Hi there. I'm running a pathfinder campagin and one of my players wants to make a character who is a professional gambler. Now, I've wanted to play a gambler type guy ever since I saw Jeff Goldbloom in Silverado, but I've never had the chance for variou reasons, but I want to make sure that my player can have some fun with his guy. I know there are alot of thoughts out there on how this kind of thing is handled, but I'm not sure yet which I want to use. So what I'm asking is, what rules do you use when your players want to spend some time at the card table?
My group uses are 'gut check' mechanic. Int+Wis+character level+ d20 roll. Oppose them between those at the table. But that is only for casual gambling. If someone really wants to make it a focus of their character I would create a skill for it, make it wisdom based. And allow successful sleight of hand checks (vs perception) to give you +2 circumstantial bonus for cheating.
My group uses are 'gut check' mechanic. Int+Wis+character level+ d20 roll. Oppose them between those at the table. But that is only for casual gambling. If someone really wants to make it a focus of their character I would create a skill for it, make it wisdom based. And allow successful sleight of hand checks (vs perception) to give you +2 circumstantial bonus for cheating.
Profession(Gambler)
I did it differently in 3.5 than I do now in Pathfinder. Gambling doesn't necessarily mean poker.
3.5:
Profession: Gambler (opposed rolls)
synergy bonus depending on the type of contest. Possible synergies include handle animal and appraise for horseracing, bluff and sense motive for poker, sleight of hand and perception for dice games...
Pathfinder:
Profession: Gambler (opposed rolls)
Since there is no synergy bonuses in Pathfinder, I just did straight rolls (one of my players visits gambling dens). He would put up a wager, and 2 or 3 NPCs would put up the same ammount. Opposed rolls, winner takes all anties.
I toyed with the idea of doing a single roll for the entire night, as opposed to each individual game. You could still do an opposed rolls check, but the winner takes the difference between his roll and the losers. For example A rolls a 27, B rolls a 20, and C rolls a 17. A would win 7 gold from B, and 10 gold from C.
Mind you, unless you're cheating there's really no way to apply a skill to most games of chance... as a long time gambler in real life, believe me I know. With games like Blackjack you can shift the odds in your favor but that requires focus on that one game, specialized training as it were. Poker vs other players involves bluffing as well as luck. Most games aren't like that though... it's literally the luck of the draw, the dice or the slots. Personally, I'd allow bluff and sense motive for games where it's appropriate and make Blackjack or Blackjack-like games it's own Profession skill. There is no skill for gambling in general... if there was, everyone would learn it and casinos would all be out of business. This is why professional gamblers tend to focus on Blackjack and poker between players... everything else is random unless you have the ability to manipulate chance.
Mind you, unless you're cheating there's really no way to apply a skill to most games of chance... as a long time gambler in real life, believe me I know. With games like Blackjack you can shift the odds in your favor but that requires focus on that one game, specialized training as it were. Poker vs other players involves bluffing as well as luck. Most games aren't like that though... it's literally the luck of the draw, the dice or the slots. Personally, I'd allow bluff and sense motive for games where it's appropriate and make Blackjack or Blackjack-like games it's own Profession skill. There is no skill for gambling in general... if there was, everyone would learn it and casinos would all be out of business. This is why professional gamblers tend to focus on Blackjack and poker between players... everything else is random unless you have the ability to manipulate chance.
When i think of fantasy gambling I am not thinking of casino table games. I am thinking card games, or dice games that actually involve some action. You arent playing craps against the house, but against other people, in which case skill definately applies, and TLO3 is right, i forgot about profession gambler.
Well, in the campaigns I've been in there are at least Some occasions to sit in a tavern or inn after a hard day and rest then sleep before goin out the next day.
The bard may play a song or two for the crowd while the wizard yawns and reads through his notes from the day, the cleric praying they get a good night's sleep and all that.
No real reason why the gambler can't be using that time to gamble away a few coins.
Granted, they shouldn't be doing that Instead of adventuring.. but it can be done in "down time".
It could also be an excellent way to sneak in a "gathering information" check. Gamblers do talk while they play, afterall.
-S
I did it differently in 3.5 than I do now in Pathfinder. Gambling doesn't necessarily mean poker.
