Demidos
2012-06-12, 11:03 PM
Fortunar
http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/uploads/images/article-images/Tarot_Card_Reader_Scams_Hispanic_Women_Out_of_Thou sands_of_Dollars.jpg
Your future is easy to decipher…it involves blood. Your blood. –Alara Farseer, Elven Fortunar
Fortunara (Fortunar singular), are to fortunetellers as wizards are to adepts. Vastly more powerful, Fortunara wield decks that both allow them to see into the future and additionally grant them assorted other powers.
Adventures: Fortunara travel to learn more about their powers, though they might have the same motivations as the members of any other class.
Characteristics: Fortunara are often known to use their cards to achieve magical effects, but are varied in their aspects.
Alignment: Though many Fortunara are neutral, many also adhere to extreme versions of good or evil. A majority are lawful, due to their common belief in the fate laid out by their cards, but a substantial minority believe that they themselves are creating the fate by looking into the future.
Religion: Religion is rare among Fortunara, but some are known to worship gods of fate, self-discipline, or magic.
Background: Fortunara are chosen by their decks.
Races: All races are drawn to the path of the Fortunara, but nations that are just beginning to civilize have more, as they are a link between the barbarity of adepts and the refinement of wizards.
Other Classes: Divine classes that believe in the will of the gods (Such as Paladin and Cleric) often are somewhat leery of Fortunara’s apparently “cheap tricks”.
Role: Support, Divination, Secondary Caster or Fighter
Adaptation: Mystics, fortunetellers, tarot readers, Fortunara are easy to integrate into any campaign.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Fortunara have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity and constitution are important to keeping the lightly armored fortunara alive. The class’s most important ability score is wisdom, as that determines their understanding of the cards.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: As Bard
Starting Gold: As Cleric
Skill Points at 1st Level
(6 + Int modifier) ×4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level
6 + Int modifier.
Class Skills
The Fortunar’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise(Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+0+0+0+2Wondrous Deck (Lesser), Arcana (Suit), Futuresight
2nd+1+0+0+3Familiar
3rd+2+1+1+3 Twist of Fortune
4th+3+1+1+4Mysticism
5th+3+1+1+4Transcendent Performance
6th+4+2+2+5Wondrous Deck (Illusions)
7th+5+2+2+5 Possibilities
8th+6/+1+2+2+6 Twist of Fortune
9th+6/+1+3+3+6 Tools of the Mystic
10th+7/+2+3+3+7Fate's Warning
11th+8/+3+3+3+7 Wondrous Deck (Greater)
12th+9/+4+4+4+8Mysticism
13th+9/+4+4+4+8 Twist of Fortune
14th+10/+5+4+4+9 Fate's Warning
15th+11/+6/+1+5+5+9 Blessings of the Stars
16th+12/+7/+2+5+5+10 Wondrous Deck (Semblance)
17th+12/+7/+2+5+5+10 True Knowledge
18th+13/+8/+3+6+6+11 Twist of Fortune
19th+14/+9/+4+6+6+11 Haruspex
20th+15/+10/+5+6+6+12 Mysticism, Wondrous Deck (Deck of Fate)
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Fortunar.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Fortunar is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, shruiken, and whip. Fortunara are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields). A Fortunar can use cards while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a Fortunar wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do). A multiclass Fortunar still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes. (Exception: Sword focused Fortunara may wear up to medium armor).
Futuresight (Ex): By their powers of glimpsing the future, the Fortunar may better avoid attacks that otherwise might incapacitate them. The Fortunar adds their wisdom modifier to their armor class while unarmored or lightly armored, to a maximum bonus of their Fortunar class level.
Familiar (Ex): All good fortunetellers have animal cohorts, and the Fortunar is no exception. The Fortunar gains a familiar as a wizard of equal level.
