Creating Characters Using the Hidden Power of Oracle Decks (Part 1)
- Shylah Hunter
- Oct 13, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 17, 2024
Drawing on the archetypes, imagery, and symbols found in divination tools to craft compelling, evolving characters
This article features The Citadel Oracle Deck: A Fantasy Oracle (Modern Tarot Library) by Fez Inkwright. You can find this beautiful item on Amazon here.
If you're a writer, RPG enthusiast, or someone who loves creating, thinking about, and breaking down characters, then you've probably done your fair share of inspiration hunting. True, there are a lot of ideas out there: from pop culture to personality trait generators found in the wilds of the internet, kickstarting the whirlwind of possibilities surrounding character creation has never been easier.
Maybe you're looking to flesh out your newest lead protagonist, or maybe you've just joined a new TTRPG group and need ideas to match that bit of artistic inspiration you picked up from Pinterest. An idea can be as spontaneous as a rogue Pin that sparks your interest or a line from a good movie that resonates with you. As someone who can spend way too much time making and thinking about new characters rather than writing the rest of the novel or playing them, I've made quite a few trips to [insert name generator website here].com in my day...
Today, however, I won't be talking about online generators or expansive personality trait lists. Instead, I'd like to share another way to generate character ideas that I've found to be incredibly fun and reliable.
Today, we're diving deep into the mystic world of Oracle decks – specifically the "Citadel" Oracle deck by Fez Inkwright – and exploring how these cards can inspire the creation of multi-faceted characters.
Oracle Deck? Tarot Deck? What's the Difference?
There are a couple of key differences between the two.
Structure:
Tarot Decks:
Standardized Structure: Tarot decks usually consist of 78 cards. This includes 22 Major Arcana cards that represent life's karmic and spiritual lessons, and 56 Minor Arcana cards that reflect the trials and tribulations experienced in daily life.
Four Suits: The Minor Arcana consists of four suits (similar to playing cards) which are Cups, Swords, Wands, and Pentacles. Each suit has ten numbered cards and four court cards (King, Queen, Knight, and Page).
Oracle Decks:
Flexible Structure: There's no set number of cards in an Oracle deck. Some decks might have as few as 20 cards while others might have over 100.
No Universal System: Unlike the Tarot's structured system, Oracle decks are more freeform and can be based on anything from angels, animals, to chakras and more. Each Oracle deck is unique in terms of its theme and the interpretations it offers.
Artwork and Themes:
Tarot Decks: While the imagery and style can vary widely from deck to deck, they all
generally revolve around the same archetypal symbols and meanings derived from traditional Tarot.
Oracle Decks: These can cover an incredibly wide range of themes, from spirit animals and goddesses to moon phases and more. The artwork and messages are tailored to the specific theme or intention of the deck.
Alright. So What About Character Creation?
So with that out of the way, let's talk about the cool part: generating character ideas with an oracle deck. As mentioned previously, I'll be using and referencing the Citadel Oracle Deck, but the same principles apply to most Oracle decks you'll find!
Each card of an oracle deck represents an archetype, brimming with symbolism and depth. The Citadel Oracle Deck is no exception. While Fez writes that it's possible to create a character with just one card drawn from the deck, my personal approach has been to draw up to 4 cards per character in an attempt to flesh out the scattered, sometimes conflicting, aspects of a character.
But we'll focus more on the many ways to draw and assign cards in a minute. First, let's take a look at the cards themselves.
Inspiration Through Art & Symbolism
Many oracle decks you'll find are beautiful in both their art and symbolism. The Citadel is no exception. Like many of its kind, the deck uses subtle artistic details, established archetypes, and references to the 4 elements. It paints an insightful, if not eye-opening, picture of our inner thoughts and struggles, goals, and ambitions. As expected, this format offers a wealth of inspiration to the creative writing process.
Here are a few ways you can use the art from the cards to inspire vivid character details:
Elemental Inspiration:
Many oracle decks link their themes to the elements. In The Citadel, each suite, or "stratum of the Citadel's society", is linked to one of four elements; earth, air, fire, and water. You can use these to dictate a character’s temperament when interacting with others or even as a key aspect of their personality. For example, characters associated with 'fire' might be passionate and impulsive.
Artistic Details:
Fez writes in his instruction booklet for The Citadel that he had "unique histories" in mind for each card while creating them. These histories would occasionally leak into the artwork itself when planning individual cards. Using these small hidden details in the art to inspire physical attributes or a character's inner psychology can be an interesting way to get the wheels turning.
For instance, many of the cards depict specific items, flowers, and animals. A crown might allude to a character's station in life, a heavy burden, or their personal struggle with or against power and authority.
The Archetypes Themselves:
Of course, using the card archetypes themselves is an excellent option, one that The Citadel
is well prepped for. Each card offers a few keywords at the bottom that allude to core concepts brought to light by the card's reveal. The quick-reading guide for this deck chronicles these core concepts. Further reading into the meaning of each card is also offered in the instructional booklet.
You might draw "The Runaway" for instance, a card defined by the concept of "secrets" and "running from problems". This could paint a picture of a character who has lept from the safety of home in an effort to avoid some form of ultimatum only to find themselves on a new and even more dangerous path...
These archetypes are a powerful source of inspiration, not only for the personality of a character but in creating the struggles and roadblocks that define the world surrounding them.
The Three & Four Card Spread
I previously mentioned that it is entirely possible to create a character from just one card pull using an Oracle deck. However, I've found that my personal preference is to draw on elements of at least a couple of cards and then blend together the ones that speak out the most. Here's one of my favorite ways to use the deck for weaving together characters:
Using this method, you would draw four cards from the deck (Whether the card is facing right side up or reversed, it does not matter. You can read or interpret both meanings provided in the booklet to determine what speaks up the most for your character).
Card 1: What defines them? This card can reveal the physical or mental characteristics of the character you are creating. Personality, quirks, social standing, or the details of their current situation can also be explored here.
Card 2: What drives them? What does this character want and why do they want it? This card can define a character's personal goals, wants, beliefs, or even how their worldview as a whole shapes these desires.
Card 3: What's standing in their way? Simply put, why can't the characters have what they want right now? What physical or mental roadblock is keeping them from achieving it?
Card 4 (optional): To whom or what are they tethered? Is there something this character can't stand to lose? Is there someone in their past or present who has shaped them for the better or for the worse? This card can represent a personal connection to another individual, a place, or a deep-set ideal that the character can't stand to give up.
I find that grabbing this last card really helps set a character in motion. It can connect them to the world in a new and intriguing way and offers up a possible starting point for their story or conflict.
That's the basics of how and why I enjoy using Oracle Decks in character writing!
I hope you come to enjoy the process of creating new characters as much as I have. To see actual examples of the Three and Four Card Draw, stay tuned for Part 2 of this article!
Until then, happy writing!
Shylah Hunter
A graphic designer by profession, and a long-time enthusiast of all things RPG and tabletop, Libby actively devotes her creative energy towards laying a path between the world of visual design and storytelling.
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