Meta Monday: Duel Masters

The Duel Masters franchise is one that I would honestly say I've been a fan of for a long time, but I've really never dug in very deep.  That may be slowly changing as it catches more and more of my attention as a decidedly meta take on a fantasy world.

It all started with a manga more than 20 years ago.  If the story I read was correct...and I'm remembering it correctly...creator Shigenobu Matsumoto was supposed to make a comic based on Magic: The Gathering.  The intention was for him to tell a story set among the fantastic planes of MTG.  What he delivered, though, was a tale of a young boy (Shobu) striving to become a Magic: The Gathering champion...

From Wikipedia

It wouldn't be until later in the series that the manga would lend its name to a completely new card game, clearly inspired by the mechanics and the five-color cosmology of MTG but operating as its own entity.  There's definitely a sort of MTG meets Yu-Gi-Oh! aura about it, and it seems to have been a pretty smart move by Wizards of the Coast.  (I realize that last statement doesn't get written very much in our hobby these days...)

From the Duel Masters Wiki

I was just observing from the sidelines as the game made its way to the States and gained a reasonable amount of popularity.  And when I saw that the second set was called "Evo-Crushinators of Doom," I could tell that there might be something interestingly self-aware about the property.  I would eventually pick up one of the GBA games, and Fr. Josh and I split a set of mega-discounted starter decks at Dragon Con one year.  (In fact, my favorite experience with the game itself is probably the time my friend John wanted to get in a lunchtime game of MTG at Georgia State, and while I found myself without a Magic deck, I did happen to have a Duel Masters deck on me.  John graciously allowed me to play the Duel Masters deck in a game of Magic...dividing combat values by 1000, of course...and it worked pretty darn well!)

While the game seems to still be going strong in Japan, it hasn't had an English release in almost 20 years.  There was an attempt to reboot/reinterpret it as Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters, but this didn't last very long.  And so, in 2025, there doesn't seem to be much of a push for the IP in North America.

Thankfully, the animated series is readily available via streaming, and the property's meta bona fides really come out in these episodes.  We eventually realize that as a Kaijudo Master in training (Kaijudo being "the way of the monster," the dueling that takes place between...duel masters), Shobu is actually capable of summoning creatures from their own realms into ours.  Before long, Shobu and his friends make their way into these fantastic worlds (referred to as "Civilizations" and bearing great similarity to the five colors of MTG).

It's also worth noting that the English dub of the anime takes the multiversal nature of the storyline to even another level, as the characters often seem to be aware that they are characters in an animated show.  And while I haven't watched a ton of it, what I've seen has been a lot of fun.  It's clear that the team localizing the show for North America really enjoyed what they were doing with it, as the dialogue is often a rapid-fire series of pop culture references, fourth wall acknowledgments, nods to genre clichés, and good old dad jokes.  It won't all land for everyone, but I'll admit that I have laughed out loud on more than one occasion (not full-bodied guffaws, but definitely audible chuckles...).

I really think I have to incorporate something along the lines of Duel Masters into the Monstrous Matters universe.  The idea of being connected to fantastic realms via a card game is just too cool to ignore for someone like me who, gaming-wise, might be a cardflopper at heart above all else.  I did write up a Card-caster class for OSR gaming way back when in connection with the Tenkar's Landing crowdsourced hexcrawl project...so maybe I need to dust that off and see if I can work it into something that will fit into my fantasy (monstrous) heartbreaker...

Oh man, I love that art by my bud J.R. Mounts...!

More free stuff for you while you're in your bunker...

I've posted a few times about stuff related to my friend and...seriously, if I haven't stressed it enough...one of the nicest human beings you could ever hope to meet, J.R. Mounts.  I mentioned him when he was nominated for a Dragon Award, when I posted my OSR Card-caster class, when I've shown off some fun beasts that he created for me...

...also when he illustrated my little Christmas adventure...

...and when I posted about the Lego war game I worked on a long time ago that he was also kind enough to do art for...

...and, well, probably a number of other times.  He has a tag here on Monstrous Matters, and when I list things like this, it makes me wonder if I've asked him to do too much free work for me...!

