Stuff

In Amber, characters make their own luck.

An update on Stuff

Or, to be more accurate, they buy their own luck.

As a player, you use Stuff to determine the character's luck and karma. Stuff works in three ways.

First, Stuff determines the character's luck. Good Stuff makes the character lucky, Bad Stuff unlucky, and, with Zero Stuff, the character has no particular advantage or disadvantage.

Second, Stuff is used as a way of declaring the 'karma' or 'alignment' of a character's personality. This is mostly manifested in terms of a character's perceptions, especially for characters with large amounts of Stuff (either Bad or Good).

Third, Stuff can be used by players to adjust their character's points. Extra points can be spent on Good Stuff, while point shortages can be made up by accepting Bad Stuff.

Good Stuff characters are in harmony with the universe, and tend to be friendly and loyal to their families.

Bad Stuff characters are self-centred and tend to use those people who care about them.

Zero Stuff characters are neutral, walking a middle way.

Stuff Quantity

What is a large amount of Bad Stuff or Good Stuff, how many points? It's relative, and there is no absolute answer. It depends on how many points all the players spend on Good Stuff and Bad Stuff.

If you take all the players' Stuff scores, and end up with an average of six points of Good Stuff, then five points of Bad Stuff will be a lot, but eight points of Good Stuff might be only a relatively small amount.

Good Stuff

Characters with Good Stuff will tend to have good luck. In combat, when characters take risks, Good Stuff will mean they are more likely to succeed. The more Good Stuff, the luckier the character. Anytime an event has a 'chance' element, Good Stuff will push the result to the advantage of the character.

Good Stuff Attitude

First impressions count, and when you're holding Good Stuff, people will tend to take a shine to you. Taking Good Stuff means declaring that your character comes across as a friendly person.

Good Stuff Encounters

As the Amber campaign develops, the Story Guide is always designing 'encounters' for each of the characters. Good Stuff means that the events, contacts, and other encounters will tend to be helpful and beneficial for the character.

Why some players love Good Stuff

No more bad dice rolls! They never have to worry about things turning out badly just because some regular solids roll a certain way on a flat surface. Having Good Stuff means being naturally lucky, being instantly liked, and always getting the benefit of the doubt.

Bad Stuff

The only advantage of Bad Stuff is that you get points for taking it.

How Bad is Bad?

It's really bad. Every time something is left up to chance, your Story Guide is going to have a look at your Stuff. Any Bad Stuff, and the Story Guide is going to assume that 'chance' just took a turn for the worst.

Bad Stuff Attitude

Anyone with Bad stuff is going to have to overcome their first impressions. There's something sinister about a character with Bad Stuff, something vaguely repellent. The more Bad Stuff the worse it is. Of course, it isn't permanent. You can always talk your way into a better reception, it's just an uphill fight when your Bad Stuff puts a sour note into your first introduction.

Bad Stuff Encounters

When the Story Guide is looking around for a fall guy, somebody to find out something unpleasant, or for someone to experience the first attack from an unknown enemy, guess who the Story Guide is going to pick? Right, the one with Bad Stuff. This isn't as bad as it sounds. Since bad things happen to people with Bad Stuff, it can be fun. After all, the more points of Bad Stuff you've got, the more exciting your character's life will become.

Bad Stuff Warning

You never run out of Bad Stuff. As long as the character 'owes' points, the Bad Stuff will just keep coming and coming. It doesn't matter that ten minutes ago your character just had three outrageously bad breaks, because Bad Stuff doesn't get used up and the Story Guide can apply it all over again.

Bad Stuff Combat

Ooh. The worst aspect of Bad Stuff is in combat. You won't even know about all the bad breaks you'll be getting. The mistake the other guy could have made, but didn't. A split decision that turns against you because of a run of misfortune. Yes, you've got to be pretty skilled to make up for a healthy dose of Bad Stuff.

Don't forget that Bad Stuff is also an indicator of how bad a wound can be. Enough Bad Stuff, at the wrong time in a combat, and the character could end up dead.

Why some players like Bad Stuff

Sure, they've got to take a few falls from time to time, and they do end up with hard knocks, but Bad Stuff has three advantages.

