d20 Modern 1st level hero with Gamble +14

[Perpetrated Press]

A bit more munchkin for you:

A first level dedicated hero with 18 Wis can get a Gamble skill modifier of +14:

Gamble Ranks 4
Wis bonus +4
Skill Emphasis talent (Gamble) +3
Confident feat +2
Occupation skill of Gamble +1
Total Gamble skill modifier = +14

Youch! Pretty good for a 1st level character who probably has +6 Wealth.

Let's take a look-see at what such a character can do, shall we? (Gamble skill, page 61).

By entering a Purchase DC 7 game at a casino (which costs him -1 Wealth), the hero gets a +1 bonus to his Gamble check, for a total of +15. The casino gets to roll +7.

If the hero rolls less than the casino (on average, this would mean he rolled a 2), he wins nothing (and loses his original stake, -1 Wealth). ]

If he beats the casino by 1-9 (rolling, on average, a 12 or less), he gets a +1 Wealth bonus (breaking even).

If he beats the casino by 10-19, he gets a +2 bonus. Which means, on average, he needs to roll a 13.

So, if he rolls a 3 through 12, he breaks even. A 13 or more increases his Wealth by a net of +1.

Then, with his Wealth now at +7, he purchases a stake in a Purchase DC 8 game. He still has a +15 gamble modifier, but the casino's gamble check is now at +8.

Looks to me like a 1st level gambler would have a better than average chance of keeping his wealth up around the +10 area with little problem.

Again, the GM can control this if he likes, by making it difficult to find casinos (a somewhat unlikely proposition in any state that allows Indian casinos). Perhaps the gamblers skill gets him blacklisted from such locales.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Given that gambling is this characters life, and that instead of doing gambling, he could go off and get a job for (most likely) significantly more money... who cares?

 

[Mistwell]

Yeah, sounds about right to me. Who cares if a PC, who devotes his entire development to this, can keep his wealth at 10? The goal of this game isn't wealth...wealth is just a tool used to obtain the goal (exp, beating back evil, etc..)

 

[Lizard]

A bit more munchkin for you:

A first level dedicated hero with 18 Wis can get a Gamble skill modifier of +14:

This doesn't bug me. It says that you can build a very, very, competent first-level character -- if the competence is in a narrow field, and reflects someone with an outstanding natural talent (high wis) who has devoted all he has to using that talent in one specific way (all those feats).

Is this unrealistic? No.

Is it unbalanced? No.

What good is that +14 Gambling going to do when the character first encounters a hobgoblin street gang?

Heck, you can easily make that high skill a plot hook and an annoyance. "I could not help but notice that youse is winning an awful lot. This makes me suspiscious. Please see me and my associates in this dark alley in the back, where we may allay our suspiscions in a direct manner. Thank you."

 

[Jeph]

Re: Re: d20 Modern 1st level hero with Gamble +14

What good is that +14 Gambling going to do when the character first encounters a hobgoblin street gang?

When the gang boss wants to play poker?