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setting:changeling_flaws

Changeling House Rules

Changeling Flaws


Physicals:

Addiction (1-3pt. Flaw)
You suffer from an addiction to a substance or experience. If the addiction is to something sedative and a fix cannot be obtained, you should roll to avoid triggering a gain of temporary Banality, as the mists of fugue gnaw at you. If the addiction is to something stimulating and a fix cannot be obtained, the Storyteller can choose to give you a point of Nightmare or even an Imbalance. For a one-point Flaw, the addiction must be satiated weekly; for a two-point Flaw, the addiction must be satiated daily; for a three-point Flaw, the addiction must be satiated after an hour of sobriety.

Allergic (1-4pt. Flaw)
You’re allergic to a substance. For one point, you get hives, sneeze or become dizzy upon prolonged contact with your bane, for two points, you swell up uncomfortably in the affected area, increasing all difficulties by one, and for three points, your reaction actually incapacitates you, increasing all difficulties by three. If the substance is really common in your chronicle, add an additional point to this Flaw. A redcap who accidentally eats something he’s allergic to is in trouble. A Stamina roll is required, otherwise he’ll immediately vomit everything in his stomach. Furthermore, any time he wants to do anything more strenuous than walk for the next half hour, a Willpower roll is necessary to see if another attack of nausea hits.

Asthma (1pt. Flaw)
You have difficulty performing strenuous tasks because you cannot breathe properly. With asthma, your lungs only pull in a fraction of the air lungs require. Any time you exert yourself, you must make a Stamina roll or be unable to perform any action on the next round while you catch your breath.

Bad Sight (1, 3, or 6pt. Flaw)
Your sight is defective. The difficulties of any die rolls involving the use of your eyesight are increased by two. As a one-point Flaw, this condition can be corrected with glasses or contacts, as a three-point Flaw, the condition is too severe to be corrected, and as a six-point Flaw, you are blind and difficulties of all Dexterity-based rolls are increased by two with Perception rolls based purely on eyesight failing automatically.

Impaired Hearing (1, 2, or 4pt. Flaw)
You have flawed hearing. The difficulties of any die rolls involving listening are increased by two. As a one-point Flaw, this condition can be corrected with a hearing aid or ear implant, as a two-point Flaw, the condition is too severe to be corrected, and as a four-point Flaw, you are completely deaf and all hearing based rolls fail.

Short (1pt. Flaw)
You are well below average height, and find this world is not built for changelings of your stature. You suffer a difficulty penalty of +2 to all pursuit rolls, and you and the Storyteller should make sure your height is taken into account in all situations. In some circumstances, this will give you a concealment bonus.

Twitch (1pt. Flaw)
You’ve some sort of repetitive motion that manifests in times of stress, and it’s a dead giveaway as to your identity. Examples include a nervous cough, constantly wringing your hands, cracking your knuckles, and so on. It costs one Willpower point to refrain from engaging in your tic.

Deformed (2-3pt. Flaw)
A disfigurement makes your appearance disturbing and memorable. When in the presence of those who judge based on appearances, the difficulties of die rolls relating to social interaction are increased by two. You may not have an Appearance rating greater than 2. As a three-point Flaw your deformity also raises the difficulty by two for rolls of one chosen Physical Attribute, as your deformity afflicts your mobility.

Too Human (2 or 5pt. Flaw)
Your fae side struggles to penetrate that of your mortal seeming. As a two-point Flaw, this makes all changelings view you warily. Social rolls increase in difficulty by two until you make an action inarguably proving your fae nature. As a five-point Flaw, the wariness other changelings feel towards you becomes antipathy, as you also lose one of your kith’s Birthrights. You choose which one to sacrifice.

Lame (3pt. Flaw)
Your legs are injured or otherwise prevented from working effectively. Difficulties of all dice rolls related to movement increase by two. A character may not take this Flaw along with the Merit Double-Jointed.

Parfum de Goat (4pt. Flaw)
The goat musk is a unique, horrific scent that makes the eyes water. You are a walking, breathing sachet of smelly goat. This Flaw isn’t restricted to satyrs, but is most common among them. Satyrs and redcaps are not bothered by your musk. Other kiths must be convinced against maintaining a distance from you, no matter the situation. This hinders your chances for romance, titles, and even simple chats. The difficulty of all social rolls involving any beings with sense of smell other than satyrs and redcaps is increased by three.


Mental:

Impatient (1pt. Flaw)
Action always trumps inaction, and standing around is for grumps. Once per story, if you’re forced to wait around instead of acting, make a Willpower roll (difficulty 5). Failure makes you repeatedly insist on action, to the likely annoyance of your motley. If they do not follow your advice, you likely act no matter their attempts to stop you.

