Post by Lorekeeper on Mar 19, 2008 18:29:37 GMT -8
Chimera
This background is a catch all for both chimerical items and chimerical companions that a character can possess. When purchasing this background, the play must designate one or both of these options on the character sheet. This can be done by simply writing chimerical companions or chimerical item in the appropriate space. Characters who choose to take this background for both may take up to five dots in both options
________
Chimerical items
Every changeling instinctively creates a chimerical suit of clothing when she experiences Chrysalis. Any chimerical items she owns beyond that must be bought by sinking points into the chimera background. The level of this background that the character possesses determines what chimerical items the character may possess
•You own a chimerical conversation piece
••You own a chimerical item with some benefits
•••You own a useful chimerical item
••••You own a powerful chimerical item
•••••You own a chimerical item of legendary power
Chimerical companions
Companions are the living chimera either born of a changeling's unconscious nature or purposely created through the sculpting of glamour. Players should consult their storyteller as the type of companion they have. Players should also be aware that higher level companions have minds and personalities of their own, which may come into conflict with the character's goals. The number of dots a character has in chimerical companion determines how many points he has to create a companion.
•You have a simple chimerical creature as a companion ( 10 points ). For example, a patch of mold that bubbles obscenely on your shoulder, a speck of light that flitters around your head, or a sock puppet named Bob that curls up to sleep in your pocket.
••You have a semi-intelligent chimerical companion with language capabilities and its own personality ( 15 points ). Example: A small jeweled dragon with a smoking problem, a giant teddy bear with a Brooklyn accent, or a talking moon cat.
•••You have a chimerical companion that can speak and communicate quite well, and that has a mind of its own, often being more of a nuisance than a help. ( 20 points ) Example: A speed demon that looks like a chimerical sports car, a talking chimerical ferret that hoards shiny objects, or a small green alien that sniffs at everything it sees.
••••You have a highly intelligent chimerical companion that can be of great help to you ( 30 points ) Example: A griffin that can fly, a unicorn that can appear to mortals, or an owl that quotes Shakespeare and knows the trods well enough to serve as a guide.
•••••You have a chimerical companion with a sharp and quick mind and extensive magical abilities ( 50 points ) Example: An ancient djinn that can affect both the Dreaming and the real world, or a dragon with a broad variety of Redes at its disposal
Contacts
Your character knows certain people in useful places to whom she can turn to for information and assistance. The contacts background defines how influential these people are and how helpful. Major contacts are friends on whom your character can rely to provide her with accurate information in their fields. When creating your character, you should describe her contacts as completely as possible, with profession and area of influence. This trait also gives your character a number of minor contacts. When your character wants to get in touch with a minor contact, roll a Dice Pool equal to the number of dots you have in contacts ( base difficulty 7 ). For each success, she can touch base with one of her minor contacts. At that point, she can attempt to bribe or charm the contact into giving her what she needs. Listed below is the number of major contacts your character gets for each dot.
•1
••2
•••3
••••4
•••••5
Dreamers
Changelings gather glamour from the dreamers they inspire or find along the way. This background represents the number of dreamers your character knows and from whom he draws glamour. These dreamers can be used to perform a number of services, although they are not nearly as loyal or as efficient as a Retinue ( You'll see what th'hell they're talking about in a minute )
•You benefit from one dreamer
••You benefit from two dreamers
•••You benefit from four dreamers
••••You benefit from six dreamers
•••••You benefit from eight dreamers
Holdings
Your character has inherited a faerie freehold. Such freeholds are greatly coveted by other Kithain, and you may be required to spend much of your time protecting it from squatters and other greedy changelings. Most freeholds are held by nobles, but some freeholds belong exclusively to commoners. In rare instances, a freehold may be secreted away and held by an individual, but if the nobility discover it, they will more than likely come to take it away. The trait rating not only reflects the size of the freehold, but the amount of glamour that may be gained from it each day
•You are in charge of an insignificant freehold that produces one point of glamour
