Crowley's Deck - Harbinger of the Æon of Horus

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This True Artifact was kept under the SDA’s radar until 2030 when its bearer chose to inform the SDA as to its existence under the condition that they remain anonymous in SDA records. On first examination, there is no indication that there is anything magical about this seemingly mundane Thoth-Crowley Tarot deck, however it holds potent abilities regarding divination and magic. It has no known fragments.

Activated - Casting of the Major Arcana

Crowley's Deck can only be placed into Activated mode while Casting of the Minor Arcana is active and a member of the Major Arcana has been drawn into the user's hand. Each Major Arcana has its own unique ability.

  • The Fool - Playing the Fool inflicts a -10 penalty to all Magery checks made by your opponents until the end of the encounter.
  • The Magician - Playing the Magician activates a single Incantation of the user's choice, regardless of that Incantation's casting time. The user must still make a Magery check as normal. Alternatively, the user can instead activate The Magician and discard two other members of the Major Arcana to cast a True Incantation.
  • The High Priestess - Playing the High Priestess allows you to summon a spirit of your choice appropriate for your level. No recompense is required for this summoning.
  • The Empress - The Empress has two functions - one for combat use and the other that can be used out of combat. While in combat, the Empress causes plants appropriate for the environment to grow at a rapid pace, halving the land speed of anyone in a 24-square area around the user. Out of combat, The Empress creates a sumptuous feast for a number of people equal to the user’s character level.
  • The Emperor - The Emperor activates immediately upon drawing it and remains active for a number of round equal to the Deck's Wisdom modifier. While active, you add the Deck's wisdom modifier as an insight bonuses to attacks you make and your defenses.
  • The Hierophant - The Hierophant can be played to allow someone other than yourself to instantly take 20 on a Knowledge check. Playing this card is a free action that can be taken on another's turn - it does not count against your normal limit of reactions.
  • The Lovers - Playing the Lovers allows for a minor rewrite of reality, turning an enemy into an ally as if the Recruit Enemy from the Recruiter talent tree (Heroic talents) had been used.
  • The Chariot - Playing the Chariot allows you to cast the Teleport incantation as a standard action and take 20 on the Magery check to do so.
  • Adjustment - Playing Adjustment allows you to alter any dice roll by up to 5 if that roll’s source is within 12 squares of you. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier.

The Hermit - You gain a +4 bonus to all dice rolls that you make, and anyone designated as your foe within 30 squares of you suffers a -4 penalty. Fortune - Playing Fortune allows you and all allies within 12 squares of you to roll twice for any d20 roll and take the better result. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier. Lust - Having Lust in your hand allows you to use all the talents in the Recruiter talent tree (Heroic talents) as if you had them. Lust activates automatically once you draw it and remains active for a number of rounds equal to the Deck's Wisdom modifier. If you have both Lust and the Devil, all allies within 6 squares of you gain this benefit as well, using your Persuasion modifier or their own, whichever is better. The Hanged Man - Unlike most representations of the Hanged Man and even the common traditional interpretation of the Thoth deck, the Hanged Man represents Odin's quest for knowledge in Norse mythology. As long as the Hanged Man is in your hand, the spirits whisper secrets to you, providing you the ability to make all Knowledge skill checks with a +5 bonus as if you were trained in them. If you are trained in that skill, you temporarily gain Skill Focus in it. If you already had Skill Focus in it, you can instead take 10 on the check without increasing the time needed. The Hanged Man remains in your hand for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier, at which point you discard it and are blinded in one eye for an equal duration (see the called shots rules for how this works). Death - By playing this card you must make a ranged attack vs Reflex defense at a living target by throwing the card. If you hit the target with the card, then they are instantly reduced to -1 hit points and begin bleeding out. The target can only stabilize on its own and any attempt to help it automatically fails. If the target stabilizes, it returns to its previous hit point total. Art - Having Art in your hand allows you to use all the talents of the Shadowmage talent tree (Magic talents) as if you had them. Art activates automatically once you draw it and remains active for a number of rounds equal to the Deck’s Wisdom modifier. The Devil - Having the Devil in your hand allows you to use all the talents in the Recruiter talent tree (Heroic talents) as if you had them. The Devil activates automatically once you draw it and remains active for a number of rounds equal to the Deck's Wisdom modifier. If you have both Lust and the Devil, all allies within 6 squares of you gain this benefit as well, using your Persuasion modifier or their own, whichever is better. The Tower - When you have the Tower in your hand, all your defenses are increased by +5. Alternatively, you can transfer the Tower to one off your allies as a swift action, who can likewise transfer it as a swift action. The Tower remains in effect until the end of the encounter. The Star - You can play the Star which transforms into a brilliant mote of light. As part of this action you throw the light at a target as a ranged touch attack. If you hit the target, the light envelopes them, negating any concealment the target has and providing a +5 bonus to attack against that target. This lasts for a number of turns equal to the Deck’s Wisdom modifier. The Moon - Playing the Moon allows you to cast the Phase spell on a number of allies equal to the Deck's Wisdom modifier. You can maintain this from round to round as normal. The Sun - You may play the Sun to move a target to -0 on the condition track. The Aeon - When you have the Aeon in your hand you gain a +5 bonus on Perception checks, Knowledge checks, and can reroll Magery checks but you must accept the new result.. The Universe - You and your allies within 12 squares of you at the time of activation gain a +5 bonus to all Magery checks until the end of the encounter. Unique Device Power - Casting of the Minor Arcana - When Crowley's Deck is evoked the user draws a four-card hand as part of the evoking action. As a standard action on their turn while the Deck is evoked the user can activate one card and use its effects. If they wish to activate a major arcana that has been drawn they must place the deck into Activated mode as well (see above). An additional card can be drawn each turn as a move action, however you cannot have more than seven cards in your hand at the end of your turn. If you do, you must discard back down to seven cards. Cups - Water - bludgeoning with an amount of d6 damage dice equal to the card # plus knockdown if the damage beats damage threshold. Knight - 11 dice Queen - 12 dice Prince - 13 dice Princess - 14 dice Ace - Dice equal to the character level of the user. Discs - Earth - bludgeoning damage with an amount of d6 damage dice equal to the card # plus extra step down on condition track if damage beats damage threshold Knight - 11 dice Queen - 12 dice Prince - 13 dice Princess - 14 dice Ace - Dice equal to the character level of the user. Swords - Air - Slashing damage air blades with an amount of d4 damage dice equal to the card # plus bleed equal to the card # Knight - 11 dice Queen - 12 dice Prince - 13 dice Princess - 14 dice Ace - Dice and bleed damage equal to the character level of the user. Wands - Fire - Fire damage with an amount of d6 damage dice equal to the card #. Knight - 11 dice Queen - 12 dice Prince - 13 dice Princess - 14 dice Ace - Dice equal to the character level of the user. Unique Device Greater Ability - Aiwass's Predictions (A number of times per day equal to the amount that it can be Evoked, Crowley's Deck can be used to divine the future. A question is posed to the deck mentally, and a unique 5-card tarot draw is dealt. This has a 70+CharacterLevel% chance of providing useful interpretation, assuming you can interpret a tarot spread. This ability shows no outward signs of being magical in nature, it comes across as just a tarot draw, and it takes a full minute to use this feature.) Unique Device Greater Ability - Aiwass’s Memories (Once per day, Crowley’s Deck can be used to divine and re-enact the events that took place in a 10-square radius around the user. These divinations have a 70+CharacterLevel% chance of providing useful information.)

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