Forth the Nine Riders

Character Creation Page

• The Five Rules of Amber
• Character Creation
• Special Auctions
• Special Backgrounds and Training
• Notable Skills and Signatures
• Contribution Points
• Powers
• Allies
• Items
• Shadows
• Constructs
• Parentage
• Example Characters/Examples of Play
• Useful Links

The Five Rules of Amber:
 

1. If the GM tells you something is a bad idea, unless someone is controlling your mind to make you believe that, it usually is the GM's desperate effort to keep you away from suicide.
2. Rule #2 is knowing when to take the risk anyway.
3. Trust no one.
4. You have to trust some people, because going it alone is usually suicide.
5. If you're even slightly unsure about if you can do something or what's going on, ask me, as incorrect assumptions are a quick road to annihilation.

Character Creation

All players will recieve 75 character points which can be spent on anything you like, 50 points which can only be spent on packages or the Special Auctions, and a free Basic Package.   This link jumps to the Contribution rules, which can get you extra points.  You can sell down attributes, if you're feeling suicidal.

There is no attribute auction.  Just spend your 75 (+30) points however you want on attributes; many packages and auction items will then modify them..  Points from sold down attributes can be added to the 75 point pool or to the 50 point Auction Pool.

Basic Packages:

• Prince(ss) of Amber:
• 50 points of Pattern, Magic, Background packages, Occupational packages, or Special Training:  Amberite packages.
• Must take at least 25 points of Pattern
• Can take Special Training: Amberite Royal, Amberite Servant, Amberite Citizen and Cross-Primal packages at normal cost.  Pays normal cost + 1 for Special Training: Chaosian Noble or Chaosian Citizen
• Shapeshifting is not a common trait in Amber, and these package points cannot be spent on it.  You can, however, choose to buy the 'Non-Chaosian Shifter Heritage' Background package with these points, or spend 2 points on Blood of Chaos from these points, if you so desire.  You are free to buy as much Shapeshifting as you like from discretionary points.
• All Stats begin at Amber.
• Psyche cannot be sold down below Chaos, Endurance cannot be sold down below Amber (or you would have died on the Pattern).  Warfare and Strength may suck as much as you like.
• Child of a major Amberite Royal Servant
• You grew up around Castle Amber, with access to the Royal Family, but not quite a part of it, though you've had the chance to build ties with many of its members.
• Free Notable Skills:  Knowledge of Castle Amber and the City of Amber, 1 Notable Skill of your Choice
• 40 points to spend on either Magick, an Elemental Power, Broken Pattern or on Background or Occupational or Special Training:  Amberite and Cross-Primal Packages.  These points can also be spent on Trump, but remember that if you don't have Broken Pattern, Pattern, or Logrus, your trumps won't reach across shadow boundaries, and thus will be only slightly more useful than a bagel with 16 point Apocalyptic Tastiness.
• Shapeshifting is not a common trait in Amber, and these package points cannot be spent on it.  You can, however, choose to buy the 'Non-Chaosian Shifter Heritage' Background package with these points, or spend 2 points on Blood of Chaos from these points, if you so desire.  You are free to buy as much Shapeshifting as you like from discretionary points.
• Can take Special Training: Amberite Royal, Amberite Servant, Amberite Citizen and Cross-Primal packages at normal cost.  Pays normal cost +2 for Special Training: Chaosian Noble or Chaosian Citizen
• All Stats begin at Amber.  Sell down as much as you like.
• Denizen of Amber or Golden Circle
• 50 points to spend on either Magick, an Elemental Power, Broken Pattern or on Background or Occupational or Special Training:  Amberite Citizen Packages.  These points can also be spent on Trump, but remember that if you don't have Broken Pattern, Pattern, or Logrus, your trumps won't reach across shadow boundaries, and thus will be only slightly more useful than a bagel with 16 point Apocalyptic Tastiness.
• Can take 1 Special Training: Amberite Royal or Amberite Servant package at normal cost.  All beyond that cost double.  Cannot buy Special Training: Chaosian or Cross-Primal unless you come up with a really good explanation, and you pay double even then.
• Shapeshifting is not a common trait in Amber, and these package points cannot be spent on it.  You can, however, choose to buy the 'Non-Chaosian Shifter Heritage' Background package with these points, or spend 2 points on Blood of Chaos from these points, if you so desire.  You are free to buy as much Shapeshifting as you like from discretionary points.
• All Stats begin at Amber.  Sell down as much as you like.
• Denizen of Chaos or the Black Zone
• 50 points to spend on either Magick or Shapeshifting or on Background or Occupational or Special Training:  Chaosian Citizen Packages.  These points can also be spent on Trump, but remember that if you don't have Broken Pattern, Pattern, or Logrus, your trumps won't reach across shadow boundaries, and thus will be only slightly more useful than a bagel with 16 point Apocalyptic Tastiness.
• Can take 1 Special Training:  Chaosian Noble or or Cross-Primal package at normal cost.  All beyond that cost double.  Cannot buy Special Training: Amberite unless you come up with a really good explanation, and you pay double even then.
• All Stats begin at Chaos, but you get 40 points just to spend on Attributes.
• Lord or Lady of Chaos
• 50 points to distribute among Logrus, Shapeshifting, and Magick or Background packages, Occupational packages, or Special Training:  Chaosian packages
• Must take Basic Forms Shifting.
• Can take Special Training: Chaosian Noble or Chaosian Citizen or Cross-Primal packages at normal cost.  Pays normal cost + 1 for Special Training with Amberites
• All Stats begin at Amber.
• Sell down as much as you like.

Amber uses four basic attributes, which are discussed in detail on my Attributes Page.
Each attribute has two sub-attributes.  After the auction is over, you double your points you bid on the attribute and split them between the two sub-attributes.

The Attributes

• Endurance: This attribute determines how much damage you can take and how long you keep doing stuff before you pass out. In this version of Amber, either Saionji, Shinobu Major, or Ramon  is the Endurance grand master.
• Mental Endurance:  This measures how much of a mental beating you can take and how long you can keep using your brain before it gives out, and how fast you heal mental damage.  Shinobu Major likely beats Saionji and Ramon here.
• Physical Endurance:  This determines how long you can take a physical beating, how long you can keep using your body, and how fast you heal physical damage.  Saionji and Ramon's department.
• Psyche: This determines your force of will, charisma, and magical aptitude. Many powers' effectiveness is determined by your Psyche. Mikage and Fuyutsuki rule here.
• Psychic Finesse:  This measures your psychic agility and fine-control.  This is used to do things like juggle using the Logrus or do psychic surgery.  Mikage has Psychic Finesse out the wazoo.
• Psychic Strength:  This determines how much psychic whoopass you can unleash.  It is the raw power of your brain.  Fuyutsuki has goatloads of this.
• Strength: This combines your ability at unarmed combat and your physical strength. It also measures athletic prowness. And it measures your ability to do funky stuff like dance up a wall as you fight someone.  Ramon and Saionji are the experts here.
• Martial Arts:  This measures your ability to fight unarmed.  Saionji can probably outfight Ramon
• Physical Strength:  This is your pure physical power and your ability to take a punch and not notice (if you do notice, Endurance is at work).  It also measures a lot of your athletic ability.  You run faster, jump further, hammertoss your relatives further, dance up walls, etc.  Ramon is probably stronger than Saionji.
• Warfare: Fighting with weapons, games of strategy, leading and organizing armies. Drake or Utena  is the master.
• Tactics:  This measures your skill at leading armies and other situations of strategy and tactics.  This ranges from playing chess to economic warfare to spotting ambushes.  It also measures your reaction time.  Drake knows more about leading armies than you.  Trust me.
• Weapon Skills:  This determines how well you chop people into giblets with hand weapons or shoot them to death with ranged weapons.  Utena will whoop you.

• Human (-25)--The ability of a completely average real world human
• Chaos (-10)--The ability of exceptional real world humans, average Chaosians, and below average Amberites
• Amber (0)--The best real world human who ever was, an above average Chaosian, or an an average Amberite
• Ranked (1 or more points)--Better than any real human.  Entering levels of skill found only in anime, comics, books, and movies.

• Endurance:  13
• Psyche:        47
• Strength:     15
• Warfare:      30

• Endurance: 13.
• Mental Endurance:  16
• Physical Endurance:  10
• Roderick's body gets tired a little faster than his brain does.
• Psyche: 47
• Psychic Finesse:  60
• Psychic Strength:  34
• Roderick learned how to use finesse to overcome a lack of raw power from his father, Bleys. He is adept at the use of powers, but won't do so well in direct psychic combat.
• Strength: 15
• Martial Arts:  20
• Physical Strength:  10
• Roderick is no physical powerhouse, but he's trained in martial arts to help exploit the combat potential of his shapeshifting.  .
• Warfare: 30
• Tactics:  20
• Weapon Skills:  40
• The one time we see Bleys lead an army, he gets his ass kicked, but Bleys could fight his way up a staircase for over an hour by himself.  Like father, like son.

The Special Auctions:
Each of these gives some special benefit.  Not all of these auctions will actually be used for the Nextgen game.  I will trim down to about 2-3 auctions * number of players, once we get close in time to actually running it, based on feedback as to what auctions people actually WANT.

