I'd like to see some of the artifact and creature writeups that have been in the other GMs games. Just for the heck of it. I was just thinking it might be entertaining, taking them out of the context of their games, and looking them over.
Black Horses of Lady - 39 points
2-vitality, movement,endurance,warfare, Rapid Heal
1-Combat Trained, intelligence, armor
x3 horde
30 pts Vek-Horse of Vance
4 -Amber Vitality, Endless Stamina, Engine Speed, Invunerable Armor, Rack & Use Spells
2 -Speak & Sing, Shadow Path, Rapid Heal, N&N Forms.
1 -Combat Trained, Extra Hard
8 pts Hernk-Horse of Delwin.
4 Deadly Damage
2 N&N Forms: Horse, (3) Sparrow, (2)Dragon,
1 Animal Vitality, Mobility
Symbiotic Body Sheath Armor-22
4-Seek in Shadow, Limited Shapeshift, Regen, Invulnerable Armor.
2-Speak & Sing, Psyche Neutral,
1-Psyche Ability, Mobility.
45 Point Grouped Circus Animals-Lions, Tigers, Bears, Puma, Jaguars, dogs, Elephants, cats, etc.
2-Chaos Vitality, Amber Stamina, Double movement, Immune to Guns, Combat Reflexes, Double Damage, Rapid Heal
1-Combat Trained.
X3 Horde
Nogril, Dwarven Ring of Power
2 pt Able to speak and sing, Rack 12 named spells:
4 pt Extraordinary Psyche
1 pt Mold Shadow Stuff:
I'll have to diog through my stuff to find one but since I have rewritten the artifact system into something more useful to me I am not sure how useful it would be to others.
I had to rewrite the system while running Artifacts in Amber at Ambercon since granting advancement would have meant some broke ass characters and also limiting people when the maxed out an ability.
I have played a Character that had nopattern but like 56 points in a dragon that was his means of getting about. they were almost equals in a lot of ways and the dragon was never treated as a pet or object :)
benedict's Rings of Compulsion: 102 for the rings, 20 for the control ring.
Chaos Vitality-2, trans-5
Double Speed-2, trans-5
Psyche res( Compulsion/control)-2, trans-5
Regeneration-4, trans-10
*3 horde
34*3=102
Benedict's Command Ring
Shadow Manipulation Mold Folk-2, trans 10
Seek Benedict 4
Psyche Barrier-4
20 pips
Theses were used in my later game as a tool for training Benedict's troops. He occasionally let players send their followers through the training sessions.
Under Benedict, or one of his drill instructors, a person engaged in an intensive course of physical training, martial arts, running, and other activities. The wearer of the command ring set the pace and the compulsion rings made the wearer act in concert, like martinets or a synchronized dance group. The regeneration rebuilt muscles torn down by the punishing routines. Daily Marathons runs , hours of calisthenics, weapons katas.
After the course the followers would advance to chaos rank in Endurance and warfare (combat forms).
Once upon a time I played a Trump Artist with Advanced Trump Artistry, Sorcery and Conjuration. He created the following items:
ARTIFACTS OF POWERTrump Database [5 points] - This deck serves as the "database" for the Master Trump (see below), stowed in a safe and secure place in the Trump Artist's manorhouse in Amber.
- Trump Deck [2 points]
- Psychic Sensitivity [1 point] - to be receptive to the Master Trump's contact.
- Psychic Neutral [2 points] - to help keep its presence hidden.
The Master Trump [16 points] - This is the remote link to the Trump Database. This card is able to display any Trump in the deck that the Trump Artist wishes and then use it as if it were the actual Trump. Multiple Trumps can be displayed at once (allowing for "conference calls" or spying on multiple trump contacts). If someone other than the Trump Artist attempts to use the Master Trump without consent they will activate the Trump Trap which will display any image they wish, but will open a connection to The Tower (see below) instead.
- Augmented Trump Power [8 points]
- Able to Speak & Sing [2 points] - enough intelligence to follow commands.
- Extraordinary Psychic Sense [4 points] - allows this card to contact the Trump Database from anywhere in Shadow.
