Why is basic Pattern worth 50 points?

[SunBoy]

Meh... L06Rv5 p\/\/!\!z p4773r!\! 4!\!y !)4y.



Ok, so I'm bored and stupid. Sue me.

[moritheil]

Pattern is very much worth 50 points if used properly. it can do the same work of conjuring, to find an item rather than crafting it slowly in one place. It can travel shadow either at hellride speeds, or slowly leading entire armies through. It is an absolute defense against magic, trump, and logrus. It can find a shadow of desire that will stay that way, unlike logrus that changes a shadow but the changes degrade. it can change things of shadow such as whats in your pocket, or the car you drive, even how the dice will land. but perhaps most importantly, it allows for the incredible power of the Blood Curse. A power that makes killing a prince of Amber slowly a VERY dangerous thing to do. even a quicker kill may backfire if you leave them enough breath to voice a dying curse.

Right.  It's my understanding that the cost of attuning to the Pattern is a bargain compared to what it would cost to get those abilities piecemeal.

As a thought exercise, consider the costs of approximately duplicating what you can do with Pattern by instead using artifacts and other abilities.  

Lineage 6 - mentioned above in this thread
Confer shadow seeking 14 - hellriding
Confer shadow reality 14 - obtaining shadows with conditions you want
Conjuring 20 - obtaining magical artifacts (items with point values), creatures such as Morganstern, etc.

We're already at 54 points, and we still haven't managed to duplicate all the abilities of the Pattern Imprint.  I'd say the defensive properties are worth another 14 points (which would be the cost of an artifact conferring Psychic Barrier, though that is a little different.)

[RPGPundit]

Hmm, yes, looking at it as a "Package deal" like that is not bad.

RPGPundit

[SunBoy]

And yet, I think the number one advantage is the right to say, here I am, a true prince of Amber by right of blood and deed, I am a true member of the ruling cast of the Universe. And about the actual powers, is not what you can do, but the fact that the whole of creation is open to you, again, by right of blood. I find those subjective points far more interesting.

[boulet]

I'm with Sunboy. To me the membership to the private club is more important than the details of implementation.