Mikeavelli
2012-02-15, 06:27 PM
So, my players are also poker players, and their characters enjoy gambling, and I've always thought it'd be pretty cool to play a few hands in conjunction with gaming.
The basic idea of playing poker is one thing, but I also want to allow them to use the skills and abilities of their characters to affect our friendly game.
The in-character explanation is that they've come into contact with an ambiguously supernatural gambler who has a piece of information that they need. In order to get it, he challenges them to a friendly wager, beat him and his friends in poker, he'll give it up.
To make things interesting, the stakes are not gold or magic or other temporary resources, we're playing with Experience Points, with the additional option of betting unique and precious resources for unique and precious rewards.
For example, this mysterious gambler has it within his power to Grant a Wish, and would be willing to accept the chance of permanently losing a stat point from the player gambling.
Goals
- I want to give the impression that the game is stacked against them, while actually favoring them (I.E. I want the players to come away winners here, and the gambler also wants them to succeed for various in-game reasons)
- I want every character class to be able to do something to affect the game.
- I want to dampen the effect personal OOC skill at poker has on the outcome of the game.
Methods
- I'll be dealing myself three hands (one for the gambler, two for his friends), giving the immediate impression that the game is stacked against the players, but in reality favoring them. This greatly increases the possible pot of xp that can be won from NPC's, while simultaneously weakening my game, since I won't be able to pay attention to three hands nearly as well as I'd be able to pay attention to one.
- The NPC's will ante in every time, and bet heavily regardless of their hands.
- The PC's will be able to "cheat" with class abilities. Sense motive to see how strong a hand is, luck feats (one player has several) or spells (the bard spell "cheat" from spell compendium") to give them a redraw, etc.
- The NPC's will not use any such abilities to cheat in return. Because, y'know, the goal is for the players to win. They just have to earn it.
Why I'm posting here
- What do you foresee people trying to do? What skills or spells do you anticipate coming into play here? What should I encourage them to do? What kind of bets do you think would be appropriate to offer? What should I ask for in return?
It's an 8th level party with a moderate-to-high level of optimization.
The basic idea of playing poker is one thing, but I also want to allow them to use the skills and abilities of their characters to affect our friendly game.
The in-character explanation is that they've come into contact with an ambiguously supernatural gambler who has a piece of information that they need. In order to get it, he challenges them to a friendly wager, beat him and his friends in poker, he'll give it up.
To make things interesting, the stakes are not gold or magic or other temporary resources, we're playing with Experience Points, with the additional option of betting unique and precious resources for unique and precious rewards.
For example, this mysterious gambler has it within his power to Grant a Wish, and would be willing to accept the chance of permanently losing a stat point from the player gambling.
Goals
- I want to give the impression that the game is stacked against them, while actually favoring them (I.E. I want the players to come away winners here, and the gambler also wants them to succeed for various in-game reasons)
- I want every character class to be able to do something to affect the game.
- I want to dampen the effect personal OOC skill at poker has on the outcome of the game.
Methods
- I'll be dealing myself three hands (one for the gambler, two for his friends), giving the immediate impression that the game is stacked against the players, but in reality favoring them. This greatly increases the possible pot of xp that can be won from NPC's, while simultaneously weakening my game, since I won't be able to pay attention to three hands nearly as well as I'd be able to pay attention to one.
- The NPC's will ante in every time, and bet heavily regardless of their hands.
- The PC's will be able to "cheat" with class abilities. Sense motive to see how strong a hand is, luck feats (one player has several) or spells (the bard spell "cheat" from spell compendium") to give them a redraw, etc.
- The NPC's will not use any such abilities to cheat in return. Because, y'know, the goal is for the players to win. They just have to earn it.
Why I'm posting here
- What do you foresee people trying to do? What skills or spells do you anticipate coming into play here? What should I encourage them to do? What kind of bets do you think would be appropriate to offer? What should I ask for in return?
It's an 8th level party with a moderate-to-high level of optimization.