My f$&%ing dedication to authenticity always screws me. And today, it’s screwing you too. Some of you. A very small number of you. Specifically, the small number of you who suffer through my weekly D&D 3.5 AOWG campaign. You know who you are.

In the middle of this article, you’re going to find a big-a$& spoiler warning. And if you ignore it, you’ll ruin the next adventure for yourself. That’s assuming you survive the next session. Because, as of the time of writing, you’re basically one unlucky die roll from a TPK. And you know it.

Why the spoiler? Well, this article’s the one I promised about using the Tarot to build adventure plots. I wanted to provide a good, practical example. An honest example. So, I pulled out my deck and built a next adventure for my AOWG campaign. There’s a reason I did that rather than just build an adventure for some totally hypothetical campaign with non-existent players.

Originally, I planned to build a pretend adventure. One I wasn’t going to use. But the adventure that emerged was so f$&%ing cool that I didn’t want to throw it away. And, frankly, I don’t have the time in my life to take a second stab at writing a massive chunk of an article. Because I literally developed the example while I was writing it. Stream of consciousness style.

Long story short: if you’re one of my players, there’s a spoiler warning. Read whatever else you want. But skip the spoilered part. It’ll be really clear. I promise.

Don’t make me regret trusting you.

Tarot for Adventure-Building Dummies

This article’s a continuation of that Tarot for D&D thing I wrote a couple weeks ago. The one where I argued Tarot was a great thing to learn because it had a lot of crossover skills with GMing. And the one where I said that you shouldn’t try to use Tarot as an actual game mechanic. Because that would be disrespectful and silly.

In this article, I’m going to tell you how to use the Tarot as an actual game mechanic.

Well, not really. Tarot makes a sucky in-game mechanic. But because the Tarot’s a storytelling tool at its core, it’s a great way to build a story. Or a game. Or a story game.

So, I’m going to show you how to deal a D&D adventure with your Tarot deck. Hell, I’m going to show you three different ways to do it. Two-and-half, anyway. And that last half goes against my better judgment. But we’ll get to that later.

Adventure’s in the Cards

Today, I’m going to teach you three different ways to pull an adventure from a Tarot deck. I call them:

• The Story-Gamer Spread
• The Intuitive Dungeon-Builder Spread
• The Table-Loving Dungeon-Builder Spread

But before I start, a couple of caveats.

First, I don’t intend for you to do this s$&% at the table. This is just part of your standard adventure-design-and-game-prep process.

Second, this s$&%’s really only good for what I’ve called Big Prep. That is, outlining an adventure or planning a dungeon. You’ve still got to build encounters, draw maps, stat NPCs, and all the other s$&% that adventure-building entails.

Third, don’t dump the intuition and judgment Tarot requires just because you’re doing the mechanical adventure-building thing. Ignore or reinterpret the cards whenever your gut tells you to. Don’t obey the cards as law. Maybe the cards say the final dungeon room contains a “wise, perceptive, intuitive, and possibly female NPC ally.” But the last room of the dungeon needs a boss fight. So maybe the cards meant a perceptive and intuitive NPC enemy that’s hard to fool. Or maybe they meant a medusa.

Medusae are female and their perception cuts through people so hard that it kills them.

Point is, let the cards guide you. But don’t let them override your storyweaving and gamedesigning sensibilities. And don’t stop your brain from doing something cool just because it don’t fit the cards. After all, that might just be your subconscious seeing something in the cards that your conscious brain ain’t. So trust it.

Now, let’s talk about Tarot Spreads.

Cards Crossing Cards

Technically, what I’ve got for you today are three Tarot Spreads. Remember Spreads? Those are the patterns in which Readers lay down the cards as they’re drawn. Patterns in which the relative positions of the cards add context to the interpretation. Well, the first Spread I’m going to show you — the Story-Gamer Spread — is based on one of the most popular and well-known traditional Tarot spreads: the Celtic Cross. And it’ll help if you know how that Spread works. So I’m gonna show you quick.

Here’s what the Celtic Cross Spread looks like.

