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"My rule of life prescribed as an absolutely sacred rite smoking cigars and also the drinking of alcohol before, after and if need be during all meals and in the intervals between them."—Winston Churchill
Ranks
The Amber system is the most successful of the diceless systems. In diceless play, things are resolved based on what the GMs and players involved think is reasonable, but it's not completely wavy and up in the air—there are stats. In Amber, the stats are bought in an auction against all the other players, and the rank you end up with is the most important number on your character sheet. A higher-ranked character will win a contest in that stat against a lower-ranked character, barring outside influences and other stats that can be brought into the contest. Whatever points you paid to get that rank aren't directly important at all.
Ranks are determined in the character auction that starts the game. It is possible for people to not bid in the auction, and instead secretly "buy up" in ranks later, but it means you're slightly less good... So if Psyche went 1st rank: 23 points, 2nd rank: 15 points, someone could pay 15 points to be ranked 2.5 in Psyche, or 23 points to be ranked 1.5 in Psyche. The first-ranked person is still going to beat someone at 1.5.
How are the ranks won in the auction going to compare to each other?
First off, 1st ranked is going to be somewhat cooler than any other rank. 1st vs 2nd is going to be a more distant fight than 2nd vs 3rd. A bit of that may be ameliorated by buying up to 1.5, but even so, if there's a cool thing to do that seems a bit unlikely, 1st will be able to do it while no one else really can.
Beyond that, I'm going to generally follow the steps laid out by Mike Sullivan in his alternate Amber system:
A one rank difference (for example, 2 to 3) is considered a slight advantage. The more competent party will, all other things being equal, win a competition, but his victory will be neither quick, easy, nor without cost. Further, it is relatively easy to turn around a one rank advantage with either secondarily important attributes or with situational modifiers. A canonical example of a one rank difference in attributes might be Corwin and Eric's fight in Nine Princes in Amber. While Corwin has an advantage, he feels at one point that he will lose, and eventually, Eric is able to hold him off long enough for the guards to come.
A two rank advantage (for example, 2 to 4) is much more clear cut. While the two contestents are in the same general league, one has a serious advantage on the other, and will, if given some time and a relatively even playing field, probably win the contest handily and at little cost. However, it is certainly possible to turn around a two rank advantage, and the more competent contestent might even do himself in if he underestimates his opponent, by, for example, pressing an attack too hard, too early. A canonical example of a two rank difference might be Corwin and Benedict's fight in The Guns of Avalon. Corwin is able to ward off Benedict's attacks, and even wound Benedict slightly, but has to fight almost entirely defensively and would have eventually lost if he hadn't tricked Benedict with the black grass.
A three rank difference (for example, 2 to 5) is pretty much decisive. Victory will be relatively quick and simple, and only the most herculean efforts will turn around the advantage. A canonical example might be Corwin and Strygalldwir's fight in The Guns of Avalon. Corwin handily wounds Strygalldwir several times, and then, even after suffering a reversal and being disarmed when he goes for a death blow that isn't mortal to Strygalldwir's anatomy, he's able to handily win the fight without notable injury.
Powers
There are five basic powers in Amber, but don't feel constrained if there's something you want that's not on the list. Like items, just give me an idea of what it is, and we'll work out a point cost.
The powers are Pattern, Trump, Shapeshifting, Logrus, and Magic. Pattern is the main source of the power of the royal family of Amber; it lets them walk through the Shadows and know them, and it protects them as they go. Trump is an odd duck, perhaps a blend of Pattern and magic: it lets you draw cards through which you can contact people mentally and go to them, or teleport to places. Shapeshifting allows you to change yourself into random people or animals, or sometimes into a magic thing. Logrus is the counterpart to Pattern, which is possibly Logrus 2.0. Logrus lets you seek out and grab things in Shadow and pull them to you or you to them. Magic refers to the stuff that has some basis in reality, so it works in many different Shadows.
