The Huckster

When the Reckoning occurred in 1863, it appeared to occultists to replenish the worlds supernatural energy. But that doesnt mean magic and spooks didnt exist for centuries beforehand. Since the beginning of time, a few rare mortals have learned to tap into the power of the supernatural. Some of them used their knowledge for good, and others for evil. Most just used it to help them clean their houses. But other folks, being the superstitious and jealous bunch they are, usually hang or burn at the stake those who could make a broom sweep a kitchen all by itself. Over the years, this hasnt improved much.

Hoyles Book of Games

Along about 1740, a fellow named Edmond Hoyle circulated Europe, learning arcane secrets and processes what most of us would call sorcery. But Hoyle wasnt fond of being burned at the stake in some backwater village in France, so he came up with a cover story that would help him travel and talk to people about such things as Tarot cards which, incidentally, were used for games before word got out that some folks used them to tell fortunes. Hoyles cover story was that he was compiling a book of games for publication. He was far more successful than he ever dreamed, and soon he had learned more about the world of the supernatural than any mortal alive. Needless to say, he also picked up a thing or two about cards and other games. What Hoyle learned was that casting spells was a function of communicating with certain mischievous spirits he called them Jokers for obvious reasons. The Jokers were malicious and evil, but if one could best them in a mental duel of sorts, they were forced to carry out some kind of task. Hoyle eventually refined his mental duels by visualizing them as games of skill. Poker was a relatively new game at the time, and this quickly became Hoyles game of choice whenever he cast his spells or hexes, as he preferred to call them. Before he died, Hoyle encoded everything he learned throughout the years in the 1769 edition of Hoyles Book of Games. A person who knows what to look for in codes written into card play examples, and sample scores that litter the book can discover secrets beyond their imagining. Other editions, accidently corrupted by unknowing editors, work, but theyre not as complete.

The Hucksters
Those who knew the secrets of Hoyles Book of Games benefited greatly from the Reckoning. The number of spirits in the world before 1863 was low, and their power was weak. Afterward, a flood of spirits with links to a much stronger supernatural plane made it much easier to make use of Hoyles formulas. Witches and warlocks are still considered evil by common folks, and suspected dabblers are still swung from the gallows poles on occasion. While the Reckoning has given sorcerers more energy to work with, the evil its caused has made people even more fearful and superstitious. In the civilized world, sorcerers are forced to keep their abilities secret lest they be hunted by overzealous priests, the Unions Agency, or the Confederacys Texas Rangers. The wizards of the Weird West call themselves hucksters after the snake-oil salesmen who so successfully pull the wool over the collective publics eyes. Other terms were borrowed from the American Indians, who had a different view of the way things worked. Jokers became manitous, and the supernatural plane in which they lived became known as the Hunting Grounds. Becoming a huckster isnt easy. A person must first learn how to communicate with manitous. Never an easy task, this is especially difficult because the prospective huckster is actually looking to work with them, rather than beg them to leave (as most people would normally do).
1

Assuming the manitous dont drive him insane, the huckster must then treat with the ornery spirits and somehow or another get them to agree to engage with him in a game of wits. The game takes place in the Hunting Grounds and might seem to take minutes, hours, or even days. But time in the physical world moves much faster, so engaging a manitou usually takes a huckster only a few seconds. A really good huckster can have a manitou licked fast enough in the Hunting Grounds to beat a gunslinger in a fair draw back in the real world. The game the huckster 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 hucksters is poker. If the huckster wins the game, the manitou is forced to do his bidding. Should he lose, the huckster can suffer a physical attack by the spirit.

Playing a Huckster
Hucksters are some of the most powerful characters in the Weird West. When things go their way, they can hide in plain sight, summon storms, or squeeze a mans heart so hard it bursts. When a manitou gets its way, the hucksters going to be hip deep in it. Its all a matter of playing the odds. Playing a huckster (or hexslinger as theyre sometimes called) is as simple as buying the Power Advantage (Huckster). This costs 3?/4?/5? Advantage Points and reduces starting refresh by -1?/-2?. This allows them to spend Ability points on Affinity (Hexes) which is included with the above Power Advantage. This Affinity is a mechanical representation of their spellcasting knowledge and their ability to duel manitous. Whenever a hex is cast, the Affinity score is rolled to succeed. Other Abilities may be affect certain parts of a hex, but the Affinity (Hexes) is of primary importance. Even on a successful casting of a hex, the Huckster will suffer physical attack from the manitou for the temerity of challenging them. This may be the equivalent of a light punch to the gut to a claw raking your back and drawing blood. The more you challenge the manitous (as in, the more hexes you cast!), the worse your wounds can get. But of course Hoyle found a way to cheat. By challenging the manitou to a particular kind of battle, a huckster can entirely avoid their wrath if he wins. But if he loses well, lets not talk about that just yet. Its ugly. Much like normal powers in SoF, hexes come with their own Aspects. They can be compelled and invoked as normal.

