Custom Char - Gambler (Ludicrous but balanced...?)


Homebrew and House Rules


I was challenged by a friend to create the most ridiculous character that was still somewhat balanced, within the confines of the PACG ruleset. [Character is made for Runelords]

The only real choice, then, was a luck-based character.
Thus, I introduce you to Tex the Gambler (name placeholder).

His abilities are very wordy. I have not playtested him yet, expecting him to have some fundamental flaw that breaks him on Turn 2. So I was hoping some more experienced eyeballs could find something before we test it. I don't know if I would ever run him through a full Campaign, because I don't have the steely resolve for such intense dice rolling.

TEX - GAMBLER

Str d8 []+1-4
Melee: +1
Dex d10 []+1-3
Disable: +2
Acrobatics: +2
Con d6 []+1-3
Int d4 []+1
Wis d4 []+1
Cha d10 []+1-3
Arcane: +1
~~~~~
Wpn 4 []5 []6
Spl 1 []2 []3 []4
Arm -
Item 5 []6 []7
Ally 2 []3
Bls 3 []4 []5

Hand Size 5 [] 6
Proficiencies [] Weapon

1) At the start of your turn, you may discard the top card of your deck. If the type is... Weapon- Add 1d6 ([]+1) ([]+2) to your combat checks this turn; Blessing- heal 2 random cards; Item- Add 2 to all checks for the turn.

2) Before your combat check, you may examine the top card of your location deck. If it's a bane, increase the difficulty of the current combat by 2; if it's a boon, examine the top 2 cards of your character deck, you may put them on top/bottom in any order.

ROLE - This first role is more combat-focused where the Gambler is a nimble jack of all trades fighter, thus his ability to use anyone else’s weapon.

Sleight of Hand | Hand Size 5 [] 6 [] 7
1) At the start of your turn, you may discard the top card of your deck. If the type is... Weapon- Add 1d6 ([]+1) ([]+2) ([]+3) to your combat checks this turn; Blessing- heal 2 random cards; Item- Add 2 ([] 3) to all checks for the turn.
2) Before your combat check, you may examine the top card of your location deck. If it's a bane, increase the difficulty of the combat by 2; if it's a boon, examine the top 2 cards of your deck, you may put them on top/bottom in any order.
[] Choose a char at your location, you may use one of their weapons for your combat ([] and add 1d4); that player must put it on top ([] or bottom) of their deck.
[] During a bane encounter, if it has a pre-combat effect, roll 1d10. On a...
1-4, recharge a card from your hand.
5-9, ignore the ability.
10, ignore the ability and reduce the bane's difficulty by 4([] 5)([] 6).

ROLE - Second role is more the high risk-high reward design. Thus so much Con usage, testing your mettle against the enemies in a deadly game of chance. The first Role power is meant to be used on weaker monsters since his Con, at best, is 1d6+4, without help.

Roulette | Hand Size 5 [] 6 [] 7
1) At the start of your turn, you may discard the top card of your deck. If the type is... Weapon- Add 1d6 ([]+1) ([]+2) to your combat checks this turn; Blessing- heal 2 random cards; Item- Add 2 to all checks for the turn.
2) Before your combat check, you may examine the top card of your location deck. If it's a bane, increase the difficulty of the combat by 2; if it's a boon, examine the top 2 cards of your deck, you may put them on top/bottom in any order.
[] For your (non-villain/henchmen) combat, you may roll your Constitution die ([]+1). If the results compared to the Check to Defeat are:
half or less- bury the top card of your deck;
greater than half- the bane is defeated.
[] When you play a spell, you may roll that spells recharge check. If successful: double any non-skill die ([] or bonus numbers) listed; If failed: you must use Constitution for all checks this turn.
[] When you acquire a spell ([] or item), roll your unmodified Acrobatics skill. If the total is…
1-5, bury 2 cards from your hand;
6-9, you may explore your location;
10-12, you may move to another location. Movement restrictions still apply.

It was daunting trying to balance some of these numbers and keep skills and checks within theme. Some of them may seem like the penalty is too weak, but considering how many 1's my group rolls, I'm sure our Tex will be dead before we leave Sandpoint.


This is interesting, and I think would be interesting to play. My guess is he's slightly underpowered for later adventures.

Comments on the Roulette role:
1) I don't think you mean "roll your Constitution die". If you want him to benefit from Constitution skill feats, you want him to use his Constitution skill, not die.

2) I don't understand what "double any non-skill die ([] or bonus numbers)" means. If the spell directs me to use my Arcane skill plus 2d4, do I roll my Arcane skill plus 4d4? 2d8? And what "bonus numbers" could be involved?

3) "Unmodified Acrobatics skill" is an odd idea. I think I understand what you mean -- roll d10 + 2 regardless of your Dexterity bonuses -- but it's an unusual way to look at a skill.


So I'll take a stab at this one...

First things first, I think creating a Gamblr character is a great idea and I was really excited when I first read this thread. I have some concerns with your design though, but I think it can all be worked out.

The skills seem perfectly fine and reasonable, I don't see any reason to change anything here. Same goes for the Card list, even though you haven't set a favored card type (I would either recommend items or your choice). Hand size and proficiencies are totally fine, even though you could argue that he has (thematically, as a Gambler) no reason to be proficient with weapons. On the other hand I find characters that prefer fighting with a weapon but with no proficiency quite useless, so I'd keep it.