Wondrous Deck (Su, Sp): A Fortunar has possession of an artifact, a Torat, a magical deck of cards. These cards travel from two-bit fortune teller to two-bit fortune teller, eventually choosing one. The cards, as artifacts, are indestructible, and they return to a user as a lodestone. The cards can be used as either +1 returning shruiken or +1 daggers (slashing damage only), but their most common use is as tools for magic. Each card has several abilities.
Within a single deck, there are twenty two individual cards, and also four suits (cups, swords, wands, and coins). The twenty two cards are known as Major Arcana. Each Major Arcana has five effects, three minor, and two moderate. They each additionally have a sixth, major effect, but this comes into play only at 20th level. Initially, the Fortunar may only use the minor effects. Each Major Arcana may only be used once per encounter per seven levels of Fortunar (round down). The player must choose to “prepare” their Major Arcana at the beginning of each day, as per spells. The player may only use the effects of prepared Major Arcana. The player may prepare one Major Arcana per day per Fortunar Level. Both Major and Minor Arcana are used in divinations.
Minor Arcana also have benefits – When Used as weapons (above), the cards deal damage equal to the number written on the card (1 through 10). Each stroke or throw of a card changes the value on the card, though the suit may be any the Fortunar wishes. This effectively makes the cards weapons with a 1d10 weapon range (+1 due to their magic). The deck can be enhanced as a weapon as normal.
This Ability improves every five levels, and then again at 20th:
At 6th level, the Fortunar gains the ability to treat his deck as a deck of illusion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#deckofIllusions), except that as long as the Fortunar draws the card, he may select the card in such a way as to elect which creature appears, and as long as he holds the card, the illusions summoned follow his commands. He may also swap senses to see through the eyes (figuratively: All senses may be used) of these illusions. The illusion lasts for 10 minutes per Fortunar level, and while sense-swapped, the Fortunar is considered helpless.
At 11th level, the Fortunar may use the major effects of cards, although they may still choose to use the minor effect if they so wish.
At 16th level, the Fortunar may choose to treat the illusions as quasi real Shadow creatures, as per the creatures summoned by Shadow Conjuration, Greater (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shadowConjurationGreater.htm). Creatures have a number of HD or class levels in the appropriate class equal to the level of the Fortunar -1.
At 20th level, the Fortunar gains their crowning ability. A number of times per day equal to their Fortunar level divided by five (round down), the Fortunar may choose to treat the next card drawn from their deck as a card drawn from a Deck of Many Things, with the following exception. The Fortunar may choose anyone within line of sight (scrying does not count as line of sight for the purposes of this effect) to be treated as having drawn the card. This means that negative effects can be passed off to enemies, while beneficial effects can be awarded to allies. Any one creature may only be affected by a specific card once. The card that was used is then considered unusable for the rest of the day. The card MUST be randomly drawn, regardless of any ability that would allow you to do otherwise, but the recipient may be chosen after seeing the card.
Chosen Arcana (Ex): The Fortunar chooses a suit from among the four to favour. This gives him certain benefits. When choosing the Cups suit, a Fortunar gains immunity to all poison, allows him to apply poison as a swift action, and the ability to use create water or create food and water a number of times equal to his Fortunar level per day. When choosing the Swords suit, a Fortunar changes his hit dice to d8, and gains a good fortitude save. When choosing the Coins suit, a Fortunar gains the ability to see magic auras as per a permanent detect magic, as well as identify objects as a standard action. A Fortunar choosing the Wands suit gains the ability to take 10 on a UMD check a number of times per day equal to his Fortunar level. This choice may only be made once and may never be changed.
Twist of Fortune (Su): The Fortunar may see into the future and change it. As a standard action, the Fortunar may toss a card at an opponent, severing the threads of fate around them. As a 60 ft ranged touch attack, the Fortunar may inflict a -1 penalty on all of a creatures rolls. The penalty increases by one every five levels past third. At 13th level, this ability improves -- the Fortunar may toss a card as an attack action (that is to say, they may now use their iterative attacks).