Casting a Hex
Casting a Hex is simple. Choose a Hex that you know, determine your difficulty, and roll your Affinity (Hexes) against it. Hucksters are unique in that they can choose to increase the difficulty of their hex in exchange for a wide variety of effects. Other spellcasters (for lack of a better term) usually must roll against a set difficulty, which never changes. On a success, the hex goes off. This may or may not mean an additional roll; some combat hexes use the Affinity roll to hit, others require a separate roll (See the hex description for details). The huckster then suffers 1 Physical stress. As always, if this is enough to trigger a consequence, the huckster suffers one as usual. The exact description of the consequence is left to the player, but if a manitou is involved its usually nasty. On a failure, the hex does not go off, and the huckster suffers two Physical stress. On a botch (rolling a -4 or -3), the huckster suffers two Physical stress, and must roll on the Backlash table and suffer the consequences. This roll can be rerolled through the successful Invocation of an Aspect but note that this doesnt change the fact that Backlash occurs. This could even mean you suffer Backlash even as your spell succeeds! Note that stress inflicted by a successful or unsuccessful hex casting can never be mitigated by armor, spell, or otherwise.

Deal With The Devil

Instead of the normal casting procedure, hucksters can choose to deal with the devil. This is basically like double or nothing in the spirit realm, and is far more dangerous than the hucksters usual game. The benefit to this is that if he succeeds the hex is successfully cast and it will cost no stress. In fact, succeed well enough and the hex may be more powerful than the huckster initially expected. Dealing with the Devil is a free and instant action. To make the deal, the huckster announces which of his spells hes casting and the difficulty (including any variables, like extra damage or number of bolts, for example). He then rolls Affinity (Hexes) like a normal spellcasting. On a success, the huckster draws five cards from a poker deck. The huckster is also allowed to draw one additional card for each level of spin on the Affinity roll. He then makes the best poker hand he can (using just five of the cards in his hand, even if holds more). Jokers are wild cards and can be used in place of any card in the deck (even duplicating cards already in the hucksters hand). Unused cards are discarded and the huckster compares his hand with the chart below. If the hucksters hand matches or beats the difficulty needed to cast the hex, hes won the contest with the manitou. He suffers no stress for casting this hex. On an especially good hand, the huckster can even add modifiers to the hex even after the difficulty was determined (see the chart below). If the hand is not sufficient to meet the difficulty, then the huckster must roll on the Backlash table. On a failure, the huckster draws four cards from a poker deck. This means that even though the huckster failed he may still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. This is much less likely, for obvious reasons. No advantage can increase the number of cards you receive on a failed Affinity roll. Much like a successful roll, if the huckster fails with his hand to meet the difficulty, then he or she must roll on the Backlash table. On a botch (rolling a -4 or -3), the huckster must roll on the Backlash table twice. Good luck, pardner. Youre gonna need it. If a hex requires a to-hit roll, use the initial Affinity roll to determine success unless otherwise stated.

Deal With The Devil

Hand Ace High Pair Jacks or Better Two Pair Three of a Kind Straight Flush Full House Four of a Kind Five of a Kind Straight Flush Royal Flush Cards One Ace Two cards of the same value A pair of Jacks or better Two sets of two cards Three cards of the same value Five sequential cards Five cards of the same suit Three cards of one value, two of another Four cards of the same value Five cards of the same value (required Joker) Five sequential cards of the same suit Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 all of the same suit Difficulty 2 3 4 5 6 7 Spell is successful with +1 towards Modifiers Spell is successful with +2 towards Modifiers Spell is successful with +3 towards Modifiers Spell is successful with +4 towards Modifiers Spell is successful with +5 towards Modifiers, and Player receives +1 Fate Point. Spell is successful with +5 towards Modifiers, Player receives +1 Fate Point and +1 XP

Hiding Your Hex

Casting hexes in the middle of town is a quick way to end up being burned at the stake or hanging from a gibbet. Despite the wondrous advances in civilization, people still tend to have a fear of witches and magic. Especially so since the Reckoning, when a lot of bad mojo was released. Its within the best interests of every huckster to use his magic subtly, or use it only when there are no witnesses about. If you are being directly observed and you wish to hide your spellcasting, roll your Deception vs. the witnesses Perception. For each zone the witness is distant from the effects of the hex, their Perception is penalized by -1. In some cases, a huckster that is normally seen holding playing cards might receive a +1 to his Deception score. Note that there are also some Advantages that make it easier for the huckster to hide his magic. What exactly happens if an NPC witnesses spellcasting is up to the Marshall. Some folk are open-minded about such things, but theyre as rare as hens teeth.

