Goblin Contracts [5]

[ 5 ] Blood-Binding ( Rites Of Spring -- Page 116 )

The changeling can strip an opponent of all protections, dispelling all magics, including all protective Contracts and negating all other supernatural protections for the entire scene. The target also loses all Glamour points. However, to use this Contract, the changeling must throw a drop of her blood at the target and also sacrifice all of her Glamour.

Cost: All remaining Glamour + 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Presence + Wyrd

Action: Instant

Catch: The changeling uses this Contract against someone who has murdered a blood relative. Using this catch negates the Willpower expenditure, but the changeling must still sacrifice all her Glamour points.

Dramatic Failure: The changeling loses all her Glamour, while the target is unaffected.

Failure: The Contract fails.

Success: By spending all of her remaining Glamour points, the changeling strips the target of all supernatural protections. All Contracts protecting the target are dispelled and all tokens or other supernatural protections of a more enduring nature are negated for one full scene. This Contract even temporarily negates any consciously activated supernatural powers of ghosts, vampires and other supernatural beings (in other words, a werewolf could not shift forms, but would not lose its regenerative capabilities). In addition, a fae target is stripped of all his remaining Glamour points. The target can regain Glamour normally, but for a short time, he is utterly helpless.

Exceptional Success: To use this Contact, the changeling must face the target, look him in the eyes, cut herself sufficiently to draw blood and throw a drop of blood in the direction of the target. The changeling must also be no more than Wyrd yards from the target. For the next scene, the target cannot be affected by any supernatural protections, even those placed on him by other characters.

Suggested Modifiers: The changeling cannot clearly see the target's face (-1); The changeling knows the target's true name and shouts it when performing this Contract (+2).


[ 5 ] The Fatal Clause ( Dancers In The Dusk -- Page 68 )

Each Contract is, at its heart, an agreement, a pact that was originally crafted between the True Fae and the world around them, and is now activated by a changeling reaffirming that accord. Every agreement, however, has loopholes. Lost frequently make use of the most common loophole in the form of each Contract's catch. Other loopholes do exist, though, and those who learn this Contract are well aware of how best to take advantage of this. By exploiting a weakness in the Wyrd, The Fatal Clause allows Lost to nullify another Contract as it is being activated, essentially expending their own Glamour to short-circuit the targeted Contract. This Contract uses the Glamour of the changeling who is activating it to attempt to short-circuit the targeted Contract. In addition to the activation cost, this Contract sucks away Glamour and/or Willpower equal to the casting cost of the targeted Contract. This Drawback drain cannot be mitigated by the activator of The Fatal Clause by completing the catch of the targeted Contract, or by any other means. It is automatic, whether The Fatal Clause is successful or not. If the activator does not have sufficient Glamour (or Willpower if the targeted Contract uses that) for The Fatal Clause to drain, the Contract deals 1 level of lethal damage to him for every Glamour or Willpower he is "short". This damage cannot be avoided, redirected or lessened by any means, including armor or supernatural powers -- in spite of the Lost's best efforts, the Wyrd will take its due.

Cost: 2 Glamour and 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Occult + Wyrd - subject's Wyrd

Action: Instant and Contested

Catch: Within the last 24 hours, the changeling has been the target of a Contract cast by subject. The catch only negates the need to pay the activation cost of the Contract, not the additional Drawback Glamour sapped from him.

Effect: The Lost makes a contested roll against the character activating the Contract he wishes to nullify, with a target number equal to the level of that Contract. If the targeting Lost achieves a number of successes equal to or greater than the level of the Contract he is targeting, then the Contract is nullified. Any cost that the targeted character spent to activate the Contract is lost, but to no effect. If he rolls fewer successes than the level of the targeted Contract, then the Contract activates as normal, but the targeting changeling still must pay the full casting cost (unless using the catch) and the Drawback cost. The changeling must be able to perceive that the Contract is being activated in some fashion, whether through the Kenning rules or through an already activated Contract (such as Wyrd's Eye.)

