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GAMBIT
A Game of High-Stakes Coin Flipping

Introduction

GAMBIT is a Tabletop Role-Playing Game of high-stress action, tense situations, and

using everything you have to leverage the odds in your favor, all built around one simple
mechanic: flipping coins. It’s structured for shorter games and one-shots, and isn’t
defined by any particular setting. All you need is conflict, a dramatic resolution, and a
coin flip determining the fate of the characters.

GAMBIT is a narrative-focused game. For the most part, the game should proceed as a
conversation between the players and the GM (Gambit Master), with challenges
presented and solutions attempted, actions occurring and consequences taking hold.
The rules don’t inform what’s possible or not. The rules only step in once the outcome
of an action is in question. This rulebook assumes some familiarity with the TTRPG
format, such as with the character-player relationship and the typical style of
conversation found in a session. If you don’t have that familiarity, feel free to ask the
GM or your other players for help — or, just play and find out what happens!

Players should come into this game with a drive for improvisation. As the rules are
fairly simple, the actions they can take are as varied as their imagination, and the more
creative they are, the more exciting the game will be. Don’t worry, though! The game is
collaborative, so let other players give you ideas or take the spotlight for a bit if you
need. When in doubt as to what happens next, look to the GM.

The Gambit Master’s job is to present high-stakes scenarios and keep the game feeling
exciting, dramatic, and fun. They should give the characters situations to act in, and
respond to player’s questions or decisions. However, they shouldn’t dictate the game.
The players decide their actions and responses, and can and should take paths the GM
doesn’t expect. Similarly, the GM should be ready to adapt on the fly. When the players
look to the GM, it’s the GM’s job to decide what happens next.
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Resolving Conflict with Gambits

Every time the outcome of an action in the narrative is uncertain, a Gambit is triggered.
A Gambit is, essentially, two coin flips. With two ‘heads,’ the character blasts through
the opposition, succeeding with flair and gusto (Success, ‘Yes’). With one, the character
succeeds at a cost, perhaps taking more time than they would’ve liked, only succeeding
on part of the task, or taking a wound (Mixed Success or Partial Success, ‘Yes/No, But’).
With no heads, they fail, are put in a bad spot, and their goals remain out of reach
(Failure, ‘No’). As the Gambit is resolved, the narrative that triggered the Gambit should
weave back in. The GM and players should collaborate; let the player say what they do,
and the GM says what happens as a result.

Characters in GAMBIT have Traits, or short sentences that describe aspects of their
character, described in more detail in “Characters and Traits.” If the Gambit that the
character is attempting is related to one or more of their Traits, perhaps by showcasing
a skill, propelling a motivation, or drawing from a history, the character may have a
better shot at succeeding.

GAMBIT Characters have a ‘Bank’ of Coins, representing resources, energy, willpower,

or simply luck. They may spend these Coins to reflip coins in their Gambits when their
Traits apply, potentially turning a failure into a success. This is explained in more detail
in “Characters and Traits” and “Banks.”

Finally, Characters have Grit, a single coin representing their ability to stay in the
action, which is explained in more detail in “Grit.” During any Gambit, they may turn
this coin from Heads to Tails to gain a free reflip, as if they’d used a Coin from their
Bank. This can be done without the normal restrictions on Bank Coins, but it leaves
them vulnerable to more lasting consequences should they fail.

If two characters are in a position to assist one another in a Gambit, one may attempt to
Help the one that initiated the Gambit. They must justify how they are able to assist
narratively, and this often takes time away from Gambits they could attempt themselves.
Furthermore, they open themselves up to consequences should the Gambit fail.
However, the player who is Helping may spend a Coin from their Bank to reflip a single
coin in the Gambit, without the usual restrictions.

Some actions may require multiple Gambits to resolve fully, such as a complex crafting
task or navigating a tricky maze, and might require multiple characters collaborating
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with their own Gambits. Furthermore, the timescale of Gambits is not set. A Gambit
could take seconds, hours, or even days. For example, deciphering the Lost Tome of
Martek takes more time than punching a goo monster! Just make sure every other player
has a chance to intervene or help should they wish, especially on a longer timescale.

In some games, players might be at odds with each other. If two characters attempt to
interfere with each other, fight, or confront in some way, a special kind of Gambit is
triggered — a Showdown. In a Showdown, the two characters each flip a single coin. If
one has a Heads and the other Tails, the character with Heads wins the Showdown, and
the outcome is in their favor. If both characters have heads, or both have tails, then the
Showdown continues, with each character reflipping their coin then comparing, until
one is the victor. Bank Coins can be spent as normal during any round of the
Showdown, including through Helping.

