I've been toying around with a card based PnP RPG lately, and was wondering if there were any in existance already (either with tarot or playing cards, would prefer playing cards myself (as tarot cards are mostly used for occult purposes))

The basic idea I had was: Ace is autofail, King is automake, different colors/signs/whatever they're called in english (spades, diamonds, hearts and the last) mean different things (like: elements, but other things are of course possible) and things like the lady could have special effects.

I'm confused. You want to use playing cards in place of a dice? Or you want a system designed around that?

You could probably use a d10 system or something with minimal effort. Take out the 10, Jack and Queen and you've got ten numbers. Take out a few more and you've got a d6.

But I don't think that's what you're after.


Oh, and the other suite is clubs. Hearts, diamonds, spades, clubs.

I want a system designed around that, using the possibilities of suites and perhaps having to draw several cards at once (drawing 2 cards simultaniously from the same deck gives different results than draing 1, shuffling and drawing again (statistically speaking))
Thanks

Hmm. I'd personally try to make my own cardset to control the chances and such. And make it more...fitting.

Like tarot cards or something.

But there is one RPG game that uses a card system, but then it is completely based of cards.
Which is called 'Munchkin'.

A new card set could be used, though it's a bit harder to get than traditional cards. Tarot cards have a connection to the occult, which is why I'd rather not use them.

And munchkin (the card game, not the d20 system) is no RPG, it's a card game making fun of PnP RPGs.

Don't worry about the occult. That's all in people's minds.

As for the card-based RPG, what is the benefit? What does it have that d20 doesn't?

The problem is I'm not allowed to use anything with a connection to the occult, because my parents are very religious.
When drawing multiple cards at the same time you have different results than when drawing 1 each time and reshuffling in between. You can also make use of the suits (like a spell which deals one damage of every success, the damage type dealt depends on the suite of the card used for the succes (Spades: air, Diamonds: earth/acid, Hearts: water/ice, clubs: fire (as an example))

Check out the Marvel SAGA system for ideas (all card-based). It can be a bit simplistic and abstract at times, but it's fun and fast-moving.

Deadlands and by an extension Savage Worlds use a deck of cards for initiative (and in Deadlands for Magic). The same result can be achieved by rolled a d52 then a d51 and so on until all players have "drawn a card".