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DECK

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WHAT IS THIS?!
This manual will show you how to adapt the cards in The Adventure
Crafter Deck to use instead of dice and the full Adventure Crafter
book. The Adventure Crafter Deck is based on the DriveThruRPG.com

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Platinum selling The Adventure Crafter. The Deck encompasses all of
the rules in the The Adventure Crafter, including determining Theme
priority, random Plotlines and Characters Lists, Theme determination,
Plot Points, Turning Points, and Character Crafting.
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This PDF contains rules for how to use The Adventure Crafter Deck.
Printable pages for making your own cards is included in separate PDF
files in a variety of formats to choose from.
For full rules on how to use The Adventure Crafter system, please refer
to the main rulebook, available at DriveThruRPG.com.
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THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER DECK

BY TANA PIGEON
PUBLISHED BY WORD MILL PUBLISHING
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Player Support
For more role-playing fun, go online to www.wordmillgames.com

WORD MILL PUBLISHING

5055 CANYON CREST DR. • RIVERSIDE, CA 92507
WWW.WORDMILLGAMES.COM

The Adventure Crafter Deck © Copyright 2020 by Tana Pigeon and Word Mill Publishing. The Adventure Crafter Deck is published by Pigeon & Pigeon, dba Word Mill Publishing.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without written permission from the publisher, except short excerpts for the purpose of reviews, is expressly prohibited.
 WHAT DO THE CARDS DO?
Everything. Well, the cards do everything that The Adventure Crafter book does, in terms of playing the system. With the deck, you
can set aside the book. For easy reference, this manual also contains the full descriptions of each Plot Point.

PREPARING TO PLAY

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There are two types of cards in The Adventure Crafter Deck. The green-backed Adventure Crafter Cards and the purple-backed

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Theme Cards. There is also a special Adventure Crafter Shuffle Card. To get started, separate the purple Theme Cards from the green
Adventure Crafter Cards. There are 101 Adventure Crafter Cards (including the Shuffle Card), and 5 Theme Cards.

SEPARATE
1 THE DECKS

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SHUFFLE CARD
ADVENTURE CRAFTER THEME CARDS
CARDS

2 SHUFFLE BOTH DECKS

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Take the green-backed Adventure Crafter Cards, making sure

the Shuffle Card is among them, cut the deck in half, turn one
half around, and shuffle all of the cards together. Do this as many
times as you wish until you feel you’ve shuffled the cards as much
to your liking. Now the Adventure Crafter Deck is ready for
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action! Also shuffle the five Theme Cards.

WHY REVERSE THE CARDS WHEN SHUFFLING?

Adventure Crafter Deck cards have double information CUT THEM, REVERSE ONE, SHUFFLE THEM
on their fronts, so it matters which side of the card is
facing up when drawn. You not only have to shuffle the
Deck to get a nice distribution, but you need to turn some
of them around to further randomize them. Every card is
effectively two separate cards, depending on which side is
up when the card is drawn and placed.
 3 PREPARE YOUR LISTS

Get your Plotlines and Characters Lists sheets ready. You’ll see
that the Lists used with The Adventure Crafter Deck are different
from the original book: instead of percentile numbers along the side,
they are numbered 1 through 25. Also, there’s no printed text on
them for New Plotlines, Characters, or Choosing; those elements are
determined by the cards.

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You can print out the Lists from this PDF manual to use, or use
a piece of lined paper. You’re going to need a pen, too (or whatever
your scribbling device of choice is).
You can find the Plotlines and Characters Lists on the next page.

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Also on the next few pages you can find copies of the Adventure
Sheet, slightly modified to suit the Deck.

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ANATOMY OF AN ADVENTURE CRAFTER CARD
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Adventure Crafter Cards contain a lot of information and are used to resolve all the rules mechanics in the core book.
Let’s break the cards down.

DETERMINATION OF PLOTLINES. DETERMINATION OF

THE NUMBER REFERS TO PLOTLINES PLOTLINES - 18 THEME CHARACTERS - 18 CHARACTERS. THE NUMBER

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ALREADY ESTABLISHED ON THE NEW CHOOSE MOST REFERS TO CHARACTERS
PLOTLINES LIST. PLOTLINE LOGICAL CHARACTER ALREADY ESTABLISHED ON
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THE CHARACTERS LIST.

