Drama cards

[Ampere]

One thing I've always hated with some systems, or really any system that uses dice, is that it's possible, and actually pretty common to have a great built up scene, and everything is going great...and someone botches.

The die is rolled, and the character failed. Period. Done.

Now some systems have ways to avoid this: Edge, Karma, Bennies, whatever. These are great.

Some systems don't have anything like this.

A system I have used, and this is not original at all, is called drama cards.

I use a standard deck of cards.

For D&D I tend to use face cards and mid-to high cards.
For WoD I have used low cards.

The cards I deal out or have the PCs draw pre-session. They are only good for one session and they'll recharge next session.

They can only be used on someone else. Not on yourself.

For D&D for example it works like this:

I leave in the 5-10 of each suit, the face cards and Jokers.
Red cards are used on non-combat situations.
Black Cards are for combat situations.
Numerical cards give the listed numerical value as a bonus to a roll.
Face cards and jokers are for trumping.

PCs and the GM gets cards.

Face cards can be an auto hit, or max damage, or saving from a fumble, avoiding a critical.

Like I said before, it is always to be used on someone's character other than their own. So Bobby can't save himself from falling in the pit, but Sarah can chip in the Five of Hearts and he'll just make his reflex save and catch the edge (where otherwise he would have fallen in the spiked pit of death).

For WoD games I use the lower half of the deck, numerical value equals number of successes, face cards and jokers are the same.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with helping out an NPC or even a villian with chipping in a card. Whatever helps the scene along.

The GM is the exception to the rule of not using the card on your own character because he's running several NPCs at a time.

*crossposted on Animalball