Out of Character (OOC):
Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen
Venue: Mage: The Awakening 2nd Edition
Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler
Assistant Storytellers: Hannah Nyland & Alex Van Belkum
New Legacy: The Fortune Dealers
“Luck is probability taken personally” – Penn
Jillette
Con men and cardsharps fill the ranks of the Fortune Dealers.
These gamblers approach life as a great game and use the study of smaller
games in order to understand the bigger picture. They can be found
anywhere that the sleeping world relies on random chance and fate but are drawn
mostly to games. The teachings of the Legacy is that the Supernal Realm
is reflected into fallen world as the fallen world is reflected in the cards
and odds, and to understand the lower gives an understanding of the higher so
that the willworker bridges the gap between all three. As such, they
spend the majority of their time sitting in at card games studying all the
nuances of the different games. How the cards fall, how the players
react, and ultimately, what the winners do to win. The game, as they see
it, is a microcosm. First they grow to understand the Game and then the
players’ influence of it. Once their understanding of that relationship,
of Higher to Lower, is attained they can then step back from the game and know
the fallen world through the Eyes of Arcadia.
Parentage: Acanthus
Nicknames: Huxters, Hoyle's Hucksters, Dealers, Fate Dealers, Hexslingers,
Primary Arcanum: Fate (Secondary: Mind)
Prerequisites: Gnosis 2, Fate 1, Science or Occult 1, one specialty skill
Recommended Specialty Skills: gambling, probability, chaos theory, mathematics, simulations, psychology, sociology, card games, game systems, divination methods, tarot
Recommended Merits: Fate, Destiny, Cartomancy
Orders:
While the Fortune Dealers do not, as a matter of policy,
favor any order, some Orders are more drawn to the philosophy of the Legacy
more than others. Initially this legacy drew primarily from members of
the Mysterium. With the advent of the Free Council, however, that Order
has become predominant within the Huxters. The Guardians of the Veil are
the least likely to become a Dealer mostly because of the open way in witch the
Legacy was formed. The careless dissemination of knowledge of the
Supernal realms has rubbed many of the Guardians the wrong way.
Appearances:
Most Huxters are drawn to the finer
things in life. This does not mean that they necessarily keep elaborate
estates filled with riches. Usually it is quite the opposite. The
Dealers often trust to fate to provide them with what they need at the time
it’s just that those needs tend towards the opulent. Huxters have a
tendency to dress well and have a certain flamboyant air about them.
Background:
The Fortune Dealers come from all walks
of life and have only a single unifying theme to them: they have made an
existence living off fortune. The good fortune of themselves or the bad
fortune of other matters little and at the end of the day is just a matter of
perception.
Organization:
The Huxters are very loosely organized
and have no formal structure. Often when two or more members get together
the meeting will eventually evolve into a game of some kind. This allows
for a pecking order to be established by whom fortune and skill favor the most
at the time. It also allows for a catch up on news and gossip. The
game is also used for settling disputes amongst members and is oft times used
in place of a Duel Arcane. It is considered the ultimate in bad form to
use supernal powers at any of the games.
Oblations:
Learning or developing a new game of Chance.
Winning a ‘Big pot’ without the use of magic. Calculating a new way
to ‘beat the house’ ala Ed Thorp.
Yantras:
Tools made from gaming implements (cards, dice, tokens) (+1), leaving a decision to chance (+1), a casino, saloon, or bar (+1), using a randomizer of some kind (+1), using chaos theory or probability mathematics (+1), incorporating an actual game of chance with consequences into the spell (+2)
Concepts:
Professional Gambler, Con Artist, Probability
mathematician, Card Shark, Tarot Reader,
Inspirational material:
Movies:
- Rounders (1998)
- Maverick (1994)
- The Color of Money (1986)
TV:
- Breaking Vegas (2004)
- X-Files: Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose (1995)
Books:
- Deadlands RPG
History:
In
1741 Edmond Hoyle began work as a whist tutor to members of High Society.
Previous to that, he was trained to become a barrister but something happened
in his life to make him turn from that path. What is believed by the
Fortune dealers to have happened, was his awakening and turning to the Path of
the Acanthus. After that time he became focused, some would say obsessed,
on the nature of games of chance and eventually wrote several treatises on such
games. His first being “A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist,” Hoyle
followed with similar treatises on backgammon, chess, quadrille, piquet, and
brag. In 1750, a single compendium of these was published. These works
were so influential in the world of gaming and gambling that many modern card
game rulebooks contain the word Hoyle in the title despite the fact that they
do not derive from his original works. Many Acanthus grew to believe that
within the text of his works was something other than rules of various games,
but rules of the supernal worlds, most notably of the realm of Arcadia.
It was said that Acanthus reading the works gained such insights to the
nature of their path that they began the journey towards a new Legacy.
Of Hoyle’s original works only 2 survive today. Both are
held under the watchful eyes of the Awakened, lest the suspected secrets
contained therein do untoward damage to the Sleepers. One is kept in the
Bodleian Library situated in the Tower of the Five Orders in Oxford. The other
is held at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, an Archive at the
University of Texas at Austin. While the texts are no longer available,
the teachings contained within them have been passed on from Teacher to Student
for over 200 Years.
The nickname of Huxters came about mostly due to the flash in
the pan attitude many of them had, traveling the world looking to test their
understanding of chance and fate. By the mid 1800’s the Huxters were
drawn to the American West by the proliferation of gambling houses and saloons
that had cropped up across the land. Moving the Legacy from the more
civilized Whist tables into the less cultured Saloons where one also had to
judge the nature of you opponent and play them as well as the cards, created
more opportunities. The tradition has held to that flavor ever since and places
great value on the Mind Arcana in addition to Fate.
Then in the Legacy disappeared. It began to lose
membership as the Great War approached and by the time the Great Depression was
in full swing the Legacy was no more. The days of High Class gambling
were at an end.
