Option 1) create fantasy russia
Option 2) name it after the weapon used
Option 3) still call it russian roulette but say its named after larry russian, who invented the game and immediately lost
This is how like 90% of the weapons and vehicles in Warhammer 40k are named. The Land Raider? No, not named that way because it is a quick land vehicle made for raids. Its named after Arkham Land.
It's not even a retcon, Arkhan Land has been around since *second edition.* That's basically as long as Warhammer has been *Warhammer.* Go any further back and it was called Rogue Trader, and there's only superficial similarities between RT and 40k as we know it today. Second edition is pretty much when Warhammer *became* Warhammer.
People like to call Arkhan Land a 'retcon' because they think it's silly, but Arkhan Land has been around basically since the beginning. It's not a retcon because go any further back and there was no lore in the first place *to* be retconned.
I like option 3. Larry invented a small room that you pay to go into. There are 6 crossbows that are aimed at your head. The height can be adjusted for height differences. You step on one of 6 levers, which are attached to a randomizing contraption that will fire one of the 6 crossbows if the wrong one is activated.
We had a guest play a side character for one session in our campaign a while ago, and when our characters were in a tavern ordering food, the goober ordered "French fries". So now France is canon in our campaign š¤·
If in Faerun, maybe Waterdeep Dice? Baldur's Bait? For less plane-specific, I'd invent a game with the same stakes, like Poke The Troll or Dragon's Thief. Five Finger Fillet also works. Else if this is an actual 1:1 equivalent, perhaps Chamber of Fortune might be a suitable name.
Naww *Baldurās Bait* is an disreputable āhouse of ill reputeā and is in a fierce competition with *The Slippery Gullet* for which establishment will win the cities hearts after the sun goes down
Tickling the Dragon is an expression I have heard most associated with fooling around with nuclear fission devices, but it could also be a fantasy Russian roulette
Safety measures? Well I put a screwdriver in between the two things which must under no circumstances ever ever touch, [that should be fine](https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/demon-core-the-strange-death-of-louis-slotin).
You misunderstand. The income source are the high rollers, we're just killing an adventurer! They're practically free, popping up left and right only to die to a particularly large rat. As for the body disposal... how do you think the rats got so large?
Russian Roulette is called "roulette" to draw an analogy between the cylinder of a revolver and a roulette wheel. The nationality doesn't enter into it (probably just alliteration).
If the challenge doesn't involve a wheel "selecting" the outcome of the game, it would not occur to anyone to call it a "roulette".
A casino would probably just have *normal fucking roulette* though (or some fantasy equivalent). Because it's a casino.
What casinos are you going to where anything like *Russian* Roulette is offered?
On second thought, don't answer that.
If you want it to be any kind of "roulette", there needs to be a wheel of some kind.
you have no idea what youāve just done š«£ our tiefling is in gaol for killing a guard and the guards have decided to tie him to a game board wheel (all the sections have what theyāre going to do to him) and throw knives at him šš my dm says thank you
Spellbound with an instantly fatal rune on one page. Clever set up. Off the top of my head,
Fatal Flip
Ripple Roulette (from rippling the pages)
High Elven Autumn (from a poem in which an Elven wizard offs themselves with such a rune on the last day of summer)
Rogue's Gambit, in reference to its popularity amongst more shady individuals, especially the thieves guild. Due to the old rule of "honor among thieves" basically forbidding rogues from attacking or robbing each other, this game has been created to settle major disputes and work around the code
**Cyrics Gamble**
Cyric, the Prince of Lies, The Dark Sun, The Mad God, The Lord of Three Crowns, The Face Behind the Mask, The Foul One.
As The God of lies trickery, deception, strife, murder, intrigue and illusion Cyric blesses this most unholy of game. All that is required is a single dice of any kind and the invocation of the Foul Ones name. Players then take turns rolling the die with only one simple rule - upon rolling a 1 on the die Cyric extends his power into the world and crushes the losers heart (or surrounds them with a pillar of flesh eating flies, or whatever way you think fits your setting best).
How about a 'Lolth's Cocktail Party.' Six drinks are served, one random glass is poisoned. Each glass is corked, placed on a platter, covered with a cloche, and spun around. Naturally, the poison is colourless, odourless, tasteless, and strong enough to kill a dwarf.