Mysticism (Su): The Fortunar is proficient predicting the future, but often people require more of a display. When dealing with crystal balls or other trappings generally associated with fortunetelling, the Fortunar gains a bonus to bluff equal to ½ his Fortunar level, and the Fortunar gains a equivalent bonus to rolls involving the aforementioned items (e.g. A 13th level Fortunar gains a +6 to rolls when scrying).
At twelfth level, this ability improves again. Understanding the intricacies of trickery, it becomes harder to trick the Fortunar. The fortunar gains a bonus to sense motive equal to 1/4 his Fortunar level, and may make a save against an illusion when he sees it (he does not have to interact with it physically). At twentieth level, the Fortunar's mystic presence is such that it can obscure his mind from unwanted intrusion. The Fortunar gains permanent Mind Blank, as per the spell.
Transcendent Performance (Ex): The Fortunar becomes so good at what he does that he may use even a regular deck of cards to predict the future. The Fortunar may use the perform (Cartomancy) skill, and may do so with any set of cards.
Perform: Cartomancy (Cha)
(All credit to Jarian)
Cartomancy, or the art of reading cards, is widely practiced in occult circles, especially amongst traveling bands of humans or gnomes. While cartomancy may be taken to mean one of many different types of card reading, the following examples assume the influence of a tarot deck, specifically the cards in the major arcana set.
Like other performance skills, cartomancy may be used to earn coin as a show act. However, the true purpose of the craft is as a divination tool, though only the most skilled card readers can read true futures with any accuracy.
Using cartomancy requires a cartomancer's deck (see below) and at least a minute of uninterrupted concentration, though especially difficult tasks may take longer.
Example Cartomancy Usages
Difficulty Class
Learn given name 10
Predict next day's weather 15
Learn relative's given name 20
Read fortune 25
Learn of impending death 30
Learn cause of death 40
Learn Truename Varies
Learn given name: With a DC 10 Perform (cartomancy) check, you can learn the given name of a willing participant. If the participant has changed their name or is generally known by a different name than their birth name, you learn that name instead.
Predict next day's weather: With a DC 15 Perform (cartomancy) check, you can accurately predict the weather up to 24 hours in advance. You learn the general weather conditions you or a willing participant will face if you continue on your intended course for the following day (calm, sunny, storms, etc), but not details as to the severity of storms, if any.
Learn relative's given name: With a DC 20 Perform (cartomancy) check, you can learn the name of a relative or love interest of a willing participant, even if you do not know the name of the participant. You can learn the name of hidden or subconscious romantic interests, but any effect that would block a Divination attempt to read thoughts foils the attempt in this case.
Read Fortune: With a DC 25 Perform (cartomancy) check, you can read the immediate fortune of a willing participant. If successful, flip a coin. A result of heads indicates that the participant gains a +1 luck bonus to AC and saves for 24 hours, while tails bestows a -1 penalty to saves for 24 hours instead.
Learn of impending death: With a DC 30 Perform (cartomancy) check, you can learn whether a willing participant is likely to be confronted with a life-or-death situation within the next 24 hours if they continue on their intended path.
Learn cause of death: With a DC 40 Perform (cartomancy) check, you can accurately learn the cause of death of an individual that you can specifically identify, provided that individual has died within the last week. Effects that would block Divination attempts to learn the same information also foil this use of cartomancy.
Learn Truename: Master cartomancers can learn the truenames of willing participants in the same way they learn given names. The difficulty class of learning a truename is equal to 25 + the HD of the creature whose truename you wish to know. Learning a truename in this way does not bestow any special ability to use Truenaming if you did not already possess it.
Action: Using cartomancy typically takes at least one full minute. Using cartomancy as a means of earning money requires at least eight hours of repeat performances (see the Perform skill entry for more information).
Try Again: Varies. If you fail, you cannot attempt to learn the name of an individual again until you obtain another rank in Cartomancy. You may only read the fortune of a given creature once per day. You may only attempt to predict the weather or impending death once per day. You cannot retry an attempt to learn of a creature's cause of death.