Suggested Modifiers: The changeling possesses the same specific clause he is attempting to prevent from being activated (+1); The targeting Lost's Wyrd is higher than that of the subject (+1 for every level higher); The subject's Wyrd is higher than that of the targeting changeling (-1 for every level higher)


[ 5 ] Goblin Ward ( Swords At Dawn -- Page 54 )

Particularly paranoid Lost swear by this Contract, claiming that the usual security measures changelings adopt in their Hollows (namely the Hollow Wards Merit) simply don't go far enough to protect from privateers, loyalists, hobgoblins and the other dangers of the Hedge. Detractors question just how effective against hobgoblins such a ward can be if it is readily available at the Goblin Market. The Lost paints an occult symbol in the location she hopes to ward against intruders. This is often a Hollow, but the power does not necessitate that the ward be placed within the Hedge. The Lost may specify any individuals she wishes to remain unaffected by the ward's magic. Thereafter, any other person who enters the area is temporarily mentally enervated, allowing the character to defend herself or make her escape. Note: Changelings of Clarity 7 or higher who suffer the effects of this Contract must roll to avoid a loss of Clarity (four dice). This does not apply to any other form of the Morality Advantage.

Cost: 2 Glamour + 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Wyrd + Occult

Action: Extended (5 successes necessary; each roll represents 10 minutes of ritual)

Catch: The character paints the ward in the blood of a murdered enemy.

Dramatic Failure: The fae madness the character attempted to bind into the symbol escapes, overwhelming his senses. He suffers vivid hallucinations, possibly for hours. The character suffers a -5 penalty to all mental and social rolls until the following sunrise or sunset, whichever comes first.

Failure: The Contract has no effect.

Success: The character binds a fraction of the Wyrd into the symbol. The number of successes she rolls determines the potency of the ward. If the ward is never triggered, it remains in place for a month. If, however, characters not attuned to the ward approach within the changeling's Wyrd in yards, the ward goes off, showering everyone within the room or within 10 square yards (whichever is smaller) with mad fae magic. While the ward differentiates between those its creator attuned it to and those she didn't, the magic that pours forth when the ward has been set off is not so discriminatory, and will even affect the creator if she is within range. Each character in the area of effect must roll Composure + Wyrd at a penalty equal to the number of successes rolled by the ward's creator. Any character that fails this roll becomes overwhelmed by the madness of Faerie, his senses twisted and distorted and his mind numbed. He perceives enemies where there are none and mistakes strangers for friends, all tinged with the palpable magic of the fae. A character affected by the ward suffers a -3 to all dice pools and a -2 to his Defense and Initiative. He suffers hallucinations, but may roll Resolve + Composure -3 to gain clarity for a number of turns equal to his Resolve. (This clarity does not reduce penalties, but does allow the character to differentiate a raven from a writing desk.) The effects last for a number of minutes equal to the ward creator's Wyrd. Once the ward's magic has been discharged, the ward becomes inert, its magic spent. The creator, for his part, suffers from the amount of fae magic he must invest into the ward. He does not benefit from his seeming blessing (seeming curse and kith blessing are not affected) for as long as the ward exists, though he regains those benefits the moment the ward fades or is set off (allowing him to know that his fae alarm has been tripped, regardless of his current location). A changeling may have only one Goblin Ward active at any given time, and may end the Contract's effect at any time by physically destroying the symbol.

Exceptional Success: If the creator rolls 10 or more successes, the ward lasts for an additional month without further expenditure on the part of the changeling.

Suggested Modifiers: 2 Ward is set anywhere aside from the Hedge or Arcadia (-2).


[ 5 ] Lost And Found ( Changeling: The Lost -- Page 168 )

This Contract allows the character to escape from almost any situation, but his current location becomes known to another enemy.

Cost: 2 Glamour + 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Presence + Wyrd

Action: Instant

Catch: The changeling is escaping a well-known enemy who has been after her personally for more than a year.

Dramatic Failure: The changeling pays the Contract's price without benefit.

Failure: The Contract fails, and the character does not escape.

Success: Through some coincidence, the character can escape pursuit or captivity. A distraction may draw off pursuers. The character may find her bonds are not as tight as she thought, that someone left the cell door open or keys within easy reach and her guards are asleep or busy. As long as some possible coincidence allows her to escape capture or pursuit, she automatically escapes. However, as soon as the character has escaped, another of the character's enemies, or at minimum someone looking for her for some malevolent purpose, such as a bounty hunter or an agent of the Fae, coincidentally discovers the character's current location.

Exceptional Success: In addition to the escape, the character's captors or pursuers cannot find any trace of how she escaped or where she went. These traces are still visible to the new enemy that finds her location.

