CHRACTER CREATION: DESIGN, ATTRIBUTES, POWERS, AND PERKS
Some background (excerpted from text by KT, who got this game started, with plenty of alterations by Scarlet):
This document is here to orient players into the game. Those wanting more information may want to get Amber Diceless Role-Playing by Eick Wujcik (Phage Press, ISBN# 1-880494-00-0). The first goal will be to come up with a character to play in the game.
The premise of the Amber universe is that there is a place called 'Amber' at the center of 'everything' and this is the one 'TRUE' reality. Around Amber are infinite alternate realities of Amber, these realities are called 'Shadow'. There are two major factions of power in Amber. The Amber ruling family and the courts of Chaos.
Characters of this game will be descendants of the ruling family, or the family members of the various houses of Chaos.
Your goals will be your own and your allies and foes, for the most part, will be each other. I t will be the general purpose of the Game Master (presently Elektra) to be a moderator of the game and a catalyst to move things along.
You'll need a persona to play in this universe. The more detailed the better.
You need a character concept, (even if it's based loosely on yourself in RL) before continuing along. This will be your physical appearance, mannerisms, personality, interest, motivations and the such in the game. Once you do you're ready to prioritize what you want to be able to do.
Next you'll design your character...
You're being given a budget of 100 character points to design your character (buy attributes, powers, and perks described below); bidding these points in a two-phase attribute auction is an important part of this character design process.
The first consideration are attributes. There are four attributes different attributes as follows.
Psyche - Mental Strength and force of will. When using Pattern, Logrus, or Trump this attribute will decide your ability to manipulate it. Used for mental combat and may assist you to being sensitive to dangers at times.
Strength - How strong you are. A normal Amberite can heft and toss a small car around. Strength weighs heavily in damage inflicted in hand to hand combat. Mental combat is slow compared with how long it takes to get your hands around some one's neck and wring it.
Endurance - Endurance and regenerative ability. In any contest that's close, the person with the greatest endurance will have an edge. Your opponent may be better, but with a higher endurance you may be able to stall them into a loss. Add that this is also how quickly you recover from fatigue and wounds and it's a pretty neat attribute.
Warfare - Use of any weapons and the ability to function in military tactics. The handiness of this attribute speak for itself.
All four Attributes are important in their own way. How important they are will vary game to game and person to person.
If an attribute isn't particular important to you, you can downgrade the attribute from Amber Rank and receive Attribute points to spend elsewhere.
There are two levels of downgrade.
If you want you can be at Human Rank. A rather dangerous rank to be since you're 'only' an average human. You ,being a real life human being, should have a pretty good idea about the frailties of humans. If you're bold enough to take this level you actually GET 25 points. Though its a pretty serious vulnerability/handicap if you need the attribute. (Being human will get you killed quickly, so be wary).
A step up is 'Chaos' Rank. They're at the upper ends of Human abilities. The strongest man in the world (if ranked such in strength). A respectable standard, though no match for an amberite. For this reason, if you want to be at this rank you get 10 extra points to spend else where. Though a handicap and still a weak point it's less likely to be a fatal one. (A good rank to be at if you want to lower an attribute).
The 'standard' rank is Amber. You are more exceptional in the attribute than any human could ever be (if ranked such in strength) for instance. A fine place to be if you don't feel like trading down or bidding up.
If you want to be particularly exceptional at an attribute you spend character points and enter the ranking system. Once you bid attribute points they're spent ,and you'll be assigned a 'rank' based on what your fellow players have bid. A bid of one point will mark you a cut above a player if bids nothing. Once all bids are recieved, the top bid will be announced to all players and you will be afforded one last chance to be 'the best' of the players in a particular attribute.
After the second round of bids, players will submit finalized characters to me and the game will begin. You may spend additional points to buy up an attribute to another current players bid. Though you will not be as good as the original bidding player in the attribute, you will be ahead of all the lower ranks in the attribute.
For example:
We have the following bids for Psyche...
1st Place 32
2nd Place 24
3rd Place 12
4th Place 3
5th Place 1
If you have not yet made a bid on Psyche you may spend 1 point and be better than anyone that spent none or perhaps spend 12 points and be better than 4th/5th Place but not quite as good as 3rd Place. You CAN NOT spend 4 points to gain the same results (4th place is Psyche) after bidding has closed.
