Gambler (3.5e Prestige Class)

Gambler

“

Ah yes! I know Lady Luck quite well. She is not a stranger to me... or my bed.

”

Some see luck as being too unpredictable or even non-existent. Others see luck as a potent ally, simply waiting to be directed by skillful hands. These wielders of luck are called Gamblers. They play a game every time they step out the door.

Gamblers are tricksters and con-artists by trade. They traverse the dungeon and pub with the same gait, applying the same card-up-the-sleeve tactics to every aspect of their life. The Gambler lives an 'enchanted' life, misfortune never seems to visit him for long. Subterfuge and and sleight of hand always seem to be the winning bet.

Rogues and Bards and Sorcerers find themselves naturally attracted to this lifestyle. Even some civilized rangers can find manipulation of luck beneficial. Although rare, clerics and chaotic paladins devoted to morally ambiguous deities can see the benefit of this class. The more martial classes would find it difficult to embrace this change of career.

Requirements

• Alignment: any Chaotic

• Base Attack Bonus: +2

• Ability: Charisma 12+

• Skills: Bluff 7 ranks, Sense Motive 7 ranks, Sleight of Hand 7 ranks

• Special: You must learn about both sides of luck, the good and the bad. Find another Gambler and gamble with him once every night for one week. On the seventh and last night of gambling, you must gamble with at least 1/4th of all your wealth at stake, including gear. Whether you win or lose, through your interactions with the Gambler, he will teach you how to improve your luck and how to craft specialized cards and dice.

Table: Gambler

Hit Die: d6

Level	B.A.B.	Saving Throws			Special	Class Features
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Beginner's Luck	+1 level of existing class features
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Reversal of Fortune	+1 level of existing class features
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	Lady Luck's Kiss
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Miss Fortune	+1 level of existing class features
5th	+4	+1	+4	+4	My Lucky Day	+1 level of existing class features
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level) Appraise, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Forgery, Hide, Knowledge (local), Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Use Magic Device.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Gamblers gain proficiency with dice and playing cards. Gamblers gain no other armor, weapon, or shield proficiencies.

Class Features: At each level after 1st, you gain class features (including spellcasting ability) and an increase in effective level as if you had also gained a level in a class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain the benefit of your previous class’s Hit Dice, attack progression, skill points, or saving throws. If you had more than one class before becoming an uncanny trickster, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining class features.

Beginner's luck: At level 1, the Gambler is able to modify his luck, for good or bad. Every day, the Gambler gains Beginner's Luck charges equal to 2 charges/Gambler level. The Gambler can expend one Beginner's Luck charge to add his Gambler class level as a luck bonus/penalty to a skill check, ability check, save, caster level check, attack roll or damage roll. If a damage roll would be reduced to below 0, it simply deals 0 damage. However there's only a 51% percent chance that the number will be positive. Roll a d100, 1-49 means negative, 50-90 means positive, 91-100 means positive at double the bonus. If it is negative, you suffer only half the penalty rounded down to a minimum of -1 (+Bonus=-Penalty: +1=-1, +2=-1, +3=-1, +4=-2, +5=-2). After you get the result, you may repeat this process until you run out of Beginner's Luck charges. At level 5, if you expend all your Beginner's Luck charges on one roll, if you don't roll a 91-100, then the most bad luck you can get is -20 and the most good luck is +50.

Beginner's Luck D100 Table

1d100	Bonus
1%-49%	Negative Bonus
50%-90%	Positive Bonus
91%-100%	Double Positive Bonus

Beginner's Luck Bonus Table

Level	Negative	Positive	2x Positive
1	-1	+1	+2
2	-1	+2	+4
3	-1	+3	+6
4	-2	+4	+8
5	-2	+5	+10

Reversal of Fortune: The Lady of Fortune smiles on the Gambler even when he has bad luck. At level 2, once per day, the Gambler may use Reversal of Fortune to have a critically missed attack (a natural 1 on an attack roll) instead be considered an uncomfirmed critical strike.

Lady Luck's Kiss: At level 3, the Gambler gains a luck bonus equal to his charisma modifier to all of his saves. This bonus stacks with other bonuses.

Miss Fortune: At level 4, the gamblers luck improves greatly, for good or bad. The Gambler may choose to add his charisma modifier as a luck bonus/penalty to all rolls he makes. This bonus stacks with bonuses/penalties gained from Beginner's luck. This can be applied to rolls for skill checks, ability checks, saves, caster level checks, attack rolls, and damage rolls. If a damage roll would be reduced to below 0, it simply deals 0 damage. Attacks or spells that deal damage with multiple dice, you only add your bonus/penalty once, for example; a 6th level Sorcerer's fireball deals 6d6 fire damage, with Miss Fortune it becomes 6d6 + Miss Fortune bonus/penalty; a melee attack with a falchion deals 2d4 damage, with Miss Fortune it becomes 2d4 + Miss Fortune bonus/penalty. However there's only a 51% percent chance that the number will be positive. Roll a d100, 1-49 means negative, 50-90 means positive, 91-100 means positive at double the bonus. If it is negative, you suffer only half the penalty rounded down to a minimum of -1 (+Bonus=-Penalty: +1=-1, +2=-1, +3=-1, +4=-2, +5=-2, +6=-3, +7=-3, +8=-4, +9=-4, +10=-5).