How does it work? The Querent chooses ten cards at random from the Tarot deck. The Reader lays each into its proper position as its drawn. And then interprets each in turn. Usually, the Reader will lay the cards out face down and then reveal them one at a time, in order, and talk through the emerging interpretation. Going back and recontextualizing and reinterpreting as necessary.

So, what does each position mean? Well… I’ll tell you. But be careful. Because the tradition varies a little from Reader to Reader. Hell, there doesn’t seem to be any consensus on whether the past is on the right or the left. I’ve seen it both ways in even numbers. So, the Celtic Cross I’m teaching you is the one I learned and the one I like.

Anyway, let me add some numbers so we can key this s$&% up…

1. The Significator

This card, which is traditionally laid beneath the second card — and that’s important for this whole cross thing — is called the Significator. Generally, it represents the Querent. The Seeker. The person about whom the reading is… about. It might show what’s going on in their life, what’s going on in their head, what phase of life they’re in, whatever.

2. The Crossing Card

The Crossing Card’s so called because it’s laying across the Significator. And it represents the thing that’s in the Querent’s way. It’s an obstacle or a conflict or a problem. Something that’s got to be dealt with. Usually, it’s the thing the Querent is asking about. But sometimes, it’s a problem the Querent doesn’t see.

3. The Crowning Card

This card hangs over the Significator’s head and it represents the s$&% that’s in the air around the Querent. Maybe the social environment, maybe the state of the world, maybe just a general atmosphere or mood. Whatever.

4. The Root of the Matter

This card’s beneath the Significator because that’s where roots go. It represents whatever’s actually really causing the conflict represented by the Crossing Card. Lots of Readers interpret this card as the Distant Past. Because it represents the s$&% that set the stage for the problem or conflict.

5. The Recent Past

This card goes behind the Significator. It represents what the Querent is leaving behind, walking away from, or emerging from. Or perhaps what the Querent needs to walk away from or leave behind. It might be a situation, a state, a phase of life, or an event.

6. The Near Future

This card goes in front of the Significator. It shows what the Significator is moving towards. Basically, it’s the opposite of the Recent Past. And often — though not always — Readers interpret the Crossing Card as blocking forward progress toward this Near Future card.

7. Self-Image

These last four cards — the ones that go up the side of the Celtic Cross — are sometimes omitted from traditional readings. They don’t really fit the Cross pattern and there’s no good, visual, thematic way to remember what they mean. But I personally like them. You’ve just got to remember them.

This one’s Self-Image. It represents what the Querent sees in the mirror. How they see their state, situation, or self. Be careful interpreting this one, though. Accusing a Querent of self-denial or self-delusion isn’t a great way to get repeat business. And you’re just as likely to be wrong or deluded as the Querent.

Anyway…

8. The World’s View

This card represents how others see the Querent. Though this can get really murky. Especially if you’re more intuitive than mystical. Because this is all going to be about the Querent’s perspective. So, it might be this card represents how the Querent thinks the world treats them. Again, this is a dangerous card to interpret. Listen, intuit, and don’t push too hard. And don’t assume you know more than the Querent just because you have magic pieces of cardboard and all the Querent has is a complete and total immersive experience in their own life situation. Not that their perspective can be trusted either. People inside situations are usually the most biased and least perspectived.

Anyway…

9. Hopes and Fears

This card’s about the Querent’s inner desires about the situation. What they want or what they want to avoid. Or a little of both.

I should note some Readers use Reversed Cards. That is, when a card’s revealed in a Spread, if it’s upside-down, it’s interpreted differently. Usually, it’s read as having an opposite or negative meaning. I don’t care for this approach myself and don’t do it, but Readers who do generally read Upright cards as Hopes and Reversed cards as Fears in this spot in the Spread.

10. The Final Outcome

This card’s a little too future-predicty for my tastes and it’s often read as such. Even by Readers who otherwise take an intuitive and psychological approach like I do. And especially by Readers who consider Upright and Reversed cards. Me? I see it as encompassing a lot of possibilities. Because there’s always lots of ways something can turn out. Good and bad.

Tarot in RPGs

Before I teach you how to read an adventure in a spread, I want to put a few things in your head.

