The Changeling Way

Hellboy II

2008-07-13T18:12:56Z

Delivers what the previews suggested. The setting and feel of it are remarkably applicable to OWoD Changeling. Go see it.

Unbalanced kiths?

2008-06-28T13:50:03Z

Is is just me, or do some of the kiths in CtD seem a little unbalanced (at least as written)?

The Numuzo'ho Nunnehi, for example, do not suffer from the kith Frailty until they reach Grumpdom. Until then, they enjoy the benefits of their Birthrights free of charge, as it were. Under the original TT rules, the Spriggan Thallain just like to kidnap children. Yes, that's it. I could see if they needed to spend a WP point to avoid kidnapping a kid, but as written...it doesn't seem to be that much of a Frailty. And what if you wanted to play a childling troll? Their extra strength and wound levels aren't available until they become wilders.

Then again, CtD did seem to suffer from a bad case of "fuzzy rules" - one of the reasons I've stopped playing it. Maybe if it had actually gotten a Revised edition that could have been fixed, but I guess that's a moot point now.

Memoriam for Changelings.

2008-06-15T21:17:56Z

Internet is back up and I've had an idea. If you've read Wraith, then you'd know that some wraiths can gain their spiritual energy (I'm paraphrasing this from memory, sorry) if they're famous for some reason or other, and living people still remember them for some reason or other. This was treated as a background, and the more famous you were, the more energy you could cultivate, level 5 being Elvis.

So it got me thinking of how to work this for changeling. Obviously, being dead isn't very useful, but if a changeling can cultivate grand events of some kind that draw on inspiration, then they could probably raise glamour for becoming memorable. Probably not explaining it very well, but someone who could pull off a successful music festival would probably gather some kudos (glamour) for setting it up. Or someone who becomes an urban legend, someone like Robin Hood, or Johnny Appleseed.

Any thoughts?

New art

2008-05-30T21:02:54Z

NPC's for my Virginia-set game

Cinnamon, the Seelie Troll Ballerina

As-yet unamed Cardinal Pooka

and for my friend's upcoming game (YES! After storyteller duties for over 4 years I finally get to play!) my amnesiac Hare-Pooka.

The Creepy Old Man

2008-05-26T22:38:57Z

Since folks asked, I'll provide a little synopsis of the Freewheeling Freehold. A little vicarious Storytelling for the C:tD deprived.

The story opens with The May Faire carnival pulling up stakes and leaving Vancouver. Three relatively new girls are traveling with the carnival, a 16 year old Seelie Redcap who had been homeless but has already eaten another Redcap, a ten year old Childling Satyr whose parents had died in a fire forcing her Chrysallis and sending her to live with her Kinain Aunt and Uncle that worked at the carnival, and a twenty-one year old Pooka who swore an oath to the Balefire to escape punishment for invoking the Wyrd while breaking the Escheat and getting caught on video that was posted to Youtube. And surprisingly, they are not out of place in this Carnival of Changeling misfits!

The Pooka having been a hobbyist juggler, just refines her juggling routines for the road. The Redcap has an eating act, while the Childling Satyr helps another Satyr with her dancing act and does some singing. It's not till their second week on the road, that the three really interact with each other. The humorous banter between the Childling Satyr and the Redcap draws in the Pooka. The scuttlebutt has already spread word of the Pooka's hasty exit from town. Both the Pooka and Redcap resemble Suicide Girls in their mortal seemings. Red hair, black clothes, the Pooka having piercings and the Redcap with the typical tribal tattoos.

While the group bonds, they overhear a group of boys enjoying the carnival talking about a missing boy, a creepy old man, and a dare to check out the house for the missing boy. While the Redcap thinks it would be a great opportunity to scare the kids, the Pooka and Childling Satyr are curious about the whole situation. Nothing could stop the Pooka from checking it out, once the Childling Satyr makes a comment about the boy being there, and then wanting to take it back. She knows about that Satyr trait, and that has all the hallmarks of being True Spoken.