• Abyss Pirate:  You've served time on a ship belonging to an Abyss Pirate.  It's a good way to learn a lot about the Abyss without having to be a deranged freak (unless you WANT to be a deranged freak).  Minimum bid of 5.  The more you bid, the more this is worth.
• Apprenticed to Anno:  You served as an Apprentice Logrus Keeper under Anno.  This involved a lot of running about, trying to keep the Sign of the Logrus from causing trouble, in addition to more mundane duties like sweeping the entrance cave and keeping records of who has taken the Logrus.  At times, you also performed special missions in shadow.  It was exhausting work, but rewarding.  Some increased benefit for higher bids.  Minimum bid of 5 points.
• Apprenticed to Fuyutsuki:  Yes, you had the joy of spending some years as Fuyutsuki's apprentice.  And you survived with sanity probably intact.  Still, you learned quite a bit of use to go with your new nervous twitches and the odd reaction you get to cream cheese...the old man did help create the universe, after all.  Minimum bid of 5 points.    Fixed benefits.
• Chosen One:  You have a high and mighty destiny.  As is typical with such things, you get a lot of power at the price of having to follow your destiny or be smitten by the fates for abandoning it.  Minimum bid of 5.  The more points you put into it, the more it's worth.
• Destiny-Null:   You are a giant cosmic x-factor, whose actions were unforseen by the prophets and predictors.  You have absolutely no destiny at all, which means the burden is entirely on your shoulders to make anything at all of yourself.  But the universe won't lay any such burdens on you either.  In addition, it's hard to predict what you're going to do, even for those with high Psyche or Warfare.  Minimum bid of 5.  Fixed Benefits.
• Diplomatic Mission with Mikage:  Mikage had to try to resolve the Begman Succession Crisis.  And the winner of this auction helped him out. Minimum bid of 5. The more points invested in this, the more it will be worth.
• Drake and Sumire's Cyberpunk Adventure:  Two people can win this auction (two unit Vickery Auction).  Drake and Sumire want some help on a dangerous adventure into a high-tech shadow.  This is a great chance to train with a master of warfare, who is also a technological expert, or with his daughter the expert sorceress and swordswoman.  Minimum bid of 5.  The more points invested in this, the more it will be worth.
• Drink from Ymir's Well:  You've drunk from Ymir's Well, and get to ask the DM two in-character questions of your choice, to which you will get an answer from the well.  Depending on the question, the answer may require interpretation.
• Elder Lover:  One of the Elders is secretly your lover.  Which one it is will be worked out between the GM and the player.  If negotiations on this topic completely break down, you'll get the points back you spent on it.  This doesn't mean the Elder will always agree with you, etc, but you have a very, very powerful ally on your side.  Elder Lover also confers an amped-up version of the normal training package for said Elder.
• Fostered with Ishmael:  You were fostered at King Ishmael's Court.  This is  both a great honor and a great opportunity to make contacts and learn about rulership (and how to manipulate people).  Minimum bid of 10.    Fixed benefits.
• Forestal:  You are a Forestal, having trained with the reclusive, secretive priests of Yig.  You know many of Yig's Secrets and their lore, including power over Plants.  This provides Fixed Benefits
• Found Vulcan's Forge:  You found Vulcan's Forge.  This will let you craft an item of great power.  The more you pay, the better the item... This is a Dutch Auction starting at 50 points.
• Glory Road:  You have spent an obsessional amount of time on Glory Road, going from Battle to Battle, fighting and refighting every war you can imagine and some you can't.  This is a Japanese auction; all points bid are spent.  Losers of the auction recieve some benefit for their spent points.  The winner gets a special benefit as well (and some other benefits proportional to how much was spent).
• The Golden Ticket:  For whatever reason, some time ago, the management of Loompaland once again held a 'Golden Ticket' contest (probably to boost sales of their candy).  Whoever found a Golden Ticket in their candy wrapper got a free tour of Loompaland (specifically of the Wonka Chocolate Factory).  The winner of this auction is the lucky PC who found one of the seven tickets.  Mmmm, chocolatey goodness...
• The Gondola Games:  One of the Nine Free Cities of Chaos, Venetia, is a port city made up of many small islands with canals flowing between them.  Each year, the city of Venetia holds a great gondola race.  People can enter as individuals or as teams, and soup up their gondolas with as much magical, shapeshifting, and logrusy goodness as they want.  The winners get medals, fame, copious tre-stone, and a year's tuition at the College of Sea Magi in Venetia.  This is a Japanese auction, but points bid are only spent if you win.    Fixed benefits.
• The Great Hunt:  At the command of the Serpent, the Great Hunt was called some years ago.  The Serpent took on the form of the Hunted Serpent, and all and sundry gave chase, for whoever caught the Hunted Serpent would win much glory, and experience many interesting adventures along the way.  Those who have won the Great Hunt seem to become marked by destiny.   This is a Japanese style auction (all points bid are spent); losers do, however, gain some benefit for their spent points.
• High Priest of the Haradian Mysteries:  The Haradian Mysteries is a fairly secretive sect based in the plains of Harad, whose members undergo a series of initiations as they rise in wisdom and spiritual understanding.  The exact nature of these is unknown to those outside the cults, though the rumors range from ritual austerities to mad sexual orgies.  There's definitely an aspect of nature worship to the sect, that much is clear to outsiders. The winner of this auction is the High Priest of the sect, having passed the final initiation.  Minimum bid of 10.  Benefits rise with point expenditure.
• A Journey with Soujiro:  You encountered Soujiro, the legendary wandering Chaosian swordsman, in Shadow, and spent some time wandering Shadow with him, training and having adventures.  This provides more benefits the more you spent on it.
• King of Fighters Tournament:  Some years ago, the Lipunese government sponsored a martial arts tournament they called 'King of Fighters'.  Everyone who bids on this lot entered the tournament.  Everyone who bids recieves benefits proportional to what they spent on it.  Whoever bids the highest recieves an extra benefit as well.  If the person who wins the auction bid over 25 points, they will actually win the tournament and recieve another additional benefit as well.  This is a Japanese auction; all points bid are spent.
• King of Pain:  Simply put, you've had it rough.  Life has kicked you in the head and handed you your ass on a plate repeatedly.  Still, they say that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so you figure you must be getting pretty strong...  The more you spend, the more life has kicked you in the balls.
• Linked Destiny:  Two people, linked by fate.  Together, you are strong.  Seperately, you are weaker.  This is a Vickery 2-Unit Auction.  The two highest bidders will be the two people linked by fate.
• My Summer with Mutsumi:  Your parents handed you over to Mutsumi one summer to take care of while they were busy with other things.  For good or ill, you'll never forget that summer, no matter how hard you try.  Neither will the relative you accidentally trapped in the Partridge Family shadow...  Still you learned quite a bit about music and trump, and generally it doesn't cause too many nightmares.    Fixed benefits.
• Necronomicon:  The Patterns may be restored, the forces of the Outsiders largely locked out of reality, the Heralds dead, but you don't care.  Perhaps you just want it to say you have it, perhaps you think you can use the forbidden lore to advance your own needs.  Or perhaps you're a MAD RAVING LUNATIC WHO WANTS TO SEE REALITY BURN!  Or maybe you meant to check out the Metrotelenomicon and got the wrong book.  But whoever wins this gets the big book of Evil Outsidery Goodness for themselves.  This provides fixed benefits.
• Potato Handcrafted by Nanami: Sometimes, things just hit the fan, and you need something you can use as a weapon of last resort. Well, this is the potato of  last resort. It'll only work once, but whoever gets hit by it is going to be a very unhappy camper. (Nanami advises that this doesn't work very well on Advanced Shifters, but anyone else is in trouble...)
• Royal Bodyguard:  You've served as Queen Yuriko's bodyguard (and had special  training from Ramon to qualify for the job).  The more points invested in this, the more it will be worth.
• Secret Mission with Touga:  You've gone on a secret mission into shadow with Touga.  Only you, he, and the King and Queen know what really happened, or even that the mission happened at all.  Warning:  This will may make you some enemies as well as friends.  This is a blind bids auction.  Fixed benefits.
• Sexiest Man or Woman Alive:  You are, simply put, the Sexiest Man or Woman Alive, at least of your generation. If you want to Mack like a madman, this is the way to go.  Fixed benefits.
• Shopping Spree with Keiko:  You did Keiko a very large favor, so she took you on a cross-shadow shopping spree with Tylor footing the bill (Keiko wrote it off as work expenses.  This didn't exactly endear you to Yuriko when she saw the bill...)  The more points invested in this, the more it will be worth.
• A Stint on the Bebop:  You've done a turn on the Bebop, serving with some of the greatest Bounty Hunters in Shadow, enjoying their exciting, but penny-pinched Lifestyle.  The more you spend on this, the more it is worth. Minimum bid of 5
• Student of the Elder Gods:  You studied with the Elder Gods in Kadath, learning their secret lore.   Fixed benefits.
• Student of Suroth's Lore:  You have wandered shadow and searched out all you could of Suroth's lore, the deep mysteries of Shapeshifting.  The more you spend on this, the more it is worth. Minimum bid of 5
• Tylor's Favorite: The King of Amber likes you quite a bit.  This is useful both for getting stuff (like borrowing the JoJ 'just for a little while') and for avoiding being raked over the coals if you fail.  The more points invested in this, the more it will be worth.
• Unicorn's Pilgrimage:   Dedicating yourself to the study of the mysteries of  the Unicorn, you invested a large amount of time in visiting the five patterns and seeking to meet with the five avatars of the Unicorn.  This cannot be taken with Great Hunt.   Fixed benefits.
• Wasyuu's Experimental Subject:  You foolishly volunteered to help Wasyuu with an experiment.  It's given you some interesting new abilities, but they have some drawbacks too...  Only the victim of the experiment will find out what really happened.  Fixed Benefits.

