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Three Card Coyote
A Game Chef 2012 contest entry by Todd Zircher using the theme of
Last Chance and the ingredients; Coyote, Doctor, Lantern, and
Mimic.
~
In a darkened room, the Trickster God smiled and shuffled the cards.
The assembled celestial powers were not amused with Coyote's
theatrics, but they also knew that the cycle was coming to an end.
This was their chance to grab the power for themselves. But until
then, Coyote literally held all the cards; a metaphor for the earthly
power that he had.
Standing in front of a round poker table, Coyote cleared his throat, a
purely human mannerism.
"We all know why I'm here", he growled. "My reign is coming to
an end and one of you shall take up that mantle of power. Power
that will allow you to walk among men and influence the world."
Coyote sweeps his hand across the table to reveal a fan of cards,
"The power can't be taken. It can only be given awayÈ or earned."
Coyote smiled wickedly, "Let's play a game."
Three Card Coyote is a story telling card game. The players each
represent a celestial power that wants to win the game and claim the
earthly power that is currently in the hands of the Trickster God. This
might be your last chance. The god power only changes hands every
few centuries or millennia. In a few more centuries, you might
become a forgotten god or goddess and fade from existence.
The Celestials and their powers:
Atlas, a titan with a grudge to settle
I can lift anything.
Pose Mastery!
Chuck, mythical martial artist
The dealer plays the role of Coyote. You have the god power and can
directly meddle in the affairs of man or beast. You also have control
of the deck and to some extent, fate itself. In traditional role playing
games, we'd call you the game master.
Reality defying round house kicks
Beard magic!
Cthulhu, elder god, has a penchant for tentacles
Eye of madness
At the start of the game, each player gets six poker chips (although
beads, coins, or other tokens work just as well.) This is their personal
power that they can expend during the game. It enables them to
raise the stakes, but once a chip is thrown down, it can't be taken
back. Once a player runs out of chips, they're stuck with the cards
that they have been dealt.
Tentacles from Beyond
Kukulkan, a Mayan feathered serpent with a taste for blood
Stir the winds, herald the storm.
Snake magic!
Loki, the former Trickster God until he lost a bet
The game starts with the draft. The dealer lays down the cards in a
fan with their faces down. Each player pulls one card from the deck.
High card gets to select a deity or human first. The draft then
continues goes down in order from the next highest to the lowest
card. In case of a tie, the suite order is spades, hearts, clubs, with
diamonds as the lowest. The lowest card holder gets to select both a
deity and a human avatar. The process then goes back up from
lowest to highest with each player selecting a complimentary role (if
you chose a human, now select a deity or vice versa.) No duplicates
allowed.
Shape shifter with an eye for mischief
Frost giant blood
Helena, daughter of Zeus, paragon of beauty
This is my town, I'm welcome anywhere.
People would go to war for me.
Thor, Norse badass, inventor of heavy metal
When you have a hammer, everything is a nail.
Donner and Blitzen! (Thunder and lightning, the not reindeer.)
At the end of the draft, each player should have one deity and one
human as their celestial power and human avatar. These two roles
combined represent the special powers and skills for each player.
Zeus, king of the Greek pantheon, has infidelity issues
Lightning bolt!
Shape shifter supreme!
The powers used by the Celestials are magical in nature and strange
things frequently happen around them. Could the school teacher use
beard magic if she is the avatar of Chuck? You betcha! Of course,
she might garner more than a few strange looks until Chuck banishes
the beard back to where it came from.
The Humans and their skills and things:
Give your character a name and gender. While a proper East coast
lady wouldn't be caught dead in a territorial mining town, the rules
are a lot more flexible out West.
The Blacksmith, mister fix-it of the West
Hammer and tongs
Tough as iron
There is a game inside a game thing going on here. At one level
there are humans running around town, but at another level there are
mystical beings sitting around a table playing a game. So, when Thor
does something at the saloon, Cthulhu in the stables would still know
what's going on in a meta-gaming kind of way.
