Cards of Fate

Sample file Credits Introduction This product came together quickly. Written By: “Jester” David Gibson Following the revisions of Heroes of the Mists and Children of the Night I wanted to get more Art By: Public Domain Ravenloft content onto the Dungeon Master’s Guild. Considering my options, I remembered my last Ravenloft campaign, run throughout Fraternity of Shadows Ravenloft fan site & forums 2013 using the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. In that game, I made use of an optional Hero fraternityofshadows.com Point rule found in the Carrion Crown adventure path, which was designed for the Harrow Deck. This system was a little more complicated than it needed to be (it was for Pathfinder after all) but I quite liked having the Tarokka cards at the table and regularly used during play instead of just for the telling of fortunes.

This product introduces three ways of using the Tarokka Deck during play. They’re not mutually exclusive, and you could even pair one or two of these options together. While designed with the Ravenloft Campaign Setting in mind, these options could be added to any D&D campaign. The included options are: Plot Cards. Tarokka cards are played to alter the narrative in minor ways. Tarokka Inspiration. Cards are used in place of the regular inspiration rules, with two variants provided for handling the cards. Adventure Aspects. Cards drawn at the start of a session and add elements to the narrative.

I hope you like these options and they bring something fun to your table.

“Jester” David Gibson June, 2019

P.S. These options do assume you own a physical Tarokka deck, which is available for purchase from the Gale Force 9 website. And really... why would you not get a deck?

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Ravenloft, Forgotten Realms, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.

This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the CommunitySample Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. file Ravenloft: Cards of Fate ©2019. David Gibson, 5 Minute Workday Publishing, and Quote the Raven. Published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. Reading the Tarokka is a traditional Vistani method Artifact. An object of importance; an item that of divining the future. While only the Vistani know must be obtained, protected, or destroyed; possessive the secrets of enchanting the deck with the power of nature. prophecy, anyone with some skill at divination can Beast. Passion or animal urges; great rage; use a true Tarokka deck to weave a prophecy. a malevolent force hiding in plain sight; rash or Most common folk in the Land of the Mists impulsive acts. believe mystical forces flow through a Tarokka deck, Broken One. A person twisted in either mind either influencing fate or unveiling one’s destiny. For or body; the loss, distortion, or destruction of most individuals, the cards simply give a glimpse of something of importance. the probable future, reveal unknown details of the Darklord. A being of great power, authority, present, or provide answers to vexing questions. or influence that is wicked or antagonistic; a hated However, for some—individuals destined for enemy. memorable deeds or touched by the Mists—the cards Donjon. Banishment, isolation, or reveal secondary powers. By tapping into the magic imprisonment; prisoners and hermits; closed minds of the cards, individuals can reduce the whims of Ghost. The past influencing the present; the chance upon their deeds, direct events towards their revelation of a secret; forgotten knowledge; an old predestined outcome. debt. Executioner. Exposure of a guilty individual; The Tarokka Deck punishment for a misdeed; discovery of a crime. A traditional Tarokka Deck consists of 54 cards, Horseman. Irredeemable loss; a tragic defeat; a which is divided into four Minor Arcana suits and horrible disaster or calamity. one Major Arcana suit. The suits of the Minor Innocent. A pure or defenseless person in need Arcana are swords, coins, glyphs, and stars; the of assistance; someone being overwhelmed or unable Major Arcana suit is crowns. to handle their circumstances. Each suit of the Minor Arcana contains ten cards, Marionette. An individual being influenced by with nine numbered cards and a tenth unnumbered another; divided loyalties or a hidden agenda; mental card. This tenth card is sometimes referred to as the domination or possession. “master” of the suit. Each of the numbered cards Mists. Mystery and the unexpected; a great are given a name associated with an archetype and quest or task; a long journey. are affiliated with an alignment: 1 to 3 being good, 4 to 6 being neutral, and 7 to 9 being evil. The Raven. A source of information; a hidden or unnumbered tenth card is unaligned. unknown ally; beneficial assistance; wisdom from an unexpected source. The fourteen cards of the Major Arcana are unnumbered, and instead known by their names. Seer. A cunning plan; someone with a keen They also have no alignment, being innately intellect or clever mind; hidden schemes; psychic amoral. While certain cards are seen as positive and abilities. negative—good or ill omens—the cards themselves Tempter. Physical or spiritual temptation; are not aligned. a compromised individual; one who leads others astray; betrayal. Sample file