More teasing is done with the Childling Satyr, including telling the not-yet-Sained girl that because she said it, the Dreaming made it true. (This Childling did not pick the best companions. And yet her jeweled dragon Chimerical Companion did not contradict them.) Somehow, they talk the Satyr into black clothes and a tattoo. For some reason, the tattoo was a trade off not to dye her hair red or get her ears pierced.

Armed with the excuse of taking the girl to get new clothes, the three head off. There's a side trip to the tattoo parlor with the bribe to tattoo a ten year old without parents' permission is half an hour with the Wilders. That done, they head to the neighborhood they had researched about the missing boy.

Long investigation short, the house has all the signs of no one living there for the past two months. During that time, it's been turned into a trap. A trap with a lot of illusions and Chimerical chompy things. Suffice it to say, there are a lot of Kenning rolls. Highlights include the Childling Satyr creating a duplicate, and then having both of them almost fall through the illusion hiding missing stairs. The Pooka botches a roll to walk on the bannister past the missing stairs and tumbles into the darkened basement which is swarming with centipedes and millipedes, Chimerical and real. After a few bites, she gets free of them. The Redcap solves the problem by eating all of the bugs, so they can continue to search the basement. New idea for her act.

They find the boy, covered by Nervosa. He is totally Grey. The Pooka drives him back to the Carnival, so that more experienced Changelings can prevent him from becoming an Autumn Person. Besides, whatever did set those traps is still at the house, and she needs to get back to help. The Childling Satyr and her duplicate are waiting outside to keep the boys whose dare got this all started from going into the trapped house. The Redcap and her Treasure (a sentient chain like from Ghost Rider and based off of the Gauntlets from the Redcap book, which she also has) clean up the rest of the Chimerical traps. Glamour yum!

The Pooka returns and does more searching. Around which time the boys show up. Two make it past the Satyr's scare and talk to her. As she proceeds to tell them too much information about the girls, the Pooka arrives to spin a satisfactory lie that they are the creepy old man's dead wife's cousins checking up on him. The boys are sent on their way, and the main baddy shows up from inside a portrait. It tells them to leave, and uses threats against another boy that it has captive to encourage them to leave. It appears to be a Sluagh, but does not have a mortal Seeming. And, it talks above a whisper. The Pooka catches the lies and proceeds to charm some answers out of it, while the Redcap and the duplicate go searching for the other boy. Three answers, it is the disquiet dreams of the town, the captives are the old man in a trunk while it only looks up at the hatch to the attic, and it doesn't know how to destroy itself. While the Pooka is asking questions, the Satyr tries a merit to Inspire Joy in the Chimera. And the hungry bugger likes it.

With an end of useful questions, it's the Redcap's turn for the big fight. The Pooka, the Childling Satyr and the duplicate go for the attic. The Disquiet Dream creates four helpers, while the Redcap uses Quicksilver. She takes out three helpers, who had sacrificed themselves for the main Chimera. Seeing more attackers, the Pooka turns from the rescue attempt and engages the last helper, so the Redcap can concentrate on the Disquiet Dream. Which was smart, because the attic is the same as the basement, although Black Widow Spiders instead of centipedes. The duplicate and the Satyr go up. The Satyr manages a clumsy exit, with just a few Chimerical spiders on her, while the duplicate is forced to remain in the attic drawing all of the spider's ire.

The Redcap fails a swallowing roll, and has to take the Disquiet Dream out with her Chain treasure, and the Gauntlets. Although, she manages some damage, while the Pooka can't manage more than love taps against the helper. Unfortunately, the helper is taking Glamour from her, until she can land a solid blow. Which is about the same time the Disquiet Dream is incapacitated. The Redcap eats the Disquiet Dream to be rid of it. In the attic, the Chimerical spiders are melted. Finally, the dragon did something useful. They find the old man in a trunk and take him back to the carnival too.

After a few nights by the light of the Balefire, the boy is dumped off somewhere to find his way home. The old man is a slightly different story. On the third night, the girls are brought to see him. Sitting there, is an extremely old Sluagh. It seemed that the Sluagh was going to miss Chyrsallis this time around, but the shock of the old man losing his wife two months ago triggered it. And there were no Changelings around to notice. But the Chimera created by all the disquiet dreams of the town did noticed and came to trap him. The carnival will send word to the Nobles whose lands this is, as well as to any Sluagh in the region. He will be protected.