DETERMINING THE THEME OF A PLOT PHYSICAL BARRIER FOLLOWED
POINT. THE NUMBER INDICATES TO OVERCOME PLOT POINTS, WITH ICONS
WHICH PRIORITY THEME APPLIES TO A MYSTERIOUS NEW PERSON NONE TO DISTINGUISH THEM.
THE NEXT PLOT POINT, OR IF IT’S A
META PLOT POINT. CONCLUSION CHARACTER
DOWNGRADE

CHARACTER CRAFTING
ACTION
SPECIAL TRAIT IDENTITY DESCRIPTOR
ELEMENTS FOR FASHIONING
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RANDOM NPCS. THE CHARACTER IS EXECUTIVE ERRATIC

CONNECTED TO THIS PLOTLINE TENSION
DESCRIPTORS IDENTITIES IS AN INDIVIDUAL
DRAW TWO DRAW TWO THE CHARACTER
DESCRIPTOR IDENTITY SPECIAL TRAIT MYSTERY
THE CARDS ARE DOUBLE SIDED SO YOU
GET DIFFERENT RESULTS DEPENDING ON
WHICH SIDE IS DRAWN UPRIGHT. CHARACTER RETURNS A CHARACTER IS DIMINISHED SOCIAL
SOCIAL GATHERING A RESOURCE DISAPPEARS
A COMMON
RUNS OUT NONE PERSONAL
A NEEDED RESOURCE

CHARACTER
NEW
1 LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHOOSE MOST
META
CHARACTERS - 5 THEME PLOTLINES - 5
 Plotlines List Characters List

1 1

2 2

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3 3

4 4

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5 5

6 6

7 7

8 8

9 9

10

11

12
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10

11

12
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13 13

14 14

15 15
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16 16

17 17

18 18

19 19
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20 20

21 21

22 22

23 23

24 24

25 25
 ADVENTURE SHEET

Adventure Date

Notes Themes

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2

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4

New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED

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4

Notes
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New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
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Notes
 New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED

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4

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Notes

New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED

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4

Notes
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New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
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Notes
 USING THE CARDS
The Adventure Crafter Deck is used to resolve all of the elements included in The Adventure Crafter book. This includes
determining the priority of Adventure Themes at the beginning of an Adventure, determining the Plotline for a Turning Point, coming
up with the five Plot Points per Turning Point, determining Characters when they are Invoked by a Plot Point, and crafting new
Characters when necessary.

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THEME PRIORITY

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To determine the priority of Themes for your Adventure, use the purple-backed Theme
cards. Make sure they’ve had a good shuffle, then draw all of them, one at a time, laying them
down in the order drawn. The first card reveals the Priority One Theme, the second card
Priority Two, and so on. You can leave the cards on the table to indicate Theme Priority, or
record it on your Adventure Crafter Adventure Sheet.

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THE PURPLE THEME
CARDS ARE USED TO
RANDOMLY DETERMINE
THEME PRIORITY FOR
THE ADVENTURE.
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THE ORDER WITH WHICH THE THEMES ARE DRAWN

DETERMINES THEIR PRIORITY ORDER FOR THE ADVENTURE.
 TURNING POINT PLOTLINE
To determine the Plotline for a Turning Point, draw a single Adventure Crafter card and check the upper left Plotline portion of
the card. It will indicate a number between 1 and 25, and results of New Plotline or Choose Most Logical Plotline. If the number
indicated shows an existing Plotline on your Plotlines List, then that is the Turning Point Plotline. If that numbered Plotline is blank,
then go with the shown result of New Plotline or Choose The Most Logical Plotline.

