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Appendix: Tarokka Deck
Tarokka fortune-telling cards originated among Vistani, who created these cards to guide their travels. Since Vistani entered the Mists, their cards have spread and gained renown as tools for divining the future and charting paths between the Domains of Dread. Now, diviners across many lands seek glimpses of what's to come and answers to unknowable questions from the tarokka. Such diviners have a saying: "No secret is safe from the tarokka."
The tarokka deck is a prop for creating mood-rich fortune-telling scenes in your adventures. It features prominently in the adventure Curse of Strahd, but you can use it to influence adventures of your own design as well.
Composition
A tarokka deck has fifty-four cards, each of which has its own name. Forty of them compose the common deck, which is divided into four suits: coins, glyphs, stars, and swords.
Each suit contains cards numbered one through nine, plus a tenth card called the master of that suit. One can refer to a card by its suit designation or by its name. For instance, the six of stars is also known as the evoker, and the master of coins is the rogue.
The remaining fourteen cards make up the high deck and symbolize powerful and enigmatic forces.
All cards in the tarokka deck and what they represent are detailed at the end of x.
High Deck
The cards that make up the high deck aren't considered one suit, although they all have a crown icon to mark their importance. Each card represents an important power. If one of these cards appears during a reading and contradicts the prediction of an earlier card, Vistani always assume this card takes precedence.
Common Deck
The four suits of the common deck are described below.
Coins
The suit of coins symbolizes desire for personal and material gain. It also represents gluttony, lust, and obsession. On the side of good, this suit can suggest the accumulation of wealth to benefit a charity or a just cause. On the side of evil, it embodies the worst aspects of greed.
Glyphs
The suit of glyphs symbolizes faith, spirituality, and inner strength. It is the suit of priests and those who devote themselves to the service of a deity, a higher power, or a heightened philosophy. It symbolizes health and healing, as well as illness and disease. On the side of good, this suit represents willpower and dedication. On the side of evil, it signifies weakness of character, self-doubt, and betrayal of one's ideals or beliefs.
Stars
The suit of stars symbolizes the desire for personal power and control over things beyond mortal ken. It is the suit of mages, sages, and intellectuals. It also represents the triumph of magic, science, and reason over religion, mysticism, and superstition.
Swords
The suit of swords symbolizes aggression and violence. It is the suit of warriors, be they paladins, soldiers, or mercenaries. It also symbolizes the power of governments and leaders, whether noble or corrupt.
Tarokka Readings
Tarokka decks aid fortune tellers in revealing information about specific individuals. The focus of a tarokka reading might be the individual having their fortune told or someone else. A fortune teller randomly selects or invites another to choose what tarokka card best represents the focus of the reading. To begin the tarokka reading, this card is laid face up in position 1 in the pattern below.
The fortune teller then draws four additional cards, laying one face down in each of the other numbered positions in the pattern. These positions each represent something about the focus:
- Position 1. The focus of the reading and the lens through which the other cards are interpreted
- Position 2. The past, something that might or might not be apparent to those other than the focus
- Position 3. What opposes the focus, whether literal opponents or obstructing fortunes
- Position 4. The future, an omen of what's to come and a fate that might still be changed
- Position 5. What aids the focus, whether literal allies or advantageous events
The reading proceeds with the fortune teller revealing the significance of each card's position and what the card represents, as guided by the descriptions later in x. After a card is interpreted, the card in the next position is revealed. This continues until all five cards have been interpreted. The fortune teller might reveal more details (see the following section) or claim that the cards remain silent on certain points. The fortune teller and characters then might speculate about the reading's broader meanings. Once you're satisfied with what's revealed, the reading ends.
Tarokka Techniques
The tarokka deck is a prop for inspiring adventures and creating dramatic fortune-telling scenes. Through a mix of creative interpretation and card manipulation, a DM can influence what the tarokka reveals and the accuracy of its revelations. Consider the following techniques during tarokka readings.
Stacking the Deck
You can use sleight of hand tricks to ensure tarokka cards appear where you desire during a reading. Select the desired cards before the tarokka reading and put them in the order you want to draw them so you can produce them effortlessly and place them in the desired positions. Cards might be stacked on the top of the deck or drawn from the bottom. Stacking the deck is useful for ensuring specific results or creating patterns that appear repeatedly between readings. Avoid letting players notice you're stacking the deck, as it undermines the mystery of that and future tarokka readings.
Dramatic Interpretations
[image: Orphir Brindletop, a member of the Keepers of the Feather, consults the tarokka]
When interpreting tarokka cards, you can elaborate on the card descriptions in x, reframing those details and adjusting them to better suit your adventure. Use these techniques to add onto and adjust the meanings of tarokka cards:
- Broad Interpretation. Highlight broader card details, like the meanings of suits and the generalities they encompass, over card specifics.
- Card Imagery. Focus on specifics in a card's art, like the numbers of objects or the positions of figures, to suggest a deeper meaning.
- Contextual Meanings. Suggest that multiple cards of the same suit or in specific relation to one another have greater or lesser meaning.
- Diviner Experience. Reveal that a card arrangement has a specific meaning, or that the fortune teller has seen it in an ominous instance before.
- Foreshadowing. Highlight details that align with impending events of which only you are aware.
- Leading Questions. Have a fortune teller ask questions that lead characters to connect the reading with past events or their existing knowledge.
Manipulating Fate
You control fate in your adventures. If you don't know what a tarokka card means during a reading, note that and fulfill its prophecy in the future. For example, if the four of glyphs appears in a reading, its imagery might appear later as a shepherd NPC, a hooked staff, a wandering sheep, four runes, or the like. You can then tell the players about the connection between the image and the reading.
