Chronicles of Amber abilities

[Cinniuint]

For those who have not read the series or played the RPG (that's Role Playing Game, not Rocket Propelled Grenade), Amber is one pole of a multiverse of shadows stretching between two poles of reality. The books, 2 series of 5 each, and a few short stories, were created and written by Roger Zelazny who also had some input into the RPG. The game was created and written by Erick Wujcik, and published by Phage Press.

 

PCs and the main characters of the books, were from one of the two poles of reality (usually Amber) and had the ability to travel in the shadows between from one universe to another, to any universe that they could imagine. Or perhaps they created the universe as they traveled to it, opinions, even among the travelers, vary.

 

The abilities described in the game and books are briefly outlined here:

 

Pattern Imprint: Those of the blood of Amber may attempt to walk the Pattern, a mystical maze of great power. If they successfully reach its center (a matter of physical effort, not tracking. The pattern is flat and has no branches in its twisting and turning path, just great resistance to those who would walk it) then they have successfully attuned themselves to it, and will have attained the ability to walk in shadow. Also the center of the Pattern is point from which one may teleport to any spot you can define. There are lots of little side abilities, but the ability to walk in shadow is primary, and almost indispensible to a PC.

 

Shapeshift: Includes not just the basics, but the ability to copy characters including their abilities, as well. If the subject has a stronger psyche, then the character may lose himself until the copy relaxes its guard. More dangerous than the other powers, and more commonly practiced by characters from the opposite end of the multiverse from Amber, The Courts of Chaos.

 

Logrus Mastery: As the Pattern in Amber is the pole of Order in the Multiverse, the Logrus is the pole of chaos, and is located in the Courts of Chaos. To navigate it successfully is even more difficult than to navigate the Pattern, but is open to more people. As the avatar of Chaos, it cannot be navigated by a fixed creature, but requires a shapeshifter to have any hope of surviving it. Logrus masters tend to navigate shadow more by sending out Logrus tendrils into shadow, seeking what they desire. When they have found it, they either pull it to them or themselves to it. Logrus tendrils can also be used as extra limbs with EDM and scads of stretching with a STR equal to the psyche (EGO?) of the character. The tendrils tend to get painfully disrupted if they touch anything charged with pattern.

 

Trump Artistry: The ability to draw quick sketches and serious works of art which allow anyone concentrating on them to open a psychic link with the subject. If the subject is a person, that person may choose to accept or decline contact, without knowing whom it is attempting to make contact. If they accept, they are in psychic and visual contact. They may converse or do psychic battle and they may choose to use the link as a gate, allowing either one to travel to the other. Physical battle without travel is also, just, possible.

 

If the subject is a place, then the viewer may travel to the place, and might possibly observe it without first making the trip.

 

Sketches are quick, fragile, and have a greater likely hood of missing their target, contact a close shadow in a nearby universe instead of their intended target. Close enough, and it might be sometime before the error is discovered. Depending on needs, the error might not even matter.

 

Full trumps take longer to make, are indestructible, and are more likely to be accurate.

 

A sketch or trump does not require having met the subject, but does require a sense of the psyche of the subject. In the books, Brand, who himself had arguably the strongest psyche of any of the characters in his generation, constructed a trump of Martin whom he had never met, after casually interviewing characters who had met Martin.

 

Sorcery: The ability to create spells with a wide array of effects, to be triggered by defining a few key variables at time of need. The fewer variables left to be defined at release, the less time it takes to release a spell. Spells decay over time and have to be maintained. An active sorcerer might maintain as many as a dozen spells active, and must have something to store them in while they await his need. the Logrus can act as a place to hang spells for storage. Or the character can just wait until he needs a spell and cast it specifically at need. He better not be in a hurry though. Casting a spell takes hours. refreshing a spell takes less time, but to maintain a full suite of spells handy, a sorcerer can expect to spend an hour to several hours each day keeping his spells updated.

 

The RPG also defines a few other abilities less clearly defined in the books.

 

Power words: A few words that the character knows that have a minor but definite magical effect. Figure 5-20 active points. The one example I recall from the books was a hotfoot word, which was strengthened by speaking it in conjunction with the target's true name. It was powerful enough to irritate the target.

 

Conjuration: The ability to conjure objects, even powerful objects, out of nothing, or imbue existing objects with new abilities.

