INSTANT EVENT CARDS Need to Create An Encounter Fast? Session Hit A Slow Spot? Or Need A Filler Event to Stretch Out the Session? No problem! Here's Your Solution! The Concept The idea is simple. Draw three cards, one from each category deck: WHO?, WHAT'S HAPPENING? , and RANDOM ELEMENT . From those drawn cards are the basic concepts that you'll use flesh out the event specifics. Of course, you can draw more than one card from each deck if you wish or even ignore those that may not go well with the others. You don't even have to strictly follow what the cards say; if it inspires tangents or alterations, then the cards have done their job! The Decks There are three decks, each representing a component of the event you're going to create. WHO? Exactly as their name implies, these cards tell you who the person or people involved in the event are. Let's use an example: I drew the BARD(S) card. Okay, so one or more bards are involved. Good; bards make interesting encounters. But let's decide that only one bard is involved. WHAT'S HAPPENING? These cards answer the most important question. Everything from a murder to a battle, to a chariot race to a tornado; from a runaway cart to a structure fire. In keeping with the example in the WHO? section above, I drew the SOMEONE STUCK card. It looks like our bard is somehow stuck. Let's say he was traveling through the woods when he fell into a pit. He's only mildly injured but he can't get out of the pit. RANDOM ELEMENT Sometimes introducing a random element to an event or encounter can add a little spice and that's what this deck is for. Now, in our continuing example, I drew the STRANGE AREA OF MAGICAL DARKNESS card. Cool! So, the three decks just gave me the foundation of an event. Now, all I have to do is flesh it out. So, here goes: Torin Goodquil, a wandering bard, had been traveling along the forest road. At a bend in the road, he was suddenly enveloped by a magical darkness. Now blind, he stumbled through the darkened area and fell into a pit. Unbeknownst to the bard, this was a magical trap created by a mad hermit who would eat whatever his trap caught--humanoids included. The hermit recently died, but the trap continues on. Hmmm, maybe the hermit's home is nearby where his corpse rests in his bed. I like that. So, this is what had happened before the party comes across our stuck bard. All of that from simply drawing three cards! I could've drawn more from one or more of the decks, but I'm happy with the result. Because I'm having fun here, let's do another one. I drew three cards again: BAKER (WHO?), DRUNKEN BRAWL (WHAT'S HAPPENING?) and LOCKET (RANDOM ELEMENT) . Now, let's flesh it all out: The party is at a tavern when Mara GoodMuffins, a drunken baker, finds a locket that contains a painting of her love triangle rival in the possession of the person they've both been fighting over, Thoni Lovewell. Mara throws a mug of ale at Thoni, misses, hits Telvis the miller instead--who is also drunk. Telvis gets angry, rises and punches Mara. Mara hits Telvis with a chair. Telvis reels back and crashes into a table of more drunks. This starts a brawl that involves many of the tavern patrons. That's it! Simple, right? Now go have fun and make some filler events! Also, please check out my best selling card decks: Instant Story Cards : <a href="https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/gameaddon/512/instant-story-cards" rel="nofollow">https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/gameaddon/512/instant-story-cards</a> Instant NPC Cards : <a href="https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/gameaddon/536/instant-npc-cards" rel="nofollow">https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/gameaddon/536/instant-npc-cards</a> Instant Chase Cards : <a href="https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/gameaddon/3872/instant-chase-cards" rel="nofollow">https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/gameaddon/3872/instant-chase-cards</a> Instant Villain Cards : <a href="https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/gameaddon/8916/instant-villain-cards" rel="nofollow">https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/gameaddon/8916/instant-villain-cards</a> Instant Event Cards © Patrick Von Raven 2022