First, the story is more exciting, because the Story Guide throws more surprises, traps and attacks at folks with Bad Stuff.

Second, a character with Bad Stuff has a sinister, evil appearance, just the right kinda guy for some players!

Third, those extra points can be used for making a more powerful character.

Zero Stuff

Neutrality is kind of a strange topic, isn't it? But, if you've avoided getting Good Stuff or Bad Stuff, that makes you Neutral, a Zero Stuff character. Zero Stuff characters tend to be very well balanced, and are often the most Power-oriented characters in the campaign.

All well and good, but remember that Zero Stuff characters have also set themselves up with a certain attitude, a kind of 'wait and see' approach.

Why some players like Zero Stuff

There is an air of mystery about a character with Zero Stuff. Also, characters with Zero Stuff are built just right, with no points missing, and no points left over. Plus, with Zero Stuff every encounter starts from neutral, and the character has the optimum range of choices.

Stuff and Luck

The secret is for the Story Guide to picture an situation and figure out whether a character's luck might play a role. In the following scene, a character is performing a difficult manoeuvre.

SG: The hounds are behind you, and the hunters with the spears are getting pretty close. Looking down over the edge of the cliff, you see a tiny ledge, obviously ice covered like the rest of the mountain side. What are you doing?

Player: I'll take the chance, I jump down.

What happens next can depend on the character's Stuff. Here, ranging from lots of Good Stuff, to lots of Bad Stuff, are five options.

To Harick, a character with a lot of Good Stuff:

SG: Slipping forward, you stagger, miraculously slipping under the spear point. That bit of fortunate missed footing has put you in easy range of the enemy's belly. You can strike with your sword, punch him right in the gut, or toss him over the edge. What are you doing?

To Dorell, with a little bit of Good Stuff:

SG: You land on the ledge, sliding a bit as one foot goes off the edge, but you catch hold of a solid bit of rock. What are you doing?

To Ariel, a character with Zero Stuff:

SG: You sprawl down on the ice-covered ledge, your feet going out from under you, one boot goes over the edge, but your hand brushes a tip of stone, catching just a finger on the slippery ice. Your grip won't last another second! What are you doing?

To Morgan, a character with a bit of Bad Stuff:

SG: You land on the ledge, but your feet slide over the edge, twisting you and knocking you flat on your stomach. You are continuing to slide off, your legs flailing in empty space, watching the ice slide by. Frantic, your fingers find no purchase on the slippery ice. You're a man on his way to oblivion, what are you doing about it?

To Edward, a character just loaded with Bad Stuff:

SG: Oops! You land hard on your left, and a spasm of pain from your ankle reaches you just as you slide clear off the ledge, your palms and fingers go bloody from trying to get a handhold on the jagged rock edge. You are making the long fall down toward the noisy water. What are you doing before you hit?

Stuff and Other People

Here's another example of how the universe reacts to a character's Stuff, where the setting is a first meeting with an unknown person. The more Real the other character is, the less they are affected by your Stuff in reacting to you.

SG: Stepping through the mysterious Trump, you feel that there was some kind of barrier in the place, a barrier that may have just been dispelled by the use of the card. Looking around, across the room you see an armoured man, seated on an iron chair.

Player: I'll cautiously step closer.

SG: Without opening his eyes, the man brushes away cobwebs from his face. He uses the back of his left hand to do this, and you get a good look at the palm side of the hand. Strong, blunt fingers, badly in need of a manicure, and the centre of his palm is stained with a blotch of something dark and brown and spidery. What are you doing?

Player: I'll say, 'Who are you?'

SG: He opens his eyes, which are bright and hard, and young and green. He looks you over. His voice is deep and scratchy when he repeats your question. 'Who are you?' he says.

Player: I give him my name, 'I'm a scion of Amber', I say, 'and I would have your name.'

Now the response to the character's question would vary, and here are the variations, ranging from a lot of Good Stuff, to a lot of Bad Stuff.

To Harick, a character with a lot of Good Stuff:

SG: He chuckles. Green eyes twinkle. 'It has been a long time since I've seen such a brash youngling. Yvonne, I am Darcy, a servant of your kinsman Finndo. If you would have my favour, tell me of Amber.'

