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boomwolf
2008-08-22, 12:57 PM
Charm Dealer
While many people gamble for a living, the charm dealers are the unique few who learned how to use cards to do jest about everything. while true that luck is still a factor, the learn to bent it to their own ends, winning is assured, its a question of how much.
The charm dealers have learned how to use any ordinary pack of cards to fit their needs and supply magic effects, while they depend on the cards to do jest about everything, they do it with mastery and grace nobody else can understand, they always seem to be getting a spell that can provide some help and they might show up with a surprisingly high rate of the same few cards who repeat time after time.
Bards are likely to turn into this path, rouges who enjoy luck also seem to be involved, even sorcerers who favor quick advancement and high verity of spells over reliability also take it in many times, but one thing is common to all who does, they love the risk, luck and gamble that is involved.
NPC charm dealers are often game cheaters, gamblers, and shady tradesman, but all they do is always on the verge of illegal, if not beyond. their first priority is to gain at the expense of any foolish enough to face them in gamble, or combat.

Requirements:
Skills: Profession (gambler) 8 ranks, Knowledge (arcane) 6 ranks, Spellcraft 6 ranks, Slight of Hand 8 ranks.
Feat: Any one luck feat (complete scoundrel)
Alignment: Any chaotic

Class Skills: (per level 4+int mod)
Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Knowledge (arcane), Profession (gambler), Spellcraft and Slight of Hand

NAME OF CLASS
{table=head]Level|Base Attack[br]Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Hand Size |Daily Cards

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|Cheater|2|7

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3|Dump Card|3|9

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+3|
+3|Lucky Draw|3|11

4th|
+2|
+1|
+4|
+4|Extra Luck Reroll|4|14

5th|
+2|
+1|
+4|
+4|Jack of all Trades|4|17

6th|
+3|
+2|
+5|
+5|Lucky Shot|5|21

7th|
+3|
+2|
+5|
+5|Lucky seven|5|25

8th|
+4|
+2|
+6|
+6|Extra Luck Reroll|6|30

9th|
+4|
+3|
+6|
+6|Lucky Casting|6|35

10th|
+5|
+3|
+7|
+7|Last Resort|7|41[/table]

Decks
You may have your deck split into any number of piles, that would be any combination of the following that makes a number of points equal or lower then your class level, and contains at least all 52 base cards (4 full suits) and at most 42 (4 full suits+one of each joker) Low suit is 2-9, high suit is 10-ace.

Any number of full suits: 1 point.
4 low suits: 1 point.
3 low suits: 2 points.
2 low suits: 2 points each pile.
1 low suit: 2 point each pile.
4 high suits: 1 point.
3 high suits: 2 points.
2 high suits: 2 points each pile.
1 high suit: 3 points each pile.
Add black joker to pile: 1 point.
Add red joker to pile: 1 point.
Both jokers on same pile: 3 points. (instead of 1 point each.)

So having one pile of all low suits, plus a pile for high hearts and diamonds, and another for high clubs and spades would be a 7th level deck. adding jokers to the low suits pile would increase it to level 10 deck.

Using Cards:
Based on your level you have a "hand size" and a "daily cards" value.
As each card represents a spells, (except the jokers, see the "spells" section.) you may use cards in your hand as casting them as arcane spells. (thus suffering from arcane spell failure chance.)
You may only "cast" cards from your hand, the number of cards equals your "hand size", if you got less then that you draw another card unless the number of cards drawn so far this day equals to the number of "daily cards" you may have. you may draw from any pile of your choosing. (see "Decks" above.) when you "cast" a card you shuffle it back to it's pile before drawing a new one.
At the end of the day, if you have cards left shuffle them back as though as they were cast.

You gain bonus to "daily cards" equals to your charisma modifier, you DC for all spell-cards that requires a save is 10+charm dealer class level+your Cha modifier. the caster level equals twice the charm dealer's class level.
The spell of each card is listed in the end of the page.

Extra costs (material or xp) must be payed normally, as well as focuses are needed. the charm dealer must use his own set of cards. any set of cards that can be fit with ease to the system with no confusion may be used.

Cheater (Sp)
A charm dealer may use Cheat as a spell like ability a number of times a day equal to half his class level, rounded up. (draconomicon page 109)

Dump Card (Ex)
To avoid being stuck with only cards who require some special situation to be used the 2nd level charm dealer learns how to "waste" a card as though as he used it, drawing a new one instead. (as the normal limits of drawing new cards)

Lucky Draw (Ex)
The 3ed level charm dealer is very lucky in his draw, whenever he draws a card he may instead spend a luck reroll in order to look at the top two cards of any one pile, then choose of of the two to draw, while the other to suffle back.

