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Dream Shard
Book of Glamour
Author: A ngelus Morningstar Artwork: Gavin Hargest A dditional writings adapted from Changeling: the Dreaming and Dark Ages: Fae
Acknowledgements
Lost Shards are fan- made products designed for use with the World of Darkness book, Changeling: the Lost. A bsence of trademarks from copyrighted materials does not constitute a legal challenge to the original owners. A ny original material is the intellectual property of A ngelus Morningstar unless otherwise credited.
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What follows is a number of new optional rules that Storytellers can implement to explore the pathological way that glamour can impact upon a game. Storytellers and players may choose to not implement these rules if they feel that focusing too much on the collection, measure and consumption of glamour will detract from the stories they want to tell. If Storyteller and players do wish to use these systems, it is recommended that they keep a track of the emotional resonance imbued into each mote of glamour. They might do his by tracking it on their sheet, by an alternate method that almost anyone can use is to have a deck of cards. Simply assign one suit to one of the four overriding emotional resonance of the Courts and deal those cards to the players as they gain those emotional motes. IF the changeling wants to, they can give the players ability to choose which card ( or mote of glamour) that the changeling uses, or alternatively, ask the player to shuffle the deck each time they use glamour to randomly determine which emotions they are tapping into. Storytellers can use this for all manner of plot devices as the random or deliberative flavor of glamour that gets used can be used to impact upon the game and events in subtle ways. Success: The character feels the surge of the emotion flood her mind. Particularly strong scenes may give the character quick flashes of what occurred, but nothing more. Extraordinary Success: The character feels a slight surge of emotion only.
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Something must provoke the memory and even then the experiences are recalled as nothing more than a faded dream. 1 The character has only faint scraps of dreamlike recollection and completely denies the experience ever occurred. Should she ever lose her last point of glamour, her systems go into shock and falls into a state of extreme catatonia. They enter a motionless, apathetic state, oblivious to external stimuli. Changelings in this state have nearly non- existent physical movement, make little or no eye contact with others and become mute and rigid. The changeling will remain in these states until she is force fed some glamour to raise her out of this state, where she should be subject to Glamour Rush. 2 glamour from his target which is one more than his Resolve permits. He suffers Ennui.
If the changelings Wyrd is 1, he will regain Willpower at a rate of one per day. If the changelings Wyrd was 4 he would regain 1 only at a rate of 1 every four days. To help remember this ratio, write down the changelings Wyrd in the top left or right corner of the sheet. The changeling may attempt to draw glamour from a target even whilst theyre suffering from Ennui. The emotional memories that theyre after are still in there, the character simply cannot tap them directly. To do so, the changeling initiates whatever process she desires to draw glamour. If the changelings Harvest drains the target completely of Willpower then the character runs the risk of becoming a Husk. The mortals mind begins to crumble as their very identity is being consumed. From this point the changeling can begin to devour permanent Willpower dots. Each dot takes five successes to devour, but also generates five motes of Glamour for the changeling. If the target is drained of all their Willpower dots, the victim becomes a soulless Husk. A Fae who does this, on Clarity 2 or more must make a degeneration check.
Effects of Ennui
A mortal in Ennui finds the world drab, gray and apathetic. They are unable to feel a single, solitary emotion in this time. Though they still have a sense of selfpreservation they are unable to muster the same emotional urging, meaning they possibly dont respond to threats quickly enough. Their reflexes are certainly dulled, as their initiative modifier is capped by the number of Willpower points they have. For the duration of Ennui, the victim is considered to have the following Derangement: Depersonalization (severe): Victims feel divorced from the world around them and their own identity and physicality. The person experiences reality in a dream- like state as though everything they experience is hazy or unreal. Recognition of self breaks down; he or she finds that when looking in the mirror, her face is not familiar, though logically he or she is completely aware of his or her identity. Some describe the feeling like being a ghost. No matter how hard the person tries, she cannot feel like they are genuinely interacting with the world. They can't seem to perceive themselves as being normal. While the person is struggling to feel everything as normal, there is a part of their selves, which begs to just give up and stop struggling. A sufferer from depersonalization can be especially susceptible to suicide, undertaking the suicidal process calmly and easily without real awareness. Simply put, depersonalization is an alteration in the perception or experience of oneself, so that the self is felt to be unreal; the person feels detached from reality and/or their own body or mental processes.