33 During play, the Dungeon Master can award additional Tarokka cards to players while suggesting a complication. The DM might propose that a player character have an antagonistic relationship with an NPC, possess a poor reputation in a village, or have forgotten to resupply while in town. If the player accepts the complication they can draw a card from the Tarokka deck. If a PC has a relevant Flaw, the DM might also push the player to roleplay or act on that flaw by offering a draw from the deck. The DM has final say over whether the narrative manipulation is acceptable and appropriate. If the DM decides the Plot Cards alteration is too great or disruptive they should This option allows players to use the Tarokka deck to propose an alternative change or a compromise. If influence the plot and alter the adventure’s narrative. the player chooses not to accept the alternative or the This functions somewhat similarly to the Plot Point DM can’t think of an appropriate alternative then the system in Chapter 9 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. play is cancelled. The played card is returned to the This option encourages the DM and players to player and a new card is drawn from the top of the collaboratively build the story. Tarokka deck. The player then chooses which card to keep and return the unwanted card to the deck. Using the Deck Dungeon Master Cards Players begin each game session by drawing one card from the Tarokka deck. These cards can be played The Dungeon Master doesn’t draw a card at the at any time during that session. At the end of the beginning of a session like a player. Instead, they session, any unused cards are returned to the deck. gain cards during the session as players use their cards. During the session, a player with a Tarokka card may play it to exert some minor influence over the plot. Like the players, a Dungeon Masters can also After playing a card, the player rolls a d10. If they roll play cards to alter events and the plot, typically lower than the number shown in the card (or if the introducing a complication to the plot. A guard may card doesn’t have a number), the Dungeon Master change the route of their patrol, an old enemy might gains that card. return, a watch captain might be related to someone the PCs killed, or the weather might take a turn for A Tarokka card can be played to add some the worse. Changes the DM makes to the narrative element to the narrative. This might be a feature in might impact one or more Player Characters but the immediate area, such as a loose rug, a dangling they shouldn’t directly alter any details of a PC. chandelier, a lantern full of oil, or slippery moss Anything that changes how a player character feels, along a cave wall. A player can also play a Tarokka acts, or revises their past must be approved by that card to create a supporting NPC in a settlement character’s player. The DM can’t play a card to or an appropriate location, such as a friendly wine trigger a PC’s arachnophobia, but they can offer the merchant, a contact in a local thieves’ guild, or player a draw from the deck if they act on their fears friendly trapper in the woods. The card can also or play a card to add spiders to a scene. be used to establish a prior relationship with an NPC newly introduced by the DM, such as an old Cards can also be played to trigger a random friendship or unpaid debt. encounter appropriate to the name of the card. Encounters should be thematically tied to the suit: Narrative influence can also be used to swords might be combat encounters, coins are social retroactively perform some tasks, such as asking encounters, glyphs are traps and environmental an NPC a question, purchasing necessary gear, or hazards, while stars are magical events. Plot or making vital preparations. A card can also be played encounter complications generated by playing to induce a flashback, allowing a missed interaction a Major Arcana card should be tied to the card’s with anSample NPC or between player characters. meaning. file

