Wasumaru's page

I've invented two more games for Silverdisk hall.

First one is a variation of Hold-em poker with a press-your-luck element: Burning Cards.

Rules: The object of Burning Cards is to forge the best 5-card poker hand from the two hole cards and any three community cards. Rounds consist of Burns where new community cards are dealt, while the dealer adds rolled dice to the Torch. If the sum of the dice in the Torch ever exceeds 21, the Torch flares up, and all players who are not Standing at a safe distance forfeits the hand.
Ante: To ante, each player Pushes one chip into the pot. Each player is then dealt two hole cards. Starting to the left of the dealer, each player decides to either Fold or Push one chip into the pot.
1st Burn: After the ante, the dealer rolls three dice. These dice and all subsequent dice rolled by the dealer make the Torch. The dealer then places the three dice in the corresponding spots on the board and deals three community cards face up below the placed dice. A betting round then takes place.
Betting Rounds: Starting with the first active player to the left of the dealer, each player must do one of the following:
Fold: The player discards their hole cards facedown and forfeits the hand.
Push: The player puts one chip into the pot.
Stand: The player places their personal marker below the card of the current burn, and places one chip into the pot. That player is now a Standing player; they may not use any community cards beyond where they have placed their marker. Each burn, they MUST place one chip into the pot on their turn. Standing players are not at risk from the Torch and are not considered active.
Subsequent Burns: After 1st Burn, each burn will start with the dealer and all Standing Players rolling a die. The dealer adds their die to the Torch. If a Standing player rolls a 1, they also add their die to the Torch, placing it above the dealer die for the current burn. The dealer then deals one more community card to the center. A betting round then occurs, after which more Burns are played until the hand ends.
Ending a Hand: A hand can end in one of two ways:
1) All players stand: At the end of a Burn where all players have decided to Stand, every standing player reveals their hole cards. The player with the best five card hand using their hole cards and the community cards they can use takes the pot. In the case of a tie, the pot is split evenly between the tied players.
2) The total value of all dice in the Torch exceeds 21: All Standing Players win immediately and split the pot evenly between themselves. All other players forfeit the hand.
At the end of the hand, players discard their cards and the dealer button passes to the left.
Running out of chips: If a player runs out of chips in the middle of the hand, that player is forced to Stand upon placing their last chip. A side pot should then be made with all chips placed into the pot starting with the next Burn. If that player wins the hand or ties for winning the hand, they are only entitled to chips in the main pot (which is split separately from any side pots if necessary). The side pots are awarded among remaining players as normal.

Up to six players can play, but to simulate a game, the GM should control the opposing players' actions. Any PCs involved in the hand can make opposed Bluff/Intimidate/Diplomacy checks to influence the actions of their opponents (with secret modifiers/penalties depending on how good/bad the target's hand is). Sense Motive can also be used to gauge the strength of an opponent's hand. Only one check can be made by each PC per burn (to expedite the hand. You may allow the PCs to make more checks if you want).

PCs can cheat by marking the cards (Sleight of Hand + Disable Device), or by signaling to each other (Bluff to pass a secret message). PCs can find other creative ways to cheat, with checks and DCs as determined by the GM.

The second game is something every casino should have; a slot machine!

To play, the PC puts in one chip (denomination determined by GM, but we'll assume a silverdisk). The PC then rolls 3d10, and 1d20. The payout table is as follows:

Any 7: Pays 2
Any two 7's: Pays 5
Any 3 odd numbers: Pays 5
Any 2 odd numbers AND one 7: Pays 10
3 of the same odd number: Pays 10
2 of the same odd number AND one 7: Pays 20
2 7's AND one odd number: Pays 40
3 7's: Pays 200 (adjust the jackpot as you see fit)

Weighting: if the PC rolls a winning combination, check the d20. If the roll is below an 11, change one of the d10s so that the winning payout falls at least one step (optionally, change the d10s so that there is no payout). Change the weighting value at your discretion: currently, the weighting at 11 and downgrading winning combinations will produce a house edge of around 2-5%.

PCs can cheat by using Disable Device to trick the machine into giving a winning result. The DC is 15 vs. a technological device (no E-pick imposes a -5 penalty). On a successful check, the PC can set one d10 before the roll. For every 5 the PC exceeds the check, they may set another d10. In any case, a successful check also negates the d20 roll. The PC must also succeed at an opposed Sleight of Hand check vs. onlookers, including Garmen Ulreth.

