High Lonesome utilizes the Adventure Card deck associated with
Savage Worlds. The cards provide for a number of interesting additions to the game, in terms of what characters are able to do, and significant encounters or associations that may influence their path through the campaign.
To make use of the cards, players will follow these steps:
- Using the Deck of 54 Cards (including Jokers) draw one card, plus one additional card for each rank your character holds. Novice rank characters draw two cards. Seasoned rank characters draw three. Etc.
- Post the outcome of your draws in this thread. You may also wish to post your cards to your character sheet for reference.
- Cards may be played at any time, unless the card itself gives specific stipulations about how and when it must be used. In such cases, the player should follow the instructions on the card.
- Characters may play one card for free during a session (a period of the game which is closed when the Marshal awards experience). Additional cards may be used at the cost of one Fate Chip per card.
- At the close of the session, players may discard their hand and draw new cards. Players have the discretion to retain any unused cards they wish to keep.
- Cards may be traded among players. These must be trades, not one player simply giving a card away to another. Any trades should be documented in this thread.
The Deck
Jokers
BJ! - Quick Funeral
“I guess it wasn’t my time.”
Play on any character that has died. That character returns to the game Harrowed. However, the Manitou has control of that character for the first 24 hours after he has risen.
RJ! - Relic
“This is the sword that cleft the witchking from crotch to chin.”
Play after accomplishing an important task (such a character goal, a story point, or a dramatic event). An item associated with your victory gains magical powers, or such an object can be found after a search of the area. (The Marshal will provide additional guidance.)
Spades
AS - Ace
“Never tell me the odds.”
Play instead of rolling to make a trait test with a single automatic raise. The Marshal gets to draw 2 random chips from the fate pot.
KS- High Noon
“This is between you and me, Kaje!”
Play when in group combat. Combat stops. Your character and the leader of the opposing group settle the fight with some sort of one-on-one duel.
QS - Extra Effort
“Impressive! Most impressive.”
Play to add 1d6+2 to any trait roll. This roll may Ace.
JS - Epiphany
“Beginner’s luck.”
Something you never understood before suddenly “clicks.” You gain a d6 in any skill you previously did not have for the remainder of this game session. The Narrator gets a draw from the fate pot.
10S - Get a Clue
“Wait! I’ve got an idea!”
Play this card for a clue from the Marshal for some advice or a hint on how to resolve a current predicament or problem. The Narrator gets a draw from the fate pot.
9S - Revelation
“I read about this once…”
Your hero finds all the information available when doing research, or realizes critical information when confronting some obstacle such as a monster’s weakness, the answer to a riddle or cipher, etc. The Marshal gets a draw from the fate pot.
8S - Arcane Inspiration
“I have no idea how I managed that.”
A character with any sort of Arcane Background can either use one of his powers as a free action or use a power he doesn’t have. The Marshal gets a draw from the fate pot.
7S - Karma Thief
“The hell?”
Take a fate chip of any color from any other Wild Card (this may include other player characters).
6S - Renown
“You’re the one who defeated the dragon of Innsburg?”
Play after completing a good deed of some import. You gain a permanent +1 Charisma bonus toward those who have heard of you (typically a 50% chance). Charisma bonuses from multiple Renown cards do not stack.
5S - Seize the Day!
“Out of my way!”
The character acts as if he had drawn a Joker this combat round (may go at any time, +2 on Trait rolls and damage). The Marshal gets to draw 2 random chips from the fate pot.
4S - Last Stand
“Stand together now!”
Your hero and any adjacent allies gain +2 Parry and Toughness. Allies who move into contact after the card is played gain the bonus as well. The effect ends when a Joker is dealt. The Narrator gets to draw 2 random chips from the fate pot.
3S - Shakin’ in Thar Boots
“Nobody move or I push the button!”
Your hero must do or say something that gives his foes pause. All foes within 12” lose their next action.
2S - Out of the Frying Pan
“Quick! Down this garbage chute!”
Play to avoid death, capture, or some other bad situation for your hero or any ally. The situation leads to some new trouble, however, as determined by the Marshal.
Hearts
AH - Here Comes The Cavalry
“I thought you guys would never get here.”
