Return-path: Received: from DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU by DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU (PMDF V5.0-5 #7763) id <01I2TCJG4SWW8X4VTF@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU> for sw-rpg@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU; Wed, 27 Mar 1996 01:07:41 -0400 (EDT) Received: from ss10.accent.net (ss10.accent.net) by DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU (PMDF V5.0-5 #7763) id <01I2TCIZORHUHXIRHJ@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU> for jae+sw-rpg@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU; Wed, 27 Mar 1996 01:06:56 -0400 (EDT) Received: from mail.accent.net (annex06-ppp-32.accent.net [205.205.116.42]) by server0.accent.net (8.7.5/8.7) with SMTP id BAA22204 for ; Wed, 27 Mar 1996 01:09:32 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 27 Mar 1996 01:09:32 -0500 (EST) From: "Andrew R. Jackson" (by way of "Andrew R. Jackson" ) Subject: SWRPG: Gambling rules (long version) X-Sender: ajackson@mail.accent.net To: jae+sw-rpg@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU Errors-to: jae+sw-rpg-errors@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU Reply-to: jae+sw-rpg@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU Message-id: <2.2.16.19960327000447.4857a604@mail.accent.net> MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 2.2 (16) Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT In this long version, I've included -lots- of orienting remarks and other comments to help explain why the tables are useful and what they do and what they don't do. While the actual procedure is very short and very simple, there some concepts that should be understood. I have posted a much *shorter* version, but if you have questions about the system, try reading -this- version before asking questions. Probably they have been answered/addressed. The advantages of the system are obvious and there are many interesting consequences of using this system to resolve gambling. I won't get into all of them, but some are mentioned. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ **SW RPG Representational Gambling Rules** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (Long Version) 1996, Andrew R. Jackson Rule 1: If you want to actually play the games and the gambling, you should do so. Using the Sabaac cards from Crisis in Cloud City is one example of this. Rule 2: Gambling, including betting and table-banter, is a RolePlaying opportunity. Incorporate these rules into this opportunity. Major Features Of This System: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 1) The skill rolls that determine how well the character *played* and how well they *detected a cheat* are separate/independent. This fixes the WEG rules (pg 84, SWRPG2) where cheating has no advantage over fair play--the person with the highest Gambling total wins, regardless. Gambling according to the WEG Rulebook is a losing strategy, due the increased risk and the lack of an increase in the odds of winning. 2) Determining winners is quick and simple, and can be generalized across a diversity of gambling games. It does not fully simulate any particular game and is not designed to simulate all the subtle nuances of specific games. If you want to play/simulate specific games, use specific rules. 3) However, this system does allow PCs to use their Gambling skills with a *lot* more thought and strategy, if desired. Tactical decisions based on the tables below can be performed, thus incorporating some of the aspects of gambling in a representational manner. On the other hand, the tables can also be used to simply generate winners quickly by rolling the dice and adding up the results on the tables. 4) Different degrees of cheating are possible. Cheating does -not- always produce winners. Just because you give yourself 3 nines, does not mean someone else with 4 kings won't take the pot. Simply looking at an opponent's cards in Gin does not always guarantee a win for you. Stuffing valuable cards up your sleeve might help more...but is more difficult to pull off. 5) Cheating to lose is also an option. 6) All "betting" is done via RolePlaying. No tables for that, sorry. However two different methods of betting--one quick and simple, one slightly more involved--are described below. 6) The Gambling skill is *part* of the, but not the entire, method of determining a winner. Thus, gambling games incorporate a "luck/chance" factor that Gamblers can *influence* with their skill. This represents the ability to "hedge" the probabilities and "predict" the outcome of certain events in the game/race. Novice gamblers do not have the experience and/or the "knack" for doing this. This is a vast and significant improvement over the WEG Gambling rules. "Score": ^^^^^^^^ Before examining the tables below, it is important that the GM understand what is meant by the term "Score". The Score represents how well the character is doing this round or set of the game. It is a *representative* number that is used for card games, Bantha races, dice games, and all other forms of gambling. It has no real value, other than as an *index* of a character's relative progress in whatever game is being played. The character *influences* the randomly-determined Score with his/her Gambling skill. This represents the ability to "hedge" the probabilities and "predict" the outcome of certain events in the game/race. The Base Score of the game being played is determined by a roll of 1D-5D, depending on the characteristics of the game. If the game is simple *and* there are few random/chaotic components *and* there are few ways of cheating, 1D-2D are rolled. For more complex games (which include most traditional card games) that have many random/chaotic elements and many opportunities for cheating, 3D-4D are rolled to determine the Score. For the most complex of games, where there are many factors that all combine to produce a winner, 5D is rolled to determine the Base Score. Therefore, the GM balances the (a) complexity, (b) number