••You are in charge of a small freehold that produces two points of glamour
•••You are in charge of a medium sized freehold that produces three points of glamour
••••You are in charge of a large freehold that produces four points of glamour
•••••You are in charge of a huge freehold that produces five points of glamour
Mentor
Changelings tend to look after one another, educating and protecting those who have recently experienced their Chrysalises. The relationship between a changeling and his mentor is often very close. A mentor can serve as an invaluable guide to changeling society. Mentors may also protect a changeling from danger and inform him of social opportunities. However, a mentor may expect some favors in return for the information or assistance she provides. This could be as simple as cleaning her manor or as perilous from protecting a faerie glen from Unseelie redcaps
•Your mentor knows little of import
••Your mentor has some noteworthy pieces of information to share
•••Your mentor has significant secrets to share
••••Your mentor has extraordinary knowledge to pass along
•••••If your mentor doesn't know, no one probably does
Remembrance
Remembrance defines your character's connection to the Dreaming and her unconscious knowledge of the fae. Most Kithain have very little memory of their faerie selves or of the past lives they have lived. Those with high levels of remembrance still retain some memories or have periodic flashbacks of previous lives. Anytime a character is interacting with changelings or other creatures of the Dreaming, roll a Dice Pool equal to his remembrance rating. The number of successes can be added to the character's etiquette dice pool when interacting with the person or creature. This number of successes can also determine how well a character understands the unwritten laws of faerie society and the Dreaming. In the latter case, the storyteller may offer hints as ot how the character should behave in a given situation
•You remember hazy bits of information when triggered by an event or other reminder
••You can glean reasonably accurate information with a reminder
•••You have access to worthwhile lore; you experience flashbacks that deliver information without a reminder
••••You are able to remember remarkable information, including memories of important events from your past lives
•••••You have an astounding wealth of information available to you, including large portions of your past lives or even entire lifetimes
Resources
The resources background quantifies your character's financial resources or access to such funds. The resources are not always completely liquid, but your character can sell them to gain money. It may take weeks or even months to do so, depending on how much needs to be sold. This background also determines your character's monthly income. Your storyteller may ask you to define the source of your character's income, because the well might 'dry up' depending on the circumstances of the chronicle
•You might have a small savings, an apartment and a motorcycle ( Assets: $1000 - income: $500/month )
••You might have an apartment or a condominium with a reliable rustbucket ( Assets: $8000 - Income: $1200/month )
•••You might have a large savings and own a house and a nice car ( Assets: $50,000 - Income: $3000/month )
••••You are well off and might own a large house or a rundown mansion and a new car ( Assets: $500,000 - Income: $9000/month )
•••••You are a millionaire ( Assets: $5,000,000 - Income: $30,000/month )
Retinue
Your character has one or more enchanted humans or retainers in his sway. This retinue answers to your character and is under his control, either through enchantment or by some more mundane method of control. They will tend to be loyal to him, although some may betray him if they are ill treated. Members of a changeling's retinue are not infallible. You should define them clearly and assign each a weakness. For instance, one might be very loyal, but not very skilled. Another might be very powerful, but have a very independent mind. Retinue are meant to be characters in and of themselves. They should not be abused.
•You have one member in your retinue
••You have two members
•••Four members
••••Six members
•••••Ten members
Title
This trait denotes your character's rank in changeling society. Not all Kithain have a title; in fact, few rise above the rank of squire, if they attain any title at all. The title background bestows little in the way of actual power, but it is the most important source of social influence. The holding, land that is bequeathed to a noble, is covered separately under the holdings background, and it is quite possible to have a landless baron or even duke. Usually only sidhe are granted these titles, though it is possible for commoners to gain titles, especially those of squire and knight. A few commoners hold higher titles, most of these granted under the Treaty of Concord.
•Knight or Lady
••Baron or Baroness
•••Count or Countess
••••Duke or Duchess.