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PLOTLINES - 20 THEME CHARACTERS - 20
CHOOSE MOST
LOGICAL PLOTLINE 2 CHOOSE MOST
LOGICAL CHARACTER

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THIS TELLS YOU WHICH NUMBERED PLOTLINE USED AGAINST THEM HUNKER DOWN
IS INVOKED FOR A TURNING POINT AND, IF
THERE IS NO EXISTING PLOTLINE FOR THAT CONSPIRACY THEORY PREPARATION
NUMBER, IF THE PLOTLINE IS A NEW PLOTLINE
OR CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE. NONE CHARACTER UPGRADE

SPECIAL TRAIT IDENTITY DESCRIPTOR

THE CHARACTER IS NOT SCOUT WEAK
CONNECTED TO THIS PLOTLINE
Plotlines List

1 Deliver the relic

Deliver the relic
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DESCRIPTOR
IDENTITIES
DRAW TWO
IDENTITY
IS AN INDIVIDUAL
THE CHARACTER
SPECIAL TRAIT

FOR A PRICE
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CHARACTER STEPS UP
2
HELP IS OFFERED,

Save the villager girl

A GROUP IS IN TROUBLE A CRIME IS COMMITTED

3 NONE IN A LETHAL WAY

A CHARACTER IS ATTACKED

4 Deliver the relic CHARACTER 1 LOGICAL PLOTLINE

Save the villager girl

NEW CHOOSE MOST

5
CHARACTERS - 7 THEME PLOTLINES - 7
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6 Escape the pit before it collapses

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8
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CHECK THE PLOTLINES LIST AGAINST THE NUMBER VALUE THE
CARD GIVES YOU TO SEE IF THAT PLOTLINE EXISTS YET. IN
10EXAMPLE ABOVE, THE CARD SHOWS A VALUE OF 20. THE
THE
PLOTLINES LIST HAS ENTRIES UP TO 6, BUT NOT 20. THIS MEANS
THE RESULT IS “CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE”.
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12 IF AT ANY TIME WHILE DRAWING FROM THE ADVENTURE CARD

DECK YOU DRAW THE SHUFFLE CARD, THEN IMMEDIATELY
GATHER UP THE DECK, THE DISCARDED CARDS, AND THE
13 SHUFFLE CARD AND RESHUFFLE THEM BEFORE CONTINUING.
REMEMBER TO SHUFFLE ONCE, CUT THE DECK, ROTATE
ONE HALF, AND SHUFFLE AGAIN TO GET A GOOD RANDOM
14 DISTRIBUTION OF CARDS.

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16

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 PLOT POINTS
Every Turning Point requires five Plot Points. To determine each Plot Point, draw two cards and lay them down, the second on
top of the first just under the Theme portion of the card. The first card will tell you which priority Theme this Plot Point is, or if it’s a
Meta Plot Point. Use the second card to determine the specific Plot Point based on that Theme.
Each Theme is represented on the cards by an icon. The Plot Point’s title will be given. For more information about specific Plot
Points, look at the back of this manual or in the core Adventure Crafter book. While each Plot Point title tries to be self-explanatory,

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sometimes getting some clarification helps when interpreting the results.

PLOTLINES - 4 THEME CHARACTERS - 4

TO DETERMINE A PLOT POINT, DRAW 1

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TWO CARDS. THE FIRST TELLS YOU WHICH
CHOOSE MOST
LOGICAL PLOTLINE 1 CHOOSE MOST
LOGICAL CHARACTER
PRIORITY THEME THIS PLOT POINT IS FROM.

NONE PLOTLINES - 15 BETRAYAL!CHARACTERS - 15

THEME 2
A CHARACTE MOST
CHOOSEDISAPPEAR
LOGICALR PLOTLINE S 2LIAR! CHOOSE MOST
LOGICAL CHARACTER
THE SECOND CARD TELLS YOU THE PLOT POINT TITLE FOR THAT THEME. IN
THIS EXAMPLE, IF OUR THEMES ARE IN A PRIORITY OF ACTION, PERSONAL,
MYSTERY, SOCIAL, AND TENSION, THEN THE FIRST PRIORITY THEME IS
FAMILY MATTERS CHARACTER EXITS
TAKING CHANCES THE ADVENTUR E RETURNS
A PROBLEM APPLIED, ACTION. OUR PLOT POINT WOULD BE “TAKING CHANCES”.