My Lucky Day: At level 5, due to the Gambler's constant love affair with Lady Luck, his enemies are always unlucky. 1/week, the Gambler is able to reduce the 'luck' of one target and increase his own. The Gambler makes a ranged touch attack as a full round action with a range of 30ft. If the touch attack is successful, the target must then make a Will save (DC= 10 + 1/2 character level + charisma modifier). If the target fails the Will save, the target has a -5 luck penalty all attack rolls, saves, and caster level checks for 24 hours. In addition upon successfully reducing an enemy's luck, for 24 hours, when the Gambler uses Beginner's Luck or Miss Fortune, when he rolls a negative, it is treated as a reduced bonus instead of a penalty (+Bonus=+Bonus:+1=+1, +2=+1, +3=+1, +4=+2, +5=+2, +6=+3, +7=+3, +8=+4, +9=+4, +10=+5).

Campaign Information

Playing a Gambler

Combat: Gamblers are generalists, using their base class(es) abilities, whether melee or ranged or magical prowess. They are very effective at changing the situation to their advantage, using Luck Charges to bolster their abilities. My Lucky Day can be devastating, so use it wisely, on the tougher monsters.

Advancement: A Gambler typically focuses on gaining levels as a Gambler before continuing on with their base class or other prestige classes.

Resources: Because of their easy-livin' lifestyle, Gamblers are go where the odds are in their favor. Multiple Gamblers are likely to be found swindling each other out of their possessions. When the stakes get too high, the Gambler will ensure their luck will carry them to the next day. Taverns are an oasis and a safe haven for Gamblers, where for them, free beers and a good night's company are easily found.

Gambler in the World

“	Well this is a first! How about you keep that lovely cloak of charisma on while we finish this game of Strip-Poker.	”
—Faust Orlene, Human Gambler

Gamblers are selfish individuals who delight in cutthroat games to line their pockets with gold. Their greed causes them to always seek out new places to practice their gamblin' skills. Their desire for more power often leads them on wandering adventures from one charming local to another.

NPC Reactions: A Gambler's lavish attire often catches eyes. Their sometimes gaudy appearance will make much a fuss for local townsfolk. Nobility may be irked and loathsome because the Gambler's wealth and appearance rivals their own stature.

Gambler Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Local) can research Gambler to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Arcana)

DC	Result
11	Gamblers are curiously lucky individuals
16	Gamblers can change even the worst situation into their fortune.
21	A Gambler can cause misfortune for others.

Gambler in the Game

Gamblers are wry-humored and restless wanderers

Adaptation: Gamblers can fit into any campaign because of their generalist nature.

Sample Encounter: In the town of Bellfax, Faust Orlene, a marginally skilled Gambler, is running a gambling den at a local tavern, the Rising Sun. The local arm of the law, the Sheriff Broswick wants to shut down the gambling den, claiming it attracts the wrong kind of people to the town. Tension in the town is high, and the populace is waiting to see who will kill who first. The PC's can choose which side of the standoff between the sheriff and the Gambler to join. If a fight breaks out, the sheriff has several human warriors on his side. Faust has several mix race warriors and thieves on his side. If the PCs end up fighting Faust themselves and search the gambling den afterwards, they may find his stash of magical items.

CR 9: Faust Orlene

Faust Orlene

CR 7

	Human Fighter 5/Gambler 5
	Neutral Neutral Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init/Senses	+6/Listen −1, Spot −1
Languages	Common, Elven
AC	22, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +11 Armor)
hp	55 (5d10 +5d6 +10 HD)
Fort/Ref/Will	+10/+ 11/+8
Speed	30 ft.
Base Atk/Grp	+8/+10
Abilities	Str 15, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 19
Feats	Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (longsword)
Skills	Appraise +4, Bluff +14, Disguise +7, Escape Artist +3, Gather Information +7, Forgery +2, Knowledge (local) +4, Sense Motive +2, Sleight of Hand +5, Spot +2
Possessions	+1 Flaming longsword, +3 Full Plate, 4 Scrolls (5th: 1 Cone of Cold, 7th: 1 Waves of Exhaustion, 1 Mage's Sword, 1 Scrying Greater), Pearl of Power II, Bag of Devouring, backpack, bedroll, noble's outfit, traveler's outfit, 2 gold candles, chalk, soap, 50ft hemp rope, 2 waterskins, 7 days rations, Mirror of Figments, 6 gold rings, 7 gems, 183 gold, 92 silver.

Mirror of Figments: Thrice per day, the user can look into the mirror and say their name 3 times to activate the spell trigger, emulating the Mirror Image spell with a caster level of 6. Faint illusion; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, Mirror Image spell; Price 5,000gp; Weight 2lb.

Faust is a well connected ring leader of a gambling den. As a Gambler, he is out to protect his business from the wiles of the local sheriff. Faust is a medium sized, powerfully built, but lean man, who prefers to wear fancier clothes and gold jewelry. He has short, reddish hair,, a goatee and brown eyes.

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