Gambler (Rogue Archetype) PEACH

[grimgrin]

This is a homebrew class for a steampunk campaign (Pure Steam).
I would like to read your general thoughts. I think the the weakest parts are in red text.


GAMBLER (Rogue Archetype)

The gambler is a rogue that relies on his good fortune rather than sneak attacks. Most are professional gamblers or daredevils out for illicit thrills. A gambler can be found in the penthouses of the elite or grimy speakeasies taking on all comers. They stay mobile looking for marks and out running bookies on passenger trains, steamboats, and zeppelins crisscrossing the country. They join adventure parties to build a stack for the next big game or just for the hell of it.


Gamble (Ex or Su?): A gambler has a pool of fortune points. The total number of points at first level is two plus one each odd numbered gambler level acquires afterward. After a full night's sleep, the fortune pool is completely refilled. Fortune points can be spent as a swift action to modify or re-roll any die. Each of the following abilities are available at first level. This ability replaces sneak attack.
- Better Lucky Than Good: The gambler can spend fortune points to gain a +2 luck bonus on the next attack roll, damage roll, skill check, or attribute check per fortune point spent.
- Call Coin: So long as the gambler has one point of fortune, he can always predict the outcome of any ordinary coin flip.
- Bailout: When a creature rolls a critical threat on the gambler, he can as immediately spend a fortune point to insure the critical is not confirmed. This ability can only be used once per round.
- Double Down: After the gambler makes a confirmed critical hit, as a swift action the gambler can spend a fortune point to make another confirmation roll to increase the critical multiplier by two. Failure means the critical hit is no longer confirmed.
- Second Chance: The gambler can spend a fortune point to reroll any die, the result is final and can’t be rerolled again by spending another fortune point.

One fortune point is regained by rolling a natural “20”, reducing an opponent to zero hit points or less with a critical hit, successfully bluffing a stranger, gathering useful information through bluffing or sense motive, performing a death defying physical stunt, or winning more than her experience level x 100gp with one wager.or by a successful Profession (gamble) check against strangers. The gambler can only recover spent fortune points, not gain a surplus.


Professional Gambler (Ex): The gambler adds ½ his class level to all Profession (gambling), Sense Motive, and Bluff skill checks. This ability replaces trap finding.

Fortune’s Favor (Su): At 3rd level, a gambler can gain a +1 luck bonus to AC so long as he has one fortune point. This luck bonus increases by +1 AC at levels 7, 11, 15, and 19 (+5 max), but can't exceed the gambler's current total of fortune points. Multiple luck bonuses do not stack with each other. This ability replaces trap sense.

Beat The Odds (Ex): An experienced gambler always seems to know the best line of play. Rather than a victim of bad luck, the gambler employs random probability to his advantage. At the start of each day, a 20th level gambler may roll a number of dice equal to his CHA modifier of any die type. Instead of making a random roll, as an immediate action, the character can instead substitute one of these pre-rolled dice for a die of the same size for himself or any opponent targeting him (including area effects). This ability replaces master strike.


New Rogue Talents

Measured Luck (Req.: 4th level gambler): The gambler increases her fortune pool by two points. This talent can be taken multiple times.

Lucky Shot (Req.: Gamble ability, Firearm Training talent): The gambler has a knack for shooting blind. She can spend a fortune point as a swift action to ignore the penalties of blindness, concealment, or invisibility with her next shot with a firearm.

Revolver Roulette (Req.: Gamble ability, Firearm Training talent): The gambler can spend a fortune point as an immediate action to double the chance of misfire for anyone shooting at her with a firearm till the beginning of her next turn.

Loaded Dice
Card Sharper
Pocket Ace

[Kamai]

Since you want comments on just the red text:
Gambler: Even though you have the resource, it seems to me to be in a line of actions that are (Ex).
Double Down: For the most part, it favors high crit-range weapons over crit multiplier weapons. Probably makes sense for most of what the gambler is going to pull off, however. It should be clarified if you're intending the attack to be normal damage on a failed second confirm, or no damage.
Regaining Fortune Points: Do you regain fortune points after an 8 hour rest? This description needs to have the minimum 1, just like your base ability, or it could act weird at Charisma penalties.
How you regain points is extremely susceptible to Bag of Rats. There needs to be something where the Gambler is not just bluffing every commoner to restore their pool, or getting random 20s on unnecessary tasks.

Beat the Odds: By RAW, I could grab Cha modifier d1000s, and then do silly things like replace damage rolls with them. Or just grab a bunch of d2s, and force several attack rolls to just autofail. Honestly, the second worries me much more than the first. Also, do all of the dice have to be of the same type?

[grimgrin]

Thx for replying Kamai. I thought the red text was just the weakest points, feedback about anything would be good.

