Two spells players can use to tell the future and answer questions. The principles behind these spells can be used for other methods of divination such as tasseography, automatic writing or haruspicy.
The Flase Mirror, Rene Magritte
Nephomancy:
- The practice of divining the future through interpreting the formation of clouds.
The player character casts the spell, asks a question to the sky and lays back to stare at the clouds. A cloud - obvious to the spell-caster begins to form into a rorschachian representation of an answer. The DM thinks how to answer the player's question with an image. Upside-down, with their non-dominant hand, their eyes closed and without lifting pen from paper - the DM will attempt to draw this answer-image. The resultant 'drawing' is the shape of the divinatory cloud that forms above the spellcaster. The players must then interpret this cloud shape to find the answer to their question.
It takes 10 minutes for the cloud to form and can only be cast if the sky is visible to the caster. For each level of the caster above 1, the DM can return to the drawing to add a small detail or correct a line of their choice.
Molybdomancy:
- The practice of interpreting the future via the hardened metal shapes that form when molten lead is poured into water.
The player character mutters their question into a bubbling crucible of lead before pouring the molten metal into a bowl of water. The lead hardens into the shape of an answer for the character to interpret. With a timer, the DM has 30 seconds to scrunch, rip and shape a piece of paper into a form resembling the answer to the player's question. For each level above 1, the DM has an additional 10 seconds of sculpting time. The caster requires a crucible, heat-source, bar of lead and a bowl of water to cast the spell. The entire process takes 10 minutes.