The Shattered Pattern of Amber
A shadow-walking adventure where descendants of Amber must uncover a fractured Pattern, confront ancient powers, and decide the fate of reality itself
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SYSTEM
LEVELS
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
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$15.00
/ Session
Details
Bi-weekly / Tuesday - 11:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
1 / 5 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
1/5
About the adventure
Note: A love of the Zelazny books will help you get into the mood, but is certainly not required. Player characters are meant to start with little knowledge of their Amberite or Courts bloodlines (if so chosen at character creation). Generations have passed since the reign of the Princes and Princesses of Amber. The shadows of their ambitions still ripple through creation, warping realms and bloodlines alike. Your characters awaken—not in Amber or the Courts, but in a strange medieval world that seems to mirror fragments of both. Here, sword and sorcery intertwine with echoes of a deeper order, and the laws of reality feel... unstable. Each hero begins rooted in this realm: perhaps a knight loyal to a fading king, a scholar hunting ancient sigils, or a wanderer haunted by dreams of shimmering stairways and infinite reflections. Yet beneath the surface, every character’s lineage hides a spark of something greater—an inheritance tied to the Patterns of Order and the shifting depths of Chaos. As the campaign unfolds, the group uncovers whispers of a broken Pattern buried beneath the realm’s foundations. Its lines are fractured, bleeding into shadow, creating distortions in magic, memory, and identity itself. The world’s strange inconsistencies—forests that change overnight, castles that vanish, and people who forget entire generations—trace their cause back to this wound in reality. The players must navigate alliances, ancient prophecies, and the shifting loyalties of powers beyond comprehension to piece together the truth: the broken Pattern may be part of a deliberate design, one that threatens not just their world but the Primal Pattern itself. And in the depths of Chaos, the Logrus stirs in response, sensing opportunity. Will they restore balance to this fractured realm? Will they claim the power of creation for themselves? Or will they awaken something even older than Amber and Chaos, something that remembers when neither existed?
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Sandbox / Open World
Theater of the Mind
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
3 years on StartPlaying
About me
I’ve been playing and mastering tabletop roleplaying games since the days of the D&D Basic editions, so I’ve spent decades immersed in this hobby. For me, the rules have always been more of a guide than a strict lawbook—I believe the story we create together at the table matters most. I prioritize narrative and collaboration over rigid mechanics, encouraging everyone to bring their ideas and creativity into the game. My goal as a game master is to keep the table fun and engaging, adapting the rules when needed to support the story and ensure everyone’s having a good time. I love when players feel inspired to shape the adventure with me, and I’m all about fostering an environment where imagination flows freely. After all these years, what keeps me coming back is the shared joy of building memorable worlds and moments with friends.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation will happen during a free session 0, as it involves an auction process unique to the Amber Diceless system. I'm generally of the mindset that out of the 100 points for creation, no more than 30-50 should be on stats and the rest reserved for powers (but go crazy if you really want!). Investing in Bad Stuff can be used to get more points for character creation, but to a limit of 20. Buying powers will be possible, but the player characters will need to grow into them a bit as they unlock plot elements that keep some of the powers dampened.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
As this game is more theatre of the mind with a heavy focus on shared storytelling, Discord will likely be the platform of choice. Players will be given the server information once the game has enough players to start. Multiple channels will be used to mirror other Shadow realms or for other needs.
What Eric brings to the table
Amber Diceless in general, and my own DM/GM style specifically, prefers the rule of cool over any other rule as written. That said, I will listen to any logical justification to sway a ruling (I don't call it arguing for a reason), but once the ruling is made, it's final and I expect players to move forward from there. Sometimes it's simply to move the game and plot along in a healthy way, and sometimes it's just to keep one player from dominating over others at the table due to their enhanced ability to metagame.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Eric creates a safe table
I do my best to forewarn if the story I plan has elements that might have an affect on a player's mental or emotional health. If, at any time during the session, a player feels that the story (either my part or another players) is trending to an area where they feel uncomfortable or unsafe, they need only send me an "N" or an "X" and I'll step in to stop or redirect the current line. No questions asked. If an explanation can be provided, it will help in the redirection, but it isn't necessary if the player doesn't wish to share any further. If a player feels that the overall plot is trending in a bad way for them... they can reach out at any time before, after, or between sessions and I'll happily work with them to ensure the story is one that they're comfortable with. I never allow player vs. player conflicts unless it's mutually consensual, planned ahead of time, and enhances the story. Additionally, there will never be elements of forced sexual violence or any sort of harm directed towards children.
Content warnings
Safety tools used