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Gambler
There are those who gamble and there are gamblers. A gambler is not just a lucky man looking for the next big win or an unlucky man looking for his big break. A gambler has gained an innate understanding of the world of chance and has learned to focus the infinite possibilities luck gives. Whether their power is granted by trickster gods or them tapping into a type of wild magic that is not quite understood outside of their circle, gamblers are a force to be reckoned with.
Making a Gambler
A gambler is a ranged utility character. He can inflict a large amount of damage with his card throw ability. He can also disable opponents using various abilities such as his flashy shuffle. Gamblers play differently than most classes because they use a deck of cards instead of dice for most of their abilities. A clever gambler will make use of their ability to manipulate their deck of cards.
Abilities: A successful gambler focuses on his charisma for the save DCs of his abilities, dexterity for card throwing, and intelligence for skill points, in that order.
Races: Any race may become a Gambler, although some races are more prone to take up the risky lifestyle. Humans, Gnomes, and Halflings are a prime candidate being adventurous and curious by nature. Elves tend to frown on the practice of taking needless risks, but some are intrigued by the weaving of fate that the Gambler invokes. Orcs are not usually intelligent enough to grasp the concepts of luck-based magic or the complicated techniques of the card tricks, but there have been stories of ferocious Orc Gamblers that use their frightening size and strength to intimidate their foes.
Alignment: Any. People of a chaotic nature tend to be more drawn to the class then lawful characters.
Starting Gold: As rogue.
Starting Age: As rogue.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Luck Pool, Deck of Cards, Channel Luck, Peek, Reroll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +0 | Flashy Shuffle, Gambit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +1 | High Low | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Flick of the Wrist | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Bonus Luck Feat, Channel Luck (1 extra card), Nimble Thrower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Luck Pool (move + swift reshuffle for 1/2), Peek (4 cards) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Fortune's Friend | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th | +6/+1 | +2 | +6 | +2 | Deck of Illusions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th | +6/+1 | +3 | +6 | +3 | Dispelling Card | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th | +7/+2 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Bonus Luck Feat, Channel Luck (2 extra cards) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11th | +8/+3 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Luck Pool (move + swift reshuffle for full), Up the Sleeve | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12th | +9/+4 | +4 | +8 | +4 | Aces High, Peek (5 cards) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13th | +9/+4 | +4 | +8 | +4 | Exploding Dice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14th | +10/+5 | +4 | +9 | +4 | Loved by Lady Luck | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +5 | +9 | +5 | Bonus Luck Feat, Channel Luck (3 extra cards) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +10 | +5 | Dispelling Card (swift action) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +10 | +5 | Ace in the Hole | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18th | +13/+8/+3 | +6 | +11 | +6 | Dispelling Card (free action), Peek (6 cards) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19th | +14/+9/+4 | +6 | +11 | +6 | Fifty-Two Card Pickup | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20th | +15/+10/+5 | +6 | +12 | +6 | Bonus Luck Feat, Channel Luck (4 extra cards) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Gambler.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Gamblers are proficient with light armor, all simple weapons, and Throwing Cards.
Luck Pool: You are a master of manipulating luck. You have a number of luck points equal to 2 + 1/2 your class levels + 1/2 your charisma bonus. Luck points are spent to power your class abilities.
You can regain all of your luck points by spending a full round action and a swift action. When you do this, you reshuffle your deck of cards, adding any used cards back into the deck.
At 6th level, you can reshuffle your deck as a move action and a swift action, but you only regain half your luck points.
At 11th level, you can reshuffle your deck as a move action and a swift action and regain all of your luck points.
Deck of Cards: You carry a deck of throwing cards that you are magically attuned with. This deck of cards allows you to use your gambler class abilities.
The deck's magic nature makes it different from a standard deck of cards. You can make the deck appear in your hands as a free action, regardless of where the cards are. If anyone other than you uses the deck, it appears to be all blank cards. In fact, you cannot cheat and stack the order of the cards ahead of time because they appear blank to you as well. You can enchant these cards like a normal set of magic ammunition and none of them are destroyed when they are thrown. They start out as a masterwork weapon.
