HOYLE'S HUCKSTERS
Back in the old days—the really old days,
when folks still believed the earth was
flat—magic was a lot more common than it
is today. For reasons unknown, it began to
fade from the world some time toward the
end of the Dark Ages. Soon magic became
the subject of myth and legend.
Not all was forgotten. Around 1740, a
fellow named Edmund Hoyle wandered
Europe, putting some of the pieces back
together. He knew what he learned would
get him burned at the stake for being a witch
were he to write it down, so he came
up with a cover story for his journal of the
arcane. You and I call it Hoyle’s Book of Games.
The key to Hoyle’s power was
communicating with certain mischievous
spirits—he called them “Jokers” to confuse
the uninitiated—and besting them in mental
duels. He would wager some of his soul
against a Joker’s power, and if he won, he
could force the Joker to carry out some task.
Hoyle eventually refined his mental duels
by visualizing them as hands of poker. Poker
was relatively new at the time, and quickly
became Hoyle’s game of choice whenever he
cast his hexes.
The 1769 edition of Hoyle’s Book of Games
contains these secrets in their purest form.
A proper reading of the complex bridge
diagrams, numeric codes written into card
play examples, and sample scores that
litter the book can uncover secrets beyond
imagining. Later editions of this arcane
tome exist, though they’re not as complete;
unknowing editors often ruined the arcane
formulae in the process of reorganizing and
republishing the manuscript.
But those who knew the secrets of Hoyle’s
Book of Games were rarely able to muster
much in the way of power. Jokers seemed
rare as hen’s teeth, especially those strong
enough to accomplish powerful magic. Then,
in 1863, the world was suddenly flooded
with spirits—including Jokers—and it was
much easier to make use of Hoyle’s formulae.
These wizards of the Weird West call
themselves “hucksters” after the snakeoil
salesmen who so successfully pull the wool
over the public’s eyes. Other terms were
borrowed (and often mistranslated) from
the Indians, who have a different view of
the supernatural. Jokers became “manitous”
and the supernatural plane they call home
became the “Hunting Grounds.”
Witches and warlocks are still considered
evil by most folks, and a dabbler in the socalled
“dark arts” had best keep his hobbies
private. Otherwise, he risks being the
guest of honor at a necktie party. What’s
more, there are more than a few stories of
sorcerous types being hunted by authorities
or overzealous preachers with a few mystical
powers of their own.
PLAYING A HUCKSTER
If a Huckster wants to play it safe, he can
cast hexes as usual and use up his precious
Power Points in the normal way. If he’s
in a gambling mood, though, he can risk
everything for more power.
The would-be warlock must first learn
to communicate with the manitous. This is
easier said than done, especially since the
huckster is trying to do more than scream
at the spirits to leave him alone (like most
well-balanced folks would do in the same
circumstances).
Assuming he’s successful, the huckster
tempts the manitou into a game of wits. This
contest between hucksters and manitous
is entirely cerebral, but most hucksters
visualize the process as some sort of game.
The vast majority “play” poker, though a few
play cribbage, rummy, or mahjong.
DEALING WITH THE DEVIL
Instead of casting a spell normally, a
huckster can choose to engage his
manitou directly. This is more
dangerous than the huckster’s
usual game, but has much greater
potential as well.
Dealing with the Devil is
an action which includes
casting the spell but can
only be attempted once per
turn. While the game seems
to take minutes or
even hours in the
Hunting Grounds,
only a few seconds
pass in the real world.
There are two
main reasons a
huckster might
want to Deal
with the Devil.
First, he can cast
any spell in his Available
Powers list, even those he
doesn’t normally know,
and including those
above his current Rank!
Second, with a
good hand, he
can add any leftover Power Points to his
Spellcasting roll or his personal total.
Here’s how to do it:
- Ante Up: Spend a Benny. That’s the cost the manitou requires to play, partner!
- Choose a Power: Tell the Marshal which power your huckster is trying to cast and total up the number of Power Points it requires, including all Power Modifiers.
- Gamble: Make a Gambling roll, then draw five cards plus one extra card for a success or two with a raise (no cheating on this roll, amigo, the manitou is watching). Failure simply means you get no additional cards. A Critical Failure means you get no additional cards, and after the spell is resolved, the Marshal rolls on the Backfire Table! (See page 88.)
- Make a Poker Hand: Put together the best poker hand from the cards you drew and consult the Dealing with the Devil Table. Jokers are Wild Cards that can be used as any other card, and you get your ante (Benny) back! You can only use the Power Points granted by the hand—not your own pool—when Dealing with the Devil. If you didn’t get enough Power Points, subtract however many points you came up short from the Spellcasting roll in the next step—the game ain’t over yet!
