The idea came when I saw a deck of tarot cards called the Wizards Tarot. I loved the artwork and it reminded me of both Frostgrave and Hogwarts. I realized that the deck could be used as a source of random events each time a player explored a new location. The events could be tied to the picture on the card, with that picture being a glimpse of what this part of the city looked like before the Great Catastrophe. As such, the narrative could be as much about history and archeology as it will be about bashing heads and snatching loot. That was the goal, anyway.
Having made 20 “mystery tokens”, I placed them in buildings and ruins across the 4’x4’ map. Figures that reach mystery tokens activate them and draw a card to explain the discovery. A typical discovery involves learning the location of a treasure (generally guarded by a monster) at a different location determined by rolling d20. The mystery token corresponding to the roll is replaced by the treasure token and the random monster. Both players may race to reach the treasure first, if so inclined. While half of the cards work in the manner described, the other half have unique events associated with them.
You can see the table I created here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LPv30yOqwQxasLwMi8Z781S2kRra9VqK/view
As a multiplayer game, it can be played as a competition, or it can be coop, or a hybrid. By hybrid, I mean that players can still compete to get treasure and xp, without attacking each other directly. What follows is an experiment with solo play.
Arpatania
the Sigilist and her apprentice, Prilla, have assembled their team. Overlooking the area, Arpatania notes the dangerous
presence of a white gorilla and a wraith.
These she will seek to avoid, given the inexperience of her band. Arpatania decides to divide the band into two
teams. She will lead one and Prilla the
other.
Arpatania’s team approaches a small ruined structure. The templar watches through the doorway while Brutus the Thug sneaks in through a broken wall. Investigating the mystery token calls for a card to be drawn.
The Moon. This chamber was used for ceremonial rites by witches of an unknown coven. The floor has been worn smooth by centuries of dancing and devotion. While looking along the line of two standing stones, Brutus notices the entrance to a secret passage. A d20 roll reveals the exit to be mystery token 19. Arpatania leads her team into the deep passage, happy to have found a short-cut across the map. She was less happy to find that the wraith had drifted into the area near the exit. Lacking any magical weapons to combat the wraith, her team would spend most of the remaining turns dodging and running. Fortunately, her apprentice Prilla was having better luck.
Prilla’s team entered a large structure with several rooms. She sent her crossbowman to the left and directed the others toward mystery token 3. Chu the spearman went first and discovered this was the manner of a great warlord. Among the ruins were his trophies of war. One sword drew Chu’s attention immediately. As he reached to grasp it, a slick red demon emerged from a crack in the floor. This unholy creature of congealed blood and malice fought hard, but Chu and his companions brought it down and claimed the treasure.
Meanwhile, the crossbowmen explored the chamber to the left. Mung kept his crossbow ready while his brother revealed Mystery token 4. This room was a council hall. The warlord probably addressed his lieutenants here and accepted tribute from his vassals.
Although they report nothing of interest to Prilla, she was aware that their presence in this place has caused a disturbance. Magical ley lines carry the energy to a distant location in Felstad (d20 = 7) causing the awakening of a treasure token and guardian creature at mystery token 7.
Prilla judges location 7 to be too distant and leads her party upstairs to see what else might be found on the upper floor of the manor.
Treading carefully, ever wary of cave-ins, Mung approaches mystery token 5. The others take position to give him instant backup.
Thinking they might find an abattoir or harem upstairs, Mung is surprised to find the bedchambers of the warlord, his wife, and children. All evidence suggests the blessings of a happy and normal domestic life. Perhaps, thinks Mung, not all warlords are the ones he served on the Falcon Plains.
Prilla, always sensitive to the flow of arcane energies, knows that their discussion of the warlord’s wife has resonated with some spirit in a nearby tower. Could it be the Lady herself? A treasure token and guardian are placed at mystery token 8. That is not far off, so the party gets moving.
Crossing a bridge on the way to the tower, Prilla’s team sees a plaza ahead (and mystery token 6). Before the catastrophe struck Felstad, this must have been a beautiful place. It is easy to imagine people sitting here to relax and to dream. The man-at-arms, indulging in a powerful daydream himself, almost falls off the edge before Mung pulls him back. It was a vision of a tomb in the tower.
No sooner does the soldier relate his vision to Prilla then
from that very tower a hideous ghoul emerges to attack. Mung and his brother both loose bolts. One strikes home. The ghoul is staggering and easily finished
off by the stroke of a sword.
A treasure gleams from within the tower and Prilla thinks
the spirit of the Warlord’s Lady is hiding at the top. Sadly, there is no more time to explore. On turn seven, Arpatania investigates a
mystery and the d20 roll indicates a location that was already revealed. Thus endeth the game. In seven turns, the sigilists and their soldiers revealed
eight mystery tokens, took two treasure counters, and defeated two monsters to
earn 120 xp. The mystery of the tower will have to wait for another day.
Neat idea! You could use MtG cards for this as well.
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