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The GameMaster's Apprentice: Sci FiClick to magnify

The GameMaster's Apprentice: Sci Fi

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"Plot generators to maximum, chief!"

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The GameMaster's Apprentice: Sci Fi is a system-neutral deck of cards that can be used as either a supplement for traditional tabletop RPGs or as a complete game engine for GM-free solo or group RPGs. This variant deck is aimed at science fiction of every kind, from shiny space operas to the grim, dark streets of a megacorp-dominated Earth.

You can view the cards' complete instructions for free by clicking the preview link beneath the thumbnail above, or view the Quickstart Guide and a set of quick-reference PnP/PoD Instruction Cards here on DriveThru if you prefer (if you wish to purchase the Print on Demand instruction cards to keep with your deck, be sure to combine the order with the deck itself! They are only six cards, and DriveThru will not print orders that small). You can also scroll down to view the card overview image and watch a video of the cards in use! 

On each card is a set of fourteen individual randomizers; with 60 double-sided cards, you can generate literally millions of possible adventures, all without having to hunt through a book or PDF for a single table!

With these cards, you can:

  • Instantly generate NPCs with randomized names, motivations, and backgrounds.

  • Create random events or story seeds.

  • Provide sensory details or random loot for characters searching or stealing.

  • Run games without a human GameMaster!

And more--they even work brilliantly as creative writing prompt generators, and have been playtested by 9th-12th grade students of both English and Game Design.

If you want specifics, including examples of how to use the randomizers on the cards, the complete instructions are available in the downloadable PDF preview linked below the cover image/thumbnail, but you can take a look at the overview below to see the quick and dirty version of what is on each card, and you can view a video preview using the base deck from the original Kickstarter that explains how to use the cards to run a GM-free game or generate a story for a traditional RPG. This video is the second in a series, so if you want to see the first (which details initial generation of the story), check out our website, www.LarcenousDesigns.com! 

Card Overview

These cards were created with the support of over 360 individuals on Kickstarter, and would not exist in their current form otherwise! Thank you!

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Reviews (8)
Discussions (13)
Customer avatar
Nancy H July 04, 2022 8:26 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Sadly the file (GMA SciFi PnP Deck Color) does not give me the file for the color version of the cards - it is the instruction booklet. Can I get the correct file?
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Customer avatar
Nathan R July 04, 2022 9:00 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hello!
It should have the cards in the same file, at the end of the instruction booklet—sorry for the confusion! And since I’m away from my desktop at the moment and can’t double check, if you don’t see it at the end of that file, let me know and I’ll work on fixing it tonight!
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Customer avatar
Nancy H July 04, 2022 10:41 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Sure enough, there are the card images. Thank you so much :-)
Customer avatar
Valerio D January 31, 2022 3:45 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hi, out of curiosity before i decide to buy: How did you deal with the d100? There are 120 cards, so every other dice can be fairly represented, as 120 is a multiple of 4,6,8,10,12 and 20.
But for the d100? Are there 20 cards where it is blank?
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Customer avatar
Nathan R January 31, 2022 3:58 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
The d100 is split into two percentile dice, so you draw one card for each. That keeps it honest :-)
Customer avatar
Sam N January 21, 2022 6:21 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hi, I purchased these several years ago and they are great, but I wanted an easier way of creating my own pocket mod sheets for the tag symbols, as well as making a pocket mod of the instructions page. Currently I have been printing a few copies of the pdf, cutting them out, and placing them on my printer, but that is rather wasteful. I was wondering if it would be possible to get the instruction cards images as separate image files? Please and thank you!
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Customer avatar
Nathan R January 21, 2022 11:56 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hello! Thanks for your support, and for asking for something I already had prepared but had, apparently, forgotten to upload! To avoid massive duplication, I'm only adding them to the Instruction Card product (at least for now), which you can get for free here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/219478/The-GameMasters-Apprentice-Universal-Instruction-Cards
I hope that helps. If you need a different format, just email me at LarcenousDesigns@gmail.com and I'll see if I can make it happen!
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Customer avatar
Sam N January 30, 2022 1:56 am UTC
PURCHASER
Thanks! That's super helpful. I appreciate your speedy response and apologize for my delayed response.
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Customer avatar
Nathan R February 01, 2022 4:32 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
No worries--glad to help!
Customer avatar
Steve N December 02, 2020 5:52 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I'm setting up a Superhero game, and while there is no superhero specific deck, the Sci-Fi deck seems to fit well.I can see (using your example card above) finding "Synthetics beneath torn skin" or "The pinpricks of an automedic" being found in a supers game!
The names might be a little wonky, though...

