Divination

Notes

Divination: The act of discovering facts about the unknown or the future, using supernatural or magical methods.

Whether you call them spells, special abilities, miracles, divine intervention, skills, or feats, divination in one form or another is present in most games as well as most real-life societies. Divination ranges from the complex sacrificial cermonies of the Aztecs to the simple modern-day eight ball. This document provides definitions for nearly 200 types of divination as well as some simple guidelines to use when introducing divination to your game.

Some of the techniques here have robust histories with many examples of use throughout history associated with them. Some are less known, rarely reported, or fictional. A simple online search should provide plenty of information for GM's who really want to flesh out their campaign.

Prerequisites:

This field lists some examples of ability scores or attributes that are important for a character to possess when trying to perform divination. If the style of game you are playing does not use the same set of characteristics, then adjust them to the 'best match' as needed. Also, adjust the adjective descriptor to best fit the numerical system used in your game. Having a set of guidelines available for the players to consult is very important because in most games not all characters are going to be able to possess these skills.

Time to Perform:

This field tells the amount of time it takes for a character to make a 'reading' when attempting to divine the future or an unknown object. Sometimes, an image or premonition will occur almost instantaneously. Other times, hours or days may pass before the answer is given. This value should consider the length of any required ritual or ceremony, as well as the amount of time (if any) spent waiting for the character to interpret the reading.

The options the generator uses are seconds, minutes, hours, or days. Of course it is possible that a time of weeks, months, or years may seem appropriate for your campaign.

Relative Accuracy:

This field gives a percentage of how accurate a reading is when successfully performed. Depending on the campaign setting, some types of divination will be more accurate than others. The generator assigns a random number; however, it is sensible for the GM to adjust this as needed. For example, a technique with 100% accuracy will provide the players with very straight-forward information, such as 'Teric the Grave will kidnap the mayor's daughter.' A less accurate technique might reveal, "A tall, male that is somehow associated with a cemetery will kidnap the mayor's daughter.'

Again, this is the accuracy of a reading and not the percent chance of making a reading. The percent chance of making a reading will depend on the mechanics of the game being played---such as the character's skill rank or level of intelligence.

Relative Difficulty:

This field gives a relative descriptor indicating how challenging it is to perform this type of divination. In some campaigns, Ailuromancy (using cats) may be very easy; in others, cats may be so rare or so common that making a reading is extremely difficult.

The options that the generator uses are: very easy, easy, average, difficult, and very difficult.

Types of Divination:

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(c)2003 Jeffrey A. Mills, DVM
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