“Shadowmastery”

by C.C. Roth

“Fortunately, the stuff of Shadow is so docile at this end of reality

that it can be easily manipulated by a Shadowmaster—who can stitch together
their fabrics to create a Way. Shadowmasters are technicians of locally
potent skill, whose ability derives from the Logrus, though they need not be
initiates.”

--Merlin, from Prince of Chaos

The Courts of Chaos are an ancient place, pre-dating not only Amber but all of human history by so many
thousands of years that it truly boggles the mind. For countless generations, the royal families of Chaos have plotted,
schemed, and conspired here, making it a hotbed of intrigue and danger. Surely, any person of consequence in the
Courts needs a refuge, a place where he or she can relax away from the reach of enemies… but there are many families
within the Courts, and most of the choice real estate was claimed long ago. Hence, the Shadowmaster’s Guild came
into being.
Shadowmasters specialize in the creation of Ways. Simply stated, a Way is a place where several Shadows
are altered so that they intersect and connect, forming a single united realm where one or more worlds existed before.
Most Ways are complicated places, comprised of secret passages between dozens of different worlds; Merlin describes
his Uncle Suhuy’s castle as “places from all over Chaos and Shadow, stitched together in a crazy-quilt pattern of Ways
within Ways.”

Purchasing Ways

Ways can be purchased with character points, just like any other Shadow Realm. However, there are a
number of requirements that must be met before it can be considered a “true” Way.
First, the Way has to be in close proximity to the Courts of Chaos. Shadows close to the ‘Amber’ side of
reality just don’t respond well to Shadowmastering technique. Therefore, a character buying his or her own Way must
spend at least two points for the “Basic Shadow Type,” making it a Shadow of the Realm or a Primal Plane.
Second, Ways are by their very nature difficult to navigate. The passages between worlds can be located
within ceilings, floors, walls, or hidden within articles of furniture. These openings are not at all obvious to the casual
observer, and are generally quite difficult to locate if you are not sure of their exact location. For this reason, any
decent Way needs to have a minimum of two points invested in “Shadow Barriers,” giving it Restricted Access. Of
course, there is nothing to stop the Way’s owner from spending four points to make it Guarded, but this is more a
matter of taste than anything else.
Last, due to their crazy patch-work nature, Ways are really collections of multiple Shadows. The owner of a
Way must pay a cost multiplier of [*2] to reflect the fact that these are really Named & Numbered Shadow realms
that have been stitched together.
Of course, a full-fledged Shadowmaster could create his or her own set of Ways in the Courts without paying
any points at all for them. Like any other item or creature that has been Conjured out of Shadow, however, the Ways
would then be subject to loss or destruction by other parties. Only by paying the listed amount can the character
guarantee that personal Ways are solely under his or her control.

Basic Shadowmastery

20 Points. Or 10 Points, if the character is already an initiate of the Logrus. [Although Merlin states that all initiates
of the Logrus are automatically members of the Shadowmaster’s Guild, Logrus Mastery does not necessarily confer the
full training and experience which this Guild offers to its members.] Characters must have a Chaos Devotee or Shape
Shifting to purchase this ability, as some degree of Chaosian blood is an absolute prerequisite for Shadowmastery.

Building Ways. The character can locate “stress points” in adjacent Shadows that ca be linked together, forming a
passageway between the two realms. By linking a number of such Shadows together, the character can create full-
blown Ways, suitable for habitation by ranking members of the Courts.
To determine the length of time required to construct a set of Ways, first add up the point cost that would be
assigned if the character were to purchase the Ways as a personal Shadow [see “Purchasing Ways,” above]. This total
would then be subject to a cost multiplier of some type, usually from one to five, reflecting the complexity, style, and
general quality of the work performed; the result is the total number of weeks required to build the desired set of Ways.

Demon Bargaining. Using the normal Shadow Knight rules for dealing with demons [pp. 198-99], the character
can offer his or her skills with Shadowmastery as a “chip” for haggling over demonic servitude. Most demons would
jump at the opportunity to inhabit their own fortified halls of power near the Courts of Chaos, giving Shadowmasters
added leverage when dickering with demon-kind.
Keep in mind, however, that some demons are Shadowmasters in their own right. Although the Shadow
Knight rules for “Demonic Shadow Manipulation” clearly state that “few demons with Shadowmastery have the skill
to assemble a Way,” they do leave the possibility open. The character’s ability as a Shadowmaster would be useless to
that rare demon capable of creating its own sets of Ways!

Travel Through Shadow. A Shadowmaster is capable of locating “thin spots” in certain Shadows that can be
opened, permitting access to the Shadow beyond. In a pinch, Shadowmastery can be used to travel through Shadow,
though there are a number of reasons why this is a less-than-ideal method of Shadow locomotion.
First, the Shadowmaster has no clear way of knowing what awaits him or her “on the other side” in
neighboring Shadows. Using Shadowmastery to travel through Shadow is akin to wandering, blind, with no sense of
where one has been ad no clear idea about where one is going. This method of travel is often fraught with peril, and
more than one Shadowmaster has perished after “stepping through” to an unknown plane.
Second, it takes time for the Shadowmaster to explore a new Shadow, looking for stress points to manipulate.
After entering a new Shadow, the character might have to spend weeks looking for the “next” opening… or the
character might stumble across one in a matter of minutes. More than one Shadowmaster has entered a new Shadow
in hopes of quickly moving on, only to waste valuable time looking for the correct passage point; Shadowmasters in this
predicament often wind up having to back-track to the original Shadow, starting out all over again in their search for a
new route.
Last of all, and perhaps worst of all as well, Shadowmastery doesn’t work all of the time. It certainly doesn’t
function very well far from the Courts, and it won’t work at all within the vicinity of Amber. It also won’t suffice if
another character has spent points for Control of Contents for the Shadow in question, and has decided that
Shadowmastery doesn’t work in his or her realm. And Shadowmastery is decidedly one of the “lesser” powers, subject
to interruption by exposure to Pattern, Logrus, or Trump; even other “lesser” powers such as Power Words, Sorcery,
and the like, can thwart it.
Shadowmasters with another means of getting around in Shadow generally use Shadowmastery as a back-up,
or a last resort. Of all of the methods of Shadow-travel in the Amber Diceless system, Shadowmastery should remain
the slowest, hardest, and least reliable (in keeping with the Power’s low points cost). However, there may be times
(such as the Pattern-Logrus Conflict) when an alternate means of travel through Shadow can be something of an “ace
in the hole.”