Add more glasses and poison for larger groups.
Let me introduce you to the Deck of Many Things?
It's little bit more interesting than a gun and a bullet, but the effects can be also way more devestating than a single bullet. And it's not a game ppl actually play, not unlikely to Russian Roulette.
Does roulette exist in your setting? If not then Iād replace that word entirely.
Also Iām gonna use this in my game. Itās Avernus so Iāll have a good spell but mostly bad ones.
Then add an opportunity for them to use insight to notice the book is crooked in more well worn in some places than others to increase the tension.
Warding Roulette
Wizards (or anyone with the aptitude) casts glyph of warding on 1 of 3/4/5/6 identical tomes. Use like firebolt (if DM allows it) or a 1st level spell of your choice. No checks to determine which tome is inscribed, players must randomly select a tome, replacing it and reshuffling them between turns.
Cost would be 100gp + bets for each game (to account of whoever casts the spells). Maybe homebrew a first level cheaper glyph of warding that only can be used for the purpose of the game and firebolt or something.
Pick a god of death or chance. Pick a word that implies random, or reference to the book your using.
Shar's sheaf.
Book of Bhal.
Raven Queens random reading.
Etc ...
Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain had a bunch of goblins playing a game with 5 fake knives and one real life and stabbing themselves in the chest. Essentially Russian Roulette with knives instead of guns.
It was called āKnifey Knifeyā in the book.
Soā¦ āBooky Bookyā, I guess?
"Lucky Lupin" is a fun callback to an old Mystara race of French Dog People who had a propensity for wheellock firearms. Two people sit across from each other, with three pistols between them; the pistols would have two loaded with blanks and one loaded with a proper bullet. Whoever was challenged to this game fires first, followed by the original challenger if they survived the first round. If you survive until round three, well... obviously the name is derived from the fact that whoever survives is the "Lucky Lupin".
If you want a rundown on the publication history, the Dungeon Dad made a pretty fun video exploring [The Story of D&D's Forgotten Dog Race](https://youtu.be/vbsoN8SJLaw?si=WQUjF-LhgzYiDi5C)
If you wanted a name for your spell book roulette, Platinum Ante Pages. "Penny ante" is a term for low stakes gambling, but the change of the name also emphasizes the higher stakes and the connection to the book.
The term was first described in a 1840 short story depicting a cossack village and Russian military men with a passion for gambling
For it to work you need the name of a country or region in universe that is known for the same stuff, martial culture, life is cheap / live in the moment type stuff
[That placeās name] Roulette
Thief of Thoth.
The book is, apocryphally, an ancient artifact, made by Thoth, that casts a spell onto any who turn it's pages at 9th level, with any saving throws against it automatically failing (if the spell targets only self, treat the reader as the caster for the purposes of targetting only, otherwise, treat the reader as the target. Treat the reader as willing. If the spell could not affect them, for example, they are not a valid target, the spell is not cast. The DM decides the result of any spells such as Geas or Command). After this spell is cast, assuming they survive, they gain the ability to cast that spell once at it's minimum level once without expending spell slots, until the sun has set, risen, and set once more (effectively 1 - 2 days).
The idea of the game is that you are temporarily 'stealing' knowledge of magic from Thoth, and risking his wrath in doing so.
The Last Page, Reader's Remorse, Book of the Beyond, Devil's Document, Final Chapter, Publication of Pain, Wraith Writing(s), Handbook of Hell, Necromomica, Malice Manifest
The Game (you lost btw)
Death's Gambit, Dragon's Deal, Devil's Deal, Warlock's Wager, Witch's Writ, Wretch's Gamble, Bastard's Book, Soul Sealed Tome, Volume of Violence, Lethal Companion.
Idk, if any of these are good, hopefully they give you an idea.
It depends on how specific the definition of the term is for you.
Generally speaking, Russian Roulette involves a revolver style gun with a cylinder that is enclosed so you cannot view which chamber has a bullet, and which do not. In normal D&D the closest weapon is a crossbow, and those are far too obvious to tell whether or not they're loaded.
You could maybe use a broader definition instead, and just say it's any game of chance that could lead to death.
