I've been working with Tarot and Oracle cards for years now. It is a complete myth that your first deck needs to be purchased for you or gifted. If I'd had to wait to be gifted a deck, I'd never have gotten into Tarot cause no one would have bought me a deck. Some people believe that, but it is definitely not required in order to use Tarot. I just recently started getting into TTRPG and solo play and I'm excited to incorporate Tarot and Oracles into some of my games. There's even themed decks related to rpg's, like the D&D Tarot and the Tabletop Tarot (which I have). Excellent video! 💖
one of the hardest parts has always been conversations with npcs, and i think tarot cards can do so much more than a basic oracle can in that aspect. you could draw a card to learn what type of NPC they are, another for their disposition towards you, and even draw cards to sort of divinate their responses to things you've said to them. an oracle can only answer questions that you ask it to answer. with tarot, the NPC could say something to you that you would have never thought of on your own.
As someone that regularly practices tarot for years now, I firmly believe that the idea that someone has to buy you your first tarot deck was conjured up from professional tarot readers that don't want you to do it yourself so that they can be paid to do it for you. Disregard that idea entirely.
There is a game called Dungeon Solitaire: Labyrinth of Souls by Matthew Lowes. The game is a dungeon crawl that uses tarot cards as the whole game. There is a unique deck for the game but the cool art remains kind of traditional. The book for the game is far more than rules, too.
My wife who considers herself a "Hearth Witch" and celebrates all of the Seasonal Wiccan holidays confirmed your thought that your first Tarot Deck SHOULD be bought/gifted to you, rather than you purchasing it for yourself. She also is wary of accepting other people's "used" decks, due to the kind of Energy put into a Deck that has been used before, although if this is the case, she will usually immerse it in a box/container full of Sage to purify the energies attached to the item. I hope this helps, or lends some insight. I TOO am Catholic, (yes, I married a Witch) and I own none of these items either. However, my house is full of this kind of stuff. It is also full of Plants and I keep a Crucifix on the wall in the hallway and I have an 18" resin statue of Saint Michael vanquishing Lucifer sitting above my dresser that was a gift from my Grandmother when she went to Italy 25 years ago.
Your wife's opinion about your first deck needing to be bought for you is NOT the consensus with most Tarot readers and Witches, including many professional Tarot readers. I'm a professional Tarot reader and Pagan/Witch and I absolutely support and encourage anyone interested in Tarot to find a deck they like and purchase it for themselves. If I'd had to wait for someone to buy me my first Tarot deck I'd never have gotten into Tarot at all because no one would have bought me one.
As a kid, I used to actually play solo RPG sessions with a deck of regular playing cards that was drawn in a very elaborate way (regular suit cards were depicted as gardens and towns, etc.). Tarot would work similarly but even better, I guess. I'm talking just interpreting the cards themselves, not even needing an rpg rule set. Holy hell though, this is a great video for starting conversations about the tarot, superstitions, spirituality, philosophy, etc... Quite the ride!
I'm a fan of themed decks for specific games. I like use the Cosmic Tarot for my Amber Diceless game and The Mystical Manga Tarot for my Fabula Ultima campaign. For solo gaming, I enjoy the mechanical aspects of deck handling, probability, and the imagery.
Parents, don’t let your kids watch this video, ‘cause if you play it in reverse you’ll hear the California Raisins singing “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”. 😎 lol but seriously, great video and worth at least a few more watch throughs, there’s a ton of food for thought and I look forward to incorporating the ideas. Also, everyone go sub to the podcast (if you can)!
I was googling this in the morning like 13h ago and couldnt find a video on how to use these decks as tools for solo RPGs. I could've checked later in thr day xdDdD Glad you made a video om this topic
Geek time! For a fresh deck, 78 x 77 = one out of 6,006. The odds get better as the deck gets smaller (ie. 30x29 = 870.) Side note: when shuffling, I cut, rotate one of the halves, shuffle, and repeat a few times so I randomize position and rotation. What I love about cards is that they have a 'memory' that dice do not have. When I turn over a card, that value is gone until I shuffle. The deck is also pile of potential and a count down clock of you're looking for a specific card to trigger an event. I love using suits for faction play and assigning NPC to certain cards so they can influence a scene. For example, the King of Swords is the Big Bad of the campaign, they don't have to show up when that card turns up, but they can influence the scene, dialogue, motivations, etc. depending on the question and the context. Their actions, perhaps unrelated to the PC at the time, have consequences. For example, the evil king's tax men are in town and roughing up the locals because he need money for his war in the East.
