Drama Cards Core v2.01

Table of contents

Concept
Copper Cards
Silver Cards
Gold Cards
Platinum Cards

Based on the idea of Drama Cards for DnD 4e

Drama Cards are a series of cards to introduce drama into your Reclaim the Wild campaign while simultaneously giving your players a small measure of say in what goes on. They are awarded at the GM’s discretion, mostly for being a good player, and then played by the player at any time.

They’re available for download here.
Lastly updated: September 13th, 2020

Concept

Drama cards are a set of printable cards that you, as a GM, can introduce into your game as a reward for your players; give them out as a reward for your players providing you with a character history, story log, or if they go above and beyond with their in-game actions, do something amazing/funny in-game, or just outright bribe you.

This set of cards contains 135 different cards; some with mechanical effects, many with, appropriately enough, dramatic effects that may change the course of actions of an NPC, a monster, the environment or the story as a whole. The cards are sorted into different “values” - copper, silver, gold and platinum; generally reflecting how rarely you should award these cards. As a rule of thumb, a good ratio would one of 8:4:2:1, so that the copper cards show up a great deal more often. Whatever the case, I recommend you only use these cards if you’re confident as a GM.

The cards are also sorted by type of action - Adventure, Assist, Attack, Combat, Defense, Movement, Recovery, Subplot and Meta; these categories are pretty self-explanatory, and their purposes for drama cards are deliberately vague; it’s just another means to allow you to sort through cards you may or may not want your players to have access to, or perhaps only use in certain situations.

Using a card itself, in-game, takes no action, although there are cards that can only be used under special circumstances. There is no limit to how many cards a player may have, or how many a player may use at any given time; however, once again, this is just how I’m using them; you can limit a player to a set “hand” of cards, forcing them to discard a card if they want a new one, you may limit how many can be used at once, or when they can be used. Find the way they best suit your campaign, and use them as you see fit.

If you don’t want to print each low-rarity card multiple times, or for some online solutions, you may prefer to roll for card rarity. In that case, you should use the following guidelines:

d20	Rarity
1-10	Copper
11-16	Silver
17-19	Gold
20	Platinum

If you want to suggest some new cards, feel free to hit me up on Discord !