 

Unfortunately, all of the above are more complex and have more abilities than I have described here, and more advanced forms with more abilities yet.

 

Some are relatively simple to build in Hero System, some may not be possible. I would like to start with a middling difficult one: Trump Artistry.

 

It may be appropriate to have a separate thread for each ability.

 

I looked this up and found it referenced in a thread back in 2006 by Samuraiko. I read that thread through, and this was only lightly touched on. This thread should not be construed as a spinoff of that thread.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

It has been many many years since I read the Chronicles of Amber, but from what I recall the Trump cards allowed what in the HERO System would generally be Mind Link. Maybe also as a teleportation anchor.

[Tasha]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

For each ability you have to ask yourself what exactly does it do. Don't get caught up in inconsequentials.

 

ie Trumps. It's easy to get caught up in the differences between sketches and real trumps, and all of that fluff you shared. What they are is a form of Extradimensional Movement and Mind Link that is also Extra Dimensional.

 

1) Communication device to speak mind to mind

2) Allows Teleportation across Dimensions to a place depicted on the card

3) Allows Teleportation across Dimensions to a Person that you talk to (IIRC can go both ways)

 

The cards are in a deck that can be permanently taken away from the user.

Can only go to people or placed depicted by a Card or by a Trump infused painting

Can only go to a person who consents (ie Pull you though)

The person must concentrate on the card to activate it.

 

it would look something like this:

[TABLE=width: 100%]

[TR]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: left][/TD]

[TD]Trumps, all slots OAF (Deck of Tarot Cards; -1), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4)[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center] 11[/TD]

[TD=align: left] 1)

Mind Link , Being Depicted on the Card class of minds, One Specific Mind, No LOS Needed, Unlimited range in this dimension and can reach into other dimensions (25 Active Points); OAF (Deck of Tarot Cards; -1), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4) [/TD]

[TD=align: center] 0[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center] 21[/TD]

[TD=align: left] 2)

Extra-Dimensional Movement (Related Group of Dimensions, Any Location), Usable By Other (+1/2), Grantor can take back power at any time, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (70 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Only to places or People depicted on Card, Only to consenting people; -1), OAF (Deck of Tarot Cards; -1), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4) [/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

Gives the Mind Link to communicate, and allows people to go to places on the card and either pull people through or be pulled though a trump to a location the subject occupies. I don't remember people being tired out using Trumps so I zeroed the end on the EDM. I'll see about building Shadow Walking using the Pattern Later.

 

Don't get caught up in the times that people did wierd things with their abilities that's what the Power Skill takes care of. ie Brand has a high Power (trump) skill and that allowed him to make a trump the way he did. Similarly done are the trump sketches.

[mallet]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

I agree with the above, plus...

 

The Patten ability is simply Extra Dimensional Movement with a few limitations put on it like Extra Time and a Custom Limitation that You need to walk or ride to where you want to go, plus a few other limitations. It also has some Advantages that might need a bit of rule twisting to allow (for example Corwin (and others) led an army of 10000+ soldiers across shadows (Dimensions) this would be an extremely high cost to do in the rules as written, but maybe balance it out that the more people you bring with you the slower (Extra Time goes up) the journey takes. Also tons of the soldiers died on the journey so maybe have that as a side effect that happens the more people you bring along.

 

Logrus is Conjuration (objects) with Extra Time limitation (the tendrils have to seek out the object), plus TK, Plus Extra Dimensional Movement, plus more as they are used a lot of different way in the books (like Force fields, spell "hangers", remote sensing, and tons more. I'd have players add on new Logrus abilities as new powers as they learned them. All Logrus powers would probably have the Linked/Lockout disadvantage. It would be simpler (and logical) to maybe make the Logrus Power a VPP with a certain and fixed set of premade abilities available that the GM created before the game started. Some abilities would quite possibly be more expensive and powerful then a starting player could use and they would have to be learned as the PC put more points into the VPP over the course of the game.

 

The glory of Hero is that all of the many strange abilities from Amber can be recreated, it would just take sometime for the GM to build them all first, then give the list to the PC's to pick ("buy") their starting powers from with character points. But this would be needed, since all the base powers are the same in the books so all starting version of Logus or Pattern should be the same for all characters, unless they player spends more points to boost it or buy extra powers or tricks for it.

