New Villains
One-Eyed JackIntroduction:Sit down, friend. I've been looking for someone to play a few hands with, and you look to be the sort of man that enjoys a good game of poker. A dollar ante? Well, appears you're used to high stakes. Still, I think I can manage. Your deal. By the way, you ever heard of the story of 'One-Eyed Jack'? No? Well, while we play, I'll tell you about it. There's more than a few tales about folks that can do strange things with a deck of cards. They're called 'hucksters', and supposedly Edmund Hoyle was the granddaddy of them all. Now, Hoyle's been dead a long time, but there's a story that's been passed down telling about the dark side of a huckster's powers. Don't give me the eye, friend. You know what I'm talking about - you had the look of a hexslinger when you came through the door. You want to hear the story, or not? Good, it'll give you something to listen to while you lose your money. Speaking of which, Kings over 4's beats your pair of 8's.. Hoyle was an old man when he hid his hexes in his Book of Games, but he still was the master of his craft. More than one aspiring huckster had been planted six feet under when they tried to take Hoyle down. And then, one night, Jack came. He was tall and gaunt, a dapper gentleman who challenged Hoyle to a 'friendly contest'. Hoyle knew what was coming, and when the two sat down at that card table, there was a whole lot of magic in the air. Most folks saw nothing, but the few who had a knack for noticing these things saw the contest of their lives. Hoyle laid down a royal flush in the final hand, and Jack clutched at his left eye. Jack staggered outside, and Hoyle calmly put away his cards. Folding? Pity. Perhaps your luck will be better next hand. Hoyle put a terrible curse on Jack. You see, Jack wasn't human. Supposedly, every time a huckster loses out to the forces he contends with, Jack is reborn. I don't believe that tale, myself, but Hoyle knew that Jack would just come back if he was slain. What about the curse? I'll tell you - as soon as you match me or fold. Ah, that's better. Too bad a Flush beats a Straight. Now, once Hoyle laid down those bindings, Jack couldn't go around killing people. He could only take what was given to him - and most folks don't go around giving up their souls. Running low on funds? Well, I'm a fair man. Put in what you have, and you can owe me. Jack isn't powerless, though, and Hoyle's bindings have weakened in recent years. Should someone lose a contest to him, he can take whatever was bet. You seem a little nervous. Why? After all, what are the chances that I have something better than your Full House. Quite poor, indeed. Unfortunately for you, I've always been lucky, and four Jacks is a better hand. Not that I want much, mind you. Just a little something that's become rather frayed over the years. Hope you enjoyed the game, friend. I don't think you'll be playing again anytime soon...
Marshal Stuff:One-Eyed Jack was formed from the souls of hucksters who lost their lives contesting manitous on the Spirit Plane. He can take any human form - man, woman, or child. But, no matter what appearance Jack takes, he is blind in his left eye. His true form is a corpse with a single glowing spot of red that acts as an eye (the form of the last huckster to die from backlash). Jack is an unusual sort of fearmonger. Forbidden from taking direct action against others, he is restricted to working through others, and tricking people into betting away their souls. He often works with other abominations, using his Tale-Tellin' abilities to maximize the fear caused by their presence. Hoyle's Curse has faded in the years since the Reckoning, though, and he occasionally can break free from it long enough to cause some terror of his own. This only occurs during special times (such as Halloween) or special places. It is rumored that he was in Deadwood when Wild Bill Hickok was shot, and kept Bill from noticing Jack McCall until it was too late. One-Eyed Jack tempts fate when he does this, and it's possible for Hoyle's Curse to hit him strong enough to send him into his next incarnation. Jack's main weakness is the heritage of all the Hucksters that are now a part of him. It's nearly impossible for him to turn down a reasonable bet, as he trusts in his luck to see him through. He's willing to play for any stakes, which is the one way to put him down for good (see below).
ProfileCorporeal: D:2d10, N:2d8, S:4d6, Q:3d10, V:2d8 Mental: C:4d12, K:5d12, M:3d12, Sm:5d12+2, Sp:3d12+2 Hexes: Jack has the combined knowledge of all the hucksters who have died from backlash. Assume that Jack has access to any hex in Hucksters and Hexes.
Special AbilitiesLuck: Jack is supernaturally lucky. He always rerolls 1's, ensuring that he never goes bust. When casting hexes, he always gets at least the minimum hand necessary to cast the hex, and suffers no ill effects from the Black Joker. If he actually draws at least the minimum hand to cast the hex, the hand is increased to the next higher hand for purposes of effect. When drawing from the Action Deck, Jack treats the Black Joker as if it was the red one (though the deck is still reshuffled at the end of the round). For activities that involve a significant amount of luck (such as Gambling, but NOT hexes), add +4 to the roll. Terror: 9 (if he reveals his true form) Immunity: To Wind or physical stress. One-Eyed Jack is affected by other forms of damage just like a Harrowed character, though he heals as if he had Stitchin' 5. Though One-Eyed Jack can be 'killed', he will return within a few months, in the body of another unfortunate Huckster. Rumor has it that he can be banished forever only if he gambles away his own soul. One Eye: Jack does not suffer from a lack of depth perception, despite his one eye. However, he does have a restricted field of vision. Hoyle's Curse: If Jack ever draws the Red Joker when casting a hex or drawing from the Action Deck, Hoyle's Curse rears its ugly head. Jack takes 3d6 of damage to the guts area, which bypasses his immunity (meaning he can take Wind and suffer stun or bleeding results from the curse). In addition, he loses any remaining actions for the round, and any hex cast automatically fails. One-Eyed Jack cannot use Fate Chips to prevent this damage. This is the reason that Jack prefers to avoid direct action. Coup: If Jack should ever be killed permanently, a Harrowed can count coup on him. Non-Huckster Harrowed get Arcane Background: Huckster. Huckster Harrowed, however, are in for a special treat. Anytime a hex is cast, the huckster will always get at least the minimum hand. Furthermore, just like One-Eyed Jack, the huckster raises the effective hand by one level if he draws the minimum needed to use the hex. This is not without its downside - either Joker now causes backlash (though the Red Joker rolls on the Backlash table at -2). Furthermore, the huckster must draw at least five cards (even if they have the 'Old Hand' perk). Backlash may cause a hex to fail despite having the minimum hand needed to cast it. Some folks whisper that the first One-Eyed Jack was killed shortly after the Reckoning, and the one that haunts the Weird West now is a Harrowed corrupted by absorbing the essence of the original One-Eyed Jack...
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