Copper Cards

Code	Name	Subtype	Description
C01	Vigor	Drama - Recovery	Use this card when you would suffer a Critical Hit, and before a Reaction. Treat it as a Normal Hit instead.
C02	Unity	Drama - Defense	Until the end of the encounter, anytime you or your allies are adjacent to another ally, apply a +(2 x [number of adjacent allies]) bonus to your Evasion, Vitality or Concentration.
C03	Think Fast	Drama - Combat	Use this card at the beginning of a battle. Add a +3 bonus to your Initiative roll.
C04	Technical Difficulties	Drama - Combat	Choose an enemy with a Rank 2 or lower weapon. The weapon that enemy is using is now broken. This enemy may able to user another, weaker, weapon at GM’s discretion
C05	Bottomless Quiver	Drama - Subplot	Use this card if you have just run out of normal arrows. Turns out you had or find ten more immediately.
C06	Sure Step	Drama - Movement	You may ignore Difficult Terrain until the start of your next turn.
C07	The Weight of Command	Drama - Assist, Recovery	You may reduce your health points by up to 10; restore an equal number of health points to an adjacent ally. You may split this healing along multiple allies.
C08	Perfect Parry	Drama - Defense	Your next Deflect or Parry Reaction reduces the damage received by 100% instead.
C09	Recklessness	Drama - Combat	You may take two Standard Actions this turn. If you were Extremely Hard-To-Hit, you become Hard-To-Hit. If you were Hard-To-Hit, you can now be hit as normal. If you were neither, enemies get a +3 bonus on their To-Hit roll when trying to hit you.
C10	Moment of Respite	Drama - Recovery	You regain health points equal to your Fortitude trait.
C11	Knockback	Drama - Attack	Use this card when you hit with an attack; the target is forced back two squares, if possible.
C12	Kick Down The Door	Drama - Action	You immediately destroy an obstacle in your path (At GM’s discretion).
C13	If only we had a…	Drama - Subplot	You happen upon a mundane tool, of rank 2 or lower (At GM’s discretion), or are able to craft something useful out of whatever is available.
C14	Hack And Slash!	Drama - Attack	When you render an enemy Helpless or dead with a Melee Attack, choose an adjacent enemy and make a Melee Attack against it. For this attack, the enemy is Hard-To-Hit.
C15	Fleet of Foot	Drama - Movement	You may make 1.5x your usual movement this turn.
C16	Teamwork	Drama - Assist, Attack	Choose an enemy and an ally. Until the start of your next turn, the ally gains a +2 Bonus to either Accuracy, Combat, or Willpower (your choice) against that enemy.
C17	Protect the Fallen	Drama - Combat	Choose an ally which as been rendered Helpless. As long as you’re conscious and adjacent to that ally, they cannot be harmed further while remaining Helpness.
C18	Leap Back	Drama - Movement	Use this card when an Attack misses you. You may move up to 2 squares immediately, but not in the direction of the enemy which attacked you.
C19	Retribution	Drama - Attack	Use this card after an opponent deals Critical Damage to you. You can make an immediate Minor Action, or a Basic Melee Attack against that foe.
C20	Charmed	Drama - Adventure	Choose a NPC. Their disposition towards you and/or you group is slightly improved (At GM’s discretion).
C21	Charge!	Drama - Attack	You and allies within hearing range may execute a Charge Battle Maneuver. All characters who do so lose their Movement next turn.
C22	Caution	Drama - Defense	Choose an enemy. Until the end of the encounter, apply a +2 bonus to your Evasion, Vitality or Concentration rolls against that enemy.
C23	Catch Your Breath	Drama - Recovery, Master Mode	You may remove up to two injuries. You may split this along multiple allies. Alternatively, you may recover 8 health points
C24	Roll With It	Drama - Recovery	Use this card when you would become Prone to avoid becoming Prone.
C25	Better things to do	Drama - Subplot	Choose an area of Blast 3. NPCs in this area become preoccupied and cannot do Reactions until the start of their next turn. (Off-balance)
C26	Accuracy!	Drama - Attack	Gain a +1 bonus Accuracy and +1 Critical Hit range to your next attack roll.
C27	Aptitude	Drama - Adventure	Gain a +2 bonus to your next non-combat Difficulty Check (DC).
C28	On the tip of my tongue	Drama - Subplot	Use this card when you’re unsastified with a Learn Lore action. You can reroll it. You must keep the new result.
C29	HEYYYYYY!	Drama - Subplot	Regardless of location or circumstance, a Postman arrives, eager to deliver mail.
C30	Pathetic!	Drama - Defense	Use when an enemy has hit you with an attack. They re-roll that attack, and must use the worse of the two results.
C31	Cheap Shot	Drama - Attack	Use this card when you hit with an attack ; the target is Off-Balance until the start of their next turn.