Spell Racking. If a Shadowmaster with Sorcery wishes to do so, he or she may rack a single spell on a “stress point”
in Shadow. Since stress points are places where two or more Shadows border each other very closely, the
Shadowmaster can keep the spell racked from either side of the stress point (in either Shadow). However, the spell will
only stay racked at this specific location, and will not be maintained if the sorceror departs that location for any reason.
Also, since these stresses are imperfections in Shadow, spells racked there have a tendency to deteriorate over time. The
status of spells racked upon such a stress point can be monitored through the modified use of the “Checkspell” lynchpin
described on page 15 of Shadow Knight.

Membership in the Shadowmaster’s Guild. The character is a full-fledged member of the Guild, an organization
that carries some clout within the Courts. While membership within a Major Family of the Courts is a more certain
(ad more time-honored) road to political influence, the power wielded by the Shadowmaster’s Guild is always available
to Shadowmasters without any familial connections.
Additionally, few place anywhere—whether in Amber, the Courts, or distant Shadow—are safer than this
organization’s Guildhall. Fortified by countless Guild members over the millennia, the Hall is all but impervious to
frontal assault, and has so many means of possible escape (via its many, many interlocking Ways) that it would be
nearly impossible to trap somebody within its walls.
Guild members have a certain loyalty to one another, and, while it is unlikely that a Guildsman would risk
his life recklessly for another member, it is certain that he or she would offer assistance to a fellow member in need.
Thus, the Guildhall is a source of potential allies, if a member plays his or her cards right.

Advanced Shadowmastery
30 Points. Or, 10 points of the character is already a Basic Shadowmaster. [Logrus Initiates gain no additional
discount—beyond the 10-point reduction already allowed under Basic Shadowmastery—when purchasing this level of
mastery.]

Reduced Time for Way Construction. The character is an acknowledged master at creating new Ways, and can
accomplish this feat in less time. Instead of weeks, Advanced Shadowmasters measure the length of time for Way
creation in days.

Way Scrying. The character is able to “peek” through stress points in Shadow, and is able to see what is awaiting him
or her on the other side. Not only does this make Shadowmastery a safer (if not necessarily faster) means of travel
through Shadow but it can also provide an excellent means of spying upon unsuspecting relatives…

Destruction of Existing Ways. The character can “disconnect” a Way, effectively splitting the two Shadows from
that Way asunder. To use this ability, the character must be at the actual juncture between the two Shadows. This
power may be used on a Way even if another Shadowmaster originally created it.
If another Shadowmaster is present, and is actively struggling to keep the original Way open, resolve the
conflict as a Psyche versus Psyche struggle.

Way Traps. Once a character has located a “stress point” in a Shadow where Shadowmastery will function, he or she
may attempt to maneuver opponents into contact with it. The Way can then be opened briefly, causing the foe to “fall
through” into a neighboring Shadow.
It is always possible to prepare the neighboring Shadow ahead of time, so that a hostile reception (r prison
cell) is waiting on the other side…

Way Intuition. The character understands, intuitively, how Shadow-stuff “flows” through a given Way, and can
instinctively find his or her way through the Ways of a Noble House of Chaos. All but the most cleverly-hidden
Shadow passages within a Way will be obvious (or at least detectable) to the player character.

Improved Spell Racking. The Shadowmaster can now rack Named & Numbered spells upon a Shadow stress
point, provided that he or she remains within its general vicinity. Spells racked in this manner are still subject to
degradation over time, however (see Spell Racking, above).

Shadowmastery Defense. Shadowmastery can be brought to mind by Advanced Shadowmasters to provide a very
limited degree of Psychic defense. While Shadowmastery is weaker than (and therefore useless against) Pattern,
Logrus, and Trump, it is perhaps something akin to Broken Pattern in terms of its overall value as a means of
protection.

Shadow Vibration. In any Shadow where Shadowmastery functions, the character can “vibrate” Shadow stress
points, causing that entire Shadow to resonate slightly with Logrus energy. While this vibration has little or no effect
upon the Shadow itself, it can be detected within a radius of several adjacent Shadows t anybody who is actively using
Logrus- or Pattern-sight. More than one Shadowmaster has used this trick as a means of communicating across
Shadow.

Conclusion

I hope that these rules are helpful to your campaign. Shadowmastery, as described in Prince of Chaos, is an
intriguing capability, although it shouldn’t amount to anything more than a “lesser” ability in the Amber Diceless
Roleplay system. I always felt that this power should have been covered in the basic rulebook, but I hope to have
corrected this omission in a way that will be helpful to other GM’s.