Archus Madwand's page

Can we get PDF versions of the pocket editions? The form factor of the pocket edition would fit on my tablet easier without having to zoom around.

@ Loup Blanc: Yes, Items is the section for building your very own little friends. And/or pets (of particular interest, horses).

As for the rest of it, you seem to have the basic idea down. We'll need to assign a point cost to making your gun(s) function in Amber and/or throughout Shadow, but it shouldn't be too expensive.

I've seen guns made like this:

For 1 point it creates bullets that work in the shadow you are in. 4 points the gun shifts reality so the bullets it makes/uses work... sometimes the GM wants to make you pony up more to work everywhere than just the 1 point.

the "homebody" type, it might make more sense as a scholar type? Too busy researching things for all that tedious shadow walking and stuff.

A homebody type could also be someone who took a more active role in the defense of amber (the city, world, and golden circle). The various positions of power @Viscount will auction certainly would give a character the investment to stick around.

So it is not the "atypical" RPG game where I start from humble beginnings then. Would it be the opposite? Where I want to venture out into the shadow and take it all in? The crunch seems fairly understandable, bid even if it is 1 point so I don't completely SUCK.

Nope, even the younger generation of Amberites are basically demi-gods. One arm throwing a couch, fighting a small army single handed, etc. are all in the realm of possibility for us.

I guess I am having a hard time with the "behind the scenes" logistics? Any help or direction I can be pointed in?

The Chronicles of Amber Wiki pages

Shadow Knight, the supplement to the Amber RPG had a good plot summary too.

My character idea thus far. I'll write up a full background sometime.

@YttriumDervish Yep, you don't even have to bid on the initial auction at all to later buy up to on of the other X.5 ranks. You might want to bid simply to ensure there is a low enough cost rank for your comfort. I had one game where the lowest Warfare rank cost was 50... the GM actually ended up extending the ranks down so there was somewhere people could buy in at when we got new players.

I actually don't like the auctions because they didn't work particularly well with my group size, norms of play, etc. I've heard they are really good for large groups, doing a throne war, with a set cast of characters... not something that my groups have done. My one throne war type scenario had the cliche "call for volunteer to step forward and all but one person steps back" happen.

YttriumDervish The bids by RAW go like this: Everyone opens with an initial bid then bidding really commences for the highest value. Whatever your last bid was, is what you spend (once bid those points are spent on that attribute). Then the attributes are ranked in order of how much was spent. After the auction you can choose to "buy-in" at one of the existing ranks and you are considered rank X.5.

So say the bidding for Warfare ends up at
Rank 1: 60
Rank 2: 57
Rank 3: 20
Rank 4: 1

Anyone can secretly plop down a total of 60 points on warfare and be rank 1.5.

If you want to be ranked at all, it would be wise to at least start with an opening bid. Attribute auctions can be very top heavy or have big gaps in their costs.

I'm focusing more on the concept/name that didn't collide with thejeff. Likely going with a far travelling amberite with shape shifting... I like the idea of describing walking shadow while shifting form to take paths most don't.

As I walked around the tree I began to hear the surf ahead. Then, through a gap in the trees, I could see the cliff falling into an endless orange sea. Running I jumped from the cliff and scales rippled across my skin before I struck the water. My fins kicked strongly as I swam into a cave system toward a purple light. The sound of the water became a roar as it cascaded from the mouth of a cave over a waterfall. Feathers replaced scales as I launched into the mauve sky over a river cutting through a red desert....

Trying not to have eyes for concepts/powers that don't exceed my points and leave me something for the auction :)

Another question about the general superhuman nature of Amberites: Are they functionally immortal with regards to age in the Shadow? Obviously they live longer than average humans, as you said in your first post, but would it be fitting to have a character who's spent decades doing things in various Shadows? I'm still mulling through concepts but I think I'm getting closer and closer to something I like.

My comments are by the fiction books and typical games, no assumption of how the GM rules it.

Amberites are functionally immortal unless killed and because of some of their powers and the fact they cast shadows themselves, even if you have a body they may not be dead (everyone potentially has a "doombot" that actually dided).

Some of the characters in the books have literally been around since the dawn of time across the multiverse (or at least the birth of all the shadows). Even among the elders (Oberon's children like Corwin) some are an order of magnitude older like Benedict with rumors of even older children.

Typically players are a relatively new generation but still may be centuries old. Some are actually the age they look were they human.

Basically Amberites are demi-gods akin to Hercules wherever they go and in some worlds may actually have the powers of an actual god (especially if they pay points for the shadow).

Edit for forgetting a note
Time flows differently in different shadows (always forward) so you could have been born centuries/millennia ago Amber time but be only 20 years old your time ... or vice versa. Tracking birthdays is painful in the Amber multiverse.

Have you been reading my character notes?

