New Tarokka Deck Revealed for Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Wizards of the Coast has officially dealt out more details for the new Tarokka deck. The physical set of cards is a tie-in to the upcoming Ravenloft: The Horrors Within supplement coming out this summer and will include new art and a wider range of usability. You can pre-order the set now from your local game store, D&D Beyond and on Amazon.
If you’re not familiar with the Tarokka deck, it’s essentially the D&D version of Tarot Cards and within the lore of Ravenloft are used by Vistani fortune tellers in the Domain of Dread known as Barovia to predict the future. The cards have appeared in virtually every edition of D&D over the years, most recently playing a major part in the 2016 D&D 5e campaign Curse of Strahd.
So are these new cards worth braving the Mists for? Below, we shuffle them up and see what the future has in store for D&D fans.
What is a Tarokka deck in D&D lore?
In the lore of Dungeons & Dragons, a Tarokka deck is mystical fortune-telling tool from the Ravenloft setting that’s used by the Vistani, a group of Roma-like wanderers who live in the realm of Barovia. Like real world Tarot Cards, the Tarokka deck is used to divine fate and reveal hidden truths. They can also only be created by those with Vistani blood using blood-mixed pigments during a full moon ritual, essentially making them a magic item. The finished cards are then stored in silk within a wooden box to preserve their power.
Mechanically, the Tarokka deck contains 54-cards split into the Lesser Deck of Fate (40 cards across the four suits of Coins, Swords, Stars and Glyphs) and the Fortuna Magna (14 “High Deck” cards that can override or sharply redirect a reading). Readings commonly use a simple cross pattern: a face-up focus card represents the subject, followed by cards for past, present, future and journey. During gameplay in D&D, this layout is essentially a story engine the DM can use to connect reveal clues and connect players to specific locations, NPCs and magic items.
In the real world, Tarokka cards were first mentioned in the iconic 1983 Ravenloft: I6 module for AD&D. A physical printed deck (nicknamed the “Red and Black” deck by fans) was later included in the 1992 Forbidden Lore box set for AD&D 2E. In 2003, a physical 66-card Tarokka deck was also released for D&D 3E, as part of a larger rollout of Ravenloft supplements. These decks are now long out of print and tend to go for several hundred dollars on eBay and the secondary market.
More recently, Tarokka cards were featured in the 2016 D&D 5e campaign Curse of Strahd. In that particular adventure, the cards are used by the DM to randomly determine the location of the primary antagonist Strahd von Zarovich, the location of a number of powerful magic artifacts and the identity of an NPC who can aid the party. In fact, the deck was so integral that Wizards of the Coast also released a physical version of the deck that you could purchase with the book.
What is the new D&D Tarokka deck?
The new 2026 deck contains 54 cards, with brand new art that’s never before appeared in any D&D material. The cards can be used by DMs to foreshadow Darklord encounters or even creating entirely new Domains of Dread at random (notably, the set also includes a booklet with details on how to use it).
The deck is designed as a direct tie-in to the Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, although it’s not yet clear if that particular supplement will also have new rules or suggestions for how to integrate the cards into an existing D&D campaign.
How much is the new D&D Tarokka deck?
The new card set will retail for $24.99 USD (not including shipping and handling). That price point puts alongside other D&D accessories, such as spell cards and reference decks. Notably, Wizards of the Coast has also previously released an official D&D Tarot Card deck, which also retails for around $24.99 USD.
When is the new D&D Tarokka deck coming out?
The cards are scheduled to release in June 16th, 2026 in order to coincide with the relaase of Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, which is also coming out at that time. The deck will also be part of the new D&D Seasons, which are three-month periods of time in which new books, accessories and organized play events will be all focused around a single theme. The Season of Horror in particular runs from April to June 2026.
Final thoughts
The Tarokka deck was been a staple of D&D and Ravenloft for over 40 years, with physical versions of the cards produced for virtually every edition of the game. As such, it’s only fitting that a new version be rolled out to coincide with the release of a new Ravenloft supplement. Whether this new deck will be embraced by fans, however, is something even the cards can’t predict.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this new accessory in the days ahead and will do a complete review closer to launch. In the meantime, can pre-order the new Tarokka Deck now from your local game store, D&D Beyond and on Amazon.
See Our Other D&D Accessories Coverage
Visit our D&D Accessories page for more reviews and news.
Jason Volk is the Publisher of Dungeons & Dragons Fanatics and lives in the wilds of Western Canada. He has been playing D&D for over 25 years and is a huge fan of Dragonlance and the Forgotten Realms. His favorite character of all time was a Necromancer named Neek who spent most of his adventuring career resurrecting the corpses of slain monsters. When he’s not playing TTRPGs, Jason enjoys video games, Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer 40K, watching football and spending time with his wife and adorably nerdy children.
Follow him on Bluesky or on Instagram
