Most of the elder Amberites have magical items. Julian has his horse Morganstern, Corwin has his sword Greyswandyr, and Bleys has those rings, even if we don't know just what they do. Most of the Amberites have their own Shadows, too. Corwin talks about the Shadow Avalon, Random talks about a place called Texorami, and Benedict has a very reclusive Shadow with some people called the Tecys.
Shadows
Shadows have a few modifiers to them. Your personal Shadow might be close to Amber, close enough to become part of the Golden Circle, it might have barriers to travel and communication, and you get to choose exactly what does, and doesn't, work there. These are the basic points that can be spent on a Shadow, and all the freebee stuff that needs to be defined.
Time Flow. Just how fast does time pass here compared to Amber? It could be on a 1:1 scale, where an hour passes the same in both places. Or an hour in Amber could be a day in the Shadow.
Technology/Magic Level. This is what the technology level is, from primitive through electricity up to warp drives and teleporters. Magic can work instead of, or with technology.
Power Availability/Strength. Just how easy is it to use Pattern or Logrus in this Shadow? Do Trumps work like normal, or is it like trying to force your mind through a granite wall? Does magic work easily or not at all?
Shadow Type. A simple Personal Shadow costs just 1 point. This is some Shadow that your character has put a little energy into as their favorite place to stay. A Shadow of the Realm, someplace close to the Golden Circle, or in the 'Black Zone' of the Courts of Chaos, is easily noticable by other Amberites, but is really close to Amber or the Courts, which makes things easier during an emergency, costs 2 points. A Primal Plane, for 4 points, has something left over from the creation of the Pattern, or maybe even predating the Logrus, that makes the Shadow seem more real and solid than the Shadows surrounding it.
Control over Shadow. For 1 point, the character can change around small things in the Shadow, like causing kingdoms to fall to revolts, or cause meteor showers, and adjust the laws of physics and magic. 2 points lets the character adjust the time flow of the Shadow compared to Amber, so it might go fast while they are visiting, but slow down while they are away. By spending 4 points, the Shadow can actually be moved around slightly, making sure that a certain character will have to pass through that Shadow the next time they take a Hellride.
Communication Barriers. These are barriers against just about all Powers (Pattern, Logrus, Trump, Magic, Psyche, or something else), that prevent them from coming in, or out, of the Shadow. They take one point each, and work against anything in that category.
Restricted Access. There are only a limited numbers or ways that the Shadow can be entered. This can be as simple as having to walk through a certain mountain pass, to needing to quote a certain poetic verse, or using a Trump or magical spell to teleport in.
Guardians. Specific creatures, in fairly large number, hae been set up to guard the specific entrances in and out of the Shadow. Descriptions are left up to the player, though the GM might require points to be spent for some guardians.
Creatures and Items
Spending points on items, creatures, and retainers, makes them part of the character's personal 'reality.' This means that the character can pull them out of nowhere, as long as they can modify Shadow. Sometimes even after they seem to have been destroyed. Any items that are actually destroyed get the points returned to the character, even if they don't know it. Some special items can transfer their qualities and powers to whoever owns or wields them, though these take a far greater number of points.
Some characters, who don't want to spend points, can choose to Hellride, send a Logrus tendril, of Conjure copies of an item. The downside of this is that the items are much more easily destroyed, stolen, or lost, and it takes just as much time to get them. Special items can be created and powered with Pattern, Logrus, or Trump, as long as their creator possesses the necessary power.
Qualities
Vitality. This is the measure of how much life an item or creature has. Animal Vitality (1 point) gives inanimate objects basic 'life,' at normal human Strength level. Double Vitality (2 point) raises the strength of a creature to Chaos level. They can carry twice their normal limits. Immense Vitality (4 point) lets animals work at amazing levels, moving several times their own weight, and raises their Strength to Amber level.
Movement. Used for animating immobile objects, or improving movement for existing creatures. Mobility (1 point) lets an object move around on its own, though the speed is dependant on the item's build and description. A sword with Mobility is going to have a hard time moving around. Double Speed (2 point) doubles the speed of a creature, and items can usually manage the speed of a run. Dogs and horses can reach up to 30-35 miles per hour. Engine Speed (4 point) lets a creature keep up with a moving vehicle. Non-mobile items can manage up to 20 miles per hour.
Stamina. This gives the creature or item its staying power, roughly equivalent to Endurance, though it gains no extra healing properties. Double Normal Stamina (1 point) gives humans or items Chaos Endurance, and creatures double the time they can run or fight. Amber Stamia (2 point) lets creatures and items go for hours on end without getting tired. Endless Stamina (4 point) means that the creature or item simply never gets tired or stops.