4 Tarokka Inspiration This option allows the Tarokka deck to serve in place of the Inspiration subsystem. Players do not typically begin with a card, but draw a card when they would gain inspiration for roleplaying their character’s alignment, personality traits, or flaws. In a Ravenloft campaign, inspiration might also be gained for roleplaying fear or acting horrified. The card’s effect might represent the destiny exerting itself over a character’s fate, a supernatural force intervening on behalf of the character, or simply luck favouring the party. Using the Deck There are two variants of this optional system. Pick the variant best suited for your game and your players. Method One In this variant, cards can only grant advantage on rolls related to the card’s suit. This option is slightly less flexible in terms of when a card can be used, but allows cards to benefit other characters. This option otherwise doesn’t increase the benefits of using the cards versus regular inspiration. If you have a Traokka card, you can play it to gain advantage on a relevant roll, based on the card’s suit. A player can choose to have the card affect their character or the character of another player of their choice. Swords. Cards of this suit grant advantage on If you have a Tarokka card, you can play it to gain an attack roll. advantage on an attack roll, ability check, or saving Coins. Cards of this suit grant advantage on an throw. Playing the card gives you advantage on that ability check. roll. Glyphs. Cards of this suit grant advantage on a Additionally, each suit of the Minor Arcana is saving throw. associated with the specific type of check. If you play Stars. Cards of this suit allow you to reroll any the card to gain advantage on the associated check, number damage dice. You must use the second rolls. you add the number shown on the card as a bonus to Crowns. Cards of this suit can either grant the roll. If the card doesn’t have a number, the bonus advantage or impose disadvantage on an attack roll, is +5. ability check, or saving throw. Swords. This suit is associated with attack rolls. After playing a card, roll a d10. If you roll lower Coins. This suit is associated with ability checks. than the number shown in the card (or if the card Glyphs. This suit is associated with saving doesn’t have a number), the Dungeon Master gains throws. that card. Like the players, a DM can use their card Stars. This suit is associated with saving throws. to reroll dice. Cards used in this way are returned to After playing a card, roll a d10. If you roll lower the deck. than the number shown in the card (or if the card Method Two doesn’t have a number), the Dungeon Master gains In this variant, Tarokka cards grant advantage like that card. Like the players, a DM can play their cards the standard Inspiration system, but add a bonus to gain advantage on an attack roll, ability check, to the roll based on the card’s suit. This slightly or saving throw. Cards played by the DM have no increases the power of cards, but encourages playing bonuses, and cards used in this way are returned to cards withSample thematically associated activities. the deck. file

55 connection. For example, a wizard affiliated with the suit of coins might have been raised on the streets and have the criminal or urchin background. A bard affiliated with the suit of glyphs might have strong religious beliefs after being raised in a church-sponsored orphanage and trained in the choir. Using the Deck At the start of each game session or adventure, the Dungeon Master draws three cards from the Tarokka deck, revealing them to the players. These cards denote potential events that will occur during the game Adventure Aspects session or thematic elements of the adventure. This variant rule makes use of the Tarokka deck to Drawn cards are used to generate story elements introduce narrative events during a game session, for that session. These might be key plot lines while also generating complications and beneficial or important secondary stories unfolding in the situations for the player characters. background. They might be small scenes that are As this option randomly creates plot threads quickly resolved, or lead into longer ongoing plots and story elements, this rule requires a little more that unfold over several game sessions. An event spontaneity from the Dungeon Master, along with generated by a drawn card might even alter an some skill at improvisation. It’s less suitable when ongoing plot line, such as changing the motivation or running a published adventure, such as Curse of allegiance of an NPC, or they might inspire a brand Strahd, but it can be used to personalize such an new storyline. adventure. Events caused by cards drawn from the Major Arcana should be related to the card’s meaning. Affiliated Suits The Dungeon Master should determine if the card During character creation, players choose one of is positive or negative as well as if the meaning of the four suits of the Minor Arcana, selecting one the card is literal or metaphorical. The DM doesn’t to be connected with their character. This is their have to reveal to the players what plot additions or affiliated suit. changes were inspired by the cards. Players should choose a suit that is associated Cards from the Minor Arcana create story events with some aspect of their character’s class, that directly impact one or more PCs. When a card personality, or background. Ideally, characters belonging to a character’s affiliated suit is drawn, a should have a strong connection with one or more key events during that session should involve that of the archetypes on the cards of their affiliated suit. character. The event need not be the primary plot Optionally, players can draw from the Tarokka deck of the adventure, but something should happen to randomly choose their affiliated suit, customizing that involves that character. Additionally, consult or tweaking their back story to justify the affiliation. the alignment of the card: if the card has a good If choosing randomly, either remove the Major alignment (numbered 1 to 3) then the event should Arcana cards from the deck or the players draws be positive and beneficial to the character; if the card until they draw a card from the Minor Arcana. has an evil alignment (numbered 7 to 9) then the Typically, a character’s affiliated suit should be event should be negative or detrimental. If more than one that matches their character class, such as a one character is affiliated with that suit, the relevant barbarian being affiliated with the suit of swords or character is chosen randomly. Alternatively, the one a warlock being affiliated with the suit of stars. It’s event affects both characters equally. possible to be affiliated with a suit that contrasts with This option is designed to encourage creativity the character’s class, but there should still be some and spontaneity, not shackle the DM to a random Sampleevents. It is not required forfile cards to have immediate

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