Also, the one boy from the dare shows up looking for the Childling Satyr, because of what she said. She falls back on the Pooka's lie, but fortunately, the boy is willing to be distracted with other things and doesn't press too closely. This causes ruling Satyr explains things about preventing the carnival from getting in trouble when she goes on these little asides. And the Pooka takes some time and teaches about convincing lies and subterfuge.

By the way, the Childling Satyr has been suffering from the pain of the tattoo the whole time. The bleeding and weeping under the bandage was explained away as happening in the fight to the ruling Satyr. I'm not sure what the Aunt and Uncle were told. The bandages come off next session to reveal a reasonable replica of a jeweled dragon named Archimedes. Which happens to resemble her Chimerical companion.

New Chronicle!

2008-05-21T14:17:18Z

Whee! Our GM has decided that he missed Changeling for long enough and he's starting a new game. Unfortunately, there are just three players interested, but we'll make the most of it. It's going to be a mobile Freehold with a group of Carnies. My sea otter Pooka is on the road because a prank ended up on YouTube and she decided not to wait for the local ruling Sidhe's reaction. Then there's the Seelie Redcap, who just needs to keep moving, for obvious reasons. And a childling Satyr who's banal parents died, leaving her in the custody of one of the carnival's members. The rest of the NPCs have their own reasons to keep moving.

Yippee!

Exodus

2008-04-15T03:59:04Z

Okay, so with the imminent ending of my job, I've begun the exodus of too-much-stuff in our house.
Feel free to barter, haggle, or offer trades (though, I'm really mostly interested in art atm, since I *do* have wall space...)

First lot: Changeling the Dreaming Books
I'm not likely to ever play C:tD again, so I'm gonna get rid of all of these things, besides, I have two friends with (nearly) complete collections....
EDIT:
Here is an update on the books, etc. I should have added I can take paypal/money order, and shipping should be about $3 (I'll cover the rest) to sent the books to you via media mail. :D

loaswearargyle
The Enchanted:
Nobles
Noblesse Oblige: Book of Houses
Kingdom of Willows
Immortal Eyes: Shadows on the Hill
Toybox
Denizens of the Dreaming
Story Teller Secrets
Book of Lost Dreams

nanashi_jones
Core Book (2nd ed)

moonwolf
Trolls
Redcaps

zen_master
The Enchanted
Redcaps

eto
The Autumn People

Which Leaves:
Trolls: $6
Immortal Eyes: Shadows on the Hill $7
Changeling the Dreaming Original art:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/ravynwolf/changelingart4.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/ravynwolf/changelingart3.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/ravynwolf/changelingart2.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/ravynwolf/changelingart1.jpg

Nunehei Kiths

2008-04-06T00:34:04Z

Does anyone know of any Nunehei kiths other than those in the player's guide? Beings like the Manitou for instance? I'm going to be running my first Changeling game set in North America soon , and would like to include the Nunehei.

Having just seen ......

2008-04-03T00:34:15Z

....something on the biography channel.
If certain famous people were to be revealed as changelings in a game. Would freddy Mercury have been a Satyr?

changelingway @ 2008-04-02T03:10:00

2008-04-02T07:10:23Z

ever since i first saw the Trevor Nunn movie version of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, i immediately fell in love with the extraordinary soundtrack. unfortunately, it seems like it's been out of print for pretty much ever. i've been looking on amazon and ebay for over a year now without luck, so i thought i'd turn to the rest of the internet for help.

if anyone out there has a copy of the Twelfth Night soundtrack and is willing to burn me a copy, i'd be more than happy to send postage to cover the shipping costs. you can contact me here.

thanks! keeping my fingers crossed!

Atypical Nocker

2008-04-01T14:05:32Z

why should all Nockers be scrawny, twisted little buggers?

full size pic can be viewed here: http://woodwose.deviantart.com/art/Nocker-at-work-81603753

A frog on a log in a swamp ....

