Amber: Homecoming
House Rules

Most rules are, in general, for any game I run, but some of these are specific for Amber: Homecoming. Those that fall into the latter category will be marked as such.

1. Character creation [A:Home] - Characters are given a certain number of Points and/or freebies depending on chosen origin. Players are then allowed to assign Points however they will. Characters with origins in Shadow are suggested to reserve 50 Points for Pattern, which would then be taken once they arrive in Amber. Players then give me their character sheets, and I make notes in my records. Ranks are not announced, nor are they privately given to the Players; since none of the characters in this game grew up together -- and that is the DRPG's reasoning for why Players know the Ranks of Characters other than their own -- I decided to leave the Rank structure unknown to the Players, forcing them to find it out In Character and In Game. At my questioning -- and the Players' agreement -- I will give out information as regards to certain things about the game. These are the Game Stats.

2. Allies, &c. - Exactly as written in the DRPG. If you don't remember everything that it says, I suggest you re-read it.

3. Stuff [A:Home] - Generally more relative than depicted in the DRPG. Per the DRPG, 10 Points of Bad Stuff means that it's a miracle you can walk down the street without being mugged, sodomized, and sold into slavery. My rules aren't that extreme. At the game's outset, there is a limit of 10 Points either way. Afterwards, however, players are allowed to spend Points as they see fit. So, while a Zero Stuff character with no Pattern at the outset could walk it later on, s/he would then be at 50 Points of Bad Stuff. This does not mean that only extremely bad things will happen to that character, but it should be expected by the player that a high number of unfortunate things will happen in this state.

4. Contributions [A:Home] - This is different from the DRPG. Additional Contribution Points can be earned as the game progresses. Point Value will be determined on an individual basis, and the value will not be known until Advancement. At Advancement, I will give each player a list detailing Contributions and what value I assigned to them. These Points can be used in Advancement as per Advancement Rules.

5. Advancement [A:Home] - Considering the vastly different way I did Character Creation, I posited some options to the players for Advancement. They chose this one. For Advancement, I will tell the players how many Advancement Points I am giving out. (I will also give out lists of Contributions and Points earned for them, if applicable.) The Players then may add their earned Points however they see fit. Players will then give me their updated sheets so that I may update my records. If the Players so desire, I will then announce the new totals, as are detailed on the game stats page.

6. Pattern -

7. Logrus [A:Home] - Logrus was non-existant at the start of this version of Amber: Homecoming. For the Chaos equivalent in this game, see Tom deMayo's Logrusless Chaos here. (Currently, Suhuy is the only initiate of Logrus, as he has just developed it in-game.)

8. Trump -

9. Shape-Shifting -

10. Conjuration - As per the DRPG; no changes.

11. Sorcery - Does not require quite as much upkeep as the DRPG indicates. Lynchpins are still used, however.

12. Power Words - As per the DRPG; no changes.

13. Artifacts/Creatures - As per the DRPG; no changes.

14. Shadows - As per the DRPG; no changes.

15. Partial Powers - Depends on the Power. Basic Pattern can not be purchased partially. Others, though, can. The Point values vary by ability, so if you want to purchase a Partial Power, ask me about it. I'll tell you the Point value for that ability from the DRPG, and we can talk about how your character discovered that ability. (If you already have a full Basic Power, advanced abilities can be purchased without additional explanation; paying for that ability can be attributed to personal discoveries while experimenting.)

16. Exalted Powers - These may or may not exist. (Note: this is not to be taken as "The GM hasn't decided yet"; rather, the GM has decided, but this is all he's saying on the matter.)

17. Psychic Contact - Trump, as the books indicate, allows for direct mind-to-mind contact. Eye contact and/or physical contact are NOT sufficient to initiate full Psychic Contact, unless specific Shadow Laws dictate such to be the case. (Depending on the situation, however, eye contact could allow one person to accurately identify another.) A finely crafted Spell might allow a basic Psychic Contact, but a full Psychic Contact by way of Sorcery would require more than just knowledge of the Sorcerous Arts.

18. Martial Arts - Depends on the style, but usually makes use of a bit of a blend of Strength, Endurance, and Warfare as the analyzed Attribute. If you're using an unarmed style, that focuses mostly on Strength. If it's a fast or flashy style, Endurance. If it's an armed style, Warfare. If it's a style that makes use of chi and you're in a Shadow that supports it, that'll even bring Psyche into it.

19. Rank Superiority/Value of Points - Points only matter in determining where one's Rank is for a given Attribute. Beyond that, Atribute "comparison" is determined by Rank. If two Amberites are fencing, skill will be determined by Rank; the Amberite with the higher Rank will be considered better. If, however, two Amberites who hold a First Rank are sparring and each of them is using the Attribute in which he holds First Rank, then both will be considered equally skilled and the match will not have a definite victor, even if the Point Value of the given First Ranks are drastically different. (For example, let's say two martial artists are fighting, one with First Rank in Strength with 20 Points and the other with First Rank in Endurance with 40 Points. If both make use of styles that rely on the Attribute in which he holds First Rank, then there will not be a clear victor, and other variables will need to be introduced.)

20. Twist of Cain - Whenever -- over the game location's sound system -- a song by Danzig plays, all players are at -5 for their rolls, and all NPCs are at +5 to their rolls.

This page last updated on Wednesday, 04-Jun-2003 17:15:49 CDT | contact webmaster