The Deck of Many Things is a legendary and iconic deck of cards in D and D lore, typically found in a box or pouch. It contains a number of ivory or vellum cards, with most having only thirteen cards. The physical deck includes the core 22 cards and another 44 (collectively referred to as the Major Arcana) cards.
In its original incarnation, the Deck of Many Things was a collection of 22 tarot-style cards, usually stored in a leather case. Each card had a powerful magical effect, but the deck has evolved into an oracle deck, comprising 66 cards. To simulate magic cards, players may use tarot cards. If no tarot deck is available, ordinary playing cards can be substituted.
The deck of many things contains 22 cards, and drawing a single card may grant your character more riches than they could ever spend or it could send them to hell. The deck box contains a hardcover book with information on the cards, similar to most tarot decks. The art, which tends to be gold, ivory, and vellum made from dragon skin, is often carved demonic scales.
A new Deck of Many Things, based on the Major Arcana of Tarot, has 44 effects (22 major arcana cards, reversed). Each card, inspired by the iconic 1909 Rider-Waite Smith tarot deck, represents a unique aspect of the Deck of Many Things. With every draw, the tides of fate change.
📹 The Deck of Many Things Explained from the Book of Many Things for Dungeons and Dragons
Grab some coffee, and get ready to unravel the complexity (easy) that is the deck of Many Things as found in the new Book of …
What is a full deck of tarot cards?
The modern tarot deck, based on the Venetian or Piedmontese tarot, consists of 78 cards divided into two groups: the major arcana (22 trumps) and the minor arcana (56 cards). The major arcana features pictures representing various forces, characters, virtues, and vices, numbered I through XXI. The cards are arranged in a series of order, from juggler to papess, empress to emperor, pope to lovers, chariot to justice, hermit to wheel of fortune, strength to death, temperance to devil, lightning-struck tower to star, moon to sun, last judgment to world, and the fool.
The minor arcana consists of four suits of 14 cards each, similar to modern playing cards. Each suit has 4 court cards (king, queen, knight, and jack) and 10 numbered cards, with the value progression in ascending order from ace to 10, then jack, knight, queen, and king.
How powerful is the deck of many things?
The Deck of Many Things is a legendary item in Dungeons and Dragons, consisting of 13 cards made of ivory or vellum. Each card has a different effect, either amazing or destructive. The cards are split 50/50 between good and awful, making it one of the most powerful artifacts in the game. The deck contains 13 cards, including Sun, Moon, Star, Throne, Key, Knight, Void, Flames, Skull, Ruin, Euryale, Rogue, and Jester.
Sun grants 50, 000 experience points and a wonderous item, Moon allows one to cast the Wish spell 1d3 times, Star increases one ability score by 2, Throne grants expertise in Persuasion skill, Key gives a rare magic weapon, Knight is a 4th-level fighter, Void draws the card puller’s soul, Flames creates an enemy, Skull fights an avatar of death, Ruin loses all forms of wealth, Euryale penalizes the card puller on saving throws, Rogue becomes hostile towards the card puller, and Jester gives 10, 000 experience points and allows the card puller to draw two additional cards beyond their declared draws.
What were tarot cards based on?
Tarot cards, originally known as tarocchi, first appeared in northern Italy, with the addition of the Fool and 21 trumps to the standard Italian pack of four suits: batons, coins, cups, and swords. Early European cards were likely based on the Egyptian Mamluk deck invented before the 14th century, which followed the introduction of paper from Asia into Western Europe. By the late 1300s, Europeans were producing their own cards, with variations to suit symbols and court cards.
The first records of playing cards in Europe date back to 1367 in Bern, and they spread rapidly across Europe, mainly due to card games being banned. Little is known about the appearance and number of these cards, except for a text by John of Rheinfelden in 1377, which describes the basic pack as containing four suits of 13 cards, with courts usually being the King, Ober, and Unter (“marshals”), although Dames and Queens were already known by then. These suits are still used in traditional Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese playing card decks and in modern tarot divination cards that first appeared in the late 18th century.