2008-04-01T12:56:44Z

In honor of April Fool's Day, I would like to share a story from one of my old Dreaming chronicles....

One of my players in this game wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box when it came to making up his characters. He seemed to be *trying* to stack the deck, stat-wise, but his characters always ended up being rather ineffectual - at best.

For the game in question, he made up a sidhe with one dot in each Realm. And no, he apparently *didn't* realize that he wouldn't be able to cast cantrips on himself with that spread. When another of the players heard what this fellow had done, he burst out with, "That's a really dumb way to do it."

Some time later, the other players and I were reminiscing about that game, and one of them said, "Y'know, [the sidhe's player] needed to be in a situation where there was some dirt, in the pockets of a commoner changeling and a close friend of his, in a closet! That way, he could use all of his Realms at once!"

It took us several minutes to stop laughing. :)

Erm, its been quiet round here latley...

2008-04-01T09:26:03Z

So
¡¡¡ƃuıʌıƃsʞuɐɹd ʎddɐɥ

-=R286=-
uʍop ǝpısıdn
‫‬‭‮‪‫‬‭‮҉and back to front‫‬‭‮‪‫‬‭‮҉

House Knockma

2008-03-26T02:56:52Z

While the game this House was created for has been compleated, I thought I would share. My fiance created this House for the purposes of our particular story and we fell in love with it.

What do you think of the Lily Thieves?
http://www.freewebs.com/eveninggarden/knockma.html

changelingway @ 2008-02-26T14:20:00

2008-02-26T23:00:24Z

For my new game, I'm making a whole lot of changes to the system. I'm trying to keep track, so that if other people want to they can use it too. I've pulled a lot of things from new system Changeling, but kept all the themes and metaplot from old Changeling.

Meta:
- Age/Seeming: Changelings aren't mainstream, they're not the workaday grunts who sit in cube farms all day having their souls sucked out through the screens of their computers. Changelings are artists, and preformers, and wild. Therefore there's no reason the dream should have to end as soon as they graduate college. Half of them probably don't even go to college. I've decoupled age and seeming. If someone did end up getting a soul-sucking job, he'd probably be a Grump at 23 and have forgotten by 25. But the faerie artist, there's no reason she shouldn't be Wilder until 40, and let her Grumphood last 'til 60. Most of the Changelings in my world are between 15 and 35, or so.

More practically, I was really sick of my characters having to sneak out of the house every time they wanted to go on an adventure. But I also think the explanation makes sense.

However, death is final. The next time you wake up, it'll be in a new body, and you probably won't remember any of the previous ones.

Character creation:
- Characters are allowed to use any of the new system seemings/kiths as well. Mostly they're layered on top of the old system kiths, and effect the appearance of the character rather than skills. I've done this on a case-by-case basis, more than anything else. There are definitely no codified rules.

- Drop Appearance, instate Composure (new system stat).

- Moved things around on the character sheet to make space for blanks in the Abilities section, so you're not limited to the abilities listed on the sheet.

- Freebee points are assigned by how long you've been a Changeling, and therefore how much experience you've gained in the world. This usually runs from 10-50 points.

- Willpower costs 1 freebee point/dot, rather than 2.

- I suspect eventually I'll play around with the balance of starting glamour/will/banality, but not yet.

- Drop Legacies. Instead, use Virtue and Failing (in new system, these are the Seven Deadlies and Seven Holies, which is a fine starting place but very limited. I've expanded it to whichever two words best describe the character in best and worst light).

- Brawl, Melee, and Firearms must be taken for a specific class of weapon or fighting. So a troll might have Melee *** (longsword) and Melee * (spear). Or a redcap might have Brawl **** (barfight) and Brawl ** (karate). Costs to buy new points would be reduced in the event that one such knowledge supported or was similar to another. Someone who knows knives would presumably have an easier time learning short sword. Firearms is divided into Pistols/Revolvers, Rifles, Shotguns. If I ever need anything else, I'll sort it out then.

Magic:
I decided to combine the new system magics with old system magics.

