Item recipes

[scottishstorm]

I'd love to see some people's favourite item fabrications.  These could be twinky & exploitative, not-so-powerful but interesting, or just plain fun.

I'll start with a lame one I heard about.  It's amusing in its absuridity and simplicity.

"Infinite Katos" (6 points)

   Remember The Green Hornet?  Imagine a never-ending supply of trusty martial sidekicks  jumping out of the woodwork to aid you upon need:

• Combat training (1)
• Ubiquitous in shadow X6

(As a GM, this is cringe-worthy.  Though, it makes me smile!)

[gabriel_ss4u]

I'd love to see some people's favourite item fabrications.  These could be twinky & exploitative, not-so-powerful but interesting, or just plain fun.

I'll start with a lame one I heard about.  It's amusing in its absuridity and simplicity.

"Infinite Katos" (6 points)

   Remember The Green Hornet?  Imagine a never-ending supply of trusty martial sidekicks  jumping out of the woodwork to aid you upon need:

• Combat training (1)
• Ubiquitous in shadow X6

(As a GM, this is cringe-worthy.  Though, it makes me smile!)

I luv it, it could lend hours of fun and comedy relief as well as those nick-of-time saves (coupled with good points).
w/ bad points it could backfire almost as often, still loads of fun.

[yrtalien]

One of my players created this sword which I haven't OK'd yet but I like the idea of.

Fulcrum
Either side of the broad sword is polished to a mirror level or reflection.  When held to a trump of any kind the sword absorbs the image (which shows on the reflective blade) and allows it's use later, on demand.  It is in short an infinitely extensive Trump deck.  The source of the original Trump is rendered normal and blank (or might continue to exist I haven't decided).  The sword is dedicated to balance between Pattern (Order) and Logrus (Chaos) and one side is dedicated to those who have given themselves over to Order and the other to those who serve Chaos.  The sword occassionally forwarns of a shift in allegiance by moving the Trump image to the other side of the blade.

Fulcrum:

• Deadly Damage [4 points] (Cause it's a sword and he wants it to hurt)
• Extraordinary Pyschic Sense [4 poiints] (To determine if someone has switched sides)
• Powered by Trump [4 points] (To be able to "create" an infinite Deck)

The player has never read any of the novels and is going on what I've told him of the story.  When I heard what he wanted the sword to do all I could think was it's the Trump equivalent of Corwin's sword.  Thats if you can imagine a weapon of trump existing  Anyway I like it, I just hope I got the power costs right.

[scottishstorm]

I'm sorry, yrtalien, I don't understand your player's item.

How can a 4 point ability create a trump, let alone an initiate deck? (A "powered by trump" item may be able to duplicate an existing trump...).  What is it your player wants this sword to do?  Maybe it's something like this:

Once, I had an idea of a "powerd by trump" item based upon the trump sketch ability.  This item could gain a 'trump impression' of a location (not a person, just location) over time.  It could only hold one such impression at any given time.  But, as long as that location remained essentially the same (ie: wasn't destroyed or altered in a significant way), the item could be used to transport the character holding it to that location.

[yrtalien]

Feh, I don't write very well, I'm sorry.  I meant to say that Fulcrum duplicates a Trump that is held to it's blade (I have yet to decide if that means the original Trump rendered or useless or not).  Sorry if I didn't get that across  The idea is that someone with Trump Artistry (preferably the character) already created the Trump.  Fulcrum is just adopting the power because we couldn't come up with a way to paint the blade of a sword and the idea seemed neat to us:)

Oscar

[scottishstorm]

I think I'm starting to get the idea.    The blade may eventually have multiple images representing people.  With its psychic sensitivity, I could see the blade "knowing" anyone it has a trump image of.  So, the wielder will know if X-person is nearby.  The wielder could have an easier time finding that person within a given shadow, even if they didn't want to be found.

Arguably, I could see this leading to increased damage against people for whom the blade has a trump impression.

Thematically, the trump impression could be versed as something to do with 'soul' or similar mystical essence-of-being.  To have a 'trump' image inscribed on the blade gives power against this person.  Am I getting the idea?  If so, I think it's interesting.  Thanks.

Still, the item is 12 points.  Pretty hefty!  Here's an alternate suggestion:

* Doubling damage (2)
* Sensitivity to Danger (2)
* Powered by Trump (4) - increasing the psychic sensitivity to shadow-wide and damage dealt to deadly damage in respect to anyone whose trump image is inscribed on its blade.
8 points

In respect to the damage multiplier, the potential for "deadly damage" should be enough.  if your player is looking to start with deadly and try to get "destructive" damage, talk to him about it.  IMO, this high a damage rating can limit the fun for everyone involved.  The weapon is meant  to be a tool in defeating an enemy, not to kill the enemy essentially by itself.

[scottishstorm]

Extraordinary Pyschic Sense [4 poiints] (To determine if someone has switched sides)

Just a short FYI, psychic quality isn't reasoning ability.  The item can't "determine" anything.  it may be able to sense of someone is concealing an active threat, though not what that threat actually is.

As for switching sides, this is Amber.  Everyone is only ever truly one side.  Their own.

[yrtalien]

You've got the right idea Scottishstorm.

I hope you don't mind but I'm probably going to steal your idea about the bladed being deadly to anyone pictured in it.  

* Powered by Trump (4) - increasing the psychic sensitivity to shadow-wide and damage dealt to deadly damage in respect to anyone whose trump image is inscribed on its blade.

