The Deck of Rumors is one of the many interesting projects we stumbled upon on the Kickstarter site. These are five thematic decks each containing 50 cards that represent the many messages posted on the well-known message boards that are found in every self-respectiong fantasy city or village. We contacted their creators, Unlimited Realms LTD, who sent us the digital version to make this preview.
The five core decks of The Deck of Rumors
Each deck consists of 50 cards, each one with unique message and a combination of layout and font that makes them extremely diverse. There are also two cards left blank for you to customize for yourself.
Town Events focuses on announcements and town.based stories to add depth to the game and the environment. Village Gossip is a deck full of weird stories, from ghosts to conspiracies. Call to Adventure is all about possible adventurer quests. By the Sea provides nautical and pirate themed adventure announcements near the sea or on it. The Big City presents contents more in line with a large town, from administrative conspiracies to stories about the sewers.
On the back of each card there is an icon that identifies which deck the card belongs to. They are also coded by chromatic seals that identify their contents: green icon for gossip, red for out-of-the-ordinary news, blue for quests and yellow when a payment is involved. Each card can have multiple colors based on the rumour content.
The heart of the project: the contents
This is the most important part of The Deck of Rumors. The evaluation of the entire project is bound to the value of the content of the cards. We are talking about 240 different ideas, not counting the stretch goals. In my opinion, a good balance has been struck between classic content, original ideas and humor.
When creating a product aimed at consumers as varied as role-players, you must try to balance all needs. Too many classic announcements would make decks boring and predictable, but on the other hand too much humor or too many original ideas would make each village seem like the center of all the strangest quests in the universe.
The balance struck between these elements, in my opinion, makes the contents that much more valid and usable. There are many ideas to generate many adventures, yes, but most of these are vague and allow for even extreme customization by the DM.
The cards are too many and I can’t make even a brief excursus into the entire body of the contents. The many images in this article will give you a more precise idea of what the Deck of Rumors looks encompass.
Graphics and layout
I was pleasantly surprised by the graphic variety of The Deck of Rumors cards. Although it is a series of repeated types of materials, styles and fonts, the result is excellent. It really feels like each card is unique, authored by a different NPC.
The layout of the ads is varied and fun. Pieces of torn paper, comment sheets stuck on top of the original message, maps and drawings made (rough, and rightly so) to better describe the news or requests. They are as pleasant as they are unique!
Hints about the physical version
The cards are cut from UV-coated linen-textured card stock.. This is the first project for the newborn Unlimited Realms LTD, therefore we cannot make comparisons with previous products. So far, we have seen professionalism and attention to detail, so we hope to find that realized in the physical versions of The Deck of Rumors, too.
The cards have all already been made and the authors expressed satisfaction with the prototypes. For production Unlimited Realms LTD rely on The Game Crafter, definitely an experienced manufacturer.
The Kickstarter offer
Decks can be purchased individually or in bulk. At the time, the first stretch goal has been unlocked, which includes two add-ons. The new deck, The Royal Decree, focuses on communications and requests from the king and other rulers .The table mat features the bulletin board for announcements. Latest projections foresee that 345% of the set goal can be reached so we will have to be able to see more than three or four stretch goals. The decks retail for £10 a deck, or £35 for all five decks. Purchase of a physical deck with the digital counterpart costs £15, or £60 for all five decks.
These prices do not include shipping costs, which depend on the weight of the order and the country to which the order is shipped. A good result from The Deck of Rumors Kickstarter campaign will likely increase the content of the decks, increasing its value-for-money.
Final thoughts on The Deck of Rumors
I really like being able to give players handouts during gaming sessions. Having something from the game world to pass around is a great feeling. The idea of a deck of announcements, coupled with a mat representing the bulletin board, is brilliant. It’s a means for further bringing the game world to life. The presence of colored icons, in their simplicity, denotes design intelligence and attention to detail. It also offers the possibility of a little surprise – even to the DM, who turns the cards over without knowing where they will steer the game, ready to improvise.
The warm reception The Deck of Rumors is getting on Kickstarter is paying off the creators. I am curious to find out about the next stretch goals and also the future projects of Unlimited Realms LTD!