The Harrow Deck

The Varisian people have long believed the fifty-four cards of the harrow deck hold mystical power over destiny and fate. In our campaign the harrow serves as an enduring theme and plays an important role as the game unfolds.

Harrowing

We will do 6 harrowing, one for each chapter of the campaign. Fortune-telling using a Harrow Deck is performed in 5 steps:

The Choosing

The Harrower selects nine cards from which the character draw one each. Usually these nine cards are all from the same suit from the harrowing deck (Keys, Shields, Books, Hammers, Stars, Crowns). Depending on alignment or attribute matches, the drawn cards can mean luck or misfortune in the future. All nine cards are being shuffled back into the deck. The card drawn might even bestow a boon on the character during that chapter!

The Spread

The Harrower draws nine cards and places them in a 3x3 square. This arrangement relates to each of the nine alignments and implies an aspect of the past, present, or future.

The Past

The left column of three cards represents the secrects of the past. It also represents law, for the past is unchangeable and set in stone.

The Present

The central column of three cards represents the secrets of the present. This column also represents neutrality: the present is the sum total of the events of the past yet opens up to the infinite possibilities of the future, and such is a crossroads between order and entropy.

The Future

The right column of three cards represents future events that might, or might not, come to pass. This column also represents chaos, for the future is not set and anything is possible

Harrow points

Earning Harrow Points

At the end of a harrowing every character receives harrow points:

  • 1 harrow point for each card of the suit used in The Choosing for each players
  • 1 harrow point from the card drawn during The Chossing for each player
  • 1 harrow point if a character Choosing is revealed in the spread for that character.

Spending Harrow Points

Harrow Points can be spend as a free action. As long as a character has harrow points there is no limit how many points can be spend in a round.

On what harrow points can be spent depends on the suit of the harrow deck which is used for The Chossing:

  • Keys: Reroll initiative check, reflex save, dex attack roll or dex-based check; +1 dodge bonus (up to +3) for one encounter; speed increase by 10 ft
  • Shields: Constitution rerolls; damage reduction DR/3 for one encounter; fast hit point recovery
  • Books: Intelligence rerolls; Arcane Wrath for 1 spell: spell DC +2, +4 on CL checks to overcome SR, +2 on attack rolls; +5 insight bonus on skill check for skill which is not trained and PC has no ranks
  • Hammers: Strength rerolls; +5 on damage w/ melee or natural weapon or ignore object hardness for one round; be treated as a creature 1 size larger for grapple checks, wielding weapons, lifting heavy objects, being swallowed whole for one encounter (10min max)
  • Stars: Wisdom rerolls; Divine Wrath for 1 spell: spell DC +2, +4 on CL checks to overcome SR, +2 on attack rolls; Greater Chanelling: effective level +2. no expenditureof daily use
  • Crowns: Charisma rerolls; force DM to reroll a d20 roll; Psychic Wrath for 1 spell: spell DC +2, +4 on CL checks to overcome SR, +2 on attack rolls