3.5:
Profession: Gambler (opposed rolls)
synergy bonus depending on the type of contest. Possible synergies include handle animal and appraise for horseracing, bluff and sense motive for poker, sleight of hand and perception for dice games...
Pathfinder:
Profession: Gambler (opposed rolls)
Since there is no synergy bonuses in Pathfinder, I just did straight rolls (one of my players visits gambling dens). He would put up a wager, and 2 or 3 NPCs would put up the same ammount. Opposed rolls, winner takes all anties.
I toyed with the idea of doing a single roll for the entire night, as opposed to each individual game. You could still do an opposed rolls check, but the winner takes the difference between his roll and the losers. For example A rolls a 27, B rolls a 20, and C rolls a 17. A would win 7 gold from B, and 10 gold from C.
Synergy is gone, but circumstance bonuses are not.
For example, gambling.
Opposed Profession(gambler) roll for each hand played.
Reading your opponents: Everyone rolls a bluff vs sense motive check against everyone else at the table. For each opposed roll you win, you get a +2 on your profession(gambler) check for the next hour.
Learning their tells: At the end of each hour of play, make a perception check DC20. If you make this check, you get a +1 bonus to your subsequent sense motive checks.
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The Pathfinder Organized Play PDF has a 'Day Job Roll' that allows you to use any Craft, Perform or Profession skill to make some cash between adventures. Each roll represents 'days or weeks' of practicing that skill, which you could arbitrarily set to 1 week / roll or just 'once in between each chapter of the story' or something, as suits your preference.
A roll of 5 gives you 1 gp (which, for a week, ain't much), 10 - 5 gp, 15 - 10 gp, 20 - 20 gp, 25 - 50 gp, 30 - 75 gp, 35 - 100 gp and 40 - 150 gp.
That exact scaling may be terribly inappropriate for your game (a 1st level character having a 5% chance of making 50 gp a week?), and you might choose to allow the rolls once / week with a net result of 1 gp / point by which they made the DC (and a loss of gp equal to the amount it was failed by, and some 'disaster' on a natural 1, such as being attacked by fellow gamblers who believe that you're cheating them or being arrested for being part of some unsanctioned game in a guild-run town or something).
We've done this in 3.5 before. A group I was in even opened up a casino eventually. When we wanted to win money gambling we would actually take out sessions to be rp sessions where we'd use our character's money and play three dragon ante, dice games, watch ultimate fighter matches and use golds to place bets.
Heck, anything you can watch on tv as a sport can be a nice rp session for the gambler to sit down and watch a match.
My DM invented a neat mechanic for a gambler character:
First, a Profession(Gambler) check. OR they could use DOUBLE their Slight of Hand check, but all opponents at the table get a Perception to notice (regular check).
Then, everybody rolls a %dice. Add your Profession or SoHx2 check. Best outcome wins.
Basically it made things more random and provided a cheating mechanic.
This I like!
This I take!
My DM invented a neat mechanic for a gambler character:
First, a Profession(Gambler) check. OR they could use DOUBLE their Slight of Hand check, but all opponents at the table get a Perception to notice (regular check).
Then, everybody rolls a %dice. Add your Profession or SoHx2 check. Best outcome wins.
Basically it made things more random and provided a cheating mechanic.
I like this. The perception check is against the SoH check before it's doubled, right?
Hi there. I'm running a pathfinder campagin and one of my players wants to make a character who is a professional gambler. Now, I've wanted to play a gambler type guy ever since I saw Jeff Goldbloom in Silverado, but I've never had the chance for variou reasons, but I want to make sure that my player can have some fun with his guy. I know there are alot of thoughts out there on how this kind of thing is handled, but I'm not sure yet which I want to use. So what I'm asking is, what rules do you use when your players want to spend some time at the card table?
Okay, Get Second Darkness, AP # 13! There is a whole section about a bar and 'gambling tournaments' with an additional 4 little gambling games and the rules for which caused much ruckus and laughter at the table!
If you want, use the rules like profession gambler, if these games take away from your RP time, but I loved Bounder and Skiffs, personally!
Thank you Paizo!