Thinking about this video in relation to the game that came out recently, His Majesty the Worm. It uses tarot cards instead of dice rolls to resolve everything
As always, enjoy your videos. You should take a look at "The Fantod Pack by Edward Gorey" 20 weird and wonderful cards illustrated by Edward Gorey and interpreted by Madame Groeda Weyrd. I am a huge fan of the Rider Waite Deck, my first deck. I also believe the original "Pictoral Key to the Tarot" by Waite written in 1910 to be the best guide.
Regarding numbers, you can make your own numerology to match the setting. If you're playing a Chinese themed game, four is associated with death and eight with luck. In an Elric campaign, perhaps one is order and eight is chaos. You can even go with a geometrical angle (heh), triangles, squares, and hexagons are tile-able and thus more 'proper' than that seven or nine sided shapes.
I have had a tarot deck sitting at my game table for a few months now, but I haven't been able to figure out how to start using it for solo play. I think this video might be what I needed.
This was a VERY helpful tutorial! I’m still rusty at Tarot cards. I pulled out my cards, a gift from my wife, and will have to rewatch this tutorial again LOL! Look forward to in-depth solo-play RPG adventures a foot! Thank you, your efforts explaining all of this!!! 🎉
Love using tarot cards, runes, Lenormand cards, symbols, just anything besides dice that can give a different way of providing story prompts or a jumping off point. I've got a FoundryVTT setup that just randomly pulls from X different divination methods and it just randomly pulls from all of those as a sort of ultimate Oracle. One of the most disappointing Kickstarters I was in that never delivered was a set of Lovecraftian Tarot cards. It looked great, but unfortunately the artist was a flake and couldn't follow through, couldn't even deliver on the artwork in digital format.
You should also look at "Wickedness" a three player fantasy RPG using the Tarot, where the players are three witches manageing the fate of the kingdom.
I’ve been developing a ttrpg using tarot cards !! But I have been unsure how people would receive it, as people tend to have a stigma towards them as in not wanting to “mess around” with things like that. So this was a nice video to watch
The Zachtronics Solitaire Collection includes a very good (and very difficult) solitaire card game using tarot cards called Fortune's Foundation. That is technically a videogame but it is something that is playable in real life with a standard tarot card deck, and the only other examples of games that use tarot cards that I can think of are pure videogames (Balatro, Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers, etc.)
I also grew up in a Catholic family so definitely wasn’t getting a tarot deck for Christmas. Altho when I was grown all the adults did a secret Santa gift exchange one year and I gifted a Ouija board and everyone was pissed. I still don’t feel bad tho because I ended up with a sweater and a George W. “The Decider” Bush memoir that year.
i know its less random but i love to divide the deck into 3. Major, minor, and court. works amazingly into 2d10 and d100 systems. need an encounter? major and or court. need to figure out success? minor. figure out stats in the game? you can 'roll' the minor. i love adding tarot into solo story driven play. (going to figure out way in mothership... a horror tarot? lol)
Video 36 of me liking and then commenting on every new upload to tell the viewers that the Man Alone Podcast is absolutely some of that sweet, unhinged audio/vocal-honey. Psssst. Which element would you pick to bend if you could not be an Air Bender? I have a hard time picking between water and earth, but I think I lean towards Earth Bending.
Think if Tarot not decided their detailed usage beforehand (how exactly you interpret them in game) they can disturb flow of play and led astray. Instead of playing, trying to decipher meaning. Oracles, in any form need to be snappy and clear (even if ambiguous) so you can integrate it in the flow.
