Reality and Rule (Inactive)

Game Master Viscount K

Something that hadn't really occurred to me until just now:

When constructing Constructs, one of the only limitations is that at least one character involved must have any major Powers being installed into the Construct, whether you built it personally or found it. This is one of the major advantages of Constructs, that you can build a thing that has a combination of power sets that you don't personally possess.

Unfortunately, you guys don't necessarily know who has what Powers, so proposing combined ideas might be difficult to do in secret. Obviously, if you don't mind everyone knowing about the Construct you're building, just propose it publicly. Here's what I propose. Let me know privately if you're hunting for someone with a particular Power (or Powers) that you need for a Construct idea you have. I can then privately let another player with that Power know someone is looking for their services, with as much information on the idea as you'd like me to provide (abilities, proposed manifestations, your name if you like). Then, if they're amenable, I can put you in touch with one another.

That make sense?

Also, I think I've gotten to everyone's PMs at this point. If I missed something you need a response to, or if my response didn't make sense, let me know.

"Cousins, King Random has asked I spend some time with each of you.
It's not openly known, but I have some training in the creation of Trumps and he has asked I get to know each of you well enough to create your card."

I'm taking Trump Artistry.
I will make cards for a modernized deck.
I'm not saying I will be making them whenever you need a card of your favorite vacation spot, but we can talk.
I can provide Trump if you want a special card, though you would have to pony up the points as usual if you want a personal trump deck, as listed in the artifacts section.
(Unless several of you want to pass me the points for them, then I'll buy decks, named and numbered, and pass you decks back.
Extra cards by negotiation only.)

Anything I have posted to discussion is believed to be true by someone; consider the stories common knowledge. The stuff in recruitment needs to be rewritten a bit, but I am fine with my parentage being common knowledge.

GM K, I have been creating with the idea Julian is Nikolas' father, but the final decision is yours. What say you?

Second, should we post our final characters to you by private message?

Cousin James, I will sit for you in return for a set (non-pointed) of Trumps for this conference's attendees. I have been isolated from family for too long. It is in everyone's best interests to open clean lines of communication.

I am pleased the art is not lost to this side of the universe. Your skills have both my respect and gratitude.

DM K, Trumps - do they all have the same backs (unicorn) or will James' trumps have a different back, if he so chooses. I guess I'm asking if modern trumps will be distinqushable from those created by Dworkin?

Any volunteers?
Personal decks, named and numbered, runs to 4 points.

A few volunteered points between us and we're equipped with an essential.

Four folks giving a point (Half what it would cost them on their own!) and I'll throw in a custom location card each.

And, of course they'd have a Unicorn back- we're of Amber!
(Though a good eye would pick out my work not matching Dworkin's- every artist's hand is different.)

I've apparently a point or two to spare, and would be willing to go in on this, if it's allowed by the GM, that is (not sure on the logistics of sharing points for artifacts).

I wouldn't object, though I'm currently redoing some stuff to scrape points, so I'm not sure I can actually afford it. Because I'm more paranoid than Marjana is at the moment, I do want confirmation from the GM that the logistics work - and that such items would actually be ours, not belonging to James and loaned to us.

Such mechanical considerations aside, Marjana will be delighted to pose and happy to receive such a deck (points or not). She's only heard rumors of such things and will have many questions about their use.

"I suggest we meet as a group for the sittings.
As a Trump must reflect more than the image, I must get to know each subject.
Such a discussion would likely be valuable to all of us.
I'll talk then of their use."

GM V.K., are you OK with this?

Eztil, are you interested (and perhaps have a point or 2)?

We still don't know how we were summoned or our arrival order or the circumstances of the conference. Before we gather for a sitting, I'd like to have our first introductions. I offered to sit with James because there is a great chance we were already aware of each other.

Due to bidding too much and stubbornly holding on to my original concept, I'm pretty low on points. Really shouldn't have bid on the position, but I really wanted something to tie me to Amber.

Let me see what the GM says about sharing the cards and my character... what's one more point of bad stuff I suppose. Universe already has it out for me and people might think I'm Crazy McEvil

I'll allow the pooling of points for personal Trump decks specifically, and once you hit the 4 points, you're free and clear to create up to the dozen you're allowed under Named and Numbered, James. It's a bit odd, but it works for me. The rest of you, do remember that technically speaking, they're James's Artifacts, not yours. He's just sharing. If you feel like you're getting the short stick (or flat out betrayed) in that deal, then you can retain the right to retract those points later on and James will have to make up the difference, essentially as part of advancement.
“Thus did I bear Sir Lancelot du Lac to the Keep of Ganelon, whom I trusted like a brother. That is to say, not at all.” -Corwin

If you want to volunteer a point by PM, I'm OK with that.
If you want it documented by listing your contribution in this thread, that's OK, too.

