Buy me a coffee“Card Soldiers: The Queen’s Razor-Sharp Enforcer”
Lurking between reality and whimsy, Card Soldiers are razor-edged, living playing cards—silent enforcers of a deadly royal game that will slice through any challenger without mercy!
Card Soldiers are eerie constructs born from enchanted playing cards, standing as humanoid warriors composed of rigid, glossy cardstock folded into sharp-edged armor plates. Their faces bear stylized court card illustrations twisted into cold, expressionless masks, while their limbs move with unnatural precision, like marionettes animated by unseen strings.
Behavior: Card Soldiers operate with relentless discipline and silent efficiency. They move in tight formations, coordinating their strikes with mechanical timing and unyielding loyalty. They exhibit no fear or hesitation, acting solely on the commands of their mysterious sovereign, often a powerful fey monarch or arcane master.
Habitat: Typically found within enchanted courts, surreal dreamscapes, or arcane fortresses, Card Soldiers patrol borders of magical realms or guard prized artifacts and royal chambers. Their presence warps the environment subtly, with scattered playing cards drifting aimlessly on currents of magical energy.
Modus Operandi: Card Soldiers excel at ambush and area control. They often begin combat in a flat, motionless state, camouflaged as ordinary cards before springing to life. In battle, they use razor-sharp card blades for swift slashes and can hurl themselves like deadly projectiles to knock foes prone. Their tactical formation fighting enhances their defense and attack precision, allowing them to overwhelm opponents through coordinated strikes.
Motivation: Bound by ancient enchantments or unwavering loyalty, Card Soldiers exist solely to serve and protect their royal creators. They have no will of their own beyond following orders and enforcing the rigid rules of their arcane realm. Their relentless drive stems from an unbreakable oath to uphold their sovereign’s dominion, making them merciless guardians in the never-ending game of power and survival.
Card Soldier 5e
Card Soldier, Pathfinder
Card Soldier 3.5
Card Soldier
Medium Construct, Lawful Evil
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 68 (8d8 + 32)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 18 (+4) | 8 (–1) | 12 (+1) | 10 (+0) |
Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +6
Skills Perception +3, Athletics +4
Damage Resistances slashing, piercing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned, exhaustion
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common; understands telepathic commands from its master
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Traits
Two-Dimensional Form.
While prone and motionless, the Card Soldier appears indistinguishable from a mundane playing card. A creature must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check to recognize it as a creature. While prone, it has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and can occupy the same space as another creature or object.
Suit Allegiance.
Each Card Soldier is bound to a suit, which grants it a unique trait:
- Hearts. Regains 1d6 hit points at the start of its turn if below half its hit point maximum.
- Spades. Melee attacks deal an additional 2 damage.
- Diamonds. Has advantage on Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws.
- Clubs. On a successful melee attack, the target must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be pushed 5 feet.
Constructed Loyalty.
The Card Soldier is immune to any effect that would alter its loyalty or compel it to act against its master. It cannot be charmed or frightened unless the effect originates from a creature explicitly designated as its Royal Authority.
Formation Fighting.
While within 5 feet of at least one other allied Card Soldier, the Card Soldier gains a +1 bonus to its AC and advantage on melee attack rolls.
Actions
Paper Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage. On a critical hit, the target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or begin bleeding. While bleeding, the creature takes 1d4 damage at the start of each of its turns. The bleeding ends if a creature uses an action to stanch the wound or the target receives magical healing.
Precision Toss (Recharge 4–6).
The Card Soldier flattens itself and hurls forward like a thrown blade.
Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one target.
Hit: 11 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.
Shuffle Step (1/Day).
The Card Soldier magically blurs into a shuffling blur and teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. Until the start of its next turn, all attack rolls against it are made with disadvantage as its form flickers and folds erratically.
Tactics
- Group Combatants. Card Soldiers always fight in squads, relying on Formation Fighting to increase survivability and accuracy.
- Initiation. They prefer to open combat with Precision Toss to knock down targets, especially vulnerable or spellcasting foes.
- Flanking and Control. They attempt to surround targets to maximize tactical bonuses and apply pressure. Club variants are used to break lines; Spade variants deal high damage; Hearts offer minor sustain; Diamonds serve as lieutenants or commanders.
