Review: Encounter Decks 3 by Inkwell Ideas

A few weeks ago I read a review over at Newbie DM and instantly went out and purchased it from DriveThruRPG. Encounter Decks 3 by Inkwell Ideas.

Encounter Decks 3 is, obviously not the first encounter deck released by Inkwell ideas, but it definitely seems to be the best so far. Every card contains a map on one side, and an adventure idea on the other. The map now, unlike previous versions, goes with the adventure.

These cards are so incredibly perfect for how I DM, with a highly improvisational style. But I definitely think any Master of Dungeons could benefit from these cards.

The maps are good, (although I tend to not rely on maps too often) but the adventures really make these cards worth it. They're split into two main categories: Swords & Sorcery, and Science Fantasy, which at first seemed like a drawback for me, since I prefer to not run science fiction styled campaigns, but all of the cards are written in a way that it would be incredibly easy to convert one to the other. A mad scientist trying to rebuild a dead body becomes a necromancer trying to summon skeletons, that sort of thing. They're also system agnostic, so can easily be worked into any system or version that you play at your table.

The deck is sold as both a PDF or a physical copy, but I highly recommend the physical copy (which can also come with the PDF), the PDF makes it difficult to tell which map goes with which card, and defeats the entire purpose of having an easy to randomize pack of adventures at your fingertips.

I've used these cards already at the table and they were immensely helpful, having all of the information on one card makes it very easy to reference, and there are enough different encounters on each card to provide easily a night's worth of fun.

I really can't recommend these cards enough, I have never encountered (get it?) a product that can so revolutionize my games like these have. I really commend Inkwell Ideas, and I'm jealous I didn't think of it. I hope they go on to make dozens more of these packs, and I can promise that I will buy every single one.

Make sure to pick up a copy here. They're under $10 for a physical copy, so there is really no reason not to.

Monday Non-Combat Magical Item - Picturebox

I've been reading The Colour of Magic from the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett (it's amazing and I highly recommend it). That has inspired today's Non-Combat Magical Item, the Picturebox.

Picturebox

Wondrous item, uncommon

The Picturebox is quite an amazing invention. It consists of a small hollow wooden cube, with a glass lense in the front, as well as a viewport for viewing. There is a small door in the back of it. The device is used to create still pictures, in as little as one minute.

A small imp is summoned and bound to each picturebox. Only imps of the highest artistic ability are used. The imp lives inside the picturebox, having all of the comforts of home, (stone slab for sleeping, gruel for eating, high-quality canvas and paints). When the user of the picturebox wants to capture a moment for posterity, they simply point the picturebox at the target, being careful to not obstruct the lense and therefore the view of the imp, press the button, and hold the box as steady as they can for one minute. The skilled imp quickly paints a portrait of what he can see, the portrait is of the hyper-realistic style that is popular in the lower planes. Painting imps will only paint what they can see, so they do not take any critiques on style, or attempt anything abstract.

The picture is then handed to the user out the back door of the picturebox. The picture is a standard 6-inch square. It is customary, but not required, to give the imp a short coffee break before taking another picture.