•••••Arch Duke or Duchess
•••••Prince or Princess
••••••King or Queen
Treasures
Treasures are mortal items that have been imbued with glamour, thus giving them the power to perform specific glamour-based effects. The treasures background allows your character to begin the game with a treasure already in her possession. Many high level treasures are unique, meaning that there should never be more than one of their kind in a chronicle. It might have been a gift from a mentor, an incredibly lucky find at an antique shop, or a family heirloom. A treasure has both a mortal and a faerie appearance. For example, Behn`ir's Sword of Fire appears as a normal sword to mortals whereas it has a flaming blade when viewed by Changelings. Since treasures are invested with glamour, they have the effect of enchanting mortals who touch them. The rating of this trait determines the power of the treasure. Although a treasure usually does only one thing in specific, the ratings below are listed in number of dots in an Art. This is to give you an idea of the types of things a treasure at that rating can do. A treasure will only do one effect. It does not have access to the Arts in the same way a changeling does. When determining your character's treasure, choose one effect based on the Art you assign to it and the level that you purchase. For example, Beh`ir's Sword of Fire is a 4 dot treasure that shatters solid objects on contact ( Holly Strike) . It doesn't get all the benefits of the Art. It still does normal damage to mortals and changelings. It is given one specific effect inspired by Holly Strike. ( Dun worry if you're staring at the Art references and blinking like a ditz. You'll understand when you get to Arts and Realms ~g~ )
•Common, one dot in an art. Example: A lucky coin ( Soothsay 1/Fair fortune ), rose colored glasses ( Chicanery 1/Fuddle ), a large horseshoe magnet ( Legerdemain 1/Gimmux )
••Uncommon, two dots in an Art. Example: A dunce cap that induces temporary amnesia ( Chicanery 2/Fugue ), a thermostat that heals as it reads the target's temperature ( Primal 2/ Heather Balm ), a kingly scepter that allows its carrier to command others ( Sovereign 2/Dictum )
•••Rare, three dots in an Art. Example: A piece of chalk that when used to draw on a flat surface, opens a portal ( Wayfare 3/Portal Passage ), a lump of clay that forms itself into whatever the holder is looking at ( Legerdemain 3/Effigy ), a flashlight that when turned on becomes a sabet of light and causes fear in its wielder's opponent ( Chicanery 3/Haunted Heart )
••••Unique, 4 dots in an Art. Example: A shimmery veil that when worn makes the changeling invisible ( Chicanery 4/Veiled Eyes ), a hammer that will shatter any solid object ( Primal 4/Holly Strike ), a crystal ball that gives glimpses of the future ( Soothsay 4/Augury )
•••••Unique, 5 dots in an Art. Example: A cigarette lighter than when flicked blinks the holder directly to whatever location he is holding in his mind ( Wayfare 5/Flicker Flash ), a golden picture frame that can hold any normal photo and which allows the character to look exactly like whatever is in the current picture ( Primal 5/Elder Form )
Remembrance
In addition to the rules presented in The Shining Host, this background, at a rate of one-for-one reduces the level of the Mists effects on characters upon suffering chimerical death, upon falling into temporary Forgetting (loss of Glamour), or from forgetting events that happened in the Dreaming. Remembrance may not be used to reduce a character’s "Mist Rating" by more than half (round up) in this fashion.
This background is a catch all for both chimerical items and chimerical companions that a character can possess. When purchasing this background, the play must designate one or both of these options on the character sheet. This can be done by simply writing chimerical companions or chimerical item in the appropriate space. Characters who choose to take this background for both may take up to five dots in both options
________
Chimerical items
Every changeling instinctively creates a chimerical suit of clothing when she experiences Chrysalis. Any chimerical items she owns beyond that must be bought by sinking points into the chimera background. The level of this background that the character possesses determines what chimerical items the character may possess
•You own a chimerical conversation piece
••You own a chimerical item with some benefits
•••You own a useful chimerical item
••••You own a powerful chimerical item
•••••You own a chimerical item of legendary power
Chimerical companions
Companions are the living chimera either born of a changeling's unconscious nature or purposely created through the sculpting of glamour. Players should consult their storyteller as the type of companion they have. Players should also be aware that higher level companions have minds and personalities of their own, which may come into conflict with the character's goals. The number of dots a character has in chimerical companion determines how many points he has to create a companion.
•You have a simple chimerical creature as a companion ( 10 points ). For example, a patch of mold that bubbles obscenely on your shoulder, a speck of light that flitters around your head, or a sock puppet named Bob that curls up to sleep in your pocket.
••You have a semi-intelligent chimerical companion with language capabilities and its own personality ( 15 points ). Example: A small jeweled dragon with a smoking problem, a giant teddy bear with a Brooklyn accent, or a talking moon cat.
•••You have a chimerical companion that can speak and communicate quite well, and that has a mind of its own, often being more of a nuisance than a help. ( 20 points ) Example: A speed demon that looks like a chimerical sports car, a talking chimerical ferret that hoards shiny objects, or a small green alien that sniffs at everything it sees.
••••You have a highly intelligent chimerical companion that can be of great help to you ( 30 points ) Example: A griffin that can fly, a unicorn that can appear to mortals, or an owl that quotes Shakespeare and knows the trods well enough to serve as a guide.