Are there 78 tarot cards?
The Industrie und Glück is a genre art tarot deck from Central Europe, featuring Roman numerals for trumps and 54 cards. It has three patterns: Types A, B, and C, with Type C being the standard. The Tarot Nouveau, also known as the Tarot Bourgeois, is a 78-card pack used for tarot games in France and Denmark, and sometimes for playing Cego in Germany. Its genre art trumps use Arabic numerals in corner indices.
The Adler-Cego is an animal tarot used in the Upper Rhine valley and surrounding mountain regions, with 54 cards organized similarly to the Industrie und Glück packs. The Schmid-Cego pack by F. X. is of the Bourgeois Tarot type, with genre scenes similar to the Tarot Nouveau but with Arabic numerals centered.
How many cards should I draw from the deck of many things?
In order to draw either 13 or 22 cards from the deck, the player must first declare the number of cards they wish to draw. The cards are then drawn randomly. Cards drawn in excess of the specified number are inconsequential. Once a card has been selected, its designated effect is initiated.
How many tarot cards should be drawn?
The Tarot deck involves drawing multiple cards to provide complex insights. A three or five-card spread is recommended for clarity and understanding. Each card is read individually based on its placement in the spread, and the overall story is formed with layered meaning. There is a debate about reading card reversals, which can highlight something to pay attention to and point to the opposite of the card’s upright meaning.
Reversals can indicate a deficit of energy or nothing at all. To avoid confusion, focus on the upright meanings of each card and delve into reversal meanings as you become more comfortable with the language.
When asking questions, avoid using “yes/no” and instead use “What are the obstacles blocking me from advancing my career?” This approach invites greater insight and reflection, offering a perspective that would be missed with a simple “yes” or “no”. As you become more seasoned and in tune with your intuition, you will confidently know when a reversal is to be paid attention or dismissed.
Can I learn tarot on my own?
Tarot readings can be conducted by a tarot practitioner, but learning to read one’s own cards can facilitate an understanding of the relationship with them and determine their relevance in one’s life. Nevertheless, becoming intimately acquainted with the entire deck of 78 cards can prove to be a formidable challenge.
Who created the Deck of Many Things?
Asteria, a strong believer in her own destiny, was given a tool by Istus to change their fate. He pulled down 22 constellations and created the first Deck of Many Things, allowing Asteria to rewrite their story and rescue Euryale. The extra cards in the Deck were created by powerful mortals, not by Istus. Although Asteria and Euryale no longer travel together, they will always be the greatest friends, as their lives are intrinsically linked to the Deck. The magic that created the Deck reverberated across the planes, creating countless copies in the multiverse.
What are the 4 things in deck of cards?
A standard deck of playing cards consists of 52 cards in each of the four suits of Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs, each containing 13 cards. Modern decks usually include two Jokers. A variety of games can be played with a standard deck or a modified deck, with some listed on BGG. A larger list can be found under the Traditional Playing Cards family, while Traditional Card Games is a placeholder for games not in the BGG database. John McLeod’s Pagat. com offers a comprehensive list of traditional card games and articles about playing cards.
Are tarot cards based on playing cards?
Playing cards are frequently regarded as a more conventional manifestation of Tarot, although they have been employed for the purpose of divination for a considerable length of time. The Tarot, which originated as a card game, underwent a transformation in the 19th century, evolving into a divination tool. The familiarity and prevalence of playing cards in society render them less intimidating than Tarot decks.
Is the deck of many things based on Tarot cards?
Wizards of the Coast has released The Deck of Many Things, a new deck designed for Fifth Edition, resembling an oracle or tarot deck for predicting characters’ futures. The physical release was delayed due to defects in the cards, with the most recent one not having any. The cards come in a display box with a thin cardboard sleeve and have a smooth matte finish and golf foil highlights on the artwork. Although the new set is not bent or distorted like the original, some cards still stuck together when sorted out of the books.
