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Message: <blockquote data-quote="abirdcall" data-source="post: 6752613" data-attributes="member: 6748898">For a new campaign, Out of the Abyss, we made the characters using a modified Tarot deck (The 3.x Ravenloft Tarokka deck).The deck consists of numbers 1-10 in 4 suits - Swords, Coins, Glyphs, and Stars (loosely thematically tied to Fighters, Rogues, Clerics, & Wizards respectively) and Major Arcana which are unique significant things like The Prison, The Hangman, The Hero, etc.20 cards, 2-6, were separated to create stats.1 card from that pile plus 3 others were drawn and shuffled. Then 3 out of those 4 were chosen at random to represent the character's past, present, & future. I did this before stats and encouraged the player to think about how the cards created the character's story. The past was more background, the future was goals, and the present blended between them. The cards could either represent the character themselves, or something that happened to them (more common with the Major Arcana). Then 1 of the 19 remaining cards from the stat deck was chosen and thrown out, that cut the deck and the remaining 18 were drawn into 6 piles of 3, representing Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha. Stats were randomized and in order with an average of 12 and weighted against large or small numbers (though we did see more extremes than I think is common given the math).Players then reflected on again on the first 3 cards and what they mean now that they know their character's natural aptitudes. They were free to choose their race - The restrictions for this campaign were no underdark races and given the themes of the campaign I encouraged strange races.Here are the 4 characters: (players will be coming up with names, deeper back stories and such later as we made them then played - I will post what I remember of their interpretations of the cards and note cards that are not straightforward)M - Past - 2 Glyphs - The MissionaryPresent - Ace of Swords - The AvengerFuture - 9 of Stars - The Conjurer - (represents dealing with dark forces/knowledge)Str 15(16) Dex 16 Con 14 Int 11(12) Wis 8 Cha 11Fighter (Eldritch Knight) - Human (Str/Int) - Magic Initiate Warlock - City WatchCharacter was warned by missionaries, town did not heed warning, overrun by demons, character now out to avenge town/family), Seek magical power to do soT - Past - 7 Coins - The ThiefPresent - 3 Swords - The SoldierFuture - Major Arcana - The HeroStr 16 Dex 13(14) Con 12 Int 8 Wis 8 Cha 14(16)Paladin (Oath of the Crown) - Half-Moon Elf - Light Cantrip - UrchinCharacter was an urchin/beggar, picked up by city watch and taken in by religious org. - Seeks to become great heroS - Past - Major Arcana - SpiritPresent - 2 Glyphs - MissionaryFuture - 10 Swords - Master of SwordsStr 13 Dex 13(14) Con 14(16) Int 8 Wis 16 Cha 10Monk (Way of the Long Death) - Air Genasi - AcolyteSomething about spirits and creating fascination with death - Grew up in monastery - Going to be a master of martial arts through studying death and the spiritJ - Past - 5 Stars - Elementalist (natural energies but not confused with the glyph's druid card)Present - 9 Stars - Conjurer (dealing with dark forces)Future - 8 Stars - Necromancer (forces of death and undeath)Str 10 Dex 13 Con 12 Int 12(13) Wis 11 Cha 15(17)Warlock (Undying/Chain Pact) - Tielfing - SageExplored innate talent for magic - instead of developing into a sorcerer tapped into darker forces for power - set on path to manipulate necrotic magic (we still need to create the being they made a pact with and such)Final Party:Eldritch KnightOath of the Crown PaladinWay of the Long Death MonkUndying Chain Pact WarlockThere you have it. I hope it was easy enough to read. It was a great experiment and I think it worked out wonderfully. There was a lot of tension over how the characters were going to turn out and every player felt they had a lot of agency in the ultimate outcome of who they are. They also enjoyed being challenged to put together the different aspects. Everyone made their stats work well.They are now happy playing characters they didn't know that they wanted to play before and have a special attachment to them because they only came about because of the randomness. Not for everyone of course but I encourage you to give it a shot.Questions? Comments? Suggestions?</blockquote>

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