Random NPC tarot creation

Well I talked about it yesterday so I might as well do it today. Also a confirmation about Shaw's inklings about this being similar to Shin megami Tensei ideas. While not completely taken from there it's where I got a lot of learning about the cards. Basing a character completely off an arcane major is a little too cheap for me, too little surprise. So without further delay my Random NPC generation method.

First:  The Fate Card. Out of only the Major Arcanes is the fate card. It's a binding force for all the following cards be it primary going with or against such a fate.

Second: The Mask card. This is obvious a persona refrence but it works, it's what the person appears like to the world be it how they project themselves or just how they end up being percieved.

Third: The Impression card. This is important for me for NPCs. It could be just how I have all other NPCs who don't know that particular NPC reference them as that's their only exposure or how the party gets to first meet them. Typically it's first impressions, just some things that are easily remebered about the character regardless of their mask.

Fourth: The Action card. How the NPC goes about things, or things they have done in the past and are remembered for. It's self explanitory to a degree though can get tricky.

Fifth: The Reason card. This can help lend a lot of help to the Impression, the Mask, and The action card. It's an event or a thought process that makes the character what it is today.

Sixth: The Hope card. This is what the character wants (or fears) to happen. Like the Reason card it retroactivly helps with all the cards before it and can tie them together.

So with that out of the way I'll go about generating an NPC with my Rider-Waite deck.

The Fate: Strength. The Strength card is a card about power, though it can represent the struggle with ones self. We'll see which works better after the others.

The Mask: Knight of Cups. The Knight of cups has a list of things involving messages, arriving, advancements and other such things. For a mask this easily can be used as a charming person. One who goes about doing things involving other people. A life of the party person.

The Impression: The world. A major arcane card, while I don't make a big deal about them in these readings they help a lot more than the minor arcane due to their nature. The world Is the journey card, going about places but also arrival at the end in some instances. It does fit the charming persona that has been somewhat established, always doing things with other people. Disapearing on trips or other assorted adventures.

The Action: Reversed The moon. I use reversed tarot cards, what a reversed card generally means is an inverse of the meaing, or in some cases a strengthening or deluding of some aspects. The moon is a somewhat dark card. Talking about hidden enemies and deception. The little booklet I have likes to reduce the aspect of the moon and for this it fits. The character is known for streching the truth on more than one ocasion or outright fabricating lies to carry a conversation.

The Reason: Reversed Two Swords. Swords is rarely a happy bunch of cards, this sword however has a meaning in Conformity, courage, friendship and a few other nice things. Normaly reversed it means imposter, falsehood, and disloyalty among a few other things. As a reason this really works for this charcter, could make a very dark reason but today I shall make it silly. They were mistaken for another person at a party and shown the town under a lie. Now the lie continues in some fashion. Simple enough.

The Hope: Seven of Pentacles. Every once in a while you run into means that are conflicted with another. Seven of pentacles has quite a few readings, the one you settle on is going to based on other cards. For this character with all the fun loving roguery I'll settle on business. With all his trips and other actions they could be making up some form of clientele or business partners. Always charming everyone in hopes of further gaining their business or suport in the future he keeps on rolling like a ball of energy.

So with these taken as a whole we get this.

A person of considerable power of personality. Always in a state of motion he travels about entertaining others at events even if qutite a few stories are far fetched. Actions stem from an incident in the past where he found out that some lies and fun can help quite a bit especially with meeting new people. With this there is hopes of the busniess partnerss of the now and future look favorably upon the person.

And that's what we have. Hopefully this has been somewhat of a fun read.