What would Russian roulette be called on Golarion?

[UnwiseAlistair]

My party’s gunslinger has a revolver and the joke of playing Russian roulette came up. We’re trying to figure out what the game would be called in the pathfinder universe.

[Lord Torath]

If there are no French and no Russians on Golarion, you're going to need to find a new name, obviously. "Roulette" is French for "small wheel", which is the basis for the game of chance. The "Russian" part of the name just means it's about life and death. So perhaps something like Deadly Wheel of Fortune or Deadly Spinner. Perhaps Death Spin? Whirl of Death?

[BWR]

Baba Yaga's Wager.

[emeraldstreak]

Well, there is no English either, so I dont see why spin beats roulette. Russian has to go for a nation known for its guns.

[Lord Torath]

Well, there is no English either, so I dont see why spin beats roulette. Russian has to go for a nation known for its guns.

Everyone knows English is the Bestest Language Evar! Really, though, everyone knows that Common is whatever language the players use to speak to each other while playing. For me (and from what I can tell, most of the GitP forums), that's English. If Common is Français for you, your idioms will be different.

I figured the Spin still applies, as you're spinning the barrel of your revolver. Roulette is specifically a game of chance. If there's a game of chance called "Roulette" on Golarian, then by all means, stick with Roulette. Otherwise something else is needed.

BWR's suggestion is much better than mine (assuming there's a Baba Yaga on Golarion - Baba Yaga, like this particular version of Roulette, is Russian!). Replace "Baba Yaga" with whatever Malicious Trickster persona is popular on Golarian if needed.

Hope your game of Baba Yaga's Wager doesn't lead to a Mexican Stand-off!

[BWR]

She does exist on Golarion, which is why I chose her. Plus she's Rasputin's (yes, that Rasputin) mother in the Reign of Winter AP, so the Russian connection is even stronger.

[Scots Dragon]

I'd go for calling it something like 'an Alkenstar Throw' or 'Alkenstar Bones'.

In the average revolver there are six chambers, which makes the 'is this the chamber that has a round in it' kind of like throwing a die, and dice are commonly nicknamed as bones.

Alkenstar is the primary location in Golarion which produces guns, and thus; a game of Alkenstar bones.

[lightningcat]

Even across the Inner Sea, the idea of playing a stupid dangerous game with small chance of reward could have several names. For the actual game, I like Alkenstar Bones, Alkenstar Throw, or even Alkenstar Wheel.
For the basic idea, the first thought I had was Drinking with Baba Yaga. It is a losing propisition, that you can't get out of, but if you are stupidly lucky then you might walk away with your life, and maybe even some form of treasure. Riddling with Dragons also comes to mind for that sort of thing.

[D+1]

"Nick's Game." In reference to The Deer Hunter.

[Nifft]

Spin the Loaded Die.


A die has six sides: a revolver has six bullets -- so when the character spins the cylinder, the DM rolls a six-sided die.

If you spin the loaded chamber, you die.

[Sebastian]

I think the alliteration is important, so...

goblin's gamble ?

for gobilns have nothing to do with guns, of course, but it would be a reference to a kind of activity/game where one or more of the partecipants risk a messy death (like, playing "hot potato" with the fantasy equivalent of live grenade) and so it became a synonym for "luck based game with an high chance of losing your life"

[Chogokin]

How about the "Iron Harrow". The Harrow deck is a Golarion Tarot deck, used to reveal your fate. Guns are sometimes called "shooting irons". Playing that particular game has a lot to do with your fate...

[Friv]

Everyone knows English is the Bestest Language Evar! Really, though, everyone knows that Common is whatever language the players use to speak to each other while playing. For me (and from what I can tell, most of the GitP forums), that's English. If Common is Français for you, your idioms will be different.

Yeah, but if you pull every word in English that derives from French out, you lose a lot of language, since roughly 29% of English originates in French. The peasants can't eat beef, mutton or pork. In fact, they aren't peasants, because peasant is from the french "paisant", meaning one who works the land. You also won't have any bailiffs, mayors, chancellors, or parliaments, there will be no finance, justice, or states, you won't have an army and it certainly won't have soldiers or officers, your towns will need swordsfolk instead of guards, and of course I hope your bard doesn't want to do any art, music, or dance.

Also, there will be nothing blue, orange, violet, or scarlet in the world. No buildings with arches, facades, or vaults. No effigies or emblems, no damsels or friars, and of course no male or female people.

[Lord Torath]

Yes, but English is well known for luring other languages into back alleys, knocking them senseless, and then going through their pockets for loose verbage. My point about different idioms in different languages still stands.

[BWR]

Also, there will be nothing blue,

Since 'blue' is of Germnic origin with plenty of cognates in other Germanic languages, including ON, it's likely we would have it, if not necessarily spelled that exact way.

[Pilo]

Spin'n'Die
One in the chamber
Besmara's madness
Brigh's Destiny Game
Haagenti's Prayer

[Jay R]

It's named for the greatest player of the game the world has ever known. One night, in the tavern, he challenged each of 279 people to the game. He played the game 279 times and only lost once.

So in honor of Russ the Brave (also known as Russ the Mad and Russ the Really, Really Drunk), the game is known as Russian Roulette.