House of Cards GM Log

Reading The Fortunes

posted by Ginger at 02:22 PM, February 25, 2004 | Filed under : Useful Player Knowledge | Comments and Followups

I think the only PC who has done much in the way of fortune-reading over the course of the campaign is Paige. I’ve kind of wondered about that. The casual way that Corwin does what’s effectively a tarot reading early in NPiA (IIRC) makes me think it must be more common. And with all the mysteries and such running about, it seems likely that some of the PCs would resort to the fortunes for insight.

You don’t have to have Trumps to read the fortunes. And you can get a fortune deck and read cards without the Trump skill, although the GMs are more likely to throw useful things your way if you have the skill.

I think some fortune readings for those who are so inclined might be useful.

Follow up: the trackback URL for this entry is: http://www.whiterose.org/MT/mt-tb.cgi/3051

12 Comments

James
Feb 25, 2004 3:27 PM

Vere hasn't quite gotten over his upbringing - foretelling is the sort of thing that only women do. He's gradually moving past all that, and I suspect one day he'll prove quite adept at reading the cards. Of course, he'll need to have more than a single trump of his father before he can do much....

"What does my future hold?" - Gerard

"Where should I turn for aid in this matter?" - Gerard

"Should I trust the Queen of Rebma?" - Gerard

Karen
Feb 25, 2004 3:49 PM

Hee hee! Maybe Folly will draw you a Fortune deck.... It occurs to me that she's probably been drawing one of her own, partially because she wants to play with it and partially to practice putting images on cards in case she ever actually has time to learn how to do Trumps.

(I actually have about a half-dozen or so Fortunes drawn. I should scan them in and post them somewhere....)

Ginger
Feb 25, 2004 4:16 PM

Vere can get a deck of fortunes without trumps.

James
Feb 25, 2004 4:30 PM

Now that you say that, it's obvious. But for some reason I've been working on the assumption up till now that I'd have to spend the point for a Trump deck. I don't know where I got that idea.

Hmm. So who makes fortune decks, anyway? And do they show up cross-Shadow? If so, would the sorceresses of The Isles have used the same fortune cards as Amber?

Novak
Feb 25, 2004 8:35 PM

Brennan had two main reasons for avoiding fortune casting:

First, I the player thought that it *did* require points in Trump, which is something Brennan will certainly never have.

Second, they remind him too much of Brand, although he didn't flinch much when Bleys did his reading.... This bears a certain amount of thought.

I predict a deluge of Trump reading requests for the GMs, now.

Michael
Feb 25, 2004 10:24 PM

James: You have twice the options?

"What is my best course of action?" - Gerard reversed!

And, um, the rest of the fortune deck, but that sorta spoils the joke...

Rich
Feb 26, 2004 1:32 PM

Well now. I too assumed Trump skill was needed for such a thing. Yep, definitely a deluge of requests on the way, I predict.

Leslie
Feb 26, 2004 6:20 PM

Robin thinks Trumps are icky. Reading fortunes is icky too. ;) Don't look for reading requests from her anytime soon.

Monica
Feb 27, 2004 4:00 PM

Brita doesn't think Trumps are icky - more of a necessary learned skill (a required class). Reading fortunes, however, goes against her being. She HATED knowing the future for her grandfather's sake. Why would she want to know any thing about her own future.

Steve
Feb 28, 2004 5:36 AM

I too thought a power point had to be invested - not that this is an issue for Daeon, he had his father's trump deck for only a few hours but in any case he's more of an 'omens and portents' sort of person.
I'm sure there must be others like him in the family.

Olof
Feb 28, 2004 11:44 AM

Ossian is somewhat afraid to do a reading; he knows he has a tendency for speculation already, and thinks he won't make any good fortune telling.

As a player and GM I love the Fortune deck, and frequently do readings in other games, but I think Ossian will only use it as some kind of last-ditch effort.

Mark
Feb 29, 2004 1:04 PM

Jovian doesn't think they're icky, but doesn't put much stock in them. I mean, c'mon, he's Julian's Good Son. And Julian just about thinks the visions of Tir are meaningless - I wouldn't bother to ask his opinion of the fortunes. Besides, he's spent most of his life among rationalists. It just doesn't occur to him.

Which is not to say that if a deck was at hand, he wouldn't cut to a card now and then - not a full layout, just a cut - to see what insight it would jog loose from his subconscious. But that's about it.

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