Learning Hexes
A beginning huckster starts with one hex for every point in Affinity (Hexes) for free. Hexes are rated as Common, Uncommon, and Rare. Only Common and Uncommon may be chosen at character creation. The others must be found, taught, or earned. There are many more hexes in the Weird West than what is shown below.
3

Hexes
(Paragraph about definitions on Activation, Duration, Range, and Casting Time, and Modifiers.)

Ace In the Hole (Rare)

Activation: Difficulty 4 Duration: 1 day/Affinity level or special Range: Touch Casting Time: 10 Minutes This hex allows the caster to provide another person with a magical 'ace in the hole'. The huckster links a hex he can cast to a small focus of some sort, usually a playing card, which can then be given to another. The holder of this focus can cast the hex just as if he were the huckster. When the holder of the focus triggers the link, he rolls the huckster's Affinity score (but restricted by the person's Willpower) vs. the Difficulty of this hex (determined before the focus is given) or the one being used whichever is higher. If successful, the hex is cast as normal (stress or backlash are inflicted upon the user of the link, not the huckster). There are a few limitations on Ace In The Hole. First, the link only lasts 1 day per Affinity level of the huckster. Second, any hexes which could only be cast on others (Helpin' Hand, etc) - cannot be cast on either the original huckster or the person holding the Ace they must be cast on a third person. Finally, while a hex is linked to an Ace In The Hole, the huckster cannot cast that hex himself. Modifiers: None, but the hex to be used may have modifiers

Achille's Heel (Rare)

Activation: Difficulty 5 Duration: Instant Range: 1 Casting Time: Simple Action Often is the time when a posse finds itself confronted by an abomination they're just not quite sure how to defeat. Not surprisingly, quite a few of these posses get eaten by that same monster. A huckster with this hex can sometimes gain a supernatural glimpse into the weak spot of a seemingly invincible foe. For this hex to be effective, the huckster must be within range of the target at the time he casts it - not always a good place to be. If the hex is successful, the hexslinger has a short vision or feeling which reveals something about the target's weakness - if it has one! In game terms, this translates to an automatically successful Assessment of the targets Aspects one that clearly shows a weakness of the creature. This Aspect is now considered Persistent for the scene (it may already be Persistent, however). Achilles' Heel is only effective against animate targets and is normally only useful against supernatural beings, since regular folks usually have only minor weaknesses in comparison. Modifiers: Increase Range by +1 for +1 Difficulty

Air Bubble (Uncommon)

Activation: Difficulty 2 Duration: Scene Range: 1/Affinity Casting Time: Simple Action This is a handy little hex if your hexslinger takes an unexpected dip or his pals have been hitting the beans a little too hard. At its base level, it is proof against smoke-type aspects or effects. At higher levels, it can protect against poison, or allow breathing underwater! This hex creates a small bubble of air around the hucksters head. The air within is replenished throughout the duration of the hex, ensuring the huckster has a constant supply of fresh air. Normally the bubble is invisible, but might be noticed if in an area where smoke is visible. With an increased effort, the bubble is able to maintain its integrity against various liquids and gases. Modifiers: Proof against poison gas, Swamp Gas hex for +1 Difficulty; Proof against water for +2 Difficulty; Increase duration by +1 step for +2 Difficulty

Bash (Uncommon)
Activation: Difficulty 3 Duration: Instant Range: 1/Willpower Casting Time: Simple Action

Few things make a manitou madder than being forced to serve a hucksters whim, if even for an instant. On the other hand, nothing makes an angry manitou happier than outright, unadulterated destruction. Thats exactly what Bash is all about: bashing things all to Hell. Unlike Soul Blast, this hex is capable of damaging inanimate objects exclusively. It cant directly hurt a living being, but the hex gives your huckster something to knock down doors with or to chuck at the big, armored steam wagon which is about to squash him flat. It can also be used to damage a rifle in someones hands or even destroy a gizmo. Any animate thing attached to the damaged piece is unharmed by the hex. When cast, this spell appears as a swirling ball of spiritual energy that flies toward the target and slams into it with devastating force. At its base level, Bash has a Weapon Rating of 4. Assuming this is cast against an unmoving object, there is no need to roll to hit the target. Use the Affinity roll to determine both success of the hex and extra damage. If the huckster tries to destroy something being held by someone, the huckster must roll Agility vs. Agility. Modifiers: Increase Weapon Rating by +1 for +2 Difficulty; Increase Range by +1 for +1 Difficulty

