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The Fablemaker’s Animated Tarot Deck uses lenticular technology to bring a new energy to tarot, each card featuring an 8-frame looping animation that comes to life when the card is tilted!
This tarot deck has been designed to be used in your 5e games, as well as for divination! This deck includes all Major and Minor Arcana (78 cards in total) along with a simple booklet to guide you through their meanings.
Product description from the publisher
The Fablemaker’s Animated Tarot Deck was a deck I didn’t know I wanted. One day, I was scrolling through Kickstarted and checking out the hottest new decks when I saw a deck that grabbed my attention. It was not the Animated Tarot Deck but its sister deck, Fablemaker’s Deck of Many Things. The artwork of that deck was so colourful and bright that I had to take a closer look. As it turns out, that deck was illustrated by none other than Yoshi Yoshitani. Yoshitani is the brilliant artist behind the Tarot of the Divine.
But enough with the digression. Today’s deck is The Fablemaker’s Animated Tarot, released on March 10, 2023, and manufactured by ‎Hit Point Press. Writing credits go to Misty Bourne, with additional writing from Verity Lane. Art and animations were done by Kamille Areopagita, Kevin Areopagita, Liam Gregg, and Meredith Smallwood.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Has a cool gimmick + Art looks great + Waite-Smith symbolism is clear | – A lot of work to get the deck ready – Might need sleeves – Thick deck |
About the Creators
Misty Bourne is a talented writer with a passion for storytelling. She has written for various platforms and has a unique style that captures the imagination of her readers. Bourne specialises in tabletop games, which shows in her writing. She was helped by Verity Lane, another skilled writer working at Hit Point Press as a lead editor.
The project owes its stunning visuals and captivating animation to the brilliant work of four talented artists and animators – Kamille Areopagita, Kevin Areopagita, Liam Gregg, and Meredith Smallwood. Kamille and Kevin Areopagita are a brother-sister duo whose artwork is visually stunning, captivating, and memorable. Liam Gregg is a talented animator with a keen eye for detail and a passion for bringing characters to life. Meredith Smallwood’s unique artistic style adds depth and dimension to the project, making it stand out.
Cards and the Artwork
What makes The Animated Tarot Deck by The Fablemaker special is its innovative approach to tarot, which incorporates lenticular technology into the cards. This means that each card in the deck features an 8-frame looping animation that comes to life when the cards are tilted. The animations provide an engaging and interactive experience for the user and bring the symbolism to life.
What’s also interesting to notice is that this deck is designed for 5e games. In practice, this feature makes the deck an excellent tool for those who enjoy playing Dungeons & Dragons—or so I have heard since I have never played that game myself. Still, knowing the basic idea of that game, I can imagine that adding tarot cards to it will bring an extra dimension. However you choose to use the deck, the cards can also be used for traditional tarot readings.
Like most of the Waite-Smith deck, the Fablemaker’s Animated Tarot Deck includes all 78 Major and Minor Arcana cards. The set I got also included an easy-to-follow guidebook that helps the user understand the meanings behind each card. I like that they have included much of the Waite-Smith tarot deck’s original symbolism. When the original symbolism is combined with the animations, beginners can easily understand the cards’ meanings.
The cards themselves are quite thick, which makes it hard to shuffle them. I think they are about twice as thick as standard cards. On the positive side, they are waterproof, so you don’t need to worry about them getting wet. I’m unsure if that is a problem many of us face, tho. Each card has a protective plastic film, which was annoying to peel. Still, it served a purpose since the lenticular films need protection. In fact, it is suggested that you sleeve your cards.
The Guidebook of the Fablemaker’s Animated Tarot
The deck includes a softcover guidebook, but there is also a longer version with 280 pages sold separately. They both explain each card’s significance. The guidebook is ideal for beginners as it contains a lot of information on how tarot works and walks you through the process of doing your first reading. It also includes various spreads intended for different experience levels. Even if you are experienced, you can still gain something from this book.
For D&D players, the longer guidebook includes TTRPG-inspired tarot spreads, character class enhancements, major arcana NPCs, and an original tarot-inspired NPC named Nova. But I need to learn more about how those play out. It’s probably good since the rest of the deck is good! Let me know if you have some experience in that department.
You can buy the deck and the guidebook separately in addition to the boxed set. So, if you don’t need the longer book, you don’t have to buy it. Getting only the deck makes you purchase a bit cheaper, as you might not even need the book if you are not interested in the gaming aspects of the deck.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I highly recommend Fablemaker’s Animated Tarot deck for beginners. The traditional Waite-Smith symbolism incorporated in the deck is an excellent way to learn the cards and their meanings, and the animations provide a unique and engaging way to explore the cards and their interpretations. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced tarot reader, this deck is a fantastic addition to any collection. It offers a new perspective on the traditional tarot deck, providing a fun and interactive way to engage with the cards. Overall, Fablemaker’s Animated Tarot deck is an excellent investment for anyone interested in tarot reading.