On to the powers, the first thing I noticed is, that in the first power there isn't specifically stated what would happen if the card is an ally or spell (I assume nothing at all, so it might make sense considering the length of text to leave them out as you did). However I would change the item power to "Add 2 to all non-Combat checks this turn" (feeling-wise at least).

With the second power I don't really see the advantage you'd get if the card was a boon...at least for the combat at hand. I would change it to a decrease of the difficulty equal to the increase if it were a bane, but that is totally up to you.

Now the roles: The Sleight of Hand's last power is propably a bit to powerful. I would either increase the punishment for a 1-4 (by discarding or even burying a card)or increase it to a 1-5 or even 6, as this way the power is very likely to help you and very unlikely to harm you (as a gambling power should be able to do).

For the Roulette's first new power (the one with the Constitution die) I would like to refer to elcoderdude's statement. Additionally you should define if you would round up or down when you divide the check in half. Then there's the issue of multiple checks. If it has sequential checks, to you need to attempt them all, or do you just defeat it (as the power states) when you succeed at the first one?
Also, what happens to the combat if you fail the check? Sure, you need to bury the top card of your deck, but how is other damage calculated? And even though I assume that the monster would be undefeated, I think the power should explicitely state that.
I get the second power, and I think it is a really fun idea. However the wording is (as in some other cases) open to interpretation (which isn't desirable for a playthrough, as you would often be confronted with questions whether you could do a specific thing or not. Also I don'T get why you would use your Constitution die (or skill?) for the rest of the turn from a thematic standpoint, but that could be overlooked. Maybe a reworded version of that power could go like this: "When you play a spell (with the attack trait, I assume), you may immediately attempt to recharge it. If you succeed, double the result of your check and subtract your Arcane skill. If you fail, use your Constitution skill instead of any other skill for the rest of the turn." This might be a way to get around the complication of adding some dice that are referred to on the spell, but leaving another one out (believe me, I had that problem before...).
The last power, I think, should be more like the first role's last power, where you just role a d10 instead of using an unmodified skill (which is kind of a problem, as Acrobatics is a skill that already modifies another skill...). Also, the way you put it, there's no possible way I could think of that you could role a 1 or 2 (as you always have a +2, which you accounted for on the high end of the scale). There's also no reason (except maybe a thematic one) for it to use your Acrobatics skill, as it isn't a check (so powers like the one of the Quarterstaff of Vaulting won't apply anyway) but simply a luck based mechanism. Also maybe the punishment in this case is too harsh, where it was not harsh enough in the first example. But this lust point is just pure speculation.

I hope I wasn't to hard on your character, as I just want to help you make him work in a way that he is fully playable and doen't always face questions about one of his powers. I think you did a good job overall, as all of his powers feel unique and gambling-oriented, so keep it up. Sorry for the wall of text by the way...


I'm working on updating the powers. As I said, it's been a struggle finding the right mix of harsh-ness and bonuses. And considering that there is very little established material similar enough to base the wording off of for the powers, I was struggling with finding the correct syntax.

ecloderdude, what i meant by "double non-skill die" was when i use a spell for "arcane + 1d6+1" i meant double the explicitly stated dice rolls on the card, which is a d6. a spell that gives you 2d4 would give you 4d4. arcane is not explicitly stated, its a pointer reference word to whatever your arcane sub-skill is. but as we both agree, i need to find better wording here.

vandrair, you're right about the roulette's last power. my goal was, first, to find an ability use for his acrobatics but also to somehow give a static bonus to his roll. (i realized post-fact about the impossible to get 1 or 2, which i did account for on the high end).

TLDR summary; a few power consequences are not harsh enough, and the scaling probably needs to be better, as well as articulation. I will get to work on it and report back.

Thanks guys!


Hey guys, I made some changes to the Gambler (most are in bold). Additionally, I'm considering switching weapons/spell list to 3/2 over 4/1 to assist in his 2nd base power (for more scrying spells). so if you have thoughts on that, by all means.

the x's inside [] are just to denote points from the base class, for easier readability of differences in advanced classes.

TEX - GAMBLER (name WIP)
Str d8 []+1 []+2 []+3 []+4
Melee: +1
Dex d10 []+1 []+2 []+3
Disable: +2
Acrobatics: +2
Con d6 []+1 []+2 []+3
Int d4 []+1
Wis d4 []+1
Cha d10 []+1 []+2 []+3
Arcane: +1
~~~~~
Wpn 4 [] 5 [] 6
Spl 1 [] 2 [] 3 [] 4
Arm -
Item 5 [] 6 [] 7
Ally 2 [] 3
Bls 3 [] 4 [] 5