📹 The Deck of Many Things | Deep Dive | D&D
TO BUILD PERFECT CHAOS INTO YOUR CAMPAIGN Discover startling – but delightful – new content in this reimagined version …
I’m surprised I can show up half an hour after posting and still be first. With your awesome info before you buy I’d assume the comments would be busy this long after posting (give it a few months). Question though for you, do you feel the tarot cards and accompanying book that interprets them helps the creative juices flow more than just trying to think of an adventure yourself?
The product hasn’t been released yet so I can’t say absolutely for certain, but from this article and others I have seen I feel like this is going to be my favorite release since I got into dnd, which was around the time of the release of Radiant Citadel. The Deck of Many Things has fascinated me from the second I learned about it. I am very much looking forward to the 9 card tarot adventure spread thing. Now I’m off to watch more of your articles. I like your presentation.
I’m debating whether to get the book or not. I am thinking of going along with the old idea of 13 card decks, and make it so that the full deck is split up among several people and uniting the champions of the deck and completeing the full deck is like the rod of 7 parts. I can use pretty much any tarot deck, or tarrokka deck if preferred, or there are oracle decks available that could be interesting to use (Citadel fantasy oracle deck might be a good one). In any case there is the 2e magica encyclopedia tarot deck of many things with detailed description for the cards effects. so, I guess it’s a matter of what else the book offers that will convince me whether I buy the volume.
This seems like a lot of fun, but we you point out we can use anything as inspiration. I bought several tarot decks to use as inspiration, for example. What makes this set worth the $100 that they’re charging? Right now, it’s on my Amazon wishlist for Christmas, but I have no plans to spend my own money on it.
I wish that somebody would just make a article showing the cards and what they do both new and the cards that are in the deck that were previously in the deck because I heard somewhere that some of the cards effects have been changed and well I do like the idea of making a deck straight out of My mind I still want to know what the actual Canon deck looks like not in terms of the individual cards but rather the cards as a whole this is what all they do because I do have an idea but I’d have to know what all the cards do first and what they look like now I know what some people may think about me just saying this if you want to do it that way buy it and to that I say I don’t got a hundred bucks to throw it something that might not even come to me
Star signs are a great idea, and I love the sound of the origin story. I’m liking what they say about all the supplementary material to the deck itself, but Ironically I feel like there might be “too many things” in this set! Surely, there’s something for everyone, but few people will use everything, which makes the price harder to get past. Good gift, tough buy. I look forward to Nerd Immersion’s inevitable unboxing article!
This has to be my favorite announcement for D&D this year. This collection sounds absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to get this and read through it some more. You all did amazing work from what i’m seeing. Jason Tombro did an amazing job explaining this and I’d like to see more from him. Looking forward to the next BoMT content reveal!
when I first heard about this book I didnt really know how useful it was going to be but building and predicting campaigns and character star signs are all really cool concepts. could even imagine combining the building/predicting parts where the players draw cards, giving them a glimpse of the path forward but the DM filling out the Adventure with what those cards mean
I got a lot more use out of Domains of Delight than I did The Wild Beyond the Witchlight. The random generator tables are always my favourite part of any book. Looks like this box is gonna take that design philosophy and turn it up to 11. Cut and paste adventure elements are also really great to use if you’re homebrew setting and campaign focused like I am.
It would be nice if you could do something like this with the Tarokka deck in Ravenloft. I think that another Ravenloft supplement should be in the works for this. Van Richten’s Guide was a good start with the into different horror genres, but expanding each of your campaign settings that aren’t the Forgotten Realms are definitely needed. I like the three-book sets for campaign settings, but they need to be more substantial.