Only recently, with the renewed interest in card games and
gambling have the Acanthus sought to walk that path again. And so it was
that through the Lore houses, his time studying in Austin and his own tenacity
and style, that Templeton became a student of Edmund Hoyle and is bringing the
Legacy Forth anew.
Society and Culture
A Dealer will choose an alteration of Fate to follow based on
his own criteria. When a Huxter finds that their current unknowing lab
rat interacts with the lab rat of another Huxter, they will sit down to compare
notes. Rarely is there any real issue between Fortune Dealers.
Neither are they excessively involved in each other’s affairs; each one
has their own hand to Play. Independence is valued, other than by those
who need a Judas Goat.
Nearly any dispute between Huxters can be decided at the table,
and almost all are willing to accept the result of this truly high stakes
gamble. Those who will not abide by the decision of Fate, often their
mentor will be called in to have a talk with the poor loser. This is
rarely pleasant, as if the defeated is unwilling to abide by logic and what was
decided at the table, the Legacy as a whole will act as immediate karmic
balance. A fool will end up suffering the appropriate consequences, and
will learn or die. Any member of the Legacy who is overly willing to take
on Paradox is watched closely by the few Guardians who join.
Induction
The Huxters are always on the lookout for anyone, Mage or not,
who is an inveterate observer of Chance. The Sleepers are noted to keep a
half an eye on in case they should Awaken. Those who have taken that step
are invited to the table. Observed, preferably by more than one Huxter,
their motives are weighed, their tells marked. If they pass the
inspection, they are approached by a single member of the Legacy who is willing
to expose them to the mysteries of the realm. Not all inductions follow
this formula. Occasionally, a Fortune Dealer will notice an extremely
promising student, and trust to Fate that he must be brought in at that time.
Those who pass muster are shown the Legacy’s unwillingness to alter Fate
while at the table. If the student doesn’t understand that all else is
essentially fair game, the teacher will pass the word that the potential
student is lacking the ability to think around corners, and thus would not be a
good fit at this time. There is a small branch of Huxters who will
continue to scrutinize the potential student over time to see if they gain a level
of understanding inimical to the needs of the Legacy.
If the student manages to show a capability to scrutinize the
way life is altered by Fate, and has proven their assessments to be viable, the
mentor will bring them into the Legacy. The student is instructed on the
quick and dirty history, highlights of past games, and the specifics of the way
the Legacy uses all forms of Chance to reform reality. Many students will
at this time change their path tool to be a coin, a dice cup, or on rare
occasions, a stack of Go stones. The newly joined Huxter will be shown
the possibilities of probing and altering Chance. When the
mentor feels the student is capable of playing on their own once again, they’re
released from tutelage. There is no shame in finding that a student takes
longer than expected to mentally revise their personal philosophy towards the
Game.
Before a Fortune Dealer is able to fully reflect on the Game,
they must recognize that when others of their Legacy verbally capitalize
certain words, they are not referring to whatever bit of chance they’re
playing, but to life. The Table, the Players, the Hand are never a
literal interpretation, but instead a way to communicate in a fashion that is
both discrete and understandable.
Legacy Attainments
First Attainment O “What Are the Odds?”
Prerequisites: Initiation
Practice: Knowing
Factors: Potency equal to dots in Fate, the effect is Instant
This spell grants the mage a momentary glimpse of all the potential roads her destiny may follow to her desired destination, which allows the mage to identify the next step she must
take to accomplish a stated objective. Upon casting, the mage receives a clear omen that suggests a course of action that will lead her closer to her goal. This seldom guarantees immediate success, especially if the task before her is complicated, but can provide an important breakthrough.
Optional Component: (Mind 1) "Know the Tells"
Skills con men and card players can read a person’s body
language and facial expressions to get a good feel for what a person in
thinking and feeling, this attainment simply extends that perception into their
surface thoughts giving a clearer picture.
This attainment works Per Mental Scan M:tA 2nd
ed pg 159
Practice: Unveiling
Factors: Potency equal to dots in Mind, effect is instant
Withstand: Composure
By quickly scanning the very surface of a subject’s thoughts, the mage is capable of discerning his mental and emotional state. For each level of Potency, the mage may ask the Storyteller a single question to gain information about the subject’s mental or emotional state. This information comes as flashes of insight from the subject’s thoughts, so the Storyteller should be sure to represent her answers as such.
Sample Questions
• What is the subject’s current mood?
• How intelligent is the subject?
• Is the subject supernatural?
• What does the subject most desire?
• What, if any, psychosis does the subject suffer?
Second Attainment OO “Card Counting”
Prerequisites: Gnosis 2/3, Fate 2, Science or Occult 2,
The Fortune dealers have developed an eye for the way small
changes effect large systems. Knowing how many face cards have come out of the
shoe as it were. As such the dealers can seize the moment when those changes
are about to reach a cusp and take advantage of the results. This attainment
functions as the Fate 2 "Shifting the Odds"
MtA 2nd ed pg. 136 spell, and may be used a number of times
per game session equal to the Mages dots in Fate. There is a drawback however.
Luck works both ways and if repeated attempts to accomplish the same goal fail
the Huxter is hit with a backlash of bad luck appropriate to the task he was
attempting.
Practice: Ruling
Factor: Duration lasts a Scene, Potency equal to dots in Fate
An Apprentice of Fate always has access to what she needs at the moment. The mage focuses on locating a particular kind of person, place, or thing, and this spell directs her steps to it unerringly as soon as possible within the next 24 hours as long as the spell remains active. Casting the spell looking for a kind of person in a crowd or an item anywhere it could appear is usually enough to immediately succeed. The spell can find someone with a specific Trait, occupation, or context-specific quality (e.g. “corrupt cop”), but it only locates the nearest or most available subject matching the description the mage provides, never a specific person or object (although destiny sometimes draws familiar faces together). Alternatively, the mage gains temporary access to certain Social Merits (Ally, Contacts, Mentor, Resources, or Retainer) with a rating no greater than Potency. Fate guides her to dropped cash, unattended mundane items, or useful strangers she can easily convince to do her a quick favor. The mage may benefit from this Merit a number of times no greater than Potency, after which the money runs out or the ally of convenience goes his own way unless the mage’s character spends Experiences to purchase the Merit.