Black Lightnin (Rare)

Activation: Difficulty 3 Duration: Special Range: 1/Affinity Casting Time: Simple Action Some folks are said to have an electric personality, but a huckster with the Black Lightnin hex puts truth behind that phrase. This hex charges the hucksters hands and arms with strange, dark electricity he can throw on later actions. The caster receives an amount of charges based upon the activation difficulty he sets for himself (see Modifiers below). As long as the huckster has some charges left, he can hurl a bolt on each of his actions. WR for Black Lightnin is +4. Hitting a target with Black Lightnin requires an Agility vs. Agility contested roll. The target gets the benefit of cover. Armor that is worn does not protect against the bolts damage. If a bolt is cast by a wet huckster, the caster also takes the damage himself. Modifiers: Increase Charges by +1 for +1 Difficulty; Allows for Burst Fire for +2 Difficulty; Increase Range by +1 for +2 Difficulty

Bloodhound (Uncommon)
Activation: Difficulty 2+ Duration: 1 Hour Range: 1/Perception Casting Time: Simple Action A favorite among hexslinging bounty hunters, this hex allows a huckster to put a ghostly tag on someone, allowing him to track the victim like a bloodhound. The target must be in range of the hex at the time of casting, but afterward the range is unlimited. Depending on the difficulty the Huckster sets for himself, he can tell the direction, distance, exact location, or even what the target is doing (higher difficulties give all the information that is awarded by lower difficulties too). This hex is extremely useful for leading posses after bandits. Note that this hex can be renewed if cast again before the duration expires, but the original difficulty still applies and may not be changed. Bloodhound even works on a huckster whos using the Ghost Trail hex. See the description of that hex for more details.

Bloodhound
Difficulty 2 3 4 5 6 7 Information Alive or dead General direction Rough distance Direction of travel Exact location Current activity

Modifiers: Increase duration by +1 Hour for +1 Difficulty

Bodyguard (Uncommon)
Activation: Difficulty 3 Duration: Scene Range: Touch Casting Time: Simple Action
5

Hucksters cant heal their own wounds its a fact of life. But there are a number of ways to keep from getting injured in the first place, though. Missed Me! is one example, but what if a Weird Western wizard is facing a Maze pirate wielding a cutlass? Huckster shish-kabob, thats what! With Bodyguard, the huckster conjures a form of magical protection for himself which absorbs some of the damage meant for the huckster. This defense is far from perfect and breaks down rapidly under attack but hey, it beats a kick in the head. At the default difficulty, Bodyguard absorbs 3 incoming stress before the hex ends. These stress are removed first (meaning, the boxes are placed before others in the Physical stress track). Once the maximum number of stress has been absorbed by the hex, it dissipates and the huckster is vulnerable to further attacks. The protection afforded by Bodyguard is effective against all types of physical damage, both magical and non-magical. It does not provide any protection against suffocation, drowning, casting hexes, backlash, or stress caused by Gritty consequences. A huckster can have only one Bodyguard active on a particular person at a time. Until the first hex ends, any further castings automatically fail. Modifier: Increase Armor Stress by +1 for +1 Difficulty; Increase number of additional targets by +1 for +3 Difficulty

Brimstone (Rare)
Activation: Difficulty 3 Duration: 1 Minute +1 Minute/Endurance Range: 1/Affinity Casting Time: Simple Action With hexes like this, its no wonder hucksters have gotten a bad reputation with God-fearing folk. Brimstone allows the huckster to summon up a bit of brimstone from Hell itself. The thick, yellowish vapors it puts forth choke and blind everyone in the area. Once the huckster has summoned up the Brimstone, he can drop it, throw it, or carry it around if he wants, though hes not immune to its effects. To cast the hex, there must be a source of burning coals. As part of the hex, the huckster reaches into the flames (which some maintain actually channels his hand straight into the Pit) and plucks out a piece of brimstone, immediately causing +1 stress (which is in addition to whatever else he suffered in casting the spell). The brimstone immediately begins to smoke, causing sickly vaguely yellow vapors to billow forth over a circular area equal 1 zone per point in Affinity. A blowing wind, whether of natural or magical origins, is ineffective in dispersing the hellish fumes. Living beings within the cloud suffer burning eyes, skin, and lungs. This is treated as a WR +2 attack against Endurance, occurring every round that the subject stays within the area of effect. Until the hexs duration has expired, any zone affected has the Smokey Aspect. Modifiers: Increase range by +1 Zone for +1 Difficulty; Change Smokey Aspect to Persistent for +2 Difficulty