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Dramatic Failure: The changeling does not fall to Reverie and the next Reverie roll made for him in the same scene ( for channeling) or within the same day ( for others) does not add the overdose modifier. Failure: The changeling does not fall to Reverie Success: Reverie occurs. The number of successes on the Reverie roll determines its severity. Successes Severity 1 Malady 2 Fracture 3 Discord 4 Tempest 5+ Rapture Exceptional Success: The changeling suffers from Rapture.
Malady
A t its most basic, Reverie is turned inward. It fuels the flames of madness that lie within. The changeling suffers from the effects of Glamour Rush ( see above) . If the Storyteller is using the rules for the Shadow the changelings Shadow is active and at a threshold equal to the Changelings Mantle. If the changelings Shadow is already higher than the Changelings Mantle, then the Shadow remains at that level.
Fracture
When a changeling suffers from Fracture, he Mask slips. The Mantle of the changeling becomes exposed, slipping past the illusions of the Mask in a way that is blatant and obvious even to mortal eyes. The level of the changelings Mantle determines how potent the display is. Refer to the descriptions in Changeling: the Lost for each of the Courts Mantle descriptions and exaggerate how they appear. The nature of their Season will begin to overflow into the immediate vicinity. Spring: No matter where the changeling is, flowers will bloom in her vicinity ( even on dead branches) , or a small flash storm will punctuate the vicinity. Summer: A n oppressive and sweltering heat haze surges around the changeling, causing water to steam slightly and dry objects to wither and crackle. Autumn: A n aura of gloom manifests around the changeling, casting everything into a cold darkness. Mist seems to roll in obscuring the local area for a while. Winter: The immediate vicinity suffers a snap freeze, water chills over and the ground crackles with frost. Waters and free flowing air comes to a dead still as though in halcyon. No Mantle: Changelings with no mantle will suddenly seem completely mundane to all eyes as though she were reinforcing her Mask.
Resisting Reverie
Resisting Reverie is an instant action. Whatever the cause of Reverie, changelings may try to maintain control. The rule doesnt change any, but it bears repeating: A Willpower point earns a character three extra dice on the roll to resist Reverie, as it does with most other rolls. Dice Pool: To determine Reverie, the player rolls their Wyrd + Reverie factor based on the glamour overdose Dramatic failure on a clause; clause level used Failure in channeling; clause level Consuming Dross; Potency of Dross Placing victim into ennui; 1 per glamour gained Husking a victim; 2 per W illpower do t* Action: Instant and contested against the changelings own Willpower. 4
Discord
If the Reverie transforms into Dicord, it causes any number of strange and uncanny effects to emerge into the waking world. The changelings delusions manifest into something real that twists and disturbs the world about her. The following is a list of wild effects that may take place as a consequence of Discord. The degree of effect is equivalent to the Changelings Mantle.
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The duration of these effects lasts the remainder of that scene. Lightning Strike: The changeling is struck by lightning and suffers electrical burns, dealing 4 points of bashing damage. Once More With Feeling: The changeling is swept up into a song and dance that she cannot engage in any other physical activity for the duration. Paralysis: The changeling is completely unable to move from paralysis. Sensory Deprivation: The changeling loses the use of her dominant sense for the duration. Wilderness: Whenever the changeling performs a Contract she must check for Reverie.
Tempest
When a Tempest occurs, the very essence of the changelings Mantle erupts into a violent tempest. The higher the Mantle is, the greater the eruption of destructive force. Changelings without mantle slip into a catatonic stupor for the duration of the Tempest as the torrent of emotions find no way to express themselves.
