Odd

Luck
Charms
A playing card RPG
By Jason Tocci
We call them “objects.”
No one knows where they came from, or
why they do what they do. A bottle that
stores opinions; maternity jeans that grant
diplomatic immunity; a lighter that
explodes the nearest four-door sedan.
Over a hundred have been identified—all
seemingly ordinary, mass-produced items,
manufactured no later than 1993. Each
indestructible, each with a unique effect.
Any reports of specific effects—including
those described in this document—may be
vague, incomplete, or entirely inaccurate.
Most people have no idea objects exist.
Those who do—a loose community of
oddballs and obsessives known for half-
baked heists, ham-handed investigations,
and ill-advised negotiations—are called
“collectors.” Because while one object may
seem useless, a collection of them is
another matter entirely.
Before you play…
Establish roles. One player acts as game
moderator (GM), devising a scenario and
running the world at large. Other players
each play the role of a character they make.
Discuss content. This game is written as a
mix of silly and serious, but there’s quite a
range in there. Do you want to veto killing?
Mind control? (Anyone can veto or suggest
revising/skipping content during play, too.)
Shuffle the deck. Everyone shares a poker
deck. Shuffle in 1 joker and place it face
down; then, cut the deck and put the other
joker near the middle. (For a wackier game,
shuffle both jokers into the top half.)