Silver Cards

Code	Name	Subtype	Description
S01	Disobedience	Drama - Adventure, Subplot	Use this card when a Rational creature tries to order around Limited or Instinctive creatures. Roll 2d6, on a 8 or more, commanded creatures disobeys or misunderstands the orders.
S02	Maggots in the Meat	Drama - Subplot	Use this card when eating or drinking something that is poisonous, nauseating, or has some similar effects. You suffer no particular ill effects from the ingested item.
S03	Bullseye	Drama - Attack	Use this card when you would hit with an attack. That attack becomes a Critical Hit.
S04	Blunder	Drama - Subplot	Use this card when an enemy successes at a non-attack roll. This roll is now treated as a failure (At GM’s discretion).
S05	Armory	Drama - Subplot	Use this card at any time to discover a very small cache of weaponry or supplies. You may determine what it contains (at GM’s discretion).
S06	Not a Good Idea…	Drama - Meta	Gain 3 tokens. You can use them to apply a +1 bonus to any roll, even after the roll. The GM gains 3 tokens as well, to use against you.
S07	Unlucky	Drama - Attack	Force an enemy to re-roll a roll they just made ; the enemy must use the worse of the two rolls.
S08	To The Rescue!	Drama - Assist,Movement, Recovery	Use this card when an ally is Helpless. Immediately move up to half your move distance towards them. If you end this move adjacent to them, they immediately recover one heart (4HP).
S09	This Is Nothing	Drama - Adventure,Automatically succeed a test against environmental or meteorological conditions.
S10	Take It From The Top	Drama - Combat	Use this card during combat. You and your allies may re-roll initiative, or you can force enemies to re-roll initiative.
S11	Stomping Grounds	Drama - Subplot	You may invent a nearby location (Inn, temple, guildhall, school.. / at GM’s discretion) . Treat this invented establishment as if it were and old haunt of yours, or otherwise a place where you will be easily accepted. It cannot be a shop.
S12	Sidestep	Drama - Defense	Use this card when you would be hit by a Melee or Ranged attack. That attack hits and adjacent creature of your choice instead.
S13	Showoff	Drama - Adventure	You may use any Trait instead of your next Perform, Insight of Intimidate difficulty check. Excludes checks used to play songs.
S14	Scatter!	Drama - Movement	Use this card when you and at least one ally are targeted by an area attack (Blast or Burst). You and all allies subject to the attack may make an immediate move Action, up to half their move distance. The triggering attack may not be adjusted.
S15	Quiet	Drama - Recovery	Use this card during an Extended Rest. You will not be disturbed during this rest, and recover double health, mana and stamina.
S16	On The Run	Drama - Subplot	You come across a creature or group of creatures being pursued by, or escaping from something. The GM determines the exact nature of the creature’s plight.
S17	Narrow Escape	Drama - Movement,Subplot	Use this card as your moving through a tight spot (Squeezing). Immediately after you pass through the passage, the way behind you is blocked for any pursuers.