- Cast the Spell: Now make a Spellcasting roll at −2 for each Rank the power is above your current Rank, if any, and −1 for each Power Point you came up short in the last step. If the hand gave you more Power Points than you needed, you may add them to the Spellcasting roll to increase its total, or use them to recharge your regular Power Points for later—your call, but decide before rolling. Critical Failure has the usual consequences and the Marshal rolls on the Backfire Table! (See page 88). Failure (after adding any leftover Power Points, if possible) means the spell fails. The huckster doesn’t spend a Power Point but does lose the ante unless a Joker was used.
Resolve the Hex: If the power was successful, resolve its effects as usual.
TRAPPINGS
Casting a hex causes a hand of mystical
playing cards to materialize in the huckster’s
hand. That’s pretty obvious to anyone paying
attention. Wise hucksters keep a deck of real
cards in hand to conceal the truth. This nifty
bit of legerdemain is why most hucksters are
gamblers with a card-shuffling habit, and it
fools most folks who don’t know exactly
what they’re looking for.
Effects are another matter. Attack powers
take the form of thrown cards glowing with
energy. Powers such as boost Trait don’t have
obvious effects, but something like havoc
certainly does. A viewer with detect arcana
or similar abilities active when the huckster
casts a hex can see the arcane energy too.
HUCKSTER EDGES
HEXSLINGING
REQUIREMENTS: Seasoned, Arcane Background
(Huckster), Shooting d8+
John Henry “Doc” Holliday was a huckster
who learned the secrets of “rune magic,” a
process the ancient Vikings used to enchant
their weapons in days long past. He carved
the runes on his favorite six-gun and
“hexslinging” was born.
Taking a cue from Hoyle, Doc passed
those techniques on to his friends in a series
of dime novels appropriately called The
Adventures of Doc Holliday.
Hexslingers who learn Holliday’s secrets
gain the ammo whammy power (page 75)
and can create their own rune-engraved “hex
guns.” This takes four hours per weapon,
most of which is spent inscribing the barrel
with various runes. The weapon can be any
firearm—a pistol is common, but nothing
stops a hero from making a hex gun out of
a derringer or even a Gatling if she wants!
Once complete, any hexslinger can use that
weapon to cast any of the following powers
(assuming they have them) on or with the
hex gun without incurring a Multi-Action
penalty: ammo whammy, deflection, boost
Shooting, and protection.
These spells have a Range of Self when
cast in this way and can’t use the Additional
Recipients modifier if they have it. Activation
causes the runes on the weapon to glow
subtly, throw sparks, or some similar effect.
HIGH ROLLER
REQUIREMENTS: Seasoned, Spirit d8+, Arcane
Background (Huckster), Spellcasting d6+
Go high or go home. Your hero draws an
extra card anytime he Deals with the Devil
(see page 65).
IMPROVED HIGH ROLLER
REQUIREMENTS: Veteran, High Roller
Your inveterate gambler draws
two extra cards (total) when Dealing
with the Devil.
OLD HAND
REQUIREMENTS: Heroic, Arcane Background
(Huckster), Spellcasting d10+
With knowledge comes power, and this
huckster knows when to say when. After you
form a five-card poker hand when Dealing
with the Devil, you can discard up to three
cards and redraw!
WHATELEY BLOOD
REQUIREMENTS: Novice, Arcane Background
(Huckster)
Somewhere in your family tree is a
crooked branch known as the Whateleys.
This twisted family of inbred witches
and warlocks is known by arcane
types as being powerful—and
extremely crazy. Hucksters with Whateley
spirit running through their veins have
learned “blood magic.”
Many of the Whateleys are deformed,
although your hero doesn’t have to be (take
the appropriate Hindrance if he is). All have
some telltale mark—pale skin, jet-black hair,
long fingernails, sallow complexion, and so
on, and all have green eyes.
Whatever mark you choose, there’s
something about their tainted blood that
puts folks off. That unsettled feeling reduces
the huckster’s Persuasion rolls by 1, though
many overcome it with other Edges taken
separately (Attractive, Charismatic, etc.).
Now for the meat of the Edge. A huckster
with Whateley Blood can voluntarily suffer a
Fatigue level for 5 Power Points, or a Wound
for 10. This is done exactly as you’d think—
by cutting, carving, or otherwise maiming
themselves (as a free action, which makes
it pretty messy!). Whateleys are a slippery
bunch, so if this Incapacitates the caster he
completes his turn before keeling
over for a dirt nap.