- Psychic Neutral [2 points] - to help mask the remote link Trump transmissions to the Trump Database.
PERSONAL SHADOWSThe Tower [6 points] - This is not a shadow, but a pocket world within a Trump. It is made up of Trump-reality, therefore Pattern and Logrus are ineffective here. The only way into this land is through the Trump of
The Tower in the Trump Database deck. It has been barred from all outgoing Trump calls except via
The Fool which leads to the Steps of Kolvir.
- Trump Plane [4 points]
- Restricted Access [2 points]
Axiom
The Blade of Truth
Pattern Blade
Destructive Damage (8)
Physic sensitivity to sorcery (1)
Dissipate Hung Spells (4)
Cost 13 points
The sword was designed to purge Amber of the Chaos taint of Sorcery by a particularly zealous PC.
Moeibus
Hugo's Blade
Deadly Damage (4)
Able to Mould Shadow reality (4)
Speak and Sing (2)
Amber ranked Combat (4)
Cost 14 points
Moeibus helped Hugo win at combat by cheating
The Blade manipulates the shadow where combat is occuring to give Hug an edge
A carpet will ruck up, a trapdoor just behind the opponent will open, a vase will just topple of a shelf.
It does all this using Amber ranked combat so it knwo what will help and it works ont eh shadow as Hugo fights.
Cornelius's Deck of Many things
rack spell 1
Horde (x3)
A deck of cards each one imbued with a spell. Cornelius draws a card and tears it to activate the spell.
School Rings of Fantalin
Follow Shadow trail-1, trans 10
Rapid Heal 2, trans 10
*4 Shadow wide 92 pips
These were a class project at the University of Fantalin, sponsored by the House of Amber. Students of Magic worked collectively to create the rings. Graduates of the program received a box of 5 of them.
They could give them to friends, followers, squires, etc. The holder could shadow walk to the University of Fantalin. It also helped them survive sicknesses, little injuries, and other vicissitudes they might endure on the trail.
Quote from: jibbajibba;638237Cornelius's Deck of Many things
rack spell 1
Horde (x3)
A deck of cards each one imbued with a spell. Cornelius draws a card and tears it to activate the spell.
I like that. I can see that being incredibly useful.
Quote from: Tolknor;638351I like that. I can see that being incredibly useful.
Ridiculously useful...little bastard :)
If you are going to let a very bright Maths whiz be in one of your games then when he says he had a month off before he starts his new job read through his 6 page character sheet very very carefully :D
some lower power stuff
Dale's Lens - 6 points
Pychic (2)
Powered by Pattern (4)
The lens acts like a modified pattern lens. It will reveal, hidden and invisible creatures, shapeshifters, glyphs and wards, hung spells and enchantments
The Nines -Dale's agents in shadow always 9 of them - 8 points
High Espionage Skills (1)
Combat (1)
Golden Circle Wide (x4)
Something ridiculous
Maelstrom - 120 points
The primal energy that causes shadow storms
Destructive to Elements of Pattern (16)
Psychic Contol (4)
Ubiquitous in shdow (x6)
This was the first cut I made it into a Power in the end and there was a construct called the Matrix (this was in '94/5 :) ) made from Trump that could control it to a degree.
Effectively the Matrix enables you ro construct a mental cage of trump around the tiny spark of Maelstrom that exists in all shadows and expand it to allow the Maelstrom to grow and destroy the entire shadow.
Awesome thread. I wish I had a current campaign going, or notes from older ones, to be able to share...
Quote from: RPGPundit;639262Awesome thread. I wish I had a current campaign going, or notes from older ones, to be able to share...
oh come now, i'm sure you could whip something up!
I'd be curious about artifacts and creatures in the other diceless games too!
Hamsters of Alhuus-Caine's informers.
Vitality-chaos 2
movement-double 2
amber stamina-2
Intel tongues-4
psyche danger sense-2
psyche res-1 (they are often ignored in their passage)
seek in shadow-4
mold shadow stuff-1
self-healing-1
n&N shapes 2 (tiny mice, hamster, tough gutter rat, 3 differant cat forms, 3 differant bird forms )
n&n spells 2 (5 spells)
(*3 horde)
These are Caine's spys. Jeweled Amber game.