Background Packages and Special Training:

Background Packages:
Background Packages cost 5 points each (With a few exceptions).  You have to commit to buying them before I'll reveal what exact benefits they confer.  It's perfectly acceptable to take a background like this for free as part of your character design; it simply won't convey the special benefits that point investment will get you.  Buying a Background Package does give you a reputation for having it.

Amber City Naval Academy: You attended the elite ACNA, which has been training elite naval officers for centuries.  This package costs 10 points, unlike normal ones, and requires you to buy at least one Occupational package related to military naval endeavours as well, since all graduates go into Amber's navy.

Chaos Foreign Service Brat:  You grew up being hauled all over creation on diplomatic missions.  You've seen just about everywhere in the Black Zone up close and personal and some strange places beyond it.

Far-Traveller:  You have travelled extensively in shadow.

Foreign Service Brat:  You grew up being hauled all over creation on diplomatic missions.  You've seen just about everywhere in the Golden Circle up close and personal and some strange places beyond it.

Great School of Magic:  You attended the Great School of Magic in Lemuria, in the Black Zone.  If one can avoid turning into a turnip, there are few better magical educations to be had.  This is a ten point package.

Grew Up or Spent Substantial Time in:

• A Fantasy Shadow:
• A High-Tech Shadow:
• Lucas
• Melnibone
• Mystara
• A Pulp Adventure Shadow:
• A Sentai Shadow
• Shadow Earth:

House Upbringing:  You were raised by one of the Houses of Chaos, and thus recieved some special education in their specialties.  Unless you have a really good backstory, you can only be raised by one house.

• House Aesir:  House Aesir are noted for perfecting their fighting skills in endless battles against the giants of Jotunheim.  And their drinking skills too.
• House Alars:  House Alars has long been noted for its skills of intrigue and their ability to winkle out people's secrets, as well as some skill at sorcery.
• House Danaani:  They are artists and creators, playwrights, singers, entertainers, and architects, making things of beauty.
• House Darios:  Possibly the best sailors in Chaos, they maintain an extensive trade network.
• House Formorian (House Firbolg):  They may be superfreaks, but they're experts at hunting and at knowing how to deal with pain and disabilities without them being overwhelmed.
• House Helgram:  They love the Serpent.  They'll teach you to love the Serpent.
• House Hendrake:  The greatest soldiers of Chaos.
• House Ivy (Minor, allied to Nurgal and Tremere):  They know more about plants and the element of wood than just about anyone.
• House Jesby:  Possibly the best sailors in Chaos, specializing in naval combat
• House Nurgal:  House Nurgal are noted sorcerors and work wonders with glass and farming in hostile terrain.
• House Olympus:  They seem like drunken, amorous louts because they are.  But for those who would rather be a lover than a fighter, this is the place to learn those arts.
• House Suroth :  They are reknowned as the greatest shifters in Chaos.
• House Tremere:  The best sorcerors and artificers of Chaos.  They make things which work.
• House Vanir:  Where Jesby does fleet battles, they are naval raiders and pirates and warriors of some skill.

Ohtori Academy Graduate: You have a degree from Ohtori Academy, a very fine finishing school.

Panopticon Graduate:  You attended Panopticon University and got a degree.

Streeling University Graduate:  You attended Streeling University in the Shadow of Trantor, where you received a fine education in everything important to life in High-Tech shadows.

Occupational Packages:
Each of these can be purchased multiple times if one so desires.
 

• Alchemist:  You've studied the ancient arts of alchemy.
• Amber/ Black Zone/Chaosian/Golden Circle Foreign Service:  You've spent time working for the diplomatic service of some side of reality.
• Amber/ Black Zone/Chaosian/Golden Circle Governmental Service:  You've served in some branch of government around one of the poles of reality.
• Amber/ Black Zone/Chaosian/Golden Circle Merchant Marine:  You've served in the sea-going trade around one of the poles of reality.  A sailing we will go!
• Amber Drifter:  You spent a lot of time lying around down by the docks... always meaning to shift into shadow but never quite getting up the gumption... but you know some really good stories told by the fire
• Arden Ranger:  You have spent time serving as one of the Rangers of Arden
• Artistic Training:  You have studied some art with a great master in shadow or at one of the poles of reality.  Each time you buy this represents training in a different art form.
• Assassin:  For a time, you served as a contract killer.  A lot of people don't like you now, but you learned quite a bit.
• Bandit:  You've spent time robbing people in the woods. Perhaps you robbed the rich and gave to the poor.  Or perhaps you robbed everyone and gave to yourself.
• Bard:  You've spent time as a bard.  The more times you buy this, the more time you've spent.
• Black Watch:  You've served in the Black Watch, who guard the Black House and the King of Chaos
• CAFAM Employee:  You worked for CAFAM for a while.
• Castle Guard of Amber:  You've served in the Guards of Castle Amber
• College Education:  You've attended some college around Amber or Chaos or out in Shadow.  Taken once is a Bachelors.  Twice is a Masters.  Thrice is a Ph.D.  Four times or more, and you probably became a professor yourself by the end of it.
• Con Man:  You made a living for a time by tricking people.  Hope they don't ever catch you...
• Courtier:  You have spent time at a court, where you have polished your social graces, attended many parties, gambled a lot, and generally been a fun fellow to hang around, while being a total social parasite with no useful purpose.  And you made people like it that way.  Also a great way to make social contacts
• Courtly Lover:  You have spent time wooing a lady (or maybe many ladies if you bought this more than once) in the style of medieval romances.  This means you spent a lot of time grovelling, writing poetry, and doing heroic deeds just to try to get her to look at you.  And she was probably married, which means you may well have irritated a few people, whether or not you succeeded.  But hey, love is worth any price, right?
• Craftsman's Training:  This can be taken multiple times, reflecting study of different crafts and/or increasing mastery in a single craft (Up to 3 times per craft)
• Delta Green Operative:  You've spent time working for the group known as Delta Green, who hunt down Outsider Cultists and other threats to reality.
• Doctor/Medic:  You've spent time training in the art of scientific medicine and practicing it.
• Dworkinland Employee:  You worked for Dworkinland for a while.
• Fencing Training:  This reflects intense training in weapons with some shadow or non-royal teacher.  You can take it many times with a single weapon to perfect it, or train with many different weapons.
• Fugitive:  You've spent a lot of time on the run from the law.  Perhaps one shadow you couldn't leave, or cross shadow running from an organization from Amber or Chaos.  Either way you're familiar with the ins and outs of being hounded constantly and forced to keep moving.
• General:  Perhaps in Shadow, perhaps in Amber or Chaos, you've spent time leading armies in some capacity, whether as just a low-ranking officer, or as military leader of an entire Galactic Empire...
• Healer/Physic/Midwife:  You have studied traditional remedies to bodily ailments, as well as a few related practices, like delivering babies
• Historian:  You are a student of history in all its many aspects.
• Horse Nomad:  You've spent time living with a tribe of horse nomads, hunting and making war.
• Hunter:  You've spent a lot of time living in the wilderness, learning to survive in hostile environments, and how to hunt and make your own necessities.
• Laboratory Experiment:  At some point in time, you made a major mistake and ended up as someone's lab rat, voluntarily or involuntarily.  You're not quite the same as you were before, but to quote Nietzsche favorably just once, whatever does not kill you makes you stronger...
• Lawyer:  You have spent time studying and practicing law in Amber or Chaos or the Golden Circle or the Black Zone.  You can take this multiple times to specialize in one place's law, or to represent being qualified as a lawyer in multiple areas.
• Librarian:  You like to read and you like books.  You've worked as a librarian, possibly in Amber or the Courts or maybe just out in Shadow.
• Martial Arts Training:  This represents training in a martial art with some shadow or non-royal teacher.  You can take it multiple times, either specializing in one particular art to perfect it, or learning many different arts.
• Mental Combat Training:  You've visited some shadow where the arts of psychic combat have been perfected to a high pitch.  There, you studied the arts of mental combat.
• Merchant:  You have spent time as a businessman, buying and selling and manufacturing.
• Military Historian:  You have studied the history of warfare in great detail
• Military Mage Veteran:  You've done terms of service as a military mage.  This package can be purchased multiple times; each time you buy it represents you serving a 5 year term of service.
• Military Veteran of Amber:  This package can be purchased multiple times; each time you buy it represents you serving a 5 year term of service.
• Military Veteran of Chaos:  This package can be purchased multiple times; each time you buy it represents you serving a 5 year term of service.
• Military Veteran of the Psychic Wars:  You've done terms of service in some sort of psychic warfare.  This package can be purchased multiple times; each time you buy it represents you serving a 5 year term of service.
• Military Veteran of Shadow:  This package can be purchased multiple times; each time you buy it represents you serving a 5 year term of service.  This can also be used for service in the Black Zone or Golden Circle
• Monarch:  You have ruled a Kingdom in Shadow, or perhaps an entire Shadow as an absolute monarch. Or maybe a constitutional one if you're inclined that way.
• Negotiator:  You're a deal maker and facilitator, a diplomat for ordinary life.  (But no, you don't get a giant robot like the guy in the Big O)
• Occult Society:  You belong to a society that studied Occult Lore of many kinds.  The more points you invest, the less it was a hobby and the more it was a way of life.
• Organized Crime:  You've spent time in organized crime.  This may range from being a Yakuza thug in shadow, to being megacorporate muscle in a cyberpunk shadow to being part of a group of bandits in Oerth.
• Paramour:  You've spent a lot of time chasing the opposite sex (or maybe the same sex), with good results.  This is different from Courtly Love in that the object of your affection may not have been connected to any sort of noble courtly setting at all, and for that matter, you may have just been #1 in One-Night Stands...
• Paranormal Investigator:  You spent some time out in shadow investigating strange supernatural phenomena. This doesn't necessarily mean you know any magic, but you know about the strange magical creatures and how to counter them and where they live.
• Philosopher:  You've spent time studying many different schools of ethics and metaphysics, seeking to probe the mysteries of the universe.
• Pirate or Privateer:  You've spent some time at sea preying on the shipping lanes of Shadow.  Perhaps you were motivated entirely by greed, or perhaps you were fighting an enemy of your home state for fun and profit.
• Priest of the Serpent:  You spent some time as a Priest of the Serpent.
• Priest of the Unicorn:  You spent some time as a Priest of the Unicorn
• Prison Guard:  You've spent time guarding Prisoners.
• Prisoner:  Like Corwin, you've spent a while rotting in a deep, dark, dank cell.  Or perhaps you spent time as a guest in the Village.  Or maybe you like going round to all the Atticas of Shadow, stirring up riots.  Or you got sent to the Black Tower in Chaos.  Or...
• Private Investigator:  There's a thousand tales in the naked Eternal City, but this isn't porn, so...  You've spent some time working as a private investigator in Amber or shadow.
• Professional Athelete:  You spent some time (probably in shadow, as Amber and Chaos are lacking in professional athletics) as a professional athelete
• Psychic Expansion Studies:  You spent a lot of time doing mental exercises and building up your brain's powers at the hands of some expert in such things.
• Shadow Courier:  You've spent a lot of time running messages through Shadow.
• Shadowmastery Guild:  You've spent time working for the Shadowmastery Guild, molding shadows and studying mysteries of the Logrus.  (This can be taken a max of 3 times, as the guild only has so much to teach to apprentices).  Character must be from the Chaos side of things.
• Soldier of Fortune:  You've spent time as a mercenary.
• Sorcerous Training:  You trained with a minor sorceror in shadow or in the Courts or in Amber.
• Spy:  You've been a secret agent man.  They gave you a number and took away your name.
• Stylite:  You spent a long period of time meditating on a pillar to gain wisdom.
• Terrorist:  You spent a while in a lunatic fringe group (you may still belong to it if you like).
• Thief:  You spent a while stealing stuff.
• Unskilled Labor:  You spent a lot of time doing unskilled labor, lifting, toting, carrying, etc.
• Weight Training:  You worked out a lot.  A whole Lot.
• Witch: You've spent time as a witch, learning about herbal cures, magic, and the very important art of Headology.
• Witch-King:  You've spent time out in shadow, ruling poor shadow shmucks with your sorcerous powers.  Oppression is optional.

