As a big fan of the late Roger Zelazny's fantasy, I always wanted to play an Initiative of the Broken Pattern or whatever. Unfortunately, the rules never really supported that -- until now. The Pathfinder sorcerer bloodlines provide a useful template for modelling such characters. I've designed three such bloodlines: The aforementioned Initiate of the Broken Pattern, and also an Amber bloodline and a Chaos bloodline (you're not an actual Prince of Amber or a Lord of Chaos, obviously, but rather a distant descendant who can gain many of their abilities). These are long enough that I've spoilered them individually.
Amber Bloodline
Class Skill: Diplomacy.
Bonus Spells: shocking grasp (3rd), bull’s strength (5th), blink (7th), scrying (9th), sending (11th), shadow walk (13th), control weather (15th), mind blank (17th), gate (19th).
Bonus Feats: Arcane Strike, Diehard, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Toughness, Trump Artistry.
Bloodline Powers:
Larger than Life (Su): Choose a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check made when interacting with an NPC. You gain a bonus on the check equal to half your caster level (minumum +1). You can claim this bonus against any number of NPCs per day, but a specific NPC can be affected only once in a 24 hour period.
Influence Shadow (Su): At 3rd level, you gain what seems to be incredible luck; this is actually a subtle, unconscious influence on your part on the stuff of Shadow. You may reroll one skill check involving variables in your environment—for example, a Streetwise check to find a friendly barkeeper, a Climb check to find a smoother route up a mountainside, or a Profession (gambler) check when drawing to an inside straight. This ability cannot be used to influence invariable quantities, such as a Disable Device check against a set DC. You must declare a use of this ability after the original roll, but before the results are announced. For every 4 levels past the 3rd, you may use this ability an additional time per day, to a maximum of 5/day at 19th level.
Blood Curse (Sp): If you are 9th level or above and die, you can pronounce a blood curse on your enemies or their homeland. This curse manifests as a bestow curse spell (against multiple creatures), a greater bestow curse spell (against a single creature), or a spell (against a place).
Timeless Body (Ex): After attaining 15th level, you no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties you may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue.
Living Trump (Sp): At 20th level, you become an embodiment of the power behind the Great Trumps of Amber. You can use greater teleport at will (self and 50 lbs. only). The primal forces that constantly move through your body grant you fast healing 5.
Initiate of the Broken Pattern
Class Skill: Perception.
Bonus Spells: shocking grasp (3rd), spectral hand (5th), clairvoyance (7th), rainbow pattern (9th), teleport (11th), shadow walk (13th), plane shift (15th), scintillating pattern (17th), gate (19th).
Bonus Feats: Arcane Strike, Combat Casting, Improved Counterspell, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Spellcraft).
Bloodline Powers:
Storm Burst (Su): As a standard action, you can call on the forces that come together at the Keep of the Four Worlds, creating a storm burst targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. The storm burst deals 1d6 points of nonlethal damage + 1 for every two caster levels you possess. In addition, the target is buffeted by winds and rain, causing it to take a –2 penalty on attack rolls for 1 round.
Magical Sight (Sp): Starting at 3rd level, you can cast detect magic at will. While active, this power also provides you with darkvision (you perceive things within 60 ft. as if there was a silvery, directionless illumination present, and cannot discern color). This ability automatically manifests as a free action whenever you cast spells, prepare spells, or use the Spellcraft skill.
At 11th level, this magical vision improves to arcane sight instead of simply detect magic, and the range of your darkvision extends to 90 ft. At 19th level it improves again to greater arcane sight, with darkvision at a 120-ft. range.
Prepare Spells (Su): Starting at 9th level, you can prepare a single spell in advance as if you were a wizard, “hanging” it in your personal image of the Broken Pattern. This spell need not be one of your spells known, but if not, you must succeed at a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + level of the spell) to succeed. Preparing a spell uses one of your spells per day slots of the appropriate level. You can prepare the spell with any metamagic feat you know; if so, it uses a higher-level slot and can be cast using the normal casting time.
