SW5e The Deck of Destiny

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The Deck of Destiny

By Rook

Special thanks to Kris and That Lore Guy for proofreading this, and giving me the green light to present this to you guys!
Many of you are familiar with the most dreadful item in 5e for players and DMs alike: The Deck of Many Things. Taking considerable time, I have built one for Star Wars 5e. Now, before you dismiss the idea outright, let me explain what I have done:
I have, from the ground up, built this deck to be used with our system. It contains 14 cards (7 Good, 7 Bad) and almost all game breaking cards have been changed or removed entirely. Also, the Good cards have been significantly buffed, while the Bad cards have been nerfed somewhat to prevent them from ruining a campaign. There is still serious risk to be considered when pulling from the Deck, but the benefits are actually worth it, so already, this is an item worth having.
Before you say no to the idea of adding this to your campaigns, give this a once over, and let me know what you think.

Item Description:

A rectangular Durasteel data pad 4 inches long and 3 inches wide, ornately decorated in gold and silver, with a large red button in the middle. This artifact seems ancient, and glows with an unnatural power.

A Lore check of 20 or higher will reveal that this device is of Rakatan make, the same race responsible for the creation of the Star Forge.

The player in possession of the Deck must declare the number of times they'd like to activate the Deck, and must activate it that many times unless stated by a card.

Good Cards:

Wisdom - An image of an ancient-looking book appears. You feel stronger, as if you've experienced much in a short span of time. The knowledge of the ages passes through you, and you are prepared for the road ahead.
  • The player gains enough XP to level up once. Alternatively, the player may gain Expertise in two skills of their choice, regardless of their current Proficiency with those skills.
It Binds All Things - The Deck shuts off, and your mind is flooded with the power of the Force as you are forcefully withdrawn from reality, and left drifting in nothingness.
  • For one hour of time that only passes in your mind, your soul is wrenched out of your body and sent to the nether realm of the Force. You may experience one event or speak with one person of your choice (past, present, or future). The only limit is what continuity your game is in, and the mythos of Star Wars.
Power - A symbol of Lightning appears on the Deck. You feel as if the galaxy has chosen you as a being of great importance. You feel more confident, as well as stronger overall.
  • Increase all Ability Scores by 1. The player may activate the Deck twice beyond their declared activations.
Follower - The Deck shuts down, and a figure appears before you. They introduce themselves and swear loyalty to you. They may prove their usefulness in the future.
  • A 5th level Fighter appears before the player. The Fighter is the same race as the player, and the gender may be determined by the player. This Fighter will serve the player until the player dies, or they die, believing that they are destined to protect this great hero. This Fighter cannot level up.
Comet - Your weapon glows with an ethereal energy. Something seems different about it, but you feel a sense of giddiness knowing that your weapon is strengthened.
  • The player chooses one weapon in their possession. When the player misses an attack with this weapon, the enemy immediately takes 1d8 damage. This effect stacks with multiple attacks. This effect doubles the weapon's value. This weapon is immune to the effects of the Ruin card.
Bacta - An image of a blue bacta tank appears. You stand up straight, feeling more healthy than ever. You feel ready to take on the Galaxy.
  • The player's Constitution Score increases by 2. This number can exceed 20, but not 24. In addition to the health gained from the increased Constitution, the player gains 20 Maximum Hit Points.

Bad Cards:

Dark Lord - An image of a dark helmet appears. The air around you becomes cold, and a growing sense of terror and dread begins to fill you. Suddenly, you feel that you and your friends are not alone.
  • A Force Apparition of Darth Vader appears behind the players and attacks the one who activated the card, regardless of alignment or timeline. The party fights Vader for 10 combat rounds.
If Vader is defeated or held off without knocking a player unconscious, he gains respect for the party and returns to his time after a short dialogue with the players. The players may ask Vader any questions they want.
Anyone who is knocked unconscious during this fight must make Death Saving Throws, and is immune to all healing effects for 24 hours. If any players are knocked unconscious, Vader returns to his time without speaking to the players. DM determines Vader Stats.
Note: This is meant to be a scaled challenge for your party. Make this a particularly strong story moment for your party. Flex those homebrew muscles! For an official stat block, refer to the Sith Cyborg on page 91 of Kit Fisto’s Expanded Villains Guide, pinned in the Scum and Villainy chat.
Supernova - A brilliant image of the galaxy appears. Nothing happens. Then, suddenly, the card begins to vibrate violently and the image of the galaxy disintegrates. A massive explosion emanates from the card.
  • All players make a Dex saving throw (DC 18). On failure, take 6d6 Energy damage. On success, the damage is halved. This attack ignores armor and resistance. The Deck is destroyed, and reappears at a random point in the Galaxy.
Ruin - The Deck shuts off and drops from your hand. Something is wrong. You feel as if everything you've ever known is a lie, and you have no idea if anyone even knows who you are anymore.
  • Anything the player is carrying immediately disintegrates. All property or holdings they own are lost, their name is wiped from all records, and everyone outside of the party forgets that they ever existed, including family members. The Deck cannot be activated for one day, and all remaining draws are lost. The player is informed of the full effects of the card immediately.
Youngling - A Jedi in training appears. You feel the weapon in your hands grow clumsy, and you feel as if you've never held it before in your life. The muscle memory you had with extended use of the weapon seems completely gone.
  • The player has Disadvantage with all weapons (Damage and Hit Rolls). Only a level 5 or higher healing power (Tech or Force) can reverse this effect. The player must be at full health when healed, or the effect is not reversed.
Balance - A sphere appears, half black, half white. A strange energy surrounds you. Energy pulls at your body, draining you of all vitality. Then, more energy is forced into your body. The field dissipates, and you are forever changed.
  • The player's alignment is reversed. Good becomes evil, lawful becomes chaotic, etc. If the player was True Neutral or Unaligned, the card has no effect.
Wrath - Red tendrils appear out of the Deck and latch onto your head, draining energy from you. After a moment, the tendrils retract, and the Deck deactivates.
  • The player loses Proficiency in all skills that they were Proficient in. If the player has Expertise in any skills, they are only Proficient in them.
Dunce - An image of a Rancor head appears. You feel your senses dull slightly. Something has changed, but you can't figure out what. You feel a strange sort of confidence, as if you have lost your fear of what may happen. Whatever you were afraid of, it probably won't end as badly as you thought.
  • The player's Intelligence Score is reduced by 2 (to a minimum of 1). The player may activate the Deck once beyond their declared activations.

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