Special Training--Amberite Royal:

• Training with Fuyutsuki is an auction item
• First Generation Elders
• Anthy:  Last of Gendo's Queens and Guardian of Tir'na'nog.  She has unlocked many of its secrets.  Studying with her is the best way to learn them...
• Second Generation Elders
• King Tylor:  Auction Item
• Queen Yuriko:  Before she was Queen, she was a crack admiral of the Rebman Navy, the finest fleet in existence.  If you want to know everything there is to know about naval warfare, you won't find a finer teacher.
• Touga:  Perhaps the smoothest manipulator there is.  What's he been doing out in Shadow all this time anyway?  If you want to use your cousins as pawns to dance for you, this is the man to train with.  Just don't tell anyone.
• Drake:  Drake knows about everything there is to know about leading armies.  And if you take this, he'll pass those secrets on to you.
• Van:  If you want to be the heroic dragon-slying type, Van's your man.  He's also pretty damn strong.  Don't ask him about history, though...
• Saionji:  Saionji and Corrine have long disputed which of them is the strongest and toughest of their generation.  It remains unsettled, but if you wish to learn the fine arts of Kendo and unarmed combat, Saionji is your man.  Especially if you're female, but that's another story...
• Juri:  She's back from Cathuria, a thoughtful warrior who spends much time these days studying philosophy and writing.  Those who seek the wisdom to be found in the way of the Sword would do well to study with her.
• Corrine:  The Queen of Ember is pretty busy these days, but if you want to learn the arts of trump, some of the lore of Arden, or how to be a Queen, she's got sage words of advice on all three.  Just don't mention 'Finndy', whoever she is...
• Makoto:  Makoto remains Castellan, the master of management.  Those who would learn the secrets of Castle Amber or the arts of stewardship should seek him out.
• Corey:  He's got a big mouth and an even bigger sword, and he's nigh unkillable.  He may be able to teach you how to be nigh-indestructible too.
• Nanami:  It often takes an iron will to stick close enough to Nanami to learn from her, but she has much to offer, for she knows the City of Amber like the back of her hand, has mastered much magic, and moves among the circles of the nobility as well.
• Miki:  Miki is noted for his skills with music and trump. Those who would learn of either should study with him.
• Kozue:  Sharp of tongue and quick of wit, Kozue is also a cunning fighter and skillful in the arts of mental magics.  She can teach either of those to any who seek her out.
• Utena:  Athlete, bodyguard, warrior supreme.  If you want to master sports, bodyguarding, or whacking people in half, she's the person to go to.
• Wakaba:  Socialite and sorceress, she flits comfortably between parties and the laboratory.  Wakaba is especially noted for her alchemical skills and her mastery of the power of lightning.
• Vash:  He's a goober, but he knows how to shoot.  He's also a pretty good bodyguard, and he's done a fair amount of wandering mindlessly around Shadow and Calendar World.  He can share his lore with you...if you can put up with him long enough.  Did I mention he's a goober?
• Eowyn:  Gallant warrior of the Wind, she commands the Air Fleet of Amber, and can teach much about aerial combat in all its forms.  She's also said to possess certain secrets of Derith's lore...
• Third Generation Elders
• Beowulf:  Beowulf is a noted archaeologist and investigator of Shadow.  If you want to learn about ancient times and obscure shadows, he's your man.
• Kanna:  Special agent of the Queen of Ember, heir to that throne.  She can teach you how to kick ass, take a beating, carry out investigations, and maybe if you're really, really nice, she'll let you touch Beryllina.  Not the sharp bits.
• Kentaro:  He's a smooth operator, a man of grace and charm, and a skillful conjuror.  Unfortunately, he's also a bit of an asshole at times, but you can learn a lot about how to be noble (for good and ill) from him.
• Michelle:  Michelle combines music and sorcery to produce interesting effects.  She's also done some exploration of shadow.  And she once slapped Nanami and got away with it.
• Mikage:  Child of Air.  Master of Nemuro Hall.  Weilder of the Bag of Winds.  One of the three greatest minds of his generation and a noted artificer. Who knows what secrets he may possess?  If you want to make things and probe eldritch lore, he's the way to go.
• Mutsumi:  She's the premiere trump mistress of her generation, and she's quite a skillful musician as well.  And she likes turtles.
• Nagisa:  Child of Water.  Student of the Unicorn's Lore.  Weilder of the Cup of Life.   One of the three greatest minds of his generation and a noted scholar.  He has much to teach of the secrets of the Unicorn and the history of Amber.
• Ramon:  No one takes a beating and keeps going like Ramon does. If you want to be last man standing, then grab some painkillers and train with him.  He's also a pretty good martial arts instructor.
• Shinobu:  The Terror of Therin and Lipun.  Hated by Amber's enemies, loved by Amber's friends.  She's the best at leading armies of the Third Generation, and she's seen quite a bit of the Golden Circle, even if it was burning at the time...
• Shizumaru:  Child of Wood.  Master of the Keep of the Five Elements.  Weilder of the Seed of Hope.   He has delved deep into the lore of the elements.    Married to one who has power over ice, Shizumaru can help you to delve into the mysteries of the Elemental powers.
• Sumire:  Sharp of tongue and keen of mind, she now serves as Amber's ambassador to Ember.  She is noted for both fighting and sorcery, and for her weapon of power she forged herself.
• Fourth Generation Elders
• Jacqueline:  Bride of the Jewel, sower of Chaos, Child of Shaft.  She knows more about the Jewel of Judgement than almost anyone, and quite a bit about sorcery.  And sex.  But she only has a _small_ harem.
• Naru:  Naru is both warrior and intellectual, teaching a mixture of how to fight and how to think to those who study with her.
• Nausicaa:  Nausicaa is noted for her skills as a wind mage and as a diplomat.  She's also quite a skillful aeriel pilot.  All that and a spikard too!
• Thoric:  Thoric is not the Stuff of which Heroes are Made, but he is the Stuff of Which Fun People To Be With are made.  Thoric can teach you where to go for a good deal, introduce you to everyone interesting in the Golden Circle, and he knows how to have fun.  And he knows how to play the Violin, too.

