Loaded Shell Game Cups

Adventuring Gear

Price: 10 gp
Weight: 1 lb.

Description

This set of three cups and accompanying balls are designed for cheating at the popular shell game. In the game, a dealer places three identical cups opening-side down and shows the customer (or mark) a small ball. The dealer then sets the ball down upon a table, places one of the cups over it, and then rapidly shuffles the three cups around, back and forth, with the expectation that the mark cannot keep up and will be unable to accurately choose the cup that hides the ball.

With this set, a small lever hidden upon the base of each cup flips an extra chamber inside the cup back and forth. When the chamber is open, the ball is visible, and when it is shut, the cup scoops the ball inside and hides it from view. The dealer can control which cup “reveals” a ball while keeping the other two balls hidden in their respective cups. To do this, the dealer must succeed at a Sleight of Hand check with a +5 bonus opposed by the mark’s Perception check to activate the levers without being noticed.