Several years ago, J.R. took the plunge and started working full time as an indie cartoonist, which...while I know it hasn't been easy for him...I would argue has made the world a better place thanks to the rest of us getting to see more of the unique perspectives of J.R.  He has some TMNT-level ideas in his work that we'd all hear about if they were given exposure at the right time and place.  I even got to design a couple of card games for his properties and help him show them at Gen Con, which was a dream come true in itself.  (More on these games to come on here as I continue to talk about all of the half-worthwhile things I've ever managed to accomplish...!)

J.R. has recently put out a couple of highly regarded graphic novels and has a really fun comic strip called Scairy Tales, but I would say that the thing he is probably best known for is being "the pickle guy."  Here's the hard-boiled protagonist of his Fried Pickle Noir series, Q. Cumbersome.

J.R. describes FPN as "Sin City Meets Veggie Tales," and it is not to be ignored.  Especially if you like puns.  And the great thing is, during the COVID-19 quarantine, J.R. has made a bunch of his work free for all in .pdf!

If you're looking for something a bit off the beaten path...whatever your beaten path is, honestly...you can simply find J.R. Mounts (by that full name) on Facebook and shoot him a message for access to a folder filled with wacky stuff he's worked on (full disclosure...and even some stuff that I've worked on).

Also, if you'd just like to see more of what J.R. is all about, you can check out his DeviantArt page here.

Monstrous Monday: Three more Vrakkig beasts...

Some more critters drawn by my pal JR Mounts for summoning, Duel Masters-style, by the Card-caster class.  (You can see more of his creations in my Monstrous Monday posts from the last three weeks...!)  HD is in the upper left, AC (ascending from 10) in the lower right...

Monstrous Monday: More beasts to summon...!

Even more of the beasties created by my pal JR Mounts for summoning, Duel Masters-style, by the Card-caster class.  (You can see more of his creations in my Monstrous Monday posts from last week and the week before...!)

Monstrous Monday: More critters for the Card-caster

Here are a few more of the beasts dreamed up by my buddy JR Mounts for summoning by the Card-caster class.  (Be sure to check out the ones I posted last week, too...you just might dig 'em...!)

The Card-caster class (for OSR games)

On Monday, I posted a few of the beasts that JR Mounts drew for me to use as summoned creatures for a class that performs magic from a deck of cards.  The Card-caster class is part of my contribution to the Tenkar's Landing crowdsourced hexcrawl project...a part of the contribution that is probably so superfluous to the point of the project that it will never be used by anyone, but a part of it nonetheless.

As I actually did put some effort into making the class balanced and suitable for dueling (once a sufficient number of cards are created), though, I wanted to also share it here.  Any and all feedback is welcomed, of course...I love the idea of turning this into its own little minigame within a campaign, and I'm sure there are a lot of possibilities I failed to consider!

New class:  Card-caster

Card-casters are students of the art of card battling, known in the local Hobgoblin tongue as vrakkig.  They are capable of harnessing magic using a deck of specially crafted playing cards.  While many scholars mock these arcane warriors as incapable of “true” magic, they have been known to hold their own against those who wield the powers of many other traditions.

Hit Dice and saves: as Cleric.

Advancement, combat, weapons and armor: as Magic-user.

Card-casters maintain a collection of playing cards that enable them to cast spells and summon creatures from beyond the realm.  This collection may include any cards found, bought, or traded for by the character.  Each morning, they will prepare a deck from among the cards in their collection and shuffle this deck well.

Card-casters must have a number of cards in their deck equal to three times their Card-caster level.  By choice or necessity, any number of these cards may be copies of the card “Next!”  It is a Level 1 Spell that simply reads “Draw a card,” and is known among Card-casters and collectors as a super-ultra-basic-common…that is, there are tons of them around, and no one would really mind if a Card-caster just made their own copies anyway.  Other than “Next!”, all cards in a Card-caster’s deck must have unique names.  All but ONE (at maximum) card must have a Card Level equal to or less than the Card-caster’s level.

At the point in the day in which a Card-caster wishes to initiate card battling, they immediately draw an opening hand equal to ½ their Card-caster level, rounded down (minimum of 1 card).  At the beginning of each subsequent round, they draw one card from the top of the deck and are then able to take their action or actions for the round.  Attempting to cast a card takes one round of action.  A Card-caster may, in place of attempting to cast a card, discard as many cards as desired and draw that many.

