Waystone

Waystone

A setting for Amber Diceless RPG/Lords of Gossamer and Shadow

The Setting

A vast wilderness known as the Marches stretches across existence.  In its depths, reality goes thin, travelers who leave its paths vanish, and malformed things walk. Scattered within the Marches, there exist enclaves of stability and order. The peoples of these realms, the diverse descendants of a long-vanished empire, live in scattered freeholds and petty-kingdoms, defending their precarious lands with rapier and pike, musket and arquebus. Among them are those born to greater power, in whom the Essence flows strongly.  These gentry travel the Marches where others cannot tread, masters of spell, of blade, and of reality itself. 

Game Mechanics

This is a diceless game, inspired by Eric Wujick’s Amber Diceless Roleplaying, and its descendant Lords of Gossamer and Shadow. 

Character Creation

Points

Everybody starts with 100 points to build their character.  Any leftover points become Good Luck for your character.  If you go over 100 points, your character gains Bad Luck.

Races

In ancient days, the fourteen Archons bred mortals into a variety of castes for their empire.  Most inhabitants of the realms are humans, the descendants of the hardy and populous worker caste.  Others may be “elves,” “dwarves,” “orcs,” “trolls,” and others: the descendants of the administrators, builders, soldiers and heavy laborer castes.  There are also races and beings touched by the wild forces of the Marches – the beastmen and monsters – who are rarely welcome within the stable realms.

You can be any type of race you wish, or invent your own.  If it has a special power, such as night vision or regeneration, you may need to pay points for it.

Attributes

You start with 0 points in each Attribute. An Attribute of 0 is human-average. You spend points to improve. If you spend at least 10 points you are considered to be supernaturally-potent in that Attribute.  You may also sell down your Attribute.  At -10 or below, you are considered completely enfeebled in that Attribute.

·         Will: Used for Mind-to-Mind combat, and for powering magic. At higher levels, it allows you telepathic insight into people you meet.

·         Strength: Covers hand-to-hand fighting and feats of strength.  At higher levels, you become supernaturally strong.

·         Endurance: Allows you to resist adversity and to recover from injury.  At higher levels it allows you to regenerate.

·         Knowledge: Represents your education and life knowledge.  At higher levels, you may intuit information directly.

·         Charisma:  Represents your social skills, and is used for social combat.  At higher levels, you become supernaturally inspiring.

·         Melee:  Your skill in using hand weapons in combat.  At higher levels, you become supernaturally agile and skilled.

·         Ranged: Your skill in using ranged weapons in combat.  At higher levels, you become supernaturally agile and skilled.

For each of your Attributes, you may pick one Specialty, which must be a fairly narrow subset of the Attribute.  (For example, your Knowledge Speciality might be Biology.  Your Melee Speciality might be 2-handed swords.)  When you are using your Speciality, you gain a +5 bonus to your Attribute.

Powers

You may use your points to purchase Powers.  Powers come in different levels: Minor, Basic, Advanced, and maybe beyond. Advanced levels are not available at start.

Magic: Magic reflects your attunement to one of eleven Domains.  (Or a Domain of your own creation.) Each Domain is purchased separately.

·         Minor Magic [5 points] allows you to create Minor effects with your domain.  (A spark for fire, for example.  Or a glow for Light.)  Each Minor effect requires a spell slot. Y

·         Basic Magic [10 points] allows you to create larger effects with your domain, and to weaponize them as melee or ranged attacks.  (A firebolt for fire, for example.  Or a blinding burst for Light.)  Each Basic effect requires a spell slot.  You are now sufficiently skilled that you can cast Minor effects at will.

You have six prepared spell “slots.”  You may cast prepared spells at will.  Spells may combine different Domains. You may swap out and prepare new spells as a short ritual. You may purchase more “slots” at 1 point each.

You may also use a long ritual (several hours or days) to prepare an effect at one level above your own. 

The standard Domains are: Fire, Air, Earth, Water, Light, Dark, Cold, Beasts, Healing, Mind, Death.

Sigil-Crafting: Sigils are specialized personal Waystones which you can use to communicate and (at higher levels) travel instantaneously.

·         Minor Sigil-Crafting [10 points]: You may craft a Minor Sigil.  A Minor Sigil allows communication with any other linked Sigil or Waystone.  You can sense nearby Sigils.

·         Basic Sigil-Crafting [25 points]: You may craft a Basic Sigil.  A Basic Sigil allows communication and travel between with any other linked Sigils or Waystones.

Shapeshifting: Shapeshifting allows you to change shape.

·         Minor Shapeshifting [10 points] allows you to change into one alternate form via a short ritual.

·         Basic Shapeshifting [25 points] allows you to change into your preferred alternate form at will, and prepare up to six other forms into which you can change after a short ritual. A long ritual will allow you to swap out and prepare new forms.

Wayfinding: Wayfinding offers control over the Ways and Waystones that enable travel into and out of Realms and through the Marches.

·         Minor Wayfinding [10 points] allows you to sense the presence of nearby Waystones, and to use existing Waystones to open gates into and out of Realms

·         Basic Wayfinding [25 points] allows you to enhance or degrade the effects of a Waystone, to open gates into and out of Realms without a Waystone, to create temporary Paths, and to survive for longer in low-Essence portions of the Marches.

Connections

You may purchase a Connection to one of several organizations.  At the Associate level [5 points], you have contacts in the organization, but are not a member.  At the Member level [10 points], you are considered a member of that organization.  Here are some organizations:

·         The Church worships the seven loyal Archons who ruled the old Empire.  The fear the influence of Wild creatures and the Shadow Vessels.

·         The Freefolk venerate the five “traitor” Archons who destroyed the old Empire in the name of mortal freedom.  They have good relations with many Wild creatures.

·         The Magi are a mutual-supporting group of those who wield magic. There is a college for each Domain, and for the arts of Sigil-Crafting and Wayfinding.

·         The Second Empire is a feudal network of many realms.  It attempts to revive the old Empire.

·         The Warders watch over the Marches and Realms, and try to troubleshoot incursions from the Wild and the Shadow.

Toybox

You may purchase retainers, animal companions, magical items, and even entire Realms.  Minor items are 5 points, Basic items are 10, Advanced items are 15.  Work with the GM in designing your toybox.

You may have whatever mundane items you wish, provided they fit on your person or in a small dwelling, subject to GM approval.