of random factors, (c) number of avenues open to cheaters to determine the Base Score. For example, when playing a dice game like craps there are few random events other than the roll of the dice. Simple games like this have 1D for their Base Score. Experienced players will have systems worked out for "predicting" the likely outcome and will know what bets/odds to take and what bets/odds to pass. Thus, the Gambling skill -can- influence who wins in a series of rolls. There are also few approaches for the cheater: the cheater -must- somehow affect the dice. Whether this be by using "loaded" dice or rigging the table or "fixing" the roll...compared to all the avenues open to the traditional card player, the options are limited. Therefore, it is obvious that 1D is appropriate for games like this. For a 2nd example, to determine the Base Score when betting on racing events, the Base Score is usually 1D. This is because there are few random/chaotic factors and the race is mostly dependant on the animals' physical prowess and also the skill of the riders, if any. Also, it is difficult to cheat at the races, without going to extravagant measures--which should be *RolePlayed*. Again, experienced/talented race-betters know what to look for in a winning animal/rider combination. For a 3rd example, to determine his/her Base Score when playing traditional card games (often with plastic chits or even paper cards), each character rolls 3D-4D. The randomness of the game is determined by the degree of shuffling, the number of players, what each player chooses to keep or throw, what strategies each player prefers to use, the number of cards in the decks, what the winning combinations are, and much more. Cheating can be effected by marking the cards/chits, card/chit counting, looking at an opponent's hand, misdealing, storing cards for later use, adding cards to the deck, and much more. Obviously a Base Score of 3D-4D is very appropriate for these types of games, based on the criteria above. Another example is an extremely random game like Sabaac, where your hand of cards can change in the middle of the game according to an electronically predetermined schedule and random determination. The cards the other players have, which ones they discard, what cards you are given initially, what cards you "pick up", when the randomization occurs, what cards you are given/changed during the randomization event...all these influence the outcome. (Note: the silly computer sim Sabaac is -not- representational of the game. See the Lando novels for an excellent treatment of how Sabaac really works. The WEG Sabaac card game included in Crisis at Cloud City is vastly superior to the computer version, but still is only a mediocre sim). Thus, determining a Score for Sabaac involves rolling 4D. Note that it is difficult to cheat (and guarantee a win) at Sabaac without a Sabaac cheater chip (pg 28, CRFG), although the usual methods of glancing at your opponents' cards and assistance from audience members are still possible. See the Modifiers section for a little more information on this. A game with a 5D Base Score might involve *combining* the results of a 7 card draw poker game with predictions of how many eyelashes come out when your eyelashes are pulled and predicting who is going to win in the lum-and-run drink contest. So many different events are involved in this complex game and there are so many opportunities to cheat (because of all the different things that are combined to determine a winner), that this game would certainly deserve a 5D Base Score. Betting on drinking games is usually 1D-2D for the Base Score. Essentially it is the most physiologically tolerant individual winning. Cheating is done by somehow affecting the drinkers...by spiking one drinker with a sedative, or having one of the drinkers "slop" every time he/she drinks are ways of influencing these games. Now that "Score" is fully understood, the values on the following tables will be perfectly understandable. Effects of Gambling Skill on Score in an Honest Game ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Base Score Dice of Game/Race Difficulty Range of Roll Effect ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1D difficult to very difficult +1 to Base Score heroic +2 to Base Score ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2D moderate +1 to Base Score difficult +2 to Base Score very difficult +3 to Base Score heroic +4 to Base Score ---------------------------------------------------------------- 3D easy +1 to Base Score moderate +2 to Base Score difficult +3 to Base Score very difficult +4 to Base Score heroic +6 to Base Score ---------------------------------------------------------------- 4D very easy +1 to Base Score easy +3 to Base Score moderate +5 to Base Score difficult +6 to Base Score very difficult +7 to Base Score heroic +8 to Base Score ---------------------------------------------------------------- 5D very easy +2 to Base Score easy +4 to Base Score moderate +6 to Base Score difficult +8 to Base Score very difficult +9 to Base Score heroic +10 to Base Score Procedure: ^^^^^^^^^^ The GM decides the Base Score Dice for the game (see above). Each player rolls the Base Score dice and notes the total. Then each player rolls his/her Gambling skill *twice* (2 times). The GM handles all NPCs. The -first- Gambling total is used on the table above if the character is playing honestly, or on the table below, if the character is cheating. The character's Gambling Skill total is classified as Very Easy, Easy, Moderate, Difficult, Very Difficult, or Heroic by the usual methods. The GM then reads the effect off the appropriate table. A player may choose to roll *fewer* dice than his/her Gambling skill allows. The -second- Gambling total is always (*always*) rolled and is used to detect whether any other character is cheating. It is rolled whether another character is cheating or not. The second Gambling roll is explained below, under "Cheating". After using the appropriate table, the character with the highest