Help arrives on the scene from some source determined by the GM. The Marshal gets a draw from the fate pot.
KH - Contact
“Reggie. You old scoundrel. How you’ve been?”
Your hero sees an old friend or acquaintance who might help him in his current quest somehow. Of course, he may also ask for a favor in return. The Marshal gets a draw from the fate pot.
QH - Love Interest
“Come here often?”
Play on a nonplayer character to encourage a romantic interest for your hero. The target helps to the best of his/her abilities, but may frequently cause trouble as well.
JH - Enemy
“We meet again.”
Play at the beginning of the game session. A villain of the Marshal’s choice becomes your character’s sworn enemy and you may not soak wounds caused directly by him. Starting now, you draw 2 extra fate chips each game session until the enemy is “retired.” You may only have one sworn enemy at a time.
10H - Peace
“Wait. I know that guy…”
Your hero is able to improve the attitude of a group in an encounter, perhaps by recognizing someone in the crowd, showing respect, or offering a bribe. It doesn’t work on true enemies—only “neutrals” who happen to cross paths with your party.
9H - Spill the Beans
“You don’t wanna get her riled, amigo.”
The subject of your questioning tells you everything you want to know, whether by friendly persuasion, intimidation, or force. The Marshal gets a draw from the fate pot.
8H - Turncoat
“How much are they paying you?”
Your hero somehow convinces or bribes a minor foe to perform a small favor—such as helping the hero escape, revealing the location of the “boss,” etc. The Marshal gets a draw from the fate pot.
7H - Eulogy
“Arthur was a good man. Not so good with explosives, but a good man…”
Play after a PC dies and say a few words about his life to your comrades. Every PC present gets to draw 2 random fate chips. If at the end of an adventure, the extra draw occurs in the next game session.
6H-Parley
“I call on the ancient rite of parley!”
Spend a fate chip. All characters cease fighting and listen to the hero speak for at least 30 seconds. Others may only take defensive actions during this time. This has no effect on beasts and other creatures that cannot understand the speaker.
5H - Villainous Verbosity
“Hah! You fools! Did you really think you could thwart such an ingenious plan?”
Play to make an opposing Wild Card lose his next action by gloating or talking about his master plan. The Marshal gets a draw from the fate pot.
4H- Folk Hero
“He robbed from the rich and gave to the poor...”
Play after you save a group of people from dire circumstances. The community adopts you and your party as local heroes, and you can always find aid there.
3H - Snake Oil
“Let’s make a deal.”
Play anytime. An enterprising snake oil salesman arrives in the middle of the scene (no matter where it takes place), complete with wagon and entourage, promoting his wares. He'll have something in his inventory useful for the current situation.
2H - Reinforcements
”They’re everywhere! Game Over, man!”
Give this card to the GM and draw again. He may play this card whenever he likes this session.
Play during combat. Reinforcements arrive for the bad guys. The exact number and type is up to the GM. Every player character may immediately draw 2 random fate chips, however.
Diamonds
AD - Mysterious Treasure!
“Ah…my precious…”
Spend a fate chip and play when your hero searches an area containing treasure or loot. He finds a minor Relic of some sort. Use the Relic Table, but discard Kings, Aces, or Jokers until a lower card is drawn.
KD - Sagebrush and Starlight
“Sometimes a nap in the saddle is all you need.”
Play when a character rests for at least half an hour. The character is restored as if they'd had a good night's sleep. They regain all power points, removes all Fatigue, and may make a Natural Healing roll to remove wounds.
QD - Windfall
“Solid gold goodness!”
Spend a fate chip and play when your hero searches an area for treasure, loots a fallen foe, etc. He finds everything that can be found in that location. If rolling on a random table, the character gets the best possible result.
JD - Dressed To Kill
“Wow. You clean up nice, kid.”
Your hero dresses up, is “on” for the night, or otherwise far more attractive or charismatic than usual. Add +4 to your Charisma for the duration of the current “scene.”
10D - Hidden Stash
“You need an Allen wrench? In the middle of the desert? Yeah, I think I can do that.”
Spend a fate chip. Your hero scrounges up a generic type of item of your choosing, such as food and water, shelter, a box of ammo, enough money for a room, etc.
9D - Power Surge
“Whoa, where'd THAT come from?”
