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Changeling Merits & Flaws

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A Myriad of Thoughts by fantasio

"A Myriad of Thoughts" by fantasio (resized) is used with permission

 

Merits

Contract Negotiator (_________) ●●●●

By Nightstorm

Your character has learned the art of the deal and is now able to extend one of the contracts he has learned. Once per day when he has used the specified contract without invoking the catch, the changeling can activate Contract Negotiator, which allows him to use that contract again without paying any further glamour. (Any other requirements, such as Willpower, must still be met.) He can then avoid paying glamour costs for that contract up to a number times per day equal to his Wyrd. The contract must be an affinity contract and the merit must be applied to one specific contract when it is purchased.

For example, the Darkling Azazel acquires Contract Negotiator (Darkness). He uses the fourth clause of Contracts of Darkness (Boon of the Scuttling Spider) and spends the required glamour even if he has met the catch (climbing stone or wood walls at night). Since Azazel has a Wyrd of 3, he can use any of his Contracts of Darkness 3 times without paying any additional glamour during the next 24 hours. Azazel can only use this merit on Contracts of Darkness and must still pay Willpower costs.

If he wanted to use Contract Negotiator for another contract, such as one of his court contracts or a universal affinity contract (like Contracts of Hours), he would have to buy the merit again for each of them.

Seventh of a Seventh ●●●●

By: Michael

Effect: Your character was unfortunate enough to be the 7th son/daughter of a 7th son/daughter. This has marked the character for abduction by the True Fae. This will likely happen either shortly after birth, or around the ages of 7, 14, 21, etc... The Fae find these children of particular interest. Being unfortunate enough to be born with this over your head does have a couple benefits once you return from Arcadia:

  • +1 to Clarity rolls, the 7th of a 7th seems to have an easier time holding on to clarity than other Changelings

  • +1 to Kenning rolls to recognize contracts, as you have seen and witnessed more Fae powers than the average mortal, and have been around it your life.

  • You have the same affirmity bonus as a changeling with 1 Wyrd higher

Unfortunately, this gift is not a pure gift. When you return from Arcadia, being marked isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. A mortal so marked is more prone to insanity when she does lose Clarity. A character so marked gets a -1 to all rolls to resist gaining a derangement.

Author’s Note: I noticed in Changeling: The Lost that there was not a mortal merit a character could take that would predispose them to becoming a changeling. Werewolves and mages have a merit that does just that, so using some information from the books and fairy tales, I wrote this up. Storytellers are encouraged not to let all the characters have this, as the 7th of a 7th is very rare indeed (also why I threw in the -1 to Clarity rolls). Unfortunately, the name of this Merit is altered from what I would have liked it to be, as in the “Magical Traditions” book there is a merit called “Seventh Son/Daughter of a Seventh Son/Daughter” (page 122).

Flaws

Court Enmity (Persistent Condition)

Perhaps you switched Courts, failed to fulfill your Court duties, or abandoned the Court system entirely - or maybe you didn't do anything to deserve censure at all.  Whatever the case, you now suffer -2 on any Social rolls with members of a specific Court. If using Social maneuvers against members of your enemy Court, you must open an extra Door. Additionally, you cannot access the social benefits of any Mantle or Court Goodwill rating you may have in that Court until the Condition is resolved. Court Enmity can occur with multiple Courts at once.

Example Skills: Subterfuge, Socialize

Resolution: The falsehood is openly debunked or your character's name is cleared (often through a challenge such as a major duel, fulfilling a pledgebound quest, or offering an important item).

Beat: Your character backs down from a confrontation or fails a roll due to this Condition.

Court Enmity (Social Flaw)

Not only have you switched Courts or abandoned the Court system entirely, but you managed to tweak the wrong noses hard on the way out. Perhaps you ran from an important Summertide fight when your rage finally wore out and disgust finally settled in, or they found out you gave up the location of an important Winter hideaway in exchange for a token at the Goblin Market.  Whatever the case, your reputation has suffered a heavy blow that will take some serious time and effort to recover from, if you can recover at all.

Characters suffer this flaw with one specific Court and cannot enjoy any social perks related to their rating in Mantle or Court Goodwill with that Court until the resentment is resolved.  Court Enmity acts as a -2 penalty to social interactions with the Court in question (though not supernatural powers based on Social rolls). This flaw may be acquired multiple times, should the character rouse the genuine ire of more than one Court. Experience is gained when this social penalty gets in the way of or directly harms the character's goals.

Forgotten Promise (Persistent Condition)

You have entered into a pledge but do not recall doing so, which leaves you unaware of the parties, restrictions, and boons involved (at least temporarily). The Wyrd will eventually reveal the terms of the deal to you or you can seek them out on your own, but you will have to live up to your end of the bargain or face the consequences. Merits like Common Sense or supernatural powers with similar functions can help you sense when you are about to violate a restriction of a forgotten promise.

This Condition is usually only available at character creation, though it can stem from a memory-related Condition gained during play, like Amnesia. The player should give input into the pledge's terms, at least about its overall severity and the boon(s) their character was seeking. Storytellers should remain open to amending the terms, should the player have a very negative response.

Resolution: Your character discovers all of the terms of the pledge.

Beat: A complication arises due to your character's active pursuit of the details of the pledge.

Forgotten Promise (Supernatural Flaw)

You have entered into a pledge but do not recall doing so, which leaves you unaware of the parties, restrictions, and boons involved - at least for now. Eventually, the Wyrd will reveal the terms of your contract to you, and you will have to live up to your end of the bargain or face the consequences. Such a promise is likely to be tied very deeply to the circumstances of your earliest experiences as a changeling and will probably involve important figures like family members, your Keeper, your fetch, or the privateer who sold you into bondage.

This flaw is usually only available at character creation, though it can happen due to memory loss during play. When it is set up as part of a character's background, it represents an opportunity to explore themes related to the character's past. It's advisable to get some player input on the parties involved, the general severity, and perhaps the boon(s) the character was seeking when it was forged. Storytellers should remain open to amending the terms, should the player have a very negative response.

 

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