Inspired by a brief discussion with the former GM of Take 2.

The biggest reason, for me, is that it just doesn’t make sense.

Paid-for items should only get lost because of story reasons.

Trump decks get lost. Trump decks get thrown off the sides of mountains and never get seen again. Trump decks get stolen. This is all right out of the books.

Contrast the treatment of Trump decks with the treatment of Grayswandir. Corwin loses it, yes – but he regains it every time. He never regains the lost Trump decks.

Paid-for items belong to the one that created them.

Dworkin supposedly created all of these decks. So are we to believe that he let Oberon imprision him without threatening or actually taking away the Trump decks he had created? No mention is made of that, and considering how casual Dworkin was being while he thought Corwin was Oberon… it should have come up. What was given can be revoked, and a madman with cosmic power is just the one to do it.

Paying for standard Trump decks unreasonably skews the value of Trump Artistry.

No, really.

Angela has the standard deck. She paid 2 points.

Ben has a standard deck, too, but he’s been adding cards – Rebma, the Grove of the Unicorn, his favorite cabana, whatever. He paid 2 points.

Who got the better deal here? Someone that got a deck handed to them, or someone that took the deck handed to them and elaborated on it?

Who has the better deal in the long run, when Angela’s lucky enough to acquire a card or two? Ben, who made ALL of his own additions, or Angela, who just found (or begged/borrowed/stole) a few extras?

What’s the point?

Here’s the second big reason: Paying for a Trump Deck regardless of whether you have Trump Artistry is counter to the actual text of the cost.

Please see the italicized sentence below:

Personal Trump Deck. As with other point artifacts, a personal trump deck becomes innately connected to the character. This means that, if lost, the deck can always be sought in Shadow. The cards of the Personal Trump Deck are limited to those created by the Trump Artist. Once the personal deck is created, the Trump Artist can add in any cards they create without additional cost (however, this applies only to cards created by the Trump Artist). Multiple copies of personal decks, bought with “Named and Numbered” (total cost times two), can be shared with other characters. Costs 2 points.

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