Extra Luck Reroll (Ex)
At forth and eight levels the charm dealer gains an extra luck reroll for luck feats or class abilities.

Jack of all Trades (Ex)
A fifth level charm dealer learns the ability to use jacks not only as spells, but as abilities.
He may use up a jack as a free action as though he cast that spell and instead gain +2 luck bonus to a single skill check.

Lucky Shot (Ex)
The sixth level charm dealer may spend a luck reroll as a free action in order to gain a +3 luck bonus to all attack rolls made by a card-spell or add +2 to it's save DC.

Lucky Seven (Ex)
A seventh level charm dealer learns how to extract extra abilities from sevens. as a free action he may use the card as though as he casted the spell in order to gain +2 bonus to any one roll.

Lucky Casting (Ex)
A ninth level charm dealer may spend a luck reroll as a standard action in order to cast a spell taken from a pile. the spell is not looked at until after the action is declared, once the card, who is drawn from a pile selected by the charm dealer has been revealed he must cast it if able, even if the results or additional costs are not wanted, if he cant the luck reroll is lost and the card is shuffled back as though it was used. this ability does not spend a daily card.

Last Resort (Su)
The tenth level charm dealer can avoid situations that could normally mean death by discarding all cards he have and then searching for any seven cards from any combination of piles and put them into his hand. this ability is a free action and may be used only once per week.

Cards and associated spells/effects:
Spades:
2-Lesser orb of fire
3-Lesser orb of acid
4-Lesser orb of cold
5-Lesser orb of electricity
6-Shout
7-Orb of force
8-Blight
9-Shadow Evocation
10-Greater Shadow Evocation
Jack-Cloudkill
Queen-Acid Fog
King-Disintegrate
Ace-Prismatic Spray

Hearths:
2-Cure minor wounds
3-Mage armor
4-Shield
5-Cure Light Wounds
6-Aid
7-Resilient Sphere.
8-Greater Mage Armor
9-Cure Moderate Wounds
10-Cure Serious Wounds
Jack-Remove Curse
Queen-Wall of Force
King-Restoration
Ace-Resurrection

Diamonds:
2-Lucky Streak
3-Black karma curse
4-Lesser Deflect
5-Deflect
6-Entropic Shield
7-Alter fortune
8-Detect Thoughts
9-Identify
10-Confusion
Jack-Charm
Queen-Charm Monster
King-Dominate Person
Ace-Dominate monster

Clubs:
2-Lesser Energy Surge
3-Strech Weapon
4-Electric Vengeance
5-Stifle Spell
6-Blades of Fire
7-Energy Surge
8-Divine Retaliation
9-Meteoric Strike
10-Greater Electric Vengeance
Jack-Energy Surge, Greater
Queen-Mystic Aegis
King-Quicken Greater Fireburst
Ace-Spell Turning

Black Joker: Deck of Many Things random effect.
Red Joker: Rod of Wonder random effect.

Playing a Charm Dealer
Your flashy magical tricks and unpredictable skills prove useful in combat, you often brag about your abilities, but refuse to reveal the "trick" behind them.
The average charm dealer does not get along well with anyone else who uses deceptions, tricks, or manipulation luck as he considers them as rivals, and possible threats, other charm dealers are to be avoided as much as possible, and eliminated if avoidance is out of the question.
On the paladins, monks and other "by-the-rules" people are considers wonderful allies and friends as they are amazed by your tricks time after time, and fail to realize that you, in fact cheat without brakes.

Combat
Avoiding when possible, but when not you tend to serve as a jack-of-all-trades for your team, capable to dish out many different battle skills, from shields and healing up to mass destruction. hearth cards to stay out of battle or provide "tactical help" to your allies and diamond to influence the opponents and avoiding harm as you gather up your real attacks, then strike the unsuspecting victims with your spades. if you become the main target, you got your clubs for some high-speed close-ranged attacks or countering enemy magic.
When all else fails, use luck feats and class abilities to help yourself an escape, and if no option remains a joker might save you, but jest as well might kill you.

Advancement
One does not become a charm dealer from thin air, you were a gambler, or a low-level caster before, most likely both. and then you found out that the combination allows you to get both into a higher level then ever, as long luck is at your side. on the bright side, it always is!
A charm dealer will want more luck feats to get more rerolls to be spend into the various abilities.
In general the charm dealer advances after he is done down the same path he originally came from, there is a limit how far magic card tricks can go, and its mostly used as an alternate ability rather then a true casting class.

