Inspiration Deck revised WIP (Patreon)

I've been working more on my Inspiration deck idea for use with Daggerheart, and discussed using it with one of the groups I run. So now I have a more complete and test-ready version to share with supporters here.

Here's the pitch: The Inspiration deck provides a shared deck of cards with special roleplay and shared storytelling prompts that give corresponding mechanical bonuses.

When you start your campaign, you can choose to use the Inspiration deck, building the initial deck in Session Zero and then using and adding to it over the course of the campaign. Right now I have an inspiration card for each of the 9 core classes and a partial list of a draft supply of standard inspiration cards. My goal is to have a larger draft supply as well as another deck for higher-tier characters (tentative title being "Advanced Draft Supply").

The main goal of this deck is to provide some cool bonuses to the players in a more permanent/re-usable way than the (extremely cool) Wild cards and to let each party customize these bonuses over the course of the campaign. Additionally, adventures/modules could have specific inspiration cards, campaign frames could come with inspiration cards, etc.

Inspiration cards give some degree of narrative control over the scene to the player, but within specific bounds both to keep things from going off the rails. The goal is to create boundaries/constraints in the prompt so that players aren't faced with the blank canvas problem.


Building Your Inspiration Deck
You’ll build your starting Inspiration deck by telling the players to each add the Inspiration card for their character’s class to the deck. If two or more players are using the same class, you do not need to add a duplicate of the that class’s inspiration card.

Then, draw a number of cards from the Draft Supply equal to the number of players (not including the GM). As a group, discuss your preferences, then add a number of cards to your Inspiration Deck equal to the half the number of players (rounded up). Shuffle the deck and set it someplace within reach of one or more players.

Using the Inspiration Deck
At the start of each session, set a countdown die at a value of 2 + the number of players by the Inspiration Deck. Whenever a PC spends Hope, tick down this countdown by the number of Hope spent. When the countdown triggers, the PC that triggered the countdown draws a card from the Inspiration deck and the countdown re-sets. Drawn inspiration cards are usable by anyone in the party, but should check in with the group when they want to use them. If the group cannot agree about using a card, the GM might set a timer to prompt a decision or say that the card won't be used at this time.

When played, cards from the Inspiration deck go to a discard pile by the Inspiration deck. When a new story arc starts, shuffle the discard pile into the deck when a new story arc begins (when the party gains a level or the GM says that a new story arc is beginning). Otherwise, Inspiration cards are not shuffled back into the deck. This makes Inspiration cards a powerful but limited resource and prevents them from showing up so often that they stop feeling special.

Adding to the Inspiration Deck
The GM will invite players to add to the Inspiration deck during or after certain events during the campaign. When and how many cards to draw might be determined by your campaign frame, the adventure, or otherwise discussed in Session Zero. When you add a card to your deck, place it into your discard pile. When you draw cards to draft, any cards not added to your deck are placed at the bottom of the draft supply.

Here are the baseline prompts I have for when to draft new cards:

· The first time each PC makes a death move, that PC’s player draws the top three cards from the Draft Supply and pick one to add to the Inspiration deck.

· When the PCs gain a level, draw a number of cards from the Draft Supply equal to the number of PCs. The group may then decide together as a group and add 1 card for every 2 PCs in the party (round up). Place the drafted cards into the discard pile. Always shuffle the deck at the beginning of a story arc.

Drafting Example:
Upon reaching level 2, Mike's group draws 4 cards (equal to the number of players in the group). They draw the following cards from the draft supply:

The Bigger They Are..., Got Their Number, In the Nick of Time, and I've Had Worse.

Since they have 4 players, they'll add 2 of these 4 cards to their Inspiration deck. One player is very excited about In the Nick of Time, and the others agree to have it be their first pick. Another player is excited about both I've Had Worse and Got Their Number, and the last player is more excited about I've Had Worse since they're playing a Bard with light armor and are excited about extra opportunities for emergency healing. So the group decides on I've Had Worse as their second choice.

The party adds In the Nick of Time and I've Had Worse to their Inspiration deck, re-add cards from the discard pile, then reshuffle the deck.

Removing cards from the Inspiration Deck
When a PC dies, if there are no remaining PCs of that class, you can remove their class inspiration card from the deck or retain the card to represent the PC's lasting impact on the party. Additionally, the player of that PC may select and remove one other card from the Inspiration deck.

When the party goes up in tier (level 2, level 5, and level 8), they may select one card from the deck and remove it (as mentioned above). Certain milestones or events in the campaign may also give the group the chance to remove a card.