Seen around the castle for centuries and almost always ignored. They were the birds on the sill, the cat on the pillow, the rat on the stair and mouse in the kitchen. Creatures sometimes loved by members of the castle and city. Feral cats that showed up at the doorstep wet and bedraggled and were adopted by young daughters of powerful people.
They bring all the tidbits to Caine. In the past it was to give him an edge. Now, under Random, in his role as Spymaster of Amber, these creatures no longer are just found in Amber. They have found there way to many locals and in many forms, they supply the Spymaster with information.
Quote from: Tolknor;639347oh come now, i'm sure you could whip something up!
I'd be curious about artifacts and creatures in the other diceless games too!
This is one of the big rules changes in LoO. The item-creation rules have actually been simplified, and split into two types: Daemons and Olympian Artificing.
It was my feeling that Amber campaigns often got too heavy with people trying to manipulate the point-buy system of item/creature creation in order to get away with abuses.
Hence RPGPundit I had to rewrite the system for Artifacts in Amber at Ambercon. It broke way to fast.
I still use the same scale and point cost just clearly define what that means and what you get for free.
So Items are cool things to have but not a real powerhouse unless they are high point items like Morgenstern!. If he cost the same as pattern then he should be as useful and powerful in my games.
but 9 points in an item doesn't make it awesome except at maybe one thing.
Quote from: RPGPundit;640754This is one of the big rules changes in LoO. The item-creation rules have actually been simplified, and split into two types: Daemons and Olympian Artificing.
It was my feeling that Amber campaigns often got too heavy with people trying to manipulate the point-buy system of item/creature creation in order to get away with abuses.
Sure, i can see it. And i had some very eager rules-lawyers trying to get away with whatever they could. My response to extreme cleverness that fell within the scope of the rules but might be unbalancing was to give a little spin.
Since we had to agree on how an item was created, trained, developed, or discovered it had to fit into the RP side of the game as well as the point system side.
If i thought a player was trying to be too clever, outside the scope of his character's experience or abilities, i gave the item its own point or two of bad stuff, making the items temperamental. Its something players learned to deal with without knowing specifically that there items were tainted.
In the same sense if a player made an item that was simple, reasonable in the character's history, and elegant, i might give it a point or two of good stuff.
In the end, few items became overpowering. Highpoint items often ended up passing between characters and NPCs. PCs learned to rely on few items.
Hmm. I'd have players complain bitterly about that kind of thing, as you're giving them bad stuff when they took none for the item (or worse, already did and the bad stuff is in their characters, so its like being double-charged).
RPGPundit
Amber items shoudl be aretypal and part of the core definition of the character. the key is points are comparative. a 40 point item should be tougher than 25 points spent on powerwords for example.
the complex stuff somes with what you get for free.
So if I take a normal mundane item, a chieftan tank, give it shape shift 1 (alterate form - dragon)
I now have a thing with engine speed, armour, deadly damage and a host of other stuff and I only paid 1 point for it.
That is difficult.
Its like if I want an army of basalisks. Base creature basalisk x 3 horde.... in theory you could argue its free.
I have a rule and it's that the base object has at best Human rank. So in the tank example I woudl say it can become a dragon shaped tank but it doesn;t get intelligence etc and you can't start from a dragon as a base object. You have to build the whole thing.
In my games items tend to cost more therefore but they are worth it and players can live with that.
Quote from: RPGPundit;642508Hmm. I'd have players complain bitterly about that kind of thing, as you're giving them bad stuff when they took none for the item (or worse, already did and the bad stuff is in their characters, so its like being double-charged).
RPGPundit
Perhaps calling the spin on an item
bad stuff is not quite the right explanation. (Game term with its own meaning) More along the line of how an item works or behaves. The ones that come to mind were pattern blades of various kinds and a couple horde creatures.