Per the ADRPG, the costs are:
Pattern 50
--Advanced Pattern 25
Shapeshifting 35
--Advanced Shapeshifting 30
Logrus 45 (requires Shapeshifting)
--Advanced Logrus 25
Trump 40
--Advanced Trump 20
Magic (broken into three parts) 45
However, those huge chunks can be a real drag, and doesn't allow for so much customization of characters. Also, parts of the power system, like Sorcery and Advanced Pattern/Trump, are broken as heck. So here's a partial power system. The more points you have in a power, the faster you can do it, and the better you are all all parts of it.
Pattern 50
Have walked Pattern: Free, gives you specific Blood Curse
Move to normal Shadows: 10
--Move to Shadows with different time flow, different physical laws, etc: 5
----Hellride: 15
--Notice tracks and waverings in Shadow: 5
----Create blocks and channels in Shadow: 10
Pattern Defense: 5
Advanced Pattern 25
Recognize Pattern in things 5
View things using Pattern 5
Tunnel through Shadow 5
Alter the rules of a Shadow 5
--Erase a Shadow 5
(There are many more possible here, or with the rest of the powers... Once you're this good, you can just start riffing, and we'll work out point costs.)
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Have walked Pattern: Free, gives you specific Blood Curse
Prerequisites: access to a Pattern, Amber-level Endurance, blood of Amber
You survived the Pattern. Congratulations, you're of the Blood of Amber! You probably want to sleep now. It'll take you awhile to figure out how to work this thing.
On the plus side, the foundation of the universe has been burned into you; you've been refined, faceted to laser-like you-ness. For one thing, that means that when you die (or as good as), you can choose to slash out with the horror of it and curse something or someone specifically, leaving the blood of your death in an eternal stain upon the universe.
Move to normal Shadows: 10
Prerequisites: Have walked Pattern
You can move to Shadows that aren't terribly odd, changing the look of things around you detail by detail. It's not fast, since you'll be missing all the potential paths that take you through odd regions.
Move to Shadows with different time flow, different physical laws, etc: 5
Prerequisites: Move to normal Shadows
You can move to Shadows with different gravity, or where rocks float and nothing else does, or the air is ambrosia, or any number of odd things. With your freedom of motion, you may find yourself in Shadows where time runs at greater than 1:2.5, though you can't search for this—how can you see it? Maybe with Advanced Pattern you can find things you can't sense.
Hellride: 15
Prerequisites: Move to Shadows with different time flow, different physical laws, etc
You can move through Shadow with speed. Instead of changing things detail by detail, you can grab hold of a few things you'd like to keep and change everything else. This does increase the danger of literally running into something bad.
Notice tracks and waverings in Shadow: 5
Prerequisites: Move to normal Shadows
You can tell when someone else has been moving around in the area of Shadow you're in, and when something major my be happening across many Shadows. You can follow people's trails through Shadow.
Create blocks and channels in Shadow: 10
Prerequisites: Notice tracks and waverings in Shadow
You can create permanent paths from Shadow to Shadow that anyone can follow; this is how the Golden Circle (the Shadow trade circuit that is the basis of Amber's economy) was formed. You can hedge a Shadow around with difficulties so that other Shadowwalking entities are unlikely to stumble across it. Alternately, you can make it more likely for a Shadow-travelling entity to happen across some specific Shadow.
Pattern Defense: 5
Prerequisites: Have walked Pattern
You have taken the lesson of the Pattern to heart, and by remembering it, you need not fear the attacks of any lesser power. Calling on the Pattern engraved on your soul, you can shine like a beacon charged with its energy, or stand like one of the pillars of the Earth against warpings of reality. Meddling sorcerors and Chaosites beware.