•••••You have a chimerical companion with a sharp and quick mind and extensive magical abilities ( 50 points ) Example: An ancient djinn that can affect both the Dreaming and the real world, or a dragon with a broad variety of Redes at its disposal
Contacts
Your character knows certain people in useful places to whom she can turn to for information and assistance. The contacts background defines how influential these people are and how helpful. Major contacts are friends on whom your character can rely to provide her with accurate information in their fields. When creating your character, you should describe her contacts as completely as possible, with profession and area of influence. This trait also gives your character a number of minor contacts. When your character wants to get in touch with a minor contact, roll a Dice Pool equal to the number of dots you have in contacts ( base difficulty 7 ). For each success, she can touch base with one of her minor contacts. At that point, she can attempt to bribe or charm the contact into giving her what she needs. Listed below is the number of major contacts your character gets for each dot.
•1
••2
•••3
••••4
•••••5
Dreamers
Changelings gather glamour from the dreamers they inspire or find along the way. This background represents the number of dreamers your character knows and from whom he draws glamour. These dreamers can be used to perform a number of services, although they are not nearly as loyal or as efficient as a Retinue ( You'll see what th'hell they're talking about in a minute )
•You benefit from one dreamer
••You benefit from two dreamers
•••You benefit from four dreamers
••••You benefit from six dreamers
•••••You benefit from eight dreamers
Holdings
Your character has inherited a faerie freehold. Such freeholds are greatly coveted by other Kithain, and you may be required to spend much of your time protecting it from squatters and other greedy changelings. Most freeholds are held by nobles, but some freeholds belong exclusively to commoners. In rare instances, a freehold may be secreted away and held by an individual, but if the nobility discover it, they will more than likely come to take it away. The trait rating not only reflects the size of the freehold, but the amount of glamour that may be gained from it each day
•You are in charge of an insignificant freehold that produces one point of glamour
••You are in charge of a small freehold that produces two points of glamour
•••You are in charge of a medium sized freehold that produces three points of glamour
••••You are in charge of a large freehold that produces four points of glamour
•••••You are in charge of a huge freehold that produces five points of glamour
Mentor
Changelings tend to look after one another, educating and protecting those who have recently experienced their Chrysalises. The relationship between a changeling and his mentor is often very close. A mentor can serve as an invaluable guide to changeling society. Mentors may also protect a changeling from danger and inform him of social opportunities. However, a mentor may expect some favors in return for the information or assistance she provides. This could be as simple as cleaning her manor or as perilous from protecting a faerie glen from Unseelie redcaps
•Your mentor knows little of import
••Your mentor has some noteworthy pieces of information to share
•••Your mentor has significant secrets to share
••••Your mentor has extraordinary knowledge to pass along
•••••If your mentor doesn't know, no one probably does
Remembrance
Remembrance defines your character's connection to the Dreaming and her unconscious knowledge of the fae. Most Kithain have very little memory of their faerie selves or of the past lives they have lived. Those with high levels of remembrance still retain some memories or have periodic flashbacks of previous lives. Anytime a character is interacting with changelings or other creatures of the Dreaming, roll a Dice Pool equal to his remembrance rating. The number of successes can be added to the character's etiquette dice pool when interacting with the person or creature. This number of successes can also determine how well a character understands the unwritten laws of faerie society and the Dreaming. In the latter case, the storyteller may offer hints as ot how the character should behave in a given situation
•You remember hazy bits of information when triggered by an event or other reminder
••You can glean reasonably accurate information with a reminder
•••You have access to worthwhile lore; you experience flashbacks that deliver information without a reminder
••••You are able to remember remarkable information, including memories of important events from your past lives
•••••You have an astounding wealth of information available to you, including large portions of your past lives or even entire lifetimes
Resources
The resources background quantifies your character's financial resources or access to such funds. The resources are not always completely liquid, but your character can sell them to gain money. It may take weeks or even months to do so, depending on how much needs to be sold. This background also determines your character's monthly income. Your storyteller may ask you to define the source of your character's income, because the well might 'dry up' depending on the circumstances of the chronicle
•You might have a small savings, an apartment and a motorcycle ( Assets: $1000 - income: $500/month )
••You might have an apartment or a condominium with a reliable rustbucket ( Assets: $8000 - Income: $1200/month )
•••You might have a large savings and own a house and a nice car ( Assets: $50,000 - Income: $3000/month )
••••You are well off and might own a large house or a rundown mansion and a new car ( Assets: $500,000 - Income: $9000/month )
•••••You are a millionaire ( Assets: $5,000,000 - Income: $30,000/month )
Retinue
Your character has one or more enchanted humans or retainers in his sway. This retinue answers to your character and is under his control, either through enchantment or by some more mundane method of control. They will tend to be loyal to him, although some may betray him if they are ill treated. Members of a changeling's retinue are not infallible. You should define them clearly and assign each a weakness. For instance, one might be very loyal, but not very skilled. Another might be very powerful, but have a very independent mind. Retinue are meant to be characters in and of themselves. They should not be abused.