Suggested Modifiers: The changeling is escaping pursuit instead of capture (+3); The changeling is poorly guarded or in a flimsy prison (+1 to +2); The changeling is well guarded or in a well-built cell (-1 to -2); The changeling is imprisoned in a way almost impossible to escape from (-4).


[ 5 ] Mad Trespass ( Swords At Dawn -- Page 110 )

Changelings are paranoid. Everywhere they look they see signs that their Keepers are coming to retrieve their missing property. Nearly every pledge they take is intended to make the job of finding them more difficult. More than a few changelings have wished they could turn the tables on the Gentry and spy on them. This Contract fulfills that wish.

Cost: 1 Glamour + 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Composure + Wyrd

Action: Instant

Catch: The changeling was freely given some gift or boon by the target or one of its loyal servants.

Dramatic Failure: The changeling pays the Contract's price but gains no benefit.

Failure: Contract fails to work and the character pays no price.

Success: This Contract only works while the changeling is dreaming. To proceed, the changeling must first scour his dream, reducing the Intensity to 0. While his sleeping minds lies in a fallow state, the changeling speaks the name or a Title of the True Fae he intends to spy on and activates the Contract. Upon activation, the changeling's dream begins to rebuild itself to show the named Gentry and her immediate vicinity. The oneiromancer's point of view follows the True Fae no matter where she travels for the duration of the dream. Everything the True Fae sees and hears is clearly distinct and audible to the changeling. For all intents, the changeling exists as an undetectable shade that can neither influence his surroundings nor be influenced by them. The price for this Goblin Contract is particularly steep. When the character awakes from his dream, his Keeper knows exactly where to find him until the following dawn.

Exceptional Success: With an exceptional success, instead of following the Gentry, the dreaming changeling can shift his point of view and explore the Domain or area of the Hedge the Gentry is currently in. If the True Fae leaves that Domain or the Hedge, the dream shifts its focus back to the True Fae.

Suggested Modifiers: The changeling uses the Contract to target his Keeper (+2); The changeling uses both the name and a Title of the targeted True Fae (+1); The targeted Gentry isn't in Arcadia or the Hedge (-1); The changeling is currently sharing his dream with other changelings (-2);


[ 5 ] Riot ( Victorian Lost -- Page 23 )

The changeling can cause a crowd of at least two dozen people to riot. To use this Contract, the majority of this crowd must be experiencing a negative emotion such as sadness, frustration, or anger. Workers who have just been laid off, the audience of a terrible speech or performance, or the mourners at the funeral are all examples of such crowds. However, the drawback of this Contract is that many people in the area, including both bystanders and participants, vividly remember the changeling and associate her in some way with instigating the riot.

Cost: 2 Glamour + 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Presence + Wyrd

Action: Instant

Catch: The changeling addresses the crowd and urges them to violence immediately before using this Contract. The changeling must be heard by a significant portion of the crowd for this catch to be effective.

Dramatic Failure: The crowd remains largely peaceful, but several members become extremely hostile towards the changeling and may become violent towards her.

Failure: The Contract fails and the crowd remains peaceful.

Success: The crowd becomes violent, yelling and destroying property. If there is an obvious target for the crowd's negative emotion, like a boss that just fired a large number of workers or the fans of a rival sports team, the crowd attacks them or their property. Otherwise, the crowd becomes randomly violent, destroying property and attacking anyone who attempts to stop them. However, serious threats like armed guards cause the crowd to disperse.

Exceptional Success: The crowd becomes exceptionally violent, starting fires, causing massive property destruction, and attacking with murderous violence anyone who is an obvious target. The crowd is also motivated enough to march as far as a mile or two to gain access to an obvious target. If there are other people nearby who would have any chance of joining this riot, they will, and the riot can easily spread.

Suggested Modifiers: The crowd is peaceful and subdued, and a riot is exceptionally unlikely (-3); There is no clear target for the crowd's negative feelings (-1); An obvious target for the crowd's negative feelings is nearby (+1); The crowd is already angry and could potentially riot without incitement (+3).


[ 5 ] Sabotage ( Victorian Lost -- Page 24 )

The changeling can damage and disable a factory full of machines or another large collection of industrial machinery, like a rail yard full of trains. To use this Contract, the changeling must touch one of the machines. Unfortunately, when the machines break down, the one that the changeling touched breaks in some dramatic fashion and causes the changeling a number of dice of bashing damage equal to her Wyrd. This damage cannot be dodged or otherwise avoided, but armor protects against it.