Fighting. Fighting skill measures how well the creature or item will react in a combat situation, though conveys nothing of tactics and skills. A dog with Combat Reflexes could fight at Amber level with their natural weapons, but would know nothing about swords, guns, or anything of the sort. Combat Training (1 point) lets creatures work together in a team during combat, and improves their speed in battle. Items for a specific style of fighting (i.e. sabre, rapier, axe) have expertise up to Chaos level Warfare. Combat Reflexes (2 point) improves upon creatures instincts even further, to where they are faster than Chaos ranked Warfare, and more adept at using their natural weapons. Items for specialized fighting styles can reach up to Amber ranked Warfare. Combat Mastery (4 point) lets creatures even avoid ambushes, and adapt faster to new weapons being used against them. Specialized items can react far faster than normal Amber ranked Warfare.
Armor. How hard is it to damage the creature or item? Resistant to Normal Weapons (1 point) gives harder armor, that withstands most normal swords, arrows, and can deflect glancing blows with ease. Resistant to Firearms (2 point) thickens the armor even further, withstanding gunshots, energy beam weapons, small explosions, and some types of magical spells. Invulnerable (4 points) stops just about any normal weapon you can think of, including explosions, and most physical damage causing magical spells.
Damage. Some creatures or items have special weapons that are harder than the norm. Extra Hard (1 point) weapons can scratch stone, and are almost impossible to break or damage. Double Damage (2 point) weapons can, with skill, break through armor Resistant to Firearms, and can also eventually work its way through a stone wall. Deadly Damage (4 point) are severly dangerous to anything living, almost always causing fatal wounds, and can pucnh through even Invulnerable armor.
Intelligence and Communication. Creatures and items can learn to speak, sing, or even compose poetry, depending on how intelligent you make them. Able to Speak (1 point) lets the creature or item converse in a language familiar to the user, but with only a limited vocabulary, and can usually operate independantly if given the correct orders. Able to Speak and Sing (2 point) can understand conplex orders, make its own plans, has a good memory, and can learn things like singing, math, and logic problems. Able to Speak in Tongues (4 point) gives the creature or item a human intelligence, where it can operate fully on its own, learn several languages, and mimic the speech style and sounds of others.
Psychic Sensitivity. This confers a limited part of Psyche, dealing with detecting Psychic phenomena. Psychic Sensitivity (1 point) confers Chaos rank, and can communicate mentally with anyone it touches, at its normal level of intelligence. Sensitivity to Danger (2 point) gives the ability to detect danger from animate, alive creatures, though not in more than a general sense. Extraordinary Psychic Sense (4 point) will let the item see flashes of insight, know when its owner is in danger, and can reach through Shadow Psychicly to contact any known mind, though it is longer and harder than a Trump contact.
Psychic Defense. This is an automatic defense against Psychic attacks, and gives no offensive Psychic power. Psychic Resistance (1 point) gives a defense level of Chaos Psyche. Psychic Neutral (2 point) puts up a type of Psychic cloak over the object, so that the mental eminations of intelligence are not noticed, and gives a defense level of Amber rank. Psychic Barrier (4 point) puts up a total Psychic barrier against anything, but also means that the item cannot use any form of Psychic Sensitivity. Psychic Barriers tend to be quite obvious.
Powers
Shadow Movement. This allows for a creature or item to move itself through Shadow. Normally, this is an innate ability of the item, not Pattern, Logrus, or Trump. Shadow Trail (1 point) lets the item follow someone else moving through Shadow. Shadow Path (2 point) lets an item follow any well constructed path, or return to a place it knows well, at the speed of a Hellride. If it is dropped somewhere unfamiliar, it can take a very long time, bumbling through Shadow, to find its way back. Shadow Seek (4 point) means the creature or item can move towards a specific person or item in Shadow. This is not the same as free movement, and often puts them in the worst places in Shadow (kind of like Broken Pattern).
Shadow Manipulation. Some creatures or items can affect their Shadow environment. Mold Shadow Stuff (1 point) changes small details, like money or clothes, to match. Mold Shadow Folk (2 point) can affect the people and creatures in the Shadow in minor ways, making them more friendly and receptive. Mold Shadow Reality (4 point) will slightly adjust the rules of chance, magic, or science in the Shadow, though not to the same degree that an Amberite could.
Item Healing. For items, this gives a self-repairing quality, while creatures just have their normal healing rates accelerated. Self Healing (1 point) gives inanimate objects a slow healing rate, and doubles that of creatures. Rapid Healing (2 point) lets creatures or items heal at a rate of Amber rank Endurance, even to the extent of regenerating limbs, though it may take years. Regeneration (4 point) speeds up healing to where the creature or item can fix just about anything short of death in under an hour.
Item Shape Shifting. Unlike character shape shifting, the creature or item is limited to a range of preset, possible shapes. Alternate Form/Shape (1 point) gives one different shape. Alternate Named and Numbered Forms (2 point) gives up to twelve different shapes the creature or item can use, predetermined at the time it is created. Limited Shape Shift (4 point) lets the creature or item shift to just about anything of the same size and mass, but learning new shapes is difficult, cannot give new Powers, and is useless for healing.
Trump Powers. Characters with Trump Artistry can build Trump powers into an item. Items with Trump Powers cannot be found or conjured, only created by characters with Trump Artistry. Trump Image (1 point) lets the character put a single Trump image somewhere on the item; this cannot be used on creatures. Personal Trump Deck (2 points) means this particular deck of Trumps can be sought by the creator anywhere in Shadow, just like their creature or artifact. Trump Powered (4 point) means the creature or item draws power from a Trump.
Spell Storage. Requires both Sorcery and Conjuration, but it lets the creature or item store the spells, and possibly use them. Racking a Spell (1 point) stores just one spell, that needs the lynchpins to cast it. Rack Named and Numbered Spells (2 point) will store up to a dozen spells. Rack ad Use Named and Numbered Spells (4 point) stores the dozen spells, but also lets creatures or intelligent items use the spells. Using spells from these items are just like normal spell casting -- once the spell is used, it's gone until a spell caster replaces it.
Transferal and Implants
Some items can transfer and share their qualities and powers with whoever uses them. Others are small, and can be implanted in the character, which means that they are pretty hard to remove. Transfering qualities doesn't add anything to a character's Attributes, and sometimes can even bring them lower. Implants can be objects or symbionts, that are placed inside the character's body, or tattoos for magical runes or Trump images.
Confer Quality (5 points) lets something like Resistance to Firearms, or Psychic Neutral, carry over to whoever uses the item. This takes 5 points per Quality to be transfered.
Implant Quality (10 points) works the same as Confer Quality.
Confer Power (10 points) shares one of the Powers, like Regeneration, with the user. The cost is per Power being transfered.
Implant Quality (15 points) works the same as Confer Power.
The last thing needed for items and creatures are their number. Is it a unique item, like Greyswandyr? Or are there a whole lot of them, like Julian's hounds? All the abilities of the items must be exactly alike.
Unique is no extra cost, since there is just one of the item.
Named and Numbered costs twice the number of points, and gives from two up to a dozen. Usually they are named in some way.
Horde means there are a few dozen of the item, scattered through one Shadow. In a full day, you could get together about a hundred or so of the given creature or item. This costs three times the original points.
Shadow Wide is everywhere in a certain Shadow. No matter where you go in that Shadow, you can find Horde quantities. Costs four times the points.
Cross-Shadow Environment can be found in any Shadow with the specific environment, such as a forest, swamp, or armory, in Named and Numbered quantities. The items should look rather normal, so as to blend in. Costs five times the points.
Ubiquitous in Shadow is everywhere in Shadow. Everywhere outside of Amber and the Courts of Chaos, you can find at least one of these items. Just like Cross-Shadow items, they blend in with their surroundings. Costs siz times the points.
Some examples of creatures and items are here below.
A sword, with Double Damage (2 points) and Psychic Sensitivity (1 point) for a total of 3 points. If there are 50 of these swords, the total cost would be 9 points. (3 points * 3 Horde quantity)
A hawk, with Combat Training (1 point), Extra Hard (1 point), Double Speed (2 point), and Self-Healing (1 point) for a total of 5 points. Seven hawks, named after the Seven Dwarves, would cost 10 points. (5 points * 2 Named and Numbered)
Morganstern, has Amber Vitality (4 points), Engine Speed (4 points), Amber Stamina (2 points), Combat Reflexes (2 points), Resistance to Firearms (2 points), Extra Hard hooves and teeth (1 point), Psychic Sensitivity (1 point), Psychic Resistance (1 point), and Shadow Seek (4 points), for a total of 21 points.
You can spend as many points on an item as you want. There's no limit to the number, or power of items you can own. But the better an item, the more another Amberite might try and take it from you.
Now that you know just what a character can use for powers, items, and allies, it's time to decide just what your character should have. Any powers they have should match their personality. A character described as young and easygoing shouldn't have Advanced Pattern Imprint, and a tough brawler shouldn't take a drop in Warfare to gain Sorcery. Click here to see examples of characters built by the players in the Attribute Auction.
Go Back
Go Home