Spring Mantle
Rank one: The changeling experiences a shifts in colors and perceptions that leave her dazed and confused, for the duration of a scene the changeling suffers a penalty to all perception based tests equal to her Mantle. Further, a cloud of biting gnats or similar insects emerges around her, biting at her skin. For days afterwards, the changelings skin continues to itch or feel sore from the bites. Rank two: A swarm of locusts, or similar insects emerges within the changelings sensory range, descending upon woven fabrics and harvested food. The locusts swarm for a scene and seek to consume anything created but organic ( such as clothing, ropes or furniture) . It deals them a number of points of damage equal to the changelings Mantle. A t the end of the scene, they seem to disappear from wherever it was they emerged. Furthermore, all witnesses will find their senses horribly confused and warped, levering a penalty to their perception tests equal to the changelings Mantle factor for the scene. Rank three: Thickets of brambles and thorns burst through the cracks in the ground range and the nooks and crannies of the walls within sensory range creating large structural damage in any buildings or similar edifice. This 5
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damage is equal to the changelings Mantle. The changeling herself becomes horribly confused and filled with a strong confusion that robs her of her Wits. For the duration or the Tempest, she suffers a penalty to her Wits based tests equal to the changelings Mantle. Both effects last for the duration of a scene, after which, the plant- life seems to shrivel and fade away, leaving behind whatever damage they wreaked. Rank four: Larger plants, including small trees, seem to erupt from the walls and floors within the changelings sensory range forcing cracks and rents in structures around the changeling as roots crack floors, branches shatter windows and press against roofs. Structurally unsound buildings, or buildings of a small enough Size ( equal to or less than ten times the changelings Mantle) will simply collapse. Creatures within sensory range of the changeling will be overwhelmed with a subtle malady, obfuscating and clouding their thoughts, brining their instincts to the fore. People will suffer a penalty to their Wits based tests equal to the changelings Mantle and act primitively, according to their Vice or other instinctual urges for the scene. The plants, however, remain for a longer duration, not completely fading until the next sunrise or sunset, whereupon they seem to fade into the background leaving the traces of their wreckage. Rank five: There is almost and explosion of greenery, as carpets of grass roll out smothering all in its path. Gigantic trees erupt from the ground and thickets stretch in between, covering all within sensory range with a lush verdant forest. The density of this forest ( the Strength required to push through it) is equal to the changelings Mantle. Furthermore, all creatures within sensory range of the changeling are transfigured into a simple animal of some description ( one suited to their personality) . For the duration of a scene, the creatures will move about as animals, after which they revert to normal. The greenery is more pervasive, taking a whole day for the local environment to revert to normal. within the changelings sensory range suffer a number of points of lethal damage equal to her Mantle, victims will suffer from second- degree burns. Rank five: A storm of molten metal rains in the sensory range of the changeling. The firestorm does an amount of damage to objects in the vicinity, ignoring Durability, equal to the changelings Mantle. Victims within range, including the changeling, suffer a number of points of A ggravated damage equal to the Mantle. A ll victims will be suffering from third- degree burns.
Autumn Mantle
Rank one: A fetid stench of rotting effluence engulfs the changeling, filling her with nausea. If the changelings Stamina is less than or equal to the changelings Mantle she will promptly throw up. If it is less than or equal to the changelings Mantle 2 she will be overwhelmed with the nausea, causing her to collapse for the scene. Rank two: The wave of nausea fills the immediate atmosphere, causing all creatures in its vicinity to suffer the following effects. If their Stamina is less than or equal to the changelings Mantle she will promptly throw up. If it is less than or equal to the changelings Mantle 2 they will be overwhelmed with the nausea, causing them to collapse for the scene. Furthermore, various food products within sensory range, like milk, juices and other liquids, will curdle and become fetid, unpalatable for consumption. Rank three: The changeling is hit with a wasting disease. She temporarily loses a number of boxes in her health chart equal to the changelings Mantle. This attrition lasts for a whole scene, after which the lost attributes restore themselves at a rate of one per day. Her skin becomes wane and rank, her form withered and weak. In her vicinity ( sensory range) , food begins to rot and various wooden structures warp and stone becomes eroded. Rank four: A wasting disease hits all people within sensory range. They temporarily lose a number of boxes in their health chart equal to the changelings Mantle. This attrition lasts for a whole scene, after which the lost attributes restore themselves at a rate of one per day. Furthermore, in the vicinity of her sensory range, blight is released afflicting food, crops and other living creatures. Most produce will wither and rot off their plants. The ground becomes soaked wet, leaving muddy puddles everywhere impeding quick movements somewhat. Rank five: A belching blight emerges from the changeling like a buzzing swarm of flies. This miasmic cloud billows across the immediate vicinity of the changeling ( within sensory range) and will cause any living creature or similar produce to begin to rot. Stored or otherwise preserved food will turn bad and any food recently consumed will turn sour leaving their consumers slightly queasy. A ll creatures in the vicinity will be struck with a disease that has a toxicity rating equal to the changelings Mantle. The damage dealt is lethal, and is inflicted once a day until cured or treated.
