Mystic Cardshark (3.5e Class)

Mystic Cardshark
The Mystic Cardshark is a channeler of the powerful energies of a well-shuffled deck.

Making a Mystic Cardshark
The Mystic Cardshark has much of the advantages of a cleric or sorcerer, but none of the practicality.

Abilities: Wisdom and Charisma are required for effective casting practices. Intelligence and Dexterity can give your Mystic Cardshark other capacities.

Races: Halflings, Elves, and Gnomes are particularly likely to join in this class, due to its mystical and sly nature.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 100; 4d4&times;10 gp

Starting Age: Moderate

Class Skills, Tome of Prowess Variant (4 per level, ×4 at 1st level) (Cha), (Int), (Int), (Int), (Dex), (Int)

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Mystic Cardshark.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Mystic Cardsharks are proficient with Daggers, Darts, Throwing Cards, and light armor, although they suffer from arcane spell failure while wearing it.

After a full 8-hour rest, the Mystic Cardshark summons a number of cards (which cannot be identified from the back, but are not magical) that correspond to his spells. He cannot pick more cards for each spell than his Maximum Number of Each Card value. Now he has the opportunity to apply metamagic to his cards. He then shuffles those cards together, says some magical words on them, and draws a number of cards equal to his maximum hand size (normally his Base Hand Size plus his Charisma modifier).

The Mystic Cardshark can only play spells that are in his hand. Whenever he plays a spell, the card that corresponds to that spell disappears in a puff of smoke and he may draw a new card from the deck as a move action (unless he has Quick Draw or some other such ability). It is physically impossible to draw a card from the deck while there are a number of cards equal to his maximum hand size out of it.

The Save DC's for a Mystic Cardshark's spells are Wisdom-based.

Mystic Cardsharks know all Sorcerer, Druid, and Cleric spells.

The spell level of spells the Mystic Cardshark casts are not necessarily identical to their spell levels for the Sorcerer, Druid, or Cleric. If the spell is a Sorcerer spell, the Mystic Cardshark uses that spell level. If not but it is a Cleric spell, the Mystic Cardshark uses that spell level. Otherwise, the Mystic Cardshark uses its spell level for Druids.

Universal, Divination, Illusion, and Conjuration spells are cast as though they were one spell level lower.

Evocation and Necromancy spells are cast as though they were one spell level higher.



To do so, he shuffles his hand into his deck and draws up to his maximum hand size as a full-round action.

Epic Mystic Cardshark
Spells: The Mystic Cardshark's maximum hand size increases by 1 every even numbered level.

He ignores all XP and component costs for that card, and casts it as a swift action.







He then shuffles the deck.

Gokiburi Mystic Cardshark Starting Package
Weapons: Dagger or dart.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Feat: Skill Focus (Sleight of Hand).

Gear: Leather armor, deck of ordinary playing cards.

Gold: 70.

Deck: 1 Comprehend Languages, 1 Detect Secret Doors, 1 Detect Undead, 1 True Strike, 1 Disguise Self, 1 Magic Aura, 1 Silent Image, 1 Ventriloquism, 1 Grease, 1 Mage Armor, 1 Mount, 1 Obscuring Mist, 1 Summon Monster I, 1 Unseen Servant, 1 Mage Hand, 1 Speak with Animals, 1 Detect Animals or Plants, 1 Detect Snares and Pits, 1 Cure Light Wounds, 1 Purify Food and Drink, 1 Cure Minor Wounds

Playing a Mystic Cardshark
Religion: Mystic Cardsharks are more likely than other arcane casters to worship a deity, particularly one that influences luck.

Other Classes: Mystic Cardsharks are looked down upon by Wizards and Clerics for their idiotic casting method. Bards tend to see more similarity with them.

Combat: Mystic Cardsharks tend to throw out spells continuously, in the hopes that they will draw one appropriate to the situation.

Advancement: Mystic Cardsharks are arcane casters, so they qualify for arcane prestige classes. Prestige classes focused on Necromancy and Evocation are obviously a bad idea.

Mystic Cardsharks in the World
"Silent Image again? How am I supposed to use this to fight the army of rabid blind monks?"

Mystic Cardsharks often become prophets, fortunetellers, and gamblers.

Daily Life: An ordinary Mystic Cardshark gambler might use Detect Thoughts to get an edge at poker, or Lesser Telepathic Bond to play Bridge really well.

Notables: Timboli Arsanigast, famous savior of the ancient forgotten sunken continent of Ilsalibarikarificus.

Organizations: Most con men don't organize very strongly.

NPC Reactions: Mystic Cardsharks have established a reputation of being cardsharks and con men, so NPC's are unlikely to regard them with a great deal of respect.

Mystic Cardshark Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) can research Mystic Cardsharks to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Mystic Cardsharks in the Game
Mystic Cardsharks fulfill the caster role.

Adaptation: The Tarot Mage, who is functionally identical. The Mystic Dicemonger, who instead writes one spell on each side of a d6, and gets a number of d6's equal to their maximum hand size.