Call O' The Wild (Common)

Activation: Difficulty 3 Duration: 1 Minutes +1 Minute/Empathy Range: 3/Reasoning Casting Time: Simple Action This spell allows arcane types to speak with and guide the actions of natures beasts. It works only on creatures with animal intelligence, not humanoids, conjured, magical, or otherwise unnatural animals. The target must be within the casters rangeit is not conjured by the power. Smart hucksters use this spell when they already know that a particular animal is already in the area. Animal size is limited to 0 or lower (but see below). When the animal(s) show up, they do the casters bidding as long as he continues to concentrate or the Duration expires, whichever comes first. The moment this happens, vermin and lesser varmints vanish pretty quick. Wolves, bears, and the like either flee or attack the closest target depending on the situation. Varmints arent too smart. They do whatever the huckster wants to the best of their abilities, about like a well-trained dog. Varmints also have to make a Guts check against supernatural opponents, just like anyone else. Thats why its not much use to throw wolves at some shambling creature from the grave. They just run away with their tails between their legs. Modifiers: Increase animal size by +1 (maximum +2) for +2 Difficulty; Increase duration by +1 minute for +1 Difficulty

Corporeal Tweak (Common)

Activation: Fate Point + Difficulty 3 Duration: Scene Range: 1/Willpower Casting Time: Simple Action This hex alters a targets physical abilities, which can make him move and react faster (Agility), tougher and less prone to sickness (Endurance), stronger (Strength) or hyper-aware of his surroundings (Perception). The Huckster decides which one of the targets physical traits he wants to tweak before casting.
6

On a success, the target gains an appropriate Aspect (such as Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Perception, etc). This Aspect is considered Persistent for the duration. Note that the huckster only spends the Fate Point on a successful use of this hex. Modifiers: None

Corporeal Twist (Uncommon)

Activation: Fate Point + Difficulty 3 Duration: Scene Range: 1/Willpower Casting Time: Simple Action Corporeal Twist is the opposite of Corporeal Tweak. It lowers a targets physical abilities, which can make him react slower (Agility), more fragile (Endurance), weaker (Strength) or even slow to pick up on his surroundings (Perception). The Huckster decides which one of the targets physical traits he wants to twist before casting. The target of this hex is aware that something has occurred. On a success, the target gains an appropriate Aspect (such as Reduced Strength, Reduced Perception, etc). This Aspect is considered Persistent for the duration. Note that the huckster only spends the Fate Point on a successful use of this hex. Modifiers: None

Critter Ward (Common)

Activation: Difficulty 2 Duration: 3 hours +1 hour/Affinity Range: 1/Willpower Casting Time: 5 Minutes Tired of waking up with members of the local wildlife sharing your bedroll? This incantation allows the caster to erect a stationary magical barrier that normal animals cant willingly cross. Hucksters often use this hex to safeguard their camps at night. After casting the hex, the huckster may leave the area without affecting the Critter Ward. No normal animal can willingly enter the area protected by a Critter Ward. A bear ousted from its den, for example, may prowl angrily at the edge of the ward, but cant cross it. Animals controlled by others must make a Difficulty 5 Willpower check to enter the area. Even if successful, all checks are made at -1 while within the Critter Ward. Either way, these animals seek to escape the area as soon as they are freed from the control. This hex has absolutely no effect on abominations. Modifiers: Increase base time by +1 hour for +1 Difficulty

Deuces Wild (Common)