Optional Component: (Mind 2) "Pay no Attention"
Those that are exceptionally lucky tend to get noticed. For the
Awakened this is not always a desirable result. As such, Huxters with Mind may
also hide from casual observation at this level. This attainment is similar to the Mind 2 "Incognito Presence" spell (p.
208, allowing her to walk openly but unnoticed by others). To activate this
attainment, the mage merely performs an instant action.
Practice: Veiling
Factors: Duration lasts a scene, Potency is equal to dots in Mind
Withstand: Resolve
The mage hides the subject’s psychic presence, causing onlookers to ignore her. When people look at her, they want to avert their eyes, or barely notice her. People cannot remember seeing her when they are no longer looking her way. Beings using supernatural abilities to concentrate on her, including Active Mage Sight, provoke a Clash of Wills.
Third Attainment OOO “Open up the Sleeve”
Prerequisites: Fate 3, Gnosis 4/5, Occult or
Science 3, a second specialty skill
Play the cards as they fall. A fortune dealer does a lot to try
to stack the deck in his favor but once the cards are revealed that is what
they are and you have to live with them. This attainment enforces that. It
prevents outside forces form unduly effecting the deal. The Fortune Dealer may
activate the Fate 3 "Occlude Destiny"
spell for a scene by taking an Instant action. This effect has a Potency equal
to the Mages dots in the Fate arcanum.
Practice: Shielding
Factors: Duration lasts a Scene, Potency equal to dots in Fate
The spell’s Potency contends against all other mages’ attempts to perceive or alter the target’s destiny. Such attempts provoke a Clash of Wills (Gnosis + Fate).
Practice: Weaving
Factors: Duration lasts a Scene, Potency equal to dots in Mind.
Withstand: Composure
The mage confuses her subject’s senses, making him believe she is someone else. She can invent an appearance, or mimic the exact look, sound, and smell of any individual she knows. Unless the mage has interacted extensively with the person she is impersonating,
she must make a Manipulation + Subterfuge roll when she first begins interacting with her subject, and every minute she continues interacting with him. The spell cannot mimic specific Social Merits that grant dice bonuses to Social rolls. If the mage opens any Doors, or makes any new first impressions, the progress benefit goes to the person she is impersonating, not herself. Attempts to pierce the deception magically provoke a clash of wills.
Fourth Attainment OOOO “Stacking the Deck”
Prerequisites: Gnosis 6/7, Fate 4, Occult or Science 4,
Million to one odds crop up nine times out of ten. at this
level, the dealer is blessed with an almost infallible luck. They understand
the patterns of fate and can walk along them like a spider in his own web. The
Mage may apply the use of the Fate 4 “Strings of Fate”
spell.
Practice: Patterning
Factors: Duration lasts a Scene
Withstand: Resolve
The roads of destiny fork and converge, governing the probability of events. An adept of Fate can re-weave the strings of Fate on a subject, encouraging (if not ensuring) that a specified event will happenas long as the spell remains active. The mage specifies an event that she wishes to happen to the subject. If the event would be possible without magic or any effort on the subject’s part, it occurs as soon as circumstances allow as long as the spell’s Duration is in effect. If the event requires the subject’s participation or cannot take place without a change in circumstances, the spell introduces opportunities to work towards the event, at least once per week while the spell remains on the subject. If the event is simply impossible, the spell has no effect.
For example, if a mage casts the spell on herself and specifies that she will meet with her mentor while they are both in the same city, they will “randomly” cross paths at first opportunity. If she casts it on a Sleepwalker ally and specifies that he will recover a stolen artifact (when, unknown to her, it has been moved) he will find travel tickets for the artifact’s new location, clues pointing there, or reasons to travel there. If she cast it on a student and specifies that he will become a doctor, circumstances will hint at a transfer to pre-med. The spell cannot deal damage directly, though it can put subjects in harm’s way. For example, a mage could curse a victim with this spell specifying that she will be in a car wreck, or exposed to a disease.
Optional Component: (Mind 4) "Summer Jobs"
Being prepared for any eventuality is critical when
navigating the fortunes of the world.
This attainment operates as per “Gain Skill”
M:tA 2nd ed pg 163.
Practice: Patterning
Factors: Duration lasts a Scene, Potency equal to dots in Mind
The mage is capable of temporarily granting the subject a Skill, granting a number of dots in one Skill per level of Potency of the spell. The spell cannot increase the subject’s Skill above the normal maximum.
Fifth Attainment OOOOO Unknown
Prerequisites: Gnosis 8/9, Fate 5, Occult or Science 5, a third specialty skill
Templeton has yet to develop the final Attainment to his interpretation of the Legacy.
Appendix: The Manitous
Huxters are those Fate Mages who knew and learned the secrets of Hoyle’s Book
of Games. Some Fortune Dealers not only use games to sympathetically read and alter and harmonize the Supernal and Phemoral worlds but entreat with Supernal Beings especially attracted to their attainments and magic.
Huxters get their name from the snake-oil salesmen of the wild west who so successfully pull the wool over the collective public’s eyes seizing opportunities on the frontiers of America. Other terms they borrowed from the American Indians, who had a different view of the way things worked. Jokers in the magical deck of cards became known to them as the Manitous.
These Supernal Entities (which they call Manitous) are suspected to be a certain type of Moirae, Fate Beings from the Supernal Realm of Arcadia. Some of this particular subset of Huxters are said to play games against the Manitous, bringing the entity's powerful magic into the world when they win and suffering terrible consequences when they lose.
Entreating with the Manitous isn’t easy. Before a Dealer can get them
to do his bidding, he must first learn how to communicate with them by summoning them with magic or attracting their attention using excessive amounts of Focused Mage Sight on things that Resonate with the vicissitudes of fate. Needless to say, getting their attention is never
an easy task.
