Thursday, June 17, 2021

Fragmentary Powers v2.0 - A Tarot Deck Generator for Janky Superpowers

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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