A character who draws the Fates card from a Deck of Many Things gains the chance to rewrite the events of their life. This card is an example in miniature of the deck, which transforms the lives of everyone who dares to draw from it. But fate and destiny are powerful concepts; when a character tries to change their destiny, they're meddling with powers usually reserved for deities. This chapter is filled with character options, treasure, and other ideas linked to the concepts of fate and destiny. It's primarily aimed at clerics, druids, and paladins who have a connection to the gods, especially gods of fate and destiny, such as the Greyhawk deity Istus, who created the original Deck of Many Things; Savras in the Forgotten Realms; the Dragonlance deity Gilean; and the elven deity Labelas Enorath.
The chapter begins with two backgrounds representing adventurers whose lives have gone through sudden reversals of fortune—falling from a great height or rising from tragedy. Following them is a selection of personality traits and life events inspired by the Deck of Many Things. These traits and events reflect the influence of fate and destiny on your character. Finally, this chapter presents a collection of magic items and supernatural gifts: charms bestowed by the gods or other great powers, inspired by the Deck of Many Things and the concept of fate.
Backgrounds
This section presents the rewarded and the ruined backgrounds for characters whose lives have been upended by an event of great significance—whether by drawing from a Deck of Many Things or in some other transformative way.
Heroes of Destiny
The Fated Destinies table provides narrative ideas inspired by the Deck of Many Things that you can use as prompts while developing your character. The entries are geared toward characters who rely on faith, conviction, or fate—particularly clerics, druids, and paladins—but any character's story can benefit from them. When using this table, you can choose the entries that speak to you or randomly pull cards from The Deck of Many Things card set.
The prompts can be personality traits, relationships, or events. Most are described as part of your character's past, but they might foretell events in your character's future. Consider how much your character knows about the destinies detailed in the table; these events might be a mystery to your character, shared only between you and your DM. Or perhaps your character learned about these events through omens or the readings of a fortune teller.
| 1d22 | Heroic Tie |
|---|---|
| 1 | You were trained by an organization that opposes a deity or another powerful cosmic force. |
| 2 | You were born under a sign associated with cataclysm, and every attempt to glimpse your future reveals ill omens. |
| 3 | A religious organization imprisoned you, perhaps because of a crime you committed against that faith or because the leaders considered you the servant of a rival power. |
| 4 | You or your family are watched by secretive figures. They usually keep hidden, but you've seen they wear an unknown symbol. |
| 5 | You made a choice in your past that haunts you. Whatever the consequences, it's not clear you made the right choice. |
| 6 | A powerful figure opposed to your beliefs vexes your life; even your triumphs seem to serve this being's ends. |
| 7 | What could have been one of the happiest moments in your life turned into a tragedy. |
| 8 | You inherited land containing the ruins of a temple where a coveted relic was hidden. |
| 9 | You were brought up to believe in a prophecy of impending doom, but you perceive potential and hope where others expect disaster. |
| 10 | An inflexible person with power over you threatened to bring about disaster, but your decisive action prevailed. |
| 11 | The defenders of a religious organization such as a druid circle, paladin order, or temple watch over you. |
| 12 | You are most comfortable at night, and all your greatest successes have taken place then. You also bear a silvery, crescent-shaped birthmark. |
| 13 | Your studies led you to a scrap of prophecy or the memoir of a prominent figure, which calls your beliefs into question. |
| 14 | A devout individual whom you looked up to revealed themself to be false, a disciple of a power opposed to your beliefs. |
| 15 | You were once a favored adherent of a religious order, but you've been cast out in disgrace. |
| 16 | An otherworldly being whispers advice to you in dreams or visitations, taking on different guises and speaking through others. |
| 17 | You were returned to life through resurrection magic, divine intervention, or a mysterious circumstance you don't yet understand. |
| 18 | When you adopted your current beliefs, your life changed dramatically for the better. |
| 19 | While you never placed much stock in the beliefs you were taught, adhering to them saved you from a catastrophe. |
| 20 | You have a well-used holy symbol from someone you looked up to, and you feel uncertain anytime you're without it. |
| 21 | You were born to a family of divinely favored folk, and they have big expectations for you. |
| 22 | Your soul, or a loved one's, is doomed to be taken by a Fiend, a powerful Undead, or another wicked power. |
Treasures
The following section presents magic items and supernatural gifts that resonate with the cosmic forces of fate and destiny.
Magic Items
This section presents magic items in alphabetical order.
Supernatural Gifts
This section presents magical charms inspired by the Deck of Many Things. See the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information on 7.
- Charm of Balance
- Charm of Euryale
- Charm of Many Things
- Charm of Ruin
- Charm of the Comet
- Charm of the Donjon
- Charm of the Fates
- Charm of the Flames
- Charm of the Fool
- Charm of the Gem
- Charm of the Jester
- Charm of the Key
- Charm of the Knight
- Charm of the Moon
- Charm of the Puzzle
- Charm of the Rogue
- Charm of the Sage
- Charm of the Skull
- Charm of the Star
- Charm of the Sun
- Charm of the Talons
- Charm of the Throne
- Charm of the Void
I once received a charm from this fabulous witch queen in the Feywild. To this day, I admire her snark and her style.