Use this to generate confusing and bizarrely conditional supernatural powers.
This is an expanded version of the previous post, tweaked to be used with a deck of cards.
Potential use cases:- Janky superhero one shots.
- Store brand JoJo stands.
- Clearance-sale magic items.
- Use these powers in place of GLOG templates? Bad idea? Best idea?
To manually generate powers, draw three cards from a tarot deck, and consult the tables below. The first card determines the Triggering condition, the second determines how the power manifests, and the third determines what element the power applies to. If you're using a poker deck, then simply ignore the trump suit and Cavalier cards, and map the red and black jokers to the Fool and the Magician.
Here's a pdf version of the tables below.
Tables
Trump Suit
| Trigger | Power | Element | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☆ Fool / Excuse |
While on a journey | you move unimpeded through or across [ELEMENT] | folly |
| ★1 Pagat / Magician |
While playing card games | you display great finesse with [ELEMENT] | trickery |
| ★2 Popess |
While reading a book | you disguise yourself as [ELEMENT] | secrecy |
| ★3 Empress |
If you have permission from the local authorities | you can easily pick up [ELEMENT] and carry it around | order |
| ★4 Emperor |
While doing a crime | everyone recognizes you as the undisputed master of [ELEMENT] | authority |
| ★5 Pope |
While on sacred ground | you temporarily grant someone else a [ELEMENT]-themed power | faith |
| ★6 Lovers |
While in love | everyone nearby gains a persistently increased desire for [ELEMENT] | love |
| ★7 Chariot |
While moving at least 5 km per hour | your speed scales in proportion to the amount of [ELEMENT] you are touching | war |
| ★8 Justice |
While in court | you summon a gadget that uses [ELEMENT] to fight crime | truth |
| ★9 Hermit |
While alone | [ELEMENT] cannot interact with you nor you with it | solitude |
| ★10 Wheel of Fortune |
At random | you temporarily gain some random manifestation of [ELEMENT]-themed power | fortune |
| ★11 Strength |
While trying to get a dog to let go of something it shouldn’t be eating | your strength scales in proportion to the amount of [ELEMENT] you are touching | unruly canines |
| ★12 Hangman |
While upside-down | you anchor yourself in place relative to nearby [ELEMENT] | suspense |
| ★13 Spooky Skeleton |
When you die | nearby [ELEMENT] becomes deadly in your hands | death |
| ★14 Temperance |
While sober, alert, and well-rested | the effect [ELEMENT] has on you is moderated, strengthening if weak and weakening if strong | temperance |
| ★15 Devil |
While wearing nothing but a ridiculous hat | the spirit of [ELEMENT] temporarily takes over your mind | temptation |
| ★16 Tower |
While at least 10 meters above the ground | you temporarily enter the elemental plane of [ELEMENT] | arrogance |
| ★17 Star |
While you can see the stars | your soul is infused with the metaphorical essence of [ELEMENT] | peace |
| ★18 Moon |
When shellfish are near | you temporarily transform into an elemental of [ELEMENT] | shellfish |
| ★19 Sun |
During the day | you weave illusions of [ELEMENT] around you | friendship |
| ★20 Judgement |
Whenever it would help save your life | you cannot be harmed by [ELEMENT] | spirit |
| ★21 The World |
All the time | you teleport by stepping through [ELEMENT] | time |
Clubs 🥍☘️
- Loose themes
- deliberate action, creation, fire
| Trigger | Manifestation | Element | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♣A | With a gesture | you leave behind a trail of [ELEMENT] | fire |
| ♣2 | With a glance, once per day | you fire a beam of [ELEMENT] from your hands | light |
| ♣3 | With a thought, once per year | small bits of [ELEMENT] randomly appear around you | electricity |
| ♣4 | While wielding a weapon | you summon armor made of [ELEMENT] | wood |
| ♣5 | While chanting a magic phrase | you turn whatever you touch into [ELEMENT] | glass |
| ♣6 | While meditating | you summon constructs made of [ELEMENT] | geometry |
| ♣7 | While standing still and flexing | nearby [ELEMENT] grows, or is otherwise amplified | sugar |
| ♣8 | While punching | a thick wall of [ELEMENT] is summoned around you | motion |
| ♣9 | While aggressively voguing | [ELEMENT] leaks out of your skin | lava |
| ♣10 | While your eyes are shut and breath held | a large cube of [ELEMENT] appears above your head | thought |
| ♣J | While singing from the heart | a geyser of [ELEMENT] bursts forth wherever you point | explosions |
| ♣C | While eating | you vomit out a stream of [ELEMENT] | rust |
