The Game Master's Deck of Boons and Banes

^{review by K}

The Game Master’s Deck of Boons and Banes is a helpful tool for any game master to add into their ongoing Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Similar to the Deck of Many Things, this deck can be used as an in-real-life prop for the fantasy artifact equivalent. Designed by professional dungeon master Ginny Di, it was created with the intention of game masters giving their players consequences, either for the positive or for the negative, for choices they make in-game.

This deck comes in a compact magnetic case with 40 cards, 20 banes and 20 boons, and a guidebook to help decipher what the cards mean once they are drawn by the players or by the game master. Ginny Di writes within the guidebook that while the content of the cards have specific monsters or wording that relate directly to Dungeons & Dragons lore, she encourages game masters to adjust the cards for what the players are actually facing, especially if they are homebrew monsters, spells, etc.

One of my favorite banes from this deck is called “Foe of the Wild,” where the player becomes uneasy while out in the wild and gains disadvantage on Nature and Animal Handling checks, and difficult terrain has the chance to entrap the player this bane afflicts.

One of my favorite boons from this deck is called “The Watcher’s Eye,” where the player gains the ability to communicate telepathically, and can give this gift to up to 5 allies within 300 feet. This eye replaces the player’s normal eye, and can even roll a die to shoot out a ray from this eye, much like a Beholder.

Overall, this tool is a fun addition to any ongoing game. Each card even includes side quests for the players to venture on to either diminish the bane they received, or complete the quest to reap the boon as the reward - so if you’re feeling stuck, these cards can spark inspiration for your storytelling.

The Game Master's Deck of Boons and Banes is available now from our webstore.