Chapter 2: Key - The Book of Many Things

Chapter 2: Key. Deck of Many Things is a complex magic item, and introducing one to your game can be challenging. This chapter addresses numerous topics especially important to the Dungeon Master: The origin and nature of the deck Using a deck without disrupting your campaign (more than you want to) Building a deck that contains only specific cards Integrating a deck's effects into your campaign How characters handle and use a deck in play New magical effects associated with each card Adventure seeds for characters who want to create their own cards A Deck of Many Stories The story of the Deck of Many Things began when a human woman named Asteria bargained with Istus, a god of fate, to save the life of Euryale, her dearest friend. As part of this bargain, Istus created a deck of twenty-two magical cards drawn from constellations in the night sky, and she used thirteen of these cards to change the destinies of Asteria and Euryale. These cards formed the first Deck of Many Things, an artifact with vast and unpredictable powers (the deck's origin is explored further in chapter 22). Thanks to the deck's divine origin and unusual nature, it soon manifested in myriad lesser forms throughout the multiverse. Some of these wondrous items had fewer cards-typically only the thirteen cards used in Istus's reading for Asteria. Occasionally a deck manifested as something else entirely: a circle of twenty-two doorways, or a die with twenty-two sides, each roll of which had the power to change an individual's destiny. Soon those inspired by the deck sought to create their own magical cards. Most of these efforts resulted in entirely new magic items, such as the Deck of Miscellany (see chapter 6) or the Deck of Wonder (see chapter 7). But occasionally, a legendary mage or a priest dedicated to the gods of fate and destiny succeeded in creating a new card that appeared alongside the Deck of Many Things, and that card replicated throughout the multiverse; these new cards make up th...