The Sooth Deck (Invisible Sun) and Custom Oracles with James D'Amato
Sep 18, 2024
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Join James D'Amato, an experienced RPG podcaster and author of the Ultimate RPG series, as he dives into the intricacies of custom oracle decks. He discusses the transformative power of the Sooth Deck from Invisible Sun, enhancing gameplay and storytelling. The conversation contrasts minimalist and complex RPG designs, emphasizing how oracle cards can deepen narrative experiences. D'Amato also explores the creative process behind crafting personalized oracle decks, fostering thematic engagement and memorable moments at the table.
The Soothe Deck enhances storytelling in tabletop RPGs by providing non-binary outcomes that promote collaborative narrative development.
Oracle decks, like the Soothe Deck, allow players to engage deeply with character decisions and enrich the gaming experience through thematic interpretations.
The podcast encourages RPG creators to experiment with custom oracle decks, emphasizing the importance of thematic relevance in player interactions.
Deep dives
Introduction to Invisible Sun and the Soothe Deck
Invisible Sun is a tabletop RPG designed by Monty Cook that presents a unique and maximalist gaming experience unfolding from a black cube full of various components, priced at $250. Central to this game is the Soothe Deck, a custom oracle deck that enhances storytelling and gameplay by allowing players to draw cards that shape the narrative. The episode highlights how Oracle decks, like the Soothe Deck, serve as versatile tools that utilize the human propensity for finding patterns, thereby enriching the gaming experience. This particular game and its components reflect a significant shift in RPG design, combining intricate systems with the magic of storytelling.
The Nature and Function of Oracle Decks
Oracle decks, such as the Soothe Deck, differ from traditional dice mechanics by providing non-binary outcomes that enrich collaborative storytelling. The discussion explains that each card in an Oracle deck carries themes and meanings that can guide players' reflections on their characters and the game world. This concept enables players to engage in deeper conversations about their decisions and motivations, enriching the overall narrative experience. Moreover, Oracle decks allow for spontaneity in the storytelling process, presenting unexpected hooks that can lead to unique plot developments.
Anatomy of the Soothe Deck Cards
The Soothe Deck cards are designed with multiple layers, including themes, mechanical values, and divination texts that provide insights on player decisions. Each card is associated with suits that reflect its thematic elements, and the values influence gameplay mechanics, creating a richly integrated experience. For example, cards represent different 'suns' that can modify spells or affect character actions based on their drawn values. The multitude of components ensures that players have a comprehensive toolkit for interpreting the moment, making the Soothe Deck a profound element for players to leverage during the game.
Utilizing the Soothe Deck in Gameplay
Players use the Soothe Deck through different modes of play, such as action mode, role-playing mode, and the unique development mode, which facilitates storytelling outside traditional session boundaries. For example, the Path of Suns mechanism allows players to lay out cards as scenes change, creating a visual representation of the unfolding story. This structural approach not only adds layers of meaning to each scene but also helps to maintain narrative fluidity and thematic coherence during gameplay. By incorporating specific card themes into character actions and interactions, the Soothe Deck becomes a critical narrative and gameplay tool.
Creating Custom Oracle Decks for RPGs
The episode advocates for RPG creators to experiment with their Oracle decks to enhance gameplay by grounding themes and allowing for meaningful interactions within their narratives. Emphasizing the importance of thematic relevance, players and designers alike are encouraged to thoughtfully construct their cards with a focus on symbols that resonate with their gaming world. By crafting a smaller, more custom deck, creators can create an immediate impact, making each draw feel significant and engaging. This approach fosters a sense of collaborative storytelling where both the players and the world evolve through interactive play.
This week I’ve got James D’Amato (Campaign: Skyjacks, the Ultimate RPG book line, and the upcoming Oh Captain, My Captain) here to talk about custom oracle decks. Yeah a Tarot deck is cool, and great for doing Tarot, but James makes the case that it’s the “custom” in “custom oracle deck” that will really bring the not-quite-but-feels-like magic of an oracle to your table. But before we get into that, we dig deep into a mysterious black cube to get to our specific custom oracle deck: the Sooth Deck of Invisible Sun.