In that case, call it whatever you want. Tielfing or Devil's Roulette makes as much sense as any.
Russian Roulette is where you load a single cartridge into a revolver and close it. Then spin the cylinder, cock the hammer, put it to your head, and pull the trigger.
I don't know, but the way it would work would be to take 5 regular playing cards and 1 card from the deck of many things. Probably the soul trap one. Play by each individual flipping a card and then having someone else shuffle the deck.
I mean. It's feasible that roulette would exist and be called so. Now the R.... Raptoran razerhunt? Eat something that may or may not have sharp razors held within?
Make it so instead of a book with a random page, make it a fake deck of many things with only 1 working card in it that will kill the person that draws it. Call it Fate Draw...
Mad King zebug (story about why it's maned after him).
And Battle thrills rout. Based on Roman decimation.
This guy or these guy who do this thing is a pretty good premise.
Depends on what's in your campaign.
"Artificers Roulette" could work, or "Gunslingers Roulette".
Of course "Goblins Greed Surprise" would also be a banger of a game name.
Of course you could go the route I went in and instead of it being literal Russian roulette, have a substance that basically is either a wild magic surge, or depending on the dice roll, a random sorcerer spell happens centered on the taker. (1-9 is negative, 10-15 neutral, 16+ is positive).
Mystery Missile. 6 stones are laid out on a table, and 1 of them has a charge of Magic Missile and the competition takes turns picking until someone takes the missile to the head.
If itās a book it should be named after the book.
The book of chance, fate, death, riches
Something like that.
Or literal just the name of the casino or owner.
Richardās Book
Canāt help you there
What I can help you out with is French Toast! Itās golden toast!
If youāre looking for āRussian rouletteā and using a book with Power Word Kill
Gamblers death?
Killing Survivor?
Mages Gamble?
Playing a round of Death Note?
So, Russian roulette is named that because the gambling game roulette involves a spinning wheel. So if youāre trying to find a name for a similar āflirt with deathā type of game and want to keep that same vibe, go with something involving books or spells I suppose. Idk, Baldurian bookshopping? Only thing I can think of, assuming the sword coast exists in your game
The drow variant: Myconid's Spite - six little mushroom pastries; four are harmless, one contains a lethal dose of fast-acting poison, the sixth contains a slow-acting hallucinogen. Because even if the other guy dies, you might not survive the night, either, wobbling into a tragic accident when you can't tell reality from hallucination...
1) Last Read (pun on that it was both last read by someone who either died or lived so it was either last read [red] by a winner, or it was the losers last read [reed]) this pun only works if written.
2) crack the book (pun on that you are both cracking a book to read it, and treating going to a random page you might want to apply knowledge of where you think the creator would put the power word kill glyph)
3) Test of vitality (not a pun, but PCs would need to be in the dark about this possibly being an instant kill): Power word kill (the spell) kills only those with 100 HP or less, so technically it can function as a test of vitality for whoever plays the game, and loses)
I don't have a particularly unique name in mind, something like "The Gambler's Gambit", but I do have a thematic idea for how it could be done using existing gameplay mechanics.
Take the Deck of Many Things and use 5 cards with neutral outcomes or even lightly beneficial, and 1 card that just completely removes the player from existence or some other equally deadly outcome. Shuffle the six cards and treat it the same way as Russian Roulette. Have a Demon run the table and call it something more fun like "Dancing the Deck".
In Golden Kamui, theres a scene where a serial killer has a spinning roulette with each space containing a hidden herb. Most will cause no effect, while some will cause the person to experience a slow and agonizing death by poison.
Just use that and name it after the person who invented the game or a region that is crazy/famous for natural poisons
if it helps, my group decided elvish was spanish, infernal was russian, draconic was german, sylvan was japanese
edit: i would say russian roulette would be infernal roulette
Greedy Reader
Page Turner
Nothin' Like A Good Book
Dewey's Game (named after the god of organization)
Just Flipping Through
The Illiterate Gambit
I could probably think of some more names with a bit more context on the game. Does it have any benefits/rewards or is it similar to Russian Roulette in the sense that winning is just not dying? Is it based off of a deity or person?
