AlphaSample Slice file 1.0 September 2017
All materials contained in this packet are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of By Night Studios, LLC. Table of Contents
Introduction ...... 5 Alpha Slice Developer Notes ...... 5 Key Features ...... 6 What should I do with this packet? ...... 7 Chapter Three: Kiths ...... 8 Kiths ...... 8 Boggans...... 9 Redcaps ...... 21 Sidhe ...... 29 Sluagh ...... 42 Trolls ...... 52 Chapter Four: Character Creation ...... 61 Quick-Start Character Creation Guide ...... 61 Step One: Inspiration ...... 64 Step Two: Record Initial XP ...... 68 Step Three: Choose a Kith ...... Sample...... file ...... 68 A Brief Description of the Changeling Kiths ...... 68 Step Four: Choose a Court ...... 69 A Brief Description of the Changeling Courts ...... 69 Step Five: Assign Initial Attributes...... 70 Step Six: Assign Initial Skills ...... 73 Step Seven: Assign Initial Backgrounds ...... 84 Choosing Backgrounds ...... 84 Losing Backgrounds ...... 85 Shared Backgrounds ...... 85 Background Descriptions ...... 86 Step Eight: Assign Initial Arts ...... 98 Step Nine: Choose Merits and Flaws ...... 99 Step Ten: Spend Initial XP ...... 100
XP Chart...... 100 Step Eleven: Finishing Touches...... 101 Step Twelve: Before the Game ...... 102 Chapter Five: Arts and Realms ...... 103 Learning Arts ...... 103 Using Arts ...... 103 Gaze and Focus ...... 104 Familiarity with the Target ...... 105 Focuses ...... 105 Physical Attacks ...... 105 Realms...... 105 Actor ...... 106 Condition ...... 107 Fae ...... 108 Nature ...... 108 Prop ...... 109 Scene ...... 110 Time ...... 111 Arts ...... 112 Chicanery ...... 112 Dread ...... Sample...... file ...... 118 Inglenook ...... 123 Oakenshield ...... 127 Metamorphosis ...... 129 Primal ...... 135 Soothsay ...... 139 Sovereign ...... 144 Wayfare ...... 150 Chapter Six: Merits and Flaws ...... 154 Overview ...... 154 Merits and Arts...... 154 Adding Merits and Flaws ...... 155 Removing Merits and Flaws ...... 155 Repeated Merits or Flaws...... 156
Rarity Merits ...... 156 Kith Merits ...... 158 Boggan Merits ...... 158 Redcap Merits ...... 160 Sidhe Merits ...... 160 Sluagh Merits ...... 161 Troll Merits ...... 163 Court Merits ...... 164 Seelie Court Merits ...... 164 Unseelie Court Merits ...... 165 Shadow Court Merits ...... 166 General Merits ...... 166 Flaws ...... 172 Chapter Eight: Dramatic Systems ...... 181 Fae Mien ...... 181 Parting the Veil ...... 181 Fae Mien Benefits ...... 182 Glamour ...... 182 Spending Glamour ...... 183 Recovering Glamour ...... 184 Epiphanies ...... Sample...... file ...... 184 Dross ...... 188 Running Out of Glamour ...... 190 Banality ...... 190 Gaining Banality ...... 191 Levels of Banality ...... 193 Beyond Hope: The Dauntain ...... 196 Fighting Banality: Treatment and Recovery ...... 197 Character Sheet ...... 199
Introduction
“Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.” — Khalil Gibran Alpha Slice Developer Notes Imagine a broken world where everything feels muted and dull. Your skin itches while you work a passionless job just to survive, knowing that somewhere in the secret places of the universe, there’s magic and Glamour. Even if you manage to keep yourself together, there might be monsters, dragons, and chimerical beasts to battle.
You are a dream pressed into flesh, a changeling struggling to survive the Endless Winter. The days of free-flowing Glamour are gone, but still you can touch the Dreaming. There is magic still yet in the world.
Do you seek to inspire Dreamers? Do you uphold your ancient code of duty and honor? Do you embrace your freedom? Do you seek to rage, reminding humanity why it once dreamed of monsters?
Or do you surrender to a leader who promises comfort and a return to former glory? All he asks is loyalty…and some of your Glamour.
In an age of despair, the ultimate act of rebellion is hope. Welcome to the new Mind’s Eye Theatre (MET): Changeling The DreamingSample. file
What is an Alpha Slice? This MET: Changeling Alpha Slice contains the foundation of the game still in development. Future releases will include new arts, new kiths, the Endless Winter storyline, and revised setting elements.
This document represents a vertical slice of Mind’s Eye Theatre: Changeling The Dreaming. This material is a small percentage of what might be included in the final product; it will certainly change and evolve over many rounds of playtesting and player feedback. These rules and setting pieces are still in development, and this document is intended to highlight features, showcase design philosophy, and provide only a microcosm of the final product. Please note that any cross references that direct readers to “page XX” are left in deliberately – the referred content will be available in future releases.
To that end, we invite you to read through this preview and offer feedback. We consider this presentation to be proof-of-concept, and your compliments and criticisms are important to the
Introduction Page 5 continued development of Changeling: The Dreaming and other By Night Studios games. At the end of this document, you will find a brief questionnaire about the Alpha Slice packet. Please answer these questions out and send us your responses. You can also add any notes or commentary you like about the rules, setting, or other materials in the vertical slice. Key Features Some of the key features of this Beta Slice include:
• Kith: This alpha slice includes a first look at five different types of changelings that can be portrayed by players. They include:
o Boggans: As keepers of hearth and home, Boggans are the soul of faerie culture. They are crafters and tradespeople—and expert gossipmongers (page 9).
o Redcaps: Sprung from the primal dreads of hunger and starvation, this kith revels in being monsters pressed into flesh (page 21).
o Sidhe: Faerie nobles, the Sidhe are leaders and rulers who hold a sacred birthright and responsibility for all changelings (page 29).
o Sluagh: Frighteners, assassins, spies, and collectors, the whisper-quiet Sluagh are primal fear given form (page 42).
o Trolls: These honorable and resilient warriors are dedicated to defending commoners and dreamers (page 52). • Seeming: The Seeming backgroundSample provides guidelinesfile for the progress of a changeling’s development—including the benefits and drawbacks that come with experience. Read more about the Seeming background on page 95.
• Other Backgrounds: In addition to Rank, this Alpha Slice includes several new backgrounds specific to Changeling: The Dreaming, including Dreamers (page 89), Chimerical Companions (page 88) and Treasures (page 97), plus several others.
• Realms: A new mechanic specific to Changeling: The Dreaming, the use of Realms allow changelings to mold and shape their magic to the needs of a specific situation or circumstance. Learn more about this new ability on page 105.
• Arts: Often forming the basis for fairy tales, changeling magic is powerful…and capricious. This Alpha Slice includes preview rules for 45 different cantrips from nine different arts, including:
o Chicanery: the art of trickery and deception (page 112).
o Dread: the art of fear and intimidation (page 118).
Introduction Page 6