SO these items sometimes were not as obedient or docile as the players would have liked. Some of the creatures began to take on lives of their own and might see advantages in their own best interests rather then the players interest. Perhaps they would interpret an order given them in a manner the players didn't specifically want. This lead to one dragon doctor getting eaten by its injured charge, and several Black Horses running off to be with other riders.
Instead of typing out an over long message I will attempt to attach a PDF of my conjuration rules which cover what you get for free and why.
It also has the cost of items and what exactly that gives you as well.
IF your interested that is :)
This is the system I used for the Artifacts in amber game though they also could by shadows and some other things since they were characters as well as items :)
Quote from: jibbajibba;642525the complex stuff somes with what you get for free.
So if I take a normal mundane item, a chieftan tank, give it shape shift 1 (alterate form - dragon)
I now have a thing with engine speed, armour, deadly damage and a host of other stuff and I only paid 1 point for it.
That is difficult.
Its like if I want an army of basalisks. Base creature basalisk x 3 horde.... in theory you could argue its free.
I have a rule and it's that the base object has at best Human rank. So in the tank example I woudl say it can become a dragon shaped tank but it doesn;t get intelligence etc and you can't start from a dragon as a base object. You have to build the whole thing.
In my games items tend to cost more therefore but they are worth it and players can live with that.
Yeah, this is problematic.
I did a similar, yet different thing. For exemple, a tank changed into a dragon would still retain the intelligence of a tank. That is, you'd have the body of a dragon, with the rigidity of a tank (that is, a flesh statue).
More importantly, abilities don't translate over forms, so it would be made of flesh, without the tank's durability.
Yet, what if someone wanted an intelligent tank, with a few stats so that it could move by itself (instead of just being an intelligent pile of metal in bad need of a driver)? That's the tricky part, and I never encountered it.
What I probably would have done:
- Armor: Free
- Speed of movement: Free... But subject to local shadow laws. Else, you must pay.
- Explosive shells: Free, but subject to local shadow laws.
to get back to the items. More write ups!
Here is one that terrified my players.
Flippin Dice-75 pips
Hunt in Shadow-8 (a fast version of seek in shadow, but could redirect when the target moved)
Engine Speed-4
Invulnerable-4
Regenerate-4 (Reassemble)
Rack spell-1 (Know Victim)
trump-4 (Could trump away from nearly any form of binding, or prison to their starting point)
Horde*3
This item was a singe die the size of a casino die, 1 inch square. Once set on a target it flipped from side to side in the direction of the target, following them through shadow, coming on them at odd times, flipping mercilessly toward them.
In game play these freaked the players out. They did nothing spectacular except flip side to side toward their target. Players figured out who the target was and did all kinds of things to prevent the dice from reaching their targets. In game play none of the dice ever reached their victim. I had this trap in 3 decades of game campaigns of one kind or another and no player ever just went and picked them up. The joke was that if they had nothing would have happened. They would have had a die they could sic on one of their enemies. My players were always too worried about what they might do, to find out what they did do.
I ran it in many games by having the one red casino die in my dice bag on the table. I would flip it casually, while talking about something else. The players who had dice tracking them would get all nervous...
Quote from: Tolknor;642929I ran it in many games by having the one red casino die in my dice bag on the table. I would flip it casually, while talking about something else. The players who had dice tracking them would get all nervous...
ALWAYS play with their minds!
Quote from: Sydius Mendoza;642935ALWAYS play with their minds!
Of course! Whats the point of doing all the work of putting together a great game for the players to really think about as well as get a few fights in if I, as the GM, don't get to enjoy the look of worried anticipation on their faces!
Oh, I do it for the onion dip, Porter beer, and the cheap whiskey too of course.
Quote from: Tolknor;642952Oh, I do it for the onion dip, Porter beer, and the cheap whiskey too of course.
Naturally ;)
Quote from: Tolknor;642547Perhaps calling the spin on an item bad stuff is not quite the right explanation. (Game term with its own meaning) More along the line of how an item works or behaves. The ones that come to mind were pattern blades of various kinds and a couple horde creatures.
