How to Use Cards in D&D 4E

Using Cards as a Player

• 1

  Choose your character's At-Will, Encounter, Daily and Utility powers from the relevant section of the "Player's Handbook."

• 2

  Copy each power onto an index card. Be sure to include all the relevant information: what type of power it is, what type of action it uses, such as standard or full round, what equipment you need -- a melee or ranged weapon -- and what its effect is.

• 3

  Write the information for each magic item your character possesses onto an index card. This will help you remember important information, such as damage bonuses or magic effects, if you don't have enough room on your character sheet to write it all down.

• 4

  Refer to the cards as you play. After you use a Daily or Encounter power, set it aside until you're able to use it again. This will help you keep track of what powers you have available to use. Store the cards with your character sheet so they don't get lost.

Using Cards as a Dungeon Master

• 5

  Write down each character's name on a separate index card. Note important aspects of the character, such as Armor Class and Fortitude, Reflex and Willpower Defenses. This will help speed up combat because you won't have to constantly check with players to determine whether a monster's attack was a hit.

• 6

  Create an index card for each monster or group of identical monsters in an encounter. Make note of all their stats, weapons and special abilities, and write down the monsters' initiative. This will help you keep all the information about monsters in an easily accessible place.

• 7

  Pass out the character cards to the players at the beginning of each encounter. Have each player write her initiative on the card, then collect the cards and put them in order along with the monster cards. This will help prevent the confusion that happens when players shout out their initiative rolls all at once.

• 8

  Move each card to the back of the stack when the character's or monster's turn is up. Note effects and conditions, such as spells that last more than one round, on the cards. This will help you keep track of everything that's going on in combat and let you make easy adjustments to the initiative order if necessary, for example, if a player holds an action.