How to use Tarot on RPG (1)

    Halloi (Helo), Be welcome, and again, to the Action Tale.

    How to use Tarot in your Story

    First of all, you have to think you're not predicting anything. It's for a game, for a Story. You'll have to adapt your Reading, because it's not an Oracle.

    Well, it is, but if you read the Tarot, or if you're a Runemaster and use Runes, it's all the same, you'll need to focus on your Story. The reading is not for guiding someone into his|her life, but to focus the Character into that Story.

    So, the essential motif of a Reading for RPG is the Story in itself.

    What I noticed in my practices is that the Oracle doesn't know the difference between Person and Character.

    If you focus at a normal Reading, you'll mix Real Life and Fiction at the same.

    I noticed that it can be used to predict something on Real Life, but that was far from my intentions, that were to understand how to use the Oracle to implement the Storyline, Plot and also to make various series of Profecies into the Story.

    You can try out Runes too, as I did. It's all the same.

    Only that Runes are more dificult to interpret, and you'll need to focus more on read what's the need of that moment in time.

    Have never tried I Ching, but I believe the same situation will happen.

    At my Tables, I use rules for Tarot.

    First, I don't read future, or well, not Player's future. That diverge off from the Story. I try to think about what that moment inside game needs, and the relation of that with a Character's situation and needs. Then, I read the card as to ever introduce a new "Flavour" for that moment, or Character. You'll have to put appart the meaning of the card, and think of what that meaning would be for the Story.

    Remember that the Reading is for your Story.

    Doing so, you have the Plot to help you. And all you planned for the Story, events, moments, scenes, big scenes, emotion, oposition, expectations of success, climax, conclusions (that still depends on Player's actions, don't forget it), vilain's interference, luck, and everything else you want and plan for the piece you're Mastering for your friends.

    I have one other rule, also.

    At any moment, and once in a session, one Player can choose to abandon the die roll and take a Tarot card.

    It's more of an ultimate option.

    When you take a card, it happens that you're in a moment that you can loose control of your Story, because it's like crossroads.

    If you take the Reading as an Oracle, you'll involve Real Life.

    Don't do it.

    You must take this crossroad situation and adapt into the Plot, or you'll loose control.

    Well, good luck with your Experience.

    Ah, anyway, you can transform every Reading into a Dream, also, and that's an excelent way of using Tarot in RPG.

    Make sure you take notes on your reading, if that's important for the adventure.

    It's terrible if you need to ask for player's memory and give experience points only for good memory, but that helps anyway.

    Use the Universal Symbolism of the Cards

    Read the cards with your Story, Plot and Event on your mind. Don't read the future. Read the meaning of those symbols, and adapt in the form of narrative.

    Narrative is your best friend.

    The Secret exists, and Magic needs you.

    Good luck.

Hope you have fun with your Story, your Tarot Plot Generating experience...

    ... and Stay Plugged.