Shadows of Brimstone: Gambler Hero Pack
Shadows of Brimstone: Gambler Hero Pack Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Gambler Hero
Playing a Gambler
The Gambler is all about sleight of hand, card and dice manipulation, and gaming the system using his Gambling Tricks. He's not the toughest fighter or fastest gun around, but with a bit of fortune on his side, he can pull off cunning combos and lucky maneuvers that other Heroes wouldn't even dream possible. This makes him a fun Hero for players who like to think outside the rules...not cheating per se (most of the time anyway), but bending and twisting them, with a wink and a smile.
Starting Upgrade Choices
Gambler Starting Upgrades focus on recovering Fortune Tokens, movement, and Luck.
Gambler Skills
Fancy Footwork: This upgrade gives the Gambler a significant speed boost to get where he needs to go, as well as a better level of control over Recovering Grit. It also has a moderate chance of Recovering Fortune Tokens.
Side Bet: A natural betting man, the Gambler is compulsively looking for ways to play the odds. This upgrade gives you a built in Luck bonus (which the Gambler tends to use...a lot, but only has a low level chance for Recovering Fortune Tokens.
High Roller: With a lucky streak of high rolls, this upgrade can pay off in spades, giving you the extra Damage you need to capitalize on your Critical Hits for maximum effect. It also gives a high level chance for Recovering Fortune Tokens.
Leveling Up a Gambler
Whenever you go up to a new Hero Level, roll 2D6 on the following chart for your free Upgrade Bonus. Grit may NOT be used for this roll. You may also choose one new Ability from the Gambler Upgrade Chart on the next page.
2D6 Roll / Upgrade Bonus
- 2: Of Many Talents - At the start of each Adventure, choose one of the following Keywords to have until the end of that Adventure/Town Stay: Traveler, Frontier, Outlaw, Soldier, Strange.
- 3: +1 Cunning
- 4: +1 Initiative
- 5: +1 Strength. Also, gain -D6 Health/Sanity (any mix).
- 6: +1 Move or +1 Spirit. Also, gain -D6 Health.
- 7: +D6 Health and +D6 Sanity
- 8: +1 Move or +1 Lore. Also, gain +D6 Sanity.
- 9: +2 Side Bag Token Capacity. Also, gain -D6 Health.
- 10: +1 Max Grit
- 11: +1 Luck
- 12: Dark Stone Resistance - You can now hold 2 more Corruption Points before getting a Mutation.
Gambler Fortune and Gambling Tricks
Two-sided rules insert, "Gambler - Fortune" and "Gambler - Gambling Tricks".
Fortune Tokens
Fortune Tokens are used to activate Gambling Tricks.
A Gambler starts each Adventure with max Fortune and only regains them through Catching Your Breath after a fight, or from abilities.
Gambling Tricks
All Gambler Heroes start with the Fortune's Favor Gambling Trick, as well as one extra Random Gambling Trick.
To use a Gambling Trick, spend Fortune Tokens as listed on the card, and make any Skill test needed to successfully trigger the card's game text.
Each Gambling Trick may only be used once per turn.
Gambling Tricks Cards
Card text is printed on each card. XP is the printed value; Double Down and Fortune's Favor show no XP on the card.
Ace in the Hole (10 XP)
If there is no die here, use 1 Fortune Token when you roll a 6 on any single die to place that die here. Roll a new die to replace the 6 that was rolled.
While there is a die here, use 1 Fortune Token to make a Luck 5+ test. If passed, replace any single die just rolled with the 6 that was here (removing the die).
Bluff (20 XP)
Use 1 Fortune Token when you are about to be Attacked by an Enemy (before dice are rolled), to make a Luck 6+ test.
If passed, that Attack is canceled. If failed, all Hits from that Attack are +1 Damage against you.
Cheat (25 XP)
Use 2 Fortune Tokens and take 1 Corruption Hit to select any number of dice just rolled and make a Cunning 6+ test.
If passed, for each 6+ rolled, choose one of the selected dice and rotate it to be on any facing you like. That die now counts as though it had rolled the facing you chose.
This may not target a die that is specifically excluded from using Grit on (such as Hold Back the Darkness).
