The Deck of Many Things is an incredibly powerful object in Dungeons & Dragons. It can make or break entire campaigns, let alone decide who lives and dies among the player characters. While a daunting inclusion to any setting, there’s a fun appeal to be found in its randomness.

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Yet the adventures that can spring from the Deck are always recommended for high-level characters, being driven by veteran players. Beginners that stumble upon the Deck might suffer severe and honestly unfair consequences, but if you still want to add the Deck for such a party, consider the following cards as a core focus.

10 Comet

A Nearly Instant Level Up

Entrance to the House of Cards by Bruce Brenneise, Comet card by Vallez Gax

When you draw Comet, the card patiently waits for the next time the character enters a fight. If they defeat the entire encounter alone, they gain enough experience to level up; otherwise, nothing happens. This makes the card the only one capable of a null effect.

The card is pretty safe, since nothing is forcing you to endure the challenge. If the next fight is too hard, or you can’t do it without help, you lose the Comet power but aren’t otherwise penalized. Just remember that any form of help would render the card useless.

9 Fool

A Soft Negative

Entrance to the House of Cards by Bruce Brenneise, Fool card by Harry Conway

Drawing the Fool makes you lose 10,000 XP, and you have to draw again. This effect can’t make characters lose levels; instead, they remain with just enough to retain their current level. While certainly a setback, it’s nothing you or your players can’t get back from.

If you’re not using experience points, to keep the penalty for the card, you could have that player perform one outstanding action before they can catch up with their companions. Other than that, being forced to draw again can in itself be punishment enough, depending on the outcome.

8 Ruin

Lose What Little Wealth You Have

Entrance to the House of Cards by Bruce Brenneise, Ruin card by Andrea Sipl

Any player that draws Ruin has their character lose all monetary gain, be it gold pieces or houses they own. While it might seem too harsh for new players, the card’s effect is only as impactful as the amount of adventures under a character’s belt.

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This is because new players won’t have much in the way of gold, or even if they have it, they would have little idea where to spend it. You can even force them to draw the card, making it a starting point for their adventuring career since they now have nothing else to lose.

7 Rogue

A Friend Becomes Foe

Entrance to the House of Cards by Bruce Brenneise, Rogue card by Harry Conway

There’s no set path to go when you draw the Rogue card since its description only states that an NPC becomes hostile towards the player’s character. When an experienced player draws it, you want to throw a powerful foe at them, but with beginners, it’s best to be more lenient.

Yet you still want it to have an impact. So, the best way to use it is to make a previously friendly NPC now hostile, preferably from their backstory. This can make them get invested in the campaign, and even look for ways to end the enmity (either with a Wish spell or divine intervention).

6 Sage

No Mystery Is Left Uncovered

Entrance to the House of Cards by Bruce Brenneise, Sage card by Joanna Barnum

Sage is one of the cards that got renamed in The Book of Many Things — previously, it was known as Vizier, but the effect remains the same. You can ask one question, and get a truthful answer. The only issue is that, by themselves, beginners have more questions about mechanics than about lore.

Sage’s effect also comes with the wisdom on how to apply its answer.

Therefore, it’s the DMs job to give players worthwhile questions for Sage. Work with your players, so they can have mystery in their backstories, or add one of your own that has them hunt the Deck in order to get a proper answer. They can even use it to think up strategies, like “how can I get inside the fortress undetected?”

5 Key

Magical Weapons Are Always A Nice Reward

Entrance to the House of Cards by Bruce Brenneise, Key card by Tinnel Lovitt

Key’s real impact, like many of the cards, depends on the DM. The effect states that the character who draws the card gains a rare (or rarer) magic weapon, with which they’re proficient with. This can be as simple as a +2 to attack and damage rolls, or as legendary as Excalibur.

This card is great for beginners because no reward is too little. They’ll likely have next to no magical items when starting their adventure, so they’ll be glad for the sudden equipment improvement. Veteran characters will expect more from the card, so it’s best to avoid it at higher levels.

4 Knight

A Loyal Companion

Entrance to the House of Cards by Bruce Brenneise, Knight card by Vallez Gax

When used on its original incarnation, the Knight card has an expiration date. This is because its effect grants the service of a literal Knight, who believes the fates have blessed them with the mission to accompany you. Problem is, the Knight is forever a fourth-level fighter.

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So, when you just start your journey, the Knight is great, but, as you grow in power, this Knight feels more like a nuisance. A better way to use this card is presented in The Book of Many Things, where the summoned creature is now a Deck Defender, who levels up alongside its master.

3 The Fates

Reshape History

Entrance to the House of Cards by Bruce Brenneise, Fates card by Tinnel Lovitt

The power of The Fates can have immense repercussions, so add it to your campaign with care. The Fates give the character the ability to avoid or erase one event as if it had never happened. This can mean nearly anything, from rescuing their loved ones in their backstories to avoid being captured by enemy forces.

While powerful, you can control the side effects of deleting events, to not let them get out of hand. And this effect will rarely end up with players gaining more power, so it balances itself out. Remember that it isn’t time travel; they’re just deleting the event, not putting a new one in its place.

2 Talons

What Easy Comes, Easy Goes

Entrance to the House of Cards by Bruce Brenneise, Talons card by Abigail Larson

For high level characters, Talons can be devastating. It disintegrates any magic item you’re carrying, while Artifacts simply vanish. For low-level players, however, Talons has a chance of doing nothing, since you might not have had a chance to get any magical items to begin with.

This is why you need to make sure to give them something. It doesn’t need to be the greatest weapon; in fact, it’s better if it isn’t. Drawing Talons and losing your uncommon weapon is a bad feeling, but it will make them think twice when encountering the Deck again, but with far better equipment.

1 Cards From The Deck Of Wonder

Designed For Beginners

Deck of Wonder via Wizards of the Coast

The effects of the Deck of Many Things can alter any campaign to dramatic effect. If you want to avoid this, but still have players taste what the Deck can bring, consider using the Deck of Wonder instead.

It comes with 22 cards, much like the original Deck of Many Things, but nearly all effects have a time limit. The effects are impactful, lasting eight hours but still able to turn the tide of any encounter. And, if they draw poorly, they can just wait the negatives out and not have their characters completely changed.

NEXT: Dungeons & Dragons: Best Cards For A Punishing Deck Of Many Things