Gambling: or how to play grimdark poker

[Cymbel 122]

So Logic incorporates the Gambling skill now, but how do you guys use Sleight of Hand or Deceive. IIRC, in DH1, you could do a sleight of hand check to get +30 on the roll.

 

The way I see it being run, is that the GM rolls Scrutiny (for Deceive) or Awareness (for Sleight of Hand) and either the DoS you get or the opposed DoS (so GM gets 2 DoS, you get 4 DoS = 2 DoS for you) is the bonus on the Logic/Gambling test.

[Bilateralrope 144]

What I'd do is that Logic is the basic roll that determines if you win or lose the gambling. Opposed test between those involved. This is the final roll, but might be modified by the results of the following:.

 - If a player is trying to read their opponent, then it's a scrutiny test to read their opponent. Each DOS is a bonus to the logic test. Each DOF is a penalty to the logic test.

 - If a player is trying to read their opponent and the opponent is trying to disguise their tells, then it's scrutiny vs deceive. Each DOS is a bonus to the logic test. Each DOF is a penalty to the logic test.

 - If a player is trying to cheat, then it's a sleight of hand test. The number of DOS/DOF rolled determines the bonus/penalty to the logic test. However the opponents roll a scrutiny/awareness test, if they score more DOS/less DOF they notice the cheating. Noticing the cheating doesn't give any modifier to the logic test, though their reaction to the cheating might prevent the logic test from happening at all.

Edited September 6, 2015 by Bilateralrope

[Flail-Bot 93]

I do believe there's a section in the book about applying different skills to games of chance and skill.

[Cymbel 122]

I do believe there's a section in the book about applying different skills to games of chance and skill.

 

The problem is that it doesn't give much more than "you can use" (pg 108 btw)

 

While in DH 1e, it's simpler, with a successful Sleight of Hand test giving a +20 to the subsequent Gamble Skill test, 5 DoF = you are found out (pg 103 btw)

[Flail-Bot 93]

 

I do believe there's a section in the book about applying different skills to games of chance and skill.

 

The problem is that it doesn't give much more than "you can use" (pg 108 btw)

 

While in DH 1e, it's simpler, with a successful Sleight of Hand test giving a +20 to the subsequent Gamble Skill test, 5 DoF = you are found out (pg 103 btw)

 

 

It's a corner case. It's not worth coming up with an entire set of rules for, so it's largely left to GM fiat.

 

In my mind, that's good. There are more important things to work on than the rules for gambling in DH. :-)

[Cymbel 122]

Unless you have a PC who likes to gamble and you want some firmer rules beyond "You can also do this"

[Bilateralrope 144]

If you have a PC who likes to gamble, does the result of the gambling matter ?

 

We don't track individual coins, so it's not likely to matter if the PC wins or loses if money is the only thing being gambled for. So, unless the PC is creative and comes up with some way where the result of the gambling matters, I wouldn't have any rolls.

[Cymbel 122]

Well, in this case, it did, because I had to win back the gun that a teammate paid a guide for their services. It was a tense final round, but I won the pot with some luck, getting us some extra cash, some miscellaneous items (including a tarot deck, some gloom eyes, a glass eye, three penthrift dreadfuls, obscura pipe).

 

In the game I am in, we use cash during missions (getting a stipend to use for gear we need/bribes/food/accomadation/transport) and we roll for acquisitions in between sessions. Works well so far.