:: Thursday, April 1 ::
ambercon 2010 :: the aftermath report
"(Martin's) got a bad case of 'God Benedict is so awesome' and 'Dad, you suck.'" -- Gérard to Avia (from Changing Hands slot 7)
So a very nice Ambercon in Detroit, Michigan. Many thanks to all the GMs and Players who give of themselves so strongly. We win!
the brief reviews...
Agents of the Argent Rose (Arref game)
I note that this has become something of a family romp through a very broad canvas. Yet it satisfies in a way that a canon elder game through an earlier age in Amber might. We have the movers and shakers, the little games between the sibs and their pleasant conflicting motifs.
The asides and snarky wit of the cousins for each other is stronger than any plot.
Suffice, it may be that there is war between China and France coming, for the Imperial Princess returns to China, not chastened by the superior glory of France but inspired by the cousins to break her chains.
Oh, and Grandmama and Grandpere Corwin are speaking again. Separate bedrooms but very much in lust. Perhaps the world will be well, despite the loss of Cousin Max to vile Stigmatists. Farewell, Max, we shall all miss you.
Quotes at link above.
In the Lonesome October (Paul Vlamis game)
Full of win. Lovely reproduction of the original material with full props to Zelazny on charm and etiquette of the archetypes. I found the other Players full of wit and style with their unique sets of Hero/Villains. Smashing game. Yes, the Openers lost, just barely. Darn.
Major Hatreds/Petty Animosities (Madeline game)
Full of win. Random is a punk. Gerard is sly. Eric panics and kills Corwin on earth when the elders settle in to play family politics with Flora's plans in the middle east. Flora is dear. Fiona and Bleys are charmingly ruthless while Brand expounds and explodes in every direction.
Llewella: clueless as she misconstrues all events and tries an alliance with Random.
Oberon squashes Fiona/Bleys...and sets Eric on Brand's trail. Score one for Random and Flora and Gerard...the only ones to really come out well.
House of Midnight and Fire (Arref game)
Eric's plans to keep the throne surface twenty years after he is dead. Six very impressive scions of King Eric meet to discuss taking the throne back from Random. They bring secret weapons and plenty of guts.
But what's this? Instead of invading, they decide to personally scout the Amber situation. So they infiltrate and then charm their way directly to the Eternal City. They get sell-sword jobs and join guilds. They buy buckets. They get fed and get the inside scoop on the war with Chaos. They find out their father is a hero, who died defending the Realm.
They find out no one really understands how Random became king...but Gerard handed him the throne and there seems to be little conflict in peaceful Amber.
They pass through Random's security and at least one walks the Pattern. One gets thrown into the dungeon and quickly escapes. Finally they get an appointment with the King and have a dinner, meet the Queen and discuss current events.
Mordu (PC Paul Vlamis): "Worst throne war EVAR!"
Privately, the scions realize that they have a very very very good chance to kicking Random's ass right outta the country.
Then what? Very nifty game with good roles handled by all.
Clandestine Chronicles of the Cobalt Charter (Arref game)
Three new players came up to speed very well with my experimental premise that has now run some six times. A game completely at the mercy of the Players and their wit...this time around, three plots were handled well until Julia Barnes tripped into a trap of the Chaos Vendetta on her.
But the Players quickly regrouped to save the day. Kudos to those mad bad shadow folk in their defiance of the Poles of Reality. Maybe next year, Amber will have a reaction to Viral Unicorn Sightings?
Dashing Blades (Sol Foster game)
Ever wanted to swashbuckle in good ol' Amber before there was a Corwin? This game was a sweet play for me. Been hoping to see it play for a while. New guy (me) got a trifle enthusiastic and foolish trying to measure up to the Blades and their reputation.
Suffered minor wounds....a lot.
Changing Hands (Arref game)
Over fifty shadows essential to Amber's future well being? How do we know what Chaos might have done to them while Amber was under siege?
Send out the young amberites while the Elders wrangle a treaty. That's how.