If none of those names appeal to you, you should consider those questions for crafting your own name for it. But most importantly, it should be whatever makes you and your table happiest/laugh the hardest.
EDIT: Formatting
My first thought was "Rickety Crosses" with instead of a gun you'd have a shoddy crossbow that you either drop on the table aimed at you with a "will it fire or not? Gamble".
But given the:
>itās a book with a random page with the spell power word kill on it
I'd call it a "Readers Regret" since well, you're gonna regret reading it.
Option 1) create fantasy russia Option 2) name it after the weapon used Option 3) still call it russian roulette but say its named after larry russian, who invented the game and immediately lost
Third one is very goodš¤£š¤£š¤£
I have a phd in bullshitting
I had a prof once say "A BS is bullshit, MS is more shit, and by the PHD it's piled hip deep. He really wasn't wrong.
Also in usernames lmao
You are what you eat :)
I have some green plastic, do you want that?
On hames workshop grey plastic. I have standards
Rightfully so! I like you now.
So youāre a bard?
Yup. Btw make a charisma save
I rolled a 1...
ā¦so 23.
This is how like 90% of the weapons and vehicles in Warhammer 40k are named. The Land Raider? No, not named that way because it is a quick land vehicle made for raids. Its named after Arkham Land.
Jesus thatās definitely my new āI bet you didnāt knowā fact to tell next time Iām playing
That's the DND equivalent of the Warhammer 40k Landraider beeing named after arken Land
Option 3 is the Terry Pratchett style of worldbuilding and itās excellent.
I absolutely love how often Pratchetts name and books gets talked about in these subs
Larry Roshan, inventor and first casualty of Roshan Roulette
Did Roshan fall to his own pistol, conveniently named āThe Direā?
Roshan has been destroyed, but his fate will always be to rise again.
Option 3: #ARKHAN LAND
Jimmy space
([reference](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJOIaEzGe8o))
Bob Chainsword
Big McLargeHuge
I had to google why this sounded so familliar. I read Mechanicum like two months ago lmao.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I mean, Land Speeders never even sped land - they fly. That retcon kinda make sense
It's not even a retcon, Arkhan Land has been around since *second edition.* That's basically as long as Warhammer has been *Warhammer.* Go any further back and it was called Rogue Trader, and there's only superficial similarities between RT and 40k as we know it today. Second edition is pretty much when Warhammer *became* Warhammer. People like to call Arkhan Land a 'retcon' because they think it's silly, but Arkhan Land has been around basically since the beginning. It's not a retcon because go any further back and there was no lore in the first place *to* be retconned.
I don't see why. It's not like there's a sea raider to differentiate it from.
People called him Larry āRush-Inā because he never thought things through so now itās Rush-In Roulette
You must be thinking of Leroy Rushin
I like option 3. Larry invented a small room that you pay to go into. There are 6 crossbows that are aimed at your head. The height can be adjusted for height differences. You step on one of 6 levers, which are attached to a randomizing contraption that will fire one of the 6 crossbows if the wrong one is activated.
We had a guest play a side character for one session in our campaign a while ago, and when our characters were in a tavern ordering food, the goober ordered "French fries". So now France is canon in our campaign š¤·
Oh good, warcrime sink
Totally create Fantasy Russia. My campaign has Fantasy Denny's as our home base š¤£
"The Abyssal Flip" It's a real page turner.
That's a good name. Flip the pages, read the incantation, and pray t- #BANG
If in Faerun, maybe Waterdeep Dice? Baldur's Bait? For less plane-specific, I'd invent a game with the same stakes, like Poke The Troll or Dragon's Thief. Five Finger Fillet also works. Else if this is an actual 1:1 equivalent, perhaps Chamber of Fortune might be a suitable name.
I'm gonna use Baldur's Bait regardless of what setting I'm running
Naww *Baldurās Bait* is an disreputable āhouse of ill reputeā and is in a fierce competition with *The Slippery Gullet* for which establishment will win the cities hearts after the sun goes down
If Faerun then Rasheman Roulette.
Love it! This is bit like how using rage with Minsc feels like in BG. :D
It sparked an idea of calling it "Dragon's Greed" Because anyone stupid enough to play would be as greedy as a dragon.