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Shapeshifting 35
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One form you're really good at (be a were-something!): 10
--Two iconic forms that may have some magical aspects: 5*
--12 forms of animals or random humans: 10
----Ability to shift into any animal or human form 5**
Automatic (minimum required for Logrus): 5
Advanced Shapeshifting 30
**Add animal abilities piecemeal: 10
--Rearrange internal structures: 5
----Imitate specific people: 5
--*Add magical aspects (adamantium claws, hair of flame): 5
----Shapeshift others: 5
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One form you're really good at (be a were-something!): 10
Prerequisites: none
You could be a werewolf, a selkie, a demon... Whatever it is, it's something you're as comfortable in as you are in your human form. The change takes about 10 minutes if this is all the shapeshifting you have.
Two iconic forms that may have some magical aspects: 5
Prerequisites: One form you're really good at
These are often forms that reflect something essential about you, potentially avatars. They can have odd effects like eternally flaming feathers that don't burn you, or the ability to walk on air; or they could be entirely magical, like a swirling column of butterflies.
12 forms of animals or random humans: 10
Prerequisites: One form you're really good at
You have up to 12 forms of animals that you've studied, or of random humans (any gender) that don't look particularly like anyone but themselves.
Ability to shift into any animal or human form: 5
Prerequisites: 12 forms of animals or random humans
You've got basic shapeshifting down, and can form yourself into any normal living thing with a little trial and error.
Automatic (minimum required for Logrus): 5
Prerequisites: none
Your body will adapt itself to screwy environments. If you walk through an oven, your lungs will be leathery. If you're sinking through the ocean, you'll breathe through your skin. You can't control it consciously, except to possibly stop it from doing things like sealing you up so you don't bleed out, if you'd rather not blow your cover.
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Logrus 45 (Requires Automatic Shapeshifting)
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Have survived Logrus: Free, gives you Logrus doodad (pay item points if said doodad is particularly useful)
Summoning: 15
--Find a specific thing: 5
--Travel: 10
----Go to a specific place: 5
----Black ribbon: 5
Logrus Defense: 5
Advanced Logrus 25
Corrupt Shadow rules to your liking/Black Roads: 10
Summon Primal Chaos: 5
--Summon and bind demons: 5
----Make Logrus tendril servants: 5
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Have survived Logrus: Free, gives you Logrus doodad
Prerequisites: Automatic Shapeshifting
You survived the Logrus. Now comes the long recovery period, where you sort out reality from insanity. Where are you?
You seem to have an item with you. You carried it with you into the Logrus, right? It's different now, maybe helpful. Imbued with something, certainly. Pay points as per the Item rules if it's really going to be something neat for you.
Summoning: 15
Prerequisites: Have survived Logrus
You can fit your hands to the writhings of the Logrus, and seek out with your senses to grab something in Shadow and bring it back to you. You can find things like "a bottle of beer" or "a sword," but not "a bottle of Budweiser" or "a saber about 30 inches long," though by pulling in a whole bunch of beer/swords you could probably get something close.
Find a specific thing: 5
Prerequisites: Summoning
You can sense enough through the Logrus tendrils that you can summon things to your specifications pretty reliably. Takes longer the more specifications you have, of course; something really detailed may take a day or two if you're doing it safely.
Travel: 10
Prerequisites: Summoning
Instead of pulling things to you, you can pull yourself to them. You don't get to pick the path, so it's a good thing you've got Automatic Shapeshifting... Also, it's hard to get the accuracy to distinguish between "a beach Shadow" and "that nice beach Shadow with the bands of roving Mariachi bats". Travel at this stage is a bit ephemeral.
Go to a specific place: 5
Prerequisites: Travel
You can sense enough through the Logrus tendrils that you can go to any particular Shadow pretty reliably.
Black ribbon: 5
Prerequisites: Travel
You can summon up a ribbon of Logrus that allows you to travel from Shadow to Shadow by walking through the air. You get to see what you're going through, which makes it far easier to dodge.
Logrus Defense: 5
Prerequisites: Have survived Logrus
Imbuing yourself with the power of the Logrus, you need not fear magic, nor mind control, nor myriads of troubles of the soul, for yours are the dark mad channels under everything, and they will bring strength to you.