Ver. 1.0 • Design by Jason Tocci • www.pretendo.games

Playtested by Robert Bohl, Johnathan “Buddha” Davis,
Melissa Degenova, Jess Gleason, Will Hindmarch, Dan
Moren, Jane Ritt, Ryan Schoon, Neal Stidham, Andrea
Taylor, Corrinne Taylor, Genevieve Tocci, Will Wagner.
Rules inspired by Grant Howitt’s Royal Blood.
Choose a goal
Why do the characters hunt objects? Devise
or choose a reason, or the GM might use
one of these for an introductory scenario....
You found out about the objects when your
friend got trapped in The Mirror. According
to a mysterious benefactor, you’ve got to find
a certain set of objects to save them.
After you came into possession of an object,
a secretive organization recruited you to find
more. You can hold onto a few loaners, but
for the good of the world—or to avoid their
ire—you must turn over any others you find.
A stranger thrust The Plush Alligator into
your arms, and now you’re on the run for the
crimes they committed. Dive into the weird
world of collectors to clear your name.
You heard about a stapler that gives super‐
powers. You and your friends are the kind of
goofballs who’d quit their jobs to find it.
Create characters
Each player (besides the GM) creates a
character to play. For each, define.....
Traits: Come up with 2 phrases implying
what the character might be good at, or
draw once each on “Backgrounds” and
“Idiosyncrasies” (next 2 pages). Avoid broad,
obviously useful traits like Rich or Athletic
in favor of specific, quirky descriptors.
Object: Draw once randomly from the
“Objects” list at the end of this booklet
(unless your first scenario will introduce
the characters to the weird world of the
collectors). Characters are assumed to have
common items, like phones and clothes,
but most things can be declared in play.
(See “Using Traits,” in a few pages.)
Name & pronouns: Make them up, or check
out Jason Morningstar’s The Story Games
Names Project for a handy resource.
Backgrounds
A Intramural softball league MVP
2 Palmist & astrologer
3 Recovering academic
4 Former salesperson of the month
5 Birthday-party magician
6 Harried dog-walker
7 Highly rated ride-share driver
8 Nearly undefeated pub trivia champ
9 Backyard wrestling enthusiast
10 Longtime roadie
J Food service industry veteran
Q Minor online video personality
K Unemployed computer geek
Idiosyncrasies
A An outfit for every occasion
2 Pathetic puppy-dog eyes
3 An extremely unnerving stare
4 Takes paintball very seriously
5 Practices with nunchucks
6 Friends in strange places
7 Way too many power tools
8 A knack for pissing people off
9 Only arrested a couple times so far
10 Pocketfuls of random junk
J Nicknamed “Funwrecker”
Q A winning smile
K Kind of a baffling résumé
How to play
The GM sets the scene. Players describe
what their characters do. If there’s no risk,
the GM describes how the situation
changes, and asks, “What do you do?”
When a character attempts something
risky, the GM can call for them to draw a
card from the poker deck. (After any draw,
put the card into a discard pile.) Based on
the card’s value, the GM interprets whether
the character gets what they want.
2–5 No, and things get worse.
6–10 Yes, but only partly, or at a cost.
JQK Yes, it goes off without a hitch.
Ace Yes, and there’s an extra benefit.
When a new scene begins—like skipping
ahead in time, or changing location—draw
a card. If it’s not a joker, play continues.
Whenever a joker is drawn, something
weird happens. (We’ll get back to that.)
Using traits
When you face a risk, you can describe how
one or more traits help. Draw an extra card
for each trait used, and keep the best result.
When you need a lucky break, you can
declare how a trait provides a resource or
helped you plan ahead. Need a big van? The
longtime roadie knows a guy. Cornered by
thugs? Having friends in strange places
means one is a buddy from your air hockey
league. Only arrested a couple times so far?
Well of course you brought a grappling
hook. Anyone at the table can veto or
suggest edits to a declaration that seems
inappropriate or repetitive. (Not everyone
can be in your air hockey league.)
After you use a trait, it can’t be used again
until after your character passes time
resting—e.g., grabbing a meal, hanging out
with friends, or sleeping overnight. The GM
should hint at consequences of delay, if any.
How objects work
When an object is nearby, anyone can
sense its presence. The specifics vary, but
some describe it as a soft, tickling feeling in
the back of the mind—a kind of “psychic
umami.” This can be muffled by sealing the
object in a ziplock bag.
When a new object is discovered, the GM
decides exactly how it works. (Many objects’
effects in this booklet are intentionally
open to interpretation, and any reported
effect may be only a rumor.) Characters
might need to experiment to figure out how
to use it. Once you know how to use it, you
can use it anytime.
When an object is activated nearby, draw a
card. The next time any object is used, draw
2. Then 3. And so on. Reset the count to 1 the
next day. If no jokers are drawn, the object
acts as expected, and play continues.
Drawing jokers
When the BLACK joker is drawn, a new
object appears in the scene.
When the RED joker is drawn, an object
unexpectedly activates, gets dropped,
and/or rolls away, as if trying to “escape.”
When BOTH JOKERS are drawn due to use
of an object, it interacts with another object
within arm’s length. Using these together
predictably creates a new effect (impro‐
vised by the GM, or drawn from the “Object
interactions” spread). If the non-joker cards
drawn include a 3 of a kind, 3-straight, 3-
flush, or greater, multiple objects interact—
3 objects for a 3-card combo, 4 for 4 cards,
etc. The more objects involved, the greater
the effect—a B-list superhero at 2, perhaps,
but fast approaching godhood with more.
After any jokers are drawn, reshuffle all
discards back into the poker deck.
Moderating the game
Prepare scenarios: Don’t plan linear plots;
present open-ended problems, and react as
players muddle through. Improvising is
easier if you go into each session with an
object the group needs, and why (to save a
friend, trade for info, seal away safely, etc.);
people like the object’s owner, contacts to
serve as leads, and/or a rival; places they
might follow leads to; and possibly a twist.
Make stuff up: Invent your own object
effects, traits, and antagonists. Fill gaps in
the rules with tentative rulings; check in
during breaks to revise them (retroactively
or for next time) if anybody was unsatisfied.
Frame scenes: Fast-forward through spans
of nothing important happening, skipping
to opportunities for meaningful action.
Don’t start them at home and ask them how
they find Lazarby; start with, “You’re tailing
Lazarby when he enters a bar....”
Telegraph possible results: When players
describe what they want to do, let them
know if an action is impossible, needs to be
broken down into smaller steps, demands
an unavoidable cost, or presents a poten‐
tially avoidable risk. They only draw for the
last of these. Be generous with information.
Give opportunities to alter course.
Conclude the session: Wrap up just after a
goal is achieved, or else on a twist,
cliffhanger, or group laughter. If you expect
to play again, any player who didn’t call dibs
on a new object can replace or improve a
trait for next time. That weirdo who prac‐
tices with nunchucks could be scary with
nunchucks, in time.
Make the game yours: The rest of this
booklet offers tables of elements to help
prep scenarios. Use what you like; modify
or ignore the rest. You got this.
People
A Elton Lazarby, paranoid collector
2 Detective Cruz, gets the weird cases
3 Kaczka, broker specializing in objects
4 Benny Woo, organized crime boss
5 Deedee, Mags, & Charlie—bumbling
collectors, in over their heads
6 Janelle Warner, tracks objects from
her desk at the DMV; will help for a fee
7 Weirdos in silver bodysuits claiming
to be from the future
8 Chuck Masters, ruthless collector,
owner of several car dealerships
9 Shiva, feared collector, believed to
have some of The Playing Cards
10 Containment, a group that works to
hide every object for the safety of all
J Dominare, a cult seeking to combine
every object and overthrow God
Q The Order of Saint Anthony, rumored
to report directly to the Vatican
K “The Curator,” whoever that is
Descriptors for people
A Bleak laugh A Beard/makeup
2 Calls you “bud” 2 Big body
3 Creepy smile 3 Colorful hair
4 Formal 4 Expressive eyes
5 Goofy laugh 5 Injury/scarring
6 Grim as hell 6 Lots of jewelry
7 Hums softly 7 Round body
8 Mutters 8 Runny nose
9 Nervous tic 9 Shaved head
10 Pensive 10 Slight build
J Sarcastic J Striking features
Q Terse Q Tattoos
K Thick accent K Wrinkles

