King of Games (5e Background)

King of Games

You’ve been studying games all your life by the side of a master of the art. This could be some old codger that has a proclivity for games you found living on the street or it could be a tutor in a rich household. You could be a military brat, whose tutors delight in games. Whatever the circumstances, you grew up to love games of all stripes. Such games include: Chess. Cards. Roulette. Checkers. Fighting. Sports. Horse racing. Roleplaying games. Riddles. Puzzles. Games that test your knowledge of lore and wit. Your strength and speed. Your charm and guile. Games of luck. Games of skill.

In a modern day setting these games could include electronic ones played on a gaming system or immersive virtual reality. Y ou’ve incorporated the ideas of these games into your daily life to such an extent that you’re an expert strategist, able to analyze a situation and adapt in a matter of moments. You’re ready to go out into the world, play the game of life and you always play to win.

Skill Proficiencies: Pick two from: Perception, Sleight of Hand, History, Insight

Tool Proficiencies: all Gaming Sets & related objects

Equipment: A notebook filled with drawings, diagrams, designs, and notes for games they’ve either played or are wanting to develop, as well as a lucky set of die or game piece.

Languages Military stratagem

• Military stratagem is the language of commanding troops. Using these commands allows a person with this language to direct troops or their teammates on the battlefield with amazing efficiency. Experts at this language will actually use changeable code words or plan phrases and coach their teammates for various situations so enemy troops don’t catch on to what’s going on. For instance, on the battlefield the King of Games may shout: enact “Plan 33-B” and each teammate who’s been coached on the plan knows what to do, and if the plan is a good one, will help defeat the enemy / enemies easier.

You gain the following features

Feature: Loophole abuse

By understanding the rules of the game, you’re able to find features in a game that were not meant to be exploited by the designer(s) of the game. In doing, so you’re able to win most any game. Others can’t say you’re cheating because what you’re doing is actually allowed by the rules.

Feature: Change the rules

By knowing the ins and outs of the rules of the game, you’re able to interject changes into the games rules, overriding what the rules would normally be into something you directly control, allowing you to win when otherwise you would lose. Others can’t say that you’re actually cheating because the old rules no longer are valid.

Feature: Pattern master

By observing a pattern you can predict what comes next, if advancing, or what came before if needing to predict in reverse order with 100% accuracy. This ability works with even irregular patterns, or ones that don’t seem to follow the same set of rules all the time.

Feature: Luck of the Devil himself

When playing a game based on luck such as a card or dice game, you’ll (almost) always get the roll or card you need to win the game at the last minute by careful observation of the ebb and flow of the game, and know exactly how to use it once you get it.

Suggested Characteristics

d8	Personality Trait
1	I am going to do all I can to get better at games; therefore I need to travel to play all the people I can
2	I am running away from past debt and failures; I am afraid what will happen if they catch up with me.
3	As long as I view things as a game, there’s nothing to fear, I play to win.
4	I am a student of the world; games are the lens that I use to learn from it.
5	Life is too simple. I prefer gaming’s complexities
6	Games are the only thing that I feel I’m good at; I need to make the best at what I do.
7	Life is too complex; games simplify things because of the self-contained rules
8	I prefer dealing with games to dealing with people, because games are much more predictable.

d6	Ideal
1	Fairness: Games are meant to be fair. If they are not, I will step in and referee. (Lawful)
2	Luck: I’m at one with the odds/ chance. Bring it on baby! (Chaos)
3	Winning: I will win no matter the cost to get ahead, even if I have to cheat or betray others to do so. (Evil)
4	Skill: Games are my life; therefore I will play with all the skill I have, as well as prove my skill over any who dares to challenge me. (Any)
5	Learning: I will do what I can to learn all the games I can (Neutral)
6	Love: I’m playing because someone I love’s life is at stake (this could be some evil person/ organization holds them captive and the only way that they’ll be released is to win or simply because they need a medical procedure and winning would mean that you can afford to pay for it) (Good)

d6	Bond
1	I remember my teacher/ tutor who taught me my very first game; I still keep a gamepiece of theirs as a token of remembrance
2	My rival beat me once at (fill in the game), I must get better at it so I can challenge him next time we meet.
3	Someone close to me (a teacher, a friend, family member) died shortly after showing me a drawing for a game s/he created; in his/her honor I will create it
4	I once read the text of an ancient culture in an ancient book; in its pages it described a game that I want to create, but the book was stolen by a rival or enemy and I must get it back or find another copy.
5	I will teach others how to play the games I know to my dying day.
6	The games I play with friends are the unbreakable bonds of friendship I share with them.

d6	Flaw
1	I will win no matter what, even if I have to cheat or cast aside those that care about me.
2	I treat everyone else poorly, because if you’re not winning/ #1, you’re a looser.
3	I gamble excessively and am heavily in debt because of past losses. My “kinghood” doesn’t include this type of a game.
4	I spend all my spare time devising strategies for the game, such to the extent that I have no true friends.
5	I play with my relationships as if they are a game, and have hurt several people in the process without regret in the past.
6	No poker face. Others can tell if I have a good hand (dice roll, etc) by watching me

5.00

(one vote)

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