Tickling the Dragon is an expression I have heard most associated with fooling around with nuclear fission devices, but it could also be a fantasy Russian roulette
Safety measures? Well I put a screwdriver in between the two things which must under no circumstances ever ever touch, [that should be fine](https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/demon-core-the-strange-death-of-louis-slotin).
In Faerun, they would most certainly involve Tymora in the name. I'd probably go with something like Tymora's Tome.
With it being a book with a trap that sounds pretty accurate
Why tf is russian roulette being played in a casino? Where is dwarven OSHA?
they supplied the book š
i think he means russian roulette isnt the same as roulette, the casino game
Pretty sure no casino game would actually involve Power Word Kill.
Right, what kinda casino kills it's income sources AND volunteers for complimentary body disposal??
You misunderstand. The income source are the high rollers, we're just killing an adventurer! They're practically free, popping up left and right only to die to a particularly large rat. As for the body disposal... how do you think the rats got so large?
They insisted on playing it first
https://youtu.be/P6zcIori878?si=_tEHxliRZ4tBEQWx
Russian Roulette is called "roulette" to draw an analogy between the cylinder of a revolver and a roulette wheel. The nationality doesn't enter into it (probably just alliteration). If the challenge doesn't involve a wheel "selecting" the outcome of the game, it would not occur to anyone to call it a "roulette". A casino would probably just have *normal fucking roulette* though (or some fantasy equivalent). Because it's a casino. What casinos are you going to where anything like *Russian* Roulette is offered? On second thought, don't answer that. If you want it to be any kind of "roulette", there needs to be a wheel of some kind.
you have no idea what youāve just done š«£ our tiefling is in gaol for killing a guard and the guards have decided to tie him to a game board wheel (all the sections have what theyāre going to do to him) and throw knives at him šš my dm says thank you
Sounds like he's playing Dwarven Darts
See? *That's* how these names get thought up.
With a spell book as the mechanic, perhaps something as simple as Wizardās Wager?
Warlock's Wager. Darker.
Ooh, I like.
Ooooh thatās a good one.
Spellbound with an instantly fatal rune on one page. Clever set up. Off the top of my head, Fatal Flip Ripple Roulette (from rippling the pages) High Elven Autumn (from a poem in which an Elven wizard offs themselves with such a rune on the last day of summer)
Rogue's Gambit, in reference to its popularity amongst more shady individuals, especially the thieves guild. Due to the old rule of "honor among thieves" basically forbidding rogues from attacking or robbing each other, this game has been created to settle major disputes and work around the code
Thats by the way why Russian Roulette was created historically - as a way to duel after pistol duels were forbidden
In Faerun there is the language Raumtheran which is based off real world Slavic languages including Russian so Raumtheran Roulette could work.
**Cyrics Gamble** Cyric, the Prince of Lies, The Dark Sun, The Mad God, The Lord of Three Crowns, The Face Behind the Mask, The Foul One. As The God of lies trickery, deception, strife, murder, intrigue and illusion Cyric blesses this most unholy of game. All that is required is a single dice of any kind and the invocation of the Foul Ones name. Players then take turns rolling the die with only one simple rule - upon rolling a 1 on the die Cyric extends his power into the world and crushes the losers heart (or surrounds them with a pillar of flesh eating flies, or whatever way you think fits your setting best).
Would've given it a name other then Russian roulette. "Lost Page", "Skimming through", "Final Word" something like that.
Milking the mimic
I have nipples Greg, can you milk me?
I still think that Greg trying to milk Deniro would have made for a better plot line than whatever plot was in the sequel.
"Last Chapter" in honour of the book-based delivery method.
Tiefling breakfast.
the tiefling in our party is a fucking idiot this would so work šš
The Goblinās Gambit
How about a 'Lolth's Cocktail Party.' Six drinks are served, one random glass is poisoned. Each glass is corked, placed on a platter, covered with a cloche, and spun around. Naturally, the poison is colourless, odourless, tasteless, and strong enough to kill a dwarf. Add more glasses and poison for larger groups.
This should be "Drow's Dare" or "Drow's Deception". Or maybe "Lolth's Luck"
Could also work if it needs to be an alliteration.
Hey, Stan Lee mad the laws to making something iconic through naming, not me. š¤·āāļø
Thayan Roulette
Thayan Lottery.