♠ Hostile ♠ Well-worn outfit

♥ Wary ♥ Tacky outfit
♣ Neutral ♣ Stylish outfit
♦ Friendly ♦ Expensive outfit

JOKER Dim collector JOKER Has an object

JOKER Savvy collector JOKER Wants yours
Places
A Beautiful A Apartment
2 Busy 2 Bank
3 Colorful 3 Bar/club
4 Huge 4 Dockyard
5 Noisy 5 Gas station
6 Modern 6 Local landmark
7 Old 7 Mansion
8 Plain 8 Motel/hotel
9 Quiet 9 Office building
10 Remote 10 Public park
J Retro J Suburban house
Q Tacky Q Transit station
K Tiny K Warehouse

♠ Foreboding ♠ Crumbling
♥ Inaccessible ♥ Worn
♣ Open, at least ♣ Well maintained
♦ Welcoming ♦ Pristine

JOKER Subtle oddity JOKER Hidden object

JOKER Blatant oddity JOKER Displayed object
Twists
A A bitter rival is after the same object
2 A third party wants to pay you to get it
3 Someone virtuous uses it to save lives
4 It’s a fake … or is it?
5 It’s moving—maybe in an armored car
6 An interaction between this object
and another is wreaking havoc locally
7 An unwitting person owns the object,
and collectors are freaking them out
8 An auction will soon see the object go
to the highest bidder (i.e., not you)
9 Police seized the object as part of an
investigation, now in evidence lockup
10 A huge pile of visually identical items
makes it a giant pain to find
J The object’s effect is much more
dangerous than expected
Q You’re trapped in a building,
surrounded by cops (again)
K Rumors of “the apocalypse” surround
this object—maybe just rumors, but....
Objects

♠
A The Pen sinks 4.67 cm into whatever
it's thrown at
2 The Pocket Knife allows its bearer to
perform parkour as long as they
scream at the top of their lungs
3 The Kazoo dispatches a SWAT team to
its location when blown
4 The Lighter, when flicked, explodes
the nearest 4-door sedan
5 The Nail File causes small animals to
rain from the sky
6 The Compact can be used to commu‐
nicate through the mirror of any
public restroom
♠
7 The Floppy Disk appears to be a
convincing badge for “Inspector #9”
8 The Digital Watch makes whatever
limb it’s on safely detachable
9 The Trowel attracts birds that desper‐
ately seek to impress
10 The Sandpaper makes its bearer
utterly fascinating to people in
uniform
J The Staple Gun grants super speed, or
tetanus, until the staple falls out
Q The Scissors can cut holes that might
lead to outer space
K The Umbrella provides a sense of
closure, and also laryngitis
Objects