Organization
Charm dealers are unique in the fact they only organize themselves in order to make sure they won't need to ever meet again. however sometimes they do join up to form gambling organization better known as "casinos", and the whole group play as one team, who do it's best to bankrupt every outsider who enters the casino, each covering for the misshapes of others, and making sure nobody other then the group cheats around the tables.

NPC reactions
Most people never know they have met a charm dealer, and the charm dealers themselves make a good effort to make sure nobody knows they exist.
However the normal cheating manipulations and magical ones are sometimes caught, and treated as any cheater (usually in a painful fashion.)
One who knows the charm dealer will work against him, but a friend might actually help him hide his cheating efforts, or try to learn from him. but will never take an actual gamble against him.
In general, the scums of the earth respect you, as long you don't cheat THEM.

Charm Dealer Lore
These with knowledge (arcana) might know a thing or two about charm dealers, but the knowledge is rare as they are well hidden, the following information is possible to obtain with a good skill check:
{table=head]DC|Information
15|it is possible to influence chance with magic, and some use it to cheat at games of luck.
25|Charm dealers are people who charm normal card games into random magical effect who vary from minor, to massive, by pure chance.
30|Charm dealers can magic luck to their benefit, and use luck for magic, the combination allows for very powerful magic at a seemingly random fashion.
40|Charm dealers are perhaps the most risky of all opponents, completely unpredictable and capable to powerful magic, with a very wide set of spells. everything they do is in it's base a deception, trick, cheat, sheer luck or a combination of the four, but the result somehow favor them beyond any logical proportion.[/table]

Lady Tialait
2008-08-22, 04:36 PM
Awesome, I love the flavor...mmmm flavor...

I don't have time to really completely look for balance..

Expect more from me.


Edit:

Wow, Jokers are EXTREMELY powerful especially the black jokers. I would tone them down a little bit. Maybe it's just me.

Also, I got confused on the Deck part, please dumb that down a little for me..I'm sometimes a bit dense...

Other then that stuff, I can't think of anything that jumped out at me..

theinnerdevil
2009-06-26, 12:39 PM
i dont really understand the points for amount of cards in each pile, the class looks great but if u could make it a bit easier for me to understand that would be great

boomwolf
2009-06-26, 01:01 PM
Thread necromancery is not allowed in this forum-please take further note that if the thread had no posts in the last week-its not a good idea to post on it.

As for your question, you divide your pack of cards to any number of piles, each pile has a "value" and the total "value" must be equal or lower then your level, above there is a list of the "value" of each set of cards, and the "value" of a pile is the total value of all sets of cards in it (to the lowest possibility, so a full set counts as "value 1", and not low set+high set that is "value 5")

The total of the piles must contain all 52 basic cards, or the deck is invalid. so early on you don't have a lot of options, but at tenth level, its very Versatile.

Technically the class dishes out tons of firepower, but give away control over that firepower to a factor of luck. in short-every day you can be very weak, fair play, or insanely powerful.

About overall balance-I believe the class is more overpowered then batman wizard if used well by a munchkin. so I would be very careful with it.

Edit: @V dude, you made a far larger "Vigilante Modding" then myself, I only gave an advice that is to be considered, and taken as he sees fit-you began quoting rules and pinpointing what I did wrong, so in fact-you made a worse mistake then me, especially considering mine was a side-note, and yours is the entire purpose of the post. (please realise I am jest stating opinion, NOT scolding or anything, because I KNOW I am not a mod, nor aiming to be one. although I do think they need to show more presence.)

Myrmex
2009-06-26, 01:20 PM
Thread necromancery is not allowed in this forum-please take further note that if the thread had no posts in the last week-its not a good idea to post on it.

From the rules posted at the top of every forum (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/announcement.php?f=15&a=1)
Thread Necromancy
Bringing a thread back from “the dead.” If a thread has fallen to page three and hasn’t been posted in for a month and a half, don’t post to it. Start a new topic if you want to discuss the subject.

Vigilante Modding
If you’re not a Moderator, don’t act like one. Rich has selected a few people he trusts to keep an eye on conversations here. Please refrain from chastising other posters over breaking the rules, especially concerning minor things. The proper response when you see someone breaking these rules is to report the post as discussed above or to a PM to the local Moderator. At most, you may courteously link to this thread. But whatever you do, do not tell other posters what to do, what rules they have broken, that they are "spamming", etc. Posters who do so excessively will be issued an Infraction for their actions.