First, keep in mind this ain’t just about pulling cards and building stories out of pictures. You can do that crap with Rory’s Story Cubes or a Random Plot Generator. I expect you to actually read the damned Tarot. Use your intuition, the context from the Spread, your knowledge of your game’s world, your knowledge of the characters, and your knowledge of past in-game events to build an adventure. Assuming you’ve got that s$&% in your head. I mean, you can build an adventure without knowing who you’re building for or without fitting into a campaign, but that robs you of some context and you’ll have to pull some s$&% out of your a$&. Kind of like doing a Tarot reading for a stranger who won’t talk to you.

It also helps to associate certain cards with certain RPG-specific things. Here’s my suggestions.

Interpret cards of the Major Arcana — whenever possible — as pertaining to campaign-level events. Or, at least, major adventure-level plot developments.

Interpret cards of the Minor Arcana as pertaining to events, situations, and forces that are limited in scope and scale to the adventure itself.

Interpret the Court Cards of the Minor Arcana — Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings — as NPCs whenever possible. As characters in the game world.

Interpret Aces in the Minor Arcana as the intangible, mystic, or divine forces. Major forces. Meddling Gods, Fate’s hand, Chaos shaking s$&% up. Something you’d describe with a capital letter.

And break any of those rules whenever your gut suggests you should.

The Story-Gamer Spread

Hopefully, you’re smart enough to see why I think the Celtic Cross Spread’s a great narrative-building tool. It’s got conflict, plot, motives, root causes, and emotional tone all built right in. With a little finagling of the positions’ meanings, you can build a good premise and basic plot for a D&D game.

This brings me to the Story-Gamer Spread. If you need to build a plot, outline, and/or premise for your next adventure, pull ten Tarot cards at random, lay them down Celtic Cross-style, reveal them one at a time, and interpret them as follows.

1. The Party Situation

This card’s basically still the Significator. It represents the party’s state or situation at the start of the game. Before s$&% goes bad. It’s the Once Upon a Time card.

2. The Major Conflict

The Crossing Card represents the adventure’s major conflict. The big problem the party’s got to solve to resolve the adventure.

Alternatively — if you want to build layers of mystery or expect a big reveal later — you can read this as the Apparent or Inciting Conflict. The thing that initially troubles the party and sets the adventure in motion.

Either way’s fine. You might even go back and forth between the two as you interpret the rest of the Spread.

3. The Setting and the Tone

The Crowning Card represents the mood, tenor, and tone of the environment. What’s going on around the party? In the city? The kingdom? The world? What’s the adventure’s overall atmosphere and tone?

4. The Heart of the Conflict

The Root of the Matter’s the reason why the Major Conflict’s happening. It’s the adventure’s backstory, the villain’s motive, the ancient event that set s$&% into motion, whatever.

5. Past Consequences

The Recent Past represents something the party’s carrying from past adventures or events. The consequence of a choice they made, the price of a setback, a rival they attracted, a friend they made, or some other story element that follows from something they did. Whatever it is, it’s going to play a role in the adventure. Even if the players don’t see it coming.

6. The Current Goal

The Near Future represents the thing the party’s pursuing when the adventure starts. Maybe it’s the goal the Major Conflict’s in the way of. Or maybe it’s just what the party was doing when they got distracted or sidetracked by the adventure.

7. What’s at Stake for the Party

It ain’t really important to consider the players’ perspectives on their characters or their intuition or self-reflection. The Story-Gamer spread’s not a therapy tool. It’s a story-building tool. So, interpret this card as what’s at stake for the party. What do they have to win? Or lose? How might the situation hurt them if they ignore it? Or if they f$&% it up?

8. What’s at Stake for the World

This card’s similar to the last. It’s about what’s at stake for others. What do the other people in the world have to gain or lose in this situation? How might the adventurers’ successes and failures affect the world around them? The affects might be limited to a single NPC, or it might affect the entire world. The scope can vary. But if there’s a Major Arcana card, the stakes should be pretty big.

9. Motivations

Again, this is about building a story, not introspection. And, in a story, Hopes and Fears are Motivations, right? Hence this card. It represents how the adventure or situation plays into the party’s motivations. Or into any single character’s motivations.