SO these items sometimes were not as obedient or docile as the players would have liked. Some of the creatures began to take on lives of their own and might see advantages in their own best interests rather then the players interest. Perhaps they would interpret an order given them in a manner the players didn't specifically want. This lead to one dragon doctor getting eaten by its injured charge, and several Black Horses running off to be with other riders.
That's a bit better than what I was inferring from the use of the term 'bad stuff', but there's still a problematic side to it if you're doing that with items that really have no cause to start behaving that way.
what I mean is that its perfectly valid for an item, construct, or creature with intelligence to start acting independent from its owner, and to extrapolate from this to say that the more powerful an item is, the more likely it is to act more independently. But if a player is careful not to give his item intelligence of any sort, it would seem like an act of GM fiat to just have the item start being rebellious when there's no more reason why it should do so than for an ordinary sword or steam-engine or whatever to do so.
RPGPundit
Quote from: Tolknor;642929to get back to the items. More write ups!
Here is one that terrified my players.
Flippin Dice-75 pips
Hunt in Shadow-8 (a fast version of seek in shadow, but could redirect when the target moved)
Engine Speed-4
Invulnerable-4
Regenerate-4 (Reassemble)
Rack spell-1 (Know Victim)
trump-4 (Could trump away from nearly any form of binding, or prison to their starting point)
Horde*3
This item was a singe die the size of a casino die, 1 inch square. Once set on a target it flipped from side to side in the direction of the target, following them through shadow, coming on them at odd times, flipping mercilessly toward them.
In game play these freaked the players out. They did nothing spectacular except flip side to side toward their target. Players figured out who the target was and did all kinds of things to prevent the dice from reaching their targets. In game play none of the dice ever reached their victim. I had this trap in 3 decades of game campaigns of one kind or another and no player ever just went and picked them up. The joke was that if they had nothing would have happened. They would have had a die they could sic on one of their enemies. My players were always too worried about what they might do, to find out what they did do.
I ran it in many games by having the one red casino die in my dice bag on the table. I would flip it casually, while talking about something else. The players who had dice tracking them would get all nervous...
I can't belive you broke the only Hard rule of ADRPG, there are no DICE.... rookie error :D
Quote from: jibbajibba;644671I can't believe you broke the only Hard rule of ADRPG, there are no DICE.... rookie error :D
Hernk!
Ya we made that joke a lot too. I fiddled with a die whenever i was running a game.
/Agree with Pundit about items and "bad stuff". I'd have hated this if, as a player, going the "safe" road would still give me problems.
A simple one:
Flaming Sword: Double Damage (2), Mold Shadow stuff (1): Unless in Amber and similar "hard places", this sword could inflame itself, which had all kind of obvious uses.
Quote from: Croaker;645162A simple one:
Flaming Sword: Double Damage (2), Mold Shadow stuff (1): Unless in Amber and similar "hard places", this sword could inflame itself, which had all kind of obvious uses.
I had a character with a flaming sword, too, but I built it with "Alternate Form (1 point)" instead of "Mold Shadow Stuff (1)."
Quote from: Bird_of_Ill_Omen;645265I had a character with a flaming sword, too, but I built it with "Alternate Form (1 point)" instead of "Mold Shadow Stuff (1)."
I guess the main difference is that one would be more likely to work in Amber; and also that the former would be literally a sword of fire, while the other would be a sword on fire..?
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPundit;646885the former would be literally a sword of fire, while the other would be a sword on fire..?
Yes, that's exactly how I envisionned the difference. Note that both have their advantages and problems, which is great IMO: The firesword can't be parried, but you can't parry with it, for instance :)
As per working in Amber, I've never been a great fan of alternate "superpowered" forms working perfectly there.
These are already quite powerful compared to both Shapeshift and to higher levels of alternate forms (who don't allow them), but being able, for 1 point, to turn invisible and intangible in Amber is a little too cheap for my tastes.