| ♣Q | At will, after 1 minute of charge-up | a chain of [ELEMENT] binds two people or objects you see | fuel |
| ♣K | While walking | you summon of swarm of imps from the plane of [ELEMENT] | fruit |
Coins / Diamonds 🪙💠
- Loose themes
- costly action, information, earth
| Trigger | Manifestation | Element | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♦A | After planting a coin in the ground | you see [ELEMENT] through walls | earth |
| ♦2 | In exchange for a drop of blood | you gain insight into the history of any [ELEMENT] you sense | filth |
| ♦3 | At the cost of rapid fatigue | your mind is bombarded with visions of how to tinker with [ELEMENT] | food |
| ♦4 | At the cost of your hair falling out | a moving song about [ELEMENT] appears in your mind | hair |
| ♦5 | At the cost of intense migraines | you teleport towards nearby [ELEMENT] | vermin |
| ♦6 | After an expensive burnt offering | you see the future trajectory of [ELEMENT] | clockwork |
| ♦7 | At the cost of dehydration | you perfectly recall all [ELEMENT] you have seen | iron |
| ♦8 | At a cost of 20 dollars per minute | nearby [ELEMENT] becomes clearly visible to all | fungus |
| ♦9 | At the cost of incontinence | you gain insight into avoiding [ELEMENT] | stone |
| ♦10 | After sharing a shameful secret | you understand the properties of any [ELEMENT] you sense | bone |
| ♦J | As long as you keep your vows | you see a glowing path guiding you to the nearest [ELEMENT] | shadow |
| ♦C | At the cost of precious memories | you hear secret whispers from nearby [ELEMENT] | gemstone |
| ♦Q | At the cost of alienating your loved ones | you gain insight into using nearby [ELEMENT] to accomplish your goals | precious metal |
| ♦K | After walking 7 times around the city | you see the strengths and weaknesses of nearby [ELEMENT] | currency |
Cups / Hearts 🏆♥️
- Loose themes
- states of being, movement or alteration, water
| Trigger | Manifestation | Element | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♥A | While sleeping | you can telekinetically manipulate [ELEMENT] with your mind | water |
| ♥2 | While awake | you can mold [ELEMENT] like clay | blood |
| ♥3 | While drunk | you summon nearby [ELEMENT] into your hands | slime |
| ♥4 | While in midair | [ELEMENT] in your hands becomes unbreakable | ice |
| ♥5 | While underwater | nearby [ELEMENT] begins to spin and twist | flesh |
| ♥6 | While injured | [ELEMENT] is repelled from you | poison |
| ♥7 | While angry | you animate nearby [ELEMENT] into a golem | fish |
| ♥8 | While in a crowd | all nearby [ELEMENT] is pulled into a single point | alcohol |
| ♥9 | While screaming | [ELEMENT] sticks to you like katamari glue | shell |
| ♥10 | While dizzy | [ELEMENT] follows you like a loyal puppy | moss |
| ♥J | While uncomfortably warm | [ELEMENT] you touch is imbued with the properties of [ELEMENT] | cream |
| ♥C | While moving northwards | you freeze [ELEMENT] in time | rubber |
| ♥Q | While sad | [ELEMENT] you touch is transformed into [ELEMENT] | memory |
| ♥K | While indoors or underground | You reverse the flow of time for nearby [ELEMENT] | clay |
Swords / Spades 🗡️♠️
- Loose themes
- minimal control, destruction, air
| Trigger | Manifestation | Element | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♠A | Whenever someone looks at you | you destroy all nearby [ELEMENT] | air |
| ♠2 | Whenever someone tries to hurt you | nearby [ELEMENT] shrinks or otherwise diminishes | weather |
| ♠3 | Whenever your question is answered | nearby [ELEMENT] is forgotten | sound |
| ♠4 | Whenever someone lies to you | [ELEMENT] that you touch vanishes | radioactive dust |
| ♠5 | Whenever someone speaks to you | all [ELEMENT] you see splits in twain | gas |
| ♠6 | Whenever you hear a bird chirping | nearby animals gain permanent hatred of [ELEMENT] | wind |
| ♠7 | Whenever it rains or snows | fissures open and swallow nearby [ELEMENT] | smoke |
| ♠8 | Whenever someone steps on your shadow | [ELEMENT] that you touch shatters | powder |
| ♠9 | Whenever someone says your name | [ELEMENT] that you touch is yeeted up into space | foliage |
| ♠10 | Whenever you witness a crime | nearby [ELEMENT] violently explodes | mist |
| ♠J | Whenever you witness a disaster | [ELEMENT] you touch becomes immaterial for a day | weaponry |
| ♠C | Whenever you witness an injury | [ELEMENT] is randomly teleported away at your touch | void |
| ♠Q | Whenever someone hears your voice | nearby [ELEMENT] is consumed by [ELEMENT] | paper |
| ♠K | Whenever you get struck by lightning | nearby [ELEMENT] becomes magically inert | music |
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