Pandemonium deck

This is a magic item for Pathfinder based on P.D. Magnus' Decktet. Though inspired by the harrow deck of many things (in turn inspired by the deck of many things), it alters the whole concept of the deck (roughly) following the model used by Madness at Gardmore Abbey to make the deck a less destabilizing force (at least at first).

Aura strong (all schools); CL 20th; Slot none; Weight —

This worn fortune-teller's deck bears an evocative image upon each of its forty-five cards. The deck contains six suits (in order: moons, suns, waves, leaves, wyrms and knots) with a complex structure. For each suit, there is an Ace and a Crown. Ranked between them are other cards numbered 2 through 9, each with two suits. Four Courts each have three suits and are ranked beneath Crowns. Four Pawns each have three suits as well, ranked below Courts. The Excuse has no suit or rank. Suit combinations do not occur with equal frequency. All cards also have a theme or meaning, written on the face of the card.

Individual Cards

Cards of this deck are almost never found assembled, as the deck has the ability to scatter itself at random under certain circumstances. Most who come across cards find them singly. Individual cards are no more or less durable than mundane cards, but should a card be destroyed, it disappears and reforms itself whole at some other random location in the world.

Individual cards make their presence known whenever combat begins. Whenever an initiative check is made, gather all of the cards possessed by any of the participants and draw one randomly. This card then exerts an influence on the battle. A spectral icon representing the card appears on the ground in a random square adjacent to the character who owns the selected card. Anyone standing in the square containing the icon gains the influence effect listed for that card so long as they remain in the same square as the icon. If the character moves out of the square (or the icon moves out from under the character) the influence effect ends immediately. Any spell-like abilities granted by cards function with a caster level equal to the character's level.

At the start of each round, the icon moves 1d4-1 squares in a random direction (roll 1d8, with 1 indicating north and the other numbers indicating compass going clockwise). If the icon would move into an obstacle (e.g. wall, the edge of a cliff, etc.), it instead just stops. Any creatures standing final destination of the icon immediately gain the influence effect of the card.

Characters who own cards may spend a move action attempting to force a card they own to become the influencing card. Success on a Use Magic Item check (DC 18) causes any existing influence to vanish, and a new influence icon to appear at a random square adjacent to the card owner. Any character in that square immediately gains the influence effect of the new card.

The character who owns the influencing card may also spend a move action attempting to move its icon. Success on a Use Magic Item check (DC 20) allows the character to move the icon up to 15'. Any creatures standing in the destination immediately gain the influence effect of the card.

Cumulative Effects

As more of the cards come together, the deck gains potency. If a single character holds multiple cards, they bestow additional effects, depending on the number of cards and their suit combinations. All applicable effects from the following table apply if the character owns cards that qualify. All spell-like abilities granted by the deck function with a caster level equal to the character's level.

card combination	effect
any 6 cards	You emit an aura of chaos as if you were a cleric of a chaotic deity.
any 12 cards	You are constantly protected from law.
any 18 cards	Your alignment shifts one step toward chaotic. You may cast magic circle of protection from law 3 times/day as a spell-like ability.
any 24 cards	You may cast chaos hammer 3 times/day or intensified] chaos hammer once/day, as a spell-like ability.
any 30 cards	You may cast dispel law 3 times/day as a spell-like ability.
any 36 cards	You may cast word of chaos 3 times/day as a spell-like ability.
any 42 cards	You may cast cloak of chaos 3 times/day as a spell-like ability.
three moons + three suns	You may cast quickened flare burst at will as a spell-like ability.
three waves + three leaves	You may cast endure elements at will as a spell-like ability, which reaches to medium range.
three wyrms + three knots	You may quickened detect chaos at will as a spell-like ability.
three moons + three wyrms	You may cast quickened deathwatch at will as a spell-like ability.
three suns + three leaves	You may cast defoliate at will as a spell-like ability.
three waves + three knots	You may quickened detect law at will as a spell-like ability.
four pawns	You may cast suggestion at will as a spell-like ability.
four courts	You may cast prayer at will as a spell-like ability.
six aces	You may cast true seeing on yourself at will as a spell-like ability.
six crowns	You may cast scrying at will as a spell-like ability.
one card of each rank + the excuse	Once per day, you may broadcast a sending which is heard by any creature who owns six or more cards.
moons of each rank	You may cast beast shape iv twice per day as a spell-like ability.
suns of each rank	You may cast sunbeam twice per day as a spell-like ability.
waves of each rank	You may cast seamantle twice per day as a spell-like ability.
leaves of each rank	You may cast plant shape iii twice per day as a spell-like ability.
wyrms of each rank	You may cast form of the dragon ii twice per day as a spell-like ability.
knots of each rank	You may cast maze once per day as a spell-like ability.