Nightmares (1pt. Flaw)
You experience dreadful nightmares whenever you sleep, your consciousness touching some forbidden part of the Dreaming. Fractured recollections haunt you during your waking hours. Upon awakening, you must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) or add two to the difficulty of all actions until you sleep again. A botched Willpower roll indicates that, even when awake, you believe you are locked in a nightmare.

Amnesia (2pt. Flaw)
Your life is a blank slate. However, your shadowy past may someday come back to haunt you, and the Storyteller is under no obligation to be merciful. You can, if you wish, take up to five points of other Flaws, leaving the Storyteller to eventually specify what they are. Over the course of the chronicle, you and your character will slowly discover them.

Curiosity (2pt. Flaw)
You’re a naturally curious person, your curiosity easily overriding your common sense. To resist temptation, make a Willpower roll. The difficult varies based on the temptation; difficulty 5 for simple things like, “I wonder what’s in the armoire,” but difficulty 9 for things like, “I wonder why young men keep going missing around the baron’s freehold. I’ll just slip in and check it out.”

Phobia (2 or 4pt. Flaw)
From a fear of clowns to one of the dark, the whole gamut of phobias exists across the Kithain, capable of scaring the boldest changelings out of their wits. As a two-point Flaw, a Willpower roll overcomes the object of your fear each time you encounter it. The difficulty of the roll is determined by the Storyteller. If you fail the roll, you must retreat from the object. As a four-point Flaw, even the mention of your phobia requires the Willpower roll. Even if you pass, all manual dexterity-based tasks have their difficulty increased by two as you uncontrollably shake until you return to a safe environment.

Short Fuse (2pt. Flaw)
The slightest provocation against you or one of your close companions compels you to lash out with fists, feet, or whatever comes to hand. When incited, you must make a Willpower roll to compose yourself, with the difficulty decided upon by the Storyteller based on the severity of the insult.

Soft-Hearted (2pt. Flaw)
You cannot stand watching others suffer. You object to any situation involving causing someone pain, and will leave the immediate area unless you make a Willpower roll.

Vengeful (2pt. Flaw)
There’s a score to settle with someone in your life. The thought of sweet revenge skews every plan you make whether you know it or not. Whenever you encounter the focus of your vengeance, little can stop you from taking reparations. You may temporarily resist your need by spending a Willpower point.

Wyld Mind (2pt. Flaw)
Your mind is extremely chaotic and unpredictable. As a result, you have difficulty concentrating on any one task. You must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 4) for every extended action roll after the second.

Absent-Minded (3pt. Flaw)
Though you do not forget such things as Knowledges or Skills, you do forget such things as names, addresses, and the last time you gained Glamour. In order to remember anything more than your own name and the location of your freehold, you need to make a Wits roll or, as a last resort, spend a Willpower point. This Flaw may not be taken with the Merit Concentration.

Flashbacks (3pt. Flaw)
You’re prone to flashbacks if you’re in either high-pressure situations or circumstances similar to the event that caused the trauma itself. Either positive or negative stimulation could result in an episode. Returning to a good and happy vision can be just as dangerous or distracting as suddenly being surrounded by demonic hallucinations. During the flashback, you’re unaware of what’s really around you. Even people speaking to you will be viewed as people or objects from the vision. To you, reality has shifted, and you are back there again. These flashbacks must be played out, or forced away through expenditure of a Willpower point.

Lifesaver (3pt. Flaw)
You believe life is a sacred gift, and will not take — or allow someone else to take — a person’s life except in the most extreme of circumstances. You have no problems with killing animals (for the right reasons), and will kill inhuman creatures to protect others if necessary. Senseless death in all forms repulses you, and you feel that those who commit murder should be punished. You must resist the inclination to tend the wounds of any injured parties in your presence with a Willpower roll (difficulty 7).

Weak-Willed (3pt. Flaw)
You’re highly susceptible to mind-altering magic, hypnosis, and intimidation by others; your difficulties to resist Social abilities such as Intimidation or Leadership, as well as mind-altering spells, are increased by two. Your willpower Trait may never rise above 4.

Guilt-Wracked (4pt. Flaw)
You did something appalling enough to burden you with guilt in every waking hour. Whether it was murder, neglect, or destruction of something dear, you committed a crime and cannot put it right. Whenever you’re presented with a situation similar to your crime, you must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 8) to remain composed. Failure results in a breakdown for the remainder of the scene, rendering most tasks impossible and increasing the difficulty of all rolls by three. Even with a success, your body reacts nervously and the difficulty of all rolls increases by one as you attempt to conceal your guilt. Few will be sympathetic should your guilt become known.


