Imperial Tarot (wishlist item)

[Mrchilidog]

I was thinking last night off how awesome it would be to have someone actually design an Imperial Tarot deck like the Librarians carry. Has anyone ever seen anything like this created? I seem to recall a mini partial deck in an old WD magazine.

[Gotthammer]

I've written up a concept tarot deck with alternate names for the suits and face cards but keeping the meaning the same. Problem most BL authors have is they didn't do any research into how tarot works before blabbing on about cards and such - it's all about the spread pattern you use, order the cards are drawn in and even their orientation. You can draw a single card, but it's incredibly vague (moreso than tarot itself).
They also forget that tarot decks are mostly numbered cards, not all face cards, too.

I did manage to fit in all the cards I was able to find mentioned in offical materials in my deck though.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

I've written up a concept tarot deck with alternate names for the suits and face cards but keeping the meaning the same...

I did manage to fit in all the cards I was able to find mentioned in offical materials in my deck though.:D Could you maybe post the concept-deck? Would love to see it!

[Gotthammer]

Well, it's just alternate names for the cards and decks, but here it is:

Note 1: I've based this heavily off the classic Rider-Waite tarot deck, and tried to match the imagery to the meaning, which a lot of BL and fan decks fail to do (I saw one concept with a Howling Banshee depicted - why would an alien warrior be featured in a deck of cards linked to the Emepror?)

Note 2: I'm just putting the names (original in brackets, " - " when the same) so you can go to wiki and look up the meanings if you want.

Greater Arcana

High Lord (Magician)

The Sigillite (High Priestess)

The Saint (Empress)

Emperor (-)

The Heirophant (-)

The Brothers (The Lovers) - primarchs / marines doing a fistbump/brohug thing or whatever

Crusade (Chariot)

Astartes (Strength)

Magos (Hermit)

Galactic Lens (Wheel of Fortune)

Judgement (Justice)

Matyr (The Hanged Man)

Death

Temple (Temperance)

Despoiler (The Devil)

The Fortress (The Tower)

The Eye (The Star)

The Empyrean (The Moon)

Shattered World (The Last Judgement)

The Throne (The World)

Harlequin (The Fool) - kept due to mention in BL


Lesser Arcana

Consist of Kings, Queens, Knights, Squires and numbers 10-2 with an Ace

Hammers (Wands/Staves) - well, it is WarHAMMER

Challices (Cups) - more grimdark name, but necessary for the imagery

Blades (Swords) - as above

Eagles (Pentacles) - a mystical symbol was needed, so what better than the Emperor's totem?



Edit - I do have some concept imagery, but it is based heavily on the traditional art as it carries a large amount of the symbolism and meaning behind each card within it. Just take the traditional art and add piles of skulls or flying buttresses of skulls made of flying buttresses or whatever.

[Mr Mystery]

On account it's all just mumbo-jumbo bollocks, does it really matter?

[Gotthammer]

Oh, I agree - I've got a Cthuhlu themed deck for amusement factor and the opening blurb goes on about how Lovecraft's dreams were tapping into the true nature of the cosmos and how you must be careful using the tarot lest you awaken dark spirits and such. Okay... backing away slowly now...

But it is important to have internal consistancy and a believable structure, especially if it's going to be a recurring thematic item. Just randonly picking cool sounding cards with no rhyme or reason and you get a non-sensical mess that can't be back-engineered to for a 'real' thing (hence why I just 40k'd up a real tarot deck).

[magickbk]

That is some great stuff, Gott. I am woefully behind on BL stuff, do the books ever give mention of the number of cards, or do they just pop random cards when it suits the author? I'm thinking that over the years one could assume that extra cards worked their way in if it suited someone, as opposed to trying to slot some of what has been mentioned into the current tarot format.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Thanks! Tempted to try and make one :P

On the note of the Harlequin, do you know if it's ever been explicitly described as an Eldar Harlequin? Could just be an obscure human entertainer or somesuch.

[Gotthammer]

That's what I took it as - I'm pretty sure it's from Ian Watson's Harlequin and the titular character is actually a garishly dressed human rather than an Eldar. Figured it's a more 40k word than fool or jester.

[walrusman999]

On the note of fun tarot decks, I bought and old LOTR Tarot deck designed after the books before the movies came out. Makes it fun for playing LOTR or D&D.

As for the summoning spirits thing, its traditionally very bad to read your own tarot fortune, as well as pick your own tarot deck. Its said that a tarot deck should be given to you instead of you picking one yourself. Hence why I only use my deck for fun and games not to tell fortunes.

[Mrchilidog]

It looks like the WD I was thinking of was #210.

[Psychosplodge]

I would love one of these.

[Wildeybeast]

Me too. It's definitely the sort of thing I would invest in. If we all keep wishing hard for it, our benevolent overlords in Lenton may hear our prayers.

[Psychosplodge]

Well see if the eldar art book write in worked first...

[Wildeybeast]

Ha, the banner ads on this page are now offering me Tarot readings.

[Psychosplodge]

You have adverts?

[Wildeybeast]

You don't? How does one make them not be here any more?

[Psychosplodge]

Firefox and ad-block plus, the only one I get is whatever's appearing in the box labelled advertisement on the right.

[Wildeybeast]

Cool. I shall go a-searching for add ons.

[SotonShades]

That's what I took it as - I'm pretty sure it's from Ian Watson's Harlequin and the titular character is actually a garishly dressed human rather than an Eldar. Figured it's a more 40k word than fool or jester.

The tittular character, and as he appears in all three of the books, is indeed a human. However, he is very closely linked to the actualy Eldar Harlequins. Given the nature of the linking of the plot to the Webway, it is hardly surprising that there are a few cross-overs between the heroes, villains, and those of The Dance.

Speaking of Imperial tarots, I really would love to create a set. If I were a little more talanted (ok, a LOT more talanted) with a pen/pencil/paintbrush/graphics tablet) I would really get to work on creating one. Might even go to find a local Tanner to get some relatively fresh hide to bind the deck in. One thing that would bother me though would be that the images would be static. In most of the BL works they move and change to convey greater meaning. Maybe if I were able to invest in the 75 or so Ipods that would be required...

[Psychosplodge]

They wouldn't have to be, you could do that thing with the plastic and movement.

[Phototoxin]

They might do it as a sort of 'fortune deck' in an expansion? Draw a card it has an effect on the battlefield to represent the fickle winds of fate?

Though I don't think that GW would sell an out and out tarot deck because while 8 foot tall genetically modified post-human killer racist monks with rocket guns in a grimdark post apocalyptic nihilistic setting with blood death and skulls everywhere is fine, boobs and the occult are a big no no for parents.

[Psychosplodge]

No, game mechanics aren't necessary. I just want them because they be cool as f*ck

[Chris*ta]

That is some great stuff, Gott. I am woefully behind on BL stuff, do the books ever give mention of the number of cards, or do they just pop random cards when it suits the author? I'm thinking that over the years one could assume that extra cards worked their way in if it suited someone, as opposed to trying to slot some of what has been mentioned into the current tarot format.

The strongest theory of how the IRL Tarot developed was that it was two separate decks that became combined together, i.e. the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana were originally separate.


As for the summoning spirits thing, its traditionally very bad to read your own tarot fortune, as well as pick your own tarot deck. Its said that a tarot deck should be given to you instead of you picking one yourself. Hence why I only use my deck for fun and games not to tell fortunes.

I've read a bit on the Tarot, and know a few people who do readings, and have never heard either of these. Not sure ...