Skill: Divination

Page 116 of the 5e PHB defines divination as "seeking a clearer understanding of the past, present, and future". They strive to "part the veils of space, time, and consciousness to that you can see clearly." That certainly fits the general view of divination, but what does it really mean and how do you include that in a game like D&D?

The 5e system reduces divination into two things: ways to affect game mechanics (substitute dice rolls), and sensory effects/skrying. Here are all of the spells in the School of Divination:

• • Guidance Cantrip

  • True Strike Cantrip

  • Beast Bond 1st

  • Comprehend Languages 1st (rit.)

  • Detect Evil and Good 1st

  • Detect Magic 1st

  • Detect Poison and Disease 1st (rit.)

  • Hunter's Mark 1st

  • Identify 1st (rit.)

  • Speak with Animals 1st (rit.)

  • Augury 2nd (rit.)

  • Beast Sense 2nd (rit.)

  • Detect Thoughts 2nd

  • Find Traps 2nd

  • Locate Animals or Plants 2nd (rit.)

  • Locate Object 2nd

  • Mind Spike 2nd

  • See Invisibility 2nd

  • Clairvoyance 3rd

  • Tongues 3rd

  • Arcane Eye 4th

  • Divination 4th (rit.)

  • Locate Creature 4th

  • Commune 5th (rit.)

  • Commune with Nature 5th (rit.)

  • Contact Other Plane 5th (rit.)

  • Legend Lore 5th

  • Rary's Telepathic Bond 5th (rit.)

  • Scrying 5th

  • Find the Path 6th

  • True Seeing 6th

  • Foresight 9th

Only the spells highlighted really have anything to do with potentially seeing into the future. Even Legend Lore is focused on the past.

In the Nolaria game system, Divination is a collection of spells, objects, skills, and other things that convey knowledge or information about events that happen in the past, present, or future. Events in the past have to do with lore, hence Legend Lore. Current events, including sensory ones generally fall into the category of skrying. Knowledge of future events is called forecasting or foresight.

Classically, there are skills, objects, etc. that can enhance the ability of a diviner to get a better understanding of the past, present, and future. In particular, there is a body of skills based on seemingly random things that enable a talented individual to improve their sight. These methods include:

• • Astrology

  • Casting of Bones

  • Ceramancy

  • Divining Rods and Wands

  • Enchanted Dice

  • Graphomancy

  • Ink Splatters

  • Palmistry

  • Reading Entrails

  • Reading Tea Leaves

  • Tarot - by extension

  • Ur Principle

  • Water Bowl Divination

  • Yarrow Sticks

These techniques have affinity for certain areas of knowledge. For example, Ink Splatters are used to remember things, to explore things hidden inside of a person. It is associated with mental states, attitudes, and memory.

Rather than relying on a pure game mechanic, the results are crafted by the DM to further a story line, provide richer detail, insight into motivations, etc. Gaining these skills happens over time and requires access to teachers, mentors, equipment, library material, and other things.