PACS Set I: Heroes for Hire

PACS (Pocket Adventures Card System) is an entire RPG (Role Playing Game) that fits into a deck of cards. As a non-collectable card game, with a Base Set of PACS and a pocketful of change you're ready for hours of play where no two sessions need ever be the same. Players familiar with RPGs will be right at home, and those new to RPGs will find PACS as an excellent entry point for the genre.



PACS plays like a typical tabletop RPG with the following changes:

You flip coins instead of rolling dice.
For most actions in PACS you flip three coins, count the number of ‘heads’, add that to the appropriate Aptitude Score, and determine whether your result is a success or failure. If you want to roll dice, determine a way to divide the numbers on your die into a 50/50 chance. Common options are evens/odds or high/low.

There is no battle-grid.
It is assumed each Hero and Foe is in range of each other. The DM can adjudicate differently as they see fit.

There are no hit-points.
A Hero or Foe has three statuses: Uninjured, Injured, and Defeated. A card’s orientation represents what state the Hero of Foe is in.

Even though there are no 'experience points', characters can still advance.
PACS cannot replace the complexity of a typical tabletop RPG, nor does it try to. It is ideal for introducing new players to RPGs, filling time between game sessions, or serving as a quick and fun way to allow other players to DM. As such, PACS Set 1 allows for Heroes to become more powerful as they gather Loot. PACS Set 2 offers options for leveling characters up (and the options are fully compatible with Set 1).

Set II available here: PACS Set II: The Next Level [www.thegamecrafter.com]

Please visit www.dorkmengames.com for more information.

Reviews:

"PACS accomplishes what it sets out to do, which is admirable for any game: it ports the RPG experience into a deck of cards. Magic: the Gathering was commissioned as a card game that people could play between roleplaying games, or at conventions — basically, to kill time — while maintaining the experience of fantasy roleplaying. Honestly, PACS probably accomplishes that original idea better than Magic ever did."

Mike Eaton - Play Unplugged Review - PACS (Pocket Adventures Card System) - Play Unplugged [www.playunplugged.com]

"PACS is definitely my pick for the best way to introduce your kids to the awesomeness that is tabletop role-playing. You can tell stories about knights and maidens with the cards in the box, or create space pilots fighting aliens across the galaxy, all for less than the cost of a fast food lunch."

Christopher Brimmer - Noobsource http://noobsource.com/reviews/tabletop-games/187-pocket-adventure-card-system-review [noobsource.com]

"I was thinking that this would be a perfect game for a convention and seeing as New York Comic Con is coming up soon... Well... If you're bored and standing in line you should pull this game out. And trust me, if you're going into the chaos that is NYCC, you will need this game for a little bit of downtime."

Jennifer Chan - Game and a Curry http://www.gameandacurry.com/2013/09/in-my-purse-pacs-pocket-adventure-card.html

"With the deck, the coins in your pocket, and a player or two (up to 8), you’re ready to go. No dice, character sheets, maps, or anything else. Right off the bat, the simplicity won me over."

Brian Fitzpatrick - Game Knight Reviews Game Knight Reviews | Roleplaying game reviews and news you can use! [www.gameknightreviews.com]