Creating Characters - Powers Stage
The Nature of Powers
Powers are gifts unique to your character. The ability to fly, a magic sword, brute strength above and beyond your fire score, enchanted singing, you name it. If it's an ability of your character not reflected in your elements and specialties, it's probably a power.
Personal shadows and personal items are treated as powers.
Costs of Powers
Most power costs result from a trifold test:
- Is the power frequent? Will your character use it a lot?
- Is it major? If it changes your capabilities significantly, it's major.
- Is it versatile? Can you do different things with it?
Julian's hawks and hounds stay in Arden when Julian leaves. If Julian leaves a lot, neither hawks nor hounds are frequent. They are certainly major, as they can hurt people. Since they come in hordes, they are probably twice major. Since they can track as well as fight, and be where Julian is not, they are versatile. Upshot, the horde of hawks and the horde of hounds probably each cost three points. Let's not even talk about the Rangers.
A full, Dworkin-original trump deck is considered a Frequent power. If you want one at the beginning of play, you have to pay a point for it. You might be able to acquire one as a boon after play begins.
Amber Powers
Major powers from the Amber series are priced differently than other powers. See the sections on
The Stages of Character Creation
- The Vision stage
- The Powers stage
- The Elements stage
- The Magic stage