Completing the deck

Should one character assemble the complete deck, the true power of the deck reveals itself. The owner of the deck may perform an hour long ritual culminating in the owner (or someone she designates) drawing one or more cards from the deck. If the one drawing is lawful, they may draw only one card. If the one drawing is chaotic, they may draw up to three cards. Otherwise the one drawing may draw up to two cards. Regardless of who draws, the owner of the deck chooses one of the drawn cards, and the major effect listed for that card activates (targeting the one who drew it, if applicable). Major effects are permanent and cannot be eliminated without powerful magic, such as a wish or miracle.

Afterwards, each card drawn disintegrates and reforms at a random location (as mentioned above). The owner of the deck immediately becomes aware of the location of the card that was activated (but not the others, if any). No longer in possession of a complete deck, the owner must track down the lost cards in order to draw again. Note that, since the new cards are not technically the same object as the cards that were drawn, the deck's owner has never handled the new cards, which prevents divination spells that require such handling from locating the new cards.

Some major effects also cause additional cards from the deck to vanish and reappear elsewhere. This may happen in one of two ways. If the deck divides, undrawn cards are distributed at random into four separate piles, with the cards distributed as evenly as possible. One pile, chosen at random, remains where it is. The other piles teleport to random locations within 100 miles. If the deck scatters, all undrawn cards teleport to random locations within 2,000 miles.

Consciousness

Created to spread chaos, the deck possesses a rudimentary consciousness which helps further that aim. This consciousness wants the cards to be found and used, so whenever cards transfer to new locations, they will never wind up anywhere too obscure or unaccessible (e.g. surrounded by solid rock, the bottom of unclimbable ravine, etc.). Instead, they tend to appear in places where they might get found eventually (e.g. the bottom of a chest in an attic, the pocket of a rarely used coat, tucked into a library book, a family crypt, etc.). The deck is most content when its presence sows discord or upsets the status quo, and favors getting cards into the hands of destabilizing forces (like your average group of PCs).

When adjudicating matters related to the deck, keep the desires of this consciousness in mind. Take the Windfall card, for example, which makes a character an heir to a noble title. While this might result in the character taking up the reins of power peacefully, the deck would much prefer that a full on civil war broke out instead. Along the same lines, the deck wants people to fight over its cards when trying to unify the deck.

Card Effects

The Author

Rank/Suits Two (moons, knots)

Influence Effect The character can read, speak and understand any language, as if under the influence of a tongues spell.

Major Effect From this point on, whenever the character rolls initiative, he rolls twice and selects whichever result he prefers; however, an opponent of the GM's choice may use the character's discarded result.

The Bard

Rank/Suits Crown (suns)

Influence Effect The character gains a +4 luck bonus to charisma.

Major Effect The character physically becomes a member of the opposite gender.

Battle

Rank/Suits Four (wyrms, knots)

Influence Effect You may cleave as if you had the feat. If you already have cleave, you may great cleave as if you had the feat. If you have it as well, you no longer take the -2 AC penalty when you use it.

Major Effect While in combat, the character is always considered to be flanked. Attackers gain a +2 flanking bonus on attacks made against the character and may sneak attack him at will.

Betrayal

Rank/Suits Eight (wyrms, knots)

Influence Effect You may cast confess at will as a spell-like ability. If cast on an ally, add 4 to the save DC.

Major Effect The character's animal companion, familiar, cohort, or other NPC ally is alienated and forever after hostile. If the character has no such allies, the enmity of some powerful personage, community, or religious order can be substituted. This hatred remains a secret until such a time that it might be most dramatically and perilously revealed. Upon drawing this card, the character knows that someone or something will turn against him, but nothing more.

The Borderland

Rank/Suits Pawn (waves, leaves, wyrms)

Influence Effect The character flickers back and forth between the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane, as if under the effects of a blink spell.

Major Effect This card grants the character the one-time ability to travel to any location on the same plane instantly, bringing with him up to 10 allies and 2,000 pounds of goods. The character must know exactly where he wishes to travel, such as a place he has been or a location on a map, but not a vague or hidden location, like the richest dungeon in the world or the Lost City of Ird. This transportation ignores all barriers against teleportation or other magical effects. The character may use this card's effect whenever he wishes, but only once.

