Cross that palm with silver and learn the secret of the future...

FORTUNE-TELLER (#19/31, #354/365) [POT]

SKILL: 8

STAMINA : 8

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Dagger or Staff

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Towns, Forests, Hills, Plains, Marshes, Deserts, Mountains

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: Friendly

INTELLIGENCE: High

Considered largely synonymous with Soothsayers (such as the wolfskin-clad Awenydion of Bryn Du), Palm-Readers, and Diviners, the FORTUNE-TELLER is a mystic who claims to be able to predict the future and know the potential vagaries and outcomes of one's life. Depending on climate, they will usually be clad in a variety of hoods, turbans, cloaks, robes or shawls of some sort to denote their arcane credentials. All Fortune-Tellers will have a preferred means of divination; to determine what this is roll on the table below:

Roll Means of Divination

1 Crystal Ball

2 Cards

3 Palm-reading

4 Rune-Casting

5 Entrail-reading

6 Astrology

The actual abilities of a Fortune-Teller can vary greatly. To determine what they are, roll on the table(s) below:

Roll Ability

1-5 Charlatan! No abilities, other than Con 2, Sleight of Hand 2, Etiquette 1, Sneak 1.

6 Roll on the Magical Power table below.

Roll Magical Power

1 Wizardry: has Magic-Wizardry of 3 and a MAGIC score of 6. Has 18 Magic Points worth of Wizardry spells, one of which is the See Future (6) spell.

2 Sorcery: has Magic-Sorcery of 3 and a MAGIC score of 6. Knows all Sorcery spells and uses the FAR spell and their preferred divination method.

3 Prophecy: has Magic-Visions of 3 and a MAGIC score of 6. Has 18 Magic Points worth of magic spells.(see Magic Companion, pp. 67-69)

4 Psionics: has Magic-Psionics of 3 and a PSIONICS score of 6. Has 12 Psy Points worth of powers at least 3 of which must be invested in the Precognition power. (see Magic Companion, pp. 70-84)

5 Chronomancy: has Astrology-Lore of 3, Magic-Chronomancy of 3 and a MAGIC score of 6. Has 18 Magic Points worth of Chronomancy spells.

6 Priest of Zorna (Mistress Fate): has Magic-Priestly of 3 and a MAGIC score of 6, for a Devotion of 9 when using the power of Zorna (see Gods of Titan, pp. 92-93).

If threatened, Fortune-Tellers will defend themselves with a Dagger or Staff or whatever come to hand. They will have 1-2 special accessories as well; roll on the following table to determine what these are:

Roll Accessory 

1 Familiar: to determine type see Return to the Pit, pp. 68-78.

2 Apprentice: see p. XX.

3 Herbs: 1-6 types, as per pedlar (see The Titan Herbal, p. 87).

4 Books: 1-6 different volumes (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 50).

5 Magic Objects: 1-6, roll for type: 1-2 Potions, 3-4 Sundries, 5 Components, 6 Monster Organs.

6 Magic Objects: 1-3, roll for type: 1-3 Magic Mask (roll: 1-3 on person, 4-6 for sale), 4-6 Magic Tattoo (on person).

If required, roll also for the size or type of enterprise:

Roll Size Grade

1 Cave or Pit 1 

2 Pedlar 1

3-4 Stall or Wagon 2

5 Hovel or Hut 3

6 House 4

The price of a Fortune-Teller's reading is typically 1-6 GP multiplied by the perceived Social Scale of the recipient, per session, which is usually an hour. It may be cheaper or free for poor folk, in lieu of shelter or food or gifts for these are always gratefully received by travelling Fortune-Tellers.

Fortune-Tellers are a common feature of life of Titan. In Allansia, such renowned Fortune-Tellers including Madame Star of Port Blacksand and Rosina of Dree are rightly acclaimed for their ability at divining the wiles of the future. Similarly, while there may be infamous charlatans - Misk of the recent mayhem at Blacksand market springs to mind - the art of fortune-telling has been perfected to such an extent as to provide pathways of arcane scholarship. 

For example, in Allansia, Silverton has the Orb Guild of Gelda Wane, famed for its graduating students carefully seeded at courts across the land, such as the notable Lissamina of Salamonis. Likewise, in the Old World, there is the Mistress of the Sight from the town of Havalok in the kingdom of Ruddlestone, who is one of the foremost proponents of the school known variously as the Mind's Eye or the Third Eye.