Even down to Wayland Smith. :)

I'd be especially nervous if you were also thinking this for looks, symbol, and color :). (using some ideas I put together for an amber game that didn't get far)

Even if we did have different names/concepts, I've found that pattern based sorcerers tend to look similar since you have to take sorcery and conjuration in order to buy an item that racks spells (the item being pretty much required for any sorcerer unless you have logrus). Those three things eat into your points so there is some similarity in numbers.

Of course Pattern and "ye gods its expensive" Logrus + Shapeshifting eat away the points. One of the reasons Lords of Gossamer made the universe traveling power just 10 points. Many thanks to Viscount for making Pattern just part of the basic character.

I'm not married to playing Wayland, the other concepts are also interesting.

Glad to hear 'em! You are by no means required to nail yourself down to one before creation is complete, as the nature of the game can change concept significantly during creation, but I would like to hear at least one slightly more fleshed out concept before we get started.

I tend to make Amber characters without being heavily swayed by auctions unless my concept is "number one at X"... none of my current concepts require that. For some the auction is like a drug and one of their favorite parts of the game causing drastic character changes (numerous times I've seen people unable to purchase a way around shadow). The auction isn't my favorite part (playing around in the setting is). I prefer to model my character and basically open with a bid of my minimum acceptable stat to make sure I can afford it then buy up after the auction if I have points left over and there are rungs I can actually afford.

The more I think about it, when we get around to the auction for this thing, I think I may try and organize a time when we can all log in to a live chat room or some such. If that proves impossible, we'll go back to the posting plan, but it will definitely make it all easier and faster if we can just hash it out over an hour or so instead of taking days posting back and forth.

I typically have trouble getting online in real-time. But I may only be making an initial bid anyway.

No one from Chaos in this one, sorry, this is a game for Amber - although some of the Chaos-ish abilities are allowed, aside from the Logrus itself, representing some Chaos heritage.

Fair enough, the game seemed amber family themed but I thought I'd ask. So someone could take, for example, shapeshifting to represent a closer tie to chaos than normal for a later generation amberite?

Are any of the powers from the book up for use other than Logrus? What about advanced powers?

I've got a few vague ideas, names, backgrounds, and motivations subject to change (or being created).

• Wayland - Sorcerer, smith, tinkerer.
  
• Caden- Shapeshifting to walk where few amberites go
  
• Trump artist, never played one

Color me interested in Amber or Lord so Gossamer. I've played/run numerous Amber games and created a couple Lords characters for games that never really got off the ground.

Looks like everyone is intended to be of Amber descent but not necessarily from Amber or even walked the pattern (although default is to have walked it). Is playing someone from the Courts, either descended from someone from Amber (several options there) or not?

I've played plenty of amberites but never a chaosian. Could pony up the points to have both Pattern and Logrus or even if a descendant of Amber just decided to give it a miss (80 points is a huge chunk of change).

Have ideas for "just an amberite" as well if logrus isn't available.

If your primary goal is to really be a Witch, that is tough. But if what you really want is hexes and a witch like feel, then a Hexcrafter Magus is a pretty nice compromise. Add in Bladebound and you might be Zannah like.

... some of the suggested builds dip into white hair witch for more hair action

Hexcrafter Discussion

... I see that someone already mentioned the hexcrafter while I wandered off. One of my favorite archetypes and some good ideas in the discussion

Varian - I think he has evolved into an Arcanist (Blade Adept). You could make a case for being a magus but there were many cases where he said he is a wizard and a sorcerer. Maybe toss a level or two of monk in there. Could argue for some Investigator or even Aristocrat... personally I'd never saddle a PC with an NPC class just to say they are a noble though (the class doesn't even give you the money that Varian has... so not sure how I'd "balance him as a PC").

Radovan - Rogue/X, up until the end of the last book he definitely was looking to being a Summoner (Synthesist). This book that seems to be gone.

Those two definitely have fluid classes. I think they have "gone up levels" during the stories but they also seem to swap out levels when it makes sense.

They both might have mythic levels.

While I still hate the new price for e-books (see above), I really enjoyed the novel. Further adventures of Varian and Radovan will be on my buy list... I'll still grumble about the e-book price. I love those characters and their adventures.

Its unlikely I'll continue to buy every Pathfinder Tales book like I did in the past.

Late to the party but sad about the 50% price increase to buy on the kindle ($6.99 directly to Piazo vs $9.99 on Amazon for Lord of Runes). I've purchased all but one of the epub books and that might stop now because I can't stand the ebook price gouging I've seen with numerous publishers.

Its not "the cost of converting to 'all those formats'" (heard that from some publisher interviews) ... I've put every one of those books on my kindle and it takes a few minutes to do the conversion using free software. Pure text novels are trivial to convert and it works flawlessly.

Maybe I'll buy one last book to see Jeggare and Radovan in action again because I've enjoyed all the other books from the author. But any new authors, forget it at this price.

