AMBER DICELESS RPG QUICKSTART

   Take a look at the world around you. It isn’t the real world. It is simply one of myriad shadows, or hazy reflections of the real world, a place called Amber.
   Amber was founded by a crazy dwarf named Dworkin Barimen, who used an artifact known in Amber as the Jewel of Judgment to create something called the Pattern. Only those of Amber’s royal blood can walk upon the Pattern and live; doing so unlocks the ability to travel through and manipulate shadow to one’s desire.
   You can seek out novel experiences or skillsets. You can build and destroy empires, fight wars, be gods and goddesses, sorcerer lords, or a ruler beloved by the people.
   You are the son or daughter of one of Amber’s scions. You may have grown up in the medieval stylings of Amber, or in a distant shadow. But you have come of age and walked the Pattern, unlocking your full potential.


CREATING CHARACTERS

   Characters are built upon a fixed number of points (100), beginning with four attributes. Rather than buy them at fixed levels, every game creates a unique hierarchy of Amberites through an attribute auction, held amongst the players. The auction can be open or sealed bid, and continues until one player is uncontested in each attribute.
   That player is said to have dominant rank or top rank in that attribute.
   A word of warning – points bid are points spent. You can’t take a bid back, or lower it. If you bid 36 points, you've spent 36 points.
   Also, before you spend all your points, powers and any personal shadows, creatures (whether a horse or a trained hawk), or artifacts (swords, armor, rings, pendants, etc.) will cost points, so budget accordingly – save at least 50 points to obtain Pattern Imprint.
   Finally, you are not required to bid on an attribute. This would give you what is called ‘Amber rank’ in an attribute (0 points … but you are still superior to most beings in Shadow, and far beyond the average human). You can hold your points in reserve and buy into the ranking after everyone else has settled. If you choose this option, you will be considered to be ‘just behind’ the player who holds the full rank.
   Example: Nate, James, and Dan bid on Strength, while Bob chooses not to bid. James ranks first, Nate second, Dan third. Bob spends points equal to Nate’s bid, and is now ‘2.5’ in rank – just behind Nate, superior to Dan, and outranked by James.

STRENGTH is a measure of physical prowess. It includes any feats of strength, but also unarmed combat and resistance to damage. Prince Gerard is able to tear thick chains from place and rend them; he is also a master-class wrestler.

ENDURANCE is a measure of overall hardiness. It includes how long you can continue on without food or rest, but also recovery from injury. Prince Corwin once fought a duel with Prince Random to see how long they could keep going; Corwin quit after 26 hours because he had a date the next day and wanted to arrive looking reasonably presentable.

WARFARE is a measure of one’s grasp of strategy and tactics. It includes any combat situation, but also reflexes and reaction times. Fielding of armies, logistics, troop morale, the nuances of command, the psychology of the battlefield are all governed by this trait.

PSYCHE is a measure of psychic strength and willpower. Whether it’s mind-to-mind contact or magical ability, psyche is what powers it.

   What is the advantage of dominant rank? It means you are unbeatable in a straight contest based on that attribute. (Your elders, being of a different generation, will outrank you – so while you may be dominant rank in Strength and able to pound your siblings/cousins into the dirt, Prince Gerard will still mop the floor with you.)

   However, it doesn’t mean you are always unbeatable. If your opponent can shift the battleground to an attribute where they hold a higher rank, they could win.
   Prince Corwin has a superior rank in Warfare over Prince Gerard, but if Gerard gets his hands on him, Gerard’s superior Strength will win the day. (Think of Loki and the Hulk from The Avengers. Loki probably has superior Psyche and Warfare, but Hulk made their contest one of Strength.)

   As you can see, having a really powerful character can mean spending more than your allotted points. You can compensate for this with player contributions - such as artwork or stand-alone stories, for an agreed amount. Or, you can dip into the BAD STUFF/GOOD STUFF scene. If you’ve spent past your allotted points, those negative points become bad stuff – a recurring negative influence on outcomes and events. Bad stuff is always there, and manifests in myriad ways, from disadvantageous things happening to giving your character the aura of ‘trouble.’ Conversely, a player who doesn’t spend all their points has good stuff, and is similarly blessed with good fortune.

   There are no contested die-rolls, no critical successes or failures. Players are encouraged to breathe life into their characters by way of how they describe their actions and mannerisms.
This message was last updated by the GM at 09:10, Wed 26 May 2021.