Counting Cards (15 XP)
Use 1 Fortune Token just after a card has been drawn from any deck, and make a Cunning 6+ test.
If passed, place that card here facedown, and draw a new card to play instead. Any card already here is placed back in its proper deck, D3 cards down from the top of the deck.
Double Down
Once per Fight, use 1 Fortune Token when you are about to make a Damage roll for one of your Hits.
Double the amount rolled for Damage (before any modifiers). If the target would not be killed by this Hit, the Hit does no Damage instead.
Fortune's Favor (Starting Trick)
Use 1 Fortune Token to Re-roll any single die just rolled, even if it has already been Re-rolled.
This may not target a die that is specifically excluded from using Grit on (such as Hold Back the Darkness).
Stack the Deck (10 XP)
Use 1 Fortune Token to choose any card deck, then make a Cunning 6+ test.
If passed, look at the top 3 cards of that deck. Choose one to discard and put the other two back on top of the deck, in any order.
This may not be used on decks that have no discard pile (such as Loot or Scavenge).
Tip the Scales (10 XP)
Use 1 Fortune Token to choose any single die just rolled, and make a Luck 5+ test.
For each 5+ rolled, you may add or subtract 1 from the chosen die roll.
This may not target a die that is specifically excluded from using Grit on (such as Hold Back the Darkness), and may not adjust the die to be higher or lower than it could have naturally rolled.
Gambler Skill Cards
Fancy Footwork
You may roll an extra die for Move each turn, and choose which to use.
If doubles are rolled on your Move dice, also Recover 1 Fortune Token.
High Roller
Your To Hit rolls of 6+ do +1 Damage.
Whenever you Recover a Grit, you may also Recover 1 Fortune Token.
Side Bet
+1 Luck
When making any Skill test (Cunning, Luck, Spirit, etc), if you roll three of a kind, Recover 1 Fortune Token.
However, if you roll three 1s, lose D3 Fortune Tokens instead.
Gambler Upgrade Chart
Printed poster with four upgrade trees, one per column. Each row is one upgrade; the arrows show that a row is taken after the row above it. The upgrade cards for each tree follow in the next section.
Tricks of the Trade
- Nimble Fingers: New Gambling Trick. +1 Acility (sic; printed on both the chart and the card as "Acility", the stat is Agility)
- Tell: For each To Hit roll of 1 an Enemy rolls when attacking you, you may cancel one of its other successful To Hit rolls on you. +1 Fortune
- Old Hand: New Gambling Trick. +1 Cunning
- Make Your Own Luck: You start every Adventure with a Revive Token, usable only by you. Gain 25 XP any time you use it. +1 Luck
Roll the Bones
- On a Roll: Whenever you kill an Enemy, you may Recover 1 Fortune Token. +1 Move
- Box Cars: Any time you roll a '6' for Willpower, Defense, or any Skill test, you may change any other single die of that test into a 6 as well. +1 Initiative
- Blow for Luck: Once per turn, you may spend 1 Grit to Recover 1 Fortune or vice versa. +1 Fortune
- Let it Ride: Any time you roll 4 or more dice together, you may choose any number of those dice to Re-roll once. These dice do not count as having been 'Re-rolled'.
Civilized
- "Well, I Say!": Once per Adventure, you may Recover Fortune Tokens up to your Max. +1 Lore
- Affectation: At the start of each Adventure, draw a Random Personal Item to use until the end of that Adventure/Town Stay (this is in addition to your normal Personal Item).
- Fancy Pants: You are +1 Sanity and +1 Health for each of the following Clothing Items you have equipped: Hat, Belt, Coat, Pants, Torso, Gloves, Boots. You may not stay at the Camp Site in Town.
- Entourage: You only need to pay 50% of the base 'Cost to Hire' for any Allies hired. All Items and Tokens in Town cost you 20% less. (Rounding up to the nearest $5.) +1 Fortune
Card Shark
- Play to Win: Your Poker Face ability now gives a bonus D6+2 x $50 instead, but also gives you an extra Unwanted Attention marker. +1 Fortune
- Cutthroat: You add +1 Shot and +1 Damage to any Light Gun you use (such as a Hold Out Pistol). +1 Max Grit
- Full House: +1 Cunning and Defense 3+ (as printed on the chart; the Full House card reads "+1 Fortune" and Defense 3+, see the Upgrade Cards section)
- Aces High: If your Cunning is higher than an Enemy's Initiative, you are +1 on your To Hit rolls assigned to that Enemy (6+ is a Critical Hit).
