Card Casting 3: Volatile Variance
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A card sleeve is a special magic item which can be applied to a single card in a character’s Card Casting deck. For casting traditions where Card Casting is not represented by a physical deck, card sleeves may be represented by beads on a necklace, decorations sewn into a blanket, or some other small trinket which can be rearranged and reconfigured for variable effects.
A card affected by a card sleeve applies the card sleeve’s enhancement bonus to the caster’s caster level in all spheres used in the card’s effects. Card sleeves may apply their enhancement bonus to item cards created through the Custom Cards feat. A card sleeve’s enhancement bonus functions as if the caster had an implement for the sphere (and would therefore apply its enhancement bonus as a circumstance bonus to the attack rolls and skill checks of a summoned creature rather than increasing the companion’s effective conjuration sphere level).
A card sleeve may be crafted with special abilities as if it were an implement, although a character is only considered to be wielding or wearing a card sleeve as long as they have the sleeved card in their hand, if they have the sleeved card in play, or on the turn where they play the sleeved card.
Just like a magical weapon, a card sleeve has its cost calculated according to its maximum bonus; a card sleeve grants an enhancement bonus from +1 to +5, with a total possible bonus of +10. A card sleeve costs 500 gp x (total bonus) squared.
A card sleeve uses the crafter’s MSB rather than their caster level when determining the maximum caster level card sleeve they can create. The item’s caster level must be at least 3x the enhancement bonus granted by the card sleeve. If the card sleeve has other special abilities applied to it, use the highest caster level. A card sleeve must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus to have any other implement special abilities. Aside from other special abilities, card sleeves can also provide access to specific talents or grant their bonus to one or more additional spheres (although these bonus talents may only be applied to the card which the card sleeve is applied to).
Card sleeves are normally made with the Craft Implement Of Power feat, but can also be made with the Craft Staff feat if you are not using the new crafting feats.
Table: Card Sleeve Pricing| Bonus Equivalent | Base Price (gp) |
|---|---|
| +1 | 500 |
| +2 | 2,000 |
| +3 | 4,500 |
| +4 | 8,000 |
| +5 | 12,500 |
| +6 | 18,000 |
| +7 | 24,500 |
| +8 | 32,000 |
| +9 | 40,500 |
| +10 | 50,000 |
Card Sleeve Special Abilities
The following abilities may only be applied to card sleeves
Cycling
You may play the sleeved card by spending 1 spell point rather than its normal cost. If you do, draw a card rather than using the card’s normal effects
Aura moderate Mana; CL 6th; Craft Implement of Power, Mana Sphere (gift of knowledge); Cost +1 Bonus
Pointcycling
You may play the sleeved card by spending 1 spell point rather than its normal cost. If you do, search your deck for a mana point card and put it into your hand rather than using the card’s normal effects. Shuffle your deck afterwards.
Aura moderate Divination; CL 9th; Craft Implement of Power, Divination Sphere (dowsing); Cost +2 Bonus
Refilling
When the sleeved card is played while it is the only card in your hand, you may draw cards equal to the card sleeve’s enhancement bonus.
Aura moderate Divination; CL 6th; Craft Implement of Power, Divination Sphere (divine future) Cost +1 Bonus
Card Sleeves and Automatic Bonus Progression/Oath Boons
When a character would gain an enhanced implement from Automatic Bonus Progression or the Enhanced Armaments Oath Boon, they may instead gain four card sleeves with equal enhancement value to the implement or 16 card sleeves with enhancement value 2 lower than the implement (minimum 1).