Need Help with a PC who wants a gambling addiction

[Podok]

Hey, I've looked through addiction, insanity, mania/phobia, etc, but can't really find anything for a pc who is a gambling addict. Not sure how to work it rules wise. Think Chaucer from "A knight's tale". guy usually ends up copperless with the crap beat out of him.

also, side note, the way drugs/addiction work RAW, any drug is almost a guaranteed death sentence lol

[Taja the Barbarian]

A gambling addiction is fairly incompatible with an adventuring career as the game assumes a certain wealth level: Losing all your wealth (including gear) past the lowest of levels will seriously impair your adventuring, while a 'winning streak' will leave you with too much wealth (until you lose it all, of course).

Realistically, PC wealth past the earliest levels is typically so ridiculously high that it would take forever to actually go broke as few people can afford to wagers hundreds or thousands of gold pieces against you...

The best option for pulling off a perpetually broke character would probably be a back-rank caster character (Pyschic would probably be best, but Bard should work fine if you really want to follow the "Knight's Tale" inspiration).

The actual addiction might be played out as a simple series of 'double or nothing' d20 rolls against the GM (with the assumption that the 'nothing' will catch up with the PC after a few rolls at most)...

[thorin001]

Do not have resisting the compulsion based on will saves. Base it on a flat DC based on how severe the addiction is. So if it is relatively minor only DC 6. You might increase the DC at intervals if the character has not been able to indulge for a while. But it then goes back to the base DC once they get their fix.

The next thing is to determine what is considered gambling. It could be anything from only card games to any time someone says "wanna bet?" In general the more common the temptation the lower the base DC should be. (A small probability checked many times will result in a lot of failures.)

[Azothath]

It could range from a bad habit to a psychological affliction
→Afflictions - Madness DCs run 14-24, Mania might be a good choice at a lower DC, move the period(time interval) to 1 day & DC+5 save vs fascination to 1 week.
and Curing Madness basically reducing the affliction by 1-2 DC per week.
→Drugs and Addiction
In the Game spells are a quick fix.

Advice/Homebrew:
Mania - Gambling Addiction
DCs run from 4(bad habit) to 25(debilitating)
Save: "20" I'd use a failure but earn 2* cash at the DC.
Failed save: at DC 10 lose 1d4+(DC Failure) hrs and 1*(time period)gp. DC intervals +/-3. DC4: time:{just DC Failure in hrs}, cash:0.25*gp. DC7 time:{just DC Failure in hrs}, cash:0.5*gp. DC13 time:1d6, cash:2*gp. DC16 time:1d8, cash:3*gp. etc

The RAW mundane curing is a bit time intensive.

[I grok do u]

More 'ediction' than addiction, but can always take up worshipping The Gray Polychrome; the daily obedience is gambling.

One key issue is how much role- vs roll- play the player wants or will be allowed for this. As Taja notes this can be a very disruptive issue. Some good ideas from others; I would add the option of reflavoring drawback traits.
Forgetful is a good example. Change the trigger to any circumstances where gambling opportunities may arise. Models the inevitable loss(es) well enough. Avarice and/or the increased costs from Insatiable could also be used to inspire attitudes and consequences.

Good news is, this PC will be an excellent mark for parting items from the party or fobbing a story-hook Macguffin onto them.