I can understandl being concerned about losing viewers with this content; however, i would argue that if that those who wish to leave let them. The ones that get it and enjoy you and your content will stay for the play and the deep talks. Have no idea how to read tarot, but perhaps you drawing the moon and the sun back to back may be a sign that while you are uncertain of how this or the video about your journey with depression may go, don't be afraid or feel like you need to do one certain thing to keep your viewers. If you want to talk solo rpg go for it. Do you want to do an actual play or show some interesting tool to use or enhance play? Cool! Want to talk philosphy and intution? I am here for it. Point is even if fear and uncertainty are there you are on the right path cause all of it ties together to make solo play what it is to you. The sun is telling you it is fine. Don't worry about views and demands. Stay true to you and share what you want to share about solo play. Those that appreciate and want to be here will stay and those who sometimes need to hear things will come. Keep up the hard work, my friend and thank you for another wondeful video. ~ Deshi
Oh my god, I've just discovered your channel and your voice is fucking ASMR, you remind me so much of Duncan Trussell, digressing and saying what comes into your head (and soul), I drink your words. I should so have taken notes, do you have a cheat sheet of the "dimensions" to look at ? I remember: arcana, card itself, orientation of the card, suit, number, colors, orientation of people, items, built strutures and natural elements, composition (size of items), position in the sequence Do i miss something?
My catholic mexican mom wouldnt approve of me playing with Satan’s cards 😂 She be like: ANDA HACIENDO BRUJERIA? NO JUEGUES CON EL MALIGNO PORQUE TE CHINGA I be like: I just rolled a d20 on my Mythic Game Engine Table, and I’m using tarot cards for inspiration on an npc my pc just met on a dungeon mama, man alone is my prophet
Idea for other viewers - If you don't want to use a tarot deck for whatever reason, you can instead get a D&D Curse of Strahd Tarokka deck. They include most of the benefits of a Tarot deck, but because they're made specifically for Dungeons & Dragons, they don't have any real-world spiritual/occult associations that a tarot deck comes with.
The best endorsement of letting yourself be engaged with and surprised by the cards was your supposed “whoah” when you pulled the moon after the sun. Kinghalfblind I’ll buy you one if you buy me one.
I'm a professional tarot reader, have been for eight years and many, many thousands of readings for customers. I'mn also a solo RPG enthusiast. I must say I balk at using tarot for a roleplaying game as tarot is a little sacred to me. I wouldn't use the literal cards, but you can pull the images up online.
I have two tarot decks. One is solely for divination, the other solely for ttrpgs. I find that works well for me to keep each as separate acts in my mind.
1:04:57 no fr its weird like i love the queen of swords, for example, but a lot of older guides talk about her being a bitter widower or something like.....thats what you got from this card? It sucks cos i LOVE older magic book and guides before the space got so "girlboss-ified" but yeah a lot of older magic things are so oddly sexist for no reason at all.
youre gunna think im wacko. but before youve had time to bond with those cards. find a convenient place to burn them safely. and pay attention to how you feel. you will notice a change in your energy. and thats because playing with those things are a ticket for spiritual scum to interfere with your life. and there is no better way to experience that stuff is real than burning a tarot deck. buy another set if it doesn't seem true what im saying. but please do try it
I think it would be a wonderful world if the source of "spiritual scum" in our lives were so convenient to identify. Sadly, I don't believe this is the case.
I come for the solo rpg talk, I stay for the philosophy and sociology.
Interesting introduction to tarot…now I would really love a video of you actually using it for solo RPG play.
Love the channel. Keep up the good work.
I've been working with Tarot and Oracle cards for years now. It is a complete myth that your first deck needs to be purchased for you or gifted. If I'd had to wait to be gifted a deck, I'd never have gotten into Tarot cause no one would have bought me a deck. Some people believe that, but it is definitely not required in order to use Tarot.
I just recently started getting into TTRPG and solo play and I'm excited to incorporate Tarot and Oracles into some of my games. There's even themed decks related to rpg's, like the D&D Tarot and the Tabletop Tarot (which I have). Excellent video! 💖
one of the hardest parts has always been conversations with npcs, and i think tarot cards can do so much more than a basic oracle can in that aspect. you could draw a card to learn what type of NPC they are, another for their disposition towards you, and even draw cards to sort of divinate their responses to things you've said to them. an oracle can only answer questions that you ask it to answer. with tarot, the NPC could say something to you that you would have never thought of on your own.