The Cowboy, under that dusty hat is a practical mind
You were born in the saddle with a rope in your hands.
A well maintained Henry lever action rifle
The Doctor, no, not that doctor
The game starts with everyone sitting in a stage coach. If either the
cowboy or ranger is present, they can start on horseback sitting next
to the stage coach.
A compassionate and trusted healer
The Black Bag of holding medical stuff
The Merchant, almost everyone owes you for something
"Last stop!", shouts Coyote the stage coach driver. "Welcome to
Last Chance Gulch, the town leaders changed the townÔs name to
Helena last night. Today is October 31, 1864."
The general store, everything you need and nothing you don't.
Everyone underestimates you.
The Miner, scruffy isn't a look, it's a life style
The air is crisp this morning, but the first snows have not fallen yet.
Coyote continues, "The little town of Helena doesn't have much to
offer. Well, except for nigh unlimited power, if you can unlock it."
Underneath that rough exterior is a rough interior
Secret stash of gold dust
The Missionary, salvation or bust
"The rules of the game are simple, search the town for the Door,
the Key, and the Lantern. You need to combine all three to unlock
the power. Don't worry. You'll know it when you see them or who
is carrying them."
Unshakeable faith leads to misplaced trust.
The good book is more useful than you think.
The School Teacher, it's hard to be humble when you're so smart
Personal library of books includes a few unusual entries.
Your educated ways intimidates the locals.
He reaches up and pulls out a shotgun. "Oh yes, it wouldn't be
much of a game if you pull out guns and knives and start killing
each other. You're forbidden from attacking each other directly
until the Showdown. The town folks are not restricted. So, you
all be mindful of stepping on too many toes. Or, use that to your
advantage."
The Texan Ranger, a persistent tracker of men
The Law is on my side, even out in the territories.
The star on my chest is only matched by my Starr revolvers.
While your typical human does not wield any magic, when processed
by a celestial power, they become very competent. A player doctor
becomes a great healer or a cowboy becomes a showman when it
comes to rope tricks.
After the players have picked their characters, the dealer re-shuffles
and deals three hidden cards. The first reveals the location of the
Door. The second reveals the nature of the Key. And, the third
reveals what is the Lantern. Look up the meaning of each card on
the following tables, write that down, and hide it. After that, return
the cards to the deck and shuffle again.
Card The Key
Description
A
Necronomicon
Only a mad Arab would write a book like
this. It can be found in a Victorian house.
2
Eagle Feather
This spirit token has ended up in the hair of
a waitress at the Big Sky Saloon.
3
Bear Skin
This rug covers part of the floor in one of
the homesteads.
Card
The Door
Description
4
Bible
Not the one that the missionaries carry, this
is the big one that sits on the lectern.
A
Tent Town
One of the tents glows with a green
light. Sneaky Pete is in a bad mood
and wants no visitors.
5
Jail Key
This fancy key never leaves the SheriffÓs
side. Getting it will be tricky.
2
Miner Camp
Unseen rainbow sparks lift from the
campfire in the center.
6
Gold Dust
No miner will want to easily part with this.
Unfortunately, it has to be Last Chance gold
and not any that the player starts with.
3
Helena Heights
The finest houses in town are built
here in the Victorian fashion. A fine
violet light glows from the sitting room
windows of one of them.
7
Dead ManÓs
Hand
Easier to get than a live manÓs hand.
Maybe the doctor has some spares handy.
8
Noose
This would be the one that hangs from the
old oak tree outside the stable.
4
Big Sky Saloon
Lines of power drunkenly sway towards
the small stage. Employees only.
9
Chalk
Surely the school house has some on their
blackboard.
5
North Main Street
Ley lines cross where the Last Chance
Gulch runs through the middle of town.
10
Scale
Not a dragonÓs scale but the kind used by
the townÓs Assayer to measure gold dust.