Spend a Blue Chip. Play during combat. For the duration of this combat encounter, you can ignore the ordinary penalty (based upon the Power Point value of the spell). Any other penalties will still apply.
8D - The Pass!
“We can head him off at the pass.”
Play when you are in pursuit of a character or monster. The posse knows a shortcut that will put your characters ahead of whatever you were pursuing. The Marshal gets a draw from the fate pot.
7D - Inspiration
“We only have one shot at this. It’s all or nothing, gang.”
Friendly characters (including your hero) add +2 to all trait rolls for the rest of this round. The Marshal gets a draw from the fate pot.
6D - Rally
“To me!”
Spend a fate chip and play to cause all allies in sight and/or hearing to immediately lose their Shaken status.
5D - Spurred On
“Ride hard and we should make it by sundown.”
The posse’s travel distance is doubled for a day or one character gains double Pace for one encounter. If you are in a chase, this allows you to draw an extra card for the duration of the chase, and use the better of your draw.
4D - Tale Teller
“It was a dark and stormy night…”
Your hero must tell a story of his group’s deeds to an audience of some sort (roleplay this) and make a Persuasion roll. If successful, the listeners become friendly and helpful to the entire party.
3D - Mechanical Malfunction
“SPROING!”
A device malfunctions in some way: guns jam, bow strings break, etc. The device can be fixed by a Repair roll at -4 and 10 minutes work.
2D - Noble Sacrifice
“Gotta take one for the team...”
Play when an adjacent ally suffers damage. You suffer the damage instead.
Clubs
AC - Lucky Break
“Thank God I had that silver flask in my shirt pocket!”
Play this card to completely negate the damage from one attack. The Marshal gets to draw 2 random chips from the fate pot.
KC - Not Today
“Missed me. Now it’s my turn.”
Play after any other character’s attack roll to cause it to automatically fail. This is a critical failure. The Marshal gets a draw from the fate pot.
QC - Bullseye!
“Even plate mail has eyeslits.”
Spend a fate chip and play after damage is rolled to double the total of a successful ranged attack.
JC - Deadly Blow
“Oooh! That’ll leave a mark!”
Spend a fate chip and play after damage is rolled to double the total of a successful melee attack.
10C - Second Wind
“I’m feeling much better now.”
Play on your hero to automatically remove all wounds sustained in this combat (but not crippling injuries). If Shaken, he is un-Shaken now as well. The Marshal gets to draw 2 random chips from the fate pot.
9C - Let’s Settle This
“You gonna skin that smokewagon or just stand there and bleed?”
Spend a fate chip and play at the beginning of a combat round with no Jokers. No character can soak wounds until a Joker is drawn.
8C - Riled Up
“That hurt. Now it’s my turn.”
Play after your hero sustains at least one wound. His attacks cause +2 damage for the remainder of the scene.
7C - Payback
“This is for my father!”
Play on an opposing Wild Card. Your attacks and damage against him are made at +2 for the duration of the scene. The Marshal gets to draw a random chip from the fate pot.
6C- Flesh Wound
“Get up, Hicks. You ain’t foolin’ anyone.”
Play to cause a wounded Extra to rise immediately, un-Shaken and unharmed. The Extra must have been wounded in the current “scene” (typically a combat or immediately thereafter).
5C- Feel It
“It’s like the gun took over and aimed itself”
Spend a fate chip. Make a called shot with a ranged weapon with no penalties.
4C - Hot Iron and Whiskey
“Here, bite on this.”
Play on a wounded character. That character has ONE wound healed, but gains a permanent scar. Roll on the Injury Table in the Savage Worlds core book for location. The character gains a –1 to charisma if the scar is visible.
3C - Better You Than Me
“Fritz! They shot Fritz!”
Play when your hero has been hit by an attack and there is an adjacent character. The other character suffers the attack instead. This may be played on friend or foe.
2C - Uh-Oh
“We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Give this card to the Marshal and draw again. He may play this card whenever he likes this session.
Play this card at the beginning of a combat. One foe the posse is facing (Marshal’s choice) has its Size and Strength increased two steps. Every player gets to draw 2 random fate chips.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:23, Tue 02 Jan 2018.