SPECIALHIDDEN
TRAITAGENDA IDENTITY NONE
DESCRIPT OR
THE CHARACTER

DIFFICULT
RUN AWAY!
IS AN INDIVIDUAL

SPECIAL TRAIT
FIGHTER
THE CHARACTER
DRAW TWO
IDENTITIES
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IDENTITY
DRAWRTWO
CHARACTE
DOWNGRAD

THE CHARACTER IS
CREATOR
E RS
DESCRIPTO

DESCRIPTOR
CONNECTED TO THIS PLOTLINE

PRIMITIVE ACTION
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DESCRIPTOR IDENTITY SPECIAL TRAIT
IS AN OBJECT
DOWNGRAD E RS
DESCRIPTO IS AN INDIVIDUAL IDENTITIES
R FOR HELP DRAW TWO
ASKING
THE CHARACTE
TENSION
DRAW RTWO
CHARACTE
IT’SDESCRIPT
BUSINESSOR IDENTITY SPECIAL TRAIT
CONCLUSION
HIDDEN THREAT
BETRAYAL!DEFEND OR NOT TO DEFENDTHE ADVENTURE

2
CHARACTER EXITS
MYSTERY
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NONE LOGICAL PLOTLINE SOCIAL GATHERINGCHARACTER

CHOOSE MOST A RARE OR UNIQUE NEW
HEAVILY PLOTLINE RETALIATION CHARACTERS - 17
SOCIAL
GUARDED S - 17 THEME

CHARACTER
NEW
4 PLOTLINE
NEW
CHARACTERS - 2 THEME PLOTLINES - 2
PERSONAL
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META
 CHARACTERS
Some Plot Points require one or more Characters to be associated with them. To invoke a Character for a Plot Point, draw a single
Adventure Crafter card and check the upper right Characters portion of the card. It will indicate a number between 1 and 25, and
results of New Character or Choose Most Logical Character. If the number indicated shows an existing Character on your Characters
List, then that is the Character Invoked. If that numbered Character is blank on your List, then go with the shown result of New

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Character or Choose The Most Logical Character.

THIS TELLS YOU WHICH NUMBERED CHARACTER

IS INVOKED FOR A PLOT POINT AND, IF THERE IS
PLOTLINES - 20 THEME CHARACTERS - 20

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NO EXISTING CHARACTER FOR THAT NUMBER,

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CHOOSE MOST CHOOSE MOST IF THE CHARACTER IS A NEW CHARACTER OR
LOGICAL PLOTLINE LOGICAL CHARACTER CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER.

USED AGAINST THEM HUNKER DOWN

CONSPIRACY THEORY PREPARATION

NONE CHARACTER UPGRADE

SPECIAL TRAIT IDENTITY DESCRIPTOR

THE CHARACTER IS NOT SCOUT WEAK
CONNECTED TO THIS PLOTLINE

INTELLIGENT
DESCRIPTOR
IDENTITIES
DRAW TWO
IDENTITY
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IS AN INDIVIDUAL
THE CHARACTER
SPECIAL TRAIT
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CHARACTER STEPS UP FOR A PRICE
HELP IS OFFERED,
A GROUP IS IN TROUBLE A CRIME IS COMMITTED

NONE IN A LETHAL WAY

A CHARACTER IS ATTACKED

CHARACTER 1 LOGICAL PLOTLINE

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NEW CHOOSE MOST

CHARACTERS - 7 THEME PLOTLINES - 7

If you’re introducing a New Character, then you need to craft one. This is done by drawing descriptive cards to determine the
Character’s Special Trait, Identity, and Descriptor then interpreting their meaning to decide who this Character is.
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Draw a card for the Special Trait. Draw a card for Identity, and lay it next to the first card. If the card says “Draw Two Identities”,
then continue drawing until you have two Identities drawn (ignore any further results of “Draw Two Identities”). The same is done for
Descriptor next, drawing a card and additional cards if you draw “Draw Two Descriptors”. Your final result will look something like this ...
 PLOTLINES - 18 THEME CHARACTERS - 18 PLOTLINES - 7 THEME CHARACTERS - 7
NEW
PLOTLINE 2 CHOOSE MOST
LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST
LOGICAL PLOTLINE 1 NEW
CHARACTER