You can prepare an additional spell at 13th and 17th level.
Ideas for 15th and 20th level abilities hereby solicited!
Chaos Bloodline
Class Skill: Survival.
Bonus Spells: entropic shield (3rd), alter self (5th), magic circle against law (7th), confusion (9th), summon monster V (chaotic creatures only) (11th), shadow walk (13th), instant summons (15th), maze (17th), shapechange (19th).
Bonus Feats: Augment Summoning, Combat Casting, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Trump Artistry.
Bloodline Powers:
Hand of the Apprentice (Su): As a standard action, you can summon a ghostly hand to do your bidding. This functions like mage hand, with the following changes. When summoned, the hand can draw a weapon (including a magic weapon) on your person as a free action, so long as you are proficient in it. The hand can be directed to make a single attack against a foe within 30 feet, using your base attack bonus, plus your Charisma modifier on both attack and damage rolls. The hand does not threaten foes and does not make attacks of opportunity.
If you do not attack with the hand, you can use it to perform fine motor tasks, such as using the Disable Device skill.
You must concentrate on the hand each round or it winks out, returning any item held to you before it disappears.
Magical Sight (Sp): Starting at 3rd level, you can cast detect magic at will. While active, this power also provides you with darkvision (you perceive things within 60 feet as if there was a silvery, directionless illumination present, and cannot discern color). This ability automatically manifests as a free action whenever you cast spells, prepare spells, or use the Spellcraft skill.
At 11th level, this magical vision improves to arcane sight instead of simply detect magic, and the range of your darkvision extends to 90 ft. At 19th level it improves again to greater arcane sight, with darkvision at a 120-ft. range.
Prepare Spells (Su): Starting at 9th level, you can prepare a single spell in advance as if you were a wizard, “hanging” it in your personal image of the Logrus. This spell need not be one of your spells known, but if not, you must succeed at a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + level of the spell) to succeed. Preparing a spell uses one of your spells per day slots of the appropriate level. You can prepare the spell with any metamagic feat you know; if so, it uses a higher-level slot and can be cast using the normal casting time.
You can prepare an additional spell at 13th and 17th level.
Chaos Form (Su): Starting at 15th level, you are at home among the non-Euclidean geometry of the Courts of Chaos. You are immune to Charisma check penalties on hostilely-aligned planes.
As a full-round action, you can assume a demonic form suited to chaos environs. You have a single favored chaos form, chosen when you receive this ability, that duplicates the effects of a beast shape IV, elemental body IV, form of the dragon II, or giant form I spell.
Summon Primal Chaos (Sp): At 20th level, you gain the ability to summon primal chaos—a field of total entropy equivalent to a fixed disintegrate spell. As a full-round action, you can fill a 5-ft. cube; for each additional round you concentrate, an additional continguous cube can be filled, to a maximum number of cubes equal to your Charisma score. Creatures and objects unable to move out of an affected square must make Fortitude saves each round as if targeted by a disintegrate spell at your caster level. The field of chaos lasts for as long as you continue concentrating, and for 1 round thereafter.
Suggestions, criticism, and feedback are most welcome!!!
...and here I was all excited about a Delvish the Damned crossover.
wasgreg
( PS nicely done :P )
...and here I was all excited about a Delvish the Damned crossover.
Bloodline of Selar? 1st level ability: Bells of Shoredan...
Give it a go!
Erratum:
Amber bloodline, Blood Curse ability: Spell name got lost! Pronounced against an enemy's homeland, it acts as an earthwrack spell from the Complete Druid's Handbook (kills all plants in a 30 ft./level radius, nothing grows there thereafter for at least 1 year/level).
Also, still interested in any suggestions/ideas for the higher-level Broken Pattern initiate abilities.
Good stuff. I will definitely be snagging this.
