Hey, I'm new to the forum, but I love where this discussion is headed.
I'm a card reader IRL, and I love playing diviners in RP pretty much as often as possible. The idea of gaining insight into the future while still maintaining mystery is one of my favorite concepts to play.
Anyway, the deck ASTs use for their spells are called Major Arcana, just like the trumps of a tarot deck (although there are only twelve cards, two each of six different kinds). So I created a spread using the Majors of a tarot deck inspired by the Astrologian's Star Globe.
So far, it's pretty fun to use, and doubles as an RP-relevant spread! My FC-mates aren't terribly RP savvy, nor are they at all versed in the metaphysical or occult, so I think it's safe to say that I've scared a bunch of them with my readings. *chuckles*
Anyway, I wanted to comment on the whole "fate" thing- in canon (from what I have gleaned from the Job quests), what ASTs are really doing is reading and manipulating aethers descended from the stars (and thus the Twelve). They manipulate the aethers to lay benefic or malefic fates upon others (spells), and aren't really any more OP than Black Mages (who command and master death and the Void) or Summoners (who become able to safely and wisely summon gods).
Basically, it's a pretty balanced class for RP- not too stacked with influence (take into account how much influence Sharlayan and Ishgard actually had, as opposed to how influential the class description implied they could have had), and essentially relegated to a support class (which in my opinion is perfect and only maybe slightly meta). Now if only I could get my hands on a Deck of Sixty...
I'm a card reader IRL, and I love playing diviners in RP pretty much as often as possible. The idea of gaining insight into the future while still maintaining mystery is one of my favorite concepts to play.
Anyway, the deck ASTs use for their spells are called Major Arcana, just like the trumps of a tarot deck (although there are only twelve cards, two each of six different kinds). So I created a spread using the Majors of a tarot deck inspired by the Astrologian's Star Globe.
So far, it's pretty fun to use, and doubles as an RP-relevant spread! My FC-mates aren't terribly RP savvy, nor are they at all versed in the metaphysical or occult, so I think it's safe to say that I've scared a bunch of them with my readings. *chuckles*
Anyway, I wanted to comment on the whole "fate" thing- in canon (from what I have gleaned from the Job quests), what ASTs are really doing is reading and manipulating aethers descended from the stars (and thus the Twelve). They manipulate the aethers to lay benefic or malefic fates upon others (spells), and aren't really any more OP than Black Mages (who command and master death and the Void) or Summoners (who become able to safely and wisely summon gods).
Basically, it's a pretty balanced class for RP- not too stacked with influence (take into account how much influence Sharlayan and Ishgard actually had, as opposed to how influential the class description implied they could have had), and essentially relegated to a support class (which in my opinion is perfect and only maybe slightly meta). Now if only I could get my hands on a Deck of Sixty...
