Harrowing Experiences Ahead!

In the Pathfinder RPG's default setting of Golarion, the Harrow deck is a divination tool that fills the same role as our world's Tarot deck. It consists of 54 cards, divided into six suits of nine cards each. Each suit corresponds to one of the game's six ability scores, and each card in a suit corresponds to one of the nine alignments. When you need to determine what card is drawn, you can either use a physical Harrow deck (sold by Paizo) or roll dice (d6 for ability score; d10 for alignment, rerolling 10's).

I was introduced to this bit of world lore when I started playing Pathfinder Society, and was told that there were many character options (a prestige class, archetypes, feats, and spells) that made use of the Harrow. However, in order to legally use those options in PFS, you need to own an actual Harrow deck, which can be difficult to find. (The Paizo site currently lists the Deluxe Harrow Deck as available, but I'm not sure I've ever seen one in a store.) Because of that, I never looked into those options--until very recently, when I found a reasonably priced copy on eBay (approximately MSRP, with free shipping).

Once I acquired my own deck, I started to look at the various Pathfinder titles that make use of it. The instruction book included with the Deluxe deck lists most of these, and I've also found a couple of Pathfinder Society scenarios that feature the deck.

Inner Sea World Guide: This sourcebook includes an equipment entry for the Harrow deck, a harrowing divination spell, and a Harrowed feat (which provides a random benefit once a day determined by a card draw). Harrowed characters can qualify for the Harrower prestige class: a fortune-teller who can tap into the mystic power of her deck to enhance her spellcasting, and to subtly twist fate to help herself and her allies.

Varisia: Birthplace of Legends: This book provides background on the Varisian culture that produced the Harrow deck as we know it. It includes a racial trait for Varisian humans that grants a free heirloom Harrow deck, which is pretty much the only affordable way to start with one at 1st level (a deck costs 100 gp).

The Harrow Handbook: This is the primary sourcebook for players who want to make the Harrow a defining feature of their character. Harrow-themed archetypes and class features are provided for several classes, as well as a variety of new feats tied to those elements, or to the deck itself. There is also a method for generating a character's background using card draws.

Curse of the Crimson Throne Adventure Path: This adventure path is set in Varisia, and includes special rules for influencing play using a Harrow deck. However, I lack the time in my busy gaming schedule to commit to playing an Adventure Path, so will not be investigating the Harrow elements of these adventures.

Pathfinder Quest: Phantom Phenomena: In one of this 1st-level adventure's quests, the heroes are sent to recover the Harrow deck of a famous fortune-teller.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-01: Portent's Peril: In this Tier 1-5 adventure, the PCs are called in to aid an ally of the Society who has just received a disturbing Harrowing that foretells great disasters.

The Harrowing: This adventure for 9th-level characters features a unique Harrow deck artifact, and a demiplane tied to it, in which its cards are brought to life.

This research has inspired me to create a new PFS character, a diviner who will be working toward the Harrower prestige class. I'll be running Phantom Phenomena and Portent's Peril next month to earn her first couple of XP as GM credit. I also plan to run The Harrowing at some point, but it's much higher level, so I'm not sure how soon that will be. I will almost certainly reserve that Chronicle sheet for when my diviner reaches that level.

Meanwhile, I have used my new Harrow deck for exactly one divination so far. I asked my daughter (who is also active in PFS) to be the guinea pig, and we determined that her question would be on behalf of her bones oracle. Skalren is a devout worshiper of Pharasma, despite using some revelations that most of his coreligionists would strenuously object to. He is, however, a staunch enemy of evil necromancers, with a particular hatred for Zyphus following a series of clashes with his cult. (How dare they try to steal power from his goddess?!) Skalren's question was asking whether Pharasma approved of him and his methods.

The first step of a traditional Harrowing is the Choosing, in which the person performing the reading decides which of the six suits best fits the question. I decided on Charisma, because that's the oracle's key ability, and the question involved an attitude towards the subject. The querent draws one card from that suit at random, which will signify them if it appears in the spread to follow. Skalren drew the Unicorn (CG).

Then comes the Harrowing proper. The entire deck is shuffled, and nine cards are laid out face-down in three rows of three. The resemblance to the alignment grid is intentional: cards that match their position exactly are the most significant, followed by matches to the exactly opposite alignment, and then partial matches (cards with only one alignment in common with their position). The left column is turned over first, and represents the past. Here we had a true or partial match (I forget which) with the Brass Dwarf, which suggests servitude and toil. The middle column represents the present, and here we had a partial match with the Trumpet, a card that indicates a crusade or similar cause. Taken together, I interpreted these two cards as Skalren's obsession with the undead, followed by his newfound outrage at the existence of Zyphus's cult giving him a higher purpose. The right-hand column is turned over last, and represents the future. Here, we had the Unicorn as a true match. With it also being the signifier card, the answer to Skalren's question was overwhelmingly positive! Keep doing what you're doing, you creepy, wonderful child.