Assuming the Manitous don’t drive him insane, the Huxter must then entreat with the entities and convince them to agree to engage in a game of wits and chance. This is a form of Supernal Trial or Ordeal. The game, which takes place completely in the mind of the Huxter might seem to take minutes, hours, or even days. But time
in the physical world moves much slower, so engaging with a Manitou usually takes a Huxter only a few seconds. A really good (and lucky) Huxter can have a Manitou licked fast enough in the Supernal World to beat a gunslinger in a
fair draw back in the real world.
A Hellish Game of Wits
The game the Huxter
plays with a Manitou is entirely cerebral, but humans perform much better at
such things by visualizing an actual game that is familiar to them. The most
common game among Huxters is, of course, poker. If the Huxter loses
his game, he loses whatever he bet and the Manitou retreats to the Supernal World. Should he win, the Manitou is forced to do his
bidding for a service that was agreed upon. The drawback is that a Manitou cannot normally affect the physical
world directly unless they were summoned into it. Usually the Huxter must actually allow the entity to inhabit his
body for a short time in order to accomplish its task. Beating the Manitou
means it is “controlled” and cannot act against the wishes of the the Huxter while it possesses their body. The Fortune Dealer has awareness of what the being is doing but won't be able to act unless the being relinquishes control. A Manitou is a sly creature. Sometimes it tricks the Huxter into thinking
she’s won so she allows it into her body uncontrolled. When an out of control Manitou cuts loose, acting out its bizarre and alien desires which tend to skew to the chaotic and highly disruptive.
Hexslinging
Huxters are know for their aptitude for hexes and curses. Their deals and games with the Devils of Arcadia can allow them to blessing and curses that exceed their magical talents. Of course, getting in contact and conducting the trails open the summoner to spiritual forms of attack. Manitous, especially those somehow cheated by the Fate Dealer can old a grudge and "follow" the mage around from the Supernal World. They harass the mage with subtle or vulgar bad luck until reparations are made.
Dealers of Fate
Hoyle's Hucksters have the potential to be formidable mages when they have learned to utilize the power of the Manitou. When things go their way, they can hide perfectly in plain sight, summon storms, or squeeze a man’s heart remotely so hard it bursts. When
a Manitou gets its way, the Huxter’s going to be hip deep in it. It’s all a
matter of playing the odds, but a smart Huxter learns to hedge (no pun intended) his bets
before diving into a deal with these unfathomable Moire. When poker or other card games are used, a Huxter that wins his mental duel usually looks at their winning hand and uses that focus to draw the Manitou or its hex into their body. The use of cards is a common "tell" to identifying mages of this legacy, especially those who entreat with Manitous.
Venue: Mage: The Awakening 2nd Edition
Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler
New Legacy: The Fortune Dealers
Legacy designed by Sean Bergeman, edits by Jerad Sayler
“Luck is probability taken personally” – Penn
Jillette
Con men and cardsharps fill the ranks of the Fortune Dealers. These gamblers approach life as a great game and use the study of smaller games in order to understand the bigger picture. They can be found anywhere that the sleeping world relies on random chance and fate but are drawn mostly to games. The teachings of the Legacy is that the Supernal Realm is reflected into fallen world as the fallen world is reflected in the cards and odds, and to understand the lower gives an understanding of the higher so that the willworker bridges the gap between all three. As such, they spend the majority of their time sitting in at card games studying all the nuances of the different games. How the cards fall, how the players react, and ultimately, what the winners do to win. The game, as they see it, is a microcosm. First they grow to understand the Game and then the players’ influence of it. Once their understanding of that relationship, of Higher to Lower, is attained they can then step back from the game and know the fallen world through the Eyes of Arcadia.
Parentage: Acanthus
Nicknames: Huxters, Hoyle's Hucksters, Dealers, Fate Dealers, Hexslingers,
Primary Arcanum: Fate (Secondary: Mind)
Prerequisites: Gnosis 2, Fate 1, Science or Occult 1, one specialty skill
Recommended Specialty Skills: gambling, probability, chaos theory, mathematics, simulations, psychology, sociology, card games, game systems, divination methods, tarot
Recommended Merits: Fate, Destiny, Cartomancy
Orders:
While the Fortune Dealers do not, as a matter of policy,
favor any order, some Orders are more drawn to the philosophy of the Legacy
more than others. Initially this legacy drew primarily from members of
the Mysterium. With the advent of the Free Council, however, that Order
has become predominant within the Huxters. The Guardians of the Veil are
the least likely to become a Dealer mostly because of the open way in witch the
Legacy was formed. The careless dissemination of knowledge of the
Supernal realms has rubbed many of the Guardians the wrong way.
Appearances:
Appearances:
Most Huxters are drawn to the finer
things in life. This does not mean that they necessarily keep elaborate
estates filled with riches. Usually it is quite the opposite. The
Dealers often trust to fate to provide them with what they need at the time
it’s just that those needs tend towards the opulent. Huxters have a
tendency to dress well and have a certain flamboyant air about them. Background:
The Fortune Dealers come from all walks
of life and have only a single unifying theme to them: they have made an
existence living off fortune. The good fortune of themselves or the bad
fortune of other matters little and at the end of the day is just a matter of
perception.
Organization:
Organization:
The Huxters are very loosely organized
and have no formal structure. Often when two or more members get together
the meeting will eventually evolve into a game of some kind. This allows
for a pecking order to be established by whom fortune and skill favor the most
at the time. It also allows for a catch up on news and gossip. The
game is also used for settling disputes amongst members and is oft times used
in place of a Duel Arcane. It is considered the ultimate in bad form to
use supernal powers at any of the games.
Oblations:
Oblations:
Learning or developing a new game of Chance.
Winning a ‘Big pot’ without the use of magic. Calculating a new way
to ‘beat the house’ ala Ed Thorp.
