Tarot cards and d20?
- Thread starter Suzerain
- Start date
I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
The Tarot (and other divinatory methods)
I beleive the tarot (or tarot-like) cards were in some Ravenloft book...if I remember, the gypsies of Ravenloft (the Vistani) made a big deal about foretelling the future with certain cards, and one book had some cards in it.
As for my experience with the Tarot....I can only say I wish I had a deck. As a Magic Item (like the Deck of Many Things) it probably works best...
But, anyhoo...more about the deck itself.
My next campaign will be highly influenced by the Tarot, and other methods of divination (the Zodiac, for instance, will be the deities of the world). The first way I'm involving the Tarot is as the campaign itself -- from Fool on, each "chapter" of the next campaign will follow the progression of the Major Arcana.
Next, I've made four character classes for the four suites. I've got the Wand, the Coin (pentacle), the Sword, and the Cup. Wand = Wizard, Coin = Rogue, Sword = Warrior, Cup = Priest. These replace the Wizard, Rogue, Fighter, and Cleric, respectively. The other classes remain unchanged.
Many items and abilities also include a "fate draw." This is how I zone in a different divinatory method for each character that determines how I'll explain the outcome. It's a sort of once-per-day thing that applies a luck bonus or penalty to their roll. Each character chosses some method. Some example methods:
Rune Draw: Using the nordic runestones, they draw one from the bag, and lay it on the table. Different runes have different effects. This is probably the most varied method, as the effects vary depending upon the rune. Of course, if you draw it reversed, it's not gonna be pretty...
Coin Flip: Flip a coin, call it in the air. If you call right, there is a +1d20 bonus on the roll. If you call it wrong, it's a -1d20. This could be the most chancy method (-20 to my attack roll! Argh!)
Die Roll: Roll a d4 and a d10, and call evens or odds. If the d4 comes up what you called, you can add the d10 roll. Otherwise, subtract it. This is a bit more controlled, but a bit less of an effect than the coin flip.
Slots: Roll 2d6. Different number combinations equal different things. Of course, doubles is the best. For added variety, you could do it with 3d6.
Card Draw: Also varied, using a regular deck of cards.
Roulette: Roll 2d10, designate one positive and one negative. Put 'em together to get your bonus or penalty. Nothing that drastic, but interesting.
As you can see, with all these methods of chance around, a Gambler (whose class powers manipulate luck) is going to be a class too, somewhat like a rogue.
Combine all those luck methods into a world ruled by capricious and quarrlesome star-deities, in something a bit post-apocalyptic, and you've got:
Orihalculous, World of Fate
Coming soon to my brain.
I beleive the tarot (or tarot-like) cards were in some Ravenloft book...if I remember, the gypsies of Ravenloft (the Vistani) made a big deal about foretelling the future with certain cards, and one book had some cards in it.
As for my experience with the Tarot....I can only say I wish I had a deck. As a Magic Item (like the Deck of Many Things) it probably works best...
But, anyhoo...more about the deck itself.
My next campaign will be highly influenced by the Tarot, and other methods of divination (the Zodiac, for instance, will be the deities of the world). The first way I'm involving the Tarot is as the campaign itself -- from Fool on, each "chapter" of the next campaign will follow the progression of the Major Arcana.
Next, I've made four character classes for the four suites. I've got the Wand, the Coin (pentacle), the Sword, and the Cup. Wand = Wizard, Coin = Rogue, Sword = Warrior, Cup = Priest. These replace the Wizard, Rogue, Fighter, and Cleric, respectively. The other classes remain unchanged.
Many items and abilities also include a "fate draw." This is how I zone in a different divinatory method for each character that determines how I'll explain the outcome. It's a sort of once-per-day thing that applies a luck bonus or penalty to their roll. Each character chosses some method. Some example methods:
Rune Draw: Using the nordic runestones, they draw one from the bag, and lay it on the table. Different runes have different effects. This is probably the most varied method, as the effects vary depending upon the rune. Of course, if you draw it reversed, it's not gonna be pretty...
Coin Flip: Flip a coin, call it in the air. If you call right, there is a +1d20 bonus on the roll. If you call it wrong, it's a -1d20. This could be the most chancy method (-20 to my attack roll! Argh!)
Die Roll: Roll a d4 and a d10, and call evens or odds. If the d4 comes up what you called, you can add the d10 roll. Otherwise, subtract it. This is a bit more controlled, but a bit less of an effect than the coin flip.
Slots: Roll 2d6. Different number combinations equal different things. Of course, doubles is the best. For added variety, you could do it with 3d6.
Card Draw: Also varied, using a regular deck of cards.
Roulette: Roll 2d10, designate one positive and one negative. Put 'em together to get your bonus or penalty. Nothing that drastic, but interesting.
As you can see, with all these methods of chance around, a Gambler (whose class powers manipulate luck) is going to be a class too, somewhat like a rogue.
Combine all those luck methods into a world ruled by capricious and quarrlesome star-deities, in something a bit post-apocalyptic, and you've got:
Orihalculous, World of Fate
Coming soon to my brain.
Last edited:
Mystic Eye
First Post
We have a Tarot magic book for d20 coming out later this year. I can' give the details yet but the author knows his stuff about tarot and d20!
Mystic Eye said:
Well, being a former professional Tarot card reader (albeit not, IMO, an extremely good one. Opinions vary on that), I'll be interested to see how this project turns out.
The Tarot is a fascinating thing, and I've always thought it was interesting that it's been used so little in FRPGs.
Crothian
First Post
We used the Tarot in the Thieves World setting because there is a main character, I forget her name, that did Tarot readings in the Bizarre. We didn't do it often, I think only when the DM needed a plot hook, cause the fortunes always seemed to come true. I'd say it was eiry if I didn't see the DM smile and smirk when certain Tarot cards where revealed.
WanderingMonster
First Post
Mystic Eye said:
Hmmf. So it's not Miss Cleo. Pity.
I don´t use tarot in my games but I believe there´s a great potencial for it.
But I just want to remember that tarot is not just for fortune telling. It has a lot of other utilities, specially in RPGs. From in-game uses to helping the GM create plots or NPCs and many many other things.
I hope the articles and supplements state this very clearly because I think we don´t need more generalizations and stereotypical points-of-view. We already have a lot of (bad) esoteric books for it.
But I just want to remember that tarot is not just for fortune telling. It has a lot of other utilities, specially in RPGs. From in-game uses to helping the GM create plots or NPCs and many many other things.
I hope the articles and supplements state this very clearly because I think we don´t need more generalizations and stereotypical points-of-view. We already have a lot of (bad) esoteric books for it.
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