10. The Effect on the Campaign

Finally, this card describes the lasting impact this adventure has on the ongoing campaign. If you reveal a card of the Minor Arcana here, it might represent a lead or connection to a future adventure. A Court Card might represent an NPC ally or rival that affects later adventures. And a Card of the Major Arcana suggests this adventure is really important to the campaign somehow. It advances the plot in some significant way. Or it represents a big turning point.

An Example Reading

It’s easier to show you how to do this s$&% than tell you. Especially given it’s down to wishy-washy crap like intuition and feeling. So I’m going to do just that. I’m going to pull ten cards, reveal them in order, and read the outline for the next adventure in my D&D 3.5 AOWG. And I’m doing this with zero preparation. This is a stream-of-consciousness, as-I-go example.

If you read the Long, Rambling Introduction™ you know I never intended to write an adventure I’d actually use at the table. It was just a pretend example. But I wanted to demonstrate using the game’s events and setting as context for the reading. So I needed an actual campaign. The problem’s that I came up with an adventure that’s too good not to use.

Point is, if you’re one of my D&D 3.5 AOWG players, you’ve got to skip this example. I’ll put it in a quote block and recolor it slightly so you can skim past it. Cool?

The Party Situation: Ace of Swords

Generally, Aces represent undifferentiated potential and supernatural forces. And swords represent intellect and ideals. High-minded s$&%. That fits because my players are returning to town to level up. There’s your undifferentiated potential right there. But I’ve also got two churchy characters — a cleric and a paladin — and they’ve both frankly spent a lot of time doing un-churchy, mercenary crap. And while their latest job did offer an accidental chance to destroy a terrible evil, they were doing a fetch-quest for a crime boss. Point is that one or both of them probably need to reaffirm their faith because they’re wasting their potential. And the Powers What Be need to make that known.

Major Conflict: Nine of Swords

More Swords. Ideals and principles are definitely at the heart of this s$&%. And this card’s a hell of a card. Torment. Inner turmoil. Nightmares. S$&% that keeps you up at night. That suggests the Powers What Be are not happy. Perhaps a divine agent visits a character in a nighttime vision — a terrible one — and demands the PC “shape up or ship out.”

The Setting and the Tone: The King of Cups

Cups are all about intuition and emotions and kings are dynamic, authoritative figures. Movers and shakers. And Court Cards about NPCs. Since the party’s returning to the town of Graybridge after three weeks away, perhaps the general mood of the town’s shifted. And it’s because of someone in charge. Graybridge has a few candidates I’ve already established. A crime boss, a lord-mayor, a baroness, a powerful wizard. But none of them’s a King of Cups.

Nope, the King of Cups is the Captain of the Guard. Who the party’s crossed before. She’s an authoritative, powerful figure. But she’s also driven more by her heart than her head. She’s an angry-head basher who wants to maintain peace and harmony, no matter how many people she’s got to beat to death. Seriously. Passion and a desire for harmony? Very cups. Legal authority? Very king. And a very cool mix of masculine and feminine forces as typified by the King of Cups.

Likely, she’s cracking down. And the town’s feeling it.

The Heart of the Matter: The Emperor

Well, this is f$%&ing cool. The Emperor. The big-daddy father figure. The arbiter of law, justice, discipline, and high ideals. And a Major Arcana card to boot. Whatever’s at the heart of this s$&% has big, campaign-spanning implications. And I know exactly what that means. Because there’s a big, dangerous evil festering away in this town. And if the party ain’t ready to deal with it — or if they walk away — it’s going to win.

This card tells me that the paladin’s the PC needing clarity. Sir Hewan Hartwood, Knight of the Argenty Mantle, in service to the Shining King and the Sainted Knight of Courage. And this card tells me the Major Conflict’s exactly what it seems. The paladin’s got potential, but he’s not been a very good paladin. He ain’t ready to deal with major evils and he keeps getting distracted. And the Powers of Law and Order in the Cosmos are cheesed off enough to slap him around.

Past Consequences: The Knight of Cups

Well, f$&% me, this is cool too. More Cups and another Court Card. And that tells me this card’s connected to the Captain of the Guard. Doesn’t even really matter what the Knight of Cups represents alone. The cards rhyme. They’re connected.