- Old system: Remove Realms entirely. The difficulty a character has in casting a cantrip on a person or object has to do with his familiarity with that person or object (or its class of objects). For example, a boggan who gardens a lot would have an easy time casting cantrips (or contracts; we'll get to that in a second) on all cultivated plants, his own things and friends, a moderately difficult time casting magic on strangers and wild plants, and a very difficult time using magic on most technology, and enemies. I've also added Catches (from the new system, if the Catch is fulfilled the cantrip or contract costs no glamour) to every cantrip. Because the roll for the cantrip had to do with realms, I rewrote all the rolls.

- New system: A number of these don't make sense in the context of old system metaplot, and those just got nixed. Several are also the same as old system cantrips, and those got nixed, too. Those that didn't I mostly had to rewrite the rolls, because many of them had to do with Wyrd, which is a wholly new system stat. All contracts, like cantrips, have a Catch and must be cast with a bunk.

- Cost: All cantrips and contracts cost 1 glamour per person, except for 5th dot powers which currently cost 2. I may change that so that 4 dot powers cost 2 glamour per person and 5th dot cost 3, if I feel the system is too over powered in game.

- I've also changed a bunch of individual levels of contracts and arts so that they are less lame (or in one case, overpowered). I don't have a full list, because I haven't finished. I will post when I'm done, and anyone that wants to see my full changes can request the file.

changelingway @ 2008-02-26T15:45:00

2008-02-26T20:45:50Z

Honk.

Here's a commission done for Curtana.

changelingway @ 2008-02-20T14:59:00

2008-02-20T20:04:17Z

Just to let you guys know, I'm still taking commissions to help pay for the surgery my cat's gone (and going) through! She made the front page of icanhascheezburger not too long ago, whee!

For one inked and colored character, 3/4 to full body, digital mailing only, I'm charging $15. Any additional character in the same picture is $10.

Examples of work I've done are here:

Please note me here or on my Deviant Art page: http://nibblekat.deviantart.com as my yahoo mail routinely eats people's mail to me.

Also, paypal only, please!
Thanks!!

Kat.

Cantrips

2008-02-18T04:39:11Z

Hi all -

I'm trying to make a list of all Cantrips. I have the 2nd edition core book, as well as .PDFs of the Player's Guide 1st Edition, the Nocker Kithbook, and the Shadow Court book. Are there any other books with cantrips in them that I'm missing? If there are, could you possibly give me a quick summary of the five levels and the associated Attribute? Thanks!

An Interesting Exercise

2008-02-15T20:41:56Z

i admit this is a little off-topic, but i thought it would be interesting to some people in the community.

i am engaging in An Interesting Exercise and would greatly appreciate the insights of the greater world.

if you had to pare down all of your personal belongings, tools, clothing, and other miscellaneous gear until they fit in one medium-sized duffel bag, one regular-sized bookbag, and two slightly-larger-than normal shoulder-style messenger bags, how would you do it? what would you keep? what do you consider to be essential items for living and working?

we'll take it one step further: pretend that you will be homeless/couchsurfing for an unknown period of time. what, then, would your stash of gear look like?

and one step further: plan ahead for the possibility that the duffel bag and the bookbag get stolen. your absolutely indispensable equipment must fit in the two shoulder bags.

i'm very curious to hear what people come up with.

thanks for your input!!!

Changeling music video?

2008-02-07T18:36:27Z

Caught a cover-version of the song "Kiss Me" performed by the band New Found Glory, the video is set in a huge treehouse/mattress fort in the woods, pure Childling & Wilder stuff.
http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1304207626&vw=g&b=0&pos=1&p=new+found+glory+kiss+me&fr=yfp-t-310

changelingway @ 2008-02-05T17:15:00

2008-02-05T22:14:04Z

Hey. I'm taking character commissions... $15 for one character, 3/4 to full body, little to no background.

My paypal is emilbasquiat@yahoo.com and it's first come, first serve... digital only. :)

Thank you so much...

My website's here: http://nibblekat.deviantart.com .

I am really, incredibly broke right now, and desperately need help.

