[Skill] Cartomancy

[Fax Celestis]

In my recent development of a tarot magic class--which is skill-based--I've found that I needed a new skill: Cartomancy. However, not just cartomancers use tarot decks for magic, so this skill is usable by those with the particular training.

Add the Cartomancy skill to the following base class skill lists: Archivist, Bard, Beguiler, Binder, Factotum, Hexblade, Spellthief, Warlock.

Add the Cartomancy skill to the following prestige class skill lists: Argent Retriever, Ardent Dilettante, Auspician, Cognition Thief, Dark Scholar, Divine Oracle, Dracolexi, Dragon Prophet, Dread Witch, Dweomerkeeper, Entropomancer, Fatemaker, Fatespinner, Fochlucan Lyrist, Fortune's Friend, Jordain Vizier, Loredelver, Loremaster, Luckstealer, Master of Masks, Prestige Bard, Sand Shaper, Sea Witch, Silver Key, Spymaster, Tainted Scholar, Temple Raider of Olidammara, Visionary Seeker, Yathrinshee.

Also, the Luck and Fate domains make this a class skill.

Cartomancy (Cha; Trained Only)
Check: You can use this skill to read tarot cards to predict the future and perform other divinations. Your caster level for uses of this skill is 1/2 your HD.

Action: Most uses of this skill take ten minutes.

Try Again: Tarot cards don't like being asked the same question twice. Trying a failed Cartomancy check is impossible under most circumstances.

Synergy: If you have five or more ranks in Use Magic Device, you receive a +2 synergy bonus to Cartomancy checks.

Special: Cartomancy can be used to make money in a fashion similar to the Profession skill. See the Profession skill for more details. Cartomancy is also unique in that you cannot use items or magic to increase your skill with it. Only your Charisma modifier, synergy bonuses, and ranks in the skill apply when using this skill. Using this skill requires the use of a tarot deck.

{table=head]Uses | Action | DC
"Predicting the future" via reading a tarot spread | 10 minutes | 15
Analyzing the subject of a spread via reading a tarot spread | 10 minutes | 18
Casting guidance as a spell-like ability | 1 minute | 20
Casting augury as a spell-like ability | 10 minutes | 22
Casting locate object as a spell-like ability | 10 minutes | 23
Casting divination as a spell-like ability | 20 minutes | 24
Casting locate creature as a spell-like ability | 10 minutes | 24
Casting a spell from a tarot card* | Usually 1 standard action | Varies; see card descriptions[/table]

*requires the ability to cast spells from a tarot card, usually gained by the cartomancer class.

[Icewalker]

Cool. I like it. The idea of casting divination through tarot cards is a very cool thought. I can just see some crazy seeming lady telling the PCs whats gonna happen, and they ignore her, or try to make it not happen, then it does. Fun twisting by DMs. Or she fails her check and gives them an incorrect prophecy after several correct ones.

[Flying Elephant]

How much does a deck cost if you can't get a masterwork or magical deck? Are these just regular cards or are they gem-encrusted and gold inlayed?

[Fax Celestis]

My main concern is with the DCs. A level 1 human Bard with 16 Cha (not unheard of) and four ranks in the skill has to roll a 13 for Guidance (35%), 15 for Augury (25%), 16 for Locate Object (20%), or 17 for Locate Creature or Divination (15%). At level 2, he can get the synergy from UMD, changing that to rolling a 10 for Guidance (50%), 12 for Augury (40%), 13 for Locate Object (35%), or 14 for Locate Creature or Divination (30%). Those aren't spectacular success rates (especially since you can't retry), but I don't want to put SLAs of 4th level spells into the hands of 2nd level players without work.

[Fax Celestis]

How much does a deck cost if you can't get a masterwork or magical deck? Are these just regular cards or are they gem-encrusted and gold inlayed?

A deck costs 100g. I didn't enumerate that in the skill, but I have in the (forthcoming) class description.

[Starsinger]

Neat! Reminds me of the Vistani from Ravenloft. For your DC issues, maybe add a variable to the DC, like the HD of the creature you're trying to locate? Or maybe increase them slightly and allow masterwork tarot decks?

[Aramil Liadon]

I like it, but the DCs should reflect how far into the future, how obscure the event being viewed is, etc. Also, maybe a "failed by 5 or less" rule?
Not that I'm an experienced homebrewer or anything.

[Fax Celestis]

Well, you've still got to use the spell itself, which has a percent failure chance. I'd say that's enough room for margin of error, and for the limits of the reading.

[Maldraugedhen]

I think the early access is balanced by the lengthy time period required to cast it--although, looking at the casting times for those spells, Guidance, Augury, and Locate Object are the only ones whose time you jacked. Divination's time IS 10 minutes, and Locate Creature seems to not have a listed casting time in the SRD... hmm.

Might want to just make Divination take longer to compensate.

[Fax Celestis]

Locate Creature is "as Locate Object except as noted," so it's got a longer duration this way too.

Maybe I'll increase Divination to 20 minutes or something.

