[AmberZine] When Good Stuff Happens to Bad People

[finarvyn]

Sir Brad makes a good point. Stuff can be interpreted as good guy versus bad guy, but it doesn't have to be so simple. As with most things in ADRP, the character concept may trump a base rules interpretation.

In literature there are many good guys who constantly have bad things happen to them. There's a certain style of doom and gloom that goes with this, but in the right hands it can play out just fine.

[sir brad]

John and Ash strike me as characters who's players over bought and had to take a bit of Bad Stuff to balance the books and need to buy off the bad stuff with XP.

their GM's used Bad Stuff to push the stories and since they weren't dragged down the dark path, unlike say the Watchman's "The Comedian" (a morally ambiguous character with Bad Stuff) or "Ozymandias" (misguided fallen hero whos delusions drew him to Villainy, but with Good Stuff).

[Eclectic-wave]

The "good/bad/zero" tags on stuff have nothing to do with the characters actions, personality, and character concept. All that comes from the player.

Stuff describes how the universe in general reacts to them, which has nothing to do with the character concept. If you are looking at 'stuff' as some sort of character trait, then all the Amberites should have negative stuff, because really they all are A-holes to some degree.

The only way to ignore good/neutral/bad stuff would be to disallow negative stuff at all. Otherwise players can take as much negative stuff as they want with no penalty.

[Artifacts of Amber]

No not the only way.

I use good and bad stuff as selling away part of the characters background.

I put bad things in for bad stuff like being a child of Amber incest between elders which if found out is death to them. (Ancient Oberon rule still on the books)

Or their teacher and mentor is lying to them about something important.

I use it as a player chosen more than normal screw you.

Good stuff works opposite. I might give them an ally they don't know about or some bit of plot shifting info.


Nice thing is I don't feel a need to spend them until I know what serves as the best hook.  So if you have a lot them I can spend them one at a time for extra plot complications or help during the game.


That's a viable alternative to me Or at least it works for me.

Also the players never know if and when the shoe will drop on Bad stuff so they are very wary of taking it.

only hard part is keeping it personal with the people being screwed are only the ones who took it and not screw over the group.