Item Cards

[raithyn]

A few months ago I posted my item cards and a Gimp template over on Reddit. You can find that thread here.

I used a series of one shots to refine these for a (mostly) first edition Old Republic campaign I'm putting together. This is a smaller but more consistent set that you can find here. Each card pulls in relevant rules like damage types (which I discussed in another thread), the scatter diagram, etc. I have adjusted a few of the items from their original sources--for instance, all melee weapon difficulty is directly related to the damage dealt--so I dropped the source listing seen on the unaltered Second Edition versions.

My goal is to make it easy for players unfamiliar with the system to understand the game mechanics of their equipment. I'm not handing out cards for things like glow rods or datapads where the rules are either secondary to the narrative or obvious from context.

Comments and critique are welcome.

[raithyn]

Here's the hold-out blaster as an example:



Edit: Thanks for the info on sizing. These are now scaled down from the print versions you'll see in the Dropbox link.

[pakman]

Very nice.

I have item/weapon cards for similar reasons in my game (well had for my d20 game, slowly making them for my d6 game....) - but I had not made mine double sided!

I have an access database for mine, and made a report I can print out that puts the card data and a graphic onto a 3x5 format - I print them on cardstock and cut them out.
That way I can mix the ones I print out, with just hand made notes on 3x5 cards (sometimes you gotta have a card that says "Medkit" on it)....

I use them for reference - but also - for tracking of important items "who has the medpack" "oh, I do- right here is my card..." kind of thing.
I don't make them for most mundane items or things everyone has (clothes, complinks, credsticks etc.).


(I think I posted the image correctly......let me know if incorrect).

A ton of my house rules embedded in there - ignore those - the idea is that is what my weapon cards look like...

Questions
I understand you are using gimp to make them - of is that just the template and you use another progam to manage the data and build the card?

How are you printing them out of curiosity and getting the front and back to line up?
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[raithyn]

Great questions.

• I have the data in Excel. I haven't set up automated scripting for this set just because I was messing with the layers to get the look I wanted enough at first that it would have taken just as much time to do that as to copy/paste each entry. That should be possible to set up with Python.

• I used a base poker card template that include bleed. I find I can print double-sided on my printer with the cut marks only on one side and not have any issues with missing content on the other. (I usually make the front image look nice and allow for a little skew on the back rules text.) Bonus is that this template matches all the major print on demand sites so I can get a nice deck if I want once I'm fully satisfied.

With the first set, I was still figuring out how I wanted to run the game. With this second revision, my general philosophy is that fewer items will allow my players to focus on the narrative rather than chasing each +1 pip. I toyed with the idea of cutting the weapon selection down even further but building out modifications a little more extensively. I may ultimately do that but this seemed comprehensive enough to cover a full campaign without issue.

[raithyn]

[Whill]

[garhkal]

I've seen some players make their own on 3x5 index cards. BUT i have not seen any official ones.
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[KageRyu]

I mostly lurk these days, but wanted to pop in and offer some thoughts:
I did something like this for a D6 sci-fi game I was running with testing groups. I made several weapon and equipment cards. I used a prepackaged set of printable business cards that came with a Word template for microsoft (this was back circa late 90's early millennium). One side was color and featured a data pad image and the weapon or item on it, the other side was black and white with all the stats. I used it for large weapons, and special gear. Overall it was well received and the players liked it. I cannot say it was a completely original idea as I was inspired by numerous source, including the Ghostbusters RPG (and Warhammer 40K 2nd edition Wargear cards).

@raithyn - These look nice overall and it is a great idea. The advice I would offer though is to have the images focus on more just the item or weapon in the card front.

@pakman - those are really nice as well, and a lot closer to what I would have liked to have done if I had a printer that could print on heavier cardstock, and if I had a paper cutter at the time.

Somewhere I have a color image I made to replicate the look of the datapad used in WEG publications like the various Cracken books. If I could find it I would be happy to share it for anyone who wants to make Double Sided equipment cards to use to paste pictures of your weapons on. I have to be clear, this was an image I made using the Cracken books Datapad cover as reference, this is not a scan. I will try to look for it.
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"There's a set way to gain new Force Points and it represents a very nice system, where you're rewarded for heroism, not for being a poor conductor to electricity." ~Jachra

[raithyn]

Thanks, KageRyu. I'm definitely interested in any graphic elements you're willing to share. I'm currently working on force power cards and plan to develop more "boring" (by which I mean almost entirely text) pages for character templates and my GM screen inserts.

[hunter_1828]

[Whill]

[pakman]

[garhkal]

That sounds like a great way to handle portable resources..
PLUS If the card(s) have all the relevant info on, then there is less "what does x do" scrambling into the books..
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[jtanzer]

I'd suggest building them in your favorite program of choice, and then converting them to PDF. That way, you can upload them to the Community Files without worrying about Google altering them. I'd also suggest that Will add them to the Library given how useful they are.
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[garhkal]

I second that motion.

All in favor say Eye!
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!