Calamity

Rank/Suits Crown (wyrms)

Influence Effect The character gains a +4 luck bonus to strength.

Major Effect The character cannot gain another level in whichever class he currently has the most levels. This effect can be circumvented if the character is killed and returned to life, but the next time he is restored to life he is affected as if by the spell reincarnate, regardless of what spell was cast.

The Castle

Rank/Suits Seven (suns, knots)

Influence Effect The character gains a +3 luck bonus to AC.

Major Effect The character gains a personal demiplane, as per a permanent create demiplane spell.

The Cave

Rank/Suits Seven (waves, wyrms)

Influence Effect The character becomes isolated from the rest of the combat. Targeting the character with an attack or spell requires a successful Will save (DC 18). Likewise, the character must make a similar save to target an opponent with an attack or spell. Untargeted effects are not affected.

Major Effect The character permanently loses one of his senses—sight, hearing, or speech—becoming blind, deaf, or mute (player's choice). This affliction cannot be cured by any effect short of a miracle or wish spell.

The Chance Meeting

Rank/Suits Seven (moons, leaves)

Influence Effect The character may always make an attack of opportunity when the chance presents itself, regardless of how many other opportunity attacks she has made already in the round.

Major Effect (neutral) This card grants the character the one-time ability to scry on any target anywhere for 1 minute. The target, however, is immediately aware that it is being scryed upon by the character. The character may use this card's effect whenever he wishes, but only once. Once used, the card's effect ends.

The Consul

Rank/Suits Court (moons, waves, knots)

Influence Effect The character may spend a standard action to heal all ability damage to her Wisdom, Dexterity and Intelligence or to heal all ability drain inflicted on her to one of those abilities.

Major Effect The character's Wisdom score becomes her new Dexterity score. Her old Dexterity score becomes her new Intelligence score. Her old Intelligence score becomes her new Wisdom score. The character then adds +2 to two of these ability scores.

The Darkness

Rank/Suits Nine (waves, wyrms)

Influence Effect The character gains darkvision to 60'. If she already has darkvision, its range extends by 60'.

Major Effect The character becomes cursed, loosing any darkvision she might have had and constantly surrounded by darkness, as if the center of a deeper darkness spell. As with all major effects, only powerful magic such wish or miracle can lift this curse; remove curse and break enchantment have no effect.

The Desert

Rank/Suits Two (suns, wyrms)

Influence Effect The character gains a +3 luck bonus to Will saves.

Major Effect The character begins to dehydrate, even if they do not normally require water. No amount of drinking can counter this effect. If the character reaches zero hit points, they immediately gain the dread mummy template and the dehydration effect stops.

The Diplomat

Rank/Suits Eight (moons, suns)

Influence Effect The character gains the ability to cast charm person at will, adding a +4 bonus to the save DC.

Major Effect The deck scatters. The character gains the one-time ability to issue a single command to any creature in the multiverse and have the order obeyed. The target is affected as if by the spell dominate monster, and even orders for the target to kill itself are followed. Any creature targeted by this effect knows that it is acting against its will, and knows the identity and location of the character. Immortal creatures cannot effectively kill themselves, and the act only causes them considerable but fleeting pain. Additionally, creatures with the ability to grant such boons typically also possess the power to revoke them, and do so as soon as the command releases them. The GM ultimately decides what this command can accomplish. The character may use this card's effect whenever he wishes, but may only use it once.

The Discovery

Rank/Suits Five (suns, waves)

Influence Effect The character knows the exact identity and location of all cards from the pandemonium deck within 300', even if contained within extra-dimensional spaces or protected from divination.

Major Effect This card grants the character the one-time ability to call upon an omniscient spirit to fully answer any question or solve any single puzzle. Whether the information revealed can be effectively acted upon is another question entirely. The character may use this card's effect whenever he wishes, but only once.

The End

Rank/Suits Crown (leaves)

Influence Effect The character gains a +4 luck bonus to constitution.

Major Effect The character's body disintegrates. All that remains are his items and a glowing gem containing his soul. This gem is worth an amount of gp equal to 2,500 × the character's level. A resurrection or stronger spell is required to restore the character, and doing so destroys the gem.

The Excuse

Rank/Suits None (none)

Influence Effect Immediately after the character's player makes any die roll and the result is revealed, the player may "accidentally" jostle the die and use that as an excuse make the roll over again. The rerolled result must be accepted, even if it is worse than the original.