Total Score wins the pot. That's it for an honest game. Repeat for more hands/sets/sessions. Note that the Base Score is a baseline determination of the random elements of the game: what cards are dealt, for example, or which Bantha lumbers along the fastest, seconds fastest, and third fastest. The Gambling roll represents what the character tries to do with those "elements" during the course of the round/hand/set or race. Sometimes the character's strategy works (high Gambling roll), sometimes it does not (low Gambling roll), and sometimes it works, but another character also had a good strategy that worked out (a high roll that loses to a yet higher roll). Betting: ^^^^^^^^ Quickest and simplest method: There is a minimum ante into a pot. At the beginning of each round/hand/set, each character has the opportunity to raise the ante. A character may "raise X credits" or "pass". Once everyone has had one chance to raise or pass, follow the procedure above to determine the winner of the round. Then repeat until the Gambling session ends (usually when a player loses his/her ship...) Slightly more involved and interesting method: Use the "ante" method above, but allow *another* round of betting/anteing after the Base Score dice are rolled, but *before* the Gambling rolls are made. This will make things much more interesting and will simulate the complex betting that can occur during the course of many games. Cheating: ^^^^^^^^^ Important: to allow a player to cheat his/her fellow players, the GM must use a system that ensures secrecy...I suggest Post-It notes each round/hand/set that say "cheat" or "fair" on them from each player. Instead of using the table above, a cheating character uses the table below to determine the effect of his/her cheat. Effect of Cheating on the Character's Score ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Base Score Dice For Game/Race Difficulty Range of Roll Effect ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1D difficult +2 to Base Score very difficult +3 to Base Score heroic +4 to Base Score ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2D moderate +2 to Base Score difficult +4 to Base Score very difficult +6 to Base Score heroic +8 to Base Score ---------------------------------------------------------------- 3D easy +2 to Base Score moderate +4 to Base Score difficult +6 to Base Score very difficult +8 to Base Score heroic +12 to Base Score ----------------------------------------------------------------- 4D very easy +2 to Base Score easy +6 to Base Score moderate +10 to Base Score difficult +12 to Base Score very difficult +14 to Base Score heroic +16 to Base Score ----------------------------------------------------------------- 5D very easy +4 to Base Score easy +8 to Base Score moderate +12 to Base Score difficult +16 to Base Score very difficult +18 to Base Score heroic +20 to Base Score Determine the Total Scores for each character using the appropriate table. Before declaring a winner, the GM compares the -second- (2nd) Gambling skill roll for each character to the -first- Gambling skill roll of the cheater(s). This opposes the *detection* skill of the other characters against the skill of the cheater (this skill also determined the effectiveness of the cheater's actions). Remember, the 2nd Gambling skill roll is for *detecting* cheats and the 1st Gambling skill roll is for *performing* the cheat. Therefore, always compare *detection* to *performance*. If the 2nd Gambling roll of any other character is higher than the 1st Gambling roll of one or more cheaters, those cheaters are discovered. (RolePlay the effects :) If none of the characters detect the cheat, the Total Scores stand...and the cheater may or may not have engineered a win. Note that a simple cheat, like looking at someone's cards, is (a) not extremely valuable, especially if card recycling/trading is going on (b) obvious. Thus, this sort of action would correspond to a Very Easy to Easy Gambling total, and is likely to be discovered. Hiding valuable cards or avoiding poor cards using slight-of-hand can be more useful in engineering a win, and thus might correspond to a Moderate to Very Difficult Gambling roll and can be extremely beneficial...and *may* be harder to detect. So while simple cheats are possible on the table above (hence the Very Easy and Easy possibilities in the table above) and can have some benefits according to the table, because they are simple/obvious other players are likely to be aware of them and watching for them. Thus, they will frequently be detected. Playing-to-Lose [aka "let the Wookiee win"] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ If the character wishes to play-to-lose, either by cheating or by honest play, simply -subtract- the 1st Gambling roll's effect from the Base Score instead of adding it. For detecting cheating-to-lose, use the rules above for detecting cheats. The Total Score may not drop below one (1) in order to protect the secrecy of the character(s) who are playing-to-lose. Playing-to-lose is valuable in Sabaac games with the boss. Players may choose not to roll all of their Gambling dice when playing-to-lose (or to win). Modifiers ^^^^^^^^^ There are many modifiers that can be applied in specific circumstances. For example: it is harder to cheat well at Sabaac than most card games (unless the character has a Sabaac cheater chip). However, Sabaac is a very random game. Thus, the Base Score might be determined by 4D...but cheats are easier to detect. Other modifier suggestions: game is *designed* to minimize cheating +5 to 2nd Gambling roll, used to detect cheating character has "assistants" +5 to 1st Gambling roll when performing a cheat character has special equipment that +5 to +20 to 1st Gambling roll when facilitates cheating performing a cheat character is using Receptive Telepathy +5 to +20...Roleplay...to 1st to monitor opponents Gambling roll when performing a cheat game is based on a single random event -2 to 1st Gambling roll when playing (eg coin toss) honestly **1996, Andrew R. Jackson **