In the vast multiverse, there are many tales of magical decks of cards. Some are minor arcana items, while some hold vast power.
This installment of Deck of Many More Things, introduces the gambler background to deal with cards magical or mundane. At the end, we’ve also included a special conversion for the Tales of the Valiant RPG!
5E Gambler Background
You’ve supported yourself by gambling, both low- and high-stakes wagering. Perhaps you started shooting dice in dusty alleyways with your street urchin friends, or grew up in the glittering, palatial casinos on the rich and mighty. Regardless, you have always been most comfortable when you have dice, cards, or darts in your hand.
It’s easy for you to find group of like-minded folk willing to gamble their hard-earned (or ill-gotten) coin with you. You are a social creature and the focal point of any room you are in. With your dashing ways and derring-do, you are the center of attention in any social gathering. Whether gambling in a pirate’s den or risking a high-stakes wager with a dragon, you are in your element when that element is chance.
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Sleight of Hand
Tool Proficiencies: Dice set, playing card set
Equipment: A set of fine clothes (somewhat threadbare from time and use), a set of dice, a set of playing cards, 1d4 “IOUs” worth 1d10 gp each that can be collected at a future date. A pouch containing 4d10 gp
Feature: Life of the Party
It takes you almost no effort to find and join a social gathering (public or private) where gambling takes place or has participants willing to wager with you. It could be salty sailors shooting dice in a dockside bar, centaurs tossing cabers in the wild, or nobles playing cards in a private parlor. You can find and befriend “marks” almost anywhere.
Suggested Characteristics
Gamblers are inherent risk takers. They rush in where angels fear to tread. Due to their impetuous nature, they are often either on top of the world or under its heel. Everywhere they go, everything they do, they look for an edge over their next mark. Feast or famine is the norm for a professional gambler, as Lady Luck can be generous, or very fickle.
Personality Trait
| d8 | Trait |
| 1 | I am impetuous. I throw myself into a contest, conflict, or even combat with abandon. |
| 2 | I am a cautious and studied gambler: I never enter a contest without having an edge over my opponent(s). |
| 3 | I will risk everything I value for true love. |
| 4 | I am always on the lookout for gullible fools to part from their coin. |
| 5 | I wager with the rich to give back to the poor. |
| 6 | I am always the life of the party, the constant center of attention. |
| 7 | I am fair in my wagering, and wrathful if I feel I have been cheated. |
| 8 | I am chatty and have a story or jape for every occasion—often to the point of distraction for my opponents. |
Ideal
| d6 | Ideal |
| 1 | Point of Honor. I never leave an opponent totally penniless. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Ambition. I gamble to raise myself up by my bootstraps from humble beginnings. (Any) |
| 3 | Adventure. I never gamble in the same place twice. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Generosity. I tip generously and give my excess winnings to the needy. (Good) |
| 5 | Found Family. Money comes and goes. The real treasure is friends and allies. (Good) |
| 6 | Grasping. I will become wealthy and powerful at any cost, by any means necessary. (Evil) |
Bond
| d6 | Bond |
| 1 | I come from a noble lineage that is landless and penniless. My birthright was gambled away by a recent ancestor. Someday I will be wealthy and reclaim my family’s heritage. |
| 2 | I learned my skills from a mentor who disappeared suddenly and completely. I owe it to them to discover their fate or rescue them, if possible. |
| 3 | I plunged an arrogant lord into poverty, causing him to take his own life, impoverishing his widow and children. I send them money or treasure anonymously to assuage my guilt. |
| 4 | I need to pay off an enormous debt my family owes. |
| 5 | Someone stole my lucky gaming set, and I won’t be content until I retrieve it. |
| 6 | I gamble to gain the wealth I need to gain the attentions of my one true love. |
Flaws
| d6 | Flaw |
| 1 | I wager anything recklessly to obtain a rare and valuable treasure. |
| 2 | I will leave a friend or ally penniless if I won all their money fair and square. |
| 3 | I have a horrible “tell” when I gamble that I’m totally unaware of. |
| 4 | I am a coward. When threatened with violence, I leave my winnings on the table and flee immediately. |
| 5 | I am immediately enchanted (to the point of foolhardiness) by a pretty face. |
| 6 | I am charming but unreliable. “Plan? We had a plan that I was part of?” |
Variant Gambler: Pit Boss
You never gamble yourself, but you have always shown a skill for running gambling games and gaming dens, fairly or unfairly. Whenever you are in a populated area, you can easily find employment as a hustler, a pit boss, gambling den manager or a casino director. While employed in this way, you receive a cut of the profits equal to 1d10 gp per week.
Tales of the Valiant Gambler Background
When Tales of the Valiant launches later this year, this is how background will look!
Gambler
You have supported yourself by gambling, both low- and high-stakes wagering. It’s still easy for you to find group of like-minded folk willing to gamble their hard-earned (or ill-gotten) coin with you. With your dashing ways and derring-do, you are always in your element, especially when that element is chance.
Perhaps you started shooting dice in dusty alleyways with your street urchin friends, or you took to the trade in the glittering casinos on the rich and mighty. Regardless, you have always been most comfortable when you have dice, cards, or darts in your hand.
Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Deception, Insight, Perception, or Sleight of Hand.
Additional Proficiencies: Learn one additional language of your choice and gain proficiency with two gaming sets.
Equipment: A deck of cards, a set of fine clothes, three IOUs worth 1d6 gp each, and a coin purse containing 15 gp.
Talent
You are comfortable with risk, but have also made a point to plan accordingly. Choose a talent from this list to represent your experience: Athletics, Scrutinous, or Touch of Luck.
Talents in Tales of the Valiant are like feats in D&D, only a little better. We know you don’t have much context for these . . . yet. Playtesters have responded positively to talents! We’re looking forward to seeing how people like them when the Player’s Guide releases later this year.
Adventuring Motivation
Gamblers are inherent risk takers. If there’s a big win, they go all in. You might have reason to leave a certain society for a while if you’ve won or owe too much from your pursuits. The adventuring life, however, is the biggest gamble of all, and you’re here for the spoils.
Adventuring Motivation Table
| d8 | Adventuring Motivation |
| 1 | My birthright was gambled away by a recent ancestor. Adventuring is how I will get money and power to reclaim my family’s heritage. |
| 2 | Adventuring is how I find new marks to take their money. |
| 3 | I’m so far in debt, the only way I’ll ever pay it back is a big gamble on adventuring. |
| 4 | I love the thrill of the wager. And the most thrilling gamble is with my own life. |
| 5 | The real win is friends and family. Adventuring tells me who these stalwarts truly are. |
| 6 | I learned my skills from a mentor who disappeared suddenly. Adventuring will allows me to discover their fate or rescue them, if possible. |
| 7 | I take odds on my adventuring success. People gamble on whether I come back and what I bring back when I do. Always bet on yourself! |
| 8 | A gambling cheat cost me a fortune. Revenge will be served cold after I go adventuring for a bit to gather fortune and influence. |
The Kickstarter campaign for the Tales of the Valiant Game Master’s Guide launches today! And we already funded LOL.
Go see what’s in it to make your game great!