♥
A The Guitar convinces whoever hears it
that dogs just went extinct
2 The Sponge absorbs light, and
squeezes out its bearer’s saliva
3 The Backpack stores and retrieves
items from a coat check in Duluth
4 The Calculator makes its bearer hear
all nearby people’s thoughts as
undifferentiated shouts
5 The Spoon can powerfully attract all
nearby ferromagnetic items
6 The Radio plays static that causes
weightlessness
7 The Flashlight disintegrates matter
according to unknown criteria
♥
8 The Egg Timer induces retching in
whoever hears it go off
9 The Hairbrush emits an extremely
annoying, high-pitched whine
10 The Bottle can remove and store one
opinion until reopened
J The Toothbrush can open any lock; it
takes 5 hours, 12 minutes, 8 seconds
Q The Fork slices cleanly through fabrics
when swung as if it were a blade 0.98
meters long
K The Briefcase opens to reveal a fresh
plate of pasta, every time
Objects

♣
A The Eyeglasses show whatever the
nearest brown-eyed person sees
2 The Right Shoe allows its wearer hop
along any surface, at any angle
3 The Belt makes whatever it wraps
around glow bright green
4 The Teething Ring transports its
bearer to the moon while it’s bitten
5 The T-Shirt makes strangers think
they know, but can’t recall, its wearer’s
name
6 The Bathrobe makes its wearer invis‐
ible, but also sightless
7 The Sunglasses reveal those who
recently had a birthday or committed
murder
♣
8 The Maternity Jeans grant their
wearer diplomatic immunity
9 The Left Shoe allows its wearer to walk
backward though mineral matter
10 The Wedding Ring allows its wearer to
safely bite through and eat most
metals
J The Glove allows its wearer to snap
their fingers to trigger alarms
Q The Coat replaces its wearer’s left
hand with 3 tentacles of something
terrifying
K The Bandana causes its wearer to
exhale blue smoke, and grants them
the ability lift anything with a gas
engine
Objects

♦
A The Coffee Mug causes a sudden rash
whenever someone tells a lie
2 The Iron can heal gunshot wounds by
bashing the shins
3 The Plush Alligator sows discord in its
wake
4 The Softball moves whoever catches it
13 minutes, 7 seconds forward in time
5 The Rubber Band teleports whoever
shoots it to wherever it lands
6 The Keychain enables—and
compels—its bearer to survive
dangerous falls
7 The Snow Globe can make a person
blurt out a random, private detail
♦
8 The Bar of Soap allows its bearer to
heat their skin to 103°C
9 The Dryer Sheet makes its bearer
extremely persuasive while rhyming
10 The Die breaks the nearest femur
when it rolls a prime number
J The Penny fills everyone nearby with a
powerful desire to punch its bearer
Q The Ceramic Pig makes people drop
things
K The Key is known to exist, but its effect
has yet to be determined
2-object interactions
A Slowly freeze anything you blow on
2 Know the name of everyone you see
3 Bare skin clings to walls like a spider
4 Levitate self at walking speed
5 Turn invisible until you blink or wink
6 One finger can poke through anything
7 Safely jump up to 2 stories high
8 Nothing can knock you off your feet
9 Resist all harm while standing still
10 Immune to effects of other objects
J Hold breath to become intangible
Q Move small objects with a thought
K Animals attack anyone nearby who
thinks ill of you
3-object interactions
A Control the weather nearby
2 Disintegrate a person with a glance
3 Teleport anywhere within several km
4 Create lifelike illusions from memory
5 Move faster than the eye can follow
6 Strength and durability of a backhoe
7 Touch to cure any injury or ailment
8 Be in two places at once
9 Manipulate gravity nearby
10 Touch anything to “read” its history
J Control machines like puppets
Q People feel compelled to help you
K Exert telekinesis strong enough to
hurl a car
No one knows where they came from, or
why they do what they do.

Every object seems ordinary, but each

one is … odd. Unique. Just like the
collectors who hunt for them.

Just like you.

2+ players, 1 acting as GM

1–4 hours per session

Suitable for one-shots or longer arcs

♠ Requires one poker deck with jokers