[Maldraugedhen]

Might I also suggest lowering the casting time for Guidance? 10 minutes for a single use buff of 1 strikes me as excessive, even as just a skill use.

[Aramil Liadon]

My concerns have been assuaged. (That's a word? Sweet.) Sounds neat, but not something I'd personally pick up. Just because divination is no fun except in forum inappropriate situations. And it's so hard to catch them doing it. Just not my thing. But I like the image of the army's spy network being fired for a roomful of old ladies with cards.

[Generic PC]

just an idea, maybe magical tarot cards would allow more spells to be cast? (so a tarot "pack?" enchanted with fireball? would be able to cast fireball, and if it was only a weak enchantment then DC would be 30ish? if it was stronger it might only be something like 10?) however, these would cost much (MUCH) more...

[Fax Celestis]

just an idea, maybe magical tarot cards would allow more spells to be cast? (so a tarot "pack?" enchanted with fireball? would be able to cast fireball, and if it was only a weak enchantment then DC would be 30ish? if it was stronger it might only be something like 10?) however, these would cost much (MUCH) more...

I'm building a magic system around this as we speak.

[Shiny, Bearer of the Pokystick]

I'm building a magic system around this as we speak.
Replacing my earlier message of intent with words to suit the deed, some brainstorms about what your Levantine Set might do:

Levantine Set Ability Brainstorms


The World

Face-up, to me this one seems strikingly obvious.
For the ‘connection to all things of nature’ what about a semi-random geomancer-esque ability, where you gain a connection to some aspect of your surroundings? For instance, if you touch an animal when you activate it, you gain natural armor and an enhancement to an ability, but if you’re on rock, you just gain more natural armor…could work.
For the ‘travel’, to hook in to the ‘starry background’, maybe you functionally duplicate a greater teleport, but flavor-wise, your body becomes immaterial and you rise to the height of a star- allowing you to see your destination.
For territorial gain, I got nothing much; maybe hallucinatory terrain could work.
Exploration suggests scrying magic pretty clearly, which is a specialty of cartomancy anyway- and for that reason, I’m inclined to stay away from it. Instead, what about something similar to Adapt Body, wherein you can explore even the most far-flung environments?

Face-down; division and conflict could mean the card doubles as a Symbol of Discord, or possibly a ‘phantom foe’ of some kind- perhaps your opponent sees an illusory duplicate of someone they betrayed?
Corruption of the natural could just be warp wood, but I’d rather see something like a real body-twisting ability; used on the caster, it grants you temporary, unnatural new limbs but you’re not very dextrous with them, while used on a foe, it simply twists their legs and arms so they take an attack penalty and move more slowly.
Dangerous journey says Control Weather to me, not sure why. Also a possibility: an ability that makes a given path seem more dangerous, perhaps as a fear effect- ‘a chilling miasma hangs over the area you designate, making it seem like a path into certain doom’.
For fiscal loss, maybe Shatter, or possibly an ability that transmutes gold to 100x its mass in copper.
Indecision and disorientation suggests that ability the Yuki-on-na has in Oriental Adventures, where you can’t find your way out of a paper bag for a while.



Spring

Face-up:
For new life- possibly the little-used Reincarnate, or summoning fruit trees could work.
Slight discomfort, maybe a variant of barkskin; vines cover your body, and you grow somewhat tougher, but it’s uncomfortable and binding…and maybe utilizing the ability often enough allows you to maintain some of the benefits while overcoming the detriment?
Youth and longevity could be Gentle Repose, or possibly some sort of reversed Ray of Enfeeblement.
Change could be any number of transmutations, or, and I like this idea better, a ‘bad luck’ ability that changes an opponent’s successful role to a failure by the exact same amount.

Face-down:
Cyclical action says ‘repeat your last action, bucko’ to me.
Inclement weather…well, your full casters have to get elemental damage in somehow. Lightning it is, possibly fog as well.
Unsure footing would be a neat thing if it somehow makes a path more hazardous, by breaking rock floors into gravel, perhaps, so opponents slip and slide.
Inexperience…that would be an interesting thing if one put a level-drain ability, like some sort of wraith-ish thing, here.

Summer

Face-up:
Okay, I’m going to try and keep things shorter from now on, so- projectile spell of some sort, light-based, damages undead a bunch; temporary ‘vigor’ ability grants immunity to aging effects, bonus on savings throws, temp HP; teenage ability grants rage-like bonuses at cost of intelligence; call weapon, or possibly heat metal.
Face-down:
Again, elemental damage, fire this time; slowing and tiring effect, possibly touch, could be ray, or even spreads out, trap-like, on the ground; bonuses to sundering, or just Shatter; Contagion, or possibly a spell that deals damage by drying out the enemy, as Horrid Wilting.