Additionally, listen in on players' speculations about the meaning of tarokka readings, then use those suggestions to influence future revelations in your adventures.
High Deck
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| RHW | The importance of some physical object that must be obtained, protected, or destroyed at all costs |
| RHW | Great rage or passion; something bestial or malevolent hiding in plain sight or lurking just below the surface |
| RHW | Defeat, failure, and despair; the loss of something or someone important, without which one feels incomplete |
| RHW | A powerful evil individual; one whose goals have enormous and far-reaching consequences |
| RHW | Isolation and imprisonment; a prisoner of their own beliefs |
| RHW | The looming past; the return of an old enemy or the discovery of a secret buried long ago |
| RHW | The imminent death of one rightly or wrongly convicted of a crime; false accusations and unjust prosecution |
| RHW | Death; disastrous loss of wealth or property, a horrible defeat, or the end of a bloodline |
| RHW | A being of great importance whose life is in danger (who might be helpless or simply unaware of the peril) |
| RHW | The presence of a spy or a minion of some greater power; an encounter with a puppet or an underling |
| RHW | Something unexpected or mysterious that can't be avoided; a great quest or journey that will try one's spirit |
| RHW | A hidden source of information; a fortunate turn of events; a secret potential for good |
| RHW | Inspiration and keen intellect; a future event, the outcome of which will hinge on a clever mind |
| RHW | One who has been compromised or led astray by temptation or foolishness; one who tempts others for evil ends |
Swords
| Card | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Master of swords | RHW | Strength and force personified; violence; those who use force to accomplish their goals |
| One of swords | RHW | Justice and revenge for great wrongs; those on a quest to rid the world of great evil |
| Two of swords | RHW | Just and noble warriors; those who live by a code of honor and integrity |
| Three of swords | RHW | War and sacrifice; the stamina to endure great hardship |
| Four of swords | RHW | Inner strength and fortitude; those who fight for power or wealth |
| Five of swords | RHW | Great heroes; a sudden reversal of fate; the triumph of the underdog over a mighty enemy |
| Six of swords | RHW | The brutal and barbaric side of warfare; bloodlust; those with a bestial nature |
| Seven of swords | RHW | Bigotry, intolerance, and xenophobia; a mysterious presence or newcomer |
| Eight of swords | RHW | All that is wrong with leadership; those who rule through fear and violence |
| Nine of swords | RHW | The coming of suffering or merciless cruelty; one who is irredeemably evil or sadistic |
Stars
| Card | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Master of stars | RHW | Mystery and riddles; the unknown; those who crave magical power and great knowledge |
| One of stars | RHW | A new discovery; the coming of unexpected things; unforeseen consequences and chaos |
| Two of stars | RHW | The pursuit of knowledge tempered by wisdom; truth and honesty; sages and prophecy |
| Three of stars | RHW | Inner turmoil that comes from confusion, fear of failure, or false information |
| Four of stars | RHW | Those guided by logic and reasoning; warnings of an overlooked clue or piece of information |
| Five of stars | RHW | The triumph of nature over civilization; natural disasters and bountiful harvests |
| Six of stars | RHW | Magical or supernatural power that can't be controlled; magic for destructive ends |
| Seven of stars | RHW | Lies and deceit; grand conspiracies; secret societies; the presence of a dupe or a saboteur |
| Eight of stars | RHW | Unnatural events and unhealthy obsessions; those who follow a destructive path |
| Nine of stars | RHW | The coming of an unexpected supernatural threat; those who think of themselves as gods |
Coins
| Card | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Master of coins | RHW | Anyone for whom money is important; those who believe money is the key to their success |
| One of coins | RHW | Those who like money yet give it up freely; likable rogues and rapscallions |
| Two of coins | RHW | Charity and giving on a grand scale; those who use wealth to fight evil and sickness |
| Three of coins | RHW | Commerce; smuggling and black markets; fair and equitable trades |
| Four of coins | RHW | A rare commodity or business opportunity; deceitful or dangerous business transactions |
| Five of coins | RHW | Like-minded individuals joined together in a common goal; pride in one's work |
| Six of coins | RHW | Sudden change in economic status or fortune |
| Seven of coins | RHW | Those who steal or burgle; loss of property, beauty, innocence, friendship, or reputation |
| Eight of coins | RHW | Corruption; honesty in an otherwise corrupt government or organization |
| Nine of coins | RHW | Hoarded wealth; those who are irreversibly unhappy or think money is meaningless |
Glyphs
| Card | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Master of glyphs | RHW | Enlightenment; those who follow a deity, a system of values, or a higher purpose |
| One of glyphs | RHW | Serenity; inner strength and self-reliance; supreme confidence bereft of arrogance |
| Two of glyphs | RHW | Those who spread wisdom to others; warnings of the spread of fear and ignorance |
| Three of glyphs | RHW | Healing; a contagious illness, disease, or curse; those who practice the healing arts |
| Four of glyphs | RHW | Those who protect others; one who bears a burden far too great to be shouldered alone |
| Five of glyphs | RHW | The ambivalence and cruelty of nature and those who feel drawn to it; inner turmoil |
| Six of glyphs | RHW | A fundamental change brought on by one whose beliefs are being put to the test |
| Seven of glyphs | RHW | Liars; those who profess to believe one thing but actually believe another |
| Eight of glyphs | RHW | Strict adherence to a code or a belief; those who plot, plan, and scheme |
| Nine of glyphs | RHW | Betrayal by someone close and trusted; a weakening or loss of faith |