Compulsive Gambling... Deadly?

[Ragabash Moon]

So, I was just reading over Compulsive Gambling and it says nothing about DANGEROUS gambling...

Now I realize it would be a sadistic GM to have an NPC challenge a Compulsive Gambling character to Russian Roulette, but if the GM was a sadist and offered a game to your character, would you get a bonus to your self control roll due to the fact that it's DEADLY, or would it just be your GM is a sadist, but the rules work exactly as written?

[gjc8]

As a general rule, I'd at least give a bonus to ANY obviously and grotesquely unfair bet, particularly if there's other gambling options available (if the character isn't meeting his daily compulsion, they'd be more vulnerable). A compulsive gambler isn't vulnerable to someone offering $1 versus all his worldly possessions on a coinflip, either.

[jason taylor]

That would be good for a fantasy game. What if a character found himself gambling with Odin?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Ragabash Moon

So, I was just reading over Compulsive Gambling and it says nothing about DANGEROUS gambling...

Now I realize it would be a sadistic GM to have an NPC challenge a Compulsive Gambling character to Russian Roulette, but if the GM was a sadist and offered a game to your character, would you get a bonus to your self control roll due to the fact that it's DEADLY, or would it just be your GM is a sadist, but the rules work exactly as written?

The GM _should_ give positive self-control modifiers for particularly crazy bets. Deciding on legitimate die roll modifiers for circumstances is part of the job.

[Ragabash Moon]

OK, thanks that's what I THOUGHT but i couldn't remember if there was anything about somewhere else it's been awhile since I played or ran GURPS, but Im trying to get some friends to give it a try so I was reading over Comp. Gambling and thought of crazy bets.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

The GM _should_ give positive self-control modifiers for particularly crazy bets. Deciding on legitimate die roll modifiers for circumstances is part of the job.

The crazier the bet, the bigger the modifier. A bizarrely suicidal bet could easily be +15, maybe even +20.

[Pagan]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

The crazier the bet, the bigger the modifier. A bizarrely suicidal bet could easily be +15, maybe even +20.

Wouldn't it be better to use the Task Modifier scale of 1-10? Most of Gurps tropes use a 1-10 scale.

[Ragabash Moon]

Originally Posted by Pagan

Wouldn't it be better to use the Task Modifier scale of 1-10? Most of Gurps tropes use a 1-10 scale.

Yeah much more than 10 is really overkill in GURPS, unless you are playing in my old 3rd edition Supers games where I didn't know to cap frickin' skills at 25, so ended up with players with level 35+ guns skill able to bypass all DR AND deal x4 damage by shooting for the eyes at effective skill 25+.

[Lamech]

I think inane bets don't even need a self-control roll to say no to. 1$ vs everything you own. Similarly if someone draws you into an unknown game and then says "you owe me your house" you don't need to give him your house. Nor would you need to go up against a game of Russian Roulette. For no apparent reason.

I think in general, the possible win needs to be roughly comparable to the loss. The kind of thing you see at casinos. If a character was willing to die to kill someone, he might consider a game of Russian Roulette. If its a random person off the street... not so much.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Pagan

Wouldn't it be better to use the Task Modifier scale of 1-10? Most of Gurps tropes use a 1-10 scale.

If you restrict yourself rigidly to never using modifiers higher than +10 or lower than -10, then you can't give good answers to really extreme questions.