The Deck of Fire

The Deck of Void is used to manage the resolution of the ARC Cycle. The Deck of Fire is the toolbox that generates the three act story and the incursion itself. The Deck of Fire contains all the narrative seeds, all the story challenges and the story settings. These three types of cards are what determines the shape of the story and the incursion. Each scene in the Three Act Story System will need two narrative cards, two challenge cards, and two setting cards from the Deck of Fire. Unlike the Deck of Void, psychonauts do not draw from the deck of fire. The Storyteller will turn over the cards in the order determined by the incursion (either one they have found or one that they have designed themselves), as the Psychonauts progress into that scene.

Every new book and incursion Aardvark, Aarwolf and Ape puts out will include new cards for a storyteller’s Deck of Fire. And each prebuilt incursion book will consist of five incursions per overarching story, which will introduce both the central myth being enacted and the cards associated with that myth. The book will also include a sixth incursion template with final additional cards and a guide on how a storyteller may write their own incursions for the settings and narratives and challenges included. The storyteller should allow the psychonauts to attempt to make use the the story elements first, and then attempt to weave a narrative with the remaining story elements to impose them as penalties against the psychonauts.

The Narrative Cards

Narrative cards deal in the main story goals and themes. They add story elements into play that may either help or hinder the psychonauts. In each scene of play the Storyteller will lay a major and a minor narrative card. All narrative cards may be used for either the minor or major narrative. The Narrative cards will have a different value when used as a major narrative versus being used as a minor narrative.

The Challenge Cards

Challenge cards show the psychonauts what oppose them as they attempt to make their way through the narrative. In each scene, there is a major and a minor challenge. All challenge cards may be used for either the major or minor challenge. The major challenge will be used for the ARC cycle, and the challenge card will show a recommended difficulty level and a recommended consequence level. Storytellers should use this as a guide, but determine the numbers themselves to match the flow of the story. The minor Challenge card will provide a story element that will act as a penalty against the psychonauts during the ARC cycle unless they can think of a create narrative way to use the minor challenge to their advantage.

The Setting Cards

Every story is set somewhere. The setting cards are precisely that. There are major and minor setting cards; and unlike the narrative and challenge cards, setting cards cannot be swapped to major or minor. A minor setting is a subsection of a major setting. The Lotus Garden is a Major Setting, with the Lotus Garden there is the Maze. The Maze is a minor setting.

Setting Cards have story elements with values that can affect the ARC cycle difficulty either to the benefit or to the detriment of the psychonauts. The storyteller should allow the psychonauts to attempt to make use the the story elements first, and then attempt to weave a narrative with the remaining story elements to impose them as penalties against the psychonauts.