• Edith O'Balamor, High Priestess of the Turtle:  Once a high-ranking Blessed of the Unicorn, she has moved to Arcadia and become Jacqui's high Priestess of the Turtle.  She is noted for her Mad Healing Skillz.
• Lord Franich, Court Historian:  He is a noted historical expert and scholar.  But also a bit of a maniac who drags people off into shadows that duplicate historical situations, so that he can do his history 'hands-on'.  Hasn't died...yet.
• High Priest Geo:  Must take Priest of the Unicorn also.  He is the faithful head of the Church of the Unicorn, faithful and dedicated, but also rather pompous and overblown.
• Lady Haruna, Royal Tutor:  May not be taken by anyone descended from Yumi.  Lady Haruna is one of the Royal Tutors, specializing in Magic, Music, and Trump.
• Captain Julie:  Some people call her the space cowboy, some call her the gangster of love...  She's one of Amber's top naval captains, and bears a suspicious resemblance to Princess Juri, except for being extremely blond.  She is noted in both love and war.
• Keiko:  Keiko didn't head the sorcery division of the City Watch for nothing. (Nor is she Court Mage for nothing).  If you have an interest in investigative sorcery, she's the person to seek out.  Or if you need to kill Makoto the Mad again.
• Madoka:  Court Bard, and noted fighter, especially deadly with a guitar pick
• Mario:  It's a me, Mario!  The Court Plumber of Amber, he's been jumping on the heads of Fire-breathing Turtles and electrical crabs for centuries now.  He probably knows more about the ins and outs of Castle Amber than even Fuyutsuki does...
• Misato: Misato is the brilliant, but often drunken commander of the Palace Guards who defend Castle Amber and accompany King Tylor and Queen Yuriko on their travels.  It's easy to forget she's a crack shot with a crossbow and deadly with a sword, until she has to pound someone flat.
• Rimururu:  Wife of Prince Shizumaru, she's a noted expert in the power of Elemental Ice.
• Dread Captain Roberts:  Once a pirate, he has since reformed and become a commander in the Amberite Navy, though he remains a 'Devil-may-care' roguish type.  Some rumors claim he is actually Kozue's love child by Captain Ruka, though both of them rather fanatically DENY this.
• Ruka:  Captain Ruka commands Shalomar Naval Base under Kozue (no, not that kind of under Kozue).  He's noted for his expertise in both administration and battle.  And his mutant forelock.  Which is not secretly controlling space and time, maybe.
• Seta:  Seta is the other Royal Tutor, specializing in archaeology and hand-to-hand combat.  And surviving car crashes.
• Travis:   Keeper of the Royal Library, scholar, tinker, gentleman.  And he's got a cute cat that sometimes talks.  Just ask Hiko and Nagisa how many times he's helped them prevent Amber being destroyed.  There are many answers to be found in the library, and he either already has them or knows where they are.
• Tsuwabuki:  One of Amber's great generals, Tsuwabuki knows all about strategy, tactics, logistics, and administration, having done them all at one time or another.
• Wasyuu:  Mad Doctor of Amber.  If you want to study magical medical arts, she's your woman.

• Bill Vincent:  Bill Vincent is Amber's most noted weaponsmith.  If you want to know how to make weapons and armor both with conjuration and the mundane way, he's your man.
• Bumpy the Pimp:  The primal pimp of whom all other Pimps are but Shadows.
• Bust Rimururu:  The primal whore of whom all other whores are but Shadows.  She knows much of the Amberite underworld too, but you'd best not train with her if you want Shizumaru or Rimururu to like you...
• Countess Haruka, Ambassador of Begma:  Countess Haruka watches out for Begma's interests with an eagle eye.  Her aim is reknowned; her combat skills in other areas are not so impressive, but she's still not someone to mess with.
• Master Horatio Walpole, Guild Master of the Kashmir Trading Collective:  He's hugely rich, and hugely influential, and hugely corrupt, and if you're his friend, he can hook you up with almost anything you want (No Royals as your Love Slaves, thoguh...he wants to live).
• Kaede:  Servant of Seiryuu, he has studied the arts of Air and Fire elementalism.  He's also pretty good with a sword.
• Keitaro:  Keitaro is the Prime Minister of Kashfa, and one of the most noted Trump Artists of the Golden Circle.  And he likes Photo Stickers too.
• King:  King is the barkeep of a small gin joint in the Ward of the Iron Pot.  She's often mistaken for an effeminate man, since she wears her hair short and has a prediliction for fine men's clothing.  Her unarmed fighting skills are said to be great, dealing with unruly patrons and foolish robbers bare-handed and always coming out on top. She still has a massive stock of cheese.
• Rally Vincent:  Bounty Hunter and sometimes Bodyguard.  She's a crack shot, a skillful investigator, and one of the best horsewomen in Amber.

• Ember Court Officials
• Catherine of Pariseau, Regent of Ember.  Born to rule, she is also a noted sorceress and conjuror.
• Eowyn Arisugawa, Commander of the Palace Guard.  She is not so potent a warrior as her namesake, but she's pretty good anyway.
• Johann Pariseau, Castellan of Castle Ember.  Artists and guardian, he can teach the arts of stewardship.
• Mia Asua, Court Mage.  Mistress of the magics of fire and ice.
• Lady Misaki, Royal Bodyguard to Queen Corrine.  A potent warrior and bodyguard.
• Priss, Court Bard.  She sings like an angel and fights like a demon.
• Doctor Tofu, Royal Doctor and Alchemist.  In charge of keeping people alive, and a noted alchemist.
• Ember Military Officers
• Haruka Arisugawa, Marshall of Ember.  A very strong warrior, if not up to Drake and Juri levels.
• Pirotess, Assistant Warden of the Corona.  She combines the arts of sorcery and warfare with great finesse
• Admiral Ryoko of the Onyx Space Fleet (and owner of da cabbit.).  If you can survive her temper, she has much to teach you of space combat.
• Admiral Sasami of the Aquamarine Fleet.  A leader of the fire-fleets of Ember.

Special Training--Shadow Folk:

• Julia Diggers:  She's the best swordswoman of Jade.  Which means she pales in comparison to big-name Amberites, but can still whoop Jacqui's butt with a sword.  She also knows quite a bit about how to hack up those naughty magi...
• Lucien's Ladies
• Kitiara, warrior from Krynn.  She's a notable swordwoman who once punched out Nausicaa with ONE blow.
• Morrigan, succubus and childhood friend of Lucien.  She has plumbed mysteries of the Abyss and is a noted 'shifter.
• Pirotase, dark elf sorceress and exile from Lodoss. Likely shadow of Pirotess of Ember
• Naga the White Serpent, a very bouncy sorceress with a limited wardrobe
• Panopticon Staff:
• Professor Carter of the Political Science section:  A student of inter-shadow politics, he can teach you all about the politics of Chaos and Amber (and Shadow too if you care).  
• Professor Morrison of the History Department:  A student of the history of Shadow and of the Pre-Logrus civilization.
• Professor Watson of the Anthropology Department:  CONE PEOPLE ARE EVERYWHERE!  Annadil was a cone people puppet!  THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!!!!!
• Spellvis:  He's a spell-casting Elvis who can't believe he didn't die horribly on the Day of the Dead (and neither can the DM...).
• Thropan:  Father of Orien and noted conjuror Furry.  He's strong, too.
• A Tour with the Corunglain Free Rifle Company:  Noted shadow mercenaries, this huge flock of whackjobs constantly finds high adventure and high bodycounts.
• Valar of Beleriand
• Aule, Artificer of the Valar, Teacher of Moonshade
• Mandos, Speaker of Dooms, Judge of the Valar
• Nienna, Comforter of Sorrows, Mother of Moonshade
• Tulkas, Warrior of the Valar, Trainer of Moonshade
• Ulmo, Lord of Waters, Valar god (and hunk)

Special Training--Cross-Primal:
A few figures have sufficient ties to both Amber and Chaos that people from either end of the Universe might have trained under them.

• Davros the Chaos Priest:  The Soul to the Bride of the Dragon, guardian of the Breath of the Dragon, husband to Motoko of Amber, Priest of the Serpent, Davros plays many roles and wears many faces.  Despite his Spikard, he's still not noted for his sorcerous skills, but he knows a lot of the lore of the spikards, and he had studied the arts of shapeshifting and Logrus quite a bit.
• Prince Demetrius and Company:
• Prince Demetrius:  Generally believed to be one of the fruit of Corrine's harem in Shadow, he is a noted Abyss Master and naval commander, and now commands the Amber City Naval Academy and is the master of the Radiant, an Abyss-capable cruiser of great power.  
• Bogdozan:  Rumored to be a shadow god, he is noted for his skills at tricking people into destroying themselves for his amusement.
• T:  Rumored to be a shadow god, he is a sorceror of some repute, a skillful fighter, and looks supiciously like Death.
• Vaprak:  VAPRAK HUNGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Lord Falme the God Tosser:  Falme is Mikage's chief retainer, noted for his flaming head, his shapechanging, and his grabbing very big things with the Logrus and tossing them. :)  If you want to learn the arts of Logrus (especially how to get ice cream with it), he makes a good tutor.
• Countess Lily:  Lily is Master of the Revels, and knows a lot about organizing parties and festivals, about etiquette, and the ambassadors of Amber.  She also knows quite a bit of magic, and she's a Logrus Initiate.
• Makoto the Mad:   Cannot Take Trained by Keiko.  Not to be confused with Prince Makoto, this lunatic is a young mage who is utterly infatuated with blowing things up.  He seems indestructible, periodically appearing and wrecking havoc for no discernable reason, then getting killed in a bloody confrontation with someone.  He loves fire magics.
• Countess Mature:  Noted Logrus Sorceror and shifter, Mature is Vice's partner (and some say her lover).  Once an enemy of Amber, she has since sworn to service on Justice, and now applies her notable talents (such as being cunning enough to have outsmarted eight Princes of Amber at once) FOR GREAT JUSTICE!!!!!
• Countess Mitsune:  Mitsune is one of Amber's top flight diplomats, although her methods are rather...unorthodox.  She's also the most famous shapeshifter in all of Amber.  And one of the best partiers.
• Moonshade:  Her tongue is sharp, but not as sharp as her blade.  You put up with her giving you a hard time to learn quite about how to whoop people's asses.  She can also teach you quite a bit about her home shadow, assuming you care.
• Princess Motoko, the Bride of the Dragon:  Princess Motoko is noted for her skills at sorcery, which she combines with her Lipunese heritage and her swordsmanship to great effect.  She also is beloved of the Serpent of Chaos, and married to Davros the Chaos Stylite.  Those wishing to learn of Lipunese culture, the religion of Chaos, the lore of the Serpent, or to study her sorcery style will find her a proficient tutor.
• Princess Shinobu Minor:  Shinobu Minor belongs to House Aesir as well as to House Rebma in Amber.  If you trained with her, she probably took you giant hunting in Jotunheim.  Hopefully, you don't faint at the sight of blood.
• Princess Vice:  Illegitimate daughter of Princess Jacqueline (the woman certainly got around), she's generally believed to be a big-wig in Amber's spy networks, and seems to spend much of her time in shadow on missions.  She's noted for being strong and tough, and for being a Logrus initiate and shifter of note.
• Duchess Yumi:  Sorceress and Sexiest Woman in Amber.  If you wish to learn the arts of love and magic, especially magics of water and love, she's your woman.

• Anji of Helgram:  Anji trains people to fight unarmed for House Helgram.  He's rumored to be able to break stone with his fists and punch through enchanted armor.  And said to be looking for something he hasn't found yet.  If you want to break heads, he's your man.
• Athena of House Olympus:  Head of Security for House Olympus, she's the paradigm of an intelligent fighter.
• Atleby of Alars:  'The Man Who Saved the Universe'.  The man of whom all braggarts are but paltry, wimpy, loser shadows.
• Cho of Helgram:  Warrior freak with bad hair.  Still he's good at fighting and better at mouthing off.
• Lady Gilva of Hendrake:  Gilva has served as Marshal of Chaos, and is a noted organizer and leader of men.  Those who would learn to lead armies to victory would do well to serve under her.
• Hercules of House Olympus:  Big.  Strong.  Stupid.  He is a noted unarmed fighter and very, very strong.
• Hoji of Helgram:  Hoji is perhaps the most derangedly subservient man in the universe.  But he's also a brilliant organizer and manager of moneys.  If you want to know how to make a feudal state run efficiently,he's your man.
• Kodachi of Alars:  MUST NOT BE DESCENDED FROM JACQUI.  No longer regent of House Alars, she is a sorceress of some note, specializing in Plant Magics, a Lipunese among Chaosians, loved by some, resented by others.
• Kuno of Alars:  MUST NOT BE DESCENDED FROM JACQUI. A noted swordsman and one of the strongest warriors of House Alars.  He bears their Logrusfoil.
• Lord Loewen of Helgram:  Lord Loewen is a deranged freak.  But he's also a death machine.  Training with him will make you lots of enemies on general principle.  But it will also make you able to kill, kill, kill like hardly anyone else can.  You also learn about the weakpoints of Dogs.
• Suu:  Suu likes turtles.  Suu likes making things. Suu is very bouncy and happy and a bit of a maniac.  If you want to learn how to make some interesting things or just like turtles, she's your woman.
• Dr. Tomoe:  Dr. Tomoe is one of the Ten Swords of Helgram, although he's really much more of an artificer, sorceror, biologist, and doctor.
• Usui:  He's a paranoid, somewhat turtle-like freak, but he's also a skilled fighter, and a great Trump-Master.
• Yuki:  One of the most powerful Water Elementalists in all of creation, wife to Lord Atleby, she can teach you more about water elementalism than you ever imagined possible.  Or she can just teach you how to beat people to bits with Naginatas.

• Captain Derleth:  Commander of one of the more notable mercenary fleet squadrons of Chaos.
• Ian (Aka "Maraya" as his stage name) of House Danaani:  Pop star.  Magician.  Close physical duplicate of Prince Moriya.  He's charming and good with the ladies.  And good at running away from their men.
• Touring With M^2:  Pop idols.  If you want to be a pop idol and can handle the fact that they look suspiciously like Motoko and Moriya, and if J-Pop = Your Life, then they're the ones you want to spend some time on tour with.
• Mataka Fillmore:  She bears a suspicious resemblance to Motoko, except for dressing in a rather scanty manner and fighting mainly with weapons.  Fighting very well with weapons.  She's also a pop star (but if you want pop star training, you ought to go Tour with M^2).
• Millard Fillmore:  He thinks he's the Emperor of Chaos.  And he has 41 cats.  But if you can handle both those facts, the man can teach you quite a bit about Trump and about things he's learned in his deranged adventures in Shadow.
• High Priest Rural VII:  You must buy Priest of the Serpent  to buy this, as this signifies he took an interest in your career.  He's the head of the Church of Chaos, more scholar and lawyer than man of faith, but honest and well meaning and fairly intelligent.
• High Priest Taltos:  You must buy Stylite to buy this, as this signifies he took an interest in your career.  He's the head of the Stylite Order, and a notable bad-ass of unarmed combat.
• Vicious:  He heads a criminal gang; one tough, ruthless bastard.

Notable Skills and Signatures

I must give thanks to Dan for these concepts, though I will use them slightly differently.

You may pick one notable skill for every ten points you've invested in Attributes (Ignoring Amber, Chaos and Human ranks).  In addition, you get one notable skill for just being alive.  Notable skills are areas where you have particular expertise. You may make them as broad or as narrow as you like; the more narrow, the higher the boost they give to appropriate attributes when you use them.  If two people with 30 points of Weapon Skills face off with Rapiers, the one with 'Fencing' will beat the one with 'Swordsmanship', and either will lose to the one with 'Rapiers' as a speciality.  These skills don't cost any points.

Example:
Roderick has

• Endurance:  13
• Psyche:        47
• Strength:     15
• Warfare:      30

You can also choose to take a Signature.  This is something you are especially noted for, the quality for which you are famed.  It might be a job you do, a personality trait, or a simple skill.  This also costs no points, but has the disadvantages which can come with Fame...

I would advise you to make sure you take a signature you can actually play out.  If you take 'Unflappable', then you run away all the time, howling in fear, you've wasted your Signature.

As with Notable Skills, the more narrow the Signature, the more benefit conveyed.

Your Signature may change in play, subject to GM/Player agreement, as characters have been known to evolve in unexpected directions.

Example:
Roderick decides his signature will be 'Look Good At All Times'.  No matter what happens to him, he can at least look graceful and impressive, even if he's being caught in a Primal Chaos explosion at the time...
 
 
 

Contributions:

Maximum of 30 points for Contributions plus up to 10 points of Enemies (detailed in the Allies section).

Ten Point Contributions:

• Keep and edit a workable log of each session.
• Produce a trump per week of real time
• Write up an in-character diary of game events
• Produce a timeline of your character's activities

• Stories about your past
• Writeups of frequently used locations and shadows
• Producing trumps irregularly as the game progresses

The Powers

A brief introduction to the major powers can be found here.

• Pattern: 50 points
• --Advanced Pattern: 25 points more
• Broken Pattern: 10
• --Broken Pattern Adept: 15 points more
• Shapeshifting: 35 points
• --Advanced Shapeshifting: 30 points more
• Logrus: 45 points (Plus you need Shapeshifting)
• --Advanced Logrus: 25 points more
• Trump Artistry: 40 points
• --Advanced Trump: 20 points more
• Power Words: 10 points (Buys you five power words)
• --More Power Words: 1 each
• Sorcery: 15 points
• Conjuration: 20 points
• --High Compelling: 5 points more
• --Advanced Conjuration: 15 points more

Pattern is the fundamental power of the Royal House of Amber.  It is the heritage of King Gendo.  Anyone who buys Pattern is automatically an heir to the throne and a child of Gendo by one of his wives or mistresses.   Pattern gives you several nifty benefits:

• Walk the Pattern and teleport to anywhere in all of creation.
• Hit your enemies with Blood Curses (at the cost of ten points of Bad Stuff)
• Travel through Shadow to anything you can imagine.
• Manipulate probability
• Use the Pattern to shield yourself from other Powers

• The closer you get to Amber, the more slowly and less effectively it works, except for when used to protect against other Powers
• It's not very fast, and you need to be able to see and to move freely in order to use it.

You can upgrade your knowledge of Pattern to learn some of the more obscure arts of Pattern.  This enables you to:
 

• Move more swiftly through Shadow.
• Mold Shadows quickly to become whatever you desire.
• Walk the Pattern in your mind, then use the image of the Pattern to:
• Scry through Shadow to find things without leaving your chair.
• Teleport yourself to those locations by force of will
• Study things through the Pattern lens, to see if they are of Amber or Chaos or Shadow or whatever.

The Pattern casts reflections of itself through Shadow.  Those reflections gradually become imperfect, enabling those not of the blood of Amber to walk them...but they also don't work as well as the real thing.  Broken Pattern gives you several nifty benefits:

• Walk the Pattern and teleport to anywhere in all of creation.
• Hit your enemies with Blood Curses (at the cost of ten points of Bad Stuff)
• Travel through Shadow to anything you can imagine.

• If you walk the Pattern, it doesn't aim very well in sending you where you want to go.
• When you travel through Shadow, you hit all the worst places, and everything tends to go horribly wrong.

You can upgrade your knowledge of Broken Pattern.  This enables you to:

• Move more swiftly through Shadow.
• Mold Shadows, although they never quite work out right.
• Hang Spells on the Broken Pattern
• Evoke the Dark Veil, through which you can see Magic, Logrus, and the other Powers more clearly
• Summon Broken Pattern Tendrils, which can be used to project magic or establish Psychic contact or examine things from a distance with the Dark Veil.

Shapechanging can be learned by any PC, Amber or Chaos, although it's rare in Amber and common as rocks in Chaos.  It is a prerequisite for learning Logrus.  It enables you to:

• Assume three basic forms:
• Human form (Your natural body for Amberites)
• Demon form (Your natural body for Chaosians)
• Avatar Form (A force of nature for Chaosians, an animal for Amberites)
• Heal your wounds by shape shifting them shut.
• Alter your features to impersonate others or disguise yourself.  At this level, disguises as others tend to be not quite perfect.
• Shapeshift Persona:  Become someone else, gaining their abilities and a perfect impersonation.  This is very dangerous, however, because if their psyche exceeds yours, or you're too tired, you'll take on their persona completely and lose your identity until you change back.
• Automatic Shapeshifting:  You can set yourself to shapeshift automatically to respond to sudden changes in your environment, like it bursting into flames.  This is dangerous because you may slip into Primal Form and begin acting entirely on subconscious survival instincts.

• The more you shapeshift, the more you exhaust yourself.
• You can mess up your own mind using it.

You can upgrade your knowledge of shapeshifting as well.  This enables you to:

• Carry out perfect impersonations
• Disguise your aura so high-Psyche people can't see through your impersonation with their powers so easily.
• Turn into animals
• Create extra limbs.
• Conjure Creatures from your own blood

Shapeshift other people

Those who have the Blood of Chaos (Free at character creation if you buy Logrus at that time) can walk the Logrus.  Those who also possess Shapeshifting actually survive walking the Logrus.  The eternally shifting Logrus grants powers to those who walk it:

• Walk the Logrus and travel anywhere.
• Summon and control Logrus Tendrils.  You can call up the image of the Logrus and use it to smack people around.  This is dangerous if you hit a Pattern Weilder, who will give you a nasty shock.
• Break off Logrus tendrils and shape them into simple, not very bright servants.
• Hang spells on the Logrus.
• Use the Logrus as a lens to study things and see how they work.
• Reach through Shadow, find things with the Logrus, and pull them back to you.
• Reach through Shadow, find somewhere you want to go, and pull yourself there.
• Fill yourself with the Logrus, to defend against other Powers.

• You go mad the first time you walk the Logrus.
• It works poorly near Amber.
• It tends to respond explosively when encountering Pattern.

You can upgrade your knowledge of Logrus as well.  This enables you to:

• Use the Logrus to scry through Shadow.
• Use the Logrus to summon, bind, and shape Creatures of Chaos
• Mold Shadows into the forms you want.
• Create Black Roads through Shadow.

Trump Artistry: 40 points

Trump Artistry is the knowledge of how to create Trumps and use them most effectively.  Trump Artists are rare but powerful.  To create Trumps which reach across Shadow, once must either have Logrus or Pattern, or must have the Blood of Amber or Chaos.

• Create Trump Sketches, which only work once but can be worked up in 30 minutes to an hour.
• Create permanent Trumps of anyone you know well, or have gotten a psychic impression of.  You can also create Trumps of places you have been.  This is easiest if you are in the place or have the person handy to model for you, and harder if you don't have your model handy.  This takes hours to days, double or triple the time if the subject isn't present for it.
• Try to create a Trump of something based on psychic impressions gained from other people.  This is very slow, and very, very unreliable, almost always connecting only to a shadow of what you were seeking.
• Learn various Trump Tricks:
• Sense Trump:  You can sense the use of Trump near you, and you can study Trumps to figure out what they do.
• Trump Defense:  You can use a Trump of yourself to 'Trump yourself', filling yourself with the Power of Trump, which will help to protect you from psychic attack or other Powers.
• Trump Caller ID:  If you have a trump deck handy, you can use it to identify who is trying to Trump you.  You can also tell who made a particular Trump card, if you know them or have seen other Trumps by the same person.

• Trumps take time and materials to make.
• They get lost easily.
• It's difficult to impossible to use them in combat.
• Anyone with Amber Psyche or above can easily defend themselves against involuntary trump contact, unless they get mobbed by a large group of Trump users.

You can upgrade your knowledge of Trump as well.  This enables you to:

• In creating a card, you can burn the image into your brain, so you can contact that person without needing to have the Trump yourself.  This only works with people, and using that image is fairly exhausting.
• Create Trumps which activate very rapidly.
• Create Trump traps which trigger when looked at or touched, and send the involuntary user somewhere they won't like.
• Create disguised Trumps whose appearance masks their true nature or destination.
• Create etched trumps which take forms like weaving, engraving, etc.
• Trump Spying:  Use a trump of a person to monitor their surface thoughts.
• Trump Blocking:  Jam someone's Trump so they can't be Trump contacted.

Power Words: 10+ points

Power Words are words of power which produce simple magical effects fueled by the user's Endurance.  They work anywhere, but using too many of them will tire you out.

• The first ten points gets you five power words.
• Additional power words cost one point each.
• Available Power Words:
• Burst Of Magic, Burst of Psyche, Burst of Strength, Burst of Speed, Chaos Negation, Defensive Luck, Induce Euphoria, Induce Fear, Light Strobe, Lifeforce, Magic Negation, Neural Disrupt, Pain Attack, Pattern Negation, Process Surge, Process Snuff, Psychic Disrupt, Resume True Form, Shade, Spark, Thunder, Trump Disrupt, Weaken Structure

• They're not very powerful
• They tire you out.

Sorcery is the art of creating and casting spells.  More details can be found on my sorcery page.
 

Conjuration: 20 points

You can create something from nothing, molding Shadow into the forms you desire.  This level of conjuration allows you to create items with any of the 1-4 point values on the Throne War Items Page.
 

• Basic Conjuration:  Use magic to shape shadow to give it a bit of power.  Items are conjured instantaneously, but are extremely fragile and easily dispelled by others or by travel through Shadow.
• Conjure Shadow Shape:  Shape a shadow object into what is desired.  The enhancement takes about an hour, but it will fade away after a while (several days out in Shadow, less time near Pattern, more time near Chaos).  It also instantly vanishes if moved across Shadow.  This is also vulnerable to being dispelled.
• Empowerment:  An shadow object can be temporarily implanted with magical power.  Attunement takes a half-hour, each point of a quality adds ten minutes, and each point of power adds an hour.  While vulnerable to dispelling, it is not easily broken by Shadow Travel.
• Complex Conjuration:  A Conjured Shadow Shape can be designed to be permanent within the Shadow it was created in.  This takes one hour per point.  Any attempt to dispel the conjuration must cross the Psyche of the conjurer.

But it does have some flaws:

• Conjuration is generally too slow for use in combat.
• Conjured items can be dispelled by the use of Sorcery, Logrus, or Pattern against them.
• Conjured items only actually work in Shadows that support the principles they're based on (Your conjured magic wand won't work on Shadow Earth, your conjured gun doesn't work in Amber).

High Compelling enables you to 'conjure' geases and compulsions into beings, in order to try to control their minds.  You can also plant geases on objects, which will then compel whoever meets some set condition.  This requires a victory in a psyche battle to succeed.

Advanced Conjuration (aka Conjuration 2.0):  High Compelling + 15 points

You can upgrade your knowledge of Conjuration as well.  This enables you to:

• Conjure more quickly
• Identify Conjured items and who made them.  Especially handy for tracking down someone who tried to High Compel you.
• Conjure items with 8 point qualities.

Buying Allies and Blood Ties
 

Blood Ties

Blood of Amber: 5 points

You are a descendant of Gendo, but you have yet to walk the Pattern.  This makes you a member of the Royal Family without the need to spend the full 50 points for Pattern.
You can walk the Pattern during the game if need be.  This is probably only an issue for you if plan to be Chaosian, as anyone who takes the Prince of Amber
package already has this. You are vulnerable to Logrus weapons.

Blood of Chaos: 2 points

You have the heritage of Chaos in your veins.  You can learn Shapeshifting and walk the Logrus, but Pattern Blades will do bad, evil, nasty things to you.

Allies

Amberite Street Gang: 1 point

You've made friends with one of the many gangs of rowdies in the City of Amber.

Minor Noble or Merchant Ally: 1 point

A major merchant or a minor noble has taken a liking to you and will generally help you.

Old Sensei Ally: 1 point

You're still on good terms with someone who trained you in something. In times of need, he is likely to show up and try to save your butt, while lecturing you as if
you were a five-year-old. He'll also hide you when you're in trouble and try to warn you if he expects you're likely to get into some. Which being a PC, you generally
are...

Significant Shadow Ally: 1 point

Most people in Shadow aren't worth spending points on as allies, but there are creatures in shadow worth befriending despite their weaknesses in the face of Primal
Powers. While not as potent as a PC, this conveys an ally from Shadow significantly better than the average Shadow shmuck.

Third or Forth Generation Elder's Favor: 1 point

One of the third or forth generation Elders has taken a bit of a shine to you.  By spending 1 point, you get a +5 bonus to your Good Stuff for purposes of their
general reactions to you, and you start out on their good side. This can also be taken to gain the favor of a junior member of a House of Chaos.

Potent Shadow Ally: 2 points

Most people in Shadow aren't worth spending points on as allies, but there are creatures in shadow worth befriending despite their weaknesses in the face of Primal
Powers. A potent Shadow Ally is almost as powerful as a PC, although like any shadow dweller, they are vulnerable to the use of Primal Powers.

Second Generation Elder's Favor: 2 points

One of the second generation Elders has taken a bit of a shine to you. By spending 2 points, you get a +5 bonus to your Good Stuff for purposes of their general
reactions to you, and you start out on their good side. This can also be taken to gain the favor of the head of a House of Chaos.

Amber City Contact Network: 3 points

Instead of one big ally, you have a network of contacts all over the City of Amber.  None of them are very important, but collectively, they add up and they know
what's going down in the most real, most important city in all of creation.  This can be extended to represent a contact network elsewhere as well.

Court Ally: 3 points

One of the Court Officials or major Court Servants likes you and will support your plotting.

Howling Mob of Fans: 3 points

You have in some manner made yourself famous in Amber or Chaos. This has both good and bad effects, as any celebrity could tell you... For 5 points, you can be
famous and mobbed by groupies at both ends of reality.

Major Amberite Noble Ally: 3 points

One of the major Amberite noble families likes you very much and is generally willing to help you out.
 

Total Taxi Platinum Service (3 points)

Not everyone in Chaos is a Logrus initiate.  Sometimes those people may need to get around Shadow fast.  That's where Total Taxi comes in.  With this ally, you're a platinum customer, which means they owe you big favors, so you can get free transportation from one of their taxis whenever you like, they'll go into danger for you (bitching all the way), and they give you a panic beeper you can hit to call for a pickup in an emergency, although the farther you are from the courts, the longer it'll take for them to get you.  (You can also ask to have people notified when your beeper is activated).
 

House Support: 4 or 5 points

You have achieved a great deal of influence in one of the Houses of Chaos. You hold some office in the House, and everyone in the house reacts to you as if you
had more good stuff than you actually do. You can call upon House resources to advance your own goals, though excessive abuse of this may result in you losing
office if your actions seem contrary to House interests. This is open to both Chaosians and Amberites, but Chaosians only pay 4 points for it.

Golden Circle or Black Zone Ally: 3 points

One of the Golden Circle or Black Zone rulers is a friend of yours and will try to help you out. This can also be used to buy the support of one of the minor houses
of Chaos.

Cousin Alliance: 4 points

One of your NPC cousins has taken a liking to you and generally is willing to support you in your plots, plans, and intrigues. This can also be taken to get a junior
member of a House of Chaos as an ally.

Amber Devotee: 6 points

One of the Elders really, really likes you and will do his or her best to protect and guide you.  Of course, the nature of Amber being what it is, this may or may not be
your actual Amber father or mother, and they may act like they hate you publically, so that no one can tell they like you, but having an Elder watching out for you
rarely hurts.

Great Lord of Chaos Devotee: 6 points

One of the heads of the Great Houses likes you very much, though he may or may not show it. It never hurts to have someone with that much power on your side,
though.

Enemies

Any of the Allies can be reversed to become an enemy, which gives you points.  (Reversed Elder's Favor is called Elder's Disfavor).  You can take up to ten points
of enemies.

Example

Bob is creating a character named Allistaire.  He wants nine points of enemies, so he takes:

• Hostile Elder Amberite: 6 points
• Golden Circle Enemy: 3 points

Item Purchase Costs

The system for constructing nifty widgets, magic weapons, servitors, horses and everything else has its own section.

You will find those rules here on the Items Page.

Items bought with Character Points become virtually indestructible.  Even if the Pattern and the Logrus team up and eat the item, you will eventually be able to either duplicate it or get it back.  Only your death can lead to its permanent destruction.  It is possible to have it stolen, though.

You can have lots of stuff not paid for with points, subject to GM approval.  Such items will tend to be ephemeral in one's life, however.  Still, it's easy for Amberites to get money and buy nifty toys.

Shadow Purchase Costs

You can purchase an entire universe of your own design if you so desire.  By spending points on a shadow, you gain control over it and can define it to your liking.  It can be your playground, your refuge, your fortress, or your prison for your enemies. Spending points on a shadow also makes it more Real, thus making it harder for your enemies to tinker with it, and makes it part of your legend, and thus nearly impossible to permanently destroy without killing you first.

Shadows have three aspects you can buy up. The first one is obligatory (Location), while the other two are optional.  Taking the most expensive property for Defenses and Communications Barriers properties gives you all the benefits of the cheaper options as well.

Location

• 1 point: Somewhere in Shadow. You're simply somewhere out in the great reaches of Shadow.
• 2 points: Golden Circle. You're pretty close to Amber, which makes your shadow more 'Real'. Alternately, you're in the Black Circle near Chaos.
• 4 points: Primal Plane. Your shadow is infused with Reality in some manner, such as possessing a Broken Pattern, which makes it very resistant to manipulation by anyone but you, its owner.

• 1 point: Communications Barrier. You can prevent other powers reaching into or out of it or both. (Such as one where people can use Pattern to get in, but not OUT)
• 2 point: Restricted Access. It can only be accessed at certain places or by knowing a specific 'key' of some kind.
• 4 point: Guarded. Any intruders have to get past some sort of guardian.

• 1 point: You can reshape the contents of the Shadow very quickly at will.
• 2 point: Alter time flow. You can speed up or slow down the flow of time in your shadow.
• 4 point: Control of Destiny. You can 'move' your Shadow around Shadow, placing it in the path of those moving through shadow.

Patty decides she wants to have her own Shadow.  She decides to model it after seventeenth century France as seen in the Three Musketeers.  She names it Aquitania.  After considering her choices, she decides it's a place her character mostly goes to for fun, so she doesn't want to sink a lot of points into it.  She spends a single point, making it a Personal Shadow.

Melvin is creating a prison shadow used by his Amberite, Mandrake.  He takes the following properties:
 

• Location:  Personal Shadow--1
• Defenses:  Guarded--4
• Control of Contents: Alter Time Flow--2

Constructs

I am not allowing constructs during character creation because you're all going to be pretty junior.  In some cases, I may allow you to buy a manifestation from a construct owned by a Parent.

Determining Parentage:

The GM will determine who your Amber parent was, depending on your abilities, appearance, and amount of good or bad stuff, but I'm always open to suggestions.

Example Characters and Examples of Play

For some examples of what can be done with 200 points, you can find some sample characters on my Throne War Sample Characters Page.  For some examples of how various things are played out in practice:
 

• Combat Examples
• Powers Examples
• Non-Combat Examples

Other Links on this Site

• John's Amber DRPG Front Page
• Chronicles Pages
• Rules Pages
• Throne War Front Page
• Through A Mirror Darkly Front Page
• Unicorn No Seishi Front Page
• Setting:
• Unicorn no Seishi Setting Page
• Unicorn no Seishi Places Page
• Unicorn no Seishi Cast Page
•  Unicorn no Seishi New Generation Page
• Unicorn No Seishi Amber Government Page
• Unicorn no Seishi History Page
• Fun With Trumps:
• Through A Mirror Darkly and Unicorn No Seishi  Trump Gallery
• Trump Fortunetelling Page
• My Amber External Link Page