Summer Mantle
Rank one: A core burst of heat wells up inside the changeling causing the changeling to suffer a number of points of bashing damage equal to her Mantle. Her body will break out into a heat rash and appear sunburned. Rank two: A concussive blast of heat radiates off the changeling causing combustible things around her to crackle and smolder. The changeling and anyone within the changelings sensory range suffer a number of points of bashing damage equal to her Mantle. Victims will appear slightly singed and the smell of burnt leather and hair will linger about her for days. Rank three: Small flares of fire burst from the changeling and small combustible materials catch on fire. The changeling and suffers a number of points of lethal damage equal to her Mantle and will suffer from firstdegree burns. Rank four: A large wave of flame flares out from the changeling touching everything within sensory range. Combustible objects are engulfed in flames and a patina of molten metal bursts in the immediate vicinity doing a number of points of damage to objects in the vicinity equal to the changelings Mantle. The changeling and anyone 6
Winter Mantle
Rank one: A small blast of chilling cold steals through the changeling, freezing her to the marrow and making her limbs feel numb and heavy. For the duration of the Tempest, the changeling temporarily suffers a penalty to
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their Dexterity equal to the changelings Mantle, including derivative attributes such as Defense. Rank two: The creeping chill steals out across the within the changelings sensory range. Dew and moisture upon objects turns to frost, covering most things with a film of ice. A ll people within sensory range, including the changeling, suffer from a deep marrow- biting chill that inflicts numbness to their limbs. A ll living creatures temporarily suffer a penalty to their Dexterity equal to the changelings Mantle, including derivative attributes such as Defense. Rank three: Puddles snap- freeze and trails of slick ice cover many moist surfaces. Locks, doors and many similar portals throughout the horizon are held shut by the frost, requiring Strength equal to the changelings Mantle to break open. The changelings body is filled with a terrible lethargy and slowness. For the duration of the Tempest, the changelings movement, Defense and initiative are halved, and the changeling suffers a penalty to her Wits equal to the changelings Mantle. Rank four: Within the changelings sensory range, a snap freeze occurs. Sheaths of ice seem to climb up walls and across the road, blocking many of the convenient routes and sealing most windows and other portals, each with a durability equal to the changelings Mantle. The people within sensory range are caught in this snap freeze and will begin to suffer hypothermia and a desire to go to sleep. To avoid the desire to sleep a person must test with Resolve + Stamina, with a penalty to the roll equal to the changelings Mantle. Rank five: A deathly quiet extols across the changelings sensory range. The world is simply covered in an icy- tomb, snap frozen into immobility. A ll the living creatures in the changelings sensory range are turned into life- like statures for a number of minutes equal to the changelings Mantle. Even after they return to life, they feel numb and unfeeling. Roads, doors and other pathways are simply cut off and cause the entire place to be isolated. A ny attempts to leave or pass through their barriers will require a number of successes equal to the changelings Mantle on a relevant extended roll. Mantle Three: The Oriel opens up into an Oubliette. Though this place can be hostile to the changeling, the changeling arrives in a location that is reasonably safe, for a while. The Oriel, however, is likely to draw unwanted attention. Mantle Four: The Oriel opens up into the depths of the Widderslainte. Truly horrific stories are told of being landed in such innately hostile territory. Mantle Five: Woe to those who suffer from a level five Rapture as the Oriel steals the characters away into the Somnus itself. Many changeling stolen away like this, never return to tell the tale.