Double Down: I wasn't sure if "no damage" was too much risk, so right now the attack still inflicts normal damage.

A charisma modifier penalty does not apply to regaining fortune points. Even with a CHA 1 you would have one fortune point and could regain a fortune point (just like grit).

You made good points about ways to regain fortune points, I'll definitely need a different mechanic for that, but I want something more than just crit kills and sleeping. Any suggestions?

You can't substitute different sized dice with "Beat the Odds", maybe that needs to be clearer. If you want to replace a 1d6 or 1d20 you need to have pre-rolled that die size. For example, with CHA 20 you can pre-roll 5 dice so therefore roll...
5d20
2d6 and 3d20
1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 1d10, and 1d20
Or any other combination of 5 dice.

How do you roll a 1d1000 anyways, 1d10 for each of the three digits?

[Kamai]

As a generic comment, then, I'm not sure if I'd actually want to trade sneak attack for this mechanic. A few times/day rerolls are nice, but I'm not sure, except for a very combat-light game, that I'd rather have that than Sneak Attack all of the time. On top of this, it doesn't scale, so there's no reason not to dip Gambler 1 (2 if you want one of the new Rogue Tricks) and do whatever you really wanted to do.

As far as regaining fortune points, if this feature were a little more powerful than normal, I find myself a fan of the systems where you can just say "I fail spectacularly" instead of rolling, take the bad result now, and be able to twist luck better later, but I'm not sure this is strong enough to warrant something that restrictive. Maybe a bluff/Profession (gambler) that got you some specified amount of resources, or something that got information as the result of a specifically high knowledge check? I'm not putting any actual numbers yet since this feature doesn't scale. At least that ties the Bluff/Diplomacy/Profession (gambler) to something that actually has an impact in the game they're playing in.


How do you roll a 1d1000 anyways, 1d10 for each of the three digits?
Yep, same principle as rolling a d100.

[grimgrin]

I could make fortune points scale by level based rather than CHA based. Add one point in the fortune pool per odd numbered gambler level?

[Kamai]

I could make fortune points scale by level based rather than CHA based. Add one point in the fortune pool per odd numbered gambler level?

I would suggest 2 + 1/odd level after 1st, and then add in a Measured Luck talent that requires 15+ Charisma and 4th level Gambler to add in 2 more uses. That would give an incentive to have a high Charisma, would balance at a lower point than Gambler 2/Sorcerer 18 would balance, and make some sense of actually having the checks be harder at higher level to get more uses.

[grimgrin]

I would suggest 2 + 1/odd level after 1st, and then add in a Measured Luck talent that requires 15+ Charisma and 4th level Gambler to add in 2 more uses. That would give an incentive to have a high Charisma, would balance at a lower point than Gambler 2/Sorcerer 18 would balance, and make some sense of actually having the checks be harder at higher level to get more uses.

Excellent ideas. :smallcool:

[Extra Anchovies]

Note: you may want to switch away from that shade of red, since it is mod-text. Maybe orange?

So it's sort of like a Grit/Panache system for rogues. I like. However, I feel like they should gain more abilities as they level up. Not sure what they should be, but otherwise there's suddenly a lot of dead levels.

[Kamai]

As a silly question, why does Lucky Shot need to be constrained to a Firearm? I feel like one should be able to do that with a bow, crossbow, or even a thrown knife.

As far as ideas to get more options out of your ability, have you looked at the 3.5 Luck feats for inspiration? I wouldn't necessarily use them out of the box, but they should be a good springboard. Also, I know this doesn't directly solve the problem, but I would like to see using Fortune points towards some of the limited use talents, especially Defensive Roll and Redirect Attack.

[Extra Anchovies]

As a silly question, why does Lucky Shot need to be constrained to a Firearm? I feel like one should be able to do that with a bow, crossbow, or even a thrown knife.

As far as ideas to get more options out of your ability, have you looked at the 3.5 Luck feats for inspiration? I wouldn't necessarily use them out of the box, but they should be a good springboard. Also, I know this doesn't directly solve the problem, but I would like to see using Fortune points towards some of the limited use talents, especially Defensive Roll and Redirect Attack.

That would make for a good mid/high-level ability; spend a fortune point (or maybe 2, not sure) as an immediate action to regain a use of one of your x/day rogue talents, as long as you use it in the next round.

[grimgrin]

Version II


GAMBLER (Rogue Archetype)

The gambler is a rogue that relies on his good fortune and good looks rather than sneak attacks. Most are professional gamblers or daredevils out for illicit thrills. A gambler can be found in the plush palors of the elite or basement speakeasies taking on all comers. Most stay mobile looking for wealthy marks and dodging sore losers on trains, steamboats, and zeppelins crisscrossing the country. Gamblers join adventure parties to build a stake for his next big game or just for the risk.