S18	Luck	Drama - Meta	Reroll a roll you just made, and take the higher of the two rolls.
S19	Cheaper Shot	Drama - Attack	Use this card when you hit with an attack ; the target is Off-Balance until the start of the turn after their next.
S20	Leadership	Drama - Meta	Play with another card. You may use that second card’s effects on a number of allies equal to (Command Trait / 2). Resolve the effects as if they had played the card.
S21	Randomizer	Drama - Subplot	Use this card when opening a chest. You may roll Luck three times for the contents, and choose the result you want, but on 1,1, the chest becomes an Ice Trap, and the other rolls are lost.
S22	Inspiration	Drama - Meta	You take a card that another player has just used. The player that used that card still gains the benefit of the card they played.
S23	Bad Aim	Drama - Defense	You become hard to hit until the start of your next turn.
S24	The Machine is Resting	Drama - Subplot	A complicated mechanical or magical device fails to work for a short period of time (GM’s discretion).
S25	Fancy seeing you here	Drama - Adventure,Subplot	Use this card when you’re discovered somewhere you’re not supposed to be. Those that discovered you have no business being there, either. The GM determines the reason as to why they’re there.
S26	I know about that one	Drama - Aventure	Use this card when making a Learn Lore check. You have a Knack for it.
S27	Drastic Recovery	Drama - Recovery, Master Mode	Use this card when you’re entering Peril state. Recover 8 health points immediately. Alternatively, you can also choose to not suffer an Injury.
S28	Connections	Drama - Subplot	You know a NPC in the area that could assist you in some way. You may choose for the GM to create the NPC, or you may create it yourself (at GM’s discretion).
S29	Circumnavigate	Drama - Subplot	You discover a possible alternate means to get around an encounter, or to give you an edge (at GM’s discretion).
S30	I won’t kneel!	Drama - Recovery	Use this card when you’re supposed to fall Helpless. You can make a turn immediately. If you’re still at 0HP at the end of this turn, fall Helpless.
S31	Born Ready	Drama - Combat	You may take your turn right away (unless you already played this round). Your initiative moves to that point for next turns.
S32	All or nothing!	Drama - Meta	Instead of rolling 2d6, flip a coin. On a heads, treat it as a 1,1. On a tails, treat it as a 6,6.
S33	Overwhelming Menace	Drama - Subplot	You can execute a Menace Combat Maneuver with a Burst 2 attack range.
S34	Neat Ride	Drama - Subplot	Your party temporarily acquires a vehicle, or can get on board of one passing by.
S35	That’s Impossible!	Drama - Attack	Use this card before making a ranged attack. Ignore covers and solid objects (at GM’s discretion).
S36	Linkle ?!	Drama - Subplot	A Linkle-like character (Or Linkle herself) enters the scene. Roll 1d6 : On a 1 or 2 she’s against you. On 3 to 6, she tries to aid the party.

