One aspect that I'm considering for my gaming is adding Tarot cards. These cards will let the players who are usually hesitant about making decisions and directing the gameplay make more robust decisions.

To use 4e as an example, give each player a card whenever they receive an action point. The cards follow the same rules for action points (i.e. they are taken up and redealt whenever the party rests, given an extra after a milestone, etc), but can be used in or outside of combat.

Outside of combat, they can be used to influence NPCs, or alter them outright. It's not an unreasonable suggestion that a PC, when confronted with a thug, could pull out the Tower, and declare that fate has cursed this bandit and at that moment, the King's patrol arrives behind the party. Or when dealing with a reticent nobleman, they could utilize the Magician, and suddenly become more diplomatic and willful to the noble. The noble becomes helpful.

Inside of combat, the players could use them to gain bonuses to a related sort of maneuver. For example, one could use the Last Judgement, a card which can mean renewal, to use a healing surge.

The general idea is that when a card is played, the fates smile on the player, and the card's effect is either upon the players, an enemy, an ally, or the plot in general. There's no reason that the players can't save an ailing peasant with, for example, the protective power of the Emperor.

Using a card is a free action, again, to borrow 4e terms. In another system, it could be a reflex, or to be used whenever it is that the player chooses.

If anybody uses this idea, it's probably good to keep a web page or book of the meanings of the cards, as a player who receives, for example, the Ten of Pentacles might not have the foggiest clue what in the hell it means. An alternative is to just use the Major Arcana, and let players make things up about the meaning of the card. After all, the intention is to get normally reticent, quiet players to speak up, out of turn, to use this surprise card that potentially changes everything.

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