Yantras:
Concepts:
Professional Gambler, Con Artist, Probability
mathematician, Card Shark, Tarot Reader,
Inspirational material:
Movies:
- Rounders (1998)
- Maverick (1994)
- The Color of Money (1986)
TV:
- Breaking Vegas (2004)
- X-Files: Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose (1995)
Books:
- Deadlands RPG
History:
In 1741 Edmond Hoyle began work as a whist tutor to members of High Society. Previous to that, he was trained to become a barrister but something happened in his life to make him turn from that path. What is believed by the Fortune dealers to have happened, was his awakening and turning to the Path of the Acanthus. After that time he became focused, some would say obsessed, on the nature of games of chance and eventually wrote several treatises on such games. His first being “A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist,” Hoyle followed with similar treatises on backgammon, chess, quadrille, piquet, and brag. In 1750, a single compendium of these was published. These works were so influential in the world of gaming and gambling that many modern card game rulebooks contain the word Hoyle in the title despite the fact that they do not derive from his original works. Many Acanthus grew to believe that within the text of his works was something other than rules of various games, but rules of the supernal worlds, most notably of the realm of Arcadia. It was said that Acanthus reading the works gained such insights to the nature of their path that they began the journey towards a new Legacy.
Of Hoyle’s original works only 2 survive today. Both are
held under the watchful eyes of the Awakened, lest the suspected secrets
contained therein do untoward damage to the Sleepers. One is kept in the
Bodleian Library situated in the Tower of the Five Orders in Oxford. The other
is held at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, an Archive at the
University of Texas at Austin. While the texts are no longer available,
the teachings contained within them have been passed on from Teacher to Student
for over 200 Years.
The nickname of Huxters came about mostly due to the flash in the pan attitude many of them had, traveling the world looking to test their understanding of chance and fate. By the mid 1800’s the Huxters were drawn to the American West by the proliferation of gambling houses and saloons that had cropped up across the land. Moving the Legacy from the more civilized Whist tables into the less cultured Saloons where one also had to judge the nature of you opponent and play them as well as the cards, created more opportunities. The tradition has held to that flavor ever since and places great value on the Mind Arcana in addition to Fate.
Then in the Legacy disappeared. It began to lose membership as the Great War approached and by the time the Great Depression was in full swing the Legacy was no more. The days of High Class gambling were at an end.
Only recently, with the renewed interest in card games and gambling have the Acanthus sought to walk that path again. And so it was that through the Lore houses, his time studying in Austin and his own tenacity and style, that Templeton became a student of Edmund Hoyle and is bringing the Legacy Forth anew.
Society and Culture
A Dealer will choose an alteration of Fate to follow based on his own criteria. When a Huxter finds that their current unknowing lab rat interacts with the lab rat of another Huxter, they will sit down to compare notes. Rarely is there any real issue between Fortune Dealers. Neither are they excessively involved in each other’s affairs; each one has their own hand to Play. Independence is valued, other than by those who need a Judas Goat.
Nearly any dispute between Huxters can be decided at the table, and almost all are willing to accept the result of this truly high stakes gamble. Those who will not abide by the decision of Fate, often their mentor will be called in to have a talk with the poor loser. This is rarely pleasant, as if the defeated is unwilling to abide by logic and what was decided at the table, the Legacy as a whole will act as immediate karmic balance. A fool will end up suffering the appropriate consequences, and will learn or die. Any member of the Legacy who is overly willing to take on Paradox is watched closely by the few Guardians who join.
Induction
The Huxters are always on the lookout for anyone, Mage or not, who is an inveterate observer of Chance. The Sleepers are noted to keep a half an eye on in case they should Awaken. Those who have taken that step are invited to the table. Observed, preferably by more than one Huxter, their motives are weighed, their tells marked. If they pass the inspection, they are approached by a single member of the Legacy who is willing to expose them to the mysteries of the realm. Not all inductions follow this formula. Occasionally, a Fortune Dealer will notice an extremely promising student, and trust to Fate that he must be brought in at that time. Those who pass muster are shown the Legacy’s unwillingness to alter Fate while at the table. If the student doesn’t understand that all else is essentially fair game, the teacher will pass the word that the potential student is lacking the ability to think around corners, and thus would not be a good fit at this time. There is a small branch of Huxters who will continue to scrutinize the potential student over time to see if they gain a level of understanding inimical to the needs of the Legacy.
If the student manages to show a capability to scrutinize the way life is altered by Fate, and has proven their assessments to be viable, the mentor will bring them into the Legacy. The student is instructed on the quick and dirty history, highlights of past games, and the specifics of the way the Legacy uses all forms of Chance to reform reality. Many students will at this time change their path tool to be a coin, a dice cup, or on rare occasions, a stack of Go stones. The newly joined Huxter will be shown the possibilities of probing and altering Chance. When the mentor feels the student is capable of playing on their own once again, they’re released from tutelage. There is no shame in finding that a student takes longer than expected to mentally revise their personal philosophy towards the Game.
Before a Fortune Dealer is able to fully reflect on the Game, they must recognize that when others of their Legacy verbally capitalize certain words, they are not referring to whatever bit of chance they’re playing, but to life. The Table, the Players, the Hand are never a literal interpretation, but instead a way to communicate in a fashion that is both discrete and understandable.
Legacy Attainments
Movies:
- Rounders (1998)
- Maverick (1994)
- The Color of Money (1986)
TV:
- Breaking Vegas (2004)
- X-Files: Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose (1995)
Books:
- Deadlands RPG
History:
In 1741 Edmond Hoyle began work as a whist tutor to members of High Society. Previous to that, he was trained to become a barrister but something happened in his life to make him turn from that path. What is believed by the Fortune dealers to have happened, was his awakening and turning to the Path of the Acanthus. After that time he became focused, some would say obsessed, on the nature of games of chance and eventually wrote several treatises on such games. His first being “A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist,” Hoyle followed with similar treatises on backgammon, chess, quadrille, piquet, and brag. In 1750, a single compendium of these was published. These works were so influential in the world of gaming and gambling that many modern card game rulebooks contain the word Hoyle in the title despite the fact that they do not derive from his original works. Many Acanthus grew to believe that within the text of his works was something other than rules of various games, but rules of the supernal worlds, most notably of the realm of Arcadia. It was said that Acanthus reading the works gained such insights to the nature of their path that they began the journey towards a new Legacy.