[Tasha]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

Pattern Imprint is really a special effect that gives characers the justification to use "Pattern Powers", Logrus Imprint is the same.

 

To Walk the pattern, I would rule that to walk it requires the PC to have a mimimum Ego. That would correspond to an Amberite's willpower to finish walking the thing. I would also Assume that someone walking the pattern have at least 25-30 End and Stun. Walking it is totally tiring and if you KO or Stun yourself while walking it is deadly. An Amberite would have enough of both so that walking the pattern is possible, but still feel dangerous. I would rule that once the center is reached the Amberite has all damage of any form healed completly (this includes End, and Stun used walking it). This and the ability to use the Pattern to go to anywhere in the multiverse are abilities that I wouldn't bother to stat out in hero powers. I might figure out how much end per phase is used to walk the pattern. Assume that the Pattern in Amber requires the walker to push their movement to get to the middle, (Corwin's pattern is actually easier to walk and probably doesn't cause the same end loss to use).

 

Logrus abilities are just a really open Summoning.

 

I might houserule away the requirement for extra weight for the Extra Dimensional Travel.

 

Walking though Shadow is Extra Dimensional Movement that works like Running.

 

Using Pattern and Logrus abilities should probably have a "Requires a Roll" to use. Making trumps and doing things out of the ordinary with them also requires a Skill roll.

So most Amberites have Power(Pattern) -Ego based roll, and Power(Trump) -Ego Based roll. Most of them have Trump on an 8- familiarity which allows them to use the cards and perhaps do something weird with them (ie power a trump sketch).

Folk from the Courts of Chaos have Power(Logrus) and also Familiarity with Power(Trump).

 

Magic (where it works) is bought using a VPP and Requires a Power(Magic) skill roll

 

 

It sounds like the OP has at least the first rulebook of the Amber Diceless RPG, I recommend the Second Book "Shadow Knight" as it expands on the power list. Also see if you can find some of the fans optional rules (ie Partial Powers) for the game. They add a bunch of stuff to the game and also they take the various abilities apart in a way that makes them easier to change to another game system.

 

I have played in at least 2 different Amber Campaigns. I am not completely sold on the mechanics behind Amber Diceless. It does seem to work pretty well to describe godlike beings that bend reality to their will. I might look at a light less crunchy system like FATE to add some crunch to the original RPG. Starting the PCs out at a higher powerlevel is pretty important to the feel of the game. An Amberite (or someone from the Courts of Chaos) is far above any mortal in knowledge and skills. These are beings that have spent hundreds of years learning how to do things. They have been in more wars that most Highlander Immortals. They really are gods come down to our shadow reality.

[Cinniuint]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

Got to get to bed, but:

I do have 2nd book, but didn't want to muddle the issues. Was unaware of fan rules, will look up. I have played in half a dozen or a dozen campaigns, and I see no insurmountable problems. However; each campaign collapsed pretty quickly, leaving me wondering what the problem I don't see is.

 

Some great responses here, thanks. Will rep later.

[Tasha]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

Got to get to bed, but:

I do have 2nd book, but didn't want to muddle the issues. Was unaware of fan rules, will look up. I have played in half a dozen or a dozen campaigns, and I see no insurmountable problems. However; each campaign collapsed pretty quickly, leaving me wondering what the problem I don't see is.

 

Some great responses here, thanks. Will rep later.

 

IMHO the default Amber campaigns don't lend themselves to "regular" roleplaying. Most of the Scenarios are very anti-group and very PC conflict oriented. It takes a special group to play in that kind of environment. I found that most of the campaigns had a certain amount of churn as people decided the game wasn't for them. Some groups also have issues with separating in game character conflict from IRL conflict. So any game that supports a lot of PC conflict can sometimes get projected into the Real world. Which can strain friendships if people don't learn how to deal with the conflicts.

 

Both campaigns I was in were multi year campaigns.

 

PS also there are some really fun auction variants for Amber Diceless. Including one where you not only bid for the top rung, but the lower rungs too. It was a very cool variant and was much more fun to play than the standard stat Auction.