Hand Size 5 [] 6
Proficiencies [] Weapon
Favorite card = Item

1) At the start of your turn, you may discard the top card of your deck. If the type is... Weapon- Add 1d6(4 maybe?) ([]+1) to your combat checks this turn; Blessing- heal 2 random cards; Item- Add 2 to all non-combat checks for the turn. Other- No effect.
2) Before your combat check, you may examine the top card of your location deck and roll 1d4 ([]+1). If it's a bane, increase the combat difficulty by the result; if it's a boon, decrease it instead.

ROLE
Sleight of Hand Hand Size 5 [x] 6 [] 7
1) At the start of your turn, you may discard the top card of your deck. If the type is... Weapon- Add 1d6 ([x]+1) ([]+2) to your combat checks this turn; Blessing- heal 2 random cards; Item- Add 2 to all (non-combat) checks for the turn. Other- No effect.
2) Before your combat check, you may examine the top card of your location deck and roll 1d4 ([x]+1). If it's a bane, increase the combat difficulty by the result; if it's a boon, decrease it instead.
[] Choose a char at your location, you may use one of their weapons for your combat ([] and add 1d4); that player must put it on top ([] or bottom) of their deck.
[] During a bane encounter, if it has a "before combat" effect, roll 1d10. On a...
1-5, bury a card from your hand.
6-9, ignore the check.
10, ignore the check and reduce the bane's difficulty by 4([] 5)([] 6).

ROLE
Roulette Hand Size 5 [x] 6 [] 7
1) At the start of your turn, you may discard the top card of your deck. If the type is... Weapon- Add 1d6 ([x]+1) to your combat checks this turn; Blessing- heal 2 random cards; Item- Add 2 to all (non-combat) checks for the turn. Other- No effect.
2) Before your combat check, you may examine the top card of your location deck and roll 1d4 ([x]+1) ([]+2) ([]+3). If it's a bane, increase the combat difficulty by the result; if it's a boon, decrease it instead.
[] For your (non-villain/henchmen) combat, you may roll your Constitution skill ([]+1) instead. If the results compared to the Check to Defeat are...
Greater than half- you automatically succeed at the check.
Half or less- bury a card from your hand and continue with the combat;
[] When you play a spell with the Attack trait, you may immediately attempt to recharge it. If you succeed, double the results of the non-Arcane dice. If you fail, use your Constitution skill instead of any other skill for the rest of the turn.
[] When you acquire a spell ([] or item), roll 1d10. If the total is…
1-5, discard a card from your hand;
6-8, you may immediately explore again;
9-10, you may move to another location. Movement restrictions still apply.

for the first Roulette power, i changed the wording because "auto-succeed at killing" does seem to be a bit taboo around these parts, and it does bring up many openings for questions about sequential combat, so i get it. now it just succeeds at that particular combat check, so you dont auto-kill multi-check guys.

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