From: zamick@yoko.rutgers.edu (Jonny the Z)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Sorcery and Amber
Summary: Wow!
Date: 22 Aug 92 03:58:09 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

In article <1684ABF27.ADELEKTA@kentvm.kent.edu>, ADELEKTA@kentvm.kent.edu writes:
> 
>  
>   I've been playing a lot of Amber lately, and I'm having a problem.
>  
> When I created my character, I spent most of my points on getting ranked in
> attributes (1st in Warfare and Endurance, 2nd in Strength). I also took
                       ^
		 	\--- Wow... Nobody in your peer group can beat
			direct armed combat, prolonged armed, combat,
			or even prolonged unarmed combat. You are good
			enough that you might even be able to pick up
			some scrap and turn an unarmed fight to an
			armed one. (I am assuming that your group bid
			very low on stats.) In the campaign I am run-
			ning almost nobody could afford to get logrus,
			there were about 3 amber ranks, and NO CHAOS
			ranks.

	First of all on sheer stats... simply you are a god amongst
your peer group. With your warfare you are a natural leader, and
brilliant at tactics... a very nice survival characteristic. You have
good stuff in addtion, so you are lucky

	I don't know how your your GM will use rankings, but if a lot
of people stayed at Amber and even Chaos rank, you will actually have
to be careful not to seriously injure them while sparring. Wrestling
with a Chaos ranked Strength person might kill them, certainly cause
traction if you aren't careful.

	Your strength also makes you pretty immune to normal weaponry
as well.

> Pattern Imprint, an artifact, and good stuff.

	Pattern imprint is very powerful (as are all abilities)
	I simply make this recommendation in Amber, the more minor the
use of power, the more potent. The two most powerful abilities of
Pattern for a character are not hellriding, or combat shifting.. These
are emergency uses, and as such are easier to predict and counter. The
best uses are the knowledge of odd shadow paths to jump onto, and
small time probability shifting while remaining in the same shadow.
(Lesson #1. Never ever know everything that's in your backpack after
all then you can't "find" what you might need later in it)

The artifact is redundant it seems. All it can do is make you kill
faster, or be more resistant.. Generally I find artifacts to be point
suckers for my players. (Gee what should I do with these 4 points?)
Creatures are often too expensive and prone to mortality.

>  I thought this would be an average player character. Wrongo.

An average character?!!!!  Eek :)

> The other characters in my party took things such as logrus mastery, sorcery,
> and power words, accepting Amber or even chaos rank in attributes. Next to
> them, I feel like I can't do anything except hit things with a sword. (which
> was kind of the point of the character)
>  Am I just being cranky because the other characters get to do neat and arcane
> things?  Could I be doing more with Patern Imprint than just shifting shadows?
> (I've tried reading up on it, but the other abilities that come with Pattern
> Imprint seem difficult to incorporate into playing).
>  Am I just whining, or can someone give me some advice to make this character
> more fun and useful to play?
> Thanks.
>  
> anne

Amber is all about incorporating your character's abilities into
playing. Don't forget that what is listed under Basic Pattern for
example is just a general power level listing and guide of what others
have done. Come up with individual uses of your pattern mastery. Take
Trump Artistry for example. Nobody knew about listening in on trump
till Caine did it. Now its "common" knowledge so other people do it.
Come up with your own tricks, but keep them as your secrets. That's
power.

Make sure your character's history is complete. I have 20+ page histories
from some players (I'm amazed myself). Make sure the artifact jives
with this history.. if it doesn't trash it and put points to buying
Endurance up to rank 1.5 or bring psyche up a bit.

Lastly... you have to determine what your character's stats mean in
reflection to personality. Is he/she the perfect Byronesque hero? Wide
shouldered, dark haired, pale complexioned. The melencholy expert? Or
a flamboyant larger than life figure like Bleys. (In fact Bleys would
be the perfect parent for a character like yours, since he is so
larger than life and damned competant)

(As a suggestion, if you grew up far from Amber, don't let anybody
know how good you are. Fight down your ability, play hurt worse than
you are. You spent a lot of points being the best physically. That
won't be useful if people know to avoid that. Keep them in the dark if
you can. (unless you had an open auction :))


Jonathan Zamick.... hopefully continuing the Monster Sized Amber
campaign on AmberMUSH this coming semester
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc