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SORCERY
1
Foreword
This small e-book presents an alternate Sorcery
system for the Amber Diceless RPG. Although is
has been specifically designed for use with the
alternate REBMA rules, it can easily be adapted
to the official Amber Diceless game system.
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Spell Weaving What, no Lynchpins ?
Once a Sorcerer has learned a spell, he no For simplicitys sake, this variant system
longer needs to memorize it from a grimoire does not use lynchpins which make
(or from any other source). Sorcery a bit faster to use and significantly
more versatile, since spells can now be used
The formulas of all the spells known to a as all-purposes powers, instead of being tied
Sorcerer remain deeply engraved in his mind to a specific target, location or other factor.
but each formula must be reconstructed and This change is especially important in the
brought to the surface every time he wishes case of racked spells, which are made much
to cast the corresponding spell. more useful and become quite close to the
quickfire, single-shot spells of traditional
many fantasy games (keeping in mind the
This complex mental process, known as spell
restrictions about Shadow attunement).
weaving, is the reason why Sorcery spells
normally take so much time to cast.
Weaving a Sorcery spell takes time. This time Sorcery and Shadows
is equal to the casting time used in the original
Amber Diceless rules, without the extra time Sorcery is much less flexible than the other
for lynchpins (which are simply not used in powers of the Amber universe, since it can
this simplified system). (normally) only be used in specific Shadows.
The process of spell weaving is subject to all As a general rule, Sorcerers can only use their
the restrictions and limitations applied to the Sorcery in a Shadow with magical harmonics
memorization of spells in the original rules : if to which they are attuned.
the Sorcerers concentration is broken, the
spell immediately unweaves itself and the Mortal Sorcerers will automatically be attuned
process must be started all over again. to the magical fields of their home Shadow.
A Sorcerer can only hold one woven spell in Likewise, player-characters with Sorcery with
his mind at a time : once the spell is cast, it Amber or Chaos blood will automatically be
unweaves itself and cannot be cast again attuned to the magical energy fields of their
without being woven all over again. As personal Shadow (if they have one).
detailed below, there are several ways to
ignore this one spell restriction . Attuning oneself to the magical harmonics of a
given Shadow is a fairly long process that
Once a spell has been woven, it may be cannot be separated from the study and
released immediately or kept in mind by the learning of the local form of Sorcery.
Sorcerer for later use but only for a limited
duration : the spell will erase itself if the Each magical Shadow has its own harmonics
Sorcerer loses consciousness or as soon as he and its own brand of Sorcery.
falls asleep. A Sorcerer can only keep one
woven spell in his mind at a time. In other words, if a mortal Sorcerer was
transported out of his home Shadow into a new
One way to have keep a ready-to-fire spell Shadow, his Sorcery would not work in this
is to store it inside a magical matrix. Also new environment : all he could do to become a
known as a spell container, a magical matrix is Sorcerer once again would be to study and
an item which can be used to rack a certain learn the Sorcery of his new home, which
number of spells, as explained in the Amber would probably take years
Diceless original rules.
Of course, Sorcerers with Pattern Imprint or
Releasing a woven spell is an instantaneous Logrus Mastery will be able to ignore, bypass
process. Once a spell is released, its magical or circumvent these restrictions in a variety of
energy is used and its formula unweaves itself. ways, as detailed below.
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A single Shadow can only have one nexus,
which may only be controlled by one Sorcerer
(which does not prevent other Sorcerers from
trying to topple the character in order to gain
control of the precious nexus).
At the gamemasters discretion, the presence These variant rules greatly restrict and
simplify the way Sorcery can interact with
of a magical nexus may be a distinctive and
the stuff of Shadows.
exclusive feature of Primal Plane shadows (see
the Amber Diceless rules). Under these rules, the micro-spell Shadow
Opening cannot create a gate from one
On a purely physical level, a nexus may have Shadow to another but only within the
any form : swirling clouds of pure magical same Shadow. To avoid confusion, the
energy, an invisible aura of power, a column of variant version of this micro-spell should be
magical fire, a crackling vortex etc. renamed Opening ; Shadow Manipulation
could also be renamed Manipulation since
Nexi always occupy a specific location, this micro-spell also allows a Sorcerer to
usually a spot identified as a place of affect the physical or mental state of Real
power by the locals (or at least by the local people like Amberites or Chaosians.