Gamble (Ex): A gambler has a pool of fortune points. The total number of points at first level is two plus one each odd numbered gambler level acquired afterward. After 8 hours of sleep, the fortune pool is completely refilled. Fortune points can be spent as a swift action to modify or her die rolls. The following abilities are available at first level. This ability replaces sneak attack.

Initial Gambles:
- Better Lucky Than Good: Spend a fortune point to turn a natural “1” on a d20 roll into a natural “20” as an immediate action.
- Call Coin: So long as the gambler has one point of fortune, he can always predict the outcome of any ordinary coin flip.
- Double Down: After the gambler makes a confirmed critical hit, as a swift action the gambler can spend a fortune point to make another confirmation roll to increase the critical multiplier by two. Failure means the critical hit is no longer confirmed.

Additional Gambles (Not sure if these should be automatic or rogue talent options)
-Bailout: At third level, when a creature rolls a critical threat on the gambler, he can as immediately spend a fortune point to insure the critical is not confirmed. This ability can only be used once per round.
-Ricochet: At fifth level, a gambler can spend a fortune point as a swift action to cause a projectile to ricochet into another target within 20ft. This secondary ranged attack uses the same attack bonus minus any weapon or ammunition enhancement.
-High Roller: At seventh level, a gambler can spend a fortune point as a swift action to double threat range of his next attack. This ability does not stack with any other ability that improves the critical hit range.
-Second Chance: At ninth level, the gambler can spend a fortune point to reroll any die, the result is final and can’t be rerolled again by spending another fortune point.
-Lucky Strike: At eleventh level, the gambler can spend a fortune point before her damage roll is made to add her CHA modifier as a luck bonus to the damage she inflicts.
-Contagious Luck: At thirteenth level, before the round starts, the gambler can spend a fortune point as an immediate action to give all allies within 30ft a +1 luck bonus to all saving throws till the next round.
-Share Fortune: At fifteenth level, the gambler can spend a fortune point as an immediate action to give the benefit of one of her gambles to an ally she can see or hear.
-Critical Success: At seventeenth level, the gambler can spend a fortune point to add her CHA modifier to all rolls to confirm critical threat as an immediate action.
-Third Time’s The Charm: At nineteenth level, the gambler can make another reroll if Second Chance fails to succeed; a total of three attempts rather than just two.


One fortune point is regained by reducing an opponent to zero hit points or less with a critical hit, gathering useful information through bluff or sense motive, performing a death defying physical stunt, survival after being reduced below zero hit points, or winning more than her experience level x $100 with one wager. The gambler can only recover spent fortune points, not gain a surplus.

Professional Gambler (Ex): The gambler adds ½ his class level to all Profession (gambling), Sense Motive, and Bluff skill checks. This ability replaces trap finding.

Fortune’s Favor (Su): At 3rd level, a gambler can gain a +1 luck bonus to AC so long as he has one fortune point. This luck bonus increases by +1 AC at levels 7, 11, 15, and 19 (+5 max), but can't exceed the gambler's current total of fortune points. Multiple luck bonuses do not stack with each other. This ability replaces trap sense.

Even The Odds (Ex): An experienced gambler always seems to know the best line of play. Rather than a victim of bad luck, the gambler employs random probability to his advantage. At the start of each day, a 20th level gambler may roll a number of dice equal to his CHA modifier of any die type. Instead of making a random roll, as an immediate action, the character can instead substitute one of these pre-rolled dice for a die of the same size for himself or any opponent targeting him (including area effects). This ability replaces master strike.


New Rogue Talents

Measured Luck (Ex) (Req.: 4th level gambler): The gambler increases her fortune pool by two points. This talent can be taken multiple times.

Shot in the Dark (Ex) (Req.: Gamble ability): The gambler has a knack for shooting blind. She can spend a fortune point as a swift action to ignore the penalties of blindness, concealment, or invisibility with her next shot with any projectile.

Revolver Roulette (Su) (Req.: Gamble ability, Firearm Training talent): The gambler can spend a fortune point as an immediate action to double the chance of misfire for anyone shooting at her with a firearm till the beginning of her next turn.

Loaded Dice (Ex) (Req.: Trained Profession [gambling]): You are well trained in cheating at games of chance. You can earn in one game what it takes a professional gambler one week to earn by substituting your sleight of hand skill while gambling, but if you fail your check you are immediately caught cheating.

Card Sharper (Su) (Req. 4th level gambler, Card Sharp talent): The gambler gains a +1 weapon enhancement with thrown playing cards at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20.