Sabacc rules?
Joost A. Korpel
Sabacc play in Dark Apprentice has really got me curious. If I can get a set
of rules I would be willing to write a computer program of the game. The
random changing Tarot cards make it a perfect computer game. In fact I can't
see any other way to play it given our primative technology. Any help would be
much appreciated.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Joost A. Korpel
e-mail: jko...@gsbth-po.igsb.uiowa.edu
Purely scientific, friend. I'm a spacer by profession - an
astrogator-so my interets's only natural. I'm especially intrigued
by permutations and combinations of the number seventy-eight,
taken three at a time. Fives are wild. -Lando Calrissian
------------------------------------------------------------------
Numrich
All I know that some Star Wars RPG adventure has a deck of Sabacc cards in it (I
believe it was 'Tattooine Manhunt', but I am not sure). Another sourcebook for
the SW RPG from West End Games also includes the rules for Sabacc, but I can't
remember which one it was. Best chance chance is the Star Wars sourcebook (a good
purchase anyway, as there are lotsa things in there, like a full technical
readout of the falcon, and a short chapter on Lightsabre construction...;).
Felis Adeptus
> Sabacc play in Dark Apprentice has really got me curious. If I can get a set
> of rules I would be willing to write a computer program of the game. The
> random changing Tarot cards make it a perfect computer game. In fact I can't
> see any other way to play it given our primative technology. Any help would be
> much appreciated.
WEG put out the rules to sabacc including a deck with the scenario "Crisis on
Cloud City". It is an older one so I doubt its still in print, but you should
be able to find it somewhere with some hunting.
M. Brent Sleeper
JKO...@gsbth-po.igsb.uiowa.edu writes:
>Anyone know if the rules for sabacc are writen down somewhere? All the
>Sabacc play in Dark Apprentice has really got me curious. If I can get a
set
>of rules I would be willing to write a computer program of the game. The
>random changing Tarot cards make it a perfect computer game. In fact I
can't
>see any other way to play it given our primative technology. Any help
would be
>much appreciated.
Sabacc rules were published in _Crisis in Cloud City_, one of the old WEG
game modules. Basically, Sabacc uses a double Tarot deck with many of the
face cards removed. I'll try to post the rules tonight, for anyone who's
interested.
I've tried playing, but the face shifting is accomplished using a die, so
game play isn't quite as smooth as it might otherwise be. I think a
computer version of it is a great idea!
--
M. Brent Sleeper -- bsle...@carleton.edu
Flightpath Communications -- Fligh...@aol.com
Girthlin
WEG "Crisis in (on?) Cloud City" module. The only difference
between it and the "real" game is that the cardboard cards cannot
change. Instead, the mechanics allow for this to be simulated.
Joost A. Korpel
>From: M. Brent Sleeper <bsle...@carleton.edu>
>Subject: Re: Sabacc rules?
>Date: 16 Jun 1994 18:38:02 GMT
A posting of the rules would be really helpful or you could even e-mail it to
me. Perhaps are WEG contact could stear me in the right direction on getting
my hands on a copy of _Crises in Cloud City_. Money is no object, as long as
it is under $25.00 :). Or perhaps I could get a loaner from somebody. I'm
really serious about writing this program. I don't care what anyone else says
you folks on RASS are the greatest! Thanks for your help.
William Lascher
Grand Moff Tarkin
The Sabacc rules can be found, in detail, in the adventure:
"Crisis on Cloud City"
The adventure comes with the set of cards and rules.
Good Luck.
----- Grand Moff Tarkin ------------------- Stephen A. Marinaccio 2 --
InterNet: mari...@tessa.iaf.uiowa.edu
Voice/Machine: USA (319) 338-6667
----------------------------------------------------------------------
STAR WARS: ROLE-PLAYING GAME Questions/Comments/Suggestions
Ask me THE West End Games InterNet Liaison ---------------------------
M. Brent Sleeper
JKO...@gsbth-po.igsb.uiowa.edu writes:
>A posting of the rules would be really helpful or you could even e-mail
it to
>me. Perhaps are WEG contact could stear me in the right direction on
getting
>my hands on a copy of _Crises in Cloud City_. Money is no object, as
long as
>it is under $25.00 :). Or perhaps I could get a loaner from somebody.
