The Wheel/Fortune

XII. The Wheel/Fortune

The Wheel, or simply Fortune, is the Arcana of chance and luck. It plays on the seemingly coincidental events that affect a human life. When upright, the Arcana is a blessing; when reversed, the worst kind of coincidences seem to happen. For these reasons, it is the most neutral of the Major Arcana: for all that people want good fortune, no one wants to court disaster either.

Servitors of the Fortune Arcana are the daredevils of the Arcana. They take risks where others see impossibilities. They try to be the best at their desired fields, always pushing, always striving for success. They share this characteristic with Chariots, but where Chariots are fond of their ambitions getting realized, Fortune Cards do not see the point of ambition. They just go for yet another challenge. They do not like certainty; hence they find themselves in increasingly difficult ventures.

They do not like the staid and familiar. In truth, those who are dealt under the hand of the Wheel are the adventuresome members of the Major Arcana.

Servitors are chosen when they die due to their own recklessness. They tried the hand of Fate and they lost. They are usually the ones who die out of accidents, miscalculations in their own skill. Because they are so into risk and getting to places where risk is great, they are often a hardy bunch.

Still, it would be wise not to confuse recklessness with foolishness. Fortune Cards do not spend their lives needlessly. They simply know that the prizes are sweeter when the stakes are higher.

To be a Card of Fortune however also means to be branded by a particular fate. They can’t avoid it; oftentimes, it’s something that’s already happened to them. In some cases, it was to be born poor; in others, to be born the wrong sex. Regardless, all Persona-users dealt under the hand of Fortune find themselves trying to escape or outplay something that was irrevocably assigned to them. Few are successful.

The Dealer of the Fortune Arcana is Henry O’Leary. Quintessentially Irish, he seemingly possesses the bountiful luck of his madcap race. He’s certainly needed all of it---an extreme sports junkie, he’s risked life and limb searching for that greater hit to his adrenaline. He runs on endorphins, and seeks thrill with aplomb. He is perhaps the most whimsical of the Dealers; if a Card’s actions can be interpreted as “letting Fortune have a go,” he allows it. This practically means anything, and his Servitors love him for it.

For all his luck however, Henry cannot escape the one detestation of his life: his title. Though Irish royalty has thought to have been eliminated centuries ago, he cannot change the fact that he’s truly an O’ Conor Don---one of the legendary lines of royalty from the former kingdom of Connacht---and this obligates him to a host of duties that he’d rather not do. As he still hasn’t provided an heir, those few who know of his ancestry would rather he didn’t quite act the skylark.

Henry’s begun to think of settling down and having children (on the side) but the idea of settling down disturbs him. He’s always been one to take risks and chances, but he’s not sure if he’s abrogating the tenets of his Arcana if he decides to stop doing so. It’s a paradoxical risk he’s decided to take, and so far the Arcana favors him for it.

The Powers of Fortune

Fortune 1: Favored Dice
Roll: Wits + Expression. 1 Numen. Reflexive.
Fortune-users use this ability to alter their luck.

Exceptional Failure: The ability cannot be used for another week.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: The Fortune-user can change one of his failed rolls into a success. This ability has to be used immediately after another roll and before the outcome of the roll is narrated.

Exceptional Success: The Fortune-user can change two of his failed rolls into successes. The ability otherwise functions as a success.

Fortune 2: Second Chances
Roll: Wits + Expression + Numina. 1 Numen. Reflexive.
There’s always a second chance, Fortune-users say.

Exceptional Failure: The power fails to function and the Fortune-user loses use of all Fortune-based powers for a turn.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: Use of this ability allows the Fortune-user to perform an action he previously failed with a bonus number of dice equal to his Fortune Arcana rank. He still must pay the costs for the ability, if any.
Exceptional Success: As Success.
Fortune 3: Stacking the Odds
Roll: Wits + Expression + Numina vs. Willpower + Numina. 1 Numen per contested turn.
This ability allows the Persona-user to manipulate events to his opponent’s disadvantage.

Exceptional Failure: He suffers the effects of the ability.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: The Fortune-user can negate the successes of his opponent for every success that he garners. For example, a Fortune-user faces another Persona-user and uses this ability against him. The contested roll results in 3 successes for the Fortune-user. In the next turn, the Persona-user attacks, and scores 2 successes against the Fortune-user. Before damage is resolved, the Fortune-user spends 2 of his successes to negate the 2 successes of his opponent. Because the successes of the Persona-user are negated, the attack fails. The Fortune-user still has 1 success he can use later in the turn. The power only works on the successes of the target.

Exceptional Success: As Success.

Fortune 4: Improve Odds
Roll: None. 3 Numina.
For the next roll, a success is counted if the die falls from 4-10. Rolls are failures if they fall on 1,2 or 3. The 9-again or 10-again rule still applies for rolls that fall on 9 or 10.

Fortune 5: Fortune Favors the Brave
Roll: Wits + Expression + Numina. 2 Numina, and 1 Willpower point.
This ability is used by Fortune-users who have nothing left to lose in battle.

Exceptional Failure: The Fortune-user becomes more vulnerable in battle. His opponents gain the benefits of the ability.

Failure: The power fails to function.

Success: For the next turn, all damage ranks inflicted by the Fortune-user are raised: bashing damage becomes lethal, lethal become aggravated. If the Fortune-user already inflicts aggravated damage to begin with, all his strikes leave a target Crippled.

Exceptional Success: The ability lasts for the duration of the scene.