The nickname of Huxters came about mostly due to the flash in the pan attitude many of them had, traveling the world looking to test their understanding of chance and fate. By the mid 1800’s the Huxters were drawn to the American West by the proliferation of gambling houses and saloons that had cropped up across the land. Moving the Legacy from the more civilized Whist tables into the less cultured Saloons where one also had to judge the nature of you opponent and play them as well as the cards, created more opportunities. The tradition has held to that flavor ever since and places great value on the Mind Arcana in addition to Fate.
Then in the Legacy disappeared. It began to lose membership as the Great War approached and by the time the Great Depression was in full swing the Legacy was no more. The days of High Class gambling were at an end.
Only recently, with the renewed interest in card games and gambling have the Acanthus sought to walk that path again. And so it was that through the Lore houses, his time studying in Austin and his own tenacity and style, that Templeton became a student of Edmund Hoyle and is bringing the Legacy Forth anew.
Society and Culture
A Dealer will choose an alteration of Fate to follow based on his own criteria. When a Huxter finds that their current unknowing lab rat interacts with the lab rat of another Huxter, they will sit down to compare notes. Rarely is there any real issue between Fortune Dealers. Neither are they excessively involved in each other’s affairs; each one has their own hand to Play. Independence is valued, other than by those who need a Judas Goat.
Nearly any dispute between Huxters can be decided at the table, and almost all are willing to accept the result of this truly high stakes gamble. Those who will not abide by the decision of Fate, often their mentor will be called in to have a talk with the poor loser. This is rarely pleasant, as if the defeated is unwilling to abide by logic and what was decided at the table, the Legacy as a whole will act as immediate karmic balance. A fool will end up suffering the appropriate consequences, and will learn or die. Any member of the Legacy who is overly willing to take on Paradox is watched closely by the few Guardians who join.
Induction
The Huxters are always on the lookout for anyone, Mage or not, who is an inveterate observer of Chance. The Sleepers are noted to keep a half an eye on in case they should Awaken. Those who have taken that step are invited to the table. Observed, preferably by more than one Huxter, their motives are weighed, their tells marked. If they pass the inspection, they are approached by a single member of the Legacy who is willing to expose them to the mysteries of the realm. Not all inductions follow this formula. Occasionally, a Fortune Dealer will notice an extremely promising student, and trust to Fate that he must be brought in at that time. Those who pass muster are shown the Legacy’s unwillingness to alter Fate while at the table. If the student doesn’t understand that all else is essentially fair game, the teacher will pass the word that the potential student is lacking the ability to think around corners, and thus would not be a good fit at this time. There is a small branch of Huxters who will continue to scrutinize the potential student over time to see if they gain a level of understanding inimical to the needs of the Legacy.
If the student manages to show a capability to scrutinize the way life is altered by Fate, and has proven their assessments to be viable, the mentor will bring them into the Legacy. The student is instructed on the quick and dirty history, highlights of past games, and the specifics of the way the Legacy uses all forms of Chance to reform reality. Many students will at this time change their path tool to be a coin, a dice cup, or on rare occasions, a stack of Go stones. The newly joined Huxter will be shown the possibilities of probing and altering Chance. When the mentor feels the student is capable of playing on their own once again, they’re released from tutelage. There is no shame in finding that a student takes longer than expected to mentally revise their personal philosophy towards the Game.
Before a Fortune Dealer is able to fully reflect on the Game, they must recognize that when others of their Legacy verbally capitalize certain words, they are not referring to whatever bit of chance they’re playing, but to life. The Table, the Players, the Hand are never a literal interpretation, but instead a way to communicate in a fashion that is both discrete and understandable.
Legacy Attainments
Prerequisites: Initiation
Quickly knowing what the odds of any given situation is
critical in knowing how to react to it. Should you let it ride, walk away, or
cheat? This attainment give the Fortune Dealer an edge in determining the best
results in any given situation. Per Fate 1 "Serendipity" M:tA 2nd
ed pg 135.
Factors: Potency equal to dots in Fate, the effect is Instant
This spell grants the mage a momentary glimpse of all the potential roads her destiny may follow to her desired destination, which allows the mage to identify the next step she must
take to accomplish a stated objective. Upon casting, the mage receives a clear omen that suggests a course of action that will lead her closer to her goal. This seldom guarantees immediate success, especially if the task before her is complicated, but can provide an important breakthrough.
Optional Component: (Mind 1) "Know the Tells"
Skills con men and card players can read a person’s body
language and facial expressions to get a good feel for what a person in
thinking and feeling, this attainment simply extends that perception into their
surface thoughts giving a clearer picture.
This attainment works Per Mental Scan M:tA 2nd
ed pg 159
Factors: Potency equal to dots in Mind, effect is instant
Withstand: Composure
By quickly scanning the very surface of a subject’s thoughts, the mage is capable of discerning his mental and emotional state. For each level of Potency, the mage may ask the Storyteller a single question to gain information about the subject’s mental or emotional state. This information comes as flashes of insight from the subject’s thoughts, so the Storyteller should be sure to represent her answers as such.
Sample Questions
• What is the subject’s current mood?
• How intelligent is the subject?
• Is the subject supernatural?
• What does the subject most desire?
• What, if any, psychosis does the subject suffer?