Those casting a card (including other adventurers who come into possession of magical cards) have a casting power = 10 + their Card-caster level.  Cards have a Level equal to Hit Dice of the monster or the number indicated in the upper left corner of a spell card.  When a card is cast, roll 1d20 and add the card’s Level.  If the result is higher than the caster’s casting power, the card fizzles.  Once a casting attempt is carried out, whether or not it is successful, the card is sent to the “discard pile,” an interdimensional pocket that keeps cards in near-mint condition until they are accessed again the next morning.  (All cards discarded for any other reason also go here.)  The one exception to this is when a monster is returned to its realm of origin, in which case the monster’s card returns to the hand of its summoner.

When the deck is depleted, the character cannot cast any more cards unless something happens to put discarded cards back into the deck.  Summoned monsters return to their realm, and all spell effects end, 1 hour after last card is drawn from the deck.

As a general rule, summoned monsters deal 1d6 damage and have d6 Hit Dice.  Damage on all cards is listed in terms of d6.  (These can be changed to d8’s for games of a basic or advanced nature.)

Cards used by Card-casters may have a back that looks something like this, although characters are known to be able to change the appearance of their cardbacks by all sorts of magical means.  (Icon on cardback made by Lorc.  Available on http://game-icons.net.)

(Oh, and here are a couple of the non-monster cards featuring JR's art...I'll keep sharing them over the course of the next couple of weeks...!)

Monstrous Monday: Monsters summoned by JR Mounts

I haven't done much in the way of Monstrous Monday posts in a while, but I realized lately that I'm sitting on a stack of beasts that people might enjoy seeing on here.  I took part in the Tenkar's Landing crowdsourced hexcrawl project (which looks to be nearing a milestone of completion, actually!), and one of the hexes I got to play with included a cloister dedicated to the martial art of card battling (or vrakkig, as it's known in the native hobgoblin tongue).  I thought it'd be fun to actually work out a Card-caster class and come up with some cards they might use in their battles (and which PCs might stumble upon in their travels).  As I often do, I hit up my pal JR Mounts to see if he'd want to do some artwork for me to use on the cards.

As usual, JR completely outdid himself in coming to my aid, and so I want to show some of the cards off here.  Rules-wise, they're all pretty simple...they have to fit onto a playing card, after all...and the layout is similarly uncomplicated.  HD is shown in the upper left, AC (ascending from 10) in the lower right.

I'd like to feature a few beasts each week; I'll give the details of the Card-caster class soon...!

Be sure to check out JR's site to see more of his work, by the way.  These are pretty much doodles, and he does some really awesome stuff that more people ought to see!

Dungeonstack A to Z: Zombie Mob

And finally, we come to Zed.  Really, what else could I include here?  I'm building a dungeon, after all...

I'm not completely sold that this should be a Monster card as opposed to an Event that just has you put some Zombies into play; this one may switch soon.

And with that...wow...we complete the alphabet and the challenge!  A very big "thank you" to anyone and everyone who has stopped by this month.  I hope you've gotten at least some mild entertainment...and if you've happened to enjoy it, please stay tuned, as I think I'll be following up on this project quite a bit in the coming weeks...!

(Oh!  And please let me take this chance to point out one blog that I failed to highlight with a "tribute card" this month, but that I'll hopefully target as I expand the game a bit more.  Celia over at WordWacker had a very simple but cool theme for the month...a geeky haiku riddle for each letter.  WordWacker is another blog that I discovered through the A to Z this year, and I've enjoyed stopping by to check out the riddles.

Also, I'm actually scheduling this post ahead of time...quite out of character, I know...and I'm kind of hoping Celia will go with Zombie for Z so this can almost-sort-of-coincidentally-but-not-really count as a shout-out in card form...!)

Dungeonstack A to Z: Young Minotaur

I think I'm going to finish up the A to Z challenge with a couple of final monsters that can be used as simple, basic villains for the Dungeonstack.  Like this fellow...

I like having this guy (multiples, almost undoubtedly) as a throwback to the "basic" monster I used in one of my earlier experiments with card-based dungeoneering:

And so, tomorrow we close out the alphabet.  See you then!