Very awesome game with full PC wit on show. Infiltration. Shootouts. Magic. Poison. Cultists. Talking horses. Acres of flaming death. Shadows full of Black Grass. Beheadings. Science. Steam-powered tanks.
Lovely. Thank you for the great roleplay I saw in this game. I also appreciate the quotes listed at the link above.
Soft Cimmerian: Mirror Teeth (Arref game)
Quiet game of intrigue and relationships between 10 people (3 PCs this year).
Really indescribable here. My kudos to the Players. Very very cool.
I can say this: Guisels 3000 Amblerash 5
'Tis a fabulous way to end the convention.
:: Wednesday, March 10 ::
Exhibitions - Science Fiction Hall of Fame
Science Fiction Hall of Fame
EMP|SFM is proud to announce the 2010 Hall of Fame inductees: Octavia E. Butler, Richard Matheson, Douglas Trumbull and Roger Zelazny.
:: Thursday, February 18 ::
IMC :: the Jewel of Judgement :: commentary tracks
Quote: Originally Posted by TrevelyanIMC, the Jewel stores memory copies of all the people who attune to it. It has information from the Serpent stored inside. It also energizes all sorts of arcane methodologies.What practical use can be made out of them is down to your players. Generally speaking, the most interesting uses for the Jewel are going to be non canon.
You can summon things from the Jewel that have been stored there. Winds. Lightning. Oberon. The Serpent.
You can also explore the unwalked paths within the Pattern of the Jewel and find elements not incorporated into Amber. Imagine what things you might find or be distracted by.
TonyLB said:Oooh ... sorta like God's DVD-commentary track.
"Yeah, we looked into the idea of incorporating happy endings into the universe, but it didn't poll well. Still, if you wanted to do it, here's how ...."
:: Tuesday, February 16 ::
ambercon 2010 : final games
Slot 1) Agents of the Argent Rose: "City of Ghosts" (gm - arref)
France. The year is 1923. An age of wonder and contentment has come upon the world. The modern vision of great bards like Jules Verne has begun to see realization. The world hub for artistry, genius, and innovation is the banks of the river Seine. Paris.
You have been asked to oversee the journey home of the Chin Emperor's daughter as she returns the embassy to China. Private orders, insure that Stigmatist radicals do not interfere with this event and thereby breach a long-standing alliance between China and France.
But along the way there is a new mission from a Family Ghost!
Your mission, keep the peace and support the Great Republic. The Argent Alliance, the honor of your family and innocent lives may hang in the balance.
Slot 2) playing something
Slot 3) playing something
Slot 4) House of Midnight and Fire (gm - arref)
Every player is a scion of the late King of Amber. Every player has access to the secret resources your father, Eric, passed on to you to use in case of his death, for the enemies of Amber are many. But a usurper named Random sits on the throne now. Your father's advisers believe the time is right to reinstate the true blood.
Will you make war on Random or find another way? Can you get your sibs to support your plan?
Soon the House of Midnight and Fire shall reclaim the throne of Amber!
Slot 5) Clandestine Chronicles of the Cobalt Charter (gm - arref)
Once more the secret order of shadow rogues tries to hold the universe a more just place.
returning players first choice
The Cobalt Charter binds them in Blood. It is a group of women that meets in a masked and hidden place under the turnings of a broken sky. Born in many Shadows, they come together under the Very Watch of great kingdoms to work their Secret Will upon Shadow. Having agreed to their Will, they act and suffer no man or god to stand in their way.
Slot 6) playing something
Slot 7) Changing Hands (gm - arref)
King Random needs the shadows searched for signs of Chaos perfidy. You get the job.
Slot 8) The Soft Cimmerian: 'Mirror Teeth' (gm - arref)
Special game exploring Rebma's secrets and the Gallants of the Glass. Returning players only...and perhaps One new Player.