Characters and Traits

Characters in GAMBIT are defined by their Traits. Traits are answers to questions
posed by the GM to all characters in the game, and are often short phrases that also
describe aspects of the character. For example, the answer to “What kind of magic do
you wield?” might be “Necrotic Death Magic,” or it could be “Sparkly Fey Magic,” but
both characters answer the same question and both answers inform some part of who
the character is. If these Traits are connected to the action a character is taking — for
example, speaking to a corpse ties to “Necrotic Death Magic” — the player is allowed to
spend their Bank Coins.

Traits are generally positive. They inform the strengths and motivations of a character.
However, every character has flaws, and those in GAMBIT are no exception. If a
character has a Trait that negatively impacts their actions in some way, they have a
surefire way of gaining more Coins for their Bank — described in more detail in
“Banks.” Try to write nuanced Traits that reflect aspects of your character that could be
either positive or negative, depending on the situation. For example, “Sparkly Fey
Magic” would make it easy to cast illusions or light-generating spells, but could make it
difficult to call upon the spirits of the damned or summon a protective wall of fire.

Traits can also help define what a character is able to do narratively. For example, a
character who doesn’t wield any magic at all wouldn’t typically be able to attempt a
fireball spell, and a character with a bad reputation would find it difficult to weasel into
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a noble’s party. When in doubt if an action is possible, the GM can ask a player which of
their Traits allows them to attempt it. If the answer is none, then it might be time for
another character to take the spotlight, or for the party to consider another approach.
Getting into that noble’s party might be easier of one of the members has a
“Well-Armed Gunship,” even if that changes the situation quite a bit!

A character’s Traits are typically public knowledge, and should be on display for the
table, perhaps on a notecard. If someone thinks a Trait applies, even if it’s not their
Gambit, speak up! Chances are, it does, though the GM has final say.

A general guideline for the GM is that there should be at least 3 Trait-generating

questions, and they should help inform some aspect of who the characters are. You
could ask “Why are you working for Space Corp. Inc.?”, defining the characters as
employees of this corporation but also leaving room for them to define themselves
within that framework. If the GM is making the world more collaboratively with the
players, they could brainstorm together as to what these questions might be. There are
example questions, along with some potential answers to them, in the “Example Traits”
section.

A solid basic set of questions are “Who are you?” “What can you do?” and “Why are you
here?” This trio is the identity, skill, and motivation of the character. When writing your
own questions, try to define these three parts within them. An identity can inform a
history of the character to draw interesting elements from, a skill can inform what the
character can do to impact the world, and a motivation keeps them wanting to use that
skill (and others) to make that impact, as well as providing fuel and goals for the GM’s
story. Other ideas to draw questions from include relationships to other players or to the
villains, or experiences of specific plot-relevant events of your setting.

Try to avoid questions whose answers won’t come up in the game — for example, it’s
not much use to ask renegade space gladiators “What’s your opinion of the other Space
Empire clans?” — unless, of course, the goal of the group is to sow chaos among those
clans. Additionally, the effects of traits do not stack. A character needs only a single
related Trait to gain the full benefit they can from them. Therefore, try to have
questions that apply to different areas of the character, rather than three skills or three
motivations.
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Banks

Characters in GAMBIT all have a "Bank" that begins play with 3 Coins, spent to
increase their chances of success in a Gambit. A Coin is added to the Bank whenever a
character’s Gambit results in a complete failure (no heads), but only after the Gambit is
resolved. Similarly, in a Showdown, the losing player gains one Coin. The GM can also
offer the player a Coin for their Bank at any time, typically for some form of interesting
or creative action that reflects the tone of the game and a character’s Traits. For
example, they might suggest that the “Honorable Northern Warrior” flies into a rage
when the High Consort makes a remark at the expense of the people of the North,
especially if the party is trying to keep a low profile. They might also notice that the
“Cowardly Scoundrel” chose to run away from an important fight to pursue an alternate,
safer method of attack. This might also be worth a coin, if the GM decides that that
action makes the game more interesting or fun.

Players also have the power to grant themselves Coins for Trait-reflecting Gambits;
however, this comes at a cost. If a player decides that their action is complicated by one
of their Traits — for example, attempting illusion magic when they’re a “Grand Master
of Fire Explosions” — they may re-flip one of the Heads in their Gambit. If they do, they
take a free Coin to their Bank. This may only be done once per Gambit. This also makes
it more likely to get no Heads on a Gambit, which still grants a Coin in this case — but
failure always comes at a cost in the narrative. If a character’s Traits get in the way of
doing well, you’d better believe they’re coming back strong!