Art & stuff

2008-01-22T08:04:09Z

What are Trolls? dreams of chivalry? honour made flesh? the embodiment of the warrior's spirit?
In a world where a man's word can mean nothing, and promises break like the fragile, shattered dreams of childhood are Trolls the last hope man has of reclaiming his lost nobillity?

WE sailed with the Norsemen, we were the living avatars of the Aesir and Vanir. We were the Jotuns of Stone, flame and ice. Ours was the strength of mountains, the fury of the bear, the dances of warriors and the gentle whispered words of justice to ears of the Jarls. We were Skadi, Freyja, Tyr and Thor. We stood at Heimdal's shoulder on Bifrost and feasted in Valhalla.
Now we have passed from memory into myth.
Remember us lest the world not know our strength when it is needed most.

Image behind cut, mild artistic nudity

What were we before recorded time?
What fears shaped us in the darkness of the Neolithic night?
What were we before man dreamed of honour and war, nobility and battle?
We were the Earth, the very rock, soil and stones. The rivers were our blood, we were the children of the Great Mother, bathed in her strength and knowledge. We were the horned shapes that haunted the forest.

Before mankind created gods they looked to us for wisdom.

all art from http://woodwose.deviantart.com/

Sidhe randomness

2007-12-05T21:01:25Z

Some of these questions are pure opinion questions. Some questions are posed in the abstract, to spur discussion on Sidhe rules. All of these are more about theme and style than hard and fast it says here on page XX that the rule is BLANK. I'm not tossing these questions out here because I'm not familiar with the official rules, I'm tossing these out for discussion and humor.

Enjoy the randomness.

Is House Eiluned a predominately Seelie House? Meaning, are most (at least 50.0001%) of the members of Eiluned really Seelie?

Who would you enjoy more as an antagonist: a "Dance Puppets!" Ailil Sidhe noble or a "My way or the Highway!" Gwydion Sidhe noble?

Which House is less noble, Liam or Scathach? (assume no Arcadian Scathach, because it seems the majority of players do not embrace them)

Who's a better lover, a Leanhuan, or a Fiona? Who's a better signifficant other?

Houses Dougal & Balor: Who has the better Boon? Worse Ban? Are they pretty balanced against each other?

Considering the Court-swapping rules governing Sidhe:
Is there such thing as a Seelie Sidhe? If Seelie Sidhe just become Unseelie when adhering to the Seelie Court would be a challenge, what's the difference? Does Court matter at all to the Sidhe, since they switch so easily? What is an in-game circumstance when an Unseelie Sidhe became Seelie to deal with a challenge? Which happens more, Seelie to Unseelie swapping or Unseelie to Seelie?

Artiness

2007-11-18T16:51:03Z

Ellaraine, a PC Satyr (yes, I know she`s blue...there`s a reason, we just don`t know what it is yet)

Ewan, (NPC)the propriator of a local coffee shop, a werebear and the object of two player-character's affections.

Nial, (NPC) a Clurichan ne're-do-well and ladies man

Another pic of the Nocker NPC Sabre, carrying one of her late brother's weapons, the "Steam carbine"

Finally,Kendryk, a Fianna Tribe werewolf. He's something of an enigma-nobody has been able to find out anything about his past,he simply turned up in Brighton around 3 years ago and has evidently known Ewan for many years.

Thallain

2007-10-30T16:46:39Z

Devil's Night tonight.

Samhain tomorrow.

Let's celebrate the Unseelie.

On that subject, Thallain. A friend of mine portrays and considers Thallain tragic shades of the Kithain; monsters who can not overcome their selfish, destructive natures. Scary and dangerous, yes, but more deserving of pity than loathing - sort of like an addict who doesn't want to give in to vice, but can not fight their nature and succumbs to base, selfish desires. Me, I consider and portray them as despicable terrors that enjoy, revel even, in their dark natures, laughing with delight as they spread ruin and discord. I play them as twisted, self-serving bastards who are despised by the Kithain, who identify the Thallain as dangerous parasites, not fallen cousins.

So what are some of your takes? Similar, less dark, more dark? I’m not trying to set off an endless argument or anything, just share interpretations. With Halloween just around them bend, it seemed a good topic for discussion.