Even in a world scarred by storm and blight, people find ways to pass the time. In taverns thick with smoke, in cathedral cloisters, or in the back rooms of airship moorings, games of chance bring strangers together and tear friends apart. Some play for coin, others for favors, and a few simply for the thrill of seeing the dice tumble.
For adventurers, gambling is more than diversion — it is a language of trust, bluff, and risk. A gambler’s table might be where you make allies, win enemies, or lose everything.
The following games are found in taverns, guildhouses, and fringe dens throughout the world. Each has dozens of local variations, but the rules below are considered standard.
| Hand | Description | Probability % |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | You rolled a 20, a 12, and a 6. | 0.07% |
| Three of a Kind | All three dice show the same number. | 0.42% |
| Two Pair (Max) | Max value on any two dice. | 2.43% |
| Straight | Three dice in a row. | 2.08% |
| Flush | All three dice are even. | 11.11% |
| Pair | Two dice show the same number. | 13.13% |
| High Card | Highest result on the d20. | 70.76% |
Buy-in: Minimum 10 gold, betting in increments of 10 gold.
This is the longest and most dramatic of the dice games, relying on a three-die progression and high-stakes betting. Things like buy-in, betting increments are scene dependent and are subject to change.
The Sequence of Play
At any time during betting, a player may “fold” and forfeit their contribution to the pot. Follow all rules for tournament style poker when dealing with ties, side pots, and other relevant rulings.
The Deceiver’s Edge
If you have proficiency in Deception, you may roll your d20 with advantage (roll two and pick the highest). If you have expertise in Deception, you may roll both your d20 and d12 with advantage.
| Result | Payout |
|---|---|
| Pair | 1:1 |
| Three-of-a-kind | 3:1 |
| Full house | 5:1 |
| Four-of-a-kind | 8:1 |
| Five-of-a-kind | 20:1 |
Buy-in: 1 coin of any type
Payout: varies
Drop a coin in and try for luck. Roll 5d6 all at once. Then look at your results:
Buy-in: Minimum 5 gold
Payout: 3:2
This is the quickest game in any tavern. You roll 2d6.
If your total is 7 or 12, you win. If not, you lose.
At any time, you can double your bet and roll one more d6 to try to hit the total you need.
Buy-in: Minimum 10 gold
Payout: 90% of the pot
This is a bluffing game. Each player rolls 5d6 but keeps them hidden. Everyone then takes turns making a guess about what dice have been rolled in total.
A bid sounds like this: “There are at least four 3s on the table.”
The next player must either raise the bid (make it bigger) or call the last player a liar.
When someone calls “liar,” all dice are revealed: If the bid was true, the bidder wins and the challenger is out. If the bid was false, the challenger wins and the bidder is out. The last person standing takes the pot. The house always takes 10%.
Buy-in: Minimum 5 gold
Payout: 5:1, 2:1
This is a very simple game. Each player has two choices:
The dealer rolls a d20.
If you guessed the exact number, you win five times your bet. If you guessed odd or even correctly, you win twice your bet.
Buy-in: Minimum 10 gold
Payout: 3:2
This is the dice version of blackjack. You and the dealer both roll 2d10, but the dealer keeps one of their dice hidden.
All dice show their face value. A 1 can be worth either 1 or 11, whichever helps the player.
Players take turns rolling extra dice if they want.
The goal is to get as close as possible to 21 without going over.
If the dealer has exactly 21, all players lose. If you get exactly 21, you win. If both you and the dealer hit exactly 21, you get your bet back. Otherwise, everyone compares scores. If your total is higher than the dealer’s (without going over 21), you win.