To Dorell, with a little bit of Good Stuff:

SG: His features ease a touch, the green eyes lose a bit of their hard glare. He says, 'Long ago I was known as Darcy. You may call me that, if you wish.'

To Ariel, a character with Zero Stuff:

SG: He answers slowly, cautiously, his green eyes neutral. 'I am an old man, but not an Amberite. Why do you ask?'

To Morgan, a character with a bit of Bad Stuff:

SG: The green eyes glow hard. 'Never heard of you', he says. And he says nothing more.

To Edward, a character just loaded with Bad Stuff.

SG: He squints. His sword slides noisily out of its scabbard, green sparks flickering as metal scrapes metal. 'You go too far, and you remind me of ancient days, and the betrayal of my master by his kinsman.'

Stuff and Your Perceptions

We each look at the world differently, filtering everything through our attitudes and beliefs. There's an old saying that optimists will see a glass as half full, while a pessimist would see the glass as half empty. The more Good Stuff a character has, the more a glass will seem to be full, and the more Bad Stuff, the emptier the glass appears. The more Stuff, whether Good or Bad, you buy, the more your character's perceptions will be altered. Small amounts of Stuff won't alter things much.

Here is an example of what our five sample characters might see in the same situation, this time where the non-player character only reacts to the player character's actions.

SG: The smells, sights and sounds of this part of Amber all tell you that the sea is nearby, and that here is a place for the common sailor to relax informally. In other words, there are more brothels and bars than you can shake a stick at.

Player: This looks like the right place to ask about the Goldenrod. I'll walk into the nearest bar.

SG: Okay, once inside, after the moment it takes your eyes to adjust to the gloom and the tobacco smoke, you see three sailors seated at a table, an old man in merchant's robes off by himself in the far corner. A woman sits behind the bar, her face hidden by the book she seems to be reading. In a back room you can hear the sounds of water sloshing around. What are you doing?

Player: I'll walk up to the bar, and throw a coin on the counter, and ask for a beer.

Now what each player character sees varies according to their perceptions. In this case the woman behind the bar is a customer, and someone of importance, just filling in for the real barmaid who is doing some washing in the back room.

The sailors are no threat, just a jolly bunch out for a good time.

They'll fight if insulted, but will be friendly to anyone who treats them well. The merchant in the corner is a mage, hostile to Amber, and a danger to any player character. The closer to Zero Stuff a character has, the clearer the true picture of what is happening.

To Harick, a character with a lot of Good Stuff:

SG: The woman puts down her book, and gives you a sultry look as she reaches for a glass. You realise that she is as out of place here as a thoroughbred champion in a glue factory.

The sailors seem happy, friendly guys.

'Light beer or dark?' the woman asks, in an inviting tone. What are you doing?

To Dorell, with a little bit of Good Stuff:

SG: The woman puts down her book, looking at you thoughtfully as she reaches for a glass. She seems kind of high class for this joint.

Behind you the sailors are sharing some joke, and the robed figure off in the corner seems impressed with you.

'Light beer or dark?' the woman asks, in a pleasant tone of voice. What are you doing?

To Ariel, a character with Zero Stuff:

SG: The woman puts down her book, looks at you perceptively, and reaches for a glass. She doesn't seem the barmaid type.

The sailors are acting a bit rowdy, and the robed figure off in the corner is looking you over.

'Light beer or dark?' the woman asks. She has a familiar look about her, like she's one of the family. What are you doing?

To Morgan, a character with a bit of Bad Stuff:

SG: The woman lowers her book, looks coolly at you, and reaches for a glass. She looks suspiciously familiar.

A couple of the sailors look over at you, point, and the group erupts in noisy laughter.

'Light beer or dark?' the woman asks, disrespectfully.

You notice she didn't bother calling you sir. What are you doing?

To Edward, a character just loaded with Bad Stuff:

SG: The barmaid, still holding her book, gives you a surly look, and slowly reaches for a glass. Obviously the service around here leaves something to be desired.

'Light beer or dark?' she asks, in a haughty tone, as if you were some scum off the street. As she says it the sailors erupt into laughter, obviously sharing a joke at your expense. What are you doing?

Monday, August 25, 1997
Suhuy
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