Mandrake's Deck of Many Things

 

This Deck of Many Things is usually up Mandrake's left sleave and hidden in his bracers (DC 51 if had time to take 10, DC 61 with Conceal illusion). It contains a number of cards made of vellum. Each is engraved with glyphs, characters, and sigils. Mandrake's Greater Trumps are also mixed non-randomly within the Deck (see below). Mandrake has memorized their locations. and may use Prestidigitation or sleight of hand to manipulate the cards when he is drawing (their magic does not affect him due to a draw from the Greater Tarot Deck). Mandrake may also use these in a Mandragoran Reading. or possibly a Mandragoran Curse. They are the material component for the epic spell Fatestorm and Gift of The Fates.

Normal: As soon as one of magical cards is drawn from the pack, its magic is bestowed upon the person who drew it, for better or worse and the card disappears and then reappears within the Deck. Carrying a Deck of Many things increases the chances of wandering encounters.  

 

The Cards

The Haleck Deck

Press Here to Draw from the Deck

 

Balance
I
Coment
II
Donjon
III
Eurayle
IV
The Fates
V
Flames
VI
The Fool
VII
The Gem
VIII
The Idiot
IX
The Jester
X
The Key
XI
The Knight
XII
The Moon
XIII
The Rogue
XIV
Ruin
XV
The Skull
XVI
The Star
XVII
The Sun
XVIII
Talons
XIX
Void
XX
The Throne
XXI
The Vizier
XXII
Trump of Mandrake
XXIII.
The Eleventh Mandragoran
XXIV.
Alexia Krestor
XXV.
The Grand Druid
XXVI.
The Ak- Haru
The Golden Draco
XXVIII.
 The Golden Draco
XXIX.
Steven Sagely

There are variants of these decks such as the Alternate Deck (draw here), Greyhawkian Deck, the Traveler's Deck, and so on.
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The effects of each card, summarized on the table, are fully described below.
Deck of Many Things
Plaque Summary of Effect
I. Balance Change alignment instantly.
II. Comet Defeat the next monster you meet to gain one level.
III. Donjon You are imprisoned.
IV. Euryale -1 penalty on all saving throws henceforth.
V. The Fates Avoid any situation you choose . . . once.
VI. Flames Enmity between you and an outsider.
VII. Fool Lose 10,000 experience points and you must draw again.
VIII. Gem Gain your choice of twenty-five pieces of jewelry or fifty gems.
IX. Idiot Lose Intelligence (permanent drain). You may draw again.
X. Jester Gain 10,000 XP or two more draws from the deck.
XI. Key Gain a major magic weapon.
XII. Knight Gain the service of a 4th-level fighter.
XIII. Moon You are granted 1d4 wishes.
XIV. Rogue One of your friends turns against you.
XV. Ruin Immediately lose all wealth and real property.
XVI. Skull Defeat dread wraith or be forever destroyed.
XVII. Star Immediately gain a +2 inherent bonus to one ability score.
XVIII. Sun Gain beneficial medium wondrous item and 50,000 XP.
XIX. Talons All magic items you possess disappear permanently.
XX. Throne Gain a +6 bonus on Diplomacy checks plus a small keep.
XXI. Vizier Know the answer to your next dilemma.
XXII. The Void Body functions, but soul is trapped elsewhere.
XXIII. The Eleventh Mandragoran Greater Trump to Mandrake, aka "The 11 of Mandragorans"
XXIV. The Battle Dancer Greater Trump to Alexia Krestor
XXV. The Grand Druid Greater Trump to Lorocus Stonengrade
XXVI. The Ak-Haru Greater Trump to Kothlun The Great
XXVII. The Golden Draco Greater Trump to the Golden Draco Cloudship
XXVIII. The Sage Greater Trump to Steven Sagely
I. Balance

The character must change to a radically different alignment. If the character fails to act according to the new alignment, she gains a negative level.

II. Comet

The character must single-handedly defeat the next hostile monster or monsters encountered, or the benefit is lost. If successful, the character gains enough XP to attain the next experience level.

III. Donjon

This card signifies imprisonment— either by the imprisonment spell or by some powerful being. All gear and spells are stripped from the victim in any case. Draw no more cards.