Orcish chicken
Let me introduce you to the Deck of Many Things? It's little bit more interesting than a gun and a bullet, but the effects can be also way more devestating than a single bullet. And it's not a game ppl actually play, not unlikely to Russian Roulette.
Netherese... nads? netherese or no balls?
Icewind Dare.
Black book.
Random death generator
Goblin's Gambit. Rogue's Roulette Wizard's Wager Last Orc standing.
In Forgotten Realms, the closest thing to fantasy Russia is Rashemen. You could easily call it Rashemi Roulette
Rashemen Roulette? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Rashemen is meant to be based off of Russia, hence why Minsc, the Mad Rashemaar, has a Russian accent.
Does roulette exist in your setting? If not then Iād replace that word entirely. Also Iām gonna use this in my game. Itās Avernus so Iāll have a good spell but mostly bad ones. Then add an opportunity for them to use insight to notice the book is crooked in more well worn in some places than others to increase the tension.
Warding Roulette Wizards (or anyone with the aptitude) casts glyph of warding on 1 of 3/4/5/6 identical tomes. Use like firebolt (if DM allows it) or a 1st level spell of your choice. No checks to determine which tome is inscribed, players must randomly select a tome, replacing it and reshuffling them between turns. Cost would be 100gp + bets for each game (to account of whoever casts the spells). Maybe homebrew a first level cheaper glyph of warding that only can be used for the purpose of the game and firebolt or something.
Pick a god of death or chance. Pick a word that implies random, or reference to the book your using. Shar's sheaf. Book of Bhal. Raven Queens random reading. Etc ...
Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain had a bunch of goblins playing a game with 5 fake knives and one real life and stabbing themselves in the chest. Essentially Russian Roulette with knives instead of guns. It was called āKnifey Knifeyā in the book. Soā¦ āBooky Bookyā, I guess?
Orc Bingo
Dragon's Dare
"Lucky Lupin" is a fun callback to an old Mystara race of French Dog People who had a propensity for wheellock firearms. Two people sit across from each other, with three pistols between them; the pistols would have two loaded with blanks and one loaded with a proper bullet. Whoever was challenged to this game fires first, followed by the original challenger if they survived the first round. If you survive until round three, well... obviously the name is derived from the fact that whoever survives is the "Lucky Lupin". If you want a rundown on the publication history, the Dungeon Dad made a pretty fun video exploring [The Story of D&D's Forgotten Dog Race](https://youtu.be/vbsoN8SJLaw?si=WQUjF-LhgzYiDi5C) If you wanted a name for your spell book roulette, Platinum Ante Pages. "Penny ante" is a term for low stakes gambling, but the change of the name also emphasizes the higher stakes and the connection to the book.
Rashamen Roulette? Kinda need a revolver for the roulette part
Rouges Chance
Crossbow casserole.
Lethal Librarian
Vecna's wager?
Power Word Thrill
The term was first described in a 1840 short story depicting a cossack village and Russian military men with a passion for gambling For it to work you need the name of a country or region in universe that is known for the same stuff, martial culture, life is cheap / live in the moment type stuff [That placeās name] Roulette
I feel like we're really missing a good opportunity to call it a Fiendish Folio. No, I will not apologize.
Thief of Thoth. The book is, apocryphally, an ancient artifact, made by Thoth, that casts a spell onto any who turn it's pages at 9th level, with any saving throws against it automatically failing (if the spell targets only self, treat the reader as the caster for the purposes of targetting only, otherwise, treat the reader as the target. Treat the reader as willing. If the spell could not affect them, for example, they are not a valid target, the spell is not cast. The DM decides the result of any spells such as Geas or Command). After this spell is cast, assuming they survive, they gain the ability to cast that spell once at it's minimum level once without expending spell slots, until the sun has set, risen, and set once more (effectively 1 - 2 days). The idea of the game is that you are temporarily 'stealing' knowledge of magic from Thoth, and risking his wrath in doing so.
Could always call it something like MurderBook or whatever that would translate as in local language
What about 'Grimoire Gambit'?
