Amber Diceless - Character Creation Help Please!

[Cedric]

Well...

It's that time again. Once every three years I attempt to play in an Amber Diceless RPG. On Saturday we'll be doing the stat auction, creating characters and starting up the game.

Since it's been awhile since I've played...and I no longer own the books...I was wondering if I could draw on the EN World grey matter for some character creation recommendations.

If you know anything about Amber Diceless (or even if you don't, but just want to chime in), please give me some thoughts and ideas on how to create my character and what character to go for...

My initial thought is to bid only 1 point on each attribute and to stock up on powers, advantages and whatnot...(pattern initiation, trump deck, etc).

My character would be one of those fairly rare individuals who is born without a great deal of personal talent, but has the heart and determination to succeed anyway, and pours himself into everything he does. I would be personable and seem trusting and naive...while really just potraying that persona to come across as harmless and worth trusting.

Help me...please!

Cedric

 

[wighair]

Can't really help here, but I would suggest persuading the other PCs to go for plenty of "Bad Stuff" and then sit back and watch their world's collapse. ;-)

I can't say there is a right way or a wrong way. At our auctions the "DM" always recommended the current attribute under the hammer as the MOST valuable. Invariably, crazy bidding would ensue. I think warcraft generally seemed popular, but sometimes psyche. On the other hand strength beats anything (if you get your hands round their neck) and of course endurance aids all the others.

Another player would insist on having advance pattern every time.

I hope someone else can be more useful to you than I!

I've only played the game a couple of times (and haven't read the fiction) so my knowledge is very limited. However, one thing that I noticed was every game I played was totally "every man for himself" and always more of a battle between the players than against any common foe. Is this hard wired into the game or was that just the spin my "DM" gave it?

 

[Skade]

I've only played the game a couple of times (and haven't read the fiction) so my knowledge is very limited. However, one thing that I noticed was every game I played was totally "every man for himself" and always more of a battle between the players than against any common foe. Is this hard wired into the game or was that just the spin my "DM" gave it?

It may as well be hardwired in. The only real threats are generally the players, and their elder family members. Even if that were not true, their egos tell them it is.

How much is your gamemaster willing to modify, or extend the system? If you are looking ways to really fill up on abilities my suggestion is to go the Trump/Sorcery route. Buff up on Psyche as much as you think you can get away with, with 1-5 in each of the other attributes (to be better than a standard Amberite), and get Advanced Trump and Sorcery. Now what I did was to combine the two, so that racks were no longer necessary if I could draw a trump of the spell and it's target. As an example, say I knew that I might want to fly at some point, I would create a Trump card of myself flying. Or say I wanted it to rain in Toledo, I would draw that, allowing myself to cast spells through Trumps just as if I had travelled there. This concept was actually presented to Steve Wujick (the creator of the game) and he loved it. He ran a little session at AggieCon a few years back.

 

[Shallown]

Not to be picky Skade but his name is erick not steve. But on to the post.

Best thing to do is figure what powers, items you want to have then set the rest of the points aside for bidding. If you want powers bid up psyche but don't go crazy. Just set a limit and stick with it. Same with the other stats. say you have a 100 points set 50 aside for pattern (best power for someone who hasn't played a lot (Advanced powers are a little much unless you are very inventive.) Trump is also useful. Stear clear of sorcery or conjuration unless you have checked it out with the GM. Those rules tend to suffer a lot of interpretation by the Gm (well all the powers do but they vary the most game to game) Items and shadows fall into this category as well. I would say do pattern or pattern and trump.

If you buy Trump and pattern there go 90 points spend 1 on all stats but psyche then dump the rest there. If you stick with pattern at 50 then you stats can go better with that extra 50 to spend on them. Pay attention to the bids go for the stats no one else goes for and buy cheap. Sort of like the stock market use those cheap stats every time you can. A lot of Amber and stats is about turning the situation into one where your stat rules.

Character conflict is built into the game but is not the only way to play. When I ran players seldom backstabbed there was simple too much at risk to play around with each other. Not that tension between players didn't exist it just wasn't self/group destructive.

The auction is a great way to maximise your points while minimizing the other players. You reduce the players points by egging them on and upping their bid withot bidding yourself. It can be tough but doable.

Just some passing thoughts. Haven't had a chance to play in a few years but it is my #1 favorite game

later

 

[Skade]

Not to be picky Skade but his name is erick not steve. But on to the post.

I'd be happy if I spelled the last name right! I did didn't I?