[GoldenAge]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

We've played several Amber games (various systems including home-brew based on another home-brew CCG/Roleplaying game), which turned out the be the best). We have some great players (they are all there from around the U.S., Canada, Mexico and ever Peru once by invitation only) but I have to say, the auctions are almost always a blast!!! =D

 

We've had ruinous adventures when the GM left the game pretty amorphous and fantastic adventures when there were clear-cut goals and game parameters (complete with private character handouts filled with intrigue and warnings). My advice is to invest the time up front as a GM in order to keep what almost always turns into a back stabbing power grab from disintegrating too soon. Most of all, have fun. Amber is a wondrous place. I even loosely based my main game's (Epic City - see sig) entire extra dimensional system on Zelazny's definition of Primal Chaos/Order and Shadow.

 

Prince Perinn is my player character card from the last time we played, Princess Penelope is a sample card I created for another player:

 

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

Some Amber Hero resources:

 

Jeffrey Keown's Chronicles of Amber: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/73825-Jeffery-Keown-s-Chronicles-of-Amber

 

Amber DRPG Conversion: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/69215-Amber-DRPG-Conversion

 

Amber: Pattern vs. Chaos: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/46369-Amber-Pattern-vs-Chaos

 

Converting Amber Diceless to Hero: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/15810-Converting-Amber-Diceless-to-Hero

 

Writeups for Amberite Abilities for 4E: http://web.archive.org/web/20050212234011/http://www.herogames.com/oldForum/OtherGenres/000115.html

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

Here's a 5er list of Trump abilities:

 

Here is a list of Trump abilities built without any framework:

 

List: Zelazny's Trumps, all slots OAF (-1), Requires An EGO Roll (RSR Skill is subject to Skill vs. Skill contests; current value based on EGO 15; -1), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), Requires Light To Use (-1/4) - END=

19 1) Trump View of Person or Place: Clairsentience (Sight, Mystic And Hearing Groups), Analyze, Discriminatory, Perceive into a single other dimension, Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4), Usable Simultaneously (up to 2 people at once; +1/2) (96 Active Points); Fixed Perception Point (The specific person or place drawn; -1), Sense Affected As More Than One Sense [any other Sense] (-1/4) - END=7

10 2) Trump Contact: Polite: Mind Link , One Specific Mind, Any dimension, No LOS Needed, Usable Simultaneously (up to 2 people at once; +1/2) (37 Active Points) - END=0

25 3) Trump Contact: Forced: Mind Scan 10d6 (standard effect: 30 points) (Human class of minds), +5 ECV, Transdimensional (Any Dimension; +1) (120 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Only vs. targets drawn on trump; -1) - END=12

27 4) Trump Attack: Ego Attack 4d6, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), Transdimensional (Any Dimension; +1), Continuous (+1) (130 Active Points); Eye Contact Required (Constant Power requires eye contact throughout use; via Trump Contact (Polite or Forced); -1) - END=6

13 5) Trump Travel: Teleportation 1", No Relative Velocity, Safe Blind Teleport (+1/4), Usable Simultaneously (up to 2 people at once; +1/2), Transdimensional (Any Dimension; +1), Continuous (Gate; +1), MegaScale (1" = 10,000 km; +1 1/4), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4) (63 Active Points); Can Only Teleport To (or willing target from) Floating or Fixed Locations (-1/2), Linked (Trump View of Person or Place; -1/2) - END=6

16 6) Trumps of various people: Teleportation: Floating Fixed Location (12 Locations) (60 Active Points) - END=0

13 7) Trumps of various places: Teleportation: Fixed Location (50 Locations) (50 Active Points) - END=0

1 8) Trump Sketch: Teleportation: Floating Fixed Location (1 Locations) (5 Active Points); Extra Time (5 Minutes, -2), Independent (The sketch is not permanent and not necessarily on a card; -2) - END=0

 

Almost forgot:

 

45 9) Trump Telepathy: (Total: 190 Active Cost, 45 Real Cost) Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4), Invisible to Mental Group, Hide effects of Power (+1/2) for up to 120 Active Points of Trump Contact: Forced (90 Active Points); Concentration (0 DCV; Character is totally unaware of nearby events; -3/4) (Real Cost: 51) plus Telepathy 10d6 (Human class of minds), Invisible Power Effects, Hide effects of Power (Fully Invisible; +1) (100 Active Points); Concentration (0 DCV; Character is totally unaware of nearby events; -3/4), Linked (Trump Contact: Forced; Lesser Instant Power can be used in any Phase in which greater Constant Power is in use; -1/4) (Real Cost: 23) - END=19

[Cinniuint]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

For each ability you have to ask yourself what exactly does it do. Don't get caught up in inconsequentials.