Activation: Difficulty 2 Duration: Concentration Range: 1/Perception Casting Time: Simple Action + Supplemental to maintain Deuces Wild creates an illusory double of your huckster. The double must remain within range and sight of the huckster at all times, but he can move the illusion around as he likes. The double appears in all respects identical to the huckster, and anyone attempting to pick out the real huckster must make a Difficulty 4 Perception roll. Anyone in the same zone as the double need only make a Difficulty 2 Perception roll to spot a certain shimmer to the fake. The double is only a visual illusion, so its actions have no effect on physical objects. Additionally, creatures which have keen senses of smell are not fooled by the illusion use this against a pack of wolves, and your huckster is lunch. Anyone touching the double instantly realizes its an illusion. Physical objects pass right through it! Some more intelligent people might even catch on if they keep shooting the image and it doesnt fall over dead, so be warned! Modifiers: Double can speak with the hucksters voice for +2 to Difficulty; Increase Perception roll to see through illusion by +1 for +2 Difficulty; Requires no Supplemental Action to maintain for +3 Difficulty

Earshot (Common)
Activation: Difficulty 2 Duration: Scene Range: 1 mile/Perception Casting Time: Simple Action + Supplemental to maintain A huckster can use this hex to hear through a subjects ears. If the target of the hex makes a Willpower roll vs. Difficulty 3 when the hex is first activated, he knows somethings wrong. For most people, this will be an unshakeable feeling as if youre being watched. For those knowledgeable about hucksters and hexes theyll know exactly what it is. Little can be done by the target about Earshot but there are hints in Hoyle that hexes exist to rid yourself of a huckster utilizing this spell.
7

The huckster can cast this spell on an unseen target if he has an object the subject has touched within the last week. Modifiers: Increase targets Willpower roll by +1 for +1 Difficulty; Requires no Supplemental Action to maintain for +3 Difficulty

Helpin Hand (Uncommon)

Activation: Fate Point + Difficulty 2 Duration: Permanent Range: Touch Casting Time: 10 Minutes Though not the best healers in the Weird West - Helpin Hand allows a huckster to heal a suffering companions wounds (but not his own and not a Harrowed). This may only be cast on a particular person once a day. A Fate Point is only expended on a successful casting of this hex. The above Difficulty is for Minor Consequences, to heal greater injuries see Modifiers below. Successful use of this hex reduces a Consequence by one step so a Bleedin Gut Wound (Severe) might become Pain In The Breadbasket (Major). Note that Helpin Hand cant restore maimed limbs. Only the divine favors of shamans and the blessed can pull off that trick and not very easy like, either Modifiers: Heal Major Consequences for +2 to Difficulty; Heal Severe Consequences for+4 to Difficulty; Consequence to be healed is Gritty for +2 to Difficulty (which is considered no longer Gritty)

Hunch (Common)
Activation: Difficulty 4 Duration: Instant Range: Touch Casting Time: 2 Simple Actions A huckster can gain insight into the past with this hex. To cast the spell the huckster places his hand on a person, place, or thing and closes his eyes. If the hex is successful, the magician has a brief vision, feeling, or hunch about some event that happened in the targets recent past (at the base level, this covers the previous day). If the huckster fails his hex roll and there was extreme violence in the area of the item in the recent past (such as a murder) the huckster immediately suffers Backlash. This hex isnt often used to suss out a murderer for this very reason. The huckster can concentrate on a specific question (increasing the difficulty) if he wants, but the target doesnt know about events that did not happen in its presence. Modifiers: Increase time window by one step (see SoF Time Increments table) for +1 Difficulty; Additional Detail for +1 Difficulty; Specific question for +2 Difficulty.

Mind Tweak (Uncommon)

Activation: Fate Point + Difficulty 2 Duration: Scene Range: 1/Willpower Casting Time: Simple Action Similar to Corporeal Tweak, this hex instead improves a targets mental abilities, which can make him magically skilled in his work (Craft), improve his memory (Knowledge), increase his logic and puzzle solving ability (Reasoning), or augment his resistance to manipulation (Willpower). The Huckster decides which one of the targets mental traits he wants to tweak before channeling. On a success, the target gains an appropriate Aspect (such as Enhanced Reasoning, Enhanced Willpower, etc). This Aspect is considered Persistent for the duration. Note that the huckster only spends the Fate Point on a successful use of this hex. Modifiers: None

Mind Twist (Uncommon)

Activation: Fate Point + Difficulty 2 Duration: Scene Range: 1/Willpower Casting Time: Simple Action Similar to Corporeal Twist, this hex instead degrades a targets mental abilities, which can make him magically less skilled in his work (Craft), dull his memory (Knowledge), decrease his logic and puzzle solving ability (Reasoning), or weaken his resistance to manipulation (Willpower). The Huckster decides which one of the targets mental traits he wants to twist before channeling. On a success, the target gains an appropriate Aspect (such as Reduced Reasoning, Reduced Willpower, etc). This Aspect is considered Persistent for the duration. Note that the huckster only spends the Fate Point on a successful use of this hex. Modifiers: None
8