Item
Cost
Cartomancer's deck, basic 5 sp
Cartomancer's deck, inked 2 gp
Cartomancer's deck, masterwork 55 gp
Cartomancer's deck: While cartomancer's decks come in many varieties, they typically fall into the three categories shown on the table above. Like other masterwork tools, a masterwork cartomancer's deck grants its user a +2 competence bonus to Perform (cartomancy) checks. Often this increased skill with card reading stems from a faint enchantment laid upon the cards at their creation.
Possibilities (Ex): The Fortunar gains the ability to, ever so slightly, manipulate fate. Once per day per six class levels, the Fortunar may reroll a failed save or check that directly caused their death (For example, a climb check that made them fall into a 100ft deep pit would count. A failed use magic device check to activate the wand that would stop a Fortunar from bleeding out would not).
Tools of the Mystic: At 9th level, the Fortunar may choose any two item creation feats. They do not have to meet the prerequisite caster level.
Fate's Warning (Ex): Some of the future is always visible to the Fortunar. At 10th level, they may add half their Wisdom modifier to initiative. At 14th they may add their entire Wisdom modifier.
Blessings of the Stars (Ex): At 15th level, the constellations which the Fortunar knows so well smile down on them. The Fortunar gains either a bonus to DCs equal to 1/5 their Fortunar level or +3 hit points per level of Fortunar, chosen once each night. Either benefit applies only at night.
True Knowledge (Ex): The Fortunar has the ability to mix and match the cards of fate. A number of times per day equal to twice his wisdom modifier, the Fortunar may choose to draw two cards and either use both at once or boost the power of the second by sacrificing the first. If using the second option, then either the save DC (if any) or the duration of the second card is boosted, by the Fortunar's wisdom modifier or by 50%, respectively. Either way, this use of the cards expends the use of both cards for the encounter.
Haruspex (Ex): The Fortunar is chosen by fate, and isn't meant to die by chance. As such, the Fortunar gains permanent Foresight, as the spell.
http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/uploads/images/article-images/Tarot_Card_Reader_Scams_Hispanic_Women_Out_of_Thou sands_of_Dollars.jpg
Your future is easy to decipher…it involves blood. Your blood. –Alara Farseer, Elven Fortunar
Fortunara (Fortunar singular), are to fortunetellers as wizards are to adepts. Vastly more powerful, Fortunara wield decks that both allow them to see into the future and additionally grant them assorted other powers.
Adventures: Fortunara travel to learn more about their powers, though they might have the same motivations as the members of any other class.
Characteristics: Fortunara are often known to use their cards to achieve magical effects, but are varied in their aspects.
Alignment: Though many Fortunara are neutral, many also adhere to extreme versions of good or evil. A majority are lawful, due to their common belief in the fate laid out by their cards, but a substantial minority believe that they themselves are creating the fate by looking into the future.
Religion: Religion is rare among Fortunara, but some are known to worship gods of fate, self-discipline, or magic.
Background: Fortunara are chosen by their decks.
Races: All races are drawn to the path of the Fortunara, but nations that are just beginning to civilize have more, as they are a link between the barbarity of adepts and the refinement of wizards.
Other Classes: Divine classes that believe in the will of the gods (Such as Paladin and Cleric) often are somewhat leery of Fortunara’s apparently “cheap tricks”.
Role: Support, Divination, Secondary Caster or Fighter
Adaptation: Mystics, fortunetellers, tarot readers, Fortunara are easy to integrate into any campaign.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Fortunara have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity and constitution are important to keeping the lightly armored fortunara alive. The class’s most important ability score is wisdom, as that determines their understanding of the cards.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: As Bard
Starting Gold: As Cleric
Skill Points at 1st Level
(6 + Int modifier) ×4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level
6 + Int modifier.