PHYSICAL BARRIER FOLLOWED A CHARACTER IS ATTACKED NONE

TO OVERCOME IN A LETHAL WAY
A MYSTERIOUS NEW PERSON NONE A CRIME IS COMMITTED A GROUP IS IN TROUBLE

CONCLUSION CHARACTER HELP IS OFFERED, CHARACTER STEPS UP

DOWNGRADE FOR A PRICE

SPECIAL TRAIT IDENTITY DESCRIPTOR SPECIAL TRAIT IDENTITY DESCRIPTOR

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THE CHARACTER IS EXECUTIVE ERRATIC THE CHARACTER DRAW TWO INTELLIGENT
CONNECTED TO THIS PLOTLINE IS AN INDIVIDUAL IDENTITIES
DESCRIPTORS IDENTITIES IS AN INDIVIDUAL CONNECTED TO THIS PLOTLINE
DRAW TWO DRAW TWO THE CHARACTER WEAK SCOUT THE CHARACTER IS NOT
DESCRIPTOR IDENTITY SPECIAL TRAIT DESCRIPTOR IDENTITY SPECIAL TRAIT

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CHARACTER RETURNS A CHARACTER IS DIMINISHED CHARACTER UPGRADE NONE
SOCIAL GATHERING A RESOURCE DISAPPEARS PREPARATION CONSPIRACY THEORY
A COMMON
RUNS OUT NONE HUNKER DOWN USED AGAINST THEM
A NEEDED RESOURCE

CHARACTER
NEW
1 LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHOOSE MOST
LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST
2 LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHOOSE MOST
CHARACTERS - 5 THEME PLOTLINES - 5 CHARACTERS - 20 THEME PLOTLINES - 20

1 3
THE SPECIAL TRAIT IS DETERMINED FIRST.
THIS TELLS YOU SOMETHING IMPORTANT
ABOUT THE CHARACTER, SUCH AS HOW
THEY RELATE TO THE ADVENTURE.
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CASE, “BEAUTIFUL”. THERE’S NO NEED TO
DRAW ANY MORE CARDS.
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2
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IDENTITY IS DRAWN NEXT. IN THIS CASE,

THE FIRST CARD DRAWN SAYS “DRAW TWO
IDENTITIES”, SO MORE CARDS ARE DRAWN,
GIVING US ...

... IDENTITIES OF “ATHLETE” AND “ELITE”

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FOR THIS NEW CHARACTER.

If this were a New Character Invoked for a space-faring Adventure where the Player Characters are meeting a smuggler in a seedy
bar, they might describe the smuggler as important to the Plotline, as the smuggler’s skills and ship are crucial to completing this
Plotline. Also, the smuggler is considered elite among smugglers, and is incredibly gifted physically as well. Finally, the smuggler is
personally beautiful, which no doubt helps him charm his way through gaining better deals. The Player names this New Character
Halon Sonlo, writes him onto the Characters List, and continues with the Adventure.
 USING THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER DECK
WITH THE MYTHIC EMULATOR DECK
The Adventure Crafter Deck plays well with the Mythic Game Master Emulator Deck, if you also use that deck in your games. Both

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decks are meant to take the place of their respective books. As such, the decks work together in the same way that the books can.
You can have both decks handy on your table when you are ready to play or to generate an Adventure. The Adventure Crafter Deck
can be used to create an opening Scene in a Mythic Adventure. Treat the Scene like a Turning Point and see what The Adventure
Crafter Deck generates for you.

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The Adventure Crafter Deck can also be used to generate Interrupt Scenes from Mythic. Again, create a Turning Point and interpret
that into the Interrupt Scene.
The core Adventure Crafter rule book gives suggestions on how to mix the two systems. This usually means requiring you to adjust
how you keep track of Threads/Plotlines and Characters.

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