One thing that Paizo does really well to support their Pathfinder Second Edition and Starfinder content is providing additional physical accessories that you can pick up to enhance the games at your table! They’re always releasing cards and accessories that go along with their recent book releases and adventure paths.
There are four main Paizo products that I want to review with this installment: the Pathfinder Abomination Vaults Battle Cards, the Pathfinder Book of the Dead Battle Cards, the Pathfinder Fists of the Ruby Phoenix Battle Cards, and the Pathfinder Relics Deck.
Lots of Battle Cards are on the docket, it seems! I’m a bit behind in getting a review out on each of these, but usually for the accessories I wait until I have a couple in-hand and then review them all at once. Sorry for the wait!
Let’s check ’em out!
Pathfinder 2E Abomination Vaults Battle Cards
So the first product on the list today is the set of Pathfinder Abomination Vaults Battle Cards. This product contains 200 cards that supplement your enjoyment of the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path for Pathfinder 2E. However, this isn’t something that a player of that adventure should pick up because it’s FILLED with spoilers! This is for Gamemasters Only.
What I really like about these Battle Cards is that they are literally a one-stop-shop for all of the statblocks and art that you need to run the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path. When I’m running a session, I can pick out the cards that are relevant to the day and leave the rest at home. Not only does it keep my backpack light, but I can also use them as flashcards to brush up on before the session begins without having the reference the books.
I’ve also used them as ways to help track initiative, either by clipping them to the top of the GM screen or by using them as a deck of cards with the Player’s mixed in. Tons of utility here.
As always, the art on the Battle Cards is exceptional, with bordering and templating that suits the overall feel of the sprawling dungeon crawl of the adventure. The cards are also nice and big so that you can easily show them off to the table.
If you’re running Abomination Vaults, then these Battle Cards are exactly the kind of thing you can pick up to cut down on your prep and wow your players with amazing visuals.
Pathfinder 2E Book of the Dead Battle Cards
Onto Battle Cards number two! The Book of the Dead Battle Cards for Pathfinder 2E are also geared towards Gamemasters. The way I see it, these Battle Cards are in the same vein as the Bestiary Battle Cards in that every creature represented in the Pathfinder Second Edition Book of the Dead supplement are present here. So why would you need this? It’s not like you’re running an adventure from the book…right?
If you are putting together an undead-themed campaign, or using the Book of the Dead heavily as you prepare your adventure, then these Battle Cards will give you a visual leg-up at your table. Also, I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have a hard time actually picturing what these creatures look like, and the Battle Cards solve that problem entirely.
Sometimes I just like to sort through the Battle Cards and pick out all of the creatures that really catch my eye. How can I work them into a campaign or into an encounter? Or maybe there’s a character concept in there that I can glob onto. There are tons of applications for these Battle Cards.
Gamemasters into skeletons, zombies, spooks, and ghouls will have a lot to pore over with these cards, and they make a really exceptional pairing to fans of the Book of the Dead.
Pathfinder 2E Fists of the Ruby Phoenix Battle Cards
Just like the Battle Cards for the Abomination Vaults, the Pathfinder Fists of the Ruby Phoenix Battle Cards are strictly for Gamemasters running the Fists of the Ruby Phoenix Adventure Path. If you’re a player – stay away or else all of the secrets of the adventure will be ruined!
The concept of the Fists of the Ruby Phoenix adventure is that you’re fighting in a high-stakes tournament against so many different kinds of enemies. As such, there’s a really nice variety of battle cards in this mix that will keep your players guessing. I also feel like the artwork on these cards is exceptionally well-done, even for Paizo’s high standards.
I’m also particular to the adventure and these Battle Cards because they have a good number of goblins present, and goblins are my jam. Something I should also note is that these Battle Cards are pre-sorted alphabetically instead of by encounter. That means you’ll always easily be able to find what you’re looking for without much fuss.
Pathfinder 2E Relics Deck
The last product I want to highlight is the Pathfinder Relics Deck. This is a much smaller product in comparison to the Battle Cards, as it’s comprised of 108 standard-sized cards. Now I’ll be first to admit that I’m not as well-versed in the Relic rules for Pathfinder Second Edition, but after looking through these cards I feel like a have a better grasp on them.
Relics are magic items that change over time, gaining more abilities and powers over time. There are also relics known as relic seeds, which are only partially physical, that become attached to a character in a similar way.
This deck of cards contains 84 different Relic powers that you could grant to relics in your games, and the other 24 cards are relic seeds. The cards are also assigned various tags like Earth or Death, if you wish to keep a similar theme with a specific relic.
What I really like about this deck is that it’s just a really good magic-item generator! A lot of the relic powers are reskins of existing spells or abilities, but they provide the framework for attaching those to a stick. Plus, there are varying levels of power with these, making sure that you have the ability to scale the relics with your players.
Paizo January Product Review: Final Thoughts
Every Paizo product isn’t necessarily geared towards the same people. Some are aimed at helping out GMs, giving them another tool in the box, while others are for players to keep themselves organized. Having that balance is important, and takes away my need to pick up everything that comes out. But if it’s for GMs, that’s my wheelhouse.
Stay tuned for more Paizo news in the coming weeks! Until next time, keep rolling those dice!
Disclaimer: Nerds on Earth was provided a copy of the Fists of the Ruby Phoenix Battle Cards, Book of the Dead Battle Cards, Abomination Vaults Battle Cards, and Relics Deck by Paizo Publishing in exchange for an honest review.