I also see this as a turn based system, with the addition that the players and GM roll for initiative. I would like to bring the tarot deck into it, too, just for fun and as an End-Story mechanic so that the scenes are clearly distinguished from the die-roll mechanics of the rest of the game. I don't mind rolling dice along the way during the End-Story Phase but it would be great to fit the tarot into it, too. Perhaps as Cards of Destiny. The cards each represent one deity in my world, who themselves are manifestations of the 12 Alignments, but with an Elder and Younger set of deities (to mimic the Titans and Olympians). So the Tarot deck as fused Astrology and the Jungian Archetypes. Like the traditional tarot each card is numbered 0 (the fool) to 23 (the world). The back face card is:
In any case, what I am thinking is that each player sets up a Best, Middle, Worst Case for their Character(s). They each get 4 Destiny Points (this game, but in the future they will be assigned during the game for story related achievements). We all roll for Initiative, and our turns are in that order (ties are broken with rerolls).
In this case I have three Players. Two of them have several Characters. One of them has only one Character (they decided that for themselves - I gave them the option of up to 3 Characters each in this game test). So lets say Player 1 has 3 Characters, Player 2 has 2 Characters and Player 1 has 1 Character. The GM has 2 main NPCs who have a stake in the outcome.
The order of the rolls, lets say was:
1. Player 2 Character 1
2. Player 1 Character 3
3. Player 1 Character 1
4. GM Character 2
5. Player 3 Character 1
6. Player 1 Character 2
7. GM Character 1
8. Player 2 Character 2
1. Player 2 puts 2 Destiny Points on Character 1 to achieve his Best outcome, which is to Fulfill the Quest for the Sun Stone.
2. Player 1 puts 1 Destiny Point on Character 3 to get his Best outcome.
... Everyone decides their Destiny allocations.
Then we draw Tarot Cards in initiative order until their are no Major Arcana cards left. In this case we now have 3 Tarot Cards each. The cards are numbered 0 to 23.
Player 2 Draws Card 0 (The Fool), Card 2 (The High Priestess), etc...
Player 1 Draws three cards, etc. and so on.
Now, again in Initiative order we now play our cards and discover the outcomes. Players place whatever cards they want, in Initiative order, on their Character Sheets. As we go along Players, or the GM, can use Destiny Points to subtract from another Player Character's Score by putting their Card upside down on the Character Sheet. As each Card is put down the Player narrates a story that explains something about what happened. So an counter-opposing move the Player, or GM, might say "The Influence of Law and Evil (the Emperor Card) brings misfortune to the Character... as he tried to reach for the Sun Disk, he was opposed by the Emperor's Guardian, a Black Lamasu". This gave Player 2 Character 1 a -4 (the Emperor Card is 4).
Etc. We go around the circle giving cards and telling End-Stories.
Here's the question... what would be a good resolution mechanism for this setup? Or is this too confusing with the Tarot Card points? I like the concept of using the Tarot Cards as part of the End-Story Mechanic. I like the turns based point assigning. I like the story telling. Just not sure about how to put the finishing blow on it mechanically. How do the dice and/or number values determine whether or not Characters get their Best, Medium or Worst Fates?
Thanks for any thoughts you may have! :)