Class Skills
The Fortunar’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise(Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+0+0+0+2Wondrous Deck (Lesser), Arcana (Suit), Futuresight
2nd+1+0+0+3Familiar
3rd+2+1+1+3 Twist of Fortune
4th+3+1+1+4Mysticism
5th+3+1+1+4Transcendent Performance
6th+4+2+2+5Wondrous Deck (Illusions)
7th+5+2+2+5 Possibilities
8th+6/+1+2+2+6 Twist of Fortune
9th+6/+1+3+3+6 Tools of the Mystic
10th+7/+2+3+3+7Fate's Warning
11th+8/+3+3+3+7 Wondrous Deck (Greater)
12th+9/+4+4+4+8Mysticism
13th+9/+4+4+4+8 Twist of Fortune
14th+10/+5+4+4+9 Fate's Warning
15th+11/+6/+1+5+5+9 Blessings of the Stars
16th+12/+7/+2+5+5+10 Wondrous Deck (Semblance)
17th+12/+7/+2+5+5+10 True Knowledge
18th+13/+8/+3+6+6+11 Twist of Fortune
19th+14/+9/+4+6+6+11 Haruspex
20th+15/+10/+5+6+6+12 Mysticism, Wondrous Deck (Deck of Fate)
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Fortunar.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Fortunar is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, shruiken, and whip. Fortunara are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields). A Fortunar can use cards while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a Fortunar wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do). A multiclass Fortunar still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes. (Exception: Sword focused Fortunara may wear up to medium armor).
Futuresight (Ex): By their powers of glimpsing the future, the Fortunar may better avoid attacks that otherwise might incapacitate them. The Fortunar adds their wisdom modifier to their armor class while unarmored or lightly armored, to a maximum bonus of their Fortunar class level.
Familiar (Ex): All good fortunetellers have animal cohorts, and the Fortunar is no exception. The Fortunar gains a familiar as a wizard of equal level.
Wondrous Deck (Su, Sp): A Fortunar has possession of an artifact, a Torat, a magical deck of cards. These cards travel from two-bit fortune teller to two-bit fortune teller, eventually choosing one. The cards, as artifacts, are indestructible, and they return to a user as a lodestone. The cards can be used as either +1 returning shruiken or +1 daggers (slashing damage only), but their most common use is as tools for magic. Each card has several abilities.
Within a single deck, there are twenty two individual cards, and also four suits (cups, swords, wands, and coins). The twenty two cards are known as Major Arcana. Each Major Arcana has five effects, three minor, and two moderate. They each additionally have a sixth, major effect, but this comes into play only at 20th level. Initially, the Fortunar may only use the minor effects. Each Major Arcana may only be used once per encounter per seven levels of Fortunar (round down). The player must choose to “prepare” their Major Arcana at the beginning of each day, as per spells. The player may only use the effects of prepared Major Arcana. The player may prepare one Major Arcana per day per Fortunar Level. Both Major and Minor Arcana are used in divinations.
Minor Arcana also have benefits – When Used as weapons (above), the cards deal damage equal to the number written on the card (1 through 10). Each stroke or throw of a card changes the value on the card, though the suit may be any the Fortunar wishes. This effectively makes the cards weapons with a 1d10 weapon range (+1 due to their magic). The deck can be enhanced as a weapon as normal.
This Ability improves every five levels, and then again at 20th:
At 6th level, the Fortunar gains the ability to treat his deck as a deck of illusion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#deckofIllusions), except that as long as the Fortunar draws the card, he may select the card in such a way as to elect which creature appears, and as long as he holds the card, the illusions summoned follow his commands. He may also swap senses to see through the eyes (figuratively: All senses may be used) of these illusions. The illusion lasts for 10 minutes per Fortunar level, and while sense-swapped, the Fortunar is considered helpless.
At 11th level, the Fortunar may use the major effects of cards, although they may still choose to use the minor effect if they so wish.
At 16th level, the Fortunar may choose to treat the illusions as quasi real Shadow creatures, as per the creatures summoned by Shadow Conjuration, Greater (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shadowConjurationGreater.htm). Creatures have a number of HD or class levels in the appropriate class equal to the level of the Fortunar -1.
