Helix Vacui: A Tarot One-Page RPG

Spiral into your longing for purpose. Why are you here, and how do you belong? Seek what lies in the stars for you, so the famished void could feed on your motion.

This game was created during the One-Page RPG Jam 2023.

Helix Vacui is a One-Page RPG that is supported by a deck of tarot cards. In an unending cycle of attempting to find your one true purpose in this world, your experiences shape your very existence. Grab a deck that you love and see where it leads you!

The Snail Spread

Before your begin, shuffle your cards and spread them in the form of a snail. The snail can be as large as you like. What's important is that the first and second to last card are next to each other as they form crucial events that happened to your character during this term. The normal 9-card spread looks like this.

Progression

The adventure ahead can be quite the convoluted one, as finding your purpose in life rarely is a cake walk. Print out the character sheet and bear with me.

Find your Purpose

 Shuffle your tarot deck and draw cards until the first occurrence of a Major Arcana. What do you feel about it? How could this represent your purpose in this world? This is your Purpose. Mark it on the Map of Fate in a special way.

Experience your Term

Lay out the spread of 9 cards. Reveal each card one by one. For each card do the following until the spread is revealed:

1. Check the symbol on the Map of Fate and find it in the Experience Compendium
2. Roll a D6 to determine what will happen to your character. Think about the situation in detail. How could this tie together with the personality you are going for? After your rolled entry, you can find the skill check that you are challenged with.
3. Pass the trial by rolling at least 6-[Your Stat] to obtain a Token of Reflection. If you roll a 6, you obtain an additional token.
4. Mark the current card on the Map of Fate however you like.
5. Draw a circle around the mark if you're at card 1 or 8. They represent your Fateful Events

Navigate the Map of Fate

When the center card is revealed you have experienced your Final Event. You can now trace how close you were to finding your Purpose:

1. Mark a path from your Final Event to your Purpose. You may only traverse the map vertically or horizontally, and your path must include your Fateful Events. Try to include as many marked tiles as you can while keeping the amount of unmarked tiles minimal. 
2. Count the unmarked tiles of your path. They represent your Oscillation Scale. Draw the scale as a line of circles. Separate the line halfway. This is your zero value.
3. Fill out as many circles as you have obtained Tokens of Reflection.
4. If more than half of your circles are filled, reaching the zero value, your void will contract. If it is less, it will dilate. Your Oscillation is the distance of your last filled circle to the zero value. (Example: If 10 out of 25 circles are filled, your zero value lies between 12 and 13. 12-10 is 2, so you have an Oscillation of +2 - Your void dilates.)
5. Your New Void = Void + Oscillation - Experience
6. Your New Experience = Experience + |Oscillation| (|| denotes the positive value)

Repeat until Life becomes Mundane