As described in “Resolving Conflict With Gambits,” a character can spend a Coin from
their Bank during any Gambit or Showdown to reflip one of their coins, but only if one
of their Traits had applied positively. Narrate how the character's strength of purpose or
clever use of an ability drives them through their failure (hopefully) as you flip this Coin.
You may repeat this as many times as you like in one Gambit, but you spend an
additional Coin for every reflip.

Characters can also spend Coins to establish beneficial narrative facts, such as a helpful
contact in a specific area or a special power that character’s race has, to resolve some
forms of conflict without the use of Gambits. However, this can only be done if a
character has a Trait to justify it. For example, a “Rogue with a Heart of Silver” might be
able to establish a smuggler contact when the party really needs to get somewhere
quickly and quietly, but would not be able to suddenly manifest telekinesis unless they
were also wielding “Psionic Space Octopus Powers.” The GM can veto this
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establishment and allow the player to keep their Coin, but generally they should instead
offer some alternative fact and discuss with the player. ‘No, but….’ can be used here. For
example, that contact might be a little less friendly than the Rogue remembers, or their
psionic powers might only work on organic materials. In the end, though, the player
decides whether to spend their Coin or not.

Grit

Finally, characters have a single "Grit" coin, starting on Heads. If a character would
suffer some sort of harm from a Failure or Mixed Success (usually in direct combat)
when the coin is on Heads, they turn that coin over to Tails. If they take this form of
harm with their Grit on Tails, they are Taken Out. This can take many forms, for
example death, unconsciousness, or retreat in embarrassment. Whatever form it takes,
however, the character should no longer be able to participate in the immediate conflict,
and might suffer lasting consequences such as a lost limb or a new phobia. These
consequences have no representation in the mechanics of Gambit, but could affect the
characters narratively — a character with a new criminal record might find it difficult to
purchase weapons legally, for example. How a character returns from being Taken Out
is up to the GM; perhaps a revival ceremony is required, perhaps a few hours in bed is
enough, or perhaps they simply come right back once the conflict is over.

Some injuries might only be minor, perhaps a scratch from a psi-blade, a blow from a
measly goblin, or a scathing remark that targets your feelings more than your
reputation. This is most often a result of a Mixed Success, especially against less
dangerous foes. In this case, the Grit coin can be flipped, instead of turned. The player
in question flips their Grit coin as any other coin, and lets it stay on whatever side it
lands on. This may only be done if the Grit coin is already on heads — if it’s on Tails,
these minor hits act just as a more deadly one and result in being Taken Out.

If a character has a moment to breathe, either by finishing the immediate conflict or

finding a way to take cover from present danger, they can turn their Grit back to Heads
for free. Giving your allies this space to recharge, or finding it yourself, is often
important in dangerous situations. Characters may also turn their Grit back to heads
without resting, but not during a Gambit, by spending a single coin from their Bank.

As mentioned in “Resolving Conflict With Gambits,” characters may also choose to flip
their Grit from Heads to Tails during any Gambit to gain a free re-flip, opening
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themselves up to dire consequences in exchange for a higher likelihood of success. If

this is done outside of immediate danger, the GM might rule that they need more rest to
turn their Grit back to heads — or perhaps the negative consequences of their Gambit,
if any, are more dramatic to reflect their exertion.

Gameplay Notes and GM Tips

Not every Gambit failure should result in a Grit coin being flipped — even in combat.
This should encourage more dynamic conflicts, as the players might find themselves in
tricker situations rather than being simply too hurt to continue. Failed Gambits may set
up future damage, or perhaps restrict the players from finding space to recharge, or even
affect multiple characters. For example, if Ragnarok the Orcish Flame Knight fails to hit
the dread-lich Zyxian, perhaps Zyxian charges up his Lair Self-Destruct Rune, or lands a
Paralyzing Touch on Ragnarok making her unable to move for a few seconds, or
produces a Wall of Stone blocking the sneaky rogue’s exit with Zyxian’s precious
phylactery. These consequences should be varied based on the situation, and should
always lead to interesting gameplay and narrative.

Some actions don’t need Gambits to resolve; sometimes, a particularly skilled character
can simply do something, no contest. Similarly, some actions the characters might
attempt are so unfeasible that they would never work. This is where enemy “statistics”
come into play; they determine what sorts of Gambits are possible against them and
what actions might cause harm. As above, this is especially influenced by a character’s
Traits — an “Armored Fighter” will find it easier to withstand direct arrow fire than a
“Spindly Spellcaster,” though the spellcaster might have a few other tricks up their
sleeve. This is the idea behind a Partial Success as well - a character might not be able to
break fully into the Interdimensional Vault with only one heads, but they might open a
hole big enough for them to see inside - and for what’s inside to see out. Work with your
players to determine what actions are reasonable to attempt!