If there's a problem later, I'll have to take the hit if you take your point back.

So, just to be clear here: Do we get the normal benefits of point bought items? Basically, having them tied to us so that we can find them again if we're separated.

Or does James get that and he could find them and return them to us?

Are there other benefits to having a deck bought this way that I'm forgetting?

If we have to go through James to do anything, since they're his items, I don't think it's worth it for me. That's not even worrying about trusting him, just the convenience factor. After all, I wouldn't have the trumps, so it wouldn't be easy to get in touch with him. :)

Especially if he really could abuse them and my only recourse to my deck vanishing at a critical time would be getting a point back.

Are there other benefits to having a deck bought this way that I'm forgetting?

Its overall cheaper to buy a deck named and numbered than each of us buying a deck. Plus, technically the only people who can pay points for trumps are people who have the power. Which I suppose is why the book suggests a trump person could buy them this way for their friends.

The GM could allow people to buy a deck themselves for 2 points that they could always find with the caveat they can't add trumps to it unless they are found.

If we have to go through James to do anything, since they're his items, I don't think it's worth it for me. That's not even worrying about trusting him, just the convenience factor. After all, I wouldn't have the trumps, so it wouldn't be easy to get in touch with him. :)

I suspect that Eztl will often loose things he doesn't pay points for left and right. So there would be a good chance James would have to re-deliver or remake the cards occasionally if Eztil can't find them.

Either that or Eztil buys a shadow where he can leave the trumps and teleport there when he needs to use them. Or give James something Eztil can use to contact him.

"Ah James, would you mind carrying this?" Holds up a really creepy looking red and black spider. "If I loose the deck you so kindly provided, the spider will tell you." At which point the spider appears to nod. :)
---
Just trying to decide if I can take 1 more point of bad stuff James. It would be handy to have some trumps. Sorcery has to know an exact position in shadow.

I can see how that might be a worry.

It has been said "technically speaking, they're James's Artifacts".

I wouldn't interpret that to mean I could take them from you.

Paying points makes it possible to recover them if lost, I'm not sure me removing my influence from them would mean you would lose them.
I could see the interpretation that when you have lost them, I would have to recover (or replace) them for you.
That's why I added the offer of custom cards to offset the disadvantage.

Ultimately, it's your decision.
I'm making the offer in good faith, in the greater interests of the Realm. (I'm trying to save points, too.)

I can see how that might be a worry.

I'm making the offer in good faith, in the greater interests of the Realm.

HAHA!

Sorry cousin. I do not doubt your sincerity, but (Nikolas wipes a laugh-spawned tear from his eye.) to hear that said in Amber, from family . . . I mean that's a good one.

Yeah, I've got no problem with your offer, nor do I think you're planning some massive betrayal scheme with it. I just want to understand how the mechanics of this are going to work.

As for you taking them, if they're yours and you can find them in Shadow when we lose them, then you can find them in Shadow even if we haven't lost them, which means suddenly we have lost them. Best not to look too closely at how that works - how did Grayswandir get from being locked in some armory in Amber to a hollow tree in Shadow? But it was there when Corwin wanted it to be.

As I understand it, Etzil, we can get Trumps anyway without points. At Random's request James will make us all decks. We only pay the points to make them personal items, rather than just something we're carrying around.

Well, James, I'm willing to chip in two points. Customization-wise, I would enjoy a Trump of Cynosure and a Trump of Arden being added to my deck.

They're James's in the sense that they belong to his personal legend, not yours (to paraphrase the book). Primarily, this means that he decides who they 'default' to when searched for in Shadow, you or him. He won't be able to just poof them away from you at his whim (you're too real to have something on your person that you've invested part of your energy on simply removed), but if he decided to recall them, you would find it harder to hang on to them as the natural order of Shadow tried to return them to their rightful owner. They would never just disappear, but any contests or challenges concerning their ownership or loss would be considered a point against you. It might also give him slightly easier access to them through Psyche.

As for the art - they can have whatever backing you desire, James, although Random certainly does nudge you towards the Unicorn rampant. They will certainly be distinct from Dworkin's work; among other things, several Elders will be requesting updated Trumps of their own once word gets out there is a new Trump artist in Amber, and most of them are subtly changed by the intervening years.

Cynosure and Arden it is.
I'll throw in a bonus one of Munden's Bar, because, well- Munden's Bar.

We should go hunting tour-bots someday.

Alright, that 2 points.
Do I hear at least 1 more?

Custom cards, people- a short-cut to your necessary hang-outs.
One of the hall outside your room in the castle gives you a fast way back, as needed.
One of the kitchens means never having to cook again. (There's a coffee pot always brewing and the bagels- ahh, the bagels.)

Last day of the offer, folks.

Chaney and I will be getting these cards, but without other input, you won't get the price break or the custom cards (without some sort of in-game deal).

edit:
Of course, if the King requires me to provide you with a special card, I would happily follow his commands.
You can request it of him, if you wish.

