Astral Threads

What Is Astral Threads?

Astral Threads is a system-agnostic ttRPG zine that uses tarot cards and familiar poker hands to create emergent, narrative-first magic.

• Single cards act as cantrip-level spells
• Poker hands unleash increasingly powerful effects
• Tarot spreads allow players to collaborate on world-altering rituals

Magic is flexible, cinematic, and dangerous. The more power you wield, the more the universe pushes back.

System Agnostic by Design

Astral Threads can be used with any ttRPG, including Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Pathfinder 2E, DaggerHeart, Shadowdark, Call of Cthulhu, PbtA games, and more! 

If you're looking to add a layer of mystic magic to your table Astral Threads is for you.

What is Tarot?

Tarot is a symbolic card system traditionally used for reflection and storytelling—and in Astral Threads, it becomes a living source of magic.

Astral Threads uses the Rider-Waite Tarot, a 78-card deck divided into:

Minor Arcana
Practical magic, actions, and change.
These cards fuel spells and poker-style hands.

Major Arcana
Rare, defining forces of fate.
These cards anchor rituals and can permanently reshape the narrative.

No prior tarot knowledge is required. Astral Threads teaches you everything you need to know!

Instant Magic Through Poker Hands

Hands turn tarot into immediate spellcasting. Players form familiar poker hands using their tarot cards:

• High card
• Pairs and three-of-a-kind
• Full house, straights, and flushes

The stronger the hand, the more powerful the spell being cast. You already know poker. Astral Threads redefines it to make magic exciting and boundless.

Rituals Through Tarot Spreads

Spreads are collaborative, high-stakes rituals.

Players take turns placing tarot cards into a shared spread, each card adding meaning, power, and risk. As the spread grows, so does the ritual’s impact—shaping curses, altering kingdoms, breaking gods, or rewriting the laws of reality.

In Astral Threads the players collaborate to create a spread by adding one Tarot card at a time, each contributing to the overall effect of the world altering Ritual being cast.

An example spread in Astral Threads is below:

How do you Play Astral Threads?

At the Table:

• The Game Master shuffles a tarot deck and deals cards to players
• Players cast spells by playing poker-style hands
• Players collaborate to cast rituals by building tarot spreads
• Every act of magic generates Chaos, giving the GM new ways to interfere

Magic is powerful, but never safe.

The Role of Chaos

Every spell and ritual feeds Chaos.

• When players cast spells, the GM draws a free card from the Tarot deck
• During rituals, Chaos may intrude directly into the spread. Allowing the GM to play their own cards to warp character's plans
• Chaos twists outcomes, introduces complications, and reshapes intent

The universe is watching...and it remembers.

Astral Threads in Solo Play:

Astral Threads fully supports solo play.

The system remains intact, but Chaos becomes procedural and unpredictable, using dice and a dedicated Chaos hand to simulate interference, reversals, and escalating consequences.

You still wield powerful magic.
You still risk everything.
You simply face Chaos alone.

What is included in the Astral Threads Zine:

A Beginner-Friendly Guide to Tarot

• Major and Minor Arcana explained
• Tarot suits, elements, and numerology
• Card position, context, and reversals

Complete Rules for Astral Threads

• Spellcasting through poker-style hands
• Rituals through collaborative tarot spreads
• Multiplayer and solo play rules
• Guidance for integrating Astral Threads into any RPG system

No spell lists.
No rigid mechanics.
Just story, choice, and consequence.

Who Is Astral Threads For?

Astral Threads is perfect for:

• Narrative-first tables
• GMs who love emergent chaos
• Solo RPG players
• Groups tired of static spell lists
• Players who enjoy risk, symbolism, and shared storytelling