Gambler Upgrade Cards
Sixteen upgrade cards, four per tree, as printed on the card faces in the mod sheet. Where a card differs from the chart, the card text is given here and the chart reading is noted.
Tricks of the Trade
Tricks of the Trade 1: Nimble Fingers
New Gambling Trick.
+1 Acility (sic; printed as "Acility" on the card)
Tricks of the Trade 2: Tell
For each To Hit roll of 1 an Enemy rolls when attacking you, you may cancel one of its other successful To Hit rolls on you.
+1 Fortune
Tricks of the Trade 3: Old Hand
New Gambling Trick.
+1 Cunning
Tricks of the Trade 4: Make Your Own Luck
You start every Adventure with a Revive Token, usable only by you. Gain 25 XP any time you use it.
+1 Luck
Roll the Bones
Roll the Bones 1: On a Roll
Whenever you kill an Enemy, you may Recover 1 Fortune Token.
+1 Move
Roll the Bones 2: Box Cars
Any time you roll a '6' for Willpower, Defense, or any Skill test, you may change any other single die of that test into a 6 as well.
+1 Initiative
Roll the Bones 3: Blow for Luck
Once per turn, you may spend 1 Grit to Recover 1 Fortune or vice versa.
+1 Fortune
Roll the Bones 4: Let it Ride (card label reads "Blow for Luck"; the text and the chart both give "Let it Ride", so the text is transcribed under this name. The card has no stat line.)
Any time you roll 4 or more dice together, you may choose any number of those dice to Re-roll once. These dice do not count as having been 'Re-rolled'.
Civilized
Civilized 1: "Well, I Say!"
Once per Adventure, you may Recover Fortune Tokens up to your Max.
+1 Lore
Civilized 2: Affectation
At the start of each Adventure, draw a Random Personal Item to use until the end of that Adventure/Town Stay (this is in addition to your normal Personal Item).
Civilized 3: Fancy Pants
You are +1 Sanity and +1 Health for each of the following Clothing Items you have equipped: Hat, Belt, Coat, Pants, Torso, Gloves, Boots.
You may not stay at the Camp Site in Town.
Civilized 4: Entourage
You only need to pay 50% of the base 'Cost to Hire' for any Allies hired. All Items and Tokens in Town cost you 20% less. (Rounding up to the nearest $5.)
+1 Fortune
Card Shark
Card Shark 1: Play to Win
Your Poker Face ability now gives a bonus D6+2 x $50 instead, but also gives you an extra Unwanted Attention marker.
+1 Fortune
Card Shark 2: Cutthroat
You add +1 Shot and +1 Damage to any Light Gun you use (such as a Hold Out Pistol).
+1 Max Grit
Card Shark 3: Full House (card text as printed; the Gambler Upgrade Chart prints "+1 Cunning and Defense 3+" for this upgrade, a mismatch between the card and the chart. Not resolved here.)
+1 Fortune
Defense 3+
Card Shark 4: Aces High
If your Cunning is higher than an Enemy's Initiative, you are +1 on your To Hit rolls assigned to that Enemy (6+ is a Critical Hit).
Component Notes
- The Gambler's starting Gambling Trick is Fortune's Favor, marked "Starting Trick" on its card. Every Gambler also gets one random Gambling Trick at the start.
- The Pistol gear card that shares a sheet with the Gambling Tricks and skill cards is a Gear card, not Gambler material, and is not transcribed here.
- Gambling Tricks, skill cards and upgrade cards carry no XP or cost unless printed; the Gambling Tricks show the XP value shown above.
- Known discrepancies in the printed material, left as printed: "Acility" on Nimble Fingers (the stat is Agility); the Roll the Bones 4 card label "Blow for Luck" against the "Let it Ride" text and chart entry; and the Full House card "+1 Fortune" against the chart "+1 Cunning".