•You have one member in your retinue
••You have two members
•••Four members
••••Six members
•••••Ten members
Title
This trait denotes your character's rank in changeling society. Not all Kithain have a title; in fact, few rise above the rank of squire, if they attain any title at all. The title background bestows little in the way of actual power, but it is the most important source of social influence. The holding, land that is bequeathed to a noble, is covered separately under the holdings background, and it is quite possible to have a landless baron or even duke. Usually only sidhe are granted these titles, though it is possible for commoners to gain titles, especially those of squire and knight. A few commoners hold higher titles, most of these granted under the Treaty of Concord.
•Knight or Lady
••Baron or Baroness
•••Count or Countess
••••Duke or Duchess.
•••••Arch Duke or Duchess
•••••Prince or Princess
••••••King or Queen
Treasures
Treasures are mortal items that have been imbued with glamour, thus giving them the power to perform specific glamour-based effects. The treasures background allows your character to begin the game with a treasure already in her possession. Many high level treasures are unique, meaning that there should never be more than one of their kind in a chronicle. It might have been a gift from a mentor, an incredibly lucky find at an antique shop, or a family heirloom. A treasure has both a mortal and a faerie appearance. For example, Behn`ir's Sword of Fire appears as a normal sword to mortals whereas it has a flaming blade when viewed by Changelings. Since treasures are invested with glamour, they have the effect of enchanting mortals who touch them. The rating of this trait determines the power of the treasure. Although a treasure usually does only one thing in specific, the ratings below are listed in number of dots in an Art. This is to give you an idea of the types of things a treasure at that rating can do. A treasure will only do one effect. It does not have access to the Arts in the same way a changeling does. When determining your character's treasure, choose one effect based on the Art you assign to it and the level that you purchase. For example, Beh`ir's Sword of Fire is a 4 dot treasure that shatters solid objects on contact ( Holly Strike) . It doesn't get all the benefits of the Art. It still does normal damage to mortals and changelings. It is given one specific effect inspired by Holly Strike. ( Dun worry if you're staring at the Art references and blinking like a ditz. You'll understand when you get to Arts and Realms ~g~ )
•Common, one dot in an art. Example: A lucky coin ( Soothsay 1/Fair fortune ), rose colored glasses ( Chicanery 1/Fuddle ), a large horseshoe magnet ( Legerdemain 1/Gimmux )
••Uncommon, two dots in an Art. Example: A dunce cap that induces temporary amnesia ( Chicanery 2/Fugue ), a thermostat that heals as it reads the target's temperature ( Primal 2/ Heather Balm ), a kingly scepter that allows its carrier to command others ( Sovereign 2/Dictum )
•••Rare, three dots in an Art. Example: A piece of chalk that when used to draw on a flat surface, opens a portal ( Wayfare 3/Portal Passage ), a lump of clay that forms itself into whatever the holder is looking at ( Legerdemain 3/Effigy ), a flashlight that when turned on becomes a sabet of light and causes fear in its wielder's opponent ( Chicanery 3/Haunted Heart )
••••Unique, 4 dots in an Art. Example: A shimmery veil that when worn makes the changeling invisible ( Chicanery 4/Veiled Eyes ), a hammer that will shatter any solid object ( Primal 4/Holly Strike ), a crystal ball that gives glimpses of the future ( Soothsay 4/Augury )
•••••Unique, 5 dots in an Art. Example: A cigarette lighter than when flicked blinks the holder directly to whatever location he is holding in his mind ( Wayfare 5/Flicker Flash ), a golden picture frame that can hold any normal photo and which allows the character to look exactly like whatever is in the current picture ( Primal 5/Elder Form )
Remembrance
In addition to the rules presented in The Shining Host, this background, at a rate of one-for-one reduces the level of the Mists effects on characters upon suffering chimerical death, upon falling into temporary Forgetting (loss of Glamour), or from forgetting events that happened in the Dreaming. Remembrance may not be used to reduce a character’s "Mist Rating" by more than half (round up) in this fashion.