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I want to thank 1985 Games for sending us The Deck of Stories in order to write this review.

This deck of cards for roleplaying games was born from a successful Kickstarter campaign. The authors have already proved very competent in creating accessories for RPGs, as evidenced by our review of Dungeon Tiles.

Now this product is available on the official store at a price of $17 (about 16 euros). In case you want to expand your options, you can also buy many Boosters. If you use the code NoDiceUnrolled15 at checkout, you will get a 15% discount on your order!

But let’s find out now what this new product is they’re offering!

Contents & Usefulness

The cards offer a variety of ideas to storytellers. On them you can read some useful ideas to create or enrich adventures and missions. These ideas are not thrown at random, but follow a very specific, rational pattern (which I deeply appreciated). This method of organization is called the ORC System. What does it mean? Simple, the first letter of the first word of the name of a category of cards is used to represent it. Specifically, they are the following:

  • O – Opening Action: hook to drag the characters to the adventure. It offers a pretext for occupying characters with secondary (or even main, especially in the case of a sandbox campaign) missions. Example: Characters are approached by a wild tiger that try to make them followed it to a jungle.
  • R – Rising Action: upheaval of the plot, an event that distorts the story as it was developing. This type of card requires characters to change course or at least reevaluate the situation. Example: Adventurers receive a map that is only legible when dipped in blood.
  • C – Climax Action: an event that represents one of the most important moments in the plot. These cards create the milestones that represent the key events of the entire narrative. Example: A dragon’s treasure carries an even greater threat than its previous guardian: a curse.

Cards can belong to more than one category. After the brief description on the card, you can also read two questions that are useful for tackling the issue from different points of view. They can help the Game Master interpret the card, making it even easier to build a story around it.

Review of the physical material of The Deck of Stories

The Deck of Stories contains 50 high-quality cards (plus a few extras, along with advice on how to read and use them). Pleasant to the touch, laminated, substantial and resilient for a long gaming life, they will probably withstand even daily use without fear of damaging them. I couldn’t ask for better when it comes to gaming materials.

This design also gives the product a clean, professional look at the game table. The quality of the graphics enhances this impression. This deck of cards does not contain actual illustrations, but the design choices are still very satisfying. I really liked the decorative border on the front and the overall look of the back. The aesthetic value is enhanced by a very apt choice of palette; a basic off-white (with dark blue lettering) welcomes dark blue fields on each face (bearing white lettering), and the whole is embellished with yellow motifs.

Final Thoughts

As you can easily guess, I liked The Deck of Stories. The reasons are many and range from quality to attention to detail. The possibilities enhanced by its use make it a desirable product – the cards can even be used individually or linked together. It is clearly stated that they only offer ideas and, for this reason, the authors themselves recommend adapting what is written according to your own tastes.

I find it very reassuring to have such a deck when Game Mastering. In the midst of juggling and consulting so many long manuals, such an accessory allows you save time and always have the right hook to use in hand!

If you enjoyed this review of The Deck of Stories, keep following us to stay informed about other accessories for your sessions!

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