A review copy of “The Weird Deck of Many Wyrds” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.

Support my work by using my affiliate links and pledging via Patreon.

Designed by: Gareth Sleightholme

In one what may be a first for my DMs Guild Reviews, The Weird Deck of Many Wyrds is a magic item supplement that features only a single magic item! But it’s a doozy.

Inspired by the Deck of Many Things, this Weird Deck contains 26-cards of absolute chaos in all the best ways.

If you’re unfamiliar with the original Deck of Many Things (DMG 162), it’s legendary wondrous item that consists of a 22-card deck. A player character can draw a card (or cards) from the deck, randomly resulting in all kinds of wacky effects, from gaining tens of thousands of experience and limited Wish spell uses, to losing all your wealth and magic items or becoming trapped in an interdimensional prison.

The Weird Deck of Many Wyrds is described as a campaign-ending artifact with similar game-breaking effects. Just drawing cards from the deck saps hit points from those involved (even more if a single PC sneaks off for secret card-drawing). The deck consists of nine generally good cards, seven generally bad cards, and ten “ambivalent fate” cards.

Good cards include summoning a flying mount, gaining a stalwart animal companion, or upgrading to an awesome steampunk arm with free feats.

Bad cards could spawn assassins to hunt you down, trap you in cage far away (or within a creature, or another dimension), or seeing everyone you’ve ever killed constantly haunting you.

But just as important as the card draw, is the subsequent die roll.

Nearly every single card in the deck requires the PC to make a roll to determine what effect that card causes, leading to dozens of possible outcomes.

Sometimes the die roll is used purely for flavor, and doesn’t change the card’s overall effect. The Chalice creates a great debt that the PC owes, and the 1d6 determines if the debt is to a powerful creature or god, a criminal past, or a hidden secret identity.

Likewise, drawing The Rudderless Dread gives the party an entire ship with an undead revenant crew, with the die determining what kind of ship, from a humble Knarr up to an armed airship!

deck of wyrd

But it’s those ambivalent fate cards that leave me wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

Upon drawing the King of Serpents, the PC must roll a 1d4. On a 1 they’re transformed into a Yuan-ti Anathema, making INT saves to regain their sanity while battling the PCs. On a 2 they gain a crippling fear of snakes and snake-like creatures. A 3 grants Yuan-ti abilities such as speaking to snakes and casting Charm Person and Hypnotic Pattern.

Roll a 4 after drawing the card, and a mystical Coutl answers all your questions, then grants a treasure trove of amazing loot and rewards.

I’m not sure I can accurately convey how crazy rolling a 1 on The Scorpion is through words, but you can see my reaction in the video review. It’s nothing if not incredibly memorable.

What helps sell all these crazy effects is the presentation and attention to detail.

Every card is given front and back art that takes up half a page, and is designed to be printed and used in-game (though the product does not include a separate printer friendly option).

The details of each card effect are not limited to simple tables; instead we’re given paragraphs of information and flavor text, often written in second person for the DM to read aloud.

Gorgeous full page art, illustrated by the designer, further enhances the supplement, making it an absolute joy to read through, even if the thought of granting your players access to an artifact of such powerful yet random chaos makes your stomach turn.

Thanks to impressive art, detailed information, and creative outcomes, The Deck of Many Wyrds is easily an improved and much more interesting version of the Deck of Many Things.

Pros:

  • Almost every card features an additional die roll of incredibly varied outcomes.
  • Printable front and back art for all 26 cards.
  • Appendices offer helpful information on finding and selling the deck, as well as fortune readings.
  • Gorgeous full page and (two-page spread) artwork throughout.

Cons:

  • The “Afterwyrd” should’ve been the “Forewyrd.”

The Verdict: When you love powerful and chaotic magic items, but find the Deck of Many Things a bit too boring, The Weird Deck of Many Wyrds provides dozens of game-breakingly awesome effects that will delight, terrify, and leave lasting impressions to everyone at the table.

A review copy of “The Weird Deck of Many Wyrds” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.

Support my work by using my affiliate links and pledging via Patreon.