I'm
>really serious about writing this program. I don't care what anyone else
says
>you folks on RASS are the greatest! Thanks for your help.
Sabacc
======
This is a setext-formatted text file that can be viewed with EasyView or
any word processor or editor.
[Ed. note: These rules are taken from the _Crisis in Cloud City_ game
module for _Star Wars: The Role-Playing Game_ by West End Games. I've
modified them slightly to include info on using regular Tarot decks
rather than the "official" sabacc cards included with the module. The
"official" rules are not always the *most* clearly written thing I've
read, so I've also made some minor editorial changes. The rules remain
unaffected.
[Other sources for Sabacc information include the Lando Calrissian novels
by Neil L. Smith (Del Rey) and _Dark Apprentice_ by Kevin J. Anderson
(Spectra/Bantam).]
Sabacc is a game of skill and chance played in gambling halls and casinos
across the Star Wars galaxy. It is the preferred game of the infamous
gambler Lando Calrissian, who participated in some of history's most
talked-about games, including the one in which he reportedly lost his
ship, the Millennium Flacon, to the equally infamous Han Solo.
[Ed. note: Sabacc may perhaps be best described as a combination of poker
and blackjack with a touch of roulette thrown in for good measure...]
To play sabacc, you need this rules sheet, the sabacc deck, a six-sided
die, and something to represent credits (poker chips, coins, peanuts,
jelly beans, etc.).
The Cards
=========
Sabacc is played with a deck of 76 cards made up of four suits--Sabres,
Staves, Flasks, and Coins--and a set of face cards. Each suit is made up
11 regular cards (numbered 1-11) and four ranked cards: the Commander,
the Mistress, the Master, and the Ace (numbered 12-15). The set of face
cards consists of 16 cards, each with a *negative* value. (Note that it
is possible to have a hand with a net negative value.) In addition, each
face card has a special name and symbol. There are two instances of each
face card in the deck.
Using Tarot Cards
-----------------
If you are using Tarot cards to play sabacc, you'll need to use *two*
decks and remove some of the cards. Two things that are a little tricky
to remember are that the "special" face cards are *negative* in value,
and that the "royal" cards in a suit are numbered 11-15. The following
table summarizes the conversion, if you are using the common
Knight-Ridder tarot deck:
Sabacc Tarot
Sabres Swords
Staves Wands
Flasks Cups
Coins Pentacles
1-10 I-X
11 Page [This is the most confusing conversion.]
Commander (12) Knight
Mistress (13) Queen
Master (14) King
Ace (15) Ace
Idiot (0) Fool (0)
Queen of Air
and Darkness (-2) The High Priestess (II)
Endurance (-8) Strength (VIII)
Balance (-11) Justice (XI)
Demise (-13) Death (XIII)
Moderation (-14) Temperance (XIV)
The Evil One (-15) The Devil (XV)
The Star (-17) The Star (XVII)
In the Star Wars galaxy, electronic pulses randomly shift the faces of
the cards until they're locked in place when the player holds them in a
"neutral field." The following rules include several mechanics which
simulate the effect of the random pulses.
Rules of Play
=============
The object of sabacc is to have the highest card total which is less than
or equal to 23. A total which is over 23, under negative 23, or exactly 0
is called a "bomb out," and requires the holder of the hand to pay a
penalty, as described below.
There are two pots to be won in the game of sabacc. A pot is the total
amount of credits staked by all of the players in one hand of the card
game (just like poker). Each pot should be kept clearly separate from the
other. The first of the two pots is called the "hand pot" and is taken by
the winner of the current hand. The second is the "sabacc pot" and
continually builds over several hands until it is won with a special
hand, as described below.
To start a game of sabacc, choose one player to be the dealer of the
first hand. Other players wishing to be dealt into a hand must first ante
by placing one credit into the *hand* pot. Each player must also anter
one credit into the sabacc pot it is empty, including the first hand of
the game.
