All right, here we go. I am currently running the AoWAp, we are currently at The Champion's Belt. While running this section one of my players took up the betting portion. Having just completed three 12 hour days of keg throwing, my mind and judgement were not at their best. This PC sought out the Varmint Patrol, and quickly started a fight, which he also quickly lost a purpose. His Bluff roll was a Nat20 and my Sense Motive was a Nat1. This happened at about midnight, and he then asked me what the current odds for them would be. Being rather tired, and all I threw out the number 50:1. He bet 7k gold. Any body care to make suggustions (or laugh) please go ahead.
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LOL...make sure they lose.
Kidding
If they win he is going to make 350K, I think the guy that has to pay it will be running for his life as I find it unlikely that he will have the coin. You could make that a little side adventure, find the booky.
If your lucky, they will fail and the booky will likely be a wight anyway...LOL
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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Well, if it's the winning the money that's the problem, just tell him up front that you really didn't mean the odds that you had told him. After all, you WERE wasted and tired. Just lower the odds so that he still makes a profit, but not as great as one.
Either that, or let him profit from his wily tactics.
What's that you say? A dishonest bookie leaving town with a prince's ransom rather than coughing up 350k? Shocking! Unheard of! Why, the fact that bookmakers can't be trusted when the host of the contests is an evil miscreant planning on sacrificing his entire city for poorly defined reasons? To what is the world coming?
Be sure to have the bookie show up as a new (and popular) noble in PoRH.
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If you're feeling more generous, you could have Tirra offer to buy the winner's claim at the best odds offered in the text (10:1, IIRC). If the booky has gone to ground, a wily PC will probably take up her offer, as Greyhawk's Thieves Guild is "reliable" that way. If your players need a more heavy-handed approach, perhaps they get a vist from Tirra and some muscular "business associates" come looking to renegotiate the odds/dispose of the hapless booky.
Thank you for the replies all. Sorry to not post sooner, but my spare time is very limited(and also its a real pain to type with one hand, i smashed some fingers on the job :( ) I do believe I will do a little bit of each of your suggetions. My currnet plan is to allow the PC to profit from his wylie tatics, have the bookie run, and allow him to collect on only part of the bets. I plan on giving him an intellegent adamantine scimitar with the undead bane special quality. Being a Dervish, this will surly be cool and not totally unbalancing.
Any body care to make suggustions (or laugh) please go ahead.
In my campaign this is the part of the adventure where Balabar Smenk returns and bets HEAVILY on the PCs. When the PCs find out they have a dilemma to solve. To win means Smenk (a now much hated foe previously on the run) also wins. Also Smenk knows how tough the PCs are, so is betting they will really win everything. This will GREATLY depress the odds on the PCs.
Other possibility, most probably the adventure will end with the Apostle showing up in the Arena, smashing everything and Loris Raknian on the run. You could rule, that under these circumstances, the games will not be ended properly and the finals canceled (I made Auric proclaim the PCs as winners). Not winning by the rules, the book keeper will of course not pay any wins, he might give the PCs their money back and maybe pay some damages, but never the whole, as the PCs didn't win rightfully.
Or just talk to your players, admit your error, do some retconning, if they are sensible, they will understand.
Be sure to have the bookie show up as a new (and popular) noble in PoRH.
I like that idea. That could be very fun.
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This PC sought out the Varmint Patrol, and quickly started a fight, which he also quickly lost on purpose...
Who's to say the Varmint Patrol didn't have the exact same idea, and tried to lose to him, by pulling their punches?
I want to see the look on his face when they meet their (retro-actively improved) opponents, and the gloves come off...
Ho, Ho, Ho!