I had not considered at what point level you were playing at. Only once did we ever play Amber with 100 points at start, it was always a bit overpowered at our place. Also, Shallown's point about sorcery and conjuration is very true, of all the rules in the game those and shapeshifting can be limited or empowered by GM discretion.

You could always just confuse everyone and go Shapeshifting and Logrus.

 

[Bleys]

Another thing to keep in mind is the influence of Good Stuff, especially if the GM uses a method where it's relative to how many people have it.

If everyone seems to be bidding high on stats (and it'd probably be good to keep a record of what everyone's bidding, so you can get a good idea of this) then there's probably a good chance that they'll all go into the Bad Stuff. If they do that, and your GM uses what I mentioned above, then it's entirely possible that a couple of points of Good Stuff will do you wonders!

I remember the character I created at the Auction for AmberCon II (with Erick W. running it ) being seemingly blessed because I had 2 (or maybe 3) points of Good Stuff. While most people were getting less than stellar parents (or parents who did next to nothing for them), I was a son of Julian, had a couple of hounds as personal pets who had been with me since I was born, and a horse that was one of the better offspring of Morgenstern... and these were all handed to me be Erick... all because I had so much Good Stuff in relation to everyone else in the game

Of course, if you want to eschew a lot of powers, another fun thing to do is to keep close track of the auctions and after they're done, buy up to 2nd in every single stat (as long as they went for low enough). Yeah, you're not the best at any 1 thing, but when it comes down to things, you're probably one of the "scariest" of your generation because you can always find some way to overcome those who are better (assuming that 1 person isn't 1st in every stat )

 

[Cedric]

Well...

I think I'm going to go for Pattern, Power Words and a few items.

Then for stats, I'm going to spend a few points (2-3) in psyche and strength, maybe 5 in warfare and the rest available in endurance (10-15).

Then have a few points left over for Good Stuff.

Not a terribly complicated character on the surface, but Amber is very much a game where the depth of your character can come from the way you play him...not just from what's written on his character sheet.

Thoughts?

Cedric

 

[mythago]

Not to pull rank, but as a really old fogey in the Amber world, here's my advice:

Never, never never be Pattern-blind. Never. I am the person who playtested this concept. Don't do it. DO NOT! Take Logrus instead of Pattern if you must, but don't skip tying yourself to one Power or the other.

Spend one point minimum in all attributes. One point is always better than "Amber average." Outside of that, there are two good strategies. One is to stay out of the auction entirely except for your one point; buy secretly later. This will not give you as good of stats as in an auction, but you have an ENORMOUS advantage when the other PCs have no clue what you are or what you do.

The other strategy that you mention, going for high Endurance, is IMO wise. Endurance is not flashy, but it is the 'battery' for the physical powers, and it will save your butt on many occasions. It also usually goes very, very cheap. If you are quite lucky, your GM will auction it last, after the powergamers have blown all their points on Psyche and Warfare and Advanced Pattern.

As for being harmless....forget it. Nobody will ever assume another Amber relative is harmless, unless they are stupid to begin with--in which case, why are you bothering to fool them?

Don't take Bad Stuff unless you like plot hooks, that being the same use of "hook" as in fishing. It's wise, again in my experience, to drop at least one point into Good Stuff. The edge never hurts, and it will give you a very big lead over Bad Stuff characters.

I'm personally also a big fan of spending about five points in little things. Items that you can't lose, Trumps to handy places, quirky knowledge. Nothing overpowered, but you'd be amazed at how often that stuff comes in handy. I once spent one point to get a sword whose only power was "forged from the stuff of reality." That's it. No bonuses, not woo-woo powers; just that it was not an ordinary weapon. Do you have any idea how many people buy items, pets and henchmen who have "cannot be hurt by any ordinary weapon"? I do.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Good post, mythago.

My suggestion would be to bid 2 points in all attributes. The wiser but newer players will realize its smart to bid 1 but you don't want to get too crazy in the bidding process.

As the 90s song goes "material things will fail you". Assume that your fancy gear will be stolen by elders and go with innate powers. I never bid for a slew of 5 point powers, but mythago's strategem seems sound.

Good luck!

 

[mythago]

Thanks. It is hard-won experience; no point on others having to suffer.

I like the two-point strategy. That ought to confuse the hell out of the other players...

Oh, I almost forgot--cultivate a serene, mysterious smile. It will drive your fellow players buggy, and is invaluable if you ever run a game yourself.