Custom Card Ideas: Soul of the Gambler

There are so many functions that derive you of successful die rolls, and so few that give you bonuses for it (aside from the staple Loaded Die and Reloaded Die). Even other bonuses are used only to Run Away, making them limited in use.

That's the reason for the Soul of the Gambler. "For every card discarded before rolling, this munchkin adds+1 to any die roll he is making. He also gets +1 to all die rolls automatically."

The latter part is very self explanatory. If you roll a 1, it turns into a 2. If you roll a 4, it's a 5, and so forth. The former is pretty simple as well. If you discard 3 cards, you get a grand total of +4 to your next die roll.

Really, there's not much strategy to be had. Take more chances with cards you don't care for and roll higher. If you get the chance, pick up cards that allow you to steal based on the roll of the dice. If the occasion to roll against another player comes up, you should be better off as well.

Originally, there was no automatic +1 bonus to all die rolls, meaning the user actually had to gamble before they actually rolled. It was of limited use; unless one if facing a deal-breaker Bad Stuff, what cards would be so easily discarded in one's hand? In actual gameplay, this was actually one of the worst soul cards; personally, I can't remember anyone actually using it once they figured out they had to discard cards before they rolled.

I couldn't change it to when they could discard cards after they rolled, since then they could get whatever affect they wanted to whenever they rolled, as long as they had cards to discard. So, I gave it a simple passive bonus. All 1's become 2's, 2's to 3's, and so forth.

Humbly, this can be seen as extra insurance to run away, but it can also help in situations such as (that one sword from Munchkin bites that gives a bonus depending on what you roll) or the Nimble Shank, helping you deal a greater output of damage.

What happens if you roll a 6? Well, that may largely depend on the owner of the game but here are some of my thoughts.

1. If a card relies on what appears on a die's face after you roll it, it should be capped at 6, meaning if you roll a 5 or a 6 it's still a 6.
2. Requirements to roll at least a certain number will allow a die roll to be above and beyond a 6. While that seems a little redundant, there are plenty of effects that reduce one's chances of being able to run away, even under 1.

Interested in hearing more about my Munchkin Soul Card series?

I've got plenty more Munchkin Custom Card Ideas that I invite for you to look through. Also, as I've spent far too money on numerous Munchkin decks and expansions, I can tell you which ones are worth it, which aren't, and why.