IV. Euryale

The medusalike visage of this card brings a curse that only the fates card or a deity can remove. The -1 penalty on all saving throws is otherwise permanent.

V. Fates

This card enables the character to avoid even an instantaneous occurrence if so desired, for the fabric of reality is unraveled and respun. Note that it does not enable something to happen. It can only stop something from happening or reverse a past occurrence. The reversal is only for the character who drew the card; other party members may have to endure the situation.

VI. Flames

Hot anger, jealousy, and envy are but a few of the possible motivational forces for the enmity. The enmity of the outsider can’t be ended until one of the parties has been slain. Determine the outsider randomly, and assume that it attacks the character (or plagues her life in some way) within 1d20 days.

VII. Fool

The payment of XP and the redraw are mandatory. This card is always discarded when drawn, unlike all others except the jester.

VIII. Gem

This card indicates wealth. The jewelry is all gold set with gems, each piece worth 2,000 gp, the gems 1,000 gp value each.

IX. Idiot

This card causes the drain of 1d4+1 points of Intelligence immediately. The additional draw is optional.

X. Jester

This card is always discarded when drawn, unlike all others except the fool. The redraws are optional.

XI. Key

The magic weapon granted must be one usable by the character. It suddenly appears out of nowhere in the character’s hand.

XII. Knight

The fighter appears out of nowhere and serves loyally until death. He or she is of the same race (or kind) and gender as the character.

XIII. Moon

This card sometimes bears the image of a moonstone gem with the appropriate number of wishes shown as gleams therein; sometimes it depicts a moon with its phase indicating the number of wishes (full = four; gibbous = three; half = two; quarter = one). These wishes are the same as those granted by the 9th-level wizard spell and must be used within a number of minutes equal to the number received.

XIV. Rogue

When this card is drawn, one of the character’s NPC friends (preferably a cohort) is totally alienated and forever after hostile. If the character has no cohorts, the enmity of some powerful personage (or community, or religious order) can be substituted. The hatred is secret until the time is ripe for it to be revealed with devastating effect.

XV. Ruin

As implied by its name, when this card is drawn, all nonmagical possessions of the drawer are lost.

XVI. Skull

A dread wraith appears. Treat this creature as an unturnable undead. The character must fight it alone—if others help, they get dread wraiths to fight as well. If the character is slain, she is slain forever and cannot be revived, even with a wish or a miracle.

XVII. Star

The 2 points are added to any ability the character chooses. They cannot be divided among two abilities.

XVIII. Sun

Roll for a medium wondrous item until a useful item is indicated.

XIX. Talons

When this card is drawn, every magic item owned or possessed by the character is instantly and irrevocably gone.

XX. Throne

The character becomes a true leader in people’s eyes. The castle gained appears in any open area she wishes (but the decision where to place it must be made within 1 hour).

XXI. Vizier

This card empowers the character drawing it with the one-time ability to call upon a source of wisdom to solve any single problem or answer fully any question upon her request. The query or request must be made within one year. Whether the information gained can be successfully acted upon is another question entirely.

XXII. The Void

This black card spells instant disaster. The character’s body continues to function, as though comatose, but her psyche is trapped in a prison somewhere—in an object on a far plane or planet, possibly in the possession of an outsider. A wish or a miracle does not bring the character back, instead merely revealing the plane of entrapment. Draw no more cards.


The Deck of Mostly Deck of Many Things
Plaque Summary of Effect Random number
I. Balance Change alignment instantly. 1
II. Comet Defeat the next monster you meet to gain one level. 2
III. Donjon You are imprisoned. 3
VII. Fool Lose 10,000 experience points and you must draw again. 4
VIII. Gem Gain your choice of twenty-five pieces of jewelry or fifty gems. 5
X. Jester Gain 10,000 XP or two more draws from the deck. 6
XIV. Rogue One of your friends turns against you. 7
XVI. Skull Defeat dread wraith or be forever destroyed. 9
XX. Throne Gain a +6 bonus on Diplomacy checks plus a small keep. 9
XXII. The Void Body functions, but soul is trapped elsewhere. 10

Used in Mandrake's Curse of Fates