6
General Store
Curiously, the etched glass main
window forms an eldritch archway.
J
Mining Pan
Partially buried in the mud of Last Chance
Gulch at North Main Street. It has the
perfect resonance.
7
Assayer's Office
The cast iron safe in the Assayer's
Office emits an inaudible hum.
8
Last Chance Hotel
and Doctor's Office
A second floor hotel room overlooks
the street. It sings of alien mystery.
Q
Mirror
Specifically, that really fancy mirror that is
hanging in the General Store.
9
Sheriff's Office
The last jail on the end whispers of a
dark past. Crazy Sam also hears the
voices, but no one will let him out.
K
Tent Stake
Only one that has tasted blood will do. Like
the one that was involved in that accident
in Tent City that crushed a manÓs hand.
10
School House
The ghostly runes on the blackboard
can open a hidden doorway.
J
Smith and Stable
No one knows that there's an ancient
Indian burial ground under the corral.
Q
Church
To your eyes, the alter glows with a
white light.
K
Homesteads
This humble home is different from the
others. It has a pot belly stove that
looks like a grinning imp.
Card The Lantern
Description
A
card or hand (against another player or the dealer.) During an action,
a player can choose to not reveal a card and instead fold or raise.
Jack-oÓ-Lantern
There are plenty in town this day. Helena
almost got called Pumpkinville. You can
find this squash in front of the school.
Folding means that the player voluntarily forfeits their remaining
actions that round. In a story telling context, it means they fail
gracefully. They cower from a fight, bide their time for an occupant
to leave a house, etc. They forfeit their move to avoid a loss or
confrontation.
2
MinerÓs Lamp
It should be no surprise that this can be
found in a minerÓs tent.
3
Camp Lantern
A brass dead flame lantern commonly
found around camp sites.
4
Black Candle
No one knows why this is in the sheriffÓs
desk.
Raising happens that the player throws down a chip and explains how
they're using their celestial power or supernatural skill. The player
describes what happens and they automatically win that action unless
an opposing player also throws down a chip and creates a stalemate
for that action. A player can only do this if they're in a position to
intervene. This usually means they have to be in the same location
on the map. If this is the third action of a round and there is still a
stalemate, any hidden cards are revealed and the winning hand
determines the outcome of the action.
5
Lime Light
One of the lights for the saloon stage is
different from the others.
6
Torch
Stuck in the mud next to a wooden plank,
this torch is found on North Main Street.
7
Hot Coal
There is a hot coal in the blacksmithÓs
forge that never grows cold.
8
Chandelier
Only a Victorian home would have one.
9
Blessed Candle
The Church is the obvious place for one.
10
Hurricane Lamp
Rather fragile, you can find one brought
from back East by a homesteader.
Ranks of Hands:
J
Oil Lamp
This Arabian style oil lamp is located in the
AssayerÓs Office.
Straight Flush, a run of three cards in the same suit.
Three of a kind, is three cards of the same value.
Q
Matches
Easily bought at the General Store.
K
Menorah
It looks rather out of place in the Last
Chance Hotel.
Straight, three cards in ascending or descending order, the
Ace can be played on the high end (AKQ) or low end (A23).
Flush, three cards of the same suit
Each round, the dealer deals out three cards to each player face
down. The players ÒspendÓ these cards to perform actions. Some
actions are easy such as walking across a street, others require a high
card, and a few require a winning hand. Some actions, such as a big
chase or brawl might carry over several actions or rounds. The first
round starts with the player to the left of the dealer. The next round
starts with the next player to the left and continues around the table.
Two pair, two cards of the same value with the third card being
used as a tie breaker (also known as a kicker.)
High card, if nothing else works, use the highest card.
Each turn of a card is an action that the player performs. It's possible
for the players to think outside the box and it is up to the dealer to
decide if their action is successful. In general, easy actions can be
done on the turn of any card, difficult actions require playing a card
with a value of eight or higher, dangerous actions require a winning
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