Social:

Dangerous Mentor (1pt. Flaw)
Your mentor is lost to Bedlam, or engages in acts that could cause a tremendous uproar. Any wrong committed by your mentor may affect your reputation, and some of your mentor’s dangerous schemes may somehow involve you.

Dark Secret (1pt. Flaw)
You have a secret that, if uncovered, would be of immense embarrassment and make you a pariah among your peers. This can be anything from having murdered a noble to secretly being a member of the Shadow Court. While this secret weighs on your mind at all times, it will only surface in occasional stories. Otherwise, it begins to lose its impact.

Enemy (1-5pt. Flaw)
You have an enemy, or perhaps a group of enemies, who want you harmed. The value of the Flaw determines how powerful these enemies are. The most powerful enemies (kings or impossible horrors from the Dreaming) would be five-point Flaws, while someone nearer to your own power would be worth only one point. You must decide who your enemy is and how you earned such enmity in the first place.

Insubordinate (1pt. Flaw)
Following the orders of leaders you do not respect rankles you like nothing else. Whenever such a leader makes a command or request of you, roll Willpower (difficulty 5) and on a failure, you will work against their decree.

Intolerance (2pt. Flaw)
You have an unreasoning dislike of a certain thing. This may be a class of person, a situation, or just about anything else. The difficulties of all dice rolls involving the subject — such as conflict, dealing with the lower classes, or having to break bread with a certain kith — are increased by two. Note that some dislikes may be too trivial for this Flaw. The Storyteller is the final arbiter on what you can pick to dislike.

Foul Mouth (2pt. Flaw)
Most people swear, but your use of profanity puts nockers to shame. Your mouth spews forth a never-ending torrent of obscenities. Others know when enough is enough, but you just keep going. This Flaw precludes you from ever holding a respectable job of any kind in human society and increases the difficulty of Social rolls by two, when politeness is necessary.

Possessive (2pt. Flaw)
You obsess over and jealously hoard your possessions. When others attempt to use your equipment — whether it be your car, sword, clothes, or bed — you must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7). On a failure you vehemently refuse to allow anyone to touch your things, and will lash out if they push the subject. On a botch you immediately act violently when someone attempts to handle anything you own.

Shrinking Violet (2pt. Flaw)
As a shrinking violet you’re only comfortable with your own. Around others, you’re constantly aware of the differences between you, and are consequently ill at ease. This manifests as clumsiness (fear of breaking things and people), difficulty speaking in social situations (only able to speak of things as they are), etc. In game terms, this Flaw adds two to all difficulties of Social rolls when not primarily among your kith or motley.

Fallen Noble (3pt. Flaw)
Once, you held near-absolute power in a freehold, but those days are gone. Perhaps you stepped down, or your city fell to a rival Court; it matters little now. What matters is your replacement is aware of your prior position, and has concerns you might be trying to make a comeback. If the new ruler sees an opportunity to get rid of you, she just might take it.

Recruitment Target (3pt. Flaw)
An enemy organization wants you, and they want you bad. Every effort is being made to recruit you, willing or no, and the press gangs usually show up at the worst possible time. For every friend you have who will defend you, another will wonder what is so special about you that draws this malevolent group to your doorstep.

Sleeping With the Enemy (3pt. Flaw)
You have some sort of intimate connection with a member of an opposing faction your own has reason to despise. You may have a lover, a friend, or a contact working the other side of the fence, but regardless of politics, you retain a friendly (or more than friendly) relationship with your putative foe. Your superiors would regard your close ties to someone on the other side as treason, and if you are discovered, the penalty will be severe.

Ward (3pt. Flaw)
You are devoted to the protection of a mortal or Kinain. This character may be a friend or relative from your pre-Chrysalis days. Wards get caught up in the action of stories, and they’re frequent catalysts for dangerous situations. Describe your ward to your Storyteller in advance of your chronicle’s commencement.

Indecisive (3pt. Flaw)
When you’re given an opportunity, you know you’ve got to act quickly, or it just might pass you by. Yet, you can’t seem to make up your mind fast enough; it takes you a while to sort through all your options, examine the pros and cons, and then decide which is the best decision. You must make a Willpower roll whenever your character must make a decision, otherwise you remain undecided about what to do.

Hunted (4-5pt. Flaw)
A fanatical monster hunter who believes (perhaps correctly) that you are anathema to humanity pursues you. All those with whom you associate, be they mortal or Kithain, may be hunted as well. At four points, