From: fts5792@zeus.tamu.edu (SRONCE, FRANK T)
Subject: Amber Powers 
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Keywords: Amber, AMBER  
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 02:04:00 GMT

Here are some extended Powers that I have worked up for my Amber game.

Advanced Sorcery (30 points)
  This gives the character access to 2 additional micro-spells and some new
abilities.

  Advanced Sorcerers can detect and use spells racked by other people,
something that normal Sorcerers in my game cannot. This power works by touch:
like normal sorcerers in my game, they must touch the container in order to
access the spells therein. They can spend a few minutes of study in order to
figure out exactly what the spell does and what lynchpins must be specified, or
they can be brave and try to cast it without knowing what it does...

  Micro-Spell: Invoke Power
     This is used to invoke a Power as part of a spell. I require the Sorcerer
to possess the Advanced form of that Power as well before they can invoke it.
Pattern makes spells more solid and difficult to dispel, and makes them
slightly resistant to the touch of Pattern. Logrus makes the spell more
powerful and more unpredictable. Shape Shifting can be invoked to cast spells
that shape-shift the target into something else. Trump will probably enable
the spell to work in shadows with little or no magic. 
     Trying to invoke two Powers in one spell is a very bad idea... As is
trying to rack a Pattern or Trump invoking spell in the Logrus. If you allow
players to draw upon Powers without requiring the Advanced form, simply reduce
the benefits from those of Invoking the Advanced Power.

  Micro-Spell: Measure Substance
     This is used to perform "detect" and "analyze" and "locate" spells. The
more specific the target being searched for, the more detail can be produced.
ie- A Detect Substance spell could pick out everyone in a crowd with any Powers
or bit of reality to them, but would not specify between Pattern and Logrus,
for example. Detect Magic might spot racked spells and identify a man as a 
sorcerer, but would not notice that he had Pattern Imprint. This micro-spell 
can be used to perform a search for something, but is limited to searching a 
single shadow, since the nature of Magic is usually slightly different in other
shadows and the spell will not function there.

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Exalted Sorcery (60 points)
   This gives the sorcerer several new abilities and access to a new
micro-spell.

   The sorcerer can now rack a spell in a person's memory, even his own. One
spell is still the most that can be held in a person's memory at once, but
Exalted Sorcery lets you place a spell in a non-sorcerer's memory. Such spells
can only be forgotten voluntarily; it takes a concussion or similar head injury
to make the subject forget it involuntarily. Spells racked in a living being
cannot be contacted by someone else unless they can achieve complete Psychic
domination. The holder of the spell can cast it at will, as per casting a
racked spell, but only Sorcerers can fill in Lynchpins. Spells racked in memory
decay more slowly than normal spells, and are difficult to detect.

   The sorcerer can now craft spells that are disguised as other spells, hiding 
their true nature until cast. This is really only useful for tricking Advanced
Sorcerers. Exalted Sorcerers are likely to notice the disguise, but will not be
able to tell what it really does unless they have a Psyche advantage over the
creator of the disguised spell.

   The sorcerer can now create a Tower of Sorcery, a minor Power that he can
draw upon and Invoke when necessary. If included in a spell with the Invoke
Power micro-spell, the Tower will add its energies to those of the caster.
Generally, the Tower's range is limited to the immediate shadows... a Tower
established on a Primal Plane is considerably more powerful (in my campaign, 
Fiona has a tower on the edge of Amber... could it be?) and has a greater
range. 
   The Tower works by absorbing local magic and storing it up for its master's
use. Other sorcerers cannot call upon it unless the current master provides
them with some sort of key (whether a word to be included in the spell or an
actual object that must be held at the casting). Of course, they could just
kill the master and claim the tower for themselves, if they had Exalted
Sorcery.
   The Tower itself can be made intelligent rather easily, but while this
enables it to make value judgements and cast spells itself, they are sometimes
prone to sullenness (remember Ghostwheel?). 
   The sorcerer can recharge his own energies by drawing on the Tower, usually
by a simple spell (Invoke Power, Shadow Portal). It is even possible to draw on
its energies directly, simply by concentrating on it, but this is inefficient
and extremely dangerous should the sorcerer lose control of the flow of energy.
Naturally, the sorcerer can only draw on the Tower's energy while he is within
range of it... although an Advanced Trump artist might be able to draw a Trump
that power could be pulled through.

  Micro-Spell: Granted Intelligence
     A spell with this micro-spell will be possessed of a certain degree of
intelligence, and can guide itself without aid from its caster. It can accept
complicated commands, such as a ward whose password or list of authorized
personnel can be updated at will. Spells with this micro-spell and Manipulate
Shadow can be cast across shadow boundries to any shadow in the immediate area
(no significant differences in the function of magic there). A lightning bolt 
could be crafted that would turn a corner and aim for the largest human target,
or "the man in red robes," even if the sorcerer was unsure of the target's
position.

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Advanced Conjuration (30 points)
   This enables the character to select powers and qualities of up to 8 points.
I limit normal Conjuration to the 4 point powers and qualities listed in the
item creation section. All other restrictions (including time requirements) 
still apply. I have a minimum Conjuration time of 1 hour per point in my
game... if Conjuration is faster in yours, you might want to consider making
this a 40 point Power.
   It also enables the character to analyse a conjured item by touch, slowly 
identifying its various abilities. It is possible to identify the creator of
the item if you have experience with his style of conjuration.

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Exalted Conjuration (40 points)
   As above, but allows access to 16 point powers and qualities, like
Destructive Damage to Creatures of Chaos (Corwin's sword). If you allow the
versions of Conjuration that only take a few minutes per point, I suggest you 
make this an 80 point Power.
   Like Advanced Sorcery, I require the Advanced form of a power before it may
be incorporated in a conjuration, but not all 16 point powers need be dependent
upon another Power. 
   Like Advanced Conjuration, the character can analyse conjured items, but
this can now be done at a distance of several yards, enabling you to examine
another character's item from across the room without alerting him (unless he 
notices you staring at the item in question).

============================================================================

Kiz

Soldier: "If general Caro returns, what should we do?"
Melcurius: "If he comes back, lock him in his tent!"
(laughter all around)
Melcurius: "Er... Place him under guard."