Major Effect The deck scatters if this card is drawn as part of the ritual, even if a different card is selected to take effect. The selected card does function, but the deck still scatters. If the Excuse is selected to take effect, it grants the character the one-time ability to undo one past choice or regrettable action (but not the drawing of the Excuse). The fabric of reality is unraveled and respun, potentially restoring creatures to life or altering the course of history, depending on how the character acted and how he wishes he would have acted. The player chooses what situation he would have acted differently in and the GM determines how reality changes to reflect that act. The change primarily affects the character, affecting others as little as possible. The character may use this card's effect whenever he wishes, but only once.

The Forest

Rank/Suits Five (moons, leaves)

Influence Effect

Major Effect (neutral)

The Harvest

Rank/Suits Pawn (moons, suns, leaves)

Influence Effect

Major Effect (good)

The Huntress

Rank/Suits Crown (moons)

Influence Effect The character gains a +4 luck bonus to wisdom.

Major Effect (neutral)

The Island

Rank/Suits Court (suns, waves, wyrms)

Influence Effect The character may spend a standard action to heal all ability damage to her Charisma, Dexterity and Strength or to heal all ability drain inflicted on her to one of those abilities.

Major Effect The character's Charisma score becomes her new Dexterity score. Her old Dexterity score becomes her new Strength score. Her old Strength score becomes her new Charisma score. The character then adds +2 to two of these ability scores.

The Journey

Rank/Suits Three (moons, waves)

Influence Effect

Major Effect (neutral)

The Knot

Rank/Suits Ace (knots)

Influence Effect The character receives a +8 luck bonus on all skill checks.

Major Effect The deck divides. The character is taken captive as if by an imprisonment spell with no saving throw. The character retains all possessions on her person, except the pandemonium deck. All beings in the world become magically aware that a) the character is imprisoned and b) anyone who frees the prisoner will be able to place a geas on the prisoner and be granted a limited wish.

The Leaves

Rank/Suits Ace (leaves)

Influence Effect The character gains immunity to bleed, paralysis, poison and sleep effects.

Major Effect (good)

The Light Keeper

Rank/Suits Pawn (suns, waves, knots)

Influence Effect

Major Effect (neutral)

The Lunatic

Rank/Suits Six (moons, waves)

Influence Effect For every five points of damage the character deals to a target with a melee attack, the target gains a +1 morale bonus to Strength and -1 AC penalty. Multiple attacks are cumulative (to a maximum of +7 Strength, -7 AC).

Major Effect The character gains the lycanthrope template, becoming a weretiger lycanthrope, and as such, remove disease and heal have no affect on this affliction.

The Market

Rank/Suits Six (leaves, knots)

Influence Effect The character may increase one combat score at the expense of another, as if she had the power attack, combat expertise or deadly aim feats. If the character makes use of a feat they already have, they may calculate the penalty and bonus provided by the feat (but not the attack roll itself) as if their base attack bonus was eight points higher.

Major Effect Any time the character dreams, she may choose to enter the Dream Market, a place where all non-unique magic items are bought and sold at a 10% discount. The character may access all of her real world wealth and possessions to buy and sell in the Dream Market and any transactions made translate into the real world once the character wakes. Any time she enters the market, ten random sleeping people within 50 miles of the sleeping character have vivid dreams where they see everything the character does in the market. These people will remember the dreams, and may seek out the character because of them.

The Merchant

Rank/Suits Nine (leaves, knots)

Influence Effect The character may throw a gem at a target as a ranged touch attack. If the gem hits, disappears in a flash of light. For every 50gp of value the gem had, the character may adjust the rolled initiative score of the target up or down by one.

Major Effect A mysterious entity known as the Generation Merchant appears, offering the character any treasure she wishes in return for years of her life. The character has up to four choices:

• The character accepts. She chooses to age a number of age categories, taking all the ability score penalties for the new age, but gaining none of the benefits. For each age category she advances, however, she gains 20,000 gp worth of credit with the Generation Merchant, which can be spent on any non-unique magic items. Any credit a character does not spend is lost. Years taken by the merchant cannot be restored by any means. Characters who are immortal or cannot die of old age are not offered this choice.
• The character transfers to offer to someone she knows (either out of goodwill or some side bargain). The recipient must then make one of the four choices himself.
• The character counteroffers magic items in exchange for life. She chooses to "youthen" a number of age categories, taking all the ability score benefits for the new age, but gaining none of the penalties. For each age category she retrogrades, however, she must pay 30,000 gp worth of magic items to the Generation Merchant. Characters who are immortal or cannot die of old age are not offered this choice.
• The character declines. The Generation Merchant disappears in a puff of acrid yellow smoke.

The Mill

Rank/Suits Eight (waves, leaves)

Influence Effect

Major Effect (good)

The Moon

Rank/Suits Ace (moons)

Influence Effect If the character casts a spell of up to 4th level, it does not consume one of the character's spells per day.

Major Effect The character is granted a single wish. This wish functions similarly to the spell wish when it comes to affecting rules and statistics, but can also change reality in ways outside the bounds of the spell's effects—such as rerouting a river or ending a war. The GM decides what the wish can and cannot accomplish.

The Mountain

Rank/Suits Four (moons, suns)

Influence Effect The character gains a +3 luck bonus to Fortitude saves.

Major Effect (good)

The Origin

Rank/Suits Two (waves, leaves)

Influence Effect The character gains a +3 luck bonus to Reflex saves.

Major Effect (good)

The Pact

Rank/Suits Nine (moons, suns)

Influence Effect

Major Effect (good)

The Painter

Rank/Suits Three (suns, knots)

Influence Effect

Major Effect The character becomes immune to one energy type of his choice, but gains vulnerability to another energy type of the GM's choice.

The Penitent

Rank/Suits Six (suns, wyrms)

Influence Effect

Major Effect The character's most powerful, most valuable, or favorite magic item (GM's choice) manifests a curse. Roll on Table: Common Item Curses to generate this effect, rerolling results for specific items.

The Rite

Rank/Suits Court (moons, leaves, wyrms)

Influence Effect The character may spend a standard action to heal all ability damage to her Wisdom, Constitution and Strength or to heal all ability drain inflicted on her to one of those abilities.

Major Effect The character's Wisdom score becomes her new Constitution score. Her old Constitution score becomes her new Strength score. Her old Strength score becomes her new Wisdom score. The character then adds +2 to two of these ability scores.

The Sailor

Rank/Suits Four (waves, leaves)

Influence Effect

Major Effect (good)

The Savage

Rank/Suits Three (leaves, wyrms)

Influence Effect

Major Effect A powerful evil outsider takes notice of the character and sets plans in motion to destroy her.

The Sea

Rank/Suits Crown (waves)

Influence Effect The character gains a +4 luck bonus to dexterity.

Major Effect (good)

The Soldier

Rank/Suits Five (wyrms, knots)

Influence Effect

Major Effect (bad)

The Sun

Rank/Suits Ace (suns)

Influence Effect Any divine spells cast by the character function as if cast by someone four caster levels higher.

Major Effect (good)

The Watchman

Rank/Suits Pawn (moons, wyrms, knots)

Influence Effect

Major Effect (bad)

The Wave

Rank/Suits Ace (waves)

Influence Effect The character gains improved evasion, as per the rogue talent or monk ability. If the character already has this ability, they automatically succeed on Reflex saves against an attacks that normally deals half damage on a successful save.

Major Effect (bad)

The Windfall

Rank/Suits Crown (knots)

Influence Effect The character gains a +4 luck bonus to intelligence.

Major Effect The character gains 20,000 gp worth of gems and jewelry. Within 1d8 weeks, evidence is made public proving the character has the most legitimate claim to a noble title. The GM will determine the nature of the title, including who might currently hold it.

The Window

Rank/Suits Court (suns, leaves, knots)

Influence Effect The character may spend a standard action to heal all ability damage to her Charisma, Constitution and Intelligence or to heal all ability drain inflicted on her to one of those abilities.

Major Effect The character's Charisma score becomes her new Constitution score. Her old Constitution score becomes her new Intelligence score. Her old Intelligence score becomes her new Charisma score. The character then adds +2 to two of these ability scores.

The Wyrm

Rank/Suits Ace (wyrms)

Influence Effect Any arcane spells cast by the character function as if cast by someone four caster levels higher.

Major Effect The character must choose between his most valuable item and a major ally of the GM's choice, knowing that whichever is not selected is destroyed or slain and cannot be restored by mortal means.

Destruction

If the entire deck is assembled and then the cards ordered by rank, then the first suit on the card, a dispel chaos spell will cause the deck to disintegrate without regenerating.