Rapture
A t its most dangerous, a changeling may suffer from a Rapture, which manifests an Oriel, a crack between the waking world and dreaming realms. Here the crack opens wide and sucks the changeling into the dreaming realms. Where the crack opens depends largely on the changelings Mantle, the higher the Mantle the more dangerous the location. Furthermore, for every dot of Wyrd above one the changeling has, one of the changelings companions or other targets in the vicinity will be sucked in along with them. Mantle One: The Oriels power is only strong enough to dump them into the nearby Hedge. Though the wilderness can be tricky and confusing, the changeling should eventually be able to navigate her way out. Mantle Two: The Oriel throws the changeling and companions deeper into the Labyrinth, placing them in locations that are difficult to navigate back from, or territories that might be hostile.
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vague symbolic way. A n Extraordinary Success will allow her to recall a general overview of the events but not well enough to remember details clearly. Willpower 3-4: This is the level that most mortals exist. A t this level, mortals function in a deep dreamlike state, with a modicum of their own sense of self- preservation they will attempt to defend their own life if needed. They will suffer from the derangements of the changeling with the highest Wyrd for a number of nights equal to that Wyrd. Once free of their enthrallment they forget most of the events, grasping only fleeting images of it that are hazy and confused. Willpower 1-2: A ny human at this effective level of willpower the mortal is completely subject to Faerie. Not only do they maintain the changeling with the highest Wyrds derangements for a number of nights equal to that Wyrd she becomes a carrier for the Faerie as well. A ny other mortal she comes into contact with for any period of length ( an hour or more of interaction with them) will suffer those derangements for an entire day and night. Once the mortal is free of contagion their madness is such that there are simply no memories for them to block, just gaps in the mind of the mortal, who may even deny the desire to introspect them. Willpower 0: If for some reason a witness effective Willpower is reduced to zero, they suffer all the effects of the above, but at the end of it all they gain a perm anent derangement most appropriate to the scenario. If they have no derangements they may gain one of the mild derangements belonging to the changeling with the highest Wyrd in the scene. If they already have that derangement it may be upgraded to severe. changelings because it causes the least amount of psychological trauma in their victims as the changeling is attempting to draw out emotions that lie deep beneath the surface of the consciousness. They are memories so far into that persons past that it becomes difficult for them to notice it missing. They take childhood memories that have less relevance but still contain strong emotional virility. They take memories that have been bottled up or suppressed. Or they take memories that are lost amongst many others of its own nature. These are the deeply dwelling memories that must be tapped into by an Exhumation. To draw into these memories a changeling must initiate a drawn out process that lets her psychically delve into the subjects mind, like a deep hypnosis; and, like hypnosis, once the processes is initiated the subject enters into a trance like state. The changeling must continue to engage the victim, speaking and directing the subject to this memory ( if a specific one is known) or generally trying to find a suitable one. A s she does so, these hidden memories come welling to the surface as the subject revisits their experience. Because of the finesse requires to perform this feat, a changeling cannot simply perform Exhumation on any person. The changeling must either be touching the target or have an acco rdanc e with them ( acco rdance is a property of Dominion which were described above) . Only once this is achieved, can the changeling begin the process.
System
Once the connection is established the changeling makes an extended roll contested by the subjects Willpower. The dice pool used will be largely dependant on the manner the changeling searches for the emotions. If they do it through a casual conversation it may be Manipulation + Empathy. If they attempt to mentally probe the victims thoughts it might be Intelligence + Occult. The amount of glamour that they can draw depends on the amount of successes gained. Multiple successes indicate that the changeling has either discovered a singular potent emotion, or a number of smaller emotions of the same variety. Dice Pool: Seeking pool contested by the subjects Willpower Action: Extended; target number equals number of points of glamour to be drawn out. Each roll takes approximately ten minutes of communion with the target. Roll results: Dramatic Failure: A ll successes are lost immediately and the target immediately snaps out of their trance and develops a mild aversion to the changeling in question. The changeling cannot attempt to draw glamour from that target again for the night. Failure: The changeling fails to find any memories of significance or fails to draw a strong enough Success: The changeling feels the surge of the emotion flood her mind. Particularly strong scenes may give the changeling quick flashes of what occurred, but nothing more. Extraordinary Success: The changeling feels a slight surge of emotion only.
