Do I need to know anything about tarot to play Divination?
Not at all! Everything you need to know about tarot for the game is built into the rules, and there is a lot of tarot symbolism that you’ll pick up intuitively simply by playing.
Think of the many RPGs that come with a large volume—or multiple volumes—of lore and worldbuilding and history more. You can choose how deeply to immerse yourself in that lore and be just as satisfied (albeit in different ways) at any level. The tarot element of Divination is the same. Learning the basics will be no different than learning the rules and mechanics of any unfamiliar system, and the deeper layers of tarot are there for you to explore as much or as little as you like beyond that.
This tiered approach is not just for players; Diviners, too, may customize their experience and learn only as much tarot as they are interested in learning in order to read the cards in the way that is most comfortable. The Divination RPG Preview contains a crash course on tarot in Part Two: Running Divination that explains this in full detail.
What is this RWS tarot deck you keep talking about?
RWS stands for Rider-Waite-Smith. Artist Pamela “Pixie” Colman Smith illustrated a tarot deck on the instructions of mystic A.E. Waite, which was published in 1909 by the Rider Company. The RWS deck contains 22 major arcana cards and 56 minor arcana cards, for a total of 78.
Two other deck styles, Thoth and Tarot de Marseille, follow the same 78-card system, though some of the names, numbers, and interpretations are slightly different. Divination was structured around the system and symbolism of the RWS tradition, though the game will work with most Thoth or Marseille decks as well.
Decks with a completely different structure, such as Lenormand or most oracle decks, are not compatible with Divination RPG.
How does the “shared Hero” thing work? Don’t I get to play my own character?
You absolutely get to play your own character—a fully formed, fully independent, fully realized individual, and probably one of the more unique ones you’ve ever played! You are wholly yourself, and you are wholly the Hero. And the same is true of your three fellow Aspects.
What makes Divination so unique and fascinating is the ebb and flow between the internal and the external. Aspects trade off controlling the Hero in the world, and the player in control at any given time is roleplaying the Hero, making decisions, interacting with NPCs and the environment.
But at any time, another Aspect could use a Power to interfere or to wrest control, or the focus of play could shift inside the mind to conversations between the Aspects. In real life these internal dialogues typically play out faster than we consciously realize, but in Divination you give literal voice to the Hero’s inner conflicts, competing desires, self-sabotage, and everything else that dictates their actions in the world.
Where can I find people for a game of Divination?
The best place is in our Discord community, where several of our experienced Gen Con Diviners hang out, along with lots of other eager players and Diviners! We also attend Gen Con every year and typically run sessions every day.
Where can I purchase the full version of Divination?
Our Kickstarter was funded in early 2024 and we’re in full production mode now, with an estimated delivery date of January 2025. Missed our campaign? Our deck, playmat, and tokens are all available right now in our online store, along with pre-orders for the book (which will also get you access to the same materials-in-progress that our backers receive, so you can play the game right away).
