Ziethas

Popular card game played in the Forbidden Zone

“I'm going to see if I can pick it up as I go.”

— Edmund Andrew joins a Ziethas table in Lowdown

Introduction

Ziethas (also known as "Sevens") is a card game originating in the Tabazani region and popularized across the Forbidden Zone of Eldenterra. The game is a commonplace in taverns and gambling dens throughout the major trade routes and settlements of the Zone. Unlike typical card games, it is played with a forty-one-card Tabazani deck.

History

Based upon Skyland card games introduced to the Zone by Merikan traders in the ninth century PCE, Ziethas is an adaptation of familiar trick-taking card games played with the traditional 52-card deck. It is said that Camaxi the Despot, an infamous ninth-century Tabazani Overlord, was such an avid player of these games that he ordered his court sages to create a new card game in his own honour. The word-keepers designed a unique forty-one card deck with a set of four suits (shields, stars, rods, and swords) based upon the iconography of Tabazan and Pachuco and further styled the face cards (king, priest, warrior) after significant personages in the despot's family lineage and in the general lore of Eldenterra. They used this Tabazani deck to develop the game that would eventually come to be known as Ziethas.

The Cards

Many of the cards are known by popular style names. For example, the Seven of Swords is commonly referred to as the "Sword of Seven Stars" and bears iconography depicting a legendary ancient weapon known by that name. The Priest of Stars is always called the "Night Man," and is emblazoned with images denoting the mythic Night Man folk hero. The King of Rods is typically called the "XHAN Card" or simply "The Emperor" and bears the imposing image of the fabled Steel Legion Tetrarch.

Rank of Cards

In the game of Ziethas cards are ranked in order from high to low in the following order: 7, king, priest, warrior, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, ace. The deck contains one trump card called the "Smile Card." In addition to the Smile Card sevens of any suit may be played as trumps that outrank all other cards.

The Game

Ziethas is played with a hand of seven cards. The player to the dealer's left leads by laying one card face up in the center of the table. The other players in turn must play a card of the same suit if they can. Players who have no card of the suit led must either play a trump or discard a card.

When all players have played or discarded one card, the first trick is complete. The player with the highest card of the suit (or the highest trump) is the winner of the trick. If multiple sevens are played, the seven that matches the leading suit takes the trick; otherwise the last seven laid is the trump. The cards played are not gathered in but remain in a face up pile. The winner of the trick leads any card from their hand to begin the next trick and plays it face up on top of the pile. Once again the other players must each play a card. Players who have no card of the leading suit must either play a trump or discard a card, etc.

Play continues until seven tricks have been played. The winner of the most tricks wins the hand.

Gameplay

Target Number / Degree of Success:

60 / Opposed

Mechanics:

The game is played in rounds. Participants roll a Profession (gaming and gambling) check each round and keep a tally of their check results (degree of success, DS). The first participant to accumulate a DS result equal to or greater than the target number (DS 60) wins the game. If more than one participant achieves the target DS in the same round the higher result wins.

If betting or gambling is involved all participants must pay an ante before the first round is played. Each player may then make a bet each round before rolling his Profession (gaming and gambling) check. Others must match the current bid, raise, or fold. Each player then makes his skill check and adds the result to his DS. If a round ends and no one reaches the target number, a new round begins. Each participant may then choose to bet again or to fold, and then each player who has not folded makes a skill check as above. The process is repeated until someone reaches the target number for that game. The winner of the game gets all the money that was wagered in the previous rounds of that game.

Players with 5 or more ranks in Bluff or Sense Motive get a +2 synergy bonus to their Profession (gaming & gambling) checks. These bonuses stack and increase by +2 at 10 or more ranks (+2 again at 15 ranks and 20 ranks as well).

Type of Custom:

Card Game

Place of Origin:

Tabazan

Cultural Influence:

The Forbidden Zone

Tabazani Deck Table
01 - Ace of Shields
02 - Two of Shields
03 - Three of Shields
04 - Four of Shields
05 - Five of Shields
06 - Six of Shields
07 - Seven of Shields
08 - Warrior of Shields
09 - Priest of Shields
10 - King of Shields
11 - Ace of Stars
12 - Two of Stars
13 - Three of Stars
14 - Four of Stars
15 - Five of Stars
16 - Six of Stars
17 - Seven of Stars
18 - Warrior of Stars
19 - Priest of Stars
20 - King of Stars
21 - Ace of Rods
22 - Two of Rods
23 - Three of Rods
24 - Four of Rods
25 - Five of Rods
26 - Six of Rods
27 - Seven of Rods
28 - Warrior of Rods
29 - Priest of Rods
30 - King of Rods
31 - Ace of Swords
32 - Two of Swords
33 - Three of Swords
34 - Four of Swords
35 - Five of Swords
36 - Six of Swords
37 - Seven of Swords
38 - Warrior of Swords
39 - Priest of Swords
40 - King of Swords
41 - Smile Card