Sorry James. I'm at my personal limit on bad stuff and can't think of any special cards I'd want to make it worth the extra debit.

I'm at my personal limit on bad stuff and can't think of any special cards I'd want to make it worth the extra debit.

No worries, I do understand.

If anyone does have the points, this is a good deal, but I definitely understand not wanting Bad Stuff.
Viscount is kind of bending the rules to get personal decks out there after the worries about not having new trumps available and I'd kind of like to show him the players, at least, can work together.
No hard feelings though, however it works out.

Anyone heard from our GM in the last few days?

Viscount said he had to work overtime this week due to a vacation on the weekend... plus maybe he had to help with his dad.

Thanks. I had sent him some questions and hadn't heard back or seen anything on the board.

Hey, guys, still alive - hotel unexpectedly doesn't have wifi. I'll be driving back tomorrow, and as soon as I have sufficiently regained my brain, we'll get back on track.

Now who could do a thing like that?

Well, we know he wasn't an English Wolf.
An English Wolf wins every fight but the last.

Just for reference, folks, I'm back in the saddle this evening. I've got some free time tonight and I'll see about getting back to y'all on your questions and pushing us another step or two toward getting started. Sorry again about the delay.

Welcome back. Glad your trip was safe and hope you had fun.

Yeah, no problem GM. Life comes first.

Aaaalrighty. Getting to PMs in a minute, but in the meantime, let me ask if there are any public questions I've forgotten to answer.

I collected all the stories thus far.

Thanks!

Awesome, Eztil, thanks for that story compilation.

Alright, points seem to be more or less finalized, on to the next step. This one I more or less forgot to mention before, so my bad, but it doesn't require points or anything, so no big. This is something...not exactly new, but a bit unusual in that I'm codifying it a little harder than the book calls for.

Skills
You have all been around for quite a while, but not even you have done everything (yet). There will often arise situations you have never seen before, skill sets that baffle you for at least a little while. You can all be presumed to have heard of almost anything, so the question is how much training you have.

You're all quick studies, of course (not of one of you stayed out of the Psyche auction), but I'm not going to presume you've put in time studying anything outside of the basics of Amber level science/thaumaturgy/politics. In the books, for instance, Corwin mentions that nearly all of his siblings have some level of medical training on par with having achieved an MD at some point - which makes sense, they had the time and the knowledge is damn handy. How about you?

Pick 6 particular skills, on the order of a doctorate: something that would take an ordinary human years to master. You can give a brief overview of how/when your character picked it up, but you don't have to - we'll all just assume you went to school for it. Whether 'school' is an actual college, a Shaolin temple, or the Lord of the Deeps in Atlantis, is another question. These skills do not need to be academic (though you are of course free to choose only such things). You can be an ace pilot ("If it's got wings and an engine, I can fly it"), a Zen master, or have picked up a subset of martial arts (regardless of your relative Strength). These can be very specific ("I spent a decade becoming the foremost microbiologist on Shadow Earth"), or much more general ("In one universe, I played Watson to Sherlock. I am now considered one of the world's sharpest detectives").

This isn't to say you don't have any skills outside of the chosen ones, these are just the ones we can be absolutely sure you have the knowledge to pull off immediately, without having to debate your level of training in a field.

And now, a few perks based on Attributes.
Warfare: As noted previously, Chaney, you can be presumed to out-fight the greatest weapon master of any world. However, this doesn't always apply to the conditions of any world - unless you've already tested yourself in those conditions. Pick out two extreme variants of Shadow or physics, such as zero G, deep underwater, a frictionless environment - whatever, as long as you could physically survive it. In those circumstances, you already know how to fight there, and how to instruct others. Marjana, as his rival for the arts of war, pick out one.
Psyche: Eztil, pick out two extra scholarly doctorates. While studying something else, you also put in the time to get more PhDs - why not, it was easy. Alric, you're right behind him, one for you as well.
Strength: What good is Strength if you can't get to your opponent? Nikolas, you've learned the minutiae of travel in your time in the Mist, allowing you to pick out two modes of travel requiring your active participation (bike riding, sailing, horseback riding, sprinting, cross country runnning, etc.). You know these methods down to their bones, bringing out the true potential of your superhuman physique. Roy, you have nearly the same capability - presumably horses, yes?
Endurance: Nikolas, your unbelievable stamina means you often just didn't particularly care to stop when it came time for others to rest. Pick out one extra skill, any flavor. Alric, you're almost as tough - choose a lesser skill, something on the level of a undergrad degree (taking half a decade instead of a full one).

Anyone who bought up their Attributes in secret, PM me and I'll let you know your potential skill perks.