Each player takes a turn in order, beginning with the player to the
dealer's left, that includes the phases listed below. Once a player has
completed all the phases, his or her turn is over and play proceeds to
the left. After each hand, the "dealership" roates to the left.
Phases of a Hand
================
Betting Phase
-------------
Each player is dealt two cards. The player to the left of the dealer
begins play with the option to bet. If he/she chooses to do so, that bet
is placed in the hand pot. If a bet is placed, each player must match
that bet if he or she wishes to remain in the hand.
Only the player whose turn it is may place a bet, but that bet may be
raised by any of the players in turn. The betting and raising limits are
three credits. Before moving on to the next phase, the player whose turn
it is must ask each player if they wish to fold. A player may only fold
during the the betting phase, and must pay one credit to the sabacc pot
to do so.
Shifting Phase
--------------
After the betting phase is completed, the player whose turn it is rolls a
six-sided die. If the result is 1, 2, or 3, *shifting* occurs. [Ed. note:
i.e., odds are 50-50 that your card will shift during any given turn.]
During a shift, each player must discard one card from his or hand,
chosen randomly by the player to the right. All of the players' discarded
cards are then gathered by the dealer, reshuffled, and then dealt to the
players in order. Note that if a player folds on his or her *own* turn,
the player must still roll to see if a shift occurs, but his or her cards
are not used during the subsequent shuffling and redealing.
Calling Phase
-------------
After the shifting phase is completed, the player whose turn it is asks
if anyone would like to call the hand. When a hand is called, each player
must immediately place their cards face-up on the table and declare what
they have. [Ed. note: in the Star Wars galaxy, the table emits a
low-frequency "suspension field" that locks the values of the cards in
place.] See "Winning a hand" below for victory conditions and penalties.
A player may only call during the calling phase of another player's turn;
i.e., he or she may *not* do so during his or her own turn. No one may
call the hand during the caling phase until every player, including the
dealer, has had at least one turn.
If a hand is called, play proceeds to the drawing phase. If no one
chooses to call a hand, play goes back to the betting phase for another
round.
Note: You may wish to increase the minimum number of turns required
before a hand may be called when playing with less than four players;
this allows for more interesting (and richer!) hands to develop.
Drawing Phase
-------------
After the calling phase, the player whose turn it is has the option to
draw one card from the deck. If the player holds more than two cards, he
or she has the option to exchange one of the cards in his or her hand for
a card drawn from the deck *or* simply draw a card from the deck and had
it to his or hand, but not both. Note that discarded cards are removed
from play and not put back in the deck.
There is no limit to the number of cards that a player may hold in his or
her hand, but a player may not have *less* than two cards at any time.
Winning a Hand
==============
When a hand is called, the player with the highest card value which is
less than or equal to 23 wins the hand. A player may also win a hand if
every other player folds. Note that the winning player wins the hand pot
only, not the sabacc pot.
If any player has a total which is greater than 23, less than negative
23, or exactly 0 when the hand is called, he or she has "bombed out."
When a player bombs out, he or she must match the number of credits
currently in the hand pot and pay it to the sabacc pot.
In addition, if the player who called the hand does not win it, he or she
must pay the sabacc pot just as if he or she had bombed out.
If two or more players are tied, they must participate in a "sudden
demise." In a sudden demise, the dealer deals each tied player an
additional card from the deck which is then added to their original
hands. The best modified hand, which is still equal to or less than 23,
takes the pot. If there is still a tie after the additional deal, the
players split the pot.
Special Hands and the Sabacc Pot
================================
To win the sabacc pot, a player must have one of two special hands. The
first occurs when has a card total of exactly 23. This hand is called
"Pure Sabacc," and is usually accompanied by an ethusiastic cry of
"Sabacc!" when the cards are turned over.
The other special hand is called an "Idiot's Array" or "Literal Sabacc."
To achieve this hand, a player must have the Idiot face card (value 0), a
two of any suit, and a three of any suit; i.e., a 0-2-3.
An Idiot's Array beats a Pure Sabacc, but if two or more players have the
same special hand, a sudden demise is held for both the hand and sabacc
pots.
Note that a special hand, like any other, can only be declared when a
hand is called.