- Positioning. If outnumbered or flanked, a Card Soldier may use Shuffle Step to retreat, reposition, or disrupt enemy formations.
Lore
Created by arcane artisans or mad monarchs of surreal fey courts, Card Soldiers are loyal constructs animated from enchanted decks. Though they appear flimsy, they fight with precise, mechanical discipline and serve as guards, executioners, and enforcers of strange laws. Entire armies of these creatures defend bizarre realms where logic bends and a Queen’s whim is law.
Card Soldier
CR 3
XP 800
LN Medium construct
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +5
Defense
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 45 (6d10+10)
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +3
Defensive Abilities construct traits, flat form, formation stance
DR 5/bludgeoning; Immune construct traits
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee paper blade +9 (1d8+3/19–20 plus bleed)
Ranged precision toss +9 (2d6+3 slashing, range 30 ft.)
Special Attacks bleed (1d4), precision toss (see below)
Statistics
Str 16, Dex 17, Con —, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +6; CMB +9; CMD 22
Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (paper blade)
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +9
Languages Common; cannot speak
Ecology
Environment any (typically magical gardens, fey courts, or enchanted castles)
Organization solitary, pair, patrol (3–5), phalanx (6–12)
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Flat Form (Ex):
When prone and motionless, a Card Soldier appears as a mundane playing card. A DC 20 Perception or Spellcraft check is required to identify it as a creature. While prone, it gains a +10 bonus on Stealth checks and can occupy the same space as a creature or object without interfering with them. Standing up from this state is a swift action.
Formation Stance (Ex):
When within 10 feet of at least one other allied Card Soldier, it gains a +1 bonus to AC and attack rolls. If flanking with another Card Soldier, both gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls instead of the normal +2.
Precision Toss (Su): Recharge 1d4 rounds.
As a standard action, the Card Soldier flattens and hurls itself at a creature in a razor-edged spin. This is treated as a ranged attack with a range of 30 feet. On a hit, it deals 2d6+3 slashing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Reflex save or be knocked prone. The Card Soldier may appear instantly at the target’s location after this toss, occupying an adjacent square (this movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity).
Suit Allegiance (Ex):
Each Card Soldier is aligned with one of four suits, granting a passive benefit:
- Hearts – Fast Healing 2 when below 50% hp.
- Spades – Critical threat range of paper blade increases to 18–20.
- Diamonds – +2 on Will saves and Knowledge checks.
- Clubs – May attempt a free bull rush (CMB +9) on hit once per round.
Shuffle Step (Su): 1/day
The Card Soldier may teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. It leaves behind a scattering of illusory duplicates (as mirror image, 1d4+1 images) that last until the start of its next turn. This is a swift action.
Description
Card Soldiers are unnerving constructs crafted from rigid enchanted parchment or lacquered steel sheets painted to resemble oversized playing cards. Each bears a suit—Hearts, Spades, Diamonds, or Clubs—that hints at its role within its tyrannical court. Their painted faces remain eerily still, lips curled in artificial sneers, and their limbs are segmented like marionette arms.
A creation of mad queens, fey courts, or eccentric planar lords, Card Soldiers serve as enforcers of strange rules and violent whims. They work in precise, silent formations, attacking with military efficiency and surreal flair.
Combat
Card Soldiers prefer coordinated, formation-based tactics. In battle, they attempt to flank enemies and maintain close ranks for their Formation Stance bonuses. They often begin combat prone in Flat Form, ambushing unsuspecting creatures. Once revealed, they fan out to isolate key targets using Precision Toss to knock enemies prone or disrupt spellcasters. Spade-suited Soldiers are deployed as shock troops, while Clubs lead charges. Hearts remain central to squads, keeping wounded allies active. Diamonds act as unit captains, issuing silent commands through synchronized gestures.
A single Card Soldier can be a dangerous foe, but in groups they function like a deadly machine—silent, sharp, and surreal.
Construction
Card Soldier
CL 9th; Price 6,000 gp
Requirements: Craft Construct, animate objects, dimension door, mirror image, creator must be caster level 9th
Cost: 3,000 gp + 240 XP
Card Soldier
The Card Soldier is essentially a golem made of pressed paper.
Originally Posted by Johnny Cache of the Wizards Community forums.