Thing is, the party f$&%ed with the Captain of the Watch a few weeks ago. Stopped her from beating a pickpocket to death in the street. Humiliated her. And that’s probably why she’s tightening the screws on the town. But she also wants revenge. So she’s tapped a brash and similarly-minded lieutenant to hunt the party directly. Basically, Javert is after them.

The Current Goal: Two of Swords

Twos are about decisions. Swords are about ideals and intellect. And Swords are also a big deal in this adventure. Motivations. Goals. Ideals. On a surface level, I know when the party hits town, they’re going to have to pick their next adventure. Hence, choices to do with motivations. Once they level up. But Hewan’s got to deal with his torment before he can level up and make a choice.

Moreover, the party, as a whole, has to decide whether to let idealism — represented by the cleric and the paladin — take the lead and point them on their next adventure. Or to continue with their mercenaries-for-hire tack as exemplified by the rogue and wizard.

What’s at Stake for the Party: The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man. What a card. Kind of a Prometheus figure. Obviously, the Hanged Man’s in a position of suffering. He’s made a sacrifice or he’s being punished. But he’s at peace. Look at his face. And he’s got a shining light around his head. And his being upside-down suggests a change of perspective. So this is all about wisdom and perspective through suffering and sacrifice. Making a choice and accepting the price.

This says to me the paladin’s paladinhood — or maybe his position in his order — might be at stake. Either he’s got to give up the behaviors that are getting in his way — mature a bit — or he’s got to give up his divine powers and accept a new class. Or maybe the player’s got to give up the character and build something new.

What’s at Stake for the World: The Chariot

This is ominous. Yeah, I know it looks all triumphant and paradey and s$&%. But this is a vehicle of war. Pulled by powerful animals. With an armored knight on it. The card usually represents victory, but the thing is, the chariot’s hard to control. It’s pulled by two differently-colored animals. Two different forces. If they don’t pull in the same direction, the Chariot doesn’t go anywhere. The driver’s will keeps the animals under control.

There’s a whole undercurrent of ideals-versus-emotions going on here. And while the forces of Law and Good are at the heart of the Major Conflict, there’s this out-of-control, emotional authority figure causing all sorts of background strife. This suggests to me that that side story’s actually the threat to the world. I think the Chariot might actually represent the Captain of the Guard. Trying to reign in the beasts. Find balance. This adventure might give the party a chance to deal with her. Or else, she’s going to literally barrel out of control through the town, running over everyone.

Motivations: The Star

Another Major Arcana card. The pouring water symbolizes renewal and balance. The star’s a celestial beacon. A light of hope. And faith. Which just reaffirms that this adventure allows Hewan to reaffirm his vows and Evendur — the cleric — to address his conflict with the Guard Captain. Perhaps save her instead of destroying her.

The Effect on the Campaign: Ten of Swords

…

Well, that’ll probably be a TPK, huh?

Putting this S$&% Together

So, now I have a big pile of ideas and narrative elements. It’s just down to massaging them into a story. Let’s see…

After destroying the sahuagin village, the party returns to Graybridge. They’re set to sell their loot, level up, and hunt down their next adventure. But the town watch is working overtime. There’s even some criminals staked up or caged in the gate square. Dead or dying. Maybe the kid Evendur saved from the Guard Captain’s among them. That sets the tone.

When Hewan returns to the House of Mercy where he’s been bunking and training with a couple of Hospitaler buddies, he can’t find peace. He’s tormented by nightmares. Something terrible rises from beneath the chapel and attacks. He tries to protect his friends, but his powers fail. Then he wakes up. He still has his divine abilities, but he can’t level up.

The House of Mercy’s this ruined, overgrown chapel and yard. A pair of itinerant Hospitalers — knights of mercy and compassion — claimed it and they’ve only started restoring it. And the grounds are lousy with stonework. Statues of priests, servants, and temple guards. That’s been established. I had this idea that maybe a terrible thing turned the people to stone there ages ago and was then imprisoned below the chapel. A medusa in a soul-trapping mirror. Some s$&% like that.