When you use a card from your deck for a class ability, unless otherwise specified, the card is not returned to your deck until you reshuffle it to regain luck points. You only need to be carrying your deck of cards to use class abilities: the cards will disappear from the deck on their own when you use class abilities.
When you use a card from your deck without using a class ability, it is blank, so no cards are actually removed from the deck. The card you used (probably for a normal attack roll) disappears after 1 round.
The face values of the cards as they relate to the gambler's abilities can be found in the table below.
| Card Type | Face Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| Two | 2 |
| Three | 3 |
| Four | 4 |
| Five | 5 |
| Six | 6 |
| Seven | 7 |
| Eight | 8 |
| Nine | 9 |
| Ten | 10 |
| Jack | 11 |
| Queen | 12 |
| King | 13 |
| Joker | 15 |
Out-of-Game Usage: Use a standard deck of playing cards, plus 2 jokers, when you play a gambler character and use it to simulate the class abilities. That is, when you reshuffle the deck in-game, reshuffle your deck of cards out-of-game. When you look at the top card of the deck in-game, do the same out-of-game.
Channel Luck (Su): As part of a full attack action that costs 2 luck points, you can use your deck of cards as a focus to channel your luck into your attacks. When you use this ability, the top card of your deck is removed for each attack you choose to channel luck into.
If an attack hits, it deals additional damage equal to the card's face value of an energy type listed below based on the card's suit.
- Spades: Acid
- Clubs: Cold
- Diamonds: Lightning
- Hearts: Fire
- No Suit (Jokers): Force
You do not need to be wielding your deck to use this ability: you just need to be carrying it. In this case, the energy damage is added to whatever weapon you are using, but that weapon must be a melee weapon.
You can channel luck into a number of attacks equal to the number of attacks you are granted from your BAB.
At 5th level, for each attack that hits, an extra card disappears from the top of your deck and adds its face value to the damage. The extra damage added in this way is of the same energy type as the card being used to enhance the attack, not based on the suit of the second card. If there are not enough cards left in the deck, no extra damage is added to the attack.
At 10th level, turn up 2 extra cards for extra damage instead.
At 15th level, turn up 3 extra cards for extra damage instead.
At 20th level, turn up 4 extra cards for extra damage instead.
Peek (Su): In your mind you are able to peer at your fate, seeing what luck is to come and, perhaps, changing it. As a swift action that costs 1 luck point, you can look at the top three cards of your deck and switch the order of the cards. At 6th, 12th, and 18th level, you can look at and rearrange one extra card with this ability. The cards last in this order for 5 minutes and then the order is randomized again.
Reroll (Ex): As a free action that costs 1 luck point, you can make a luck reroll or activate a luck feat as if you used a luck reroll. You can spend an additional luck point to remove the top card from your deck and apply 1/3 its face value to the reroll. You can only reroll a roll once.
Flashy Shuffle (Su): Starting at second level, you can shuffle your deck and in the process enchant one or more creatures in close range (30 ft. +5 ft. per 2 class levels). Choose one of the following effects and its targets, using the action type shown in the table and spending the number of luck points shown in the table, and then draw a single card from your deck to determine the DC. Reshuffle your deck afterwards.
| Required Class Level | Action Type | Effect | Number of Targets | Luck Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | swift | The targets are dazzled | Any number of creatures within range | 1 |
| 3 | standard | The targets are facinated | Any number of creatures within range | 1 |
| 5 | move | The targets are sickened | Up to 2 creatures | 1 |
| 7 | move | The targets are shaken | Up to 2 creatures | 2 |
| 9 | swift | The targets take 1d6 nonlethal damage per 2 class levels | Any number of creatures within range | 2 |
| 11 | standard | The target is confused | One creature | 3 |
| 13 | standard | The targets are blinded | Up to 2 creatures | 3 |
| 15 | standard | The target is dazed | One creature | 4 |
| 17 | standard | The target is stunned | One creature | 4 |
The target gets to make a Will save DC 8 + 1/3 the card's face value + 1/2 your HD + your charisma modifier to avoid the effect. You can continue to shuffle your deck as a move action each round to prolong the effect (which does not cost additional luck points), but the target gets a new saving throw each round at the original DC. This is a mind-affecting enchantment effect.
