From: susser@apple.com (Joshua Susser)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Sorcery and Amber
Date: 25 Aug 92 21:37:35 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Organization: Apple Computer, ATG

In article <1684ABF27.ADELEKTA@kentvm.kent.edu>, ADELEKTA@kentvm.kent.edu
wrote:
> 
> 
>  
>   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
> Pattern Imprint, an artifact, and good stuff.
>  I thought this would be an average player character. Wrongo.
>  
> 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

First rank in two attributes and second rank in another makes your
character hot stuff.  Remember, it's atributes that power things like
sorcerey, and give you the skill to direct those powers.  Being first
ranked in Warfare means that it will be difficult for your peers to put you
in a situation where they could get the drop on you, etc.

Also Pattern Imprint is the most powerful power.  It's incredibly useful. 
Example:  my character is much like yours:  Robin is first ranked in
Psyche, and has Pattern Imprint, and the rest about him is unknown, but so
far nothing too strange.  The characters were trying to ascend the face of
a glacier which was covered by storms, fog and clounds, apparently magical
in nature.  One of the characters had a flying mount, which we couldn't use
to fly up because of the weather.  Robin said, follow me, and lead the
party off to a nearby Shadow where there wasn't bad weather on the glacier.
 We all flew up, and then walked back to the Shadow we started from.  (Of
course, it's hard to concentrate on both shadow-shifting and avoiding
falling in a crevasse, but that's what makes it challenging.)

Another example: Robin was in a tavern enjoying a minstrel's performance,
but a drunken lout was making noise disrupting things.  Robin (mid-ranked
in Warfare) waited until the perfect moment when the barmaid was passing
the drunk, and called softly to her from where he sat in shadows.  His deep
understanding of human nature (psyche) and placement and timing (warfare)
let him distract her in just the right way that she should have dumped a
tray of beer bugs on the drunk.  Unfortunately, she was a bit too
experienced, and looked like she would avoid the mishap.  So Robin used
Pattern Imprint, and "decided" that it was likely there was a wet spot on
the floor where her foot was stepping.  That was too much for her, and she
doused the drunk with cold beer.

So you can see there are lots of uses for Pattern.  If you're the only one
in your group with it, you have a huge advantage.  You can find whole
worlds of resources to use, to escape to or hide in, and you can find just
about anything you need or desire.  They, on the other hand, have to do
things the hard way.

And don't forget, a good Pattern Defense can defend you against any of the
lesser powers, especially if you have a higher Psyche.  Just use your
Warfare to tell you when you're likely to be attacked in an arcane fashion,
and take a moment to raise the defense.

I'd wish you luck, but you don't need it...


Joshua Susser, Object Percussionist
Apple Computer, Advanced Technology Group
inet: susser@apple.com | link: susser.j | phone: 408/974-6997