For the Broken Pattern capstone ability, my mind keeps coming back to the treatment that the characters in the books undertake at the Fountain of Power. Here's one idea:
A Spellcraft or Knowledge (the planes) check will reveal the following:
DC 15 - The Keep of the Four Worlds sits at the confluence of four elemental planes; the power released by their collision is harnessed in a magical fountain.
DC 20 - Those bathing in the Fount, if protected from energy, emerge with enhanced strength, stamina, and magical abilities.
DC 25 - Those who attempt to prolong their treatment lose their humanity, becoming cruel mockeries of their former selves.
Broken Pattern powers were supposed to mimic True Pattern powers, but with flaws...so, Greater Teleport, but with chance of teleport error?
I agree with your assessment of the Broken Pattern abilities in the novels, but for mechanical/class balance reasons wanted to present it as something different from simply a Bizarro Amber Bloodline ("all the same powers as a Pattern initiate... except they suck!"). So I'm leaning towards bringing in some Keep of the Four Worlds stuff, as shown.
P.S. Isn't greater teleport with a chance of error simply teleport? I'm getting forgetful in my old age...
P.S. Isn't greater teleport with a chance of error simply teleport? I'm getting forgetful in my old age...
Teleport has a range limit, too.
Teleport has a range limit, too.
Ah! Righto. Thanks! OK, to model a Jurt-like character, I've edited the "advanced ritual" at the Fount to bestow teleport at will (which nicely mirrors the Amber bloodline capstone, as delabarre excellently pointed out)... but left in the "price tag" from the novels as well (see spoiler above). Rather than have to describe range limits vs. failure chances, I may stick with plain old teleport, especially in view of the other capstone perks.
Still need a good 15th level power...
For the Chaos bloodline, regarding "toys" like Merlin's "Frakir" and Mandor's steel balls, I'm inclined to simply add Craft Wondrous Item and Craft Magic Arms and Armor to the list of bloodline feats (after all, sorcerers are full casters). Opinions?
As a big fan of the late Roger Zelazny's fantasy, I always wanted to play an Initiative of the Broken Pattern or whatever. Unfortunately, the rules never really supported that -- until now. The Pathfinder sorcerer bloodlines provide a useful template for modelling such characters. I've designed three such bloodlines: The aforementioned Initiate of the Broken Pattern, and also an Amber bloodline and a Chaos bloodline (you're not an actual Prince of Amber or a Lord of Chaos, obviously, but rather a distant descendant who can gain many of their abilities). These are long enough that I've spoilered them individually.
** spoiler omitted **...
*Really* like the Broken Pattern.
The Sorcerer bloodlines really do offer a huge range of possibilities, which is great. 3.5 Sorcerer was boring.
*Really* like the Broken Pattern.
Thanks! Had a few Broken Pattern intitiates running around in my old classless game, but could never quite model them in 3.5, which was unbelievably frustrating.
Any ideas on a 15th level bloodline power for them? I'm still drawing a blank here -- brain burned out, maybe.
*Really* like the Broken Pattern.Thanks! Had a few Broken Pattern intitiates running around in my old classless game, but could never quite model them in 3.5, which was unbelievably frustrating.
Any ideas on a 15th level bloodline power for them? I'm still drawing a blank here -- brain burned out, maybe.
It's a little left field but...
Ability to "see"/"sense" with limited range through certain obstacles [start with wooden, then stone, then metal]. Maybe the presence and number of magical objects the other side of the door within >X<ft.
Awesome, nicely done!
Can any of you give a good reccomendation as to where to start if I wanted to pick up any of his works?
The most accessible are probably the original Amber series: Nine Princes in Amber, The Guns of Avalon, Sign of the Unicorn, The Hand of Oberon, the Courts of Chaos. If you're not hooked after "Nine Princes," I don't know what to say.
His stand-along novels are a mixed bag; Lord of Light and Isle of the Dead were visionary, but Damnation Alley I couldn't really get into. For a more James-Bond-type sci-fi romp, My Name Is Legion is hard to beat.
And some of his short stories are incredibly powerful: "A Rose for Ecclesiastes," "This Momement of the Flood," and some of the others from The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth and Other Stories still make me cry.
Ability to "see"/"sense" with limited range through certain obstacles [start with wooden, then stone, then metal]. Maybe the presence and number of magical objects the other side of the door within >X<ft.
Hmmm... not bad; slavishly following the books isn't a good thing in an RPG anyway, and what you propose nicely fits the theme. Lemme think about it. If any others come to you, feel free to post them.
The most accessible are probably the original Amber series: Nine Princes in Amber, The Guns of Avalon, Sign of the Unicorn, The Hand of Oberon, the Courts of Chaos. If you're not hooked after "Nine Princes," I don't know what to say.
I was very interested at first, but I found that it suffered from diminishing returns pretty quickly; it felt more and more like he was just making stuff up as he went along (not that there's anything wrong with that, per se).
Hmmm... not bad; slavishly following the books isn't a good thing in an RPG anyway, and what you propose nicely fits the theme. Lemme think about it. If any others come to you, feel free to post them.
An Arcane Eye on speed kinda thang!
A Night in the Lonesome October is an interesting and amusing take on Victorian-era characters and personalities.
A Night in the Lonesome October is an interesting and amusing take on Victorian-era characters and personalities.
Loved it!
Just re-read Lord Demon, which started off as vintage Zelazny... then about 3/4 through, his voice abruptly ends, Linskold's blatantly takes over, and there's no doubt which stuff is hers... and it's unfortunately inferior stuff. Damned cigarettes.
I also wish he'd finished the Changeling series; Madwand was great, and I was looking forward quite a bit to Death Mask.
For D&D lovers, Dilvish, The Damned will maybe be the most comfortable in terms of setting; the sequel, The Changing Land is a must-read for anyone who wants unbeatable "fluff" on how the Spellcraft skill should work.
Any ideas on a 15th level bloodline power for them?
How about this one: it emphasizes the Broken Pattern itself as opposed to the visual capabilities:
Dark Well (Su): Starting at 15th level, your personal image of the Broken Pattern intercepts magic targeting you, absorbing its power. You may absorb a number of levels of spells per day equal to your caster level, as with a rod of absorption. This ability applies only to effects that specifically target you or which must pass through your square as part of a line of effect. Effects requiring a melee touch attack cannot be absorbed. This ability does not function if you are flat-footed, denied your Dex bonus to AC, or whenever your magical sight is not currently active.
If that's too powerful, we could go with a number of spell levels/day equal to your Charisma bonus.
Thoughts?
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Dark Well (Su): Starting at 15th level, your personal image of the Broken Pattern intercepts magic targeting you, absorbing its power. You may absorb a number of levels of spells per day equal to your caster level, as with a rod of absorption. This ability applies only to effects that specifically target you or which must pass through your square as part of a line of effect. Effects requiring a melee touch attack cannot be absorbed. This ability does not function if you are flat-footed, denied your Dex bonus to AC, or whenever your magical sight is not currently active.
If that's too powerful, we could go with a number of spell levels/day equal to your Charisma bonus.
Thoughts?
Very cool, but I think it is too powerful standing alone. Hm. You could say a number of levels equal to your charisma modifier, or maybe 1 spell level / 2 sorceror levels? That way every 20th level broken pattern sorc gets an extran ninth level spell if they're able to absorb their max. It minimizes tracking lots of spell levels too. Do they disappear when the sorceror "refreshes" his spell slots? or...Maybe you can only have a number spell levels that can be reused equal to 1/2 your sorc level or your charmisma modifier, but if you use them as fast as you get them, it can be infinite.
talk about awesome in an arcane duel.
Hmmm..
OK, here goes...
Initiate of the Broken Pattern (Sorcerer Bloodline)
You are an initiate of the Broken Pattern, a scarred reflection of the Pattern of Amber that maintains the multiverse.
Class Skill: Perception.
Bonus Spells: shocking grasp (3rd), spectral hand (5th), clairvoyance (7th), rainbow pattern (9th), teleport (11th), shadow walk (13th), plane shift (15th), scintillating pattern (17th), gate (19th).
Bonus Feats: Arcane Strike, Combat Casting, Improved Counterspell, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Spellcraft).
Bloodline Powers:
Storm Burst (Su): As a standard action, you can call on the forces that come together at the Keep of the Four Worlds, creating a storm burst targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. The storm burst deals 1d6 points of nonlethal damage + 1 for every two caster levels you possess. In addition, the target is buffeted by winds and rain, causing it to take a –2 penalty on attack rolls for 1 round.
Magical Sight (Sp): Starting at 3rd level, you can cast detect magic at will. While active, this power also provides you with darkvision (you perceive things within 60 ft. as if there was a silvery, directionless illumination present, and cannot discern color). This ability automatically manifests as a free action whenever you cast spells, prepare spells, or use the Spellcraft skill. At 11th level, this magical vision improves to arcane sight instead of simply detect magic, and the range of your darkvision extends to 90 ft. At 19th level it improves again to greater arcane sight, with darkvision at a 120-ft. range.
Prepare Spells (Su): Starting at 9th level, you can prepare a single spell in advance as if you were a wizard, “hanging” it in your personal image of the Broken Pattern. This spell need not be one of your spells known, but if not, you must succeed at a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + level of the spell) to prepare the spell (on a failure, the spell slot and attempted spell are both lost). Preparing a spell uses one of your spells per day slots of the appropriate level. You can prepare the spell with any metamagic feat you know; if so, it uses a higher-level slot and can be cast using the normal casting time.
You can prepare an additional spell at 13th and 17th level.
Dark Well (Su): Starting at 15th level, your personal image of the Broken Pattern intercepts magic targeting you, absorbing its power. You may absorb a number of levels of spells per day equal to your charisma bonus, as with a rod of absorption. Any unused absorbed spell energy is lost the next time you regain spells.
This ability applies only to effects that specifically target you or which must pass through your square as part of a line of effect. Effects requiring a melee touch attack cannot be absorbed. This ability does not function if you are flat-footed, denied your Dex bonus to AC, or whenever your magical sight is not currently active.
Fount of Power (Su): At 20th level, you can travel to the Keep of the Four Worlds and bathe in the Fountain of Power. This treatment deals 5d6 each acid, cold, electrical, and fire damage per round (this can be ameliorated using resist energy or protection from energy) and bestows the following abilities: 1st round: permanent +4 enhancement bonus to Strength; 2nd round: permanent +4 enhancement bonus to Constitution; 3rd round: permanent +1 bonus to effective caster level (applies to level checks and checks to defeat SR, but not to spells known or spells per day). Prolonging the ritual beyond 3 rounds confers the ability to teleport at will, but has a tendency to remove one’s humanity (i.e., you become an NPC villain under the DM's control).
A Spellcraft or Knowledge (the planes) check will reveal the following:
DC 15 - The Keep of the Four Worlds sits at the confluence of four elemental planes; the power released by their collision is harnessed in a magical fountain.
DC 20 - Those bathing in the Fount, if protected from energy, emerge with enhanced strength, stamina, and magical abilities.
DC 25 - Those who attempt to prolong their treatment lose their humanity, becoming cruel mockeries of their former selves.
I quite like the Chaos Bloodline.
It's been a very long time since I read these.
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For D&D lovers, Dilvish, The Damned will maybe be the most comfortable in terms of setting; the sequel, The Changing Land is a must-read for anyone who wants unbeatable "fluff" on how the Spellcraft skill should work.
The Dilvish stories, which I enjoy greatly, have a huge style shift midway through the collection.
I think he wrote the first three stories right after reading LotR -- they have a lot of the lyrical storytelling style of JRRT in them. Then a whole bunch of time passed, and he went back and started writing new Dilvish stories, but now they have a different voice, more playful and ironic. The timing suggests he was reacting to the impact of D&D and the rise of epic fantasy.
I have been waiting to play a character like this for YEARS. Thank you for writing these up.
And I highly recommend the Dilvish series as well. One of Zelazny's goals was to work through all of the 'standard' plot lines, and find something new in them. So, there's a vampire story, a damsel in distress story, etc, but they are all a fresh approach, and would make a great adventure outline.
I'm sorry but the only way to properly play Amber is to do it Diceless.
Disagree, unless you want to actually play a Prince of Amber -- which as the original post clearly stated is not the point here. I have both Amber Diceless books, and played (both as a player and as GM) for a couple years. The character creation system is absolutely top-notch. The rest of the game is just glorified GM story hour, though.
In the end, what we wanted were Amber-flavored characters who were nonetheless mortals, who progressed in power D&D-style, rather than beginning as superhuman immortals. And we wanted a game in which chance played a larger role, and that felt more like a game and less like storytime.
I've presented these bloodlines in that spirit.
I'm only glad that he's not alive to have seen anything like the idea presented above.
This is fan-created, for personal use only, non-profit, and on an extremely niche site. I'm not producing this for sale, nor for mass appeal. I'm incredibly incensed that, disregarding Mr. Zelazny's stated wishes, his estate hired some hack to write "prequels." Get angry at those people, if you like, as I am. But to lump me in with that lot is not only highly inaccurate, it's offensive and inflammatory to boot.
If you don't like the idea, don't use it. But it hardly seems appropriate for you to tell me what ideas I can and cannot share with the community here.
I'm a big Absalom fan and I'd be interested. Garundi wizard I'm thinking. I'll have core straight away in August and have the Absalom book so i'm familiar with the city.
Let me know if I win the Misery Lotto!!!
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Hm. Interesting stuff. I never read any of Zelazny's writing, but it looks like something I might like.
Can any of you give a good reccomendation as to where to start if I wanted to pick up any of his works?
I agree with Kirth's reccomendations (esp starting with "Nine Princes"), but I was also a big fan of Doorways in the Sand.
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His stand-along novels are a mixed bag; Lord of Light and Isle of the Dead were visionary, but Damnation Alley I couldn't really get into. For a more James-Bond-type sci-fi romp, My Name Is Legion is hard to beat.
Creatures of Light and Darkness is also an interesting take on Egyptian mythology.
There's also a few authors who did works in his style. Walter Jon Williams, in his book Knight Moves, wrote so much in the style of Zelazny that it was kinda creepy...
I read Lord of Light the first time when I was eight. I didn't get it then (the extended flashback confused me), but I've read it a half-dozen times since, and it just gets more awesome. It's one of my two favorite books.
I was also a big fan of Doorways in the Sand.
That one was a lot of fun!
Creatures of Light and Darkness is an interesting read if you're already an established fan, but I wouldn't recommend it for someone new to Zelazny.
To Die in Italbar I enjoyed because (a) I loved Isle of the Dead and (b) I'm a geologist, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to others (especially if they haven't read the other Sandow stuff). Same deal with Today We Choose Faces and Roadmarks: they're OK for fans looking for more stuff, but definitely not recommended to newcomers.
Most of his "Author X with Roger Zelazny" ones I didn't like at all: Mask of Loki, Coils, Deus Irae, etc. Even when the partnering author is talented, it always seems as if Zelzany can't integrate with them well -- his voice and ideas are too distinctive, maybe.
Jack of Shadows should be required reading for all D&D players... oh, wait, it's specifically listed in Gygax's Appendix N!
