Wizards' Cards (Patreon)

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

This playing card set is a partially complete deck of various cards across four unique suits: air, earth, fire, and water. Each suit has an ace, a 2 through 10, and at least two face cards (which sometimes appear more often than others). You can draw up to 2 cards from the deck using a bonus action, provided you have the hands to do so. When you do, the cards glow briefly before vanishing.

Roll a d4 and d12 for each card you draw. The suit of the card is determined by the d4, which corresponds to a damage type: air (1; lightning), earth (2; thunder), fire (3; fire), or water (4; cold). The kind of card is determined by the d12: ace (1), 2 through 10 (2–10), or a face card (11–12). When you draw a card, record its suit and value: the value of a 2 through 10 is the same as its number, a face card's value is 10, and an ace can be either 1 or 11 (you choose when you draw it each time). The suit and value of each drawn card are magically displayed on the palm or back of your hand (your choice).

You can use an action at any point after drawing cards to release the magic stored within all the drawn cards. When you do, the cards rematerialize and hurtle toward a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking damage equal to the cards' total on a failed save. The target makes the saving throw with disadvantage if the total of the cards is 21. You choose the type of damage dealt, which must be one associated with at least one of the drawn cards' suits.

If the total value of your current drawn cards is ever more than 21, the deck releases a magical explosion. You and any other creature within 5 feet of the deck must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 22 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Roll a d4 to determine the damage's type, using the rules above.

Your current drawn cards are lost if you release the magic stored within them, if the deck explodes, or if you finish a short or long rest.

When found, the deck has 2d20 + 10 random cards in it. It regains 1d10 used cards at random daily at dawn, up to a maximum of 52 cards. If you draw the deck's last card, there's a 50 percent chance that the deck is destroyed.

Wizards make the most explosive games for themselves.