As someone that regularly practices tarot for years now, I firmly believe that the idea that someone has to buy you your first tarot deck was conjured up from professional tarot readers that don't want you to do it yourself so that they can be paid to do it for you. Disregard that idea entirely.
@@hauntedbarbiedoll lol I never even thought of this…follow the money, as always
There is a game called Dungeon Solitaire: Labyrinth of Souls by Matthew Lowes. The game is a dungeon crawl that uses tarot cards as the whole game. There is a unique deck for the game but the cool art remains kind of traditional. The book for the game is far more than rules, too.
"..Triangles are my favorite shape, three points where two lines meet.."
a quote from a fave song of mine
Great comment, now…Tesselate
My wife who considers herself a "Hearth Witch" and celebrates all of the Seasonal Wiccan holidays confirmed your thought that your first Tarot Deck SHOULD be bought/gifted to you, rather than you purchasing it for yourself.
She also is wary of accepting other people's "used" decks, due to the kind of Energy put into a Deck that has been used before, although if this is the case, she will usually immerse it in a box/container full of Sage to purify the energies attached to the item.
I hope this helps, or lends some insight. I TOO am Catholic, (yes, I married a Witch) and I own none of these items either. However, my house is full of this kind of stuff. It is also full of Plants and I keep a Crucifix on the wall in the hallway and I have an 18" resin statue of Saint Michael vanquishing Lucifer sitting above my dresser that was a gift from my Grandmother when she went to Italy 25 years ago.
Your wife's opinion about your first deck needing to be bought for you is NOT the consensus with most Tarot readers and Witches, including many professional Tarot readers. I'm a professional Tarot reader and Pagan/Witch and I absolutely support and encourage anyone interested in Tarot to find a deck they like and purchase it for themselves. If I'd had to wait for someone to buy me my first Tarot deck I'd never have gotten into Tarot at all because no one would have bought me one.
All the tabletop talk is really helping me keep my mind off of the insanity in the world right now. Thanks @Man Alone! 👏🏽
As a kid, I used to actually play solo RPG sessions with a deck of regular playing cards that was drawn in a very elaborate way (regular suit cards were depicted as gardens and towns, etc.). Tarot would work similarly but even better, I guess. I'm talking just interpreting the cards themselves, not even needing an rpg rule set.
Holy hell though, this is a great video for starting conversations about the tarot, superstitions, spirituality, philosophy, etc... Quite the ride!
I'm a fan of themed decks for specific games. I like use the Cosmic Tarot for my Amber Diceless game and The Mystical Manga Tarot for my Fabula Ultima campaign. For solo gaming, I enjoy the mechanical aspects of deck handling, probability, and the imagery.
38:15. The odds of pulling out the sun and the moon together is actually 1 in 6,006. 1/((1/78)*(1/77)).
Parents, don’t let your kids watch this video, ‘cause if you play it in reverse you’ll hear the California Raisins singing “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”. 😎
lol but seriously, great video and worth at least a few more watch throughs, there’s a ton of food for thought and I look forward to incorporating the ideas.
Also, everyone go sub to the podcast (if you can)!
I was googling this in the morning like 13h ago and couldnt find a video on how to use these decks as tools for solo RPGs. I could've checked later in thr day xdDdD Glad you made a video om this topic
Geek time! For a fresh deck, 78 x 77 = one out of 6,006. The odds get better as the deck gets smaller (ie. 30x29 = 870.) Side note: when shuffling, I cut, rotate one of the halves, shuffle, and repeat a few times so I randomize position and rotation. What I love about cards is that they have a 'memory' that dice do not have. When I turn over a card, that value is gone until I shuffle. The deck is also pile of potential and a count down clock of you're looking for a specific card to trigger an event. I love using suits for faction play and assigning NPC to certain cards so they can influence a scene. For example, the King of Swords is the Big Bad of the campaign, they don't have to show up when that card turns up, but they can influence the scene, dialogue, motivations, etc. depending on the question and the context. Their actions, perhaps unrelated to the PC at the time, have consequences. For example, the evil king's tax men are in town and roughing up the locals because he need money for his war in the East.
Both Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game changed my life. Siddhartha is great too.
