Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft Horrors Within Tarokka Deck

In the lore of Dungeons & Dragons, a Tarokka deck is mystical fortune-telling tool from the Ravenloft setting that’s used by the Vistani, a group of Roma-like wanderers who live in the realm of Barovia. Like real world Tarot Cards, the Tarokka deck is used to divine fate and reveal hidden truths. They can also only be created by those with Vistani blood using blood-mixed pigments during a full moon ritual, essentially making them a magic item. The finished cards are then stored in silk within a wooden box to preserve their power.

Mechanically, the Tarokka deck contains 54-cards split into the Lesser Deck of Fate (40 cards across the four suits of Coins, Swords, Stars and Glyphs) and the Fortuna Magna (14 “High Deck” cards that can override or sharply redirect a reading). Readings commonly use a simple cross pattern: a face-up focus card represents the subject, followed by cards for past, present, future and journey. During gameplay in D&D, this layout is essentially a story engine the DM can use to connect reveal clues and connect players to key locations, NPCs and magic items.