Incorporeal creatures' spells effect the real world normally. The rules for incorporeal say they take 50% damage from non-force magical effects but not the other way around.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/conditions#TOC-Incorporeal
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules #TOC-Incorporeal-Ex-

Also uncarnate aren't undead so channel energy and holy water don't do damage either.

Incorporeal (Ex)

An incorporeal creature has no physical body. It can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. It is immune to all nonmagical attack forms. Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, it takes only half damage from a corporeal source (except for channel energy). Although it is not a magical attack, holy water can affect incorporeal undead. Corporeal spells and effects that do not cause damage only have a 50% chance of affecting an incorporeal creature. Force spells and effects, such as from a magic missile, affect an incorporeal creature normally.

An incorporeal creature has no natural armor bonus but has a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma bonus (always at least +1, even if the creature’s Charisma score does not normally provide a bonus).

An incorporeal creature can enter or pass through solid objects, but must remain adjacent to the object’s exterior, and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own. It can sense the presence of creatures or objects within a square adjacent to its current location, but enemies have total concealment (50% miss chance) from an incorporeal creature that is inside an object. In order to see beyond the object it is in and attack normally, the incorporeal creature must emerge. An incorporeal creature inside an object has total cover, but when it attacks a creature outside the object it only has cover, so a creature outside with a readied action could strike at it as it attacks. An incorporeal creature cannot pass through a force effect.

An incorporeal creature’s attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields, although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor) work normally against it. Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air. Incorporeal creatures cannot fall or take falling damage. Incorporeal creatures cannot make trip or grapple attacks, nor can they be tripped or grappled. In fact, they cannot take any physical action that would move or manipulate an opponent or its equipment, nor are they subject to such actions. Incorporeal creatures have no weight and do not set off traps that are triggered by weight.

An incorporeal creature moves silently and cannot be heard with Perception checks if it doesn’t wish to be. It has no Strength score, so its Dexterity modifier applies to its melee attacks, ranged attacks, and CMB. Nonvisual senses, such as scent and blindsight, are either ineffective or only partly effective with regard to incorporeal creatures. Incorporeal creatures have an innate sense of direction and can move at full speed even when they cannot see.

No problem GM, my daughter is quite the handful herself. "Why did you tear apart your my little pony castle? Why are you on the table? Yes we can spend the next 4 hours coloring while watching Wall-E."

Interesting, not much in the way of characters with healing submitted. Brundara and Nathaniel are it (Zirren and others could make do with wands if they are found). I could dust off a druid, cleric, or oracle build I've got in hero lab .... maybe in time for the deadline.

You might want to give a little more description, a lot of people aren't going to sign up or into an unknown yahoo group.

Indeed. I looked at the yahoo group, saw it was pretty active, but had no idea what level or characters were in play to know what to pitch.

Here is my character. Tried posting yesterday right as the power went down at Paizo. I'll make an official character account shortly. In combat he is focused on summoning and control. Out of combat he is a scholar and a face (Orator is a very cool feat).

@GM What do you think of the Arcanist Occultist archetype?
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/arcanist/archetypes/paizo--- arcanist-archetypes/occultist

You wanted to avoid the Summoner and the Occultist is a Summon Monster focused class. So I wanted to know if it was just Summon Monster or the Edolion and the rest that made you want to avoid the Summoner.

Tempted by the 1min/level duration ... at 1st level summon monster is hardly worth it at 1 rnd/level (sneeze and they are gone). But I could easily make an Arcanist without any archetype. Could even make a Wizard if you aren't fond of the Arcanist in general (they are a bit new).

Finally, I catch a recruitment thread near the beginning. I'd be interested in playing a a Arcanist (new class I've been itching to try, but could easily be a wizard). Pathfinder Recruit and Infected Family Member both look interesting. The former if I play an elf the latter if I play a human or half-elf (away at school and returned to find the infection or got a letter).

Need to read the Heroes of Bestfell and come up with a more concrete background.

This might also provide some info on the area.
http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Falcon%27s_Hollow

One thing I've considered is making the the Synth use their own stats, but get the bonuses to Str/Dex that normal Eidolons get.

I've been thinking that the base form should provide physical stat mods instead of being a base. The mod could be the base form stat minus 10. Making the biped STR +6 DEX +2 CON +3 (maybe 2 or 4 to go with even)... So it no longer looks so awesome selling back all your physical stats like the 3.X Druid.

Another unrelated idea is for an option for synthesists to change the class Summon Monster to some sort of polymorph... Becoming the thing they would have summoned. Similar to eidolon where keep mental stats and use summoned physical to mod yours. Gain all abilities of summon (loosing out on action economy but otherwise no better than summoning other than possibly movement). Could just keep same Temp HP, HP, and Damage as if using eidolon. I'd probably require the change to be done while eidolon summoned as a temp reconfig of its ability and polymorph of character for small critters. When "summon" over revert back to eidolon form.

Thought of renaming the archetype to Channeler as the are channeling the powers and form of the beyond