New weapon qualities

Clip: After making an attack with a weapon with the clip property, roll the indicated die; if you roll a 1, the weapon is out of ammo and must be reloaded. Weapons with the clip property will always also have the load property, but you do not need to reload them until you roll a 1 on your clip die after an attack. You only roll the die once per attack power, after the power is completely done.

Spread: Whenever you make a ranged attack (yes, that means it has to be a ranged attack, not an area or close…) with a spread weapon and the attack has only a single target, if the attack hits then every creature adjacent to the target takes 1[W] damage. Increase this to 2[W] damage at 11th level and 3[W] damage at 21st level.

Unreliable: When making an attack roll with an unreliable weapon, if your natural d20 roll (before applying modifiers) is equal to or lower than the unreliable value given for the weapon, the weapon jams. You may not make any more attacks with the weapon again until you’ve spent a standard action clearing it. A weapon jamming does not prevent any portion of a given power from working, so for example if a power has a secondary attack and you jam while rolling for the primary attack you still get to make the secondary attack. In essence, the jamming doesn’t happen until after the attack is completely done. If you roll a jam but the attack would otherwise hit, it still hits as normal.

New weapons

Revolver

Simple one-handed ranged weapon
Damage: 1d8
Proficient: +2
Range: 15/30
Weight: 2 lb.

Properties:
Clip d6
Load Standard
Unreliable 2

Group:
Firearms

Rifle

Simple two-handed ranged weapon
Damage: 1d12
Proficient: +2
Range: 20/40
Weight: 7 lb.

Properties:
Load Move
Unreliable 3

Group:
Firearms

Shotgun

Simple two-handed ranged weapon
Damage: 2d4
Proficient: +2
Range: 3/6
Weight: 7 lb.

Properties:
Load Move
Unreliable 2
Spread

Group:
Firearms

New items

Ammo: ‘Nuff said

Speedloader: This circular bit of metal has six spots to hold ammo, and is designed to make it faster to reload a revolver. It takes a standard action to load a speedloader, but they may be loaded ahead of time. When using a speedloader to load a revolver, it takes a move action to load instead of a standard but the revolver’s unreliable rating increases by two points until the next time it’s reloaded.

New feats

Conservative Shot

Benefit: Once per encounter, when you roll a 1 on a clip die, you may reroll that die. You may also reroll a clip die by spending an action point.

Deadeye

Prerequisite: Weapon focus (firearms)
Benefit: You ignore the penalty for using a firearm at long range and treat all firearms as high crit weapons.

Rapid Reload

Prerequisite: Weapon focus (firearms)
Benefit: For the purpose of reloading firearms, you can spend a minor action as though it were a move action and you can spend a move action as though it were a standard action. For example, you can spend a move action to load a revolver, or spend a minor action to load one with a speedloader.

From then on, the doll will randomly appear around the cursed character, regardless of any precautions they may take against it. Destroying the doll or locking it away does not help.

When the doll makes an appearance, it is as though it had been lying there waiting for the PC. No one ever sees it appear. For example, it might be lying behind a tree in the woods or appear when the character wakes up in the morning half-sticking out from under the character’s bed, or sitting on the character’s nightstand as though watching her sleep.

The doll and its curse is completely harmless. If your PCs are so inclined, theoretically they could get the curse removed… But what fun is that?

Inspired by this Jonathan Coulton song

I’ve tried to make it less campaign-shattering here. There’s still about the same mix of good and bad things (actually, slightly more good than bad), but they’re all designed to have no lasting repercussions in and of themselves (e.g. getting turned to stone ends in 5 minutes, though you being petrified for the rest of the fight could end up inadvertently losing the battle and everyone being captured…).

In particular, I’ve designed the Deck of Many Things to be used in combat. Most of the effects should be balanced regardless of level, but for a few of them you will need to look up monsters, items or damage based on the level of the person who drew the card (all included below). It’s worth noting that none of the effects require attack rolls, making the deck a desirable option against particularly tough foes…

If you’d like a description of the Deck of Many Things, or a table to use a standard deck of playing cards in place of it, I refer you to its entry on d20srd.org.

Balance

An unbalanced scale appears between yourself and your opponent. Two rays of light shoot out, hitting each of you, and your foe becomes visibly weaker as the scales balance them.
Effect: Your HP total and your target’s HP total are both reduced to whichever total is smaller. Temporary hit points are not counted and not affected by this card.