If you're the holder of a current Bid, say 5th Place at 1 character point you may do nothing and keep your ranking. Spend more points to increase your standing, i.e. spend another two character points and move up a rank to 4th. You may not however Un-bid the character points already 'spent'. You may not for instance lower an attribue to Chaos level once you have made a bid.
Final standings of attributes will be a mystery for the most part to your fellow players.
The next consideration is Power. They are as follows.
Pattern - The power of the ruling family of Amber. Only the ruling family of Amber may use Pattern as a power. With the power of Pattern backing you you may travel through Shadow simply by walking and willing it so. You can manipulate chance and your environment simply by using the power of Pattern to bend Shadow subtley to your will or by finding a Shadow with the desired changes. The main attribute for using this power is Psyche. (Basic cost for Pattern is 50 points) (Advanced Pattern cost is 75)
Logrus - The power used primarily by the courts of Chaos. You manipulate the Logrus to do your bidding. With it you can send out tendrils to seek what you want from Shadow and bring it to you or latch on to something and pull yourself to it. Logrus is at a disadvatage when dealing with Pattern. The main attribute for using this power is Psyche. (Basic Cost for Logrus is 45) (Advanced Logrus cost is 70).
Trump Artistry - A neutral power. This is the power to create magical 'Trump' (cards). Trumps of people allow communication between people across Shadow, as well as travel if the participants are willing. Trumps of places allow the holder to step through and appear in the depicted Shadow. The main attribute for using this power is Psyche. (Basic Cost for Trump Artistry is 40) (Advanced Trump Artistry cost is 60).
Shape Shifting - The ability to alter and control your body to do your bidding. The main attribute for this power is Endurance. (Basic Cost is 35) (Advanced is 65).
Broken Pattern - An imperfect version of the power Pattern. Available to those not of the ruling family of Amber. The main attribute for this power is Psyche. (Basic Cost is 10) (Adept Cost is 25)
Conjuration - The ability to create items from shadow. (Basic cost is 20). High Compelling is the ability to conjure feelings in a creature as well as create things from shadow. (High Compelling cost is 25). The main attribute for this power is Psyche.
Power words - Words of power that do a variaty of things. (Basic Cost is 10).
Sorcery - Slow and tedious. The laws of magic change from Shadow to Shadow. Not the best of powers to have, in KT's view, but costs you only 15 if you really want it. More useful if you have Logrus.
The above is only a summary of the powers. You may inquire the GM (presently Elektra) about any particular power you have questions about, and the GM will try and elaborate on the above descriptions.
PERKS: (cost of perks are general very small. From 1 points to 10 points for most reasonable things).
Three different classess of perks:
Character Items - You can have almost anything you want for free. If you want to make sure you never part with it, well... that cost a little extra. Let the GM (Elektra) know what you want and the GM will let you know what it costs.
Shadows - There are infinite number of shadows. You can go to any one you want with the right power. Claiming one as 'home' gives you a greater influence on a particular Shadow.
Allies - Well They say friends can't be boughts. Well here's your chance to prove them wrong. (An Ally costs 1 point - A Family friend cost s2 points - A Chaos Devotee cost 4 points - An Amber Devotee cost 6 points). (Note if you don't have Logrus or Pattern, you should pick up a Chaos/Amber devotee to keep the option of having the power open someday)
What ever points you have left over or in debt over is considered 'stuff'. Consider it 'swing points'. If you have points left over you have 'Good Stuff'. You're considered a good guy for the more part and you're more fortunate and lucky. If you're over budget and in debt you have 'Bad Stuff'. You're considered more sinister and things are more inclined to go wrong when random chance is involved. If your books come out balanced with neither gain nor loss you have 'Zero Stuff'. You're 'neutral' and you're usually left to make your own luck on a situation than have it slanted one way or the other. You shouldn't have more than 10 points in 'stuff' one way or the other. As the game proceeds and you gain character development points, the points are stored in 'stuff' untill you elect to spend them to buy something (attribute points, powers, or perks).
Those wishing to join the game should contact Elektra, the GM.
