Rules, Editing, and Additional Text: Jeremy “Blackwingedheaven” Puckett With Thanks to: Preston P. DuBose and Ed Wetterman for the random adventure generator format (East Texas University) Release date: January 20, 2016 Ravenloft® is a registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This book does not represent a challenge to any Wizards of the Coast-held trademarks. Wizards of the Coast is not officially affiliated with this book in any way. This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product. tarock, and a few others, depending on Playing with Cards location). The Savage Worlds game system has a long and storied history of using playing cards as Tarot and Tarokka an integral component of its mechanics. The The core rules of Ravenloft Reincarnated system that Savage Worlds is derived from, assume that “tarot” and “tarokka” are Deadlands, used poker cards for character interchangeably used for the same thing—a creation and for its magic system, and deck of playing cards used by some modern Savage Worlds uses a standard 54- individuals for the purposes of divination. card deck for initiative. Some settings also For ease of use, it is assumed that this is a use it for magic, random encounters, or even standard 54-card poker deck, as used in determining events in-game through the use Savage Worlds Deluxe Edition. However, of the Adventure Deck. that doesn’t have to be the case for groups At the same time, Ravenloft has a strong that want a little more verisimilitude in their connection to playing cards as well, through games (or those that just want to dust off their its tarokka deck, introduced as a play aid in old tarokka deck and let it get some more the second version of the Ravenloft use). Campaign Setting boxed set (the so-called This supplement, Power of the Tarot, is “red box”). Despite its occult trappings, the designed to introduce players and GMs to tarokka deck is just a renamed 54-card poker the Ravenloft version of the tarot deck, the deck. Indeed, the entire reason that TSR tarokka. Both the “classic” tarokka and the used “tarokka” instead of “tarot” was to avoid “true tarot” forms of the deck. For the the occult implications of the latter, which purposes of this supplement, “tarokka” will was important due to the anti-occult be used to describe the Ravenloft version of sentiment of the era. the 54-card poker deck, while “tarot” will be The funny thing about the “occult” used to discuss the 78-card extended deck. implications of the tarot is that the original Both can be used for initiative, random tarot decks were just a type of playing cards encounters, and any other purpose that a used for games, and the divinatory uses of the standard deck of playing cards can be used tarot didn’t appear for almost two centuries for in Savage Worlds. after the deck’s first known appearance. The modern 54-card poker deck is a descendant of the tarot with the major arcana removed The Tarokka Deck and the suits renamed. The transparent attempt by TSR to avoid accusations of The Ravenloft tarokka deck is used by mysticism is revealed by the fact that people across the world for playing various “tarokka” is simply another one of the tarot sorts of games, some of which would be deck’s traditional names (along with tarocchi, familiar to modern people and others which would be quite confusing. The cards are “the Artifact” is the best high deck card for traditionally printed on thin, stiff sheets of initiative, while “the Temptress” is the worst. paper or hide, but some places use thin ivory In the tarokka deck mode for initiative, blocks or wood instead. There are 54 cards characters gain the traditional Joker bonus in the tarokka deck, with ten cards each in (+2 on all rolls made during the round) when four suits as well as fourteen cards in the they draw the Innocent or the Raven, both “high deck,” belonging to no suit but their cards that represent good fortune or the own. The four suits of the lesser deck powers of light coming to the aid of the correspond roughly with the four suits of heroes. The deck is reshuffled at the end of real-world playing cards, while the high deck the round when the Darklord or the Mists are the “face cards.” are drawn, cards representing misfortune or The four suits of the lesser deck are swords the ascension of the powers of evil. (clubs), coins (diamonds), stars (hearts), and It can be difficult to substitute a deck of glyphs (spades). Any correspondence used by normal playing cards for tarokka cards due to suit in Savage Worlds applies in the same the fact that the high deck has no direct manner for the tarokka deck; that is, swords correspondence with any particular face cards cards usually result in hardships when drawn, or suit. It is the recommendation of the and the order of initiative is the same (glyphs, writer that, should a group want to use these then stars, then coins, then swords). rules but not own a real tarokka deck, that The lesser deck is numbered with cards 1 they go out and buy a pack of playing cards through 9, then a “master” for each suit; the and write the names of the high deck cards master corresponds with the 10 card for on the face cards in marker. You can buy a playing cards, while the 1 is the Ace. This decent pack of playing cards for right around means that Aces are the lowest initiative card a dollar, and it’s the easiest solution by far. when using the tarokka, rather than the highest besides Jokers. If it matters, glyphs Wild Card Edges and swords are “black,” while stars and coins If you are using the tarokka deck for are “red.” initiative, then you will need to change one of The masters of each suit are: Priest (stars), the setting rules for Ravenloft Reincarnated. Wizard (glyphs), Warrior (swords), and Since high deck cards are more common Rogue (coins). Traditionally, each card also than Jokers, player characters no longer has a name; for example, the 2 of Swords is receive the benefits of Wild Card Edges on a “the Paladin,” while the 7 of Coins is “the Joker draw. Instead, player characters with a Thief.” This supplement forgoes those Wild Card Edge gain the benefits of that names, but a diligent group can find them out Edge when they draw a high deck card for if they wish. initiative. This benefit is only gained if the Another major difference when using the character with the Edge draws such a card, tarokka deck rather than an ordinary playing not anyone else. card deck is that the high deck always beats Additionally, the Fate is Fickle setting rule the low deck for initiative. The fourteen is changed as follows: cards of the high deck are considered better Fate is Fickle: While Fate can be cruel, than any low deck card. While the high deck that cruelty can sometimes aid heroes. is not traditionally numbered (like the major Whenever an enemy draws a high deck arcana of the tarot are), for the purposes of card for initiative and that card is better this rules set, they are ranked in alphabetical than any card held by a player character, order from highest to lowest. This means that all player characters receive a Benny. chosen card appears, then they get a +4 on everything! Fate has truly chosen to smile on The Tarot Deck them this day. In some ways, using the traditional tarot deck for a Savage Worlds game is easier, Wild Card Edges while in others is it much harder. All of the If you are using the tarot deck for initiative, cards in a tarot deck are numbered and then Wild Card Edges trigger when the Fool ordered in a specific way, making it easier to or the World are drawn, or when a player’s keep track of them for initiative purposes. chosen major arcana card is drawn. It doesn’t On the other hand, the tarot deck is larger matter who draws the card—the Wild Card than the traditional playing card deck by Edge is triggered if any of these three cards twenty-four cards, which can make it appear during a given round. If more than unwieldy and result in much longer periods one of them is drawn, no special benefit is between shuffling. had. Like the tarokka, the tarot deck is divided Additionally, the Fate is Fickle setting rule into two groupings, the minor arcana and the is changed as follows: major arcana. The minor arcana are grouped Fate is Fickle: While Fate can be cruel, into four suits, which correspond to the four that cruelty can sometimes aid heroes. suits of playing cards: swords (clubs), wands Whenever an enemy draws a major (diamonds), cups (hearts), and pentacles arcana card for initiative and that card is (spades). A major difference is that there are better than any card held by a player fourteen cards in each suit rather than the character, all player characters receive a thirteen for playing cards. Again, the Ace is Benny.