Question on skills:
How do these interact with actual attributes? Particularly Warfare,
since that's where I'm invested. If, for example Roy took the "ace
pilot" example and I didn't, how would that would work out in an aerial
duel? Or for that matter Chaney and me, with me taking the skill.

I'd also like to encourage people to devote at least some of these to
non-practical things. After all, Corwin composed ballads that were
remembered long after even family couldn't remember if he'd written
them. Random was a gambler of great repute.

Question on skills:

How do these interact with actual attributes? Particularly Warfare,
since that's where I'm invested. If, for example Roy took the "ace
pilot" example and I didn't, how would that would work out in an aerial
duel? Or for that matter Chaney and me, with me taking the skill.

As with so many things, it gets factored in. This is one of those things that can help a disadvantaged character win a fight - it might not tip the balance completely, but if things were otherwise equal or close, then doing something like luring your opponent into a situation you had specific training for (like an aerial dogfight, in your example) be a great way to aid your chances. If their training was less general than 'ace pilot' and more specific like '1940's-style biplanes', that would be an even bigger advantage. A higher Attribute character will eventually be able to pick up the skill, so it's not the sort of trick that'll work more than once or twice (depending on the Attribute gap), but it's a hell of a surprise to pull on someone.

I'd also like to encourage people to devote at least some of these to non-practical things. After all, Corwin composed ballads that were remembered long after even family couldn't remember if he'd written them. Random was a gambler of great repute.

I would also like to encourage this, just on general principle.

Anyway, we're getting closer to beginning for real at this point, with 3 of you having sent me your skills list. Speaking of which, as always, feel free to share some of your skills with your fellows as you deem necessary/entertaining. Is there anything else people have questions about or need clarification on? If I haven't answered you about something at this point, it's because I forgot or the forum ate my post and I didn't notice, so please re-ask anything I haven't answered yet.

Eztil is skilled in numerous types of magic including something akin to Civil Engineering plus another for being an Artisan. If you need a giant pyramid built with intricate carvings, he can build it for you. Also Akashic Engineering ... which is something like programming astral space in his first home shadow.

He is also skilled at surviving in dangerous and environmentally unpleasant hell-holes. Called that skill "Dungeoneering" because Xenoarcheologist or Tomb Raider didn't quite fit.

Eztil is a focused fellow, magic nerd, and under a century old. So there really isn't that much breadth to his skills.

After each career, I listed some souvenirs I kept.

Here's that list.

Souvenirs: dog tags listing identity and ratings and excellent boots

Souvenirs: photo albums of early life

Souvenirs: Mer-hide clothing, fancy hats, and a trophy weapons' belt with over-decorated pistols and a presentation hanger (sword)

Souvenirs: clown makeup, juggling clubs, an impressive collection of card tricks, a fortune teller’s regalia (including crystal ball), and thieves tools

Souvenirs: multiple portfolios of my work as well as a collection of the work of others, a collection of dried up paints and worn pencils, and a habit of carrying a sketch book and doodling

Souvenirs: law enforcement training and experience, exposure to unusual creatures and abilities, several plain black suits (with matching dark sunglasses), and an unbreakable pocket comb

Disclaimer: I have not sent the list in yet and it has not been approved.

Many have heard that the Grimson was a PI like his father, and also that he spent decades hunting and warring with demons, but few know of his rise to pre-eminence in a certain shadow's Death Metal Hall of Fame under the nom de guerre Smilin'Jack. Over a hundred Battles of the Bands without a single casualty defeat.

Many have heard that the Grimson was a PI like his father, and also that he spent decades hunting and warring with demons, but few know of his rise to pre-eminence in a certain shadow's Death Metal Hall of Fame under the nom de guerre Smilin'Jack. Over a hundred Battles of the Bands without a single casualty defeat.

Defending the Heart of Rock 'n Roll?

That's Battle Rock, that is.

Is there anything else people have questions about or need clarification on? If I haven't answered you about something at this point, it's because I forgot or the forum ate my post and I didn't notice, so please re-ask anything I haven't answered yet.

I believe my public questions have been answered, but I have more private questions once you have answered the PM's.

As an aside, this is something I've been wondering about.
Question: What is the proper way to address a Viscount?

Now we know.
And knowing is half the battle.

Rrr. Just got a post eaten by the forum, and of course it's the one time I didn't save it before posting. My will to post this morning has been drained. I'll get to it later this evening.

For the moment, I've gotten skill plans from: Chaney, James, Eztil, and Roy.
Alric, Marjana, Nikolas, if you've sent me a list or posted one, I didn't see it. For reference, so far as I know, this is the last mechanical thing we're waiting on: I'll chat with y'all a little bit about some further possible relationships, parentage and whatnot, and then we're on the road to beginning for real.

On that note, thanks for bearing with the long process getting started here, guys - in a diced game, I wouldn't go into this much detail before jumping in, but since here roleplaying is all we do, this seems fairly important.