At 20th level, the Fortunar gains their crowning ability. A number of times per day equal to their Fortunar level divided by five (round down), the Fortunar may choose to treat the next card drawn from their deck as a card drawn from a Deck of Many Things, with the following exception. The Fortunar may choose anyone within line of sight (scrying does not count as line of sight for the purposes of this effect) to be treated as having drawn the card. This means that negative effects can be passed off to enemies, while beneficial effects can be awarded to allies. Any one creature may only be affected by a specific card once. The card that was used is then considered unusable for the rest of the day. The card MUST be randomly drawn, regardless of any ability that would allow you to do otherwise, but the recipient may be chosen after seeing the card.
Chosen Arcana (Ex): The Fortunar chooses a suit from among the four to favour. This gives him certain benefits. When choosing the Cups suit, a Fortunar gains immunity to all poison, allows him to apply poison as a swift action, and the ability to use create water or create food and water a number of times equal to his Fortunar level per day. When choosing the Swords suit, a Fortunar changes his hit dice to d8, and gains a good fortitude save. When choosing the Coins suit, a Fortunar gains the ability to see magic auras as per a permanent detect magic, as well as identify objects as a standard action. A Fortunar choosing the Wands suit gains the ability to take 10 on a UMD check a number of times per day equal to his Fortunar level. This choice may only be made once and may never be changed.
Twist of Fortune (Su): The Fortunar may see into the future and change it. As a standard action, the Fortunar may toss a card at an opponent, severing the threads of fate around them. As a 60 ft ranged touch attack, the Fortunar may inflict a -1 penalty on all of a creatures rolls. The penalty increases by one every five levels past third. At 13th level, this ability improves -- the Fortunar may toss a card as an attack action (that is to say, they may now use their iterative attacks).
Mysticism (Su): The Fortunar is proficient predicting the future, but often people require more of a display. When dealing with crystal balls or other trappings generally associated with fortunetelling, the Fortunar gains a bonus to bluff equal to ½ his Fortunar level, and the Fortunar gains a equivalent bonus to rolls involving the aforementioned items (e.g. A 13th level Fortunar gains a +6 to rolls when scrying).
At twelfth level, this ability improves again. Understanding the intricacies of trickery, it becomes harder to trick the Fortunar. The fortunar gains a bonus to sense motive equal to 1/4 his Fortunar level, and may make a save against an illusion when he sees it (he does not have to interact with it physically). At twentieth level, the Fortunar's mystic presence is such that it can obscure his mind from unwanted intrusion. The Fortunar gains permanent Mind Blank, as per the spell.
Transcendent Performance (Ex): The Fortunar becomes so good at what he does that he may use even a regular deck of cards to predict the future. The Fortunar may use the perform (Cartomancy) skill, and may do so with any set of cards.
Perform: Cartomancy (Cha)
(All credit to Jarian)
Cartomancy, or the art of reading cards, is widely practiced in occult circles, especially amongst traveling bands of humans or gnomes. While cartomancy may be taken to mean one of many different types of card reading, the following examples assume the influence of a tarot deck, specifically the cards in the major arcana set.
Like other performance skills, cartomancy may be used to earn coin as a show act. However, the true purpose of the craft is as a divination tool, though only the most skilled card readers can read true futures with any accuracy.
Using cartomancy requires a cartomancer's deck (see below) and at least a minute of uninterrupted concentration, though especially difficult tasks may take longer.
Example Cartomancy Usages
Difficulty Class
Learn given name 10
Predict next day's weather 15
Learn relative's given name 20
Read fortune 25
Learn of impending death 30
Learn cause of death 40
Learn Truename Varies
Learn given name: With a DC 10 Perform (cartomancy) check, you can learn the given name of a willing participant. If the participant has changed their name or is generally known by a different name than their birth name, you learn that name instead.