Sorcerers) and often marked with a special
feature, such as a circle of standing stones, a The only ways a Sorcery spell can cross
huge tower built on the nexus itself, a giant Shadows are through a Logrus tendril or
through a Trump contact.
rune carved in a cavern or secret chamber etc.
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Sorcery and the Pattern
As a general rule, Sorcery cannot work in
Amber or near any other Pattern. At the GMs
discretion, Dworkin and other characters with
Exalted powers may be able to bypass this
restriction or perhaps this explains why
Dworkin disappears in dimensions of his own
to conduct his sorcerous experiments, away
from the influence of the Pattern. See also
Spells & Trumps next page for a very specific
exception to this restriction.
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when using a nexus : thus, Sorcery is far easier
Spells & Trumps and quicker to use in the Courts of Chaos.
With a bit of practice, any Sorcerer can cast A Logrus Master with Advanced powers is
his spells through Trump contact.
also able to cast his spells through Shadow,
Even if the target is in a different Shadow, using Logrus tendrils.
the spell will work, since it is channeled
through the psychic link created by the Such a character will also be able to
Trump contact. This is one of the only manipulate the magical harmonics of any
known ways to use Sorcery from one Shadow, tainting them with Chaos (at least on
Shadow to another. The spell will not work if a temporary basis, as noted in the original
the target is in Amber or near any Pattern, Amber rules). This could allow him to cut the
unless the spell directly affects the target, power source of local Sorcerers by disrupting
with no manipulation of its surroundings : and corrupting the local magical energy fields,
thus, Cardiac Arrest or Strength Drain could which would also attune these fields to chaotic
work in these conditions, but not Lightning Sorcery, allowing them to use Sorcery in this
Bolt. Also keep in mind that Trump contact Shadow without summoning the Logrus.
may be broken by a variety of means,
making such a method of attack pretty easy Given enough time, a Logrus Master with
to counter by competent Amberite targets. Advanced powers could also create a
temporary nexus of Chaotic power : this would
give him the same advantages as any other
Sorcery and the Logrus nexus but would also permanently damage or
alter the local magical fields, with all sorts of
A Sorcerer who also has Logrus Mastery (even nasty consequences for local Sorcerers.
at the basic level) can rack his spells in the
Logrus. There is no limit to the number of Logrus Sorcery (or any Sorcery, for that
spells that may be racked but each spell can matter) cannot work in Amber, Rebma, Tir-na
only be racked once because of the chaotic Nogth or near any other Pattern.
nature of the Logrus : multiple versions of the
same Weaving would create a form of order or
structure which is simply incompatible with Last Word
the chaotic essence of the Logrus.
The above ideas only scratch the surface of
As noted in the core Amber rules, spells racked what might be done with Sorcery in an
in the Logrus tend to fade away over time and expanded, magic-heavy campaign. Some
must be re-racked regularly. Also note that ancient, primal powers could give the ability
these racked spells can only be accessed to use spells in all Shadows where a specific
through the Logrus itself : if, for some reason, element exists (such as the sea) or through a
the Logrus cannot be contacted, the Sorcerer special medium (such as dreams).
will be unable to use his spells.
The concept of magical nexi could easily be
Spells which are cast from the Logrus draw linked to canonical Amberverse elements
their magical energy from Chaos itself : thus, such as the Spikards or the Keep of the Four
they operate in any Shadow, even in Shadows Worlds and its Fount of Power. Links
between Sorcery and the mirror dimension
which do not normally include magic in their
that seems to exist beyond the Castle
natural laws. The only exceptions to this rule
Ambers Halls of Mirrors could also be an
are Shadows in which, for some reason, the interesting path to explore.
Logrus cannot be summoned.
Since each Shadow may have its own brand
Under these variant rules, lynchpins no longer of Sorcery, the concept of Sorcery could also
have to be defined, making Logrus-stored apply to the weird science, super-tech or wild
spells significantly more useful and versatile. gadgetry found in some Shadows, As with all
In the Courts of Chaos, a Logrus Sorcerer can things Amber, the possibilities are endless
use his magic with the same time reduction as