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Trump 40
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Draw Trumps of people: 20
--Draw Trumps of places: 10
----Draw one-use quick sketches: 5
--Caller ID: 5
Advanced Trump 20
Spy on conversations: 5
--Spy on surface throughts: 10
Easily duplicate Trumps: 5
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Draw Trumps of people: 20
Prerequisites: none
Pretty self-explanatory. It takes about 3 days for someone of this level of skill to make a Trump; longer if you don't know them.
Draw Trumps of places: 10
Prerequisites: Draw Trumps of people
Again, self explanatory. Trumps of places are harder because they aren't necessarily as real, and they don't ever meet you halfway; at this level of skill it takes you about a week to make a place Trump.
Draw one-use quick sketches: 5
Prerequisites: Draw Trumps of places
In about half an hour, you can make a sketch of a person that you can use to contact them once before it shreds from the power. For places, it takes about four hours.
Caller ID: 5
Prerequisites: Draw Trumps of people
Before answering a Trump call you can get a feel for who's calling.
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Magic 45
Two power words/cantrips: 5
--Three more cantrips: 5
--Conjure normal things: 15
----Conjure things with magical aspects: 5
------Create spells as per the ADRPG: 15
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Two power words/cantrips: 5
Prerequisites: none
You have a couple cantrips you can toss off anywhere. Some, like Trump Disrupt, can be quite effective when used at the right moment; some, like summoning a flame to the end of your thumb, are merely a convenience of being a magical creature. These are powered off yourself, rattling them off like machine guns can leave you knockered.
Three more cantrips: 5
Prerequisites: Two power words/cantrips
Broaden your range of mini-magics! You can take this step as many times as you like... 10 points for 6, 15 for 9, etc.
Conjure normal things: 15
Prerequisites: Two power words/cantrips
Mundane objects magically appear in your hands when you want them. It takes time to get something larger than what you can heft in one hand; at this level you could conjure up a battleship in a day.
Conjure things with magical aspects: 5
Prerequisites: Conjure normal things
You can conjure flaming swords, or ravens that spy for you and sit on your shoulder to tell you what they've seen...
Create spells as per the ADRPG: 15
Prerequisites: Conjure things with magical aspects
You can do nearly any magical thing, though each spell is a hand-crafted one-off that needs to be stored somewhere in a not-quite finished form. Spells must take into account the specific magical laws of the Shadow they're meant to be used in. Anything that affects a person's insides only works as well as you can beat their Psyche.
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Allies
Allies are important people or groups that actually care about the character's best interests. Says the Shadow Knight supplement, "For the expenditure of a few points a character can arrange for a lifetime of help, sometimes from unexpected quarters." Unexpected? you ask. Yes—to make sure you have someone on your side that makes sense in the game world, any ally worth more than one point is up to me to decide on. You'll probably find out who it is, though perhaps for reasons of their own they will remain anonymous.
An Ally in Amber: 1
Demon Friends: 1
Court Friend: 2
House Support: 3
Chaos Court Devotee: 4
Amber Court Devotee: 6
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An Ally in Amber: 1
Someone influential and useful in Amber, like the castle steward or a Queen from the Golden Circle, is your loyal friend. At this point in the game you're unknown in Amber, but this may become available later.
Demon Friends: 1
Some powerful demon or small band of demons either decided to back you, or was bound to your service by someone else. The demon may be powerful in its own right, or it may be powerful due to its position as an army leader or politician.
Court Friend: 2
One of the royal family of Amber or Chaos is your true friend.
House Support: 3
One of the Noble Houses of Chaos actively supports you, and if you visit you'll be their honored guest.
Chaos Court Devotee: 4
One of the royal family of Chaos loves you. They either mourn, thinking you dead, or seek you actively in hopes of finding you and being able to see that you have the best things in life.
Amber Court Devotee: 6
One of the royal family of Amber loves you. They either mourn, thinking you dead, or seek you actively in hopes of finding you and being able to see that you have the best things in life. Training, safety, vengeance; someone out there is devoted to you.
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