Gambit (Su): At second level, as a move action, you can manipulate luck so that it will be more extreme: both really good for you and potentially really bad for you. Choose a target creature in close range (30 ft. + 5 ft. per 2 class levels). Once per round, if that creature deals damage to you, remove and add to the damage the face values of a number of cards from your deck equal to the maximum you could use with Channel Luck. When making an attack roll against that creature, you get a +1 bonus to the attack roll per 4 character levels and you roll two dice and choose the better value. You can cancel the gambit as a move action that costs 1 luck point.
TODO: Stuff below here needs to be reconsidered
High Low (Su): At third level, you have learned to give yourself the opportunity for a third chance when your luck runs out and a second chance just wasn't good enough. Whenever you fail a luck reroll, you can, as a free action, spend 1 luck point to try again. Draw a card from your deck. You must guess and announce whether the next card has a higher or lower face value. Draw the card to check. If you are correct, you can reroll the attack roll, saving throw, or skill check again (taking the new result even if it is lower just like a regular luck reroll).
TODO: Three rerolls is a bit much, but I like the guess high or low mechanic.
Flick of the Wrist (Ex): At fourth level, as a standard action, a gambler can throw 2 cards, making two separate attack rolls, from his deck of cards at a single opponent. For each card that hits, he regains a number of luck points equal to his charisma bonus / 4 (minimum 1 point per card) in addition to the card's normal damage.
Bonus Luck Feat: At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, the gambler gets a bonus feat with the luck descriptor.
Nimble Thrower (Ex): At 5th level, a gambler can spend 2 luck points to make a full attack action with a thrown weapon as a standard action. He can only use this ability if he moves at most half his movement speed before this ability this turn (and cannot more more than half his movement speed after this ability this turn).
Fortune's Friend (Ex): At 7th level, the gambler rolls 1d6 and adds it to the result of any luck reroll he makes.
Deck of Illusions (Su): At 8th level, as a standard action that costs 2 luck points, the gambler can draw a card from his deck and use it as if he had drawn a card from a Deck of Illusions. If the card would not normally be in a Deck of illusions, keep drawing cards (and removing them from the deck) until one that is feasible is found. If the deck is exhausted before a card is found, this ability fails.
Dispelling Card (Su): At 9th level, as a standard action that costs 1 luck point, the gambler can throw a card at a creature and, in addition to damage, have it cast a targeted Dispel Magic on the creature if it hits. The caster level is equal to 1/2 the gambler's HD + the face value of the card.
At 16th level, he can activate this ability as a swift action that applies to the next card he throws on his turn.
At 18th level, he can use this ability as a free action when he throws a card to have it apply to that card.
Up the Sleeve (Su): At 11th level, whenever a gambler uses Peek, he can take one of the cards and hold it up his sleeve instead of putting it back on top of his deck. Whenever he would draw a card for any other gambler ability, he can instead use the card up his sleeve. The card returns to the deck if it isn't used in 5 minutes. He can only have one card up his sleeve at a time.
Aces High (Ex): At 12th level, the gambler's aces now have a face value of 14.
Exploding Dice (Ex): At 13th level, whenever the gambler rolls the maximum result on a die for a damage roll, he rolls the die again and adds the result. He continues doing this until any result other than the maximum result is rolled.
Loved by Lady Luck (Ex): At 14th level, whenever the gambler uses a luck reroll and the reroll succeeds, he gains back 1 luck point.
Ace in the Hole (Su): At 17th level, as a free action that costs 1 luck point, a gambler can search his deck and put an ace up his sleeve. He shuffles his deck afterwards.
Fifty-Two Card Pickup (Su): At 19th level /?
More ideas
- Double or nothing: Once per round, when you hit with an attack, you can spend 3 luck points to try to double the damage. If you do, roll another attack roll with a -4 penalty. If you hit, double your damage. If you miss, you deal no damage with the attack. You can do this as many times as you like, adding a cumulative -4 penalty to the attack roll and spending an additional luck point (on top of the initial 3 points).
- Blackjack'd: As a full-round action that costs ??? luck points, you can try to fix the result of the next attack you make before the end your next turn. Turn up two cards, using a face value of 10 for any card above 10, and either 1 or 11 for aces and jokers. You can turn up more cards, but if you turn up a total value of over 21, this ability has no effect. Otherwise, your next attack roll is treated as if you rolled whatever value the total face value you turned up with this ability is. If you turned up a total of 21, you deal double damage and it is treated as a natural 20 instead. You must still roll for critical hits (possibly adding to the multiplier).