I do think that anything with an "Amber" type flavor should have some form of grand scope.
I don't necessarily disagree, except in terms of focus. On the other hand, if your argument is that including any Amber elements in any game is inappropriate unless all PCs are actual Princes of Amber or Lords of Chaos, I can maybe see that viewpoint, although I personally disagree with it.
To clarify an important point: these bloodlines are not intended to duplicate the main characters from the Amber novels; that was never their purpose. I don't hate the Celestial bloodline in the Beta because it fails to represent a Solar properly, or a god, because that's not what it's for. Take a step back from actual Princes of Amber -- there are other people in the Multiverse, too. Let's think about people like Julia instead. Take a look at the "Initiate of the Broken Pattern" bloodline I proposed, and is there really a huge discrepancy in power? (Actually, yes, the D&D character will have a lot more spells.) Also, as posted, the Amber bloodline doesn't represent someone like Corwin; it would apply better to a guy like Lord Rein, who lives in Amber, and is distantly related to the family, but isn't a Prince. Chaos Bloodline? We're not talking about Suhuy here; instead, picture a denizen of the nearby Black Zone, who has ties to the Courts. Hopefully that helps put these things into perspective.
The "Castle Amber" module I mentioned was if I recall a 4th-6th level mod, high level for those days.
I should point out that the "Castle Amber" module was a homage to Clark Ashton Smith, and had nothing to do with Zelazny's works in any way (the name "d'Ambreville" is from Smith's short story, "Genius Loci" IIRC). 10th-14th would have been high level (e.g., "Tomb of Horrors"); 4th-6th was mid-level.
The "Castle Amber" module I mentioned was if I recall a 4th-6th level mod, high level for those days.I should point out that the "Castle Amber" module was a homage to Clark Ashton Smith, and had nothing to do with Zelazny's works in any way (the name "Ambreville" is from Smith's short story, "Genius Loci"). 10th-14th would have been high level (e.g., "Tomb of Horrors"); 4th-6th was mid-level.
W-e-e-ell, I wouldn't say it had nothing to do with them. I suppose it's possible that the idea of a big family of eccentric powerful magic-users plotting against each other who happen to be named "Amber" was developed independently, but considering it also rips off...er...I mean pays homage to "The Fall of the House of Usher", I suspect that the Amber family is another homage.
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Excellently done Kirth. Im a big fan of Zelazny's works (for the most part) and concur with 99% of what youve written here. The Chronicles of Amber (both 1st and 2nd series), Jack of Shadows, Dilvish The Damned among others Ive read and re-read. Excellent.
Now we just need a Philip Jose Farmer thread dealing with Kikaha The Trickster ;) and the Sorcerer Bloodlines that could be derived from that lot of characters...:D
I suspect that the Amber family is another homage.
Could be, but no one in the Amber series had an animal head or a vacation home in Averoigne...
Other than what you've pointed out ("family of mad magic-users who don't get along"), there's little Zelazny to be seen there. On the flip side, CAS is specifically referenced, because the module is chock-full of his stuff.
Now we just need a Philip Jose Farmer thread dealing with Kikaha The Trickster ;) and the Sorcerer Bloodlines that could be derived from that lot of characters...:D
I'm tapped out. See what you can do with it!
I suspect that the Amber family is another homage.Could be, but no one in the Amber series had an animal head or a vacation home in Averoigne...
Other than what you've pointed out ("family of mad magic-users who don't get along"), there's little Zelazny to be seen there.
Right; there's not much Edgar Allen Poe in that module, either, but the piece it has is pretty damn obvious. :-)
Right; there's not much Edgar Allen Poe in that module, either, but the piece it has is pretty damn obvious. :-)
As you said, [cough]Ripoff![/cough]
Still, having one instance of blatant ripoff is a far cry from being "based on."
Still, having one instance of blatant ripoff is a far cry from being "based on."
I certainly agree that it's not the Amber family with the "names filed off"!