Second Attainment OO “Card Counting”
The Fortune dealers have developed an eye for the way small changes effect large systems. Knowing how many face cards have come out of the shoe as it were. As such the dealers can seize the moment when those changes are about to reach a cusp and take advantage of the results. This attainment functions as the Fate 2 "Shifting the Odds" MtA 2nd ed pg. 136 spell, and may be used a number of times per game session equal to the Mages dots in Fate. There is a drawback however. Luck works both ways and if repeated attempts to accomplish the same goal fail the Huxter is hit with a backlash of bad luck appropriate to the task he was attempting.
Factor: Duration lasts a Scene, Potency equal to dots in Fate
An Apprentice of Fate always has access to what she needs at the moment. The mage focuses on locating a particular kind of person, place, or thing, and this spell directs her steps to it unerringly as soon as possible within the next 24 hours as long as the spell remains active. Casting the spell looking for a kind of person in a crowd or an item anywhere it could appear is usually enough to immediately succeed. The spell can find someone with a specific Trait, occupation, or context-specific quality (e.g. “corrupt cop”), but it only locates the nearest or most available subject matching the description the mage provides, never a specific person or object (although destiny sometimes draws familiar faces together). Alternatively, the mage gains temporary access to certain Social Merits (Ally, Contacts, Mentor, Resources, or Retainer) with a rating no greater than Potency. Fate guides her to dropped cash, unattended mundane items, or useful strangers she can easily convince to do her a quick favor. The mage may benefit from this Merit a number of times no greater than Potency, after which the money runs out or the ally of convenience goes his own way unless the mage’s character spends Experiences to purchase the Merit.
Optional Component: (Mind 2) "Pay no Attention"
Those that are exceptionally lucky tend to get noticed. For the
Awakened this is not always a desirable result. As such, Huxters with Mind may
also hide from casual observation at this level. This attainment is similar to the Mind 2 "Incognito Presence" spell (p.
208, allowing her to walk openly but unnoticed by others). To activate this
attainment, the mage merely performs an instant action.
Factors: Duration lasts a scene, Potency is equal to dots in Mind
Withstand: Resolve
The mage hides the subject’s psychic presence, causing onlookers to ignore her. When people look at her, they want to avert their eyes, or barely notice her. People cannot remember seeing her when they are no longer looking her way. Beings using supernatural abilities to concentrate on her, including Active Mage Sight, provoke a Clash of Wills.
Third Attainment OOO “Open up the Sleeve”
Prerequisites: Fate 3, Gnosis 4/5, Occult or Science 3, a second specialty skill
Prerequisites: Fate 3, Gnosis 4/5, Occult or Science 3, a second specialty skill
Play the cards as they fall. A fortune dealer does a lot to try
to stack the deck in his favor but once the cards are revealed that is what
they are and you have to live with them. This attainment enforces that. It
prevents outside forces form unduly effecting the deal. The Fortune Dealer may
activate the Fate 3 "Occlude Destiny"
spell for a scene by taking an Instant action. This effect has a Potency equal
to the Mages dots in the Fate arcanum.
Practice: Shielding
Factors: Duration lasts a Scene, Potency equal to dots in Fate
The spell’s Potency contends against all other mages’ attempts to perceive or alter the target’s destiny. Such attempts provoke a Clash of Wills (Gnosis + Fate).
The spell’s Potency contends against all other mages’ attempts to perceive or alter the target’s destiny. Such attempts provoke a Clash of Wills (Gnosis + Fate).
Optional Component: (Mind 3) "Trust the Dealer"
The best way to stack the deck is to be the
one shuffling the cards. If the dealer is someone trusted fewer players will
suspect any manipulation. The mage can assume a false persona and even image,
using an effect similar to the Mind 3
"Imposter" spell (p. 211). He performs an instant action and affects a number of senses (sight, sound, smell, touch and
even taste) equal to his Mind dots. The effect lasts for up to a scene. Use the
mage's Mind dots for Potency when comparing this effect against anyone trying
to see past it.
Factors: Duration lasts a Scene, Potency equal to dots in Mind.
Withstand: Composure
The mage confuses her subject’s senses, making him believe she is someone else. She can invent an appearance, or mimic the exact look, sound, and smell of any individual she knows. Unless the mage has interacted extensively with the person she is impersonating,
she must make a Manipulation + Subterfuge roll when she first begins interacting with her subject, and every minute she continues interacting with him. The spell cannot mimic specific Social Merits that grant dice bonuses to Social rolls. If the mage opens any Doors, or makes any new first impressions, the progress benefit goes to the person she is impersonating, not herself. Attempts to pierce the deception magically provoke a clash of wills.
Fourth Attainment OOOO “Stacking the Deck”
Prerequisites: Gnosis 6/7, Fate 4, Occult or Science 4, Million to one odds crop up nine times out of ten. at this level, the dealer is blessed with an almost infallible luck. They understand the patterns of fate and can walk along them like a spider in his own web. The Mage may apply the use of the Fate 4 “Strings of Fate” spell.
Factors: Duration lasts a Scene
Withstand: Resolve
The roads of destiny fork and converge, governing the probability of events. An adept of Fate can re-weave the strings of Fate on a subject, encouraging (if not ensuring) that a specified event will happenas long as the spell remains active. The mage specifies an event that she wishes to happen to the subject. If the event would be possible without magic or any effort on the subject’s part, it occurs as soon as circumstances allow as long as the spell’s Duration is in effect. If the event requires the subject’s participation or cannot take place without a change in circumstances, the spell introduces opportunities to work towards the event, at least once per week while the spell remains on the subject. If the event is simply impossible, the spell has no effect.
For example, if a mage casts the spell on herself and specifies that she will meet with her mentor while they are both in the same city, they will “randomly” cross paths at first opportunity. If she casts it on a Sleepwalker ally and specifies that he will recover a stolen artifact (when, unknown to her, it has been moved) he will find travel tickets for the artifact’s new location, clues pointing there, or reasons to travel there. If she cast it on a student and specifies that he will become a doctor, circumstances will hint at a transfer to pre-med. The spell cannot deal damage directly, though it can put subjects in harm’s way. For example, a mage could curse a victim with this spell specifying that she will be in a car wreck, or exposed to a disease.
