Appendix C: Deck and Magic Reference
Fate's Edge GM Guide — Appendix C
Deck Types and Meanings
- Travel Decks (regional, 52-card)
- Spade = Place, Heart = Actor, Club = Pressure, Diamond = Leverage.
- Deck of Consequences (scene drama)
- Hearts = Social/Emotional, Spades = Harm/Escalation, Clubs = Material Cost, Diamonds = Magical/Spiritual.
Important: Never mix suit meanings across different deck types.
Deck Usage Procedure
After a roll that generates Story Beats:
- Direct Spend: Translate SB into immediate consequences or timer ticks (see Appendix A).
- Optional Deck Draw: Draw up to min(SB, 3) cards and synthesize a single narrative twist guided by the suits and the highest rank.
Rank Severity Guide
- 2–3
- Minor inconvenience or flavor.
- 4–6
- Moderate setback.
- 7–9
- Significant consequence.
- 10–King
- Major fallout with lasting effects.
- Ace
- Legendary. The Ace is the high card — a scene-altering twist.
| Suit | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Hearts (Emotional/Social) | 2–3: awkward social moment; 4–6: relationship strain; 7–9: betrayal; 10–King: exile or shattered alliance; Ace: the bond is remade as something else entirely. |
| Spades (Harm/Escalation) | 2–3: bruise or Fatigue; 4–6: wound or damaged gear; 7–9: severe injury; 10–King: death or permanent loss; Ace: the fight stops being survivable on its current terms. |
| Clubs (Material/Cost) | 2–3: minor resource loss; 4–6: gear failure or debt; 7–9: major asset lost; 10–King: total ruin; Ace: a debt is called that nobody knew was owed. |
| Diamonds (Magical/Spiritual) | 2–3: omen or whisper; 4–6: curse or spirit appears; 7–9: arcane backlash; 10–King: reality bends temporarily; Ace: something on the other side notices you back. |
| Path | Requirements | Key Feature | Risk Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caster (Freeform) | Spellcraft (6 XP) | Improvisational spellcasting | Backlash |
| Runekeeper (Rites) | Thiasos (2 XP) + Codex (4 XP) | Structured Patron Rites | Obligation |
| Invoker (Symbols) | Patron's Symbol (4 XP each) | Ritual precision, emergency casting | Symbol compromise |
DV Reference for Rites
DV = max(ObligationCost − Spirit, Tier)
| Obligation | Spirit 0 | Spirit 1 | Spirit 2 | Spirit 3–4 | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Casting Loop Summary
- Channel: Wits + Arcana to gather magical potential.
- Weave: Wits + Craft (or appropriate magical skill) to shape the effect.
- Backlash: The GM spends SB generated during the roll to impose thematic consequences.
Eight Elements of Magic
- Earth
- Solidity, stability, foundation.
- Fire
- Energy, transformation, destruction.
- Air
- Movement, speed, freedom.
- Water
- Fluidity, healing, adaptability.
- Fate
- Destiny, inevitability, causality.
- Life
- Vitality, creation, growth.
- Luck
- Chance, unpredictability.
- Death/Dreams
- Endings, thresholds, the subconscious.