Having rescued Mad Alyse from the interior of the Afanc Looking Glass, the Rebman Aoife shall use the information the Sea hag has learned to recover the Bones of Lir from the Plundering Chaosi in the Land Where Shadows Lie.
Beware the Guisels of the Great Ones of R'lyeh.
Once more, the clever Aoife act to save the foundations of Rebma! Prior reading of 'Alyse through the Afanc Glass' by Llewes Carroll is not required. Zelazny canon game.
lewis carroll "alice in wonderland"
:: Thursday, January 28 ::
ambercon 2010 - first draft
Not sure where to put this...and if anyone is reading it. However, since we are at the 12th hour and I just started thinking about it... well, yes, I'm planning on Ambercon 2010 and here are the games (first draft):
Slot 1) Agents of the Argent Rose: "City of Ghosts" (gm - arref)
Paris, 1923, and Corwin's descendants hold the brighter world safe
returning players first choice
Slot 2) playing something
Slot 3) playing something
Slot 4) A Full House (gm - arref)
Every player is a scion of the late King of Amber. Every player has access to the secret resources your father, Eric, passed on to you to use in case of his death, for the enemies of Amber are many. But a usurper named Random sits on the throne now. Your father's advisers believe the time is right to reinstate the true blood. Will you make war on Random or find another way? Can you get your sibs to support your plan?
Slot 5) Clandestine Chronicles of the Cobalt Charter (gm - arref)
Once more the secret order of shadow rogues tries to hold the universe a more just place.
returning players first choice
Slot 6) playing something
Slot 7) Changing Hands (gm - arref)
King Random needs the shadows searched for signs of Chaos perfidy. You get the job.
Slot 8) The Soft Cimmerian: 'Mirror Teeth' (gm - arref)
Special game exploring Rebma's secrets and the Gallants of the Glass. Returning players only...and perhaps One new Player.
:: Friday, January 22 ::
IMC :: GM bias and attribute play
I'm capturing this text from another forum.... Attribute domains and GM bias - 01-11-2008, 11:58 AM
So many GMs like to 'tweak' what the Attributes are defined as in the rules. We see that on this forum. These GMs also like to support their changes with a whole bunch of 'flavor' or 'personal expertise' banter.
But they don't speak much to actual play or how the game got better because of these changes to what Erick designed.
One thing you will see much of if you are cruising the web: players and GMs love to talk about how Attributes suck.
Endurance is too weak.
Strength is unusable.
Psyche makes puppets of your fellow Players.
Warfare does everything too well.
Stuff is dumb and shouldn't affect PC interpretation by others.
IMC, we've never had such problems--for in fact--the Attributes do not suck. Attributes are glorious and yet sublime. Any simple system can be abused if you don't give a damn about the consequences to narrative.
When the game of Amber is run as a 'zero-sum' exercise, and the GM cannot create plot conflict about anything but Warfare, then Attributes except Warfare suck.
I almost think it is that simple. Can you weave in an Endurance theme to your campaign? Can your narrative show the awesome power of Strength? Is the only kind of Psyche story about puppeting characters?
Because as I said once on the AmberMailingList:
Quote: "Attributes empower the PC's ideas and allow realization of plans. Each Attribute has cunning, dexterity, speed, and a plethora of uses both subtle and brash. While the Psyche monster can set out to threaten other characters, so can the Warfare monster or the Strength monster. Even Ms. Endurance monster can get away with this if that is the nature of the narrative--though imagination is stretched to make this use of the most internal Attribute of all."I always imagine the five Attributes (including Stuff in this) to be the axis of conflict for the narrative. Dramatic conflict.
In many game systems, warfare is the only conflict and all other things revolve around it. So these are the stories easily told.
The hard part is balancing the stories between the five so that they seem to have meaning that relates to the gaming group. So that the Strength narrative isn't constantly ignored in favor of the Warfare narrative.
What are your actual play experiences?
:: Thursday, December 17 ::
test ping
do comments still work? seems to give error
www.flickr.com
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