If the party follows the clues from Hewan’s dream, they’ll find the old vaults and have a chance to confront the monster. And to claim a temple knight’s enchanted sword. In doing so, Heward can reaffirm his commitment to fighting evil.

Meanwhile, this guardsman is relentlessly pursuing the party. He’s not strong enough to defeat them but nonetheless keeps coming at them. And, likely, Evendur’s own moral compass will keep him from killing the man. He’ll just keep trying to talk him down. Jean Valjean style.

A lot depends on the party from here. The guardsman might follow the party to the House of Mercy. While the party’s in the dungeons, he might get into a dustup with the Hospitalers. That could end tragically. Or the guard might pursue them into the dungeon and force the party to kill him. Or maybe he’ll get killed by the medusa. But, if the party can win him over — or if he comes to his senses in his tragic death scene — he can reveal something that’ll suggest the guard captain can be saved. And suggesting there’s a bigger, badder evil afoot in the town and the guard captain’s an unwitting pawn.

See why I don’t want to just throw this s$%& away? It’s awesome, right?

Anyway…

The Intuitive Dungeon-Builder Spread

Now, maybe you’re not into this heavy narrative bulls$%&. That’s fine. The Story-Gamer Spread can still provide a good adventure premise. But if you just want a good dungeon crawl…

The Intuitive Dungeon-Builder Spread is a lot simpler than the Story-Gamer Spread. It’ll help you outline and populate a simple dungeon map. And there’s no complicated positional-interpretation crap to remember. How does it work?

First, decide how many rooms your dungeon’s got. Odd numbers work best. Five, seven, nine, or eleven. Pull that many cards and keep them in order. Keep them face down. Don’t peek.

Next, grab some little token doodads you can use for doors or passages. Connections. Because each card in the Spread’s a room or encounter space. And you need to link them with doors or halls or whatever.

Got your cards and your connection tokens? Great. Lay your first card face down on the table. That’s the Entrance. Mark it somehow so you remember it’s the entrance.

Now, lay one or two connections next to the Entrance. Anywhere at all.

At the end of each connection, lay another card. Another room.

Now, add one or two more connections to the Spread. Anywhere. Next to any cards. Or even between existing cards.

End each open connection with a card.

Keep adding connections then cards until you lay your last card. Mark whichever card you lay last, wherever you mark it. That’s the Goal. It’s okay if it’s right next to the Entrance.

When you’re out of cards, discard any open connections. Don’t want hallways to nowhere, do you?

Here’s my five-room example. I used hallways pieces from Munchkin Quest for connections. The green dot marks the Entrance. The red dot marks the Goal.

Now, it’s down to revealing each card in turn. And interpreting it. Intuitively. What’s the card suggest might be in that room or encounter space? Trust your gut, take some notes, and build the dungeon accordingly.

The Entrance and the Goal are special though. And you should reveal them first. Entrance, then Goal.

Interpret the Entrance such that it defines the dungeon somehow. Assuming you don’t already know what the dungeon’s like. The Entrance describes the dungeon as a whole. And it can also represent what’s in the Entrance space. After all, the Entrance should set the tone for the dungeon.

Interpret the Goal such that it explains why the party’s exploring the dungeon at all. Is it about defeating a monster, looting an item, rescuing an NPC, discovering something important, or advancing the campaign story? And, just as with the Entrance, the Goal card could also describe what’s in the room. In many cases, the PCs will accomplish the adventure’s goal in the Goal room. Sometimes they won’t, though.

Once you’ve revealed the Entrance and the Goal, reveal the other cards. Do so as if you’re moving through the dungeon. Start by revealing a card connected to the Entrance and interpreting it. Then reveal a card connected to the newly revealed card. When you hit a dead-end, backtrack to a card with an unrevealed, adjacent card and explore that passage. Working like this will help you build a sense of progression, from Entrance to Goal, without having to think too hard about it.

Let’s see what’s in my dungeon…

Entrance: The Magician

Sure, this card’s figuratively about potential and power and mastery of the elements. But it’s also literally a card with a Magician on it. So this ancient ruin, far from civilization, was some ancient elementalist’s retreat. It’s where he hid to study magic in peace and quiet.