Gold Cards

Code	Name	Subtype	Description
G01	Windfall	Drama - Subplot	An opportunity presents itself to increase your wealth substantially. The GM determines the exact amount, and how you come accross the opportunity.
G02	Vengeance	Drama - Assistance, Attack	Use this card when an ally is rendered Helpless or dead. You gain a +2 bonus to your Damage against that enemy until your ally recovers or until the end of the battle.
G03	Travelling Merchant	Drama - Subplot	You come across a traveling merchant. The exact nature of his wares are determined by the GM.
G04	Time Out!	Drama - Recovery, Subplot	Use this card during combat. The encounter, for whatever reason, stops. The situation may become worse.
G05	Surprise!	Drama - Combat	Use this card at the beginning of an encounter. All your enemies become Off-Balance until the beginning of their turn.
G06	Stop Them, You Fools!	Drama - Movement, Subplot	Use this card when your party decides to flee. Instead of pursuing you immediately, your enemies stay dumbfounded for a short amount of time.
G07	Break Their Nerve	Drama - Attack	Use this card after successfully landing a Critical Hit. Select enemies around you up to (Intimidation Trait / 2). You can immediately execute a free Menace Combat Maneuver against them.
G08	Lost	Drama - Subplot	You lose your way, but stumble upon something great.
G09	Parley	Drama - Subplot	Change a combat encounter with at least one Rational creature into a social encounter (at GM’s discretion). Battle may resume at any moment.
G10	No, No, Let me see it	Drama - Subplot	Upon finding a Magical Tool, you may suggest it to be another tool, of equivalent power (at GM’s discretion).
G11	Nemesis	Drama - Subplot	Choose an NPC or other creature that you have previously interacted or fought with. The chosen creature becomes a recurring antagonist.
G12	Looking for trouble	Drama - Subplot	Use this card when not in combat. The GM must run a random combat encounter. You may suggest what kind of encounter you’re looking for.
G13	Get Off!	Drama - Attack	Use this card when you’re grappled by an enemy. You’re now free to go, and may immediately move up to 1 square away.
G14	Leap!	Drama - Movement	Use this card when you would fail an Athletics difficulty check. You succeed (at GM’s discretion).
G15	Guesswork	Drama - Meta	The GM must create/reveal an obscured area for you. However, he has no obligations to tell you any of the contents of that area.
G16	Tranquil Fury	Drama - Combat	You become immune to most non-elemental status effects for the duration of the Battle (at GM’s discretion).
G17	Free Samples	Drama - Subplot	You encounter an individual who willingly provides you a sample of his services or concoctions. The exact nature of this good or service is determined by the GM.
G18	Face-Off	Drama - Combat, Subplot	Choose an enemy. Until the end of the battle or until one of you is rendered Helpless or dead, your target may only make attacks that include you as a target, and you may only make attacks that include your chosen enemy as a target. Neither you nor your target may be targeted by attacks aside from one another.
G19	Enough is Enough!	Drama - Recovery, Master Mode	You may immediately recover from two Status Effects. Alternatively, you may recover 8 health points and one injury.
G20	Duplicity	Drama - Adventure	You gain a Knack to your next Guile difficulty check, along with a +1 bonus.
G21	Crashing the party	Drama - Combat, Subplot	Use this card during combat. A creature or a group of creatures, hostile to both you and your enemies enter the fray.
G22	I Make My Own Luck	Drama - Meta	Instead of rolling 2d6, you can roll 1d6 and add any number between 1 and 6.
G23	Beat Them Senseless	Drama - Attack	Use this card when you hit with an attack. The target becomes Cursed until the end of their next turn.
G24	Beginner’s Luck	Drama - Adventure	Choose a Trait in which you have less than 5 points. You automatially succeed at your next difficulty check involving that Trait.
G25	Battle Souvenir	Drama - Recovery, Subplot	Use this card when you would receive Critical Damage, be rendered unconscious, or killed. Take no damage from the attack, but instead gain some other permanent effect based on the attack you negated, like a scar (at GM’s discretion).
G26	Ready for Action	Drama - Combat	Use this card during your turn. You may execute another Minor or Standard Action this turn.
G27	Those Who Came Before	Drama - Subplot	Use to reveal a historic connection between the current events or a chosen location, which may grant you knowledge or connections. You may suggest the general type of connection.
G28	Just Crazy Enough	Drama - Subplot	Use this card after you have come up with an absurd, overcomplicated, or just plain stupid solution. That plan will now have favorable conditions to succeed.
G29	Distinguishment	Drama - Subplot	Choose a friendly NPC or creature you encountered previously. The chosen creature becomes a recurring character.
G30	Enough to go Around	Drama - Subplot	Use when your party acquired an item. You may be able to acquire more of them for your party (at GM’s discretion).
G31	Strife	Drama - Subplot	Choose two enemies. They know consider each other enemies for the remainder of the encounter.
G32	Linkle !	Drama - Subplot	A Linkle-like character (Or Linkle herself) enters the scene and tries to aid the party.