Brilliant!

[gabriel_ss4u]

Feh, I don't write very well, I'm sorry.  I meant to say that Fulcrum duplicates a Trump that is held to it's blade (I have yet to decide if that means the original Trump rendered or useless or not).  Sorry if I didn't get that across  The idea is that someone with Trump Artistry (preferably the character) already created the Trump.  Fulcrum is just adopting the power because we couldn't come up with a way to paint the blade of a sword and the idea seemed neat to us:)

Oscar

I think it would work better as a construct.
The player, or a participating ally would have to have Trump Artistry.
Then you basically give it to your construct, and it is the foci by which you see the trump image at later date.
An interesting thought might be that since it is a mirror image, all kinds of goodies can pop up in the storyline, like mirror world duplicates of the person, almost like the ultimate shadow copy.
read the stories in Mana from Heaven if you haven't yet.
interesting stuff there.
So your player wants this cool trump based weapon.
It can be a link to a mirror reality (the shadow that powers it, so ya wanna have the full package to keep others you don't want in... OUT), that can copy the image of a trump into it, (I'd have it leave any image it copied on the card or whatnot, but I would link it to a mirror world (shadow) that you could trap people within if they gaze long enough at the blade's reflection. An endless corridor maze of Mirrors some with the reflection of the trumps captured inside it.
"It's a picture of Uncle Bleys on this mirror,..."
You feel the image stir as the temperature around it dips...
"I'm busy at the moment, who is this?"
"I'm trapped in Prince Daniel's sword! Help!"
"Ha ha hahaha! How silly of you..." You feel Bley's trump/mirror go silent... reflective.

Imagine being stuck in there, and running into your opposite self.
"Looks like you Caine, but the patch is on his other eye."
add sorcery to it and it can be quite the epic monstrosity, or you can have him play it like Vampire Hunter D's demon-hand; More as a back-up when things get too hot...
("Left Hand, does though perform many important duties in the story. He uses to D's advantage his special psychic abilities, and often extracts truth and veritable bits of information that aid D on his wanderings. There are times when Left Hand must 'recharge' or regain his/its strength in order to perform. At these times D must combine wind, earth, fire and water for Left Hand to devour.") - from WikiP
Encourage your player to put thought into the creation and have questions designed to flush out the player's goals and wants.
I like his idea, and would enjoy GMing someone that wants to play and has never read the books yet. A true delight of an Amber GM.
Why, he prob. doesn't even know that constructs have a way of running away with themselves or someone else... I'd keep that a secret piece of info until given in game conversation as a piece of barter advice in char.
Swinging that sword with a spell trigger would make for wonderfully epic description and reputation.
I would see people being nervous around him once the secret got out that his sword could 'suck you up'.
Yeah, he'd have alot of attention.


Good points might help.
:::Gm eyes glazing over... creating stories in me knoggin':::

[RPGPundit]

Yeah, I think the kind of power level you're describing there is for a construct.

I might allow a reflective sword Powered By Trump to be able to copy and hold a single image at a time; the user having one free "trump" available at any moment. That would be more interesting from a roleplaying perspective too, as the player would then have to carefully choose when he wants to "replace" the Trump-image on his sword with a different one.

RPGPundit

[scottishstorm]

I'd love to see more examples of items from current/past games.  Be they exploitative and broken, interesting or simply just FUN.  (or some combination thereof)

I'm looking for creativity here.  Keep the items coming!



Something I've seen done in the past: A player makes an item either intentionally as a "wild card" or he/she runs out of points.  The item is made as usual, but with unspent points filled in with bad stuff directed specifically to the item.  Any thoughts or experiences here?

[downeymb]

I've always thought Saberhagen's First, Second, and Third Books of Swords would be a great basis for a game.  Bringing those twelve swords into Amber, with the elders constantly switching sides and going after the swords for their own motives and use would be pretty cool.

We mostly stayed away from items in my games, though we had someone who basically tried to duplicate Julian's armor except with shapeshifting ability added in.

[jibbajibba]

I posted my characters sword Severitus up before I think here it is again

Able to speak and sing (4)
Amber ranked Psyche (4)
Able to mould Shadow stuff (4)
Rack and Use named and numbered spells (4)
Amber ranked Combat (4)
Alternate form - pendant with a heavy gold chain (1) (we know this is at the limit of the bulk rules for alternate forms)

My character had a moderate rank in combat and was basically a sorcerer.

So in combat Hugo would generally fight defensively and the Sword would use mould shadow stuff to give him combat advantages like a loose flagstone, or a refection of a pane of glass, all subtle stuff based on its combat mastery.  It would also cast spells for the same advantage and if things went badly it woudl teleport Hugo out of there

typically the spells were

Strength on Hugo
Reverse Gravity on environment
Fly on Hugo
Teleport Hugo back to his base shadow
Invisibility on Hugo
Heat metal - used on opponents weapons/armour
Couple of electicity based damage spells
Telekinesis
Telport Hugo to his rooms in Amber set to work in Amber so no lynchpins



With this spell set and maybe a couple of others specific to the situation there was pretty much nothing we couldn't take.
Eventually Hugo further enchanted the weapon to have limited shapeshift and it became more of a familiar in its imp and dove forms. And he increased its damage but only really to make it harder to break.


In combat the old fly on Hugo reverse local gravity watch then smash into the ceiling trick was often employed especially against multiple opponents.