Due to the narrative weight of a Gambit, they should be called for dramatic and
important actions. If the characters search the room, they should often simply find what
they’re looking for — unless the room they’re searching has high security or an effective
method of hiding the information. If the characters are recalling facts, often they should
simply remember it if their character would — unless the creature they’re fighting is
deliberately obscure, or understanding the language the spellbook is written in will let
them stop the archdevil much faster. Basically, if failing would be just as dramatically
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interesting as succeeding, or there are significant obstacles in the way of success, call
for a Gambit. Otherwise, success on simple tasks is a good reward for creativity or time
spent in-game. Additionally, some tasks are simply too difficult to perform — such as
deciphering that spellbook mid-combat, or sneaking through a marching army while
wearing the enemy colors. No Gambits should be called for these actions, either —
unless, of course, the characters are particularly creative in how they’re attempting
them.

Combat flows without initiative, meaning that players don’t take turns in any particular
order or round structure. Whoever takes an action suffers the consequences of it, and
anything a GM does combat-wise is either establishing a threat or responding to an
action. For the most basic “unit” of combat, a Success will result in damage dealt with
none taken, a Mixed Success will result in damage dealt and Grit flipped or turned, and
a Failure will result in Grit turned with none dealt. However, this simple back and forth
should almost never be the case. A general guideline for GMs is that most characters, if
not all, should have a chance to act or react before a player who initiated a Gambit or
Helped may do either again.

Enemies should usually either be Taken Out in one hit or require some kind of narrative
method of defeat. For example, a mech might require someone to get into the cockpit
and defeat the captain, or hit the legs with an EMP blast to knock it down. There should
generally be a goal besides "beat the dude" — keep it interesting! A particularly tough
boss may have some form of ‘hit points’ determining how many Gambits are needed to
defeat them, but that system is up to the GM.

GAMBIT draws inspiration from the FATE system, with Traits and Bank Coins
mirroring Aspects and Fate Points. It also draws from Powered by the Apocalypse
systems, with mixed successes and non-initiative combat. Look for resources in those
realms if you’re looking for ideas on how to make this kind of system work for you.
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Example Traits

Question Answer 1 Answer 2 Answer 3

Who are you? Half-elven Old-fashioned Professional

spaceship cranky asteroid trap-maker for the
technician miner Dark Lord

What can you do? Master Finest swordsman Approximate

sharpshooter with from the Steel knowledge of many
signature revolvers Academy things

Why are you here? My brother was I seek the I’m establishing
kidnapped by the Philosopher’s diplomacy with the
skeleton hordes Revolver Centaurians

Where are you The podunk town The space city of The long-lost
from? of Graham’s Reach Beholder’s Eye Shivering Pines

What kind of magic Necrotic Death Sparkly Fey Magic Explodey Fire
is your speciality? Magic Magic

Why did you end up Just a lot of arson. Theft of the I talked back to a
in prison? SO much arson Crystalline Wand Justicar. Or five

What’s your No clan but mine is The endless Honestly, I’m just
opinion of the other sophisticated bickering causes happy to be here
clans? enough to rule too much inactivity

What’s your Flaming spiked My father’s Whatever laser rifle

signature weapon? brass knuckles Buzzsaw Axe I can find

Why did you My town was Money, fame, and I’m being possessed
become an overrun by the Dark the approval of my by an ancient sword
adventurer? Lord’s army grandfather that craves blood

What’s your role on The muscle — I commune with I’m the leader, no
the team? though I mostly use the spirits we matter what the
guns encounter other guy says

Why were you hired My father’s My wizard college I’m the only one
for this job? step-uncle paid for is renowned as who can drive this
me to be here investigators rust-bucket ship
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Quick-Reference

Gambits
-Resolve some conflict in the narrative, is two coin flips
-Success (Yes) = 2 heads
-Mixed Success or Partial Success (Yes, But) = 1 heads
-Failure (No) = No heads
-If someone Helps, they spend a Bank coin and reflip 1 coin
-Showdown — players flip 1 coin until one gets heads, other tails

Traits
-Phrase that describe aspect of your character, answer a question
-Characters have 3, potentially more depending on GM
-Can spend Bank coins to reflip coins in a Gambit if Trait applies

Banks
-Starts with 3 coins — 1 added for failed Gambit/lost Showdown
-Can be given by GM for Trait-reflecting actions
-Player can re-flip Heads (if a Trait complicates) for 1 added
-Also spend to establish narrative facts from Traits

Grit
-1 Grit coin, starts Heads. Turn to Tails if take harm, Flip if minor
-If Tails and take harm, Taken Out
-When safe, turn Grit to Heads
-Can spend 1 Bank coin when not safe to turn to Heads
-1 free reflip gained to a Gambit if the Player turns Grit to Tails