Campaign Information
Playing a Gambler
Religion: Gamblers tend not to follow any religion, finding it hard to believe that they could influence fate so easily if gods had any bearing on their life. Nonetheless, some gamblers relate their abilities to their worship of trickster gods.
Other Classes: Other adventurers find the gambler easy going and laid back. Clerics, monks, and paladins, tend to find the gambler's lack of responsibility and loose moral code to be slightly annoying at best and downright inexcusable at worst.
Combat: A gambler is the type of character that will try to remain mobile and avoid enemies while pelting them with enchanted cards. If an enemy gets too close to a gambler, he can always try to use a flashy shuffle to disable the opponent.
Advancement: Gamblers can do well by multiclassing into the rogue or bard classes. Rogue gamblers gain the benefits of their sneak attacks to add to the card throw ability. Bard gamblers can use their spells and music to augment the abilities of themselves and their allies. In general, a gambler does best multiclassing into classes that offer a high amount of skill points with a variety of skills. Because their abilities scale with the HD rather than class level, their gambler abilities always remain relevant.
Gamblers in the World
| “ | In a bet there are two people... The fool and the thief, I know who I'd rather be. | ” |
| —Heredus the swifthanded, Human Gambler | ||
Gamblers are usually found in large city centers. They spend most of their time gambling and this is the reason a great many of them take to adventuring: to pay off gambling debts. Gamblers often become self-assured about their next big win and have the utmost confidence that luck will bring them out of any bad situation. For this reason, they seem to be extremely impulsive to others, which isn't really a surprise because when it boils down to the facts, they really are. If a gambler isn't seen gambling, then odds are, he is seen doing something very dangerous for the promise of large amounts of coin.
Daily Life: The life of a gambler comes with big highs and deep lows. One day a gambler will be as rich as an efreeti sultan, the next day he doesn't have a copper left to his name. Gamblers love the uncertainty of this lifestyle and appreciate life all the more when it is going their way. Every gambler adventures often enough because it is the fastest way to make large amounts of gold.
Notable Gamblers: "King" Felix Goldan, Male Human Gambler: has gained and lost ownership of a small kingdom over 60 times from betting.
Fortune, Female Tiefling Gambler: tricked a great wyrm red dragon out of his entire treasure hoard.
Gorruk Slytongue, Male Orc Gambler: bet against a demigod in a footrace with 10,000:1 odds and won the bet.
Organizations: Gamblers don't often like to tie themselves to a particular group. They are well known to deal with organizations, taking out loans for as much as they can (the more you have to gamble with, the bigger you win). The only reason they have to affiliate with an orginization is to find quick work to pay off the large loans they like to take from shady individuals.
NPC Reactions: Most NPCs can pick out a gambler right away and most NPCs don't like them. A hard working farmer just can't understand why someone would waste their life throwing a years salary down on a single bet. Gamblers don't expect NPCs to understand their ways and the feeling of dislike is often mutual. That being said, a gambler who hides his true nature often makes many friends. Their impulsive attitude is often found to be very interesting and exciting to NPCs.
Gambler Lore
Characters with ranks in Gather Information can research Gamblers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 5 | Gamblers love a challenge and often win outlandish bets against all odds. |
| 10 | Gamblers throw enchanted cards at opponents. |
| 15 | Gamblers use a strange form of magic that comes from the infinite possibilities that luck provides. |
| 20 | Provide detailed information about a particular gambler. |
Gamblers in the Game
Gamblers are found wherever there is gambling to be done. Often this means that they are found in big cities making bets on anything they can. Their love of gambling is almost like a ritualistic religion and it is what grants them their understanding into luck-based magic. Some gamblers are thieves, others have a strong set of morals. Many don't even use their powers unless they are forced to.
Adaptation: Gamblers can fit into any world where gambling has some form of prevalence. They could be like sorcerers where some are just born with the innate understanding of luck and their powers develop with that understanding. Other worlds might make gamblers a trained class that is taught by a secret society of betting men.
Sample Encounter: TODO
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