Cost: 3 Glamour + 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Wyrd + Crafts

Action: Instant

Catch: The changeling has at some time been employed to work on or with machines like the targets.

Dramatic Failure: The machine the changeling touches causes the changeling a number of dice of bashing damage equal to his Wyrd, but it and other machines are unharmed.

Failure: The Contract fails and the machines function normally.

Success: All of the machines in a factory break and require repair. These repairs require an extended action, with one roll made every minute for each machine. The number of successes needed to complete the repairs is equal to the number of successes rolled by the changeling + the changeling's Wyrd divided by 2 (round up).

Exceptional Success: The machines are badly damaged and the needed repairs require an extended action, with one roll being attempted every 10 minutes for each machine. The number of successes needed to complete the repairs is equal to the number of successes rolled by the changeling + the changeling's Wyrd.

Suggested Modifiers: The changeling wears armor to protect against the damage (-1); The character makes a loud speech about why the machines need to be destroyed as they use this Contract (+1).


[ 5 ] Sleepwalker ( Swords At Dawn -- Page 111 )

The realms of sleep operate under a different set of rules than reality, if any rules exist at all. In dreams, even humans are capable of performing the impossible. In dreams, flight, mighty feats of strength and other such incredible acts are considered normal. This Contract draws on the Wyrd-fueled dreams of changelings to allow the Lost to impose some of the rules of dreams over reality.

Cost: 1 Glamour + 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Wits + Wyrd

Action: Instant

Catch: The dream to be devoured is that of a child.

Dramatic Failure: The changeling pays the Contract's price but gains no benefit. The prepared dream is wasted.

Failure: The Contract fails to work and the character pays no price. The prepared dream is wasted.

Success: Not just any old dream will work for the purposes of this Contract. A changeling must prepare the dream to be used through dreamweaving with a specific effect in mind. When the changeling activates this Contract, she must devour the prepared dream as part of the cost. Each use of this Contract requires the creation of a new dream. Dreams may be prepared to produce one of the following effects. While under the influence of this Contract, the changeling exists in a sort of waking-slumber in which the sharp edges of reality are dulled and blurred by the overlap of dreams. All Perception rolls suffer a -3 penalty. After the effects of this Contract have ended, the changeling will be unable to sleep (by any means, including magical effects or unconsciousness due to injury), or to dream, for 36 hours. All traits are halved (round down) during this period until the changeling is able to sleep. As above and the prepared dream may be reused.

Dreams of Might -- Any one Attribute chosen by the changeling at the time the dream was created is boosted to superhuman levels. Increase a single Attribute by 5 (ignoring the usual restrictions) for the remainder of the scene.

Dreams of Glory -- Any one Skill chosen by the changeling at the time the dream was created is enhanced by the Wyrd. Increase a single Skill by 5 (ignoring the usual restrictions) for the remainder of the scene.

Dreams of Flight -- The changeling gains the power to fly for the remainder of the scene. Flight speed is double the usual Speed of the changeling. An interesting side-effect of this particular dream is that normal humans don't tend to notice the changeling while she's flying or if they do, the Mask extends to cover this unnatural act by providing some visual explanation of flight (such as a parachute or a hang glider).

Dreams of Vanity -- The changeling becomes almost irresistible to members of the opposite sex (or preferred sex). For the remainder of the scene the character gains the Striking Looks Merit at four dots, has her Persuasion and Socialize Skills increased by three (ignoring usual restrictions) and exudes an intoxicating scent that is different for each person who smells it. Oddly, this particular dream has no effect on individuals that already truly love the changeling.

Dreams of Dominance -- Everyone within line-of-sight of the changeling considers her the absolute final authority on all matters. Short of suggesting suicidal courses of action, or actions that violate the moral code of an individual (i.e. would require a Morality or Clarity roll), any command given by the changeling will be followed immediately. Even people that are unable to communicate with the changeling because of language differences or deafness will follow her lead. Unlike the other dreams, this particular usage of the Contract persists until either the next dawn or until the changeling gives the same person contradictory orders.

Exceptional Success: As above and the prepared dream may be reused.

Suggested Modifiers: The changeling has ingested a moderate amount of psychotropic drugs (+2); The changeling hasn't slept for over 12 hours (+1); The changeling has slept within the last eight hours (-1); The prepared dream wasn't created by the changeling (-2).