D&D General Using Tarot Cards in D&D

[Voadam]

I played in a 1e game in the 90s where one of the players was playing what we would now call a fortune telling Romani.

in game when she did a reading the player would pull out her tarot deck and the DM would go through it and select cards that applied to the question asked. She would then make her own interpretations off the spread that she got.

I found it very atmospheric and added to the game.

 

[CleverNickName]

Sorry, I missed this post from earlier.

Taken a look at the Harrow decks that Paizo put out?

I haven't. I don't even know what a "Harrow deck" is. What could you tell us about it?

 

[payn]

Sorry, I missed this post from earlier.

I haven't. I don't even know what a "Harrow deck" is. What could you tell us about it?

I have the one from PF1. They basically made a tarot deck based on alignment. If you dont dig alignment, thats ok PF2 version is no longer based on alignment. Also, its a real cool looking product.

 

[Voadam]

I have the one from PF1. They basically made a tarot deck based on alignment. If you dont dig alignment, thats ok PF2 version is no longer based on alignment. Also, its a real cool looking product.

For Pathfinder One it was alignment and six attributes (strength, dex, con, int, wis, cha) with an evocative icon for each combination so a 54 card deck. Here is a list of the cards.

The art is pretty neat.

I still kind of want to get it even though I have a tarot deck and two versions of the ravenloft Tarroka (2e and 5e).

 

[O-Castitatis-Lilium]

You could probably equate them to the tarokka deck and do something like that? If you want a better understanding of how to really use these cards, I would suggest taking a quick read about the tarot and how they are read and placed. What certain cards can mean, and you could go from there. It might help in using them to determine character backstories, personalities, ideals, bonds flaws, and other such things if you want to use them like that. You could also use these in game as a way to make some gold and to a basic spread if you want. With that, you don't have to know the true meaning of the cards, but it could help. They are a fun prop and if you know how to read them, you can really add a horror/mystery element to your character if you want to go that route. Just so we're clear, don't take the cards serious no matter how you decide to go, some people get really eerie with them and can be slightly put off even though they really aren't anything more than a prop for cold readings lol.