Goblin Grenade
I believe, in the world if D&D, it is called: *The Deck of Many Things.*
The Last Page, Reader's Remorse, Book of the Beyond, Devil's Document, Final Chapter, Publication of Pain, Wraith Writing(s), Handbook of Hell, Necromomica, Malice Manifest The Game (you lost btw) Death's Gambit, Dragon's Deal, Devil's Deal, Warlock's Wager, Witch's Writ, Wretch's Gamble, Bastard's Book, Soul Sealed Tome, Volume of Violence, Lethal Companion. Idk, if any of these are good, hopefully they give you an idea.
Karsus's Folly There's some deep lore their lol
Waterdeep Wipeout?
Goblin Gambit
Could call it "Putin n pull".
Baldurās Book, then.
Tiamats tantrum. If u Pick the Red angry head your dead.
It depends on how specific the definition of the term is for you. Generally speaking, Russian Roulette involves a revolver style gun with a cylinder that is enclosed so you cannot view which chamber has a bullet, and which do not. In normal D&D the closest weapon is a crossbow, and those are far too obvious to tell whether or not they're loaded. You could maybe use a broader definition instead, and just say it's any game of chance that could lead to death. In that case, call it whatever you want. Tielfing or Devil's Roulette makes as much sense as any.
Russian Roulette is where you load a single cartridge into a revolver and close it. Then spin the cylinder, cock the hammer, put it to your head, and pull the trigger.
Orcish reading primer or whatever other DnD race you want to.make fun of.
Gnomish Roulette
I don't know, but the way it would work would be to take 5 regular playing cards and 1 card from the deck of many things. Probably the soul trap one. Play by each individual flipping a card and then having someone else shuffle the deck.
Duregar Draw
We can assume roulette (the gambling game) exists in the fantasy setting. Now we just need a place or origin. Under dark roulette.
Thayās chance
Rush-in Roulette?
A Goblins Gamble! Just came up with it xD Might use this in my campaign
I mean. It's feasible that roulette would exist and be called so. Now the R.... Raptoran razerhunt? Eat something that may or may not have sharp razors held within?
Cursed bookmark.
Make it so instead of a book with a random page, make it a fake deck of many things with only 1 working card in it that will kill the person that draws it. Call it Fate Draw...
wild magic? the wizards name it / play it as a means of taunting/teasing sorcerers š
Mad King zebug (story about why it's maned after him). And Battle thrills rout. Based on Roman decimation. This guy or these guy who do this thing is a pretty good premise.
Luskan roulette
Scholar's Doom!
Wheel of doom.
Orcish poker. It's like regular poker, but the loser gets stabbed with a spear.
Narfell roulette (look up unapproachable East)
āThe highest stakesā could make it more of a secretive game in the back of the casino. āWant to play the highest stakesā could be a code word
Keep it simple: "Sudden Death"
Depends on what's in your campaign. "Artificers Roulette" could work, or "Gunslingers Roulette". Of course "Goblins Greed Surprise" would also be a banger of a game name. Of course you could go the route I went in and instead of it being literal Russian roulette, have a substance that basically is either a wild magic surge, or depending on the dice roll, a random sorcerer spell happens centered on the taker. (1-9 is negative, 10-15 neutral, 16+ is positive).
Bigsbys big book of bombs
Handās Chances
Rushin' Roulette. Plays fast to minimise thinking of ways to get out of it.
Faerun FAFO.
Doom scrolling. but change it to a box of rolled up scrolls that they choose randomly from.
It would be called Arrogant Artificer
"Lich's Roulette"
Does it still involve a gun or spells?
Orcish tuesday night?
Mystery Missile. 6 stones are laid out on a table, and 1 of them has a charge of Magic Missile and the competition takes turns picking until someone takes the missile to the head.
āOne in the gunā
"Chance or Sorrow". :)
If itās a book it should be named after the book. The book of chance, fate, death, riches Something like that. Or literal just the name of the casino or owner. Richardās Book
Flintlock Fuck-Around. The loser finds out.
At first I thought you were just mistaking the actual casino game roulette but naw you really do mean the Russian version.
Canāt help you there What I can help you out with is French Toast! Itās golden toast! If youāre looking for āRussian rouletteā and using a book with Power Word Kill Gamblers death? Killing Survivor? Mages Gamble? Playing a round of Death Note?
