & NIGHT*
--------------------------------------------------------------
*MAP PREPARATION*
(Optional) Take out the Jokers if you don't the treasure and/or goals to
be random.
(Optional) Take out the following cards for use as player counters, or NPC
counters. If you don't want the NPCs to appear randomly, take them
out. The player counters are used to mark where a player
currently is.
King/Queen/Jack Of Spades = Male/Female/Youngster Fighter
King/Queen/Jack Of Hearts = Male/Female/Youngster Cleric
King/Queen/Jack Of Clubs = Male/Female/Youngster Thief
King/Queen/Jack Of Diamonds = Male/Female/Youngster Mage
(1) TURN SENIORITY
Discuss which order the turns should take. (Who does thing first, followed
by someone else....) Normally from the youngest to the eldest, then the GM.
(2) AREA
Depending on your current whereabouts, you can do an elaborate or simple
map. For example, if you're playing in a car's backseat, you can treat the
seat as a cliff and the leg-room as a river.
Lay down 2 cards,
-one vertical and one horizontal,
-one stacked on top of the other,
-and both facing downwards.
This crude cross is termed one 'tile'.
Now lay down as many additional tile as you want, each clearly connected to
another in paths. You don't have to lay them out in long straight roads,
if you're playing in a spacious area or table-top, you can build:
*small houses (4 tiles in a square) with a path leading to them,
*beacheads (tile arranged in a semi-circular fashion),
*slopes (lay tiles on irregular surfaces such as on stairways, on cushions,
even hills)
*towers (lay tiles on stools, cups, boxes. Don't forget to include an
entrance!)
*towns (lay tiles on stacks of cassettes.)
Lego blocks, miniatures and building blocks could come in handy too, but
most important of all is a lively imagination!
Areas can be:
-Indoors hostile/docile/habitated
i.e.: Dungeons, dragon caverns, castles.
Manors, libraries, elven groves.
Underground cities, large tents, tree-top towns.
-Outdoors hostile/docile/habitated
i.e.: Haunted forest, rapids.
Praries, calm lakes.
Cities, encampments.
(Optional Tile-Laying Style):
Depending on you mood and time available, you can even start the game with
just 1 tile laid, and lay more tiles as the game progresses. This way there
is more freedom of movement for the players.
It also makes entrances into special structures harder to find.
(How do I get into that castle? Ah! Maybe I'll go climb that cliff...)
Apart from that, it shortens preparation time.
(3) SPECIAL FEATURES
If you removed the Jokers and/or NPC counters, you can now decide on where
to place them. Remember:
USE NPCs (Non-Player Characters)
-to advance and spice up a given story-line. A sage who knows the solution...
-They don't all have to be hostile. They can react according to how the
players treat them. Indifferent, friendly, blind, sacarstic, sneaky...
(NPCs may be similar to the Players in every aspect, but are controlled by
the GM only.)
USE JOKERS (TREASURE/GOALS)
-to advance and spice up a given story-line. A key to unlock the castle door,
an unknown and unidentifiable item...
-They don't all have to be valuable. An old boot? Maybe it will come in handy
when you need to distract a manticore guarding a treasure chest...
(4) STARTING LOCATION
A starting location has to be decided. Place the player markers there.
-You don't need to have a players start in one spot, they can be devided at
the begining, and have to reach one another to win, or they might not even
need to meet one another. (They can compete and see who gets the treasure
first...)
-They don't need to start at the crossroads, at their home, wherever!
You can even let them decide.
The map is now ready.
If you haven't set up the players in accordance to the CARDS core rules
yet, set them up and it's off to adventure they go!
*LANDSCAPE FEATURES*
-Treasure (Jokers) can be treated as experience or magical weapons/armour.
Each Joker gains all players in the same tile a level!
This means that magical treasure and experience gets scarcer and scarcer
as the game progresses.
-Taverns can heal a player completely for the cost of turns equal to the
amount of cards he needs restored.
*MODES OF PLAY*
1) Head-to-head: There can be only one!
Players start in opposite corners of the map and try to gain as many
advantages as possible before facing of against one another!
2) Head-to-head: I want that treasure / Show me the money!
Players start anywhere and whoever gets a fixed quota of treasure first
wins! So if you still need one more Joker and John the fighter is beside
you, kill him and get his!
3) Head-to-head: Rat race
Players have to reach and enter a particular location first to win, or
gain a significant advantage over the others.
4) Individual: Every man for himself
Players are free to do whatever they like. They may band up, or they can
stab each other in the back, sneak off in the night, use one another, and
the like.
5) Team: Time & tide waits for no one!
All players start off poisoned. In a fixed number of turns, they must
find cures for themselves and each other. One potion cures only one person,
or it may take two potions: the first delays the effects, the second
cures the player.
6) Team: Dragon strike
All players start off minimal in levels. They may be separated. After a
fixed number of turns a dragon (very powerful NPC monster) comes in from
the side of the map and homes in on the players.
The players must raise their levels, band up, set traps and do all these
to stand a chance against the dragon!
It can also be an Orcish horde of many low level creatures instead of a
single powerful dragon.
They can also choose to find an alternate way to get rid of the dragon,
such as appeasing it with treasure, finding a magic item to repel it...