Dungeonstack A to Z: Xenos the Wanderer

The good thing about having a topic like mine for the A to Z blogging challenge is that when you hit a tough letter like X, you can just make up a name for a character.

So...here's the last of the "basic" classes to be used as a Hero in the Dungeonstack, the rogue Xenos:

(Skills in Dungeonstack will be handled via Xd6-roll-under...ranks in a skill subtract dice from the roll.  A simple application of this can be seen on the card Locked!  For more info on the class structures I used to build these Heroes, you may want to look over my alternate...and somewhat simplified...classes for Swords & Wizardry Light.)

Wow...just two days to go now!

Dungeonstack A to Z: Witch of the Otherside

With hardly any time to spare...I am momentarily caught up once again in the A to Z challenge with this entry for "W"...

On this one:

That name...I'm thinking of the Otherside as some version of the Celtic Otherworld...which, of course, has some analogues in other belief systems...

Although just about anyone who spends enough time online to come across my little blog will probably recognize that this card is a nod to the RPG blogosphere stalwart that is The Other Side.  +Timothy Brannan does some awesome work over there, giving great snippets of D&D history while consistently bringing something new to the game (one of his favorite muses: witches!).  Oh, and he seems like a nice guy to boot.  Tim isn't doing the A to Z this year, but he's tackled it multiple times in the past (along with being part of the crew that keeps the challenge rolling).  So, overall, a tip of the hat from this blogger...and you should check him out sometime...!

Oh!  And I very rudely left this out in the tired state I posted in last night...big thanks to Justin of Halls of the Nephilim for his advice on a "witchy" ability that would be simple enough to fit onto a card.  It's awesome having this online community as a think tank!

Dungeonstack A to Z: The Venerable August MacMulligan

Trying to quickly play catch-up in the A to Z challenge once again.  (This year's definitely had some timing snags!)

Here's another Hero card.  He represents the 4th class in the game, and yes, he's definitely a relative of April (just have to figure out how sometime)...

And like the 9 Realms' Guardian, he has a "cheat card" for the magic he wields...

Please join me tomorrow...or maybe today, let's see...as things get a little witchy around here...!

Dungeonstack A to Z: Undead Infestation

Going into today's Dungeonstack entry, I knew I wanted to make something undead...something that would give some importance to The Good Doctor's Crypt, and the ability to turn undead, and having Undead as a preferred enemy of a Scout.

And then at some point, I thought, "Why not just turn a bunch of monsters into the undead?"  So I made this:

I hope to roll out at least one more legitimate undead enemy before the month is out.

Thanks for stopping by!  I'd love it if you'd join me tomorrow, when another of April's relatives will be revealed...!

Dungeonstack A to Z (double!): Tavern Bouncer and Tome of Adventure

As the A to Z blogging challenge enters its final week, I've realized that I'm going to need to double-dip once or twice in order to hit on all of the items I want to cover.  Today is one of those days, with a classic Two-for-...Monday.

First up is a Monster card...

It probably won't surprise many people who happen upon this blog to hear that this is a nod to the OSR watering hole known as Tenkar's Tavern.  As I've noted, my intention with "tribute cards" this month was to focus on some other bloggers taking part in the A to Z challenge, but I had a hard time not giving some sort of tip of the hat to the locale that serves as the hub of the online gaming community for a lot of OSR types.  And once I pieced that picture together from a couple of public domain images...well, I kinda liked it, so we got the Bouncer!  If you're one of the few people who somehow finds themselves reading my blog without knowing anything about the Tavern, you should go check it out!  It's a very friendly place (as long as you don't screw people over on a Kickstarter).

Oh, so why is this tavern bouncer wandering a dungeon and fighting the Heroes that come through?  Eh, not sure...but it's probably better not to worry about that until his war hammer is no longer a threat.

On we go!  Card #2 today is another Item to find in the Dungeonstack, and a little salute to another A-to-Z'er...

While almost certainly a more subtle shout-out than some I've managed this month, I hope that won't make you any less inclined to check out the good stuff that Stuart and the team have to offer over at Lloyd of Gamebooks, a great blog covering anything and everything having to do with participatory fiction and related endeavors.  It's pretty awesome to see how much passion people have for that art form!

