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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kookalouris" data-source="post: 4524332" data-attributes="member: 23872">Character creation rules:  First draft...OK, the long awaited character creation rules, my apologies for not getting these (or any posts) to you for a couple of days...I realize that some of you have already made great character descriptions and these rules are for any newer players who might yet show up.You don't need to know the rules and/or make the actual characters if you don't want to.  I will be happy to make the character for you.  For those that want and don't have the rules (certainly not required for this game), you can get both books, Amber DRPG and Shadow Knight, from DriveThruRpg for about $12 each.OK, to work...Characters in the Amber DRPG are based on points spent.  A character with more points spent should be more powerful and capable than characters with less points spent.For scale, a standard human is practically at 0 points, a typical starting Amber character is about 100 points and Corwin, for example, is set to about 300-500 points depending on which version of Corwin you wish to play.In THIS game, the characters start out at effectively 0 points and then, at game's end, will end up roughly at the same level as each other (100 points unless the players agree on some different level).So for this game, you first decision is to decide on how many points your character HAD.  For example, Character A could have been a 500-point Shadow-busting demigod before magical reduction and Character B might just have been a newborn Amber infant about to age normally into 100 points of potential.  The game will start with both characters at effectively 0 points and end with both characters able to use 100 points of potential.  Character will end the game beginning to reclaim her full 500 points of potential (and 100/500ths of the way there) and character B will just have grown into his first 100 points worth.  Both characters will be EFFECTIVELY equal but one is born into power while the other is reborn back into grace.So my first question is how powerful do you want your characters to have been?  Pick a number 100, 200, 500 points?  Doesn't really matter except to flavor your character.  If the players can all agree on a number, then the game might end with each of them at that same number.  Otherwise, the game will end with each character at about 100 points of themselves (which may just be a fraction of their former power).In most Amber games, characters start the game with their points spent.  Simple abilities and powers are bought outright.  Comparitive stats (that is, stats used in competition with other characters) are bid for by each player with whatever points they have remaining until the ranking of characters in whatever given stat(s) are determined.In this game, the bidding is delayed until such time as a determination is actually NEEDED.For example, let's say the game begins with no players actually committing any points whatsoever.  A few posts in, a wizard sent by the Victors attempts to compel the PCs to surrender using a spell.  This would normally be resisted with the game stats of PSYCHE.At this point, I would allow the PCs to bid points in PSYCHE, with the following rules.Once the points are bid for a stat, they are spent for that stat  So choose wisely.  If the players wish, I will allow a re-bid.You may bid as often as you want and as much as you have allowed in any given contest, until you won't or can't spend any more points for this encounter.You can react to another character's bid until again, you won't or can't spend any more points.  The bidding ends when all those spending have spent all of the points they are going to.To save time, you may declare that you will bid to win up to a set maximum of points.  And you will only spend the points necessary up to your stated maximum.  eBay veterans will be familiar with this system.When the game starts, you will only be allowed to bid so much and only on some things.  You might have your superhuman abilities but you won't have your truly supernatural powers at game start, for example.  By the later stages of the game, the kid gloves are off and you can bid all that you have on whatever you can afford.Concerned?  Don't be.  I realize that this entire game is an experiment and I am not out to kill you all.  The first few weeks of the game is mostly interpersonal and intellectual challenges where shrewd playing will easily outdo sharp bidding.  Also, the game does not set PCs against each other at least in the beginning (it's not necessarily that you are friends but, together, you have greater enemies.  There is an old proverb, "Me against my brother, me and my brother against my uncle; me, my brother and my uncle against the world").At this point, I see two approaches to character-building.The first:  Make a PROVISIONAL 100 point character and bid towards that incarnation as quickly as the game allows.  I won't hold you to your initial conception if you bid otherwise.  This approach is a good idea for those players who are pretty sure what they want in a character.The second:  start with a description of your character as a (seemingly) mundane teen and bid from there as the game progresses.  You may end up with some unexpected and unforeseen choices in your character (which is not a bad thing).For those ready to spend now, let me get to the specifics.You may spend your points on whatever you could in a normal Amber game, there are no general restrictions on what you can buy.  Due to the powerful magicks hiding you, how much of your potential that you can actually USE at game start is a different thing.nuts and bolts:Your bids in attributes are primarily relative to each OTHER.  The character start the game with a purely HUMAN level of ability, then they quickly move to CHAOS and then their true AMBER level of proficiency.  In general, the character with, say, the highest STRENGTH amongst the characters will tend to have the highest STRENGTH still as the characters move from HUMAN, CHAOS and AMBER levels of ability.powers:Powers cost the most in an Amber game.  Pattern Imprint, even at its basic level costs 50 points.  I suppose it is possible for a child of an Amber prince to be without this power but such children are not in Zelazny novels.  Pattern Imprint is pretty much the basic ability to warp shadow, hellride and be immortal.   This is not required, at least one player might not play a true child of Amber, but whether to have this power or not is probably the biggest point decision you will make for your character.Magical capabilities, Personal Items and Shadows are also available for purchase but they won't be fully usable at game start.  In fact, the character may not be fully aware of these capabilities.  For example Greyswandir, Corwin's sword, might appear to teenage Corey as a favorite pocket knife that always seems found after being lost.You may 'buy' a friend, an ally from Amber or Chaos.  Most likely, this will one of the few family retainers that managed to escape the Victor's predations.  The friend will be particularly devoted to you but may start the game reduced like the PCs.You can suggest Good and Bad Stuff for your character.  You may offer to combine with other players on such things as allies, items, shadows and the like.  Where possible, that will make the shared aspects either cheaper for each PC or more powerful.Player contributions are gratefully accepted:  The usual diary and/or Amber stories would typically be covered by your posts.  But for players who want to add maybe a side story or extra information beyond what the game requires, let me know...Poetry would be welcomed as well.  It would be cruel for me to inflict my poems on others so I would be happy to accept other submissions.Trumps can be descriptions or actual pictures.  Trumps of your characters DO exist but your PC's won't know about them at game start.In general, 10 points for each player contribution up to a max. of 20 points.the skinny;You characters may start the game with 20 points spent if they WISH.  You don't need to spend any.  You may get up to 20 more with player contributions.  Whether you can use what you spent at game start depends on what you have bought.  The more fantastic (for Shadow Earth) the characteristic, the less accessable it will be at game start.  Attributes should work at least as comparision to the other PCs.As always, time is against me and I will stop here.  I will add more later and I consider this a draft.  Let me know what you like or don't like.</blockquote>

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