What is Pros & Cons?
Pros & Cons is widely cited as one of the most clever and innovative hacks of the Lasers & Feelings system. By replacing dice with a standard deck of playing cards, it does more than just randomize result, but fundamentally changes the feel of the game to match the genre. It captures the slick, high-tension pacing of films like Ocean's Eleven or Leverage, where professional planning constantly wars with desperate improvisation.
You take on the role of a specialized criminal (from a pool of Driver, Hacker, Hitter, Grifter, Mastermind, or Thief), caught in the middle of a job that’s continuously spiraling out of control. We start in media res: the alarm is ringing, the guards are closing in, and you have to decide right now if you're going to stick to the plan or wing it.
Community Spotlight
"The most intriguing Lasers & Feelings hack I’ve ever seen... it uses a deck of playing cards instead of dice, with additional rules for plot twists and flashbacks to emulate the feel of high stakes heist films."
— Sapphim
How to Play
Forget the character sheet math; this game uses a simple deck of cards to drive the action. Your thief is defined by just one thing: their Card (a number from 2-9 and a Suit). This single card tells you everything about how you solve problems.
Your Number represents the balance between your two modes of operation. A Pro (High Numbers) is the consummate professional: logical, efficient, and precise. A Con (Low Numbers) is the wild card: creative, flashy, and spontaneous.
Your Suit is your edge, the thing you're naturally good at. Hearts are Charming and Likeable, Diamonds are Quick and Sharp, Spades are Tough and Imposing, and Clubs are Savvy and Street-smart.
Making a Check
When the heat is on and you attempt something risky, you draw cards from the deck to build your pool. You always get 1 card just for showing up. If your Role (like being a Hacker hacking a terminal) applies, you get a second card. If you're going straight for the throat by targeting the Mark or the Prize directly you get a third card.
Pick the one card that gives you the best shot at success (or the most interesting failure).
Resolving the Action
Did you try to do this the smart way, or the loud way? Success depends on whether you acted as a Pro or ran a Con.
| Approach | Success Condition |
|---|---|
| Acting as a PRO | The drawn card is equal to or LOWER than your number. |
| Running a CON | The drawn card is equal to or HIGHER than your number. |
Now, look at the Suit of that card you picked. How does it match up with yours?
| Card Suit | Result |
|---|---|
| Matches Yours | Critical Success (or Marginal Failure). You crushed it. Take a positive extra benefit. |
| Same Color | Standard Success (or Standard Failure). You get what you wanted (or you don't). Simple as that. |
| Opposite Color | Marginal Success (or Spectacular Failure). You did it, but it's messy. You suffer a Complication. |
Mechanics & Twists
Face Cards (The Twist)
Face cards (Jack, Queen, King) are the engine of chaos in this game. They do not count as successes; instead, they trigger a narrative Twist. If you draw one, the plan changes immediately. A Jack (J) messes with the Mark, a Queen (Q) complicates the Prize, and a King (K) hits the Crew where it hurts.
Escalating Stakes
When a face card is drawn, the GM asks the table a question from the Twist list. If the same rank appears again, the question gets harder, more personal, and more dangerous. Your answers become the new reality of the heist.
Flashbacks
Did you fail? Or did you just pretend to fail to set up a trap? If a check resolves without a Twist, you can call for a Flashback. Narrate a scene from earlier where you prepared for this exact outcome. This lets you re-draw for the check, but there's a catch: you must use the opposite approach (switch from Pro to Con, or vice versa). In a Flashback, Face Cards count as Successes, your preparation accounts for the chaos, though they still trigger their darker questions.
Jokers
A Joker is the best card in the deck. It is always a Critical Success.
Creating Your Crew
Joining the crew gets you into the action in seconds. first, pick a Role (Driver, Hacker, Hitter, Grifter, Mastermind, or Thief). Second, give them an Energy (like "Posh", "No-nonsense", or "High-energy"). Third, grab your Card (2-9 and a Suit). Finally, give them a cool Name. That's it. You're ready to steal.
For the GM: Setting the Stage
You have three jobs to make this feel like a movie. First, Stack the Deck: shuffle one J, Q, and K into the bottom half of the deck so the game doesn't explode in the first five minutes. Second, Generate the Job using the tables for the Mark and the Prize.
Finally, Frame the Scene by asking these four questions to put the players right in the middle of the action:
- "When we start, where are we?"
- "What are we here to steal to help us get to our main prize?"
- "How are we disguised?"
- "What unexpected obstacle just appeared?"