The Harvest
Glamour is neither free nor cheap. For a changeling to Harvest glamour she must somehow either tap into the deep wellspring of their emotional reservoir, or inflame a profound emotion in that moment there and then. Much of a changelings life is dedicated to the Harvest. To find this Glamour a changeling must either induce these emotions from their prey, or rip it out of them by force. The changeling must therefore be able to manipulate people in a manner of their choosing so that they can gather what they need. While the core book of Changeling: the Lost presence a default method of harvesting glamour, it is reasonably simplified. For stories where the Harvest is not a central component, that will probably serve the purposes needed. What is presented here are three systems of Harvesting glamour to deeply invest into the storytelling of the Harvest. These rules assume the use of the rules of Ennui and Reverie ( see above) . Storytellers may choose to use these all the time, or only for certain scenes to highlight aspects of the Harvest.
Exhumation
The first and most subtle method of gaining glamour is through the process of exhumation. This allows a changeling to draw upon deeply buried emotions from a target and subtly siphon them off for glamour in a slow and careful way. This method is probably the most favored by 8
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Ebullition
The second most common method of Harvest is that of Ebullition. This method has the changeling quickly inflame a targets emotion and then directly consume that single experience. It is a direct and almost violent psychic assault on her target that tears the glamour away in one single rapturous burst. Ebullition has a few advantages over Exhumation. The primary one being that it doesnt need accordance or touch to work. A ny singular mortal target may be subject to its effects ( any creature with a template cannot be affected by Ebullition) . A nother more enjoyed benefit is that the experience can be quite thrilling for the changeling. During the process of Ebullition the changeling develops a strange synergy with her victim, allowing her to feel the thrill of the emotions she wishes to consume almost before they are transmuted into glamour. A secondary benefit that is not readily apparent is the fact that the victim rarely remembers the event. This is primarily because the memory stolen in the action is in fact the act of the attack itself. The victim simply cannot remember the assault. However, Ebullition is not without its limitations. It is an all or nothing process and can only be performed on a singular target in a single night. Furthermore, the maximum amount of glamour that can be harvested from a single target is capped by their Resolve ( 2 for most humans) . This means that a canny changeling can potentially take a few draughts of glamour from a number of different targets in a single night. There is no single roll that can decide this; it is entirely based on whatever tactic is used and may in fact be more the purview of roleplaying than mechanics. A s an impromptu system, the Storyteller may elect to set the player an extended test with the appropriate dice pool ( Presence + Intimidate to induce fear, Manipulation + Persuasion to arouse them or even Dexterity + A thletics to physically taunt them into rage) . The target number is the number of points of glamour they wish to consume, and the time between rolls is based on the difficulty of their task. Consult the extended actions chart for a guideline.
Dice Pool: Wyrd Action: Instant Roll results: Dramatic Failure: A s failure. Failure: The target loses no willpower and the changeling gains no glamour. The victim recalls the experience. Success: The changeling gains one mote of glamour and the victim loses one Willpower point for every success. This is capped by the targets Resolve. Extraordinary Success: A s normal success, but with higher amounts of glamour gained.
Epiphany
The final and the rarest method that a changeling can acquire glamour is through the process of Epiphany. In this way, the changeling is able to rape the psyche of her own mortal memories. This can only be done in places where the flesh and dream merge, such as within the Hedge or within a mortals dreams. The process is neither easy nor pleasant. The changeling essentially tears a hole in her own mind to erupt the flow of its own glamour. In doing this, the changeling is sacrificing part of her own psyche. For every point gained she loses one of her own points of Willpower, she also suffers a point of Ennui for every point thus gained. A changeling, however, may not consume her own dots of Willpower, no matter the situation.
System
The system is simple. The changeling rolls her Clarity and gains a number of points of glamour equal to her successes. Dice Pool: Clarity Action: Instant Roll results: Dramatic Failure: A s failure. Failure: The changeling gains no glamour. Success: The changeling gains one mote of glamour and loses one Willpower point for every success. Each point taken creates a point of Ennui. Extraordinary Success: A s normal success, but with higher amounts of glamour gained.
System
Once the desired emotion is inspired in the target, the changeling rolls their Wyrd. The mortal has no defense against this.