The Game Master's Deck of Boons and Banes: 40 game-changing, character-shifting cards and a companion book for 5th edition RPG adventures

(Paperback)

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Description

DARE YOUR PLAYERS TO TEMPT FATE! Whether you're looking to reward your party for a job well done or show them the consequences of angering the wrong deity, The Game Master's Deck of Boons and Banes can bring a shifting power dynamic to every sessions. Conceived by tabletop RPG expert Ginny Di and featuring 20 boon and 20 bane cards, all stunningly illustrated by Tim Foley, this deck will help you advance player goals or hurl them (and your story) in an entirely different direction. Upon drawing a bane card, for example, a character might suffer a curse that threatens to strangle them the more active they are. However, pulling a boon could very well bestow a blessing from a higher power, such as a pair of guardian wolves that travel with the character wherever they go. The exact composition of the deck is up to the GM. The boons are a great temptation-but drawing a bane could bring about a crippling result. Players will need to weigh the odds every time. The deck also comes with a companion book, including a description of each card's effect and how it impacts the PC who drew it, as well as 80 side quest ideas (two for each card) and helpful recommendations for scaling card effects up or down depending on the level of the characters drawing from the deck. The Game Master's Deck of Boons and Banes is a true game changer for your game!

Reviews

"I could not be more excited about this 40-card deck and accompanying guidebook. Unlike The Deck of Many Things' instantaneous chaos, the Deck of Boons and Banes introduces narrative-driven blessings and curses that can have long-standing consequences and lead to compelling roleplaying moments. Best of all, this deck oftentimes subverts the mechanics of D&D--even some that haven't changed in a decade and continue to remain unchanged in the new editionby adding the potential for danger and excitement to traditionally safe activities (like sleeping!)."
--Jordan Ramee, GameSpot

Author Bio

Ginny Di is a Denver-based tabletop gaming YouTuber, cosplayer and TTRPG influencer who loves telling stories, bringing characters to life, and helping viewers have more fun with their tabletop games. Tim Foley was born in Flint, Michigan, and since attending college at the Kendall School of Design, has made his home in Grand Rapids on the west side of the state. A freelance illustrator for the past three decades, his work has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world and books have included many titles in the bestselling young adult "Who Was" biography series, as well as Cooking for Wizards, Warriors and Dragons and the companion book, Drinking with Wizards, Warriors and Dragons.