Its appearance from the front of back is that of a 3 ft. by 4 ft. vertical rectangle with a humanoid head attached to the top and humanoid forelimbs attached to the sides and bottom. The front of each rectangle is mostly white with a variable number of identical symbols, and the back is usually a brightly-colored design. These construct are rather expensive to create, as an entire deck must be constructed at one time.
The process of creating Card Soldiers also creates their weapons, also made of pressed paper. While they function as normal +1 weapons for the constructs, they are useless in the hands of anyone else and have no value except as souvenirs.
| Card Soldier | |
| Medium construct | |
| Hit Dice | 2d10 (11 hp) |
| Initiative | +0 |
| Speed | 20 ft. (4 squares) |
| Armor Class | 11(+0 size, +0 Dexterity, +1 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 11 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +1/na |
| Attack | Paper halberd+1 (1d8) or Paper longsword+1 (1d6) |
| Full Attack | see above |
| Space/Reach | 5 ft. by 0 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks | – |
| Special Qualities | construct traits, Stacking, Wall Defense, Edge-on, Flutter, Air resistance, Flammable, Immunities, Damage Reduction, Short Limbs ,Frail (optional) |
| Saves | Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0 |
| Abilities | Strength 8, Dexterity 10, Constitution -, Intelligence -, Wisdom 10, Charisma 1 |
| Skills | – |
| Feats | lightning reflexes |
| Environment | Any not too moist |
| Organization | Single, Hand(5), Suit(10) or Deck(40 or 42) |
| Challenge Rating | 1 |
| Treasure | None |
| Alignment | Always neutral |
| Advancement | 2-5 HD (Medium); 6-10 HD (Large); 10-16 HD (Huge) |
| Level Adjustment | – |
Flammable (Ex)
Being constructed of pressed paper means that, when a Card Soldier is damaged by a fire-based attack, there is a 50% chance of it catching fire and taking a similar amount of damage each turn until it is destroyed. Electricity-based attacks have a 30% chance of igniting the construct. A Card Soldier cannot extinguish its own flames, unless it can find water to immerse itself into.
Immunities (Ex)
A Card Soldier is immune to cold-based and sonic-based attacks. Its waxy coating also gives it immunity to acid-based attacks until it takes damage, and even then it only takes one point of acid damage per round.
Damage Reduction (Ex)
A Card Soldier’s flexible body gives it DR4/slashing or piercing.
Wall Defense (Ex)
If a Card soldier can place itself against a smooth, hard, flat surface, it gains complete immunity to bludgeoning attacks, takes only half damage from slashing weapons, and damage from piercing weapons is reduced to 1 point per attack. Remaining damage is dealt to the surface behind the construct. This ability may be used as part of a move action whenever a single card soldier is within 5′ of a suitable vertical surface, or as a free action when a card soldier is prone on a suitable surface.
Short Limbs (Ex)
Due to the structure of a Card Soldier’s body, it is incapable of initiating a grapple. If an opponent attempts to grapple it, it may still make a grapple check to resist.
In addition, a Card Soldier’s exceptionally flat body gives it the following features
Stacking (Ex) – An entire deck of the constructs can fit in one 5′ sqaure, one behind the other. Only the front card in a stack may take any action other than movement. Said front card suffers no penalties for the other cards sharing its square.
Edge-on (Ex) – As a move action, a Card soldier can position his paper-thin body sideways in relation to an observer or attacker. A card soldier can use this ability to make a special Hide check, without need for concealment, as if he rolled a 20 on the check. A card soldier takes a -2 circumstance penalty on this check for each observer beyond the first. In combat, a Card Soldier can use this ability to give himself concealment against a single opponent. A “stack” of Card Soldiers may use this ability as a group; they take a -1 circumstance penalty on the check for each card after the first.
Flutter (Ex) – A Card Soldier can effectively Featherfall at will.
Air Resistance (Ex) – A Card Soldier’s body, due to it’s shape and material construction, is especially vulnerable to the effects of high wind. For the purposes of wind effects (including artificially-created winds, like those created by a Gust of wind spell), treat a Card Soldier as being two size categories smaller than its actual size.
Frail (Ex) – The flimsiness of the materials used in making Card Soldiers means that they do not get the normal bonus HP for a construct of their size. Optional rule: This flaw may be omitted for use with high-level or Epic parties; doing so increases the CR of an individual Card Soldier to 3.