 

A very good point. Also, a good description of what trumps can do. The either direction teleport seems problematic in Hero, good solution.

 

But what about Trump Artistry? How do you write up that ability?

 

It occurs to me that the main problem here is that Amber has just truly ridiculous power levels. Many characters have the ability to destroy whole planes of existence.

[Tasha]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

Unfortunatly you have to do some major handwaving to use mindscan in the Amberite Multiverse. Think about how many people live in all of the shadows of the multiverse.

 

I might rule that having someone's trump equals LOS for any mental ability that an amberite might have. Like using Telepathy to force Trump Contact.

[mallet]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

I think Trumps should actually be built as Extra Dimensional Movement (One Location, Any Dimension) with the Gate limitation (among others) added to it.

A Gate allows travel in both directions, they can be seen through and you can attack through them as if the target was standing right next to you. All of the things shown to be done with Trumps.

 

I would add an Ego vs Ego roll limitation to establish contact by Trump since people can resist making contact, but they can also be forced into opening contact if the other party is more powerful mentally. Also a group of people can focus on a single Trump card and assist in the Ego roll to force contact/open the gateway.

 

Once the gateway is open, other mental attacks, telepathy, etc... can also be used the same as physical attacks through the opening.

 

Other limitations would also be: OAF, Concentration, Extra time (maybe, sometimes it seems to take a bit of time, other times it's quick), and maybe Increased END (sometimes using Trumps seemed to tire out the users so that would imply a high END cost, given that these are already God-like beings).

[Cinniuint]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

I think Trumps should actually be built as Extra Dimensional Movement (One Location' date=' Any Dimension) with the Gate limitation (among others) added to it.[/quote']

 

A very good point. And I like gates. In some campaigns, I require them for teleport effects.

 

I have finally figured out why Amber really is not translatable into Hero without a LOT of finger waving. Sorcery and Power Words are easy to translate. Shape Shift and Trump are difficult, and use exorbitant numbers of points, especially Trump. But Pattern Imprint, Logrus Mastery, and Conjuration each allow a player to pick up any item they can imagine for free. Pattern and Logrus also allow for free skill development. Literally. A character in Amber could pick up a Medical degree over the weekend. Or find or buy in shadow the One Ring, the Death Star, or a Tardis, or even a fleet of them! Easily.

 

Still, it would be fun to do at least Trump Artistry in Hero. A Trump artist can make multiple images and collect them into a deck, and can make multiple decks. Decks are foci of a kind, but Pattern allows recovery of any focus that the character spent points on. Still working on how to pay for a card or deck, but I figure x2 decks for +5 points.

[Cinniuint]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

I think Trumps should actually be built as Extra Dimensional Movement (One Location' date=' Any Dimension) with the Gate limitation (among others) added to it.[/quote']

 

A very good point. And I like gates. In some campaigns, I require them for teleport effects.

 

I have finally figured out why Amber really is not translatable into Hero without a LOT of finger waving. Sorcery and Power Words are easy to translate. Shape Shift and Trump are difficult, and use exorbitant numbers of points, especially Trump. But Pattern Imprint, Logrus Mastery, and Conjuration each allow a player to pick up any item they can imagine for free. Pattern and Logrus also allow for free skill development. Literally. A character in Amber could pick up a Medical degree over the weekend. Or find or buy in shadow the One Ring, the Death Star, or a Tardis, or even a fleet of them! Easily.

 

Well, OK, not a Tardis. Time travel is basically speeding or slowing time, not reversing it.

 

Still, it would be fun to do at least Trump Artistry in Hero. A Trump artist can make multiple images and collect them into a deck, and can make multiple decks. Decks are foci of a kind, but Pattern allows recovery of any focus that the character spent points on. Still working on how to pay for a card or deck, but I figure x2 decks for +5 points.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

I think Trumps should actually be built as Extra Dimensional Movement (One Location, Any Dimension) with the Gate limitation (among others) added to it.

A Gate allows travel in both directions, .

 

EDM would not allow for trump travel within a single dimension(shadow).

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Chronicles of Amber abilities

 

EDM would not allow for trump travel within a single dimension(shadow).

 

Given that EDM gives the GM a lot of leeway, I'd say it would be up to the GM whether to allow it.