Optional Component: (Mind 4) "Summer Jobs"
Being prepared for any eventuality is critical when
navigating the fortunes of the world.
This attainment operates as per “Gain Skill”
M:tA 2nd ed pg 163.
Practice: Patterning
Factors: Duration lasts a Scene, Potency equal to dots in Mind
The mage is capable of temporarily granting the subject a Skill, granting a number of dots in one Skill per level of Potency of the spell. The spell cannot increase the subject’s Skill above the normal maximum.
Fifth Attainment OOOOO Unknown
Prerequisites: Gnosis 8/9, Fate 5, Occult or Science 5, a third specialty skill
Appendix: The Manitous
Huxters are those Fate Mages who knew and learned the secrets of Hoyle’s Book
of Games. Some Fortune Dealers not only use games to sympathetically read and alter and harmonize the Supernal and Phemoral worlds but entreat with Supernal Beings especially attracted to their attainments and magic.
Huxters get their name from the snake-oil salesmen of the wild west who so successfully pull the wool over the collective public’s eyes seizing opportunities on the frontiers of America. Other terms they borrowed from the American Indians, who had a different view of the way things worked. Jokers in the magical deck of cards became known to them as the Manitous.
Huxters get their name from the snake-oil salesmen of the wild west who so successfully pull the wool over the collective public’s eyes seizing opportunities on the frontiers of America. Other terms they borrowed from the American Indians, who had a different view of the way things worked. Jokers in the magical deck of cards became known to them as the Manitous.
These Supernal Entities (which they call Manitous) are suspected to be a certain type of Moirae, Fate Beings from the Supernal Realm of Arcadia. Some of this particular subset of Huxters are said to play games against the Manitous, bringing the entity's powerful magic into the world when they win and suffering terrible consequences when they lose.
Entreating with the Manitous isn’t easy. Before a Dealer can get them
to do his bidding, he must first learn how to communicate with them by summoning them with magic or attracting their attention using excessive amounts of Focused Mage Sight on things that Resonate with the vicissitudes of fate. Needless to say, getting their attention is never
an easy task.
Assuming the Manitous don’t drive him insane, the Huxter must then entreat with the entities and convince them to agree to engage in a game of wits and chance. This is a form of Supernal Trial or Ordeal. The game, which takes place completely in the mind of the Huxter might seem to take minutes, hours, or even days. But time in the physical world moves much slower, so engaging with a Manitou usually takes a Huxter only a few seconds. A really good (and lucky) Huxter can have a Manitou licked fast enough in the Supernal World to beat a gunslinger in a fair draw back in the real world.
A Hellish Game of Wits
The game the Huxter
plays with a Manitou is entirely cerebral, but humans perform much better at
such things by visualizing an actual game that is familiar to them. The most
common game among Huxters is, of course, poker. If the Huxter loses
his game, he loses whatever he bet and the Manitou retreats to the Supernal World. Should he win, the Manitou is forced to do his
bidding for a service that was agreed upon. The drawback is that a Manitou cannot normally affect the physical
world directly unless they were summoned into it. Usually the Huxter must actually allow the entity to inhabit his
body for a short time in order to accomplish its task. Beating the Manitou
means it is “controlled” and cannot act against the wishes of the the Huxter while it possesses their body. The Fortune Dealer has awareness of what the being is doing but won't be able to act unless the being relinquishes control. A Manitou is a sly creature. Sometimes it tricks the Huxter into thinking
she’s won so she allows it into her body uncontrolled. When an out of control Manitou cuts loose, acting out its bizarre and alien desires which tend to skew to the chaotic and highly disruptive.
Assuming the Manitous don’t drive him insane, the Huxter must then entreat with the entities and convince them to agree to engage in a game of wits and chance. This is a form of Supernal Trial or Ordeal. The game, which takes place completely in the mind of the Huxter might seem to take minutes, hours, or even days. But time in the physical world moves much slower, so engaging with a Manitou usually takes a Huxter only a few seconds. A really good (and lucky) Huxter can have a Manitou licked fast enough in the Supernal World to beat a gunslinger in a fair draw back in the real world.
A Hellish Game of Wits
Hexslinging
Huxters are know for their aptitude for hexes and curses. Their deals and games with the Devils of Arcadia can allow them to blessing and curses that exceed their magical talents. Of course, getting in contact and conducting the trails open the summoner to spiritual forms of attack. Manitous, especially those somehow cheated by the Fate Dealer can old a grudge and "follow" the mage around from the Supernal World. They harass the mage with subtle or vulgar bad luck until reparations are made.
Dealers of Fate
Hoyle's Hucksters have the potential to be formidable mages when they have learned to utilize the power of the Manitou. When things go their way, they can hide perfectly in plain sight, summon storms, or squeeze a man’s heart remotely so hard it bursts. When a Manitou gets its way, the Huxter’s going to be hip deep in it. It’s all a matter of playing the odds, but a smart Huxter learns to hedge (no pun intended) his bets before diving into a deal with these unfathomable Moire. When poker or other card games are used, a Huxter that wins his mental duel usually looks at their winning hand and uses that focus to draw the Manitou or its hex into their body. The use of cards is a common "tell" to identifying mages of this legacy, especially those who entreat with Manitous.
Hoyle's Hucksters have the potential to be formidable mages when they have learned to utilize the power of the Manitou. When things go their way, they can hide perfectly in plain sight, summon storms, or squeeze a man’s heart remotely so hard it bursts. When a Manitou gets its way, the Huxter’s going to be hip deep in it. It’s all a matter of playing the odds, but a smart Huxter learns to hedge (no pun intended) his bets before diving into a deal with these unfathomable Moire. When poker or other card games are used, a Huxter that wins his mental duel usually looks at their winning hand and uses that focus to draw the Manitou or its hex into their body. The use of cards is a common "tell" to identifying mages of this legacy, especially those who entreat with Manitous.
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