My Tarod Card system for solo roleplaying

Introduction

Welcome to the Tarot Card System for solo role-playing, a unique and immersive way to enhance storytelling and gameplay in your tabletop RPG sessions. This system uses a standard deck of Tarot cards to determine the outcomes of various actions, combat scenarios, and tests. Each character in your party is assigned a specific suit based on their class or type, and a Major Arcana card that represents their core attributes and powers. By drawing cards during gameplay, you can resolve situations with a blend of fate and strategy, creating a dynamic and engaging narrative experience.

The suits—Cups, Staffs, Swords, and Pentacles—correspond to different character roles such as healer, caster, tank, and rogue. The Major Arcana adds an extra layer of depth, with each character’s Major Arcana card providing opportunities for critical successes and unique interactions. Whether you’re facing formidable foes or navigating complex challenges, the Tarot Card System brings an element of mysticism and unpredictability, ensuring that no two sessions are ever the same.

Card Suits and Affiliations

Character Types and Assigned Suits:

Cups: Healer
Staffs: Caster
Swords: Tank or Fighter
Pentacles: Expert or Rogue

Character Examples and Major Arcana Assignments:

Brangus Red, the minotaur tank: The Emperor
Valencia Vertex, the half-demon witch: Justice
Zakk Gibs, the humanoid tiger cleric: The Devil
Wila, the elf rogue: Death

Suit Order:

Card Draw Outcomes

Suit Draws:

Own Suit (Success): Drawing a card of the character’s own suit (e.g., Brangus drawing a Swords card) results in a success.
Next Suit Counterclockwise (Success with Mild Bad Consequence): Drawing a card of the next suit in counterclockwise order results in a success with a mild bad consequence.
Previous Suit Clockwise (Fail with Mild Good Consequence): Drawing a card of the previous suit in clockwise order results in a failure with some mild good consequence.
Opposite Suit (Fail): Drawing a card of the opposite suit results in a failure.
Card numbers determine how good or bad the outcome.

Major Arcana:


Any Major Arcana (Success): Drawing any Major Arcana card results in a success.
Own Major Arcana (Critical Success): Drawing the character’s own Major Arcana results in a critical success related to the character’s Major Arcana power.
Inverse of Own Major Arcana (Super Failure): Drawing the inverse of the character’s own Major Arcana results in a super failure.

Inverse Major Arcana (Fail): Drawing any Major Arcana card in its inverse position results in a failure.

Combat and Tests

Combat and Long Tests:

Characters are considered defeated if they take three attacks or wounds.

If they draw their inverse Major Arcana, it means something horrible has happened, possibly even death.
Combat and significant challenges may involve multiple rounds of card draws, with each round representing an attack or action.

Short Tests and Unimportant Combat:

Short tests or unimportant combat encounters are resolved with a single card draw.
Success or failure is determined based on the card draw according to the rules above.

Extended Tests:

At the DM’s discretion, certain tests may require more than one successful card draw to complete.

Example Combat: Party vs. Ogre (Single Card Draw)

Setup:

Party: Brangus Red (Swords), Valencia Vertex (Staffs), Zakk Gibs (Cups), and Wila (Pentacles).

Each character draws a card to determine their overall impact on the combat.

Draw Results:

Brangus Red: 7 of Swords (Success)
Valencia Vertex: 4 of Pentacles (Fail)
Zakk Gibs: Page of Swords (Fail)
Wila: Ace of Pentacles (Success)

Example combat Narrative:

As the ogre roars and charges at the party, Brangus Red steps forward, his sword gleaming in the dim light. With a powerful swing, he strikes the ogre with precision, leaving a deep, bleeding wound. The ogre staggers back but remains on its feet, enraged and ready to fight.

Valencia Vertex begins to weave her hands, calling upon her arcane powers. However, her concentration falters, and the spell dissipates before it can reach the ogre, leaving her momentarily frustrated and vulnerable.

Zakk Gibs, determined to support his allies, attempts to channel divine energy to weaken the ogre. Unfortunately, his spellcasting is interrupted, and the ogre remains unaffected by his efforts.

Meanwhile, Wila uses the chaos of the battle to her advantage. With agile movements, she slips behind the ogre and targets a vulnerable spot with her dagger. Her strike is true, and the ogre howls in pain as the blade finds its mark.

Despite the failures of Valencia and Zakk, the combined efforts of Brangus and Wila prove to be decisive. The ogre, now severely wounded and weakened, can no longer withstand the onslaught. With one final groan, it collapses to the ground, defeated.

The party stands victorious, having overcome the ogre through a blend of brute strength and cunning. They take a moment to catch their breath and tend to their wounds, ready to continue their journey with a renewed sense of camaraderie and accomplishment.