I had fun crafting my own solo oracle "tarot" deck
This whole video has been fascinating (numerology included)
Thinking about this video in relation to the game that came out recently, His Majesty the Worm. It uses tarot cards instead of dice rolls to resolve everything
I was just thinking about this topic and then this notification appeared...
I know...I saw that this was going to happen...it was in the cards...
@@amanisaloneWhat are the follow up videos going to be? Lenormand cards for RPGs? I Ching for RPGs? Haruspicy for RPGs?
@@mercuriusaulicus we could always sit down for tea time and use tasseomancy
As always, enjoy your videos. You should take a look at "The Fantod Pack by Edward Gorey" 20 weird and wonderful cards illustrated by Edward Gorey and interpreted by Madame Groeda Weyrd. I am a huge fan of the Rider Waite Deck, my first deck. I also believe the original "Pictoral Key to the Tarot" by Waite written in 1910 to be the best guide.
That Fantod deck is really fun. I wish it had more cards
@@PianoStudioLPnut I know right!?
Balatro got me thinking about using tarot for gaming. Very interesting to incorporate into solo ttrpg.
Regarding numbers, you can make your own numerology to match the setting. If you're playing a Chinese themed game, four is associated with death and eight with luck. In an Elric campaign, perhaps one is order and eight is chaos. You can even go with a geometrical angle (heh), triangles, squares, and hexagons are tile-able and thus more 'proper' than that seven or nine sided shapes.
I have had a tarot deck sitting at my game table for a few months now, but I haven't been able to figure out how to start using it for solo play. I think this video might be what I needed.
Fantastic video. ❤
This was a VERY helpful tutorial! I’m still rusty at Tarot cards. I pulled out my cards, a gift from my wife, and will have to rewatch this tutorial again LOL! Look forward to in-depth solo-play RPG adventures a foot! Thank you, your efforts explaining all of this!!! 🎉
Thank goodness you didn’t buy them for yourself.
Love using tarot cards, runes, Lenormand cards, symbols, just anything besides dice that can give a different way of providing story prompts or a jumping off point. I've got a FoundryVTT setup that just randomly pulls from X different divination methods and it just randomly pulls from all of those as a sort of ultimate Oracle.
One of the most disappointing Kickstarters I was in that never delivered was a set of Lovecraftian Tarot cards. It looked great, but unfortunately the artist was a flake and couldn't follow through, couldn't even deliver on the artwork in digital format.
You should also look at "Wickedness" a three player fantasy RPG using the Tarot, where the players are three witches manageing the fate of the kingdom.
I’ve been developing a ttrpg using tarot cards !!
But I have been unsure how people would receive it, as people tend to have a stigma towards them as in not wanting to “mess around” with things like that.
So this was a nice video to watch
Yeah I know people can be like that but they’re just cards - if they have or don’t have power it’s because of the power we give to them
The Zachtronics Solitaire Collection includes a very good (and very difficult) solitaire card game using tarot cards called Fortune's Foundation. That is technically a videogame but it is something that is playable in real life with a standard tarot card deck, and the only other examples of games that use tarot cards that I can think of are pure videogames (Balatro, Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers, etc.)
You get cooler every video I watch. I wish we could be friends irl. Please keep making content. 🤙🏻
Theres a game called anamnesis thats solo and uses tarot to help you come up with character and background
I also grew up in a Catholic family so definitely wasn’t getting a tarot deck for Christmas. Altho when I was grown all the adults did a secret Santa gift exchange one year and I gifted a Ouija board and everyone was pissed. I still don’t feel bad tho because I ended up with a sweater and a George W. “The Decider” Bush memoir that year.
Where did you get the big decision dice from? Looks really useful.
i know its less random but i love to divide the deck into 3. Major, minor, and court. works amazingly into 2d10 and d100 systems. need an encounter? major and or court. need to figure out success? minor. figure out stats in the game? you can 'roll' the minor.
i love adding tarot into solo story driven play. (going to figure out way in mothership... a horror tarot? lol)
Whoa great video! Also, I released a movie this year called Protanopia!
I recommend The Creative Tarot by Jessa Crispin for general guide to symbols and meaning of the RWS tarot.