Platinum Cards

Code	Name	Subtype	Description
P01	Cameo	Drama - Subplot	A famous or notorious character makes a brief apperance (at GM’s discretion).
P02	Change of Scenery	Drama - Combat, Subplot	Use this card during combat. The environment and/or terrain of the combat changes drastically (at GM’s discretion).
P03	Compelling argument	Drama - Adventure, Subplot	Choose an NPC. On a successful Menace test against that NPC, they provide you with information or an item, even if that NPC didn’t actually have the info or item in question (at GM’s discretion).
P04	Countdown	Drama - Subplot	The battle you are in, or the adventure you are on, has a time limit of some sort imposed on it if there was no time limit before. Rewards may become better.
P05	This is Weird…	Drama - Subplot	Discover a clue about your current adventure.
P06	Cutscene	Drama - Combat, Subplot	The GM must play out a scene involving NPCs in an upcoming encounter.
P07	Deus Ex Machina	Drama - Subplot	An enemy or obstacle is dealt with by some outside force (at GM’s discretion).
P08	Did I just say that ?	Drama - Subplot	Choose an enemy or NPC. That NPC lets something slip (at GM’s discretion).
P09	Dire Dreams	Drama - Subplot	Use this card while resting and sleeping. During your rest, you have dreams or visions of the future.
P10	Disaster!	Drama - Subplot	A disaster, natural or otherwise, occurs (at GM’s discretion).
P11	Dramatic Exit	Drama - Subplot	Use this card when you character would die. Instead of dying, you leave the scene in some fashion only to return at a dramatic moment later (at GM’s discretion).
P12	Blessed by the Goddess	Drama - Recovery	Use this card to regain all health points, and either all mana or all stamina, immediately.
P13	Flashback	Drama - Subplot	Your GM must run a short encounter that occured in your character’s or your party’s past. You may suggest what it is.
P14	Ink Spills	Drama - Subplot	Things become much worse.
P15	Call for Reinforcements	Drama - Subplot	Some manner of help arrives to assist your party.
P16	Hijack!	Drama - Subplot	Use this card when you’re traveling in a vehicle of some kind. Hostile NPCs make an attempt to take the vehicle over. Their exact intentions are determined by the GM.
P17	Inspiring Speech	Drama - Assist, Recovery, Subplot	Make a speech, you may take as long as you like. At the end of this speech, if it was inspiring enough (at GM’s discretion), your party may gain a passive bonus or ability until the end of the scene.
P18	Leap of Faith	Drama - Subplot	Use this card when you deliberately jump down from a height. You take no damage from the fall. In addition, if your allies immediately follow you, they take no damage either.
P19	Just as Planned	Drama - Subplot	Choose an enemy. Target enemy falls for a trap of your own design. Treat the trap as if it was prepared appropriately in advance by the party (at GM’s discretion).
P20	Long Time No See	Drama - Subplot	Choose an NPC you have not encountered before. From this point forward, you and the target NPC have been lifelong acquaintances/old rivals (at GM’s discretion).
P21	Madness	Drama - Subplot	Choose an NPC. That NPC begins to act very oddly. The GM determines the exact nature of the change in personality.
P22	Mistaken Identity	Drama - Subplot	Choose an NPC. Your target mistakes you for someone else entirely, for better or worse (at GM’s discretion).
P23	Mysterious Stranger	Drama - Subplot	A mysterious individual comes to your aid, only to leave as abruptly as he came. You may have the GM create the stranger or you may design him yourself (at GM’s discretion).
P24	On My Terms	Drama - Subplot	You may challenge a Rational enemy to a competition of your choosing (i.e. unarmed combat, a gambling game). Your opponent must accept, but may impose some terms (at GM’s discretion).
P25	Protégé	Drama - Subplot	You find yourself a protégé. You may either choose to elect a friendly NPC as your protégé, or create one who seeks you out (at GM’s discretion).
P26	Prepare to die !	Drama - Subplot	A creature comes seeking revenge against you or another member of your party for either a real or imagined affront. The GM determines the exact nature of that affront.
P27	Curse of the Calamity	Drama - Attack, Subplot	Use this card in combat. Some manner of catastrophe occurs, putting everyone at risk. All creatures in the combat must take an Agility difficulty check. The GM decides the range of damage in xd6 inflicted to those who fails. Those who succeeds suffers half. Defense doesn’t apply.
P28	Safe Haven	Drama - Recovery, Subplot	You and your party come across some sort of save haven. You may stay here as long as you like, however, upon leaving, you may find it difficult to find the haven again in the future (at GM’s discretion).
P29	Stealing the Spotlight!	Drama - Subplot	You encounter another group whose goals resemble or conflict with your own. The GM determines the exact nature of the other party.
P30	Strangers	Drama - Subplot	You come across a group of strangers from a far away place. The exact nature of the strangers is determined by the GM.
P31	Sudden fascination	Drama - Subplot	Choose an NPC. That NPC takes a strong liking to you for one reason or another (at GM’s discretion).
P32	Enemy of my Enemy	Drama - Subplot	Choose an enemy, unlikely creature(s) or character(s), hostile to the enemy of your choice. They suddenly arrives on the scene (at GM’s discretion).
P33	Don’t lower your guard	Drama - Subplot	Something seemingly harmless becomes a dangerous threat in some fashion.
P34	The confession	Drama - Subplot	Confess something to another member of your party. If the GM considers it good enough of a confession, be it funny, touching, etc., you and your ally regain a number of Stamina and Mana chosen by the GM.
P35	True Identity	Drama - Subplot	A NPC is revealed to not be who they pretend they are. The GM determines the exact nature of this revelation.
P36	True Potential	Drama - Subplot	An item in your possession reveals itself to be much more than it appears. The GM determines the exact nature of the item.