7) Head-to-head / Team: Conquest
All players are generals and war-masters leading their armies to battle.
Special rules as follows:
[Spades]
Babarian horde - Captures (Jokers) gains more troops ('Ace & 2-10' cards)
up to a maximum of 10.
'Jack/Queen/King' cards can trigger a charge during combat.
Declare a charge, then if the babarian horde wins the next
combat round, the opposing army automatically loses all of
it's 'Jack/Queen/King' cards and 'Ace & 2-10' cards except
for one 'Ace & 2-10' card (random card).
This gives the opponent one last chance at attack or
fleeing.
[Hearts]
Holy army - Glory (Jokers) recruits more troops ('Ace & 2-10' cards)
up to a maximum of 10.
'Jack/Queen/King' cards can heal troops during combat.
Same rules as Cleric's skill.
[Clubs]
Mercenary army - Treasure (Jokers) buys more troops ('Ace & 2-10' cards)
up to a maximum of 10.
'Jack/Queen/King' cards can bribe troops away from an
opposing army. Same rules as Thief's skill.
[Diamonds]
Undead army - All of a defeated opponent's 'Ace & 2-10' cards become
property of the leader if he uses a 'Jack/Queen/King card'
up to a maximum of 10 'Ace & 2-10' cards.
This can only be done after combat ends, when the dead
bodies are raised and used as new troops.
This can only be done on an opponent's dead, as dead troops
can only be raised once.
No special skill during combat.
*Time comes into play. See section on Day & Night below.
*Players can start from scratch (level 1 - a small warband), or a large
army with a mission (level 10 - huge army).
*If you want, the game can be of 2 large armies composed of several regiments
(a player controls several armies) squaring off at each other. This then
becomes a strategy game. Muslims versus the Golden horde, the Rebellion
versus the Empire, Europe versus Germany, and etc.
*TURN SYSTEM*
1 'Turn' refers to:
-1 feat/test/reveal tile/combat round (time for one attack) followed by
movement to an adjacent tile.
or
-1 movement to an adjacent tile followed by 1 feat/test/reveal tile/
combat round (time for one attack).
or
-2 movement (see the section on Running below), a move to another tile
a tile away from the player's current tile.
or
-1 feat/test/reveal tile/combat round (time for one attack) followed by
nothing.
Note: Players may not accumulate unused movement and/or actions. They can
move and not do anything, or do a feat/test/combat round and still
stay within their current tile, but once that's done, his turn ends.
*TILE CONTENTS*
Whenever a player enters a new tile, he doesn't get to see what's in it
unless he spends an action (see Turn System above).
He can end his turn without knowing what's in his new tile, but it may put
him at risk. The tile reveals itself automatically in his next turn, and
if there is a monster/trap there, it automatically succeeds in wounding him.
When a tile is revealed, both cards are turned face up. If both cards:
-share the same colour = trap/special feature/humourous encounter.
-share the same number = monster! Difficulty of the monster may be determined
by the number. (Example: both cards 4 means there's
4 one card monsters or one 4 card monster.)
-do not share the same colour or number = nothing special. Turn the bottom
card in the tile face down.
If the card on top is:
-a Joker = special treasure / goal.
-a King/Queen/Jack = NPC
Whenever a player has been on a tile, the bottom card is always left face
up to mark his passage.
After an encounter that leaves the monster dead/ trap diffused/ door opened,
take away the top card in the tile. This makes it easy to see that a
player has passed through the tile and had taken care of it's contents.
If the NPC/Special feature is still there, leave the top card face up so that
players can return to it later.
It takes only one player to reveal a tile once. So having a party is safer
and makes travel quicker.
*RUNNING*
A player may move 2 tiles instead of one per turn by running.
Running uses up an action, and if he ran into a yet unpassed tile, puts him
at risk to whatever's there.
This is useful for escaping a tight combat situation, as monsters
and NPCs, like players can only move 1 tile per turn.
If a player wishes to run through 1 unpassed tile to reach another
unpassed tile beyond it, he must make a feat check. Success means that he
reaches his designated tile.
The tile which was 'skipped over' need not have any of its cards
turned face up.
If he fails the check, He succeeds in only reaching the 1st unknown
tile, and whatever's there will automatically reveal itself and surprise him
in his next turn.
*DAY & NIGHT*
This is an optional rule made for more realistic campaigns.
The first complete turn (every player & the GM has had his action performed)
is a morning, followed by an afternoon, then a night.
If you're outdoors:
(Day)
Tiles automatically reveal themselves without need for an action when a
player lands on top of one.
(Afternoon)
The player's tile and all its adjacent tiles automatically reveal their
contents.
(Night)
The player must rest of lose one 'Ace & 2-10' card from lack of sleep.
If he chooses not to sleep, lose a 'Ace & 2-10' card, and the normal tile
reveal rule is observed. (No automatic revealing of a tile's contents)
In quests involving day and night, random combat encounters should be
limited to monsters with 1 'Ace & 2-10' card, otherwise combat will take
days as a result. If you must have tougher monsters, than treat them as an
army. Fighting an army for a day makes more sense than fighting a single
beast for a day.
END OF DOCUMENT
