Rules Overview

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I want you to buy the rulebook, but it occurs to me that some viewers might not be familiar with the way Amber Diceless Role Playing (ADRP) works and it would be good to have an overview of the rules.

I borrowed this from Wikipedia.



1. Attributes

Characters in Amber DRPG are represented by four attributes: Psyche, Strength, Endurance and Warfare.

• Psyche is used for feats of willpower or magic.

• Strength is used for feats of strength or unarmed combat.

• Endurance is used for feats of endurance.

• Warfare is used for armed combat, from duelling to commanding armies

The attributes run from -25 (normal human level), through -10 (normal level for a denizen of the Courts of Chaos) and 0 (normal level for an inhabitant of Amber), upwards without limit. Scores above 0 are "ranked", with the highest score being ranked 1st, the next-highest 2nd, and so on.

The character with 1st rank in each attribute is considered "superior" in that attribute, being considered to be substantially better than the character with 2nd rank even if the difference in scores is small.

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2. The Attribute Auction

A character's ability scores are purchased during character creation in an auction; players get 100 character points, and bid on each attribute in turn.

Unlike conventional auctions, bids are non-refundable; if one player bids 65 for psyche and another wins with a bid of 66, then the character with 66 is "superior" to the character with 65 even though there is only one bid difference.

After the auction, players can secretly pay extra points to raise their ranks, but they can only pay to raise their scores to an existing rank. Further, a character with a bid-for rank is considered to have a slight advantage over character with a bought-up rank.

The Auction simulates a 'history' of competition between the descendants of Oberon for Player Characters who have not had dozens of decades to get to know each other. Through the competitive Auction, characters may begin the game vying for standings.

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2.5 Psyche in ADRP compared to the Chronicles

Characters with high psyche are presented as having strong telepathic abilities, being able to hypnotise and even mentally dominate any character with lesser psyche with whom they can make eye-contact.

This is likely due to three scenes in the Chronicles: first, when Eric paralyzes Corwin with an attack across the Trumps and refuses to desist because one or the other would be dominated; second, when Corwin faces the demon Strygwalldir, it is able to wrestle mentally with him when their gazes meet; and third, when Fiona is able to keep Brand immobile in the final battle at the Courts of Chaos.

However, in general, the books only feature mental battles when there is some reason for mind-to-mind contact (for example, Trump contact) and magic or Trump is involved in all three of the above conflicts, so it is not clear whether Zelazny intended his characters to have such a power; the combination of Brand's "living trump" powers and his high Psyche (as presented in the roleplaying game) would have guaranteed him victory over Corwin. Shadow Knight does address this inconsistency somewhat, by presenting the "living trump" abilities as somewhat limited.

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3. Powers

Characters in ADRP have access to the powers seen in the Chronicles of Amber: Pattern, Logrus, Shape-shifting, Trump Artistry, and magic.

A character who has walked the pattern can walk in shadow to any possible universe, and while there can manipulate probability.

A character who has mastered the Logrus can send out Logrus tendrils and pull themself or objects through shadow.

Shape-shifters can alter their physical form.

Trump Artists can create Trumps, a sort of tarot card which allows mental communication and travel.

Three types of magic are detailed: Power Words, with a quick, small effect; Sorcery, with pre-prepared spells as in many other game systems; and Conjuration, the creation of small objects.

Each of the first three powers is available in an advanced form.

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4. Artifacts, Personal shadows and Constructs

While a character with Pattern, Logrus or Conjuration can acquire virtually any object, players can choose to spend character points to obtain objects with particular virtues - unbreakability, or a mind of their own. Since they have paid points for the items, they are a part of the character's legend, and cannot lightly be destroyed.

Similarly, a character can find any possible universe, but they can spend character points to know of or inhabit shadows which are (in some sense) "real" and therefore useful.

The expansion, Shadow Knight, adds Constructs - artifacts with connections to shadows.

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5. Stuff

Unspent character points become good stuff -- a good luck for the character. Players are also allowed to overspend (in moderation), with the points becoming bad stuff -- bad luck which the Gamemaster should inflict on the character.

As well as representing luck, stuff can be seen as representing a character's outlook on the universe: characters with good stuff seeing the multiverse as a cheerful place, while characters with bad stuff see it as hostile.

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6. Conflict resolution

In any given fair conflict between two characters, the character with the higher score in the relevant attribute will eventually win.

The key words here are fair and eventually - if characters' ranks are close, and the weaker character has obtained some advantage, then the weaker character can escape defeat or perhaps prevail. Close ranks result in longer contests while greater difference between ranks result in fast resolution.

Alternatively, if characters' attribute ranks are close, the weaker character can try to change the relevant attribute by changing the nature of the conflict.

For example, if two characters are wrestling the relevant attribute is Strength; a character could reveal a weapon, changing it to Warfare; they could try to overcome the other character's mind using a power, changing it to Psyche; or they could concentrate their strength on defense, changing it to Endurance.

If there is a substantial difference between characters' ranks, the conflict is generally over before the weaker character can react.

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7. The 'Golden Rule'

ADRP advises Game Masters to change rules as they see fit --even to the point of adding or removing powers or attributes.