You might remove a card from the deck that isn't helping your group as much as you'd like, or you might remove a card so that you're more likely to draw other cards (like if you have cards from the Advanced Draft Supply or special cards from the adventure or campaign frame).

Class Inspiration Cards

Bard’s Inspiration – Tell a story or do a performance to open a target up to a perspective they would not have imagined or tolerated and gain advantage on a roll to convince, persuade, or deceive them.

Druid’s Inspiration – Describe how an animal or natural phenomena intervenes in the scene to present you with an opportunity for action. Take advantage on following through with that action.

Guardian’s Inspiration – Describe a moment that makes you feel protective of an ally within Close range. Move into Melee range with that ally (without requiring a roll). You and that ally may each clear an armor slot as you prepare to fight side-by-side.

Ranger’s Inspiration – Select a target within Close range. Reveal a weakness of the target’s that you have discovered through close study. The target becomes temporarily Vulnerable when exploiting that weakness.

Rogue’s Inspiration – Flash back to a time within the last day when you made preparations for this moment. You may make one action roll in this flashback, which cannot override what has already been established in the story but can give it new context.

Seraph’s Inspiration – Describe a moment when you were overwhelmed by a feeling of something unexplainable or numinous and clear 2 Stress.

Sorcerer’s Inspiration – Share a story of a time when you accomplished something you didn’t believe you could do and reroll a Spellcast Roll or Reaction Roll against a magical effect.

Warrior’s Inspiration – Describe a fortuitous feature of the environment or an item that would help you accomplish an action. Make an action roll utilizing this addition, replacing your Hope Die with a d20 for the roll.

Wizard’s Inspiration – Describe how your years of magical study gives you a special insight or knowledge about the scene or a target. When you share that that information, all allies that can hear you gain a Hope and gain advantage against the target until a PC rolls a result with Fear.

Standard Draft Supply

Act Natural
Describe how you help the group blend in to grant the entire party advantage on a Group Action roll to move unobtrusively through a populated area.

A Friend of Mine Lives Here
When you enter a notable settlement or location, describe a person you know that resides here. Describe how they could help you, then the GM says what it will cost or how it will be difficult to obtain their assistance.

The Bigger They Are…
When you deal damage to a Bruiser, Leader, or Boss type adversary, describe how you use their size or confidence against them and add 2d6 to your damage roll.

Hope's Beautiful Daughters
When a PC gets a success with Fear, describe what reserve of courage helps the character turn that fear into action and change the roll into a success with Hope.

One For All
When a PC rolls a failure with Hope, detail the opportunity or realization that bolsters the entire group, and every PC within Far gains 2 Hope (the PC that made the roll gains a second Hope, not 3 total).

Got Their Number
After completing an action when you got a Success with Hope on a roll against an adversary, you may describe a weakness or tell that you identify in their actions, then make a Knowledge Reaction Roll against them. On a success, the GM will tell you the full text of one of that adversary’s features that has been used this scene.

"Here's a Health to the Company"
During a long rest, as a downtime action, narrate something you do to raise the group’s spirits – a song you sing, a story you tell, something special you prepare. You and all allies present gain 2 Hope as if you had each prepared with another PC.

Moment of Brilliance
When a PC is making an action roll, describe how feelings of friendship, affection, protectiveness, or something else pushes the character beyond their limits. Replace their Hope die with a d20 until their next roll with Fear or the end of the scene.

In the Nick of Time
When an ally within a Close distance would fail a roll, but before it is resolved, describe how you help in the nick of time and spend a Hope to assist an ally. If the roll would then succeed, it succeeds.

Practiced Teamwork
When PCs initiate a Tag Team roll, describe how the PCs have practiced for this maneuver before to allow either PC involved may spend Hope to pay the 3 Hope cost. The PCs performing the Tag Team may choose the result of the Hope die from one player and the result of the Fear die from the other to generate their result for the action roll.

I’ve Had Worse
When you have a few moments to tend to your wounds, tell the story of a serious injury you suffered in the past and how you pressed on despite the pain to clear 1d4 HP.

Silver Lining
When you roll a failure with Fear, describe some detail or momentary thought that spurs you on to action and gain 2 Hope.

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Testing note:

If you use the Inspiration deck in your game, please let me know it goes! I'm most interested in the following feedback right now:

1) Is it fun to have these extra cards for special situations?
2) Does managing the deck feel smooth or is something confusing/annoying about using it?
3) How many Inspiration cards do you end up drawing and playing over the course of a given session and a story arc?

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This text is not official content of Darrington Press or Critical Role and does not represent the opinions or stances of anyone other than Mike themself. This product includes materials from the Daggerheart System Reference Document 1.0, © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com. There are no previous modifications by others.