Missed Me! (Common)

Activation: Difficulty 2 Duration: Scene Range: Self Casting Time: Simple Action + Supplemental to maintain There are hexes which absorb damage and ones which reflect damage, but often its best not to get hit in the first place! This hex forces a manitou to deflect bullets and other physical projectile attacks that would otherwise hit the hucksters body. The effect adds +2 to Agility for purposes of dodging incoming projectile attacks. Explosives, fire from a blazing flamethrower, and other area-effect attacks cannot be deflected, but ranged magical attacks such as Soul Blast and Black Lightnin can be pushed aside. The Marshal may determine other supernatural effects can be affected as well. Duration is considered to be scene-length, but the huckster must continue to maintain the spell by using a Supplemental Action during his turn for the spell to remain in effect (Note that the normal penalty of -1 to all actions when using a Supplemental Action does not apply to defensive actions with this hex). Modifiers: Agility for defense purposes is +1 for +1 Difficulty; Casting Time is Free for +2 Difficulty; Requires no Supplemental Action to maintain for +3 Difficulty

Phantom Fingers (Common)

Activation: Difficulty 2 Duration: Scene Range: 1/Willpower Casting Time: Simple Action Hucksters often use this hex to cheat at cards or pull an enemys gun from his holster. It allows the caster to manipulate objects from a distance. Phantom Fingers can perform relatively complex manipulations with an object such as turning a key or firing a gun, but this is slightly more difficult (see Modifiers, below). If the huckster tries to snatch an object away from someone, the attempt is automatically successful if the targets owner is surprised. Otherwise, the huckster must make a contested roll of Willpower versus his opponents Strength. Modifiers: Fine manipulation for +1 Difficulty; Snatching bonus of +1 to Willpower for +1 Difficulty; Increased weight per the chart below. Difficulty +0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 Size/Weight Baseball Pistol Rifle Gatling Gun Person Iron Safe Wagon Oak Tree Freight Car Manor House Train

Private Eye (Uncommon)

Activation: Difficulty 2 Duration: Scene Range: 1 mile/Perception Casting Time: Simple Action + Supplemental to maintain A huckster can use this hex to see through a subjects eyes. If the target of the hex makes a Difficulty 4 Willpower roll when the hex is first activated, he knows somethings wrong. For most people, this will be an unshakeable feeling as if youre being watched. For those knowledgeable about hucksters and hexes theyll know exactly what it is. Little can be done by the target about Private Eye but there are hints in Hoyle that hexes exist to rid yourself of a huckster utilizing this spell. The huckster can cast this spell on an unseen target if he has an object the subject has touched within the last week. Modifiers: Increase targets Willpower roll by +1 for +1 Difficulty; Increase range by +1 mile for +1 Difficulty; Requires no Supplemental Action to maintain for +3 Difficulty

Shadow Man (Common)

9

Activation: Difficulty 2 Duration: Scene Range: Touch Casting Time: Simple Action+ Supplemental to maintain This is the favored hex of serious skulkers everywhere. Shadow Man creates a pocket of shadow around the huckster, granting him the Aspect of Shadow Man. Like all Aspects, this may be invoked for free on an initial stealth roll, or invoked for future stealth rolls with a Fate Point. Duration is considered to be scene-length, but the huckster must continue to maintain the spell by using a Supplemental Action during his turn for the spell to remain in effect (Note that the normal penalty of -1 to all actions when using a Supplemental Action does not apply to stealth rolls while using this hex). Modifiers: The Shadow Man Aspect is Persistent for +3 Difficulty; Requires no Supplemental Action to maintain for +3 Difficulty

Shadow Walk (Common)

Activation: Difficulty 2 Duration: Instant Range: Self Casting Time: Simple Action This hex is the reason that hucksters tend to hang out in shadowy saloons. Hucksters can use Shadow Walk to step into one shadow and emerge from another one zone away. The shadow he enters and leaves from must be large and dark enough to engulf his entire form, and the huckster must be able to see the shadow he wants to emerge from. If under direct observation, the huckster can make a Deception +1 (modified by Agility) against the observers Perception roll to avoid the he or she noticing where the Shadow Walk takes them. The Marshal gets the final call as to what works and what makes your hombre look silly. Modifiers: Increase zone travelled by +1 for +1 Difficulty; Increase Deception for detection purposes by +1 for +1 Difficulty

Soul Blast (Common)