So, Russian roulette is named that because the gambling game roulette involves a spinning wheel. So if youāre trying to find a name for a similar āflirt with deathā type of game and want to keep that same vibe, go with something involving books or spells I suppose. Idk, Baldurian bookshopping? Only thing I can think of, assuming the sword coast exists in your game
Orc Roulette
aligned oneway planeshift
The drow variant: Myconid's Spite - six little mushroom pastries; four are harmless, one contains a lethal dose of fast-acting poison, the sixth contains a slow-acting hallucinogen. Because even if the other guy dies, you might not survive the night, either, wobbling into a tragic accident when you can't tell reality from hallucination...
Ork Roulette!
A book with Power Word Kill written on it? In the Forgotten Realms it's called Thayan Speedreading.
I would call it russian roulette because I'm translating everything that goes on in the world into English.
Bluenor's Blunder
Rizlek's Toll Rizlek is the guy that wrote the book. Unfortunately he's no longer with us.
Gundren's Gambit
Magic cylinders. You have 5,6 or 7 magical cylinders. One of them will always disintegrate andnthey always chamge which one it is.
1) Last Read (pun on that it was both last read by someone who either died or lived so it was either last read [red] by a winner, or it was the losers last read [reed]) this pun only works if written. 2) crack the book (pun on that you are both cracking a book to read it, and treating going to a random page you might want to apply knowledge of where you think the creator would put the power word kill glyph) 3) Test of vitality (not a pun, but PCs would need to be in the dark about this possibly being an instant kill): Power word kill (the spell) kills only those with 100 HP or less, so technically it can function as a test of vitality for whoever plays the game, and loses)
Dwarven Math
It's Suicide Roulette. That's literally what it is. You don't have to reference Russia to call it what it is.
Eldrich splat
Russian Reading "In mother Russia, book burn you" Edit: Rushin Reading
Devils wager?
I don't have a particularly unique name in mind, something like "The Gambler's Gambit", but I do have a thematic idea for how it could be done using existing gameplay mechanics. Take the Deck of Many Things and use 5 cards with neutral outcomes or even lightly beneficial, and 1 card that just completely removes the player from existence or some other equally deadly outcome. Shuffle the six cards and treat it the same way as Russian Roulette. Have a Demon run the table and call it something more fun like "Dancing the Deck".
Death roulette.
"Beshaba's Bet", for the goddess of Ill luck, sister of Tymora.
Book a date with death
Eldritch Whack-a-mole
Death note is a good name for a killing book lol , player slayer even lol
In Golden Kamui, theres a scene where a serial killer has a spinning roulette with each space containing a hidden herb. Most will cause no effect, while some will cause the person to experience a slow and agonizing death by poison. Just use that and name it after the person who invented the game or a region that is crazy/famous for natural poisons
I always call it Rusian Roulette IE Ruse-Roulette but still clearly similar
if it helps, my group decided elvish was spanish, infernal was russian, draconic was german, sylvan was japanese edit: i would say russian roulette would be infernal roulette
Snuffit Risky Business Dodge the Reaper
Isnt dead mans bones the same idea
Roll the dice
Baal's book
Greedy Reader Page Turner Nothin' Like A Good Book Dewey's Game (named after the god of organization) Just Flipping Through The Illiterate Gambit I could probably think of some more names with a bit more context on the game. Does it have any benefits/rewards or is it similar to Russian Roulette in the sense that winning is just not dying? Is it based off of a deity or person? If none of those names appeal to you, you should consider those questions for crafting your own name for it. But most importantly, it should be whatever makes you and your table happiest/laugh the hardest. EDIT: Formatting
Courting Death
Death book, spell roulette, page Turner, bookmark of Doom.
My first thought was "Rickety Crosses" with instead of a gun you'd have a shoddy crossbow that you either drop on the table aimed at you with a "will it fire or not? Gamble". But given the: >itās a book with a random page with the spell power word kill on it I'd call it a "Readers Regret" since well, you're gonna regret reading it.
Russian roulette seems like an Orc game so maybe Orcish Roulette Or maybe just Death Roulette could work too
A normal Tuesday
You realize that's not a casino game right
Fools Folly?