The rooms probably got some pillars or a magical circle or something with runic elemental symbols.

Goal: Eight of Swords

Well, obviously the goal’s to rescue a captive. But I don’t feel like a captive belongs in this ruined wizard’s bolt hole. So probably, the party’s been set to recover an item to ransom a prisoner. A lore tablet or a spell book. And this is where it is.

Room Two: The King of Wands

This card represents a powerful and authoritative NPC. A master of will-made-manifest. In other words, there’s another wizard here. Probably some other spellcaster — and his minions — are holed up. And they’re evil. Let’s say it’s a kobold elementalist. And his kobold skirmisher buddies.

Room Three: Six of Pentacles

Generosity and charity are definitely things you’d find in a ruined elementalist’s hermitage.

Obviously, there’s treasure here. But sixes also represent effort. Work. So the party’s got to overcome a challenge to get the treasure. I’m thinking there’s an earth elemental guardian. Maybe it’s got a fist-sized gem for a heart.

Room Four: The Wheel of Fortune

Fate. Luck. Chance. A turning of fortune. And, as this is a card of the Major Arcana, this room should have a big impact. Maybe there’s a useful or powerful magical item here. But there’s a fiery hazard protecting it. The sort of thing you really can’t think past. A flaming pit you’ve got to jump or fire jets you have to dodge through. Something you’ve just got to toss the dice to bypass.

 

 

 

 

See how easy this s$&% is?

The Table-Loving Dungeon-Builder Spread

Do you like the idea of pulling Tarot dungeons, in theory, but hate all the wishy-washy intuition and interpretation crap?

Well that’s bad and you’re bad and you should feel bad.

But, look, if all you want’s another kind of random dungeon generation and you’ve got a deck of Tarot cards to profane, try this Spread.

Start a Dungeon-Builder Spread as outlined above. Decide on a number of dungeon rooms, draw that many cards, lay down an Entrance and mark it, lay connections, lay more rooms and more connections, and mark the last card as the Goal. With me so far?

Now, however many cards you pulled the first time, pull half that many more. Rounded up. Got five rooms? Draw three more cards. Without peeking at the cards, place the first card you drew under the Goal card. And place each remaining card under another on the table. Any card you want. Except the Entrance. Don’t put any cards under the Entrance. And don’t stack more than two cards.

In the end, you’ll have something like this:

Now, reveal the cards as above. Entrance first, then Goal, then the rest. But don’t worry your pretty little head about interpreting the card with your creative GMing brain. Nope. You can just look stuff up.

It’s like this: if there’s only one card to a room, that’s a challenge. If there’s two cards in a room, the top one’s a challenge and the bottom one’s a reward. The suits tell you what kind of challenge or reward to stick in the room.

As challenges, Pentacles represent combats. Pure, simple fights. Pick an appropriate monster and shove it in the room. As rewards, Pentacles represent treasure. Wealth or equipment.

As challenges, Wands represent obstacles and traps. S$&% that takes some creative problem solving to bypass. As rewards, Wands represent boons, bonuses, and advantages. Think magical blessings, enchantments, or even s$&% like free healing. But also s$&% like secret doors and shortcuts. Anything that makes winning easier.

As challenges, Swords present mysteries, investigations, and hidden things. Basically, the party’s got to look around and ask questions to deal with them. As rewards, Swords represent information. Knowledge. Revelations. Stuff the party can use to win.

As challenges, Cups represent encounters with NPCs. Nonhostile NPCs. At least initially. The party’s got to deal with the NPC to overcome the challenge. As rewards, Cups represent friendship, contacts, and alliances. Or reputation or glory or even favors owed. Anything that comes from other people.

The value of the card tells you how difficult the challenge is or how valuable the reward is. And Court Cards should involve NPCs regardless of the suit. So the Knight of Swords might be an NPC the party has to outwit or a sphinx that asks riddles. Something like that.

You’ll still have to do some interpretation when you hit cards of the Major Arcana. Which should represent big and important challenges, rewards, or plot developments.

Of course, you could just remove the Major Arcana from the deck. I mean, if you’re going with this method, you probably don’t want to have to flex any creative muscles at all. Which is why I’m not even bothering with an example.