Thanks for reading, and please come back tomorrow as I try to give The Good Doctor's Crypt a worthy denizen...!

Dungeonstack A to Z (extra): 23rd Legionnaire

This month has gone by way too fast!

Hmm.  Well, I've included a bugbear, but I haven't yet put a regular old goblin into the Dungeonstack, so it's time to correct that...

I guess this isn't a regular old goblin, as he's a legionnaire.  I thought it was one of the coolest things ever when WotC printed Goblin Legionnaire, their first Goblin Soldier for MtG, back in the Apocalypse expansion...

...and since, on these A to Z "off days," I've struggled a little coming up with names incorporating the date rather than a letter...well, it all just came together for this little guy.

Join me tomorrow for more fun with placing a monster's image on top of a background it clearly doesn't fit...!

Dungeonstack A to Z: Spells

This is really just a bit of a "bookkeeping" card, but as I'd like for everything in the Dungeonstack to be playable from the cards themselves (once the basic rules are known), I thought it was important to include.  Here's reminder text for the spells known by the Heroic Mage presented earlier, the 9 Realms' Guardian (worded with the card game in mind):

I may look to spice up the presentation at some point, but at the moment I think it's pretty functional, looks decent when trimmed...

...and matches up nicely with its associated hero.

I hope to present another magic-wielding Hero before the month is over, so I'll be sure to make a spell card for her or him, too.

Dungeonstack A to Z: Ruinous Pact

As I've mentioned before, I think the Event cards in the Dungeonstack are going to be one of the more difficult card types both to design and to make worthwhile to anyone who wants to use the cards for a purpose other than just playing the game outright...which is a minor design goal for me, to make the cards useful as OSR gaming tools by themselves.  I think that one of the ways of approaching this may be to think of effects that fit simply onto a single card and hold a bit of flavor that might put some ideas into a GM's head.  Maybe something like this...

Maybe.

I mean, the idea will probably work nicely in the card game.  And maybe...maybe...things like this can make a referee think a bit about what sort of magic-user would enchant a room like this...and why...

Definitely gonna have to put some thought into this.

Also, a tip of the hat with this card (however subtle it may have ended up being) to Paul over at The Iron Pact!  Paul keeps up a top-notch blog focused solely on stuff for the Swedish dark fantasy RPG Symbaroum.  I wasn't familiar with either the blog or the RPG before this year's A to Z challenge, but I'm glad it brought them to my attention, because they both seem pretty outstanding!  Lots of fantastically presented grimness to be found...so if that sounds like your type of thing, definitely check them out!

Dungeonstack A to Z: Quiet Hall(s)

The 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge marches on to the letter Q...and I march on toward regularly posting my contributions on time!

Today is another Room card...much like the Interior Walkway, it's fairly straightforward and comes in a couple of varieties...

Something to note here: I really need to figure out which words I'm going to capitalize in card text.  I like capitalizing "Heroes," as it's a specific thing (and a card type) that has meaning in the game...but really, so is "room," and if I'm not careful I'm just going to end up capitalizing everything.  Gotta think on it...

Dungeonstack A to Z: Potion of Cure Light Wounds

Since I'm trying to get caught up on the A to Z Challenge in the midst of a work trip, I'd be crazy not to take advantage of the times when the letter of the day gives me an obvious choice for a really simple card to make.  (Wouldn't I?  I'm not completely sold, but here we go...)

Hrm.  With that in mind, I present another very simple Item for the letter P:

I know!  I'll spice this post up with a caption...
Just print at 2.75" x 3.75" and cut along dotted lines.
Collect 'em all!

That is all.

Maybe something more interesting will come to me tomorrow...?

Post edited to include an updated card...added italics and the "+1"...

Dungeonstack A to Z: Ogre Freebooter

Late as usual (hrmph)...here's a Dungeonstack card for the letter O...

A dual-wielding ogre pirate ought to fit in just fine.  I'm not sure about making him a Giant type, but it does let him work well with the abilities of Nat Twinny.

Also, I should maybe think about spicing up the background of that image...

Now, back to playing catch-up...!