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Pathfinder Chronicles: Harrow Deck
Paizo Publishing, LLC
Divine your future! Lose your shirt! All in one box!
In the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting, the Harrow™ deck has long been a sacred tool of Varisian fortunetellers. In skilled hands, the Harrow deck can predict crop results, divine the gender of your unborn child, or give hints about your immediate future. In unskilled hands, the Harrow deck is a sacrilegious gambling game—a cutthroat diversion for ruffians in every port to lose their hard-earned fortunes.
Harrow will be featured throughout the second Pathfinder Adventure Path, Curse of the Crimson Throne. At least once in each installment, players may divine their futures with the Harrow deck, and Pathfinder #7 contains an in-depth article about the history of Harrow and its in-game use.
Harrow is also a standalone card game designed by Jason Bulmahn, Mike Selinker, and Teeuwynn Woodruff for use inside or outside the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting. Harrow is lavishly illustrated by Kyle Hunter, the artist behind Downer: Wandering Monster and Downer: Fool's Errand, the Paizo Comics compilations of Kyle's original Downer comics from Dungeon magazine.
Harrow contains:
- One 54-card deck illustrated by Kyle Hunter
- Five chronicle cards to aid in divination
- One rulebook with divination rules and card game rules
Free Downloads:
32-Page Rulebook: 380KB zip PDF
Blank Harrowing Chronicle cards: 780KB zip PDF
ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-124-4
Note: The declaration of Open Game Content was left out. Please use the following:
Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open
Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress.
(Elements that are in the public domain or have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.)
Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo Publishing game product are Open Game Content,
as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be
reproduced in any form without written permission.
Note: This product is part of the
Pathfinder Chronicles Subscription.
Are there errors or omissions in this product information? Got corrections? Let us know at
webmaster@paizo.com.
Product Reviews
Average product rating:
 
(4.5)
based on
19
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review.
I've had a lot of fun using the Harrow deck already. I've done a few reads for characters, and will probably use it for a bit more adventure building in the future. However, if you were to do another run, I'd buy them again if they were slightly over sized card (like tarot or Three Dragon Ante sized), and the backs did not have the art they do now. I don't mind the card art itself, while a bit cartoony, this doesn't bother me. It's the backs that bug me much more. Put them out again, larger and with backs that look like the ones in the picture (or just any generic back) and I'm sold on buying another set.
I recently performed my first Harrow reading as a player character in the RotR Adventure Path, and it was a real hit. I am very impressed with the mechanics, which are easy to grasp and allow for both great specificity and ambiguity- perfect for any up-and-coming psychic or gypsy! I did some readings for my family and they thoroughly enjoyed it as well.
Like some other reviewers, I don't love the whimsical, cartoony flavor of the artwork. The art is quality, but I would have preferred a more traditional mystic/tarot style. The deck storage box isn't great, either.
Overall, this is a high-quality product that should add a shot of fun and flavor to any D&D session.
The deck is really a great thing to use in play. Fun, great, nice... but...
Even if the art of the cards is fine, it's totally not in the mood of the gam fr me. I would have prefered illustration which would look like the cards the gipsy are using.
The illusrations have a cartoon flavour that doesn't fit, for me.
It lack mysticism.
I am currently using this in my Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign. It's very fun to use them as hints and clues for when the PCs are stuck.
First of all, I love the card backs!!! Secondly, Wow! Are these fun to use in play! I don't do some involved reading, but give them out to players to use for a one time bonus as the situation warrants...or as a clue!
These are nicely illustrated cards that help one aspect of the Pathfinder world to come alive! They are fairly inexpensive for the amount of fun that they can add to your campaign! I cannot recommend them highly enough!
I think the art on the cards themselves is great, but the backs are lacking as far as suspension of disbelief. Putting them in card sleeves solves this problem well.
The organization and ideas behind the Harrow Deck (using the alignments as "colors" of the deck) are great, the production value very high.
I wasn't a fan of this artist before owning this deck. I was a little anxious while waiting for it in the mail. Now that I got it, I can honestly say that he did an amazing job on this product.
Well done!
The art on the cards proper is great. The method of reading is fresh and innovative.
However, the card backs ruin this product. The box art shows a gypsy holding a card with a generic striped backing, making the purchaser believe that's what is inside the box. When I opened the box and saw the card packs with the same backing as the box, I figured those must be the instruction cards. However, the card backs are exactly the same as the box! This makes them laughable to look at. Whomever in the production department thought this was a good idea was sorely mistaken.
I can't use this product in any seriousness because the card backs are so far from any kind of actual fortune telling deck. (Even the Tarokka deck, with the stupid copyright on the card backs, isn't as annoying as this product). I honestly feel that I wasted my money.
Is this critical for the game? No.
Does this add fun to the game? Yes.
A group could use the alternative mechanics suggested in the AP using dice, generic playing cards, or perhaps try a Tarot deck, the I Ching, or runes, but the Harrow Deck complements the game much better because it was crafted for the campaign setting. The symbols and artwork actually tie in with one of the native races.
This feels new, fresh, inventive, and a delightful twist to spice up the game for me.
Ever wanted to add that feeling of impending doom, or at least trouble in a game? I gave my players a harrow reading between Burnt Offerings and Skinsaw Murders and it was wonderful. They are actually checking off the predictions as they come true. It took some time to learn the cards and their meaning but after that I felt like a regular carny soothsayer. Can't wait to deliver the next reading. They look nice but more important they become a real ROLE PLAYING prop.
Product Discussion
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See all discussion for this product.
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I remember very much enjoying the use of Ravenloft's Tarokka deck as a player, so I'm looking forward to this.
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You should see some of the art. My god this thing is beautiful.
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*Add this new thing to the already very long list of "can't wait to have" things.*
A new product :) Yesterday night, it was PF4 download, this time, you add this! It's Christmas every day!
And this time, it's comming soon, only a couple months to wait :D
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Erik Mona wrote:
You should see some of the art. My god this thing is beautiful.
Ok, show some. :)
Really, perhaps show one of the card's art in a blog post or something. This would be great to see.
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Is this anything like the Three Dragon Ante Character Creation Article featured in one of the Dragons?
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WelbyBumpus
(Pathfinder Adventure Path Charter Subscriber),
Erik Mona
(Publisher),
Djoc
(Pathfinder Chronicles Charter Superscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, GameMastery Cards, Planet Stories Subscriber),