Comet

As you hold the card up, it morphs into a flaming boulder and smashes into your target.
Effect: The target and all creatures within 3 squares of it are knocked prone and take fire damage based on your level (see below).

Donjon

Spectral chains appear, binding you.
Effect: You are restrained for 5 minutes.

Euryale

A head wreathed in snakes appears from the center of the card, forcing you to stare at its terrible visage.
Effect: You are petrified for 5 minutes.

The Fates

The fates implore you to draw again… hope that they are working for you.
Effect: Look at the top two cards and choose one to draw. Put the other on the bottom of the deck.

Flames

You and your foe lock eyes from across the battlefield. You are each filled with a fiery rage that will only be quenched by the other’s blood.
Effect: You and the target are marked by each other until one of you is defeated. While so marked, neither of you may mark or be marked by anyone else, and if either of you makes an attack which does not include the other as a target the attacker takes fire damage based on your level (see below).

Fool

Drawing this card, you hear haughty laughter. You feel a compulsion to draw again.
Effect: The DM looks at the top two cards of the deck and chooses the one he deems most detrimental or least beneficial to you. You draw this card and put the other card on the bottom of the deck.

Gem

An illusory gem appears, floating in the air silently in front of you. When your target sees the gem, he is drawn to it.
Effect: The target is entranced by the gem. It will do everything in its power to reach the gem as quickly and efficiently as possible, even suffering opportunity attacks and the like. If it is grabbed, it will try to escape, if it has teleportation powers or other mobility powers it will use them, etc. This effect lasts until the creature ends its turn adjacent to or in the same space as the gem, at which time the gem vanishes and the creature behaves normally.

Idiot

You suddenly feel less competent as years of training wash away…
Effect: The next time you use a daily attack power, it takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls for that power. If you draw the idiot multiple times before using a daily attack power, you suffer this -4 penalty on the next few daily attacks as appropriate. This penalty lasts until it is applied.

Jester

This grinning harlequin encourages you to tempt fate.
Effect: Draw two more cards and resolve them at the same time.

Key

You feel empowered by this card.
Effect: Gain a +2 bonus to all attack rolls, damage rolls, defenses and saving throws until the end of the encounter.

Knight

The card summons forth a ghostly form, which begins attacking your foes.
Effect: A card wraith based on your level (see below) is summoned adjacent to you. It fights for you and your allies, with an initiative just after you, and takes a full share of the experience.

Moon

Your foe’s eyelids become heavy…
Effect: The target is put to sleep. It remains asleep for one hour or until damaged.

Rogue

You get the sudden impression that everyone’s out to get you…
Effect: The next time an ally uses a daily attack power which could target you, it must target you.

Ruin

The weight of impending failure weighs heavily upon your shoulders.
Effect: Take a -2 bonus to all attack rolls, damage rolls, defenses and saving throws until the end of the encounter.

Skull

The card summons forth a ghostly form which begins attacking you!
Effect: A card wraith based on your level (see below) is summoned adjacent to you. It fights against you and your allies, with an initiative just after you, and you get experience as normal for fighting it.

Star

The card flares up with an intense brightness.
Effect: You and all creatures within line of sight of you take radiant damage based on your level (see below).

Sun

The warming sun restores you, body and soul.
Effect: You may spend a healing surge to be restored to full HP.

Talons

Suddenly, your magic items don’t seem quite so helpful…
Effect: Until you next reach a milestone, all your magic items lose all powers and special properties except for enhancement bonuses. This includes losing bonus critical damage.

Throne

By this card’s majesty, enemies are turned to friends.
Effect: The target becomes friendly to you and your allies, fighting alongside you. You do not get experience for it, but nor does it take a share of experience.

Vizier

With the Vizier’s sage advice guiding you, you’re sure to navigate the deck successfully.
Effect: Look at the top card of the deck. You may put it on the bottom of the deck. If you do, look at the new top card of the deck and you may again choose to put it on the bottom. Then draw a card.

The Void

Your soul is drawn into the card. So trapped, you experience nothing but darkness, cold, and emptiness.
Effect: You fall unconscious for 5 minutes. Nothing can wake you while under the effects of this card.

Damage by level (For Comet, Flames, and Star)

Card Wraiths by level (For Knight & Skull)