Predict next day's weather: With a DC 15 Perform (cartomancy) check, you can accurately predict the weather up to 24 hours in advance. You learn the general weather conditions you or a willing participant will face if you continue on your intended course for the following day (calm, sunny, storms, etc), but not details as to the severity of storms, if any.
Learn relative's given name: With a DC 20 Perform (cartomancy) check, you can learn the name of a relative or love interest of a willing participant, even if you do not know the name of the participant. You can learn the name of hidden or subconscious romantic interests, but any effect that would block a Divination attempt to read thoughts foils the attempt in this case.
Read Fortune: With a DC 25 Perform (cartomancy) check, you can read the immediate fortune of a willing participant. If successful, flip a coin. A result of heads indicates that the participant gains a +1 luck bonus to AC and saves for 24 hours, while tails bestows a -1 penalty to saves for 24 hours instead.
Learn of impending death: With a DC 30 Perform (cartomancy) check, you can learn whether a willing participant is likely to be confronted with a life-or-death situation within the next 24 hours if they continue on their intended path.
Learn cause of death: With a DC 40 Perform (cartomancy) check, you can accurately learn the cause of death of an individual that you can specifically identify, provided that individual has died within the last week. Effects that would block Divination attempts to learn the same information also foil this use of cartomancy.
Learn Truename: Master cartomancers can learn the truenames of willing participants in the same way they learn given names. The difficulty class of learning a truename is equal to 25 + the HD of the creature whose truename you wish to know. Learning a truename in this way does not bestow any special ability to use Truenaming if you did not already possess it.
Action: Using cartomancy typically takes at least one full minute. Using cartomancy as a means of earning money requires at least eight hours of repeat performances (see the Perform skill entry for more information).
Try Again: Varies. If you fail, you cannot attempt to learn the name of an individual again until you obtain another rank in Cartomancy. You may only read the fortune of a given creature once per day. You may only attempt to predict the weather or impending death once per day. You cannot retry an attempt to learn of a creature's cause of death.
Item
Cost
Cartomancer's deck, basic 5 sp
Cartomancer's deck, inked 2 gp
Cartomancer's deck, masterwork 55 gp
Cartomancer's deck: While cartomancer's decks come in many varieties, they typically fall into the three categories shown on the table above. Like other masterwork tools, a masterwork cartomancer's deck grants its user a +2 competence bonus to Perform (cartomancy) checks. Often this increased skill with card reading stems from a faint enchantment laid upon the cards at their creation.
Possibilities (Ex): The Fortunar gains the ability to, ever so slightly, manipulate fate. Once per day per six class levels, the Fortunar may reroll a failed save or check that directly caused their death (For example, a climb check that made them fall into a 100ft deep pit would count. A failed use magic device check to activate the wand that would stop a Fortunar from bleeding out would not).
Tools of the Mystic: At 9th level, the Fortunar may choose any two item creation feats. They do not have to meet the prerequisite caster level.
Fate's Warning (Ex): Some of the future is always visible to the Fortunar. At 10th level, they may add half their Wisdom modifier to initiative. At 14th they may add their entire Wisdom modifier.
Blessings of the Stars (Ex): At 15th level, the constellations which the Fortunar knows so well smile down on them. The Fortunar gains either a bonus to DCs equal to 1/5 their Fortunar level or +3 hit points per level of Fortunar, chosen once each night. Either benefit applies only at night.
True Knowledge (Ex): The Fortunar has the ability to mix and match the cards of fate. A number of times per day equal to twice his wisdom modifier, the Fortunar may choose to draw two cards and either use both at once or boost the power of the second by sacrificing the first. If using the second option, then either the save DC (if any) or the duration of the second card is boosted, by the Fortunar's wisdom modifier or by 50%, respectively. Either way, this use of the cards expends the use of both cards for the encounter.
Haruspex (Ex): The Fortunar is chosen by fate, and isn't meant to die by chance. As such, the Fortunar gains permanent Foresight, as the spell.