Activation: Difficulty 2 Duration: Instant Range: 1/Perception Casting Time: Simple Action The hucksters best friend is the Soul Blast hex. When cast, an almost invisible stream of ghostly white energy races from the hucksters palm toward his target. The stream slams into the victim like a bullet. Unlike a bullet, however, Soul Blast has no effect on inanimate objects because it is purely spiritual energy. The blast can only damage things which have a spiritual component to them people, animals, undead, Harrowed, etc. Use the Activation roll as the to-hit roll. At its base level, Soul Blast has a Weapon Rating of 4. If using Deal With The Devil when casting Soul Blast and the cards come up with a Dead Mans Hand (two black Aces, two black 8s, and a Jack of Diamonds no Jokers) the foe is automatically Taken Out. Modifiers: Increase Weapon Rating by +1 for +2 Difficulty

10

Name Ace In The Hole Achilles Heel Air Bubble Bash Black Lightnin Bloodhound Bodyguard Brimstone Call O The Wild Corporeal Tweak Corporeal Twist Critter Ward Deuces Wild Earshot Helpin Hand Hunch Mind Tweak Mind Twist Missed Me! Phantom Fingers Private Eye Shadow Man Shadow Walk Soul Blast

Diff 4 5 2 3 3 2 3 3 2 3+ FP 3+ FP 2 2 2 3+ FP 2 2+ FP 2+ FP 2 2 2 2 2 2

Orig. Diff 5 5 2 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 3 2 5 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 2

Rarity Rare Rare Uncommon Uncommon Rare Uncommon Uncommon Rare Common Common Uncommon Common Common Common Uncommon Common Uncommon Uncommon Common Common Uncommon Common Common Common

Type Buff Utility Utility Utility Combat Utility Combat Combat Utility Buff Buff Utility Utility Utility Combat Utility Buff Buff Combat Utility Utility Utility Utility Combat

Description Allow others to cast a hex Learn weakness of creature Breath water or gas Smash inanimate objects Get charges for attacks Can put a spider tracer on someone Adds stress armor Creates noxious cloud Huckster can speak with and guide animals Add positive physical aspects to people, can be persistent Add negative physical aspects to people, can be persistent Creates field that stops normal animals Creates illusion of the huckster Huckster can hear through a subjects ears Huckster can lower a physical consequence by one step Huckster gets a hunch about a person place or thing Add positive mental aspects to people, can be persistent Add negative mental aspects to people, can be persistent Adds bonuses to Agility to dodge attacks Telekinesis Huckster can see through a subjects eyes Aids in stealth rolls by adding an aspect Teleport between shadows Damaging blast

DeadStrands - Hucksters

Classic Hucksters Notes Requirements - Arcane Background edge Requirements - 1 pt in Academia: Occult Each hex is its own Aptitude, a huckster may buy up to 5 levels in any hex during char gen. Casting Make an Aptitude check. On a fair (5) success, you contact the Manitou. Draw 5 cards, +1 for every raise on the hex roll. Make the best Poker hand you can some hexes require a minimum hand. o Failure on not reaching the minimum. o On a botch or when drawing a joker, roll on the Backlash chart for hexes. Reloaded Hucksters Notes Requirements Arcane Background (Magic)
11

Start with 3 Hexes, may purchase more with XP

Casting Pay Power Points o Recharge 1 point every three hours. Rapid Recharge Edge reduces this to 1 point every two hours, Improved to 1 point an hour. o On a 1 on Spellcasting roll, roll on Backlash table and Huckster is *shaken* OR Deal with the Devil o Player determines variables on Hex, such as Power Points to be spent o Draw 5 cards +1 per point of Grit o If hand beats the amount of power points needed, Hex does not require power points. Make Spellcasting roll

DeadStrands Hucksters Notes Requirements Power Advantage (Huckster) Requirements Affinity (Hex Casting) Start with 1 Hex per Affinity rating Casting Safe and Easy o Roll Affinity against the Hex Difficulty o On a result of -4 or -3 on the dice, the Huckster suffers Backlash. They may spend a Fate Point to reroll, but they still suffer Backlash. o On success, Huckster suffers 1 Physical stress, Hex is cast successfully o On failure, Huckster suffers 2 Physical stress, and Hex fails. OR Deal with the Devil o Roll Affinity against Hex Difficulty o On success, draw 5 cards +1 per Spin. On failure, draw 4 cards. If hand beats the difficulty, Hex does not inflict stress. On failure, the Huckster suffers Backlash. Joker counts as Wild Card, but causes backlash

12