Autumn

Face-up:
Heroe’s feast or similar effect, or servant horde to ‘bring in the harvest’, or morale-boosting circle magic effect; temperance functions as Calm Emotions and limits actions in a round while active; purifying and creating food, I suppose, possibly also Create Spring; as to the moon, maybe a tide-controlling ability, or bonuses like those given by Moonsblood from BoED.
Face-down:
Ability similar to Blighter PrC; Crushing Despair, but it can be passed like a disease; ability inflicts penalties as from aging; mind-effecting ability forces target to use their most powerful spells or powers, reveling in them unwisely.

Winter

Face-up:
Face of snow effect acts as Enthrall; temporarily gain bonus to knowledge checks from ‘elder knowledge’, or ability bonuses as if you had aged; ability allows target to transfer their spirit to ice statue upon death, easing ressurection or ability saps will to fight, allowing monsters only to defend.
Face-down:
Yet another lovely place to put elemental damage; overridng bloodthirst sets enemies upon each other, realization of hollow pride causes them to abandon tactics they would otherwise take; dying creatures decay twice as fast once reduced below 0hp.



It's just the first five, but I'll keep working. Hope this is remotely helpful in stirring your imagination, and that I correctly interpreted your request of earlier.

[Fax Celestis]

It is terrific. Also, I've completed the preliminary effects for The Shield (http://www.corporation.walagata.com/fax/wiki/index.php/Levantine_Set#XVIII:_The_Shield), which is how I think I want them to be.

[Legoman]

Fax, what wretched horror have you wrought, and loosed upon the world?

"I'M CLEO!!!" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Cleo)

[Fax Celestis]

Fax, what wretched horror have you wrought, and loosed upon the world?

*I'M CLEO!*

It's going to get far, far worse.

[Legoman]

As the capstone, do you turn into a Jamaican priestess?

Dear God, I must show this to my P'n'P DM...

[Autarch]

Look at me! I'm the cool person who is replying to a post that is 10 days old!
:smallcool:


My concerns have been assuaged. (That's a word? Sweet.) Sounds neat, but not something I'd personally pick up. Just because divination is no fun except in forum inappropriate situations. And it's so hard to catch them doing it. Just not my thing. But I like the image of the army's spy network being fired for a roomful of old ladies with cards.

Well, from my experience, Divination can be very useful in the hands of someone who really knows what they are doing. It isn't as helpful in a tabletop game, but since I play almost exclusively on 'play by post' games now anyways, I can say that from experience, having a Diviner in a group of adventurers is a great thing: see some enemies on top of the hill that are too far away to hear/see clearly? Have the diviner scry them to figure out what they are planning to do/doing.
:smalltongue:

[Gaiwecoor]

My main concern is with the DCs. A level 1 human Bard with 16 Cha (not unheard of) and four ranks in the skill has to roll a 13 for Guidance (35%), 15 for Augury (25%), 16 for Locate Object (20%), or 17 for Locate Creature or Divination (15%). At level 2, he can get the synergy from UMD, changing that to rolling a 10 for Guidance (50%), 12 for Augury (40%), 13 for Locate Object (35%), or 14 for Locate Creature or Divination (30%). Those aren't spectacular success rates (especially since you can't retry), but I don't want to put SLAs of 4th level spells into the hands of 2nd level players without work.

Have you thought of creating different prerequisites for different uses, similar to the Bardic Music class feature? For instance: if you don't want to allow a second level player to use the 4th level spell, just put a "10 Ranks" prereq on that use. This would stop a character from using it until at least seventh level (when access to the spell is normally granted). Of course, the prereq could be lower if you want to grant access sooner, and the DCs might need to be fiddled with after that...

Or is it just bad form to require a certain number of ranks to use the skill in a particular way?

[Ivius]

I like the concept, but you never listed how long it takes to get a retry. If you read it to the tee, it can only be used once, EVER.

[DrakebloodIV]

Why not add in plusses to the DC for distance (both spacial and temporal) and weather or not the creature is actively hiding and such. Also, wouldn't failure to a predict the future or guidance spread entail predicting a negative fate. So crappy rolls would leave your character doomed to suffer and tarot would be taken much more seriously rather than some PC dope just deciding to have his character spam predicting the future for random people.

EXAMPE OF FAIL≠BAD
:thog:"I tarot future for me"
:smallcool: "Okay, you fail to read the cards"
:thog:"I tarot future for Bob"
::smallannoyed:"Okay, you fail to read the cards"
:thog:"I tarot future for Charlie"
:smallmad:"You fail again"
...six in game hours of taroting later
:thog:"I tarot future for the bartender downstairs"
:smallfurious:"YOU PREDICT ROCKS FALLING AND EVERYONE DIEING, OH WAIT! IT JUST HAPPENED!

Example of FAIL=BAD
:thog:"I tarot future for me"
:smallcool:"You predict getting your hand cut off"
:thog:"I tarot future for Bob"
:smallamused:"You predict him going blind"
:thog:"I tarot future for the bartender downstairs"
:smallbiggrin:"You predict the bar burning down and him dieing in it..."
...Later that night assassins come to kill them but only cut off thogs arm, blind bob and burn down the bar and all their worldly possessions. Still a plot slap to the face, but cool and subtle with good highlighting of the negative aspects of tarot