Are you working on anymore GMA decks? Perhaps a Supers based one?
;)

Stay safe, hopefully, we'll be back to normal gaming soon!
Reply
Customer avatar
Nathan R December 03, 2020 1:05 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Heya! I definitely think the scifi deck is the one I’d use for Superheroes, except maybe the base deck! And I’ve had a few requests for it, so maybe it will get its own genre deck someday... to be honest, the reason I haven’t yet is that I feel like the scifi and base deck cover the content so well, I’m not sure how much I can do to make it stand out! If you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see in a superhero deck, feel free to drop those here, or email me at LarcenousDesigns@gmail.com.
Customer avatar
David G July 15, 2020 12:53 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I just wanted to say that I saw a youtube video about these cards and, on the strength of that, the great reviews here, and your personal message, which is thoughtful and appropriate, I bought this and all the rest of your products on DrivethruRPG (physical and pdf). You're doing great work that's a tremendous help to gamers at any time but especially now. It's hard for my friends and I to get together even without a pandemic, so solo RPGing is something I'm really looking into. Plus I enjoy just crafting adventures even if no-one ever plays them. It's a fun creative pursuit for me. I'm really looking forward to looking at the pdfs, and getting the physical media. I'll post proper reviews when I've had time to check them all out.
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Customer avatar
Nathan R July 15, 2020 2:07 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi, David!
I'm really grateful for your support and the kind note. I hope the cards help you enjoy your gaming time, whether you use them for soloing or adventure crafting :-)
Stay safe!
Customer avatar
Robert R April 30, 2020 10:14 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I want to thank GMA for the deep discounts they have extended. I already own the Base and the Fantasy deck. I just purchased the Age of Sail, Horror, Sci-Fi and Steampunk decks with a case. Thanks again.
Customer avatar
Andrew L April 05, 2020 12:33 am UTC
Thanks for making this isolation more fun! In a creepy horror and scifi sort of way :)
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Customer avatar
Nathan R April 05, 2020 12:44 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Most welcome! I hope they make the real world less scary by comparison :-)
Customer avatar
david M March 17, 2020 9:25 am UTC
PURCHASER
thank you all at Larcenous Designs you might save all our sanity lol
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Customer avatar
Nathan R March 17, 2020 10:59 am UTC
PUBLISHER
I hope the cards help you find some entertaining stories to tell!
Customer avatar
Christian F March 17, 2020 2:20 am UTC
PURCHASER
Thank you for the gift!
Reply
Customer avatar
Nathan R March 17, 2020 10:58 am UTC
PUBLISHER
You’re very welcome—May the cards serve you well!
Customer avatar
Mark S August 10, 2018 7:27 am UTC
PURCHASER
If i print the PDF myself as a 'double sided' print job will the fronts and backs line up so i can just laminate a sheet and cut out the cards? Thanks.
Reply
Customer avatar
Nathan R August 10, 2018 11:28 am UTC
PUBLISHER
In an ideal world, but I’ve never been so lucky! I have found that they tend to be slightly offset.

To help, the card images on the PnP files include the full bleed area, which means you may be able to just cut them down a little and lose the visible offset by trimming carefully. However, since your individual printer and luck are involved, I would start with two pages back to back and check the fit before printing the rest.

If that doesn’t work out, my usual method is to print them single-sided on normal paper, and then put two cards back to back inside transparent card sleeves.

Good luck! Please let me know if you have any more questions or issues, either here or by emailing me at Larcenousdesigns@gmail.com.
Customer avatar
Pierre S April 06, 2016 6:11 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I notice the cards were updated recently. What is the nature of the update? Do I have to pen in any errata on the physical cards themselves?
Reply
Customer avatar
Nathan R April 06, 2016 6:33 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
No errata needed--I was just adding the Adventure Guide to the downloads. It should appear as a new file, titled something like "GMA AG SciFi.pdf"
Reply
Customer avatar
Pierre S April 08, 2016 4:48 am UTC
PURCHASER
When I checked for any Updates in my Library, it gave 4 files in the list. So you say it is only the addition of an Adventure Guide? Good.
Reply
Customer avatar
Nathan R April 08, 2016 9:52 am UTC
PUBLISHER
That is correct--the other three are all still the same as when they were first uploaded (they weren't all uploaded at the same time, but none of them have changed), and the print-on-demand copy is still the same! I just always meant to add the Adventure Guide, but wanted to get all of them done first, and so delayed until now...apologies for causing concern!
Customer avatar
Mark C December 07, 2015 10:11 pm UTC
PURCHASER
These decks are absolutely great! I love them. I have the 3 available now and will definitely be picking up the others when they come out.
Customer avatar
Pierre S September 24, 2015 7:48 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Beautiful concept! When I get home and get my credit-card I'm ordering! Much appreciated for SF gaming.
Reply
Customer avatar
Nathan R September 24, 2015 9:14 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Thanks! I hope they serve you well--I'm using them to run a Numenera game, and the fit is strangely perfect, since that setting basically allows any sub-genre of scifi to be equally valid for inspiration.
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File Last Updated:
May 29, 2023
This title was added to our catalog on September 21, 2015.