I'm about to run Silverdisk hall with my PCs soon. Our rogue dropped out before the start of the campaign, and 4/5 players are NG, so I don't really expect any cheating from the party. Hopefully they like these games!

Invented a new gambling game for Silverdisk Hall called Torched Sevens. It's a craps-lite game that's thematic to the setting, and it should be easy for the PCs to grasp.

The game uses 2d6. Each round, the players place their bets (minimum 1cp, maximum 50gp). The roller, one of the players referred to as "The Smelter", is then given the dice by the croupier, and rolls them. Bets are won or lost based on the result of the dice.

The possible bets and their payouts are as follows:

Roll is a 2: 29 to 1
Roll is a 3: 14 to 1
Roll is a 4: 9 to 1
Roll is a 5: 13 to 2
Roll is a 6: 5 to 1
Roll is a 7: 4 to 1
Roll is an 8: 5 to 1
Roll is a 9: 13 to 2
Roll is a 10: 9 to 1
Roll is an 11: 14 to 1
Roll is a 12: 29 to 1
Lower than a 7: 1 to 1
Higher than a 7: 1 to 1
Pits (any 1 on the dice, representing the torch fire pit): 2 to 1
Carts (any 6 on the dice, representing the carts that carry materials to the torch): 2 to 1

The last bet that can be placed is the Torch fire bet (maximum 1gp). This bet can only be placed if the previous roll was not a 7. The bet stays on the table until a non-7 is rolled, or if four consecutive rolls are 7, at which point the bet is taken off by the dealer, and the highest applicable payout is awarded. Payout of the Torch fire bet is as follows:

Two consecutive 7's: 30 to 1
Three consecutive 7's: 200 to 1
Four consecutive 7's: 1000 to 1

When two consecutive 7's are rolled, onlookers and players commonly say "The dice are on fire!" When four consecutive 7's are rolled, onlookers and players yell "TORCH!" and it's customary for the winners to give a free drink to the Smelter, or for the Smelter to buy a round of drinks for the table if the Smelter placed a fire bet. After at least two consecutive 7's and upon completion of the Torch fire bet, a new Smelter is selected.

PCs can attempt to cheat by past-posting, or by rigging the dice. Either attempt requires a DC 15 Sleight of Hand check to fool the dealers and the boxperson (The Ropefists are in charge of the game, but they have to watch all of the players as well as the PCs).

Past-posting requires no additional check; on a successful past-posting attempt, a PC can move a bet any PC has placed on the table to an adjacent spot (a bet on 6 can be moved to 5 or 7, for example). For every 5 that the PC exceeds the DC, they can either move another bet to an adjacent spot, or move the original bet two spaces away. Consecutive attempts to past-post increase the DC by 2 per consecutive attempt (and goes down by 2 for each subsequent round the PC does not attempt to cheat), and may require Bluff checks to act dumb in front of the dealers.

Rigging the dice requires the PC to be the Smelter and pass a DC 15 Disable Device check, and the check must be made before the dice are rolled. A success means the PC can reroll one of the dice after the roll is made. If the PC exceeds the DC by 5, they may set one of the dice to any face after the roll is made. If the PC exceeds the DC by 10, they may set both of the dice.

If three consecutive 7's are rolled, all eyes are on the Smelter and the table to see if the "torch flares up". Any attempt to influence the dice must attempt opposed Sleight of Hand checks against the three Ropefists controlling the game, and against Garmen Ulreth (make this roll secretly).

If a PC fails a Sleight of Hand check to rig the dice, or if that PC fails three past-posting attempts, then some time during the night, one of the Ropefists appears to escort the PC to the "VIP room", promising fine wine, girls, etc., located in the back of the hall. Waiting for that PC in the back room is four more Ropefist thugs ready to rough up the offending PC. If the PC is knocked out, the thugs strip them of their chips, and kick the PC out the back door into the streets.

At your discretion, the dealer can attempt to introduce loaded dice into the game once three consecutive 7s are rolled. The PCs can spot this with opposed Sense Motive or Perception checks. If these dice are rolled without being tampered, reroll any result of 7.

PCs can also come up with their own creative ways of cheating the game. Determine the effects, risks, rewards, and consequences for these.