Video 36 of me liking and then commenting on every new upload to tell the viewers that the Man Alone Podcast is absolutely some of that sweet, unhinged audio/vocal-honey.
Psssst. Which element would you pick to bend if you could not be an Air Bender? I have a hard time picking between water and earth, but I think I lean towards Earth Bending.
Think if Tarot not decided their detailed usage beforehand (how exactly you interpret them in game) they can disturb flow of play and led astray. Instead of playing, trying to decipher meaning. Oracles, in any form need to be snappy and clear (even if ambiguous) so you can integrate it in the flow.
I can understandl being concerned about losing viewers with this content; however, i would argue that if that those who wish to leave let them. The ones that get it and enjoy you and your content will stay for the play and the deep talks.
Have no idea how to read tarot, but perhaps you drawing the moon and the sun back to back may be a sign that while you are uncertain of how this or the video about your journey with depression may go, don't be afraid or feel like you need to do one certain thing to keep your viewers. If you want to talk solo rpg go for it. Do you want to do an actual play or show some interesting tool to use or enhance play? Cool! Want to talk philosphy and intution? I am here for it. Point is even if fear and uncertainty are there you are on the right path cause all of it ties together to make solo play what it is to you. The sun is telling you it is fine. Don't worry about views and demands. Stay true to you and share what you want to share about solo play. Those that appreciate and want to be here will stay and those who sometimes need to hear things will come. Keep up the hard work, my friend and thank you for another wondeful video. ~ Deshi
Oh my god, I've just discovered your channel and your voice is fucking ASMR, you remind me so much of Duncan Trussell, digressing and saying what comes into your head (and soul), I drink your words. I should so have taken notes, do you have a cheat sheet of the "dimensions" to look at ?
I remember: arcana, card itself, orientation of the card, suit, number, colors, orientation of people, items, built strutures and natural elements, composition (size of items), position in the sequence
Do i miss something?
Please make a video using Tarot cards ❤❤🎉🎉🎉
Yellow isn't cowardice, "yella" is.
Could you throw in a link to a deck that you would recommend to beginners in the episode notes?
My catholic mexican mom wouldnt approve of me playing with Satan’s cards 😂
She be like: ANDA HACIENDO BRUJERIA? NO JUEGUES CON EL MALIGNO PORQUE TE CHINGA
I be like: I just rolled a d20 on my Mythic Game Engine Table, and I’m using tarot cards for inspiration on an npc my pc just met on a dungeon mama, man alone is my prophet
Idea for other viewers - If you don't want to use a tarot deck for whatever reason, you can instead get a D&D Curse of Strahd Tarokka deck.
They include most of the benefits of a Tarot deck, but because they're made specifically for Dungeons & Dragons, they don't have any real-world spiritual/occult associations that a tarot deck comes with.
The best endorsement of letting yourself be engaged with and surprised by the cards was your supposed “whoah” when you pulled the moon after the sun.
Kinghalfblind I’ll buy you one if you buy me one.
Another great vid, Waffle Man.
I'm a professional tarot reader, have been for eight years and many, many thousands of readings for customers. I'mn also a solo RPG enthusiast. I must say I balk at using tarot for a roleplaying game as tarot is a little sacred to me. I wouldn't use the literal cards, but you can pull the images up online.
I have two tarot decks.
One is solely for divination, the other solely for ttrpgs.
I find that works well for me to keep each as separate acts in my mind.
1:04:57 no fr its weird like i love the queen of swords, for example, but a lot of older guides talk about her being a bitter widower or something like.....thats what you got from this card? It sucks cos i LOVE older magic book and guides before the space got so "girlboss-ified" but yeah a lot of older magic things are so oddly sexist for no reason at all.
youre gunna think im wacko. but before youve had time to bond with those cards. find a convenient place to burn them safely. and pay attention to how you feel. you will notice a change in your energy. and thats because playing with those things are a ticket for spiritual scum to interfere with your life. and there is no better way to experience that stuff is real than burning a tarot deck. buy another set if it doesn't seem true what im saying. but please do try it
I think it would be a wonderful world if the source of "spiritual scum" in our lives were so convenient to identify.
Sadly, I don't believe this is the case.