I usually run items in amber as if you haven't invested points into it the pattern tries to make things the way it is intended. I do have a conjurer in my game now and he is getting use to that idea as he is investing points in a companion (Big Dog) and slowly sees the effect of his points making him more real and less likely to revertto his norm. He did dtart with one of the castle gurad dogs from amber so it won't revert to nothingness which if he had brought it from shadow is possible. Can't wait til he takes him to Chaos though :)
An invisible sword or other weird slightly cheaty things I allow in amber if the Player paid for it and it is useful, They padi the points, but not a game breaker. They aren't the first to do it and eventually those sort of work arounds they relaize are, at best, considered juvenile by the Elder's and the youngers will learn quick. I equate points to points so if you have a magic sword it just adds to your fighting its value, and maybe a little more, since that is what it is designed for but if someone is significantly better they know how to deal with those sort of "cheats" or cheap attacks.
Attempts at system abuse are player not system issues so I deal with it at that level. Otherwise being inventive and cool may work once but eventually people learn to expect new toys from that sort of person.
Dragonhide Straps
Several types of straps were created. Each skinned from a different form of dragon from a specific shadow. The straps were 2' long, 1/4" wide, and thin as a sheet of paper. They would be elaborately braided to add the effect of the strap. The skin needed to be removed from a living dragon with its permission for the magic to transfer. The points spent to acquire the item represent the effort taken to create the strap.
Dragons of Ushana
Amber Vitality, Amber Stamina, Invulnerable Armor, Deadly Damage, Speak & Sing, Extraordinary Psyche, Psyche Barrier, Alt Form (Water/Air) Shadowwide*4
9 pips- Amber Vitality 4 pips, Transferal 5 pips.
9 pips- Amber Stamina 4 pips, Transferal 5 pips.
9 pips- Deadly Damage 4 pip, Transferal 5 pips.
9 pips- Invulnerable Armor 4 pip, Transferal 5 pips.
9 pips- Extraordinary psyche 4 pips, Transferal 5 pips.
9 pips- Psyche Barrier 4 pips, Transferal 5 pips.
11 Pips- Alt Form (Water/Air) 1 pip, Transferal 10 pips.
In play the Vitality, Stamina, Armor, Psyche, Barrier, & alt forms straps worked for living creatures, as colors or bracelets. Deadly Damage straps affixed to weapons.
Flip Trip Cards. 15 pips.
Each card can be used to send someone to the card's location against their will. A person with rudimentary psyche defenses can easily defend against the card's effect. These were usually used on injured people, riding animals, and prisoners. They were used on surprised individuals or from behind but the person usually had a chance to raise defenses if they had them somewhat prepared.
Trump Powered 4 Pips
Rack a Spell 1 pip - Instantaneous effect.
Horde *3
Each Deck is 25 cards. The cards in the deck are to one location per set. Usual locations are a place in shadow where skilled trauma specialists are waiting for incoming injuries. Amber stables. Amber Prison Cells. Once created the decks were often split up to give a variety of options to the people using them.
Quote from: Tolknor;651159Flip Trip Cards. 15 pips.
Each card can be used to send someone to the card's location against their will. A person with rudimentary psyche defenses can easily defend against the card's effect. These were usually used on injured people, riding animals, and prisoners. They were used on surprised individuals or from behind but the person usually had a chance to raise defenses if they had them somewhat prepared.
Trump Powered 4 Pips
Rack a Spell 1 pip - Instantaneous effect.
Horde *3
Each Deck is 25 cards. The cards in the deck are to one location per set. Usual locations are a place in shadow where skilled trauma specialists are waiting for incoming injuries. Amber stables. Amber Prison Cells. Once created the decks were often split up to give a variety of options to the people using them.
Clever!
Quote from: RPGPundit;653516Clever!
The Flip Trips had a lot of uses. Once they were used by a PC on a villain after another PC engaged him in a nearly equal Psyche battle, locking both their powers. The players were not amused that i made the card draw both combatants into the Medical bay at Vulsar Base and caused the transfer to drop them both at the feet of the waiting trauma specialists and to also break the psyche battle. The villain was able to lay waste to the hospital unit and its personnel before the PCs were able to wrestle it to the ground by brute force.
Just before i made the ruling on what the card would do i wrapped my arm around the onion dip and made sure i had a freshly opened Porter. I knew they might retaliate and strike at my vulnerabilities...