Alternate Rules for Amber - no, don't run !

[Otha]

Fin, how do you feel about the way the stuff system, if it fluctuates, causes a character to drift back and forth between a villainous and heroic outlook?

[finarvyn]

I tend to de-emphasize the hero/villian "outlook" aspect of Stuff and focus on the good luck vs. bad luck part.

Certainly it makes sense that if a personal always has bad luck, his or her outlook on the way of the universe may become jaded but I don't think that this has to be because the character is evil or sinister. The character could be tired and worn-down by bad luck, always expecting the worst.

Actually, I rarely give experinece points so it turns out that my character's Stuff doesn't fluctuate much at all. If a player opts to be lucky or unlucky I tend to keep them that way. Advancement in powers and attributes tends to occur through game play and I keep notes but rarely ever actually "bank" many of the points in Stuff.

However, my players often notice small dips in luck after they gain something significant. What I do is give them temporary Bad Stuff which lasts for only a short while before they return to their usual level of Stuff based on the original character concept.

[RPGPundit]

Fin, how do you feel about the way the stuff system, if it fluctuates, causes a character to drift back and forth between a villainous and heroic outlook?

One of the very few major errors of the 1st edition, in my opinion, is the linking of "luck" (stuff) to "alignment".  Its one of the things I'd get rid of, probably the only thing I'd get rid of directly as a full-blown rules change.

There shouldn't be any alignments in Amber. Everyone is a self-interested bastard.

RPGPundit

[Otha]

::gobsmacked::

[SunBoy]

Yeah, right. Go say that to Gerry. .