This feels like the product that so many of us have been waiting for from 5e for such a long time; a rich smorgasbord of options to cater to almost every game table, with what sounds like pretty comprehensive GM support and just awesome and evocative stuff to entice players. I really hope that it pulls it all off! It’s pricey, sure, but I would rather buy one set at 100 bucks that lives up to the promise of this release a year than 3 books that have the sort of half-baked level of detail that some recent releases have. IF this lives up to the hype (and I can feel myself getting on board that train), then it easily could contain a year’s worth of content in it!
For years one of the biggest complaints I, and MANY others, have had regarding 5e is that while it’s fun to play it’s not really fun to DM and the OSR scene has been leeching GM’s left and right. Now there’s certainly a lot of things that goes into that issue BUT perusal this article has sold me on the deck, specifically hearing that not only does the deck help with adventure inspiration but that the same 9 cards could provide wildly different experiences. Personally I am a huge fan of having tables and randomizing elements and then “scrying” the meaning and how they connect and something like this for DM’s has been sorely lacking in 5e. I love using the far more primative rules from B/X to generate adventure hooks and this looks like a lot of fun, even just using the cards on the fly for a kick of inspiration and randomness the DM gets to enjoy. Reminds me of the Ravenloft Tarokka deck that was made during 3.5 for Sword & Sorcery
1:40 In solo tabletop RPG play there’s already the concept of an oracle, which is basically a series of tables you can roll on in order to make any decisions a DM would be expected to make (answer questions, flesh out characters, determine enemy actions, and so on). It seems they made a system that turns the deck itself into an oracle (or at least a partial one, because of the adventure spread), which is a really cool idea.
It’s funny that there’s a werecreature thieve’s guild, because this is exactly what I did with Meredin Sandyfoot in Spelljammer, shame I’m in the process of wrapping up that campaign, but it sounds like it might be useful! Still not thrilled with the page count, but the cards sound fun, might make it some decent value for money. I’m actually cautiously optimistic for once
Question: Something I’ve always wondered about the original version of the Deck of Many Things, if instead of using it yourself, you trick the BBEG to swipe at you, but he/she/it comes into contact with the whole deck (well of the cards you have) and those that land face up (good/bad/neutral happen to the BBEG?
There are a couple of things I don’t understand – Is the main book only for the 22 card deck of many things? Ie each chapter has lots of variant effects for each card drawn? Does this mean that the BIGGER deck, the one with 66 cards, does not have as many options per card drawn? Also when creating a random adventure with the cards, do you use the full 66 card deck? Or only the 22 one? ty!
As a very old time gamer (46 years) I can’t help but look at this as yet another turning away from the original game. Those of us who started with the game in the 70s, weathered the horrors of the Satanic Panic of the 80s, kept the game propped up as TSR crumbled because of bad business practices in the 90s… We held the banner high, kept the torch lit, the home fires burning (call it what you will) and ensured there was something left for WotC to salvage. We’ve watched WizBro morph what drew us in into something barely recognizable. This ‘product’ is a dissolution of yet another classic element that made the game what it was. It shows that – despite their protestations otherwise – WotC really has no respect for what was. All they have is greed for what they can make it into. I’ll quote lyrics from the Counting Crow’s song Big Yellow Taxi that describes what WizBro has done to D&D to a T: “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
I really wanna be excited for your books, but this fall you’ve relased 3 books that on paper should intrest me, but the extreme lack of new player options bummes me out, especially with planescape, and also lvl 3-10 adventures?!?!?! Come on! This was the perfect setting to go really high level . Bigbys with to little giant stuff for players (1 subclads, no races, some feats and a few spells) and now book of many things. Please do better, i want you to succeed
So, it’s a product that creates vague suggestions for unsatisfying improv D&D sessions? Well, I don’t know who it’s for but I hope all three of them enjoy it 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️ (That being said, the book of many things does look worth picking up. I wish I could get it without the vestigial additional product!)
Sounds fun, but can you guys please stop invalidating bards as arcane casters and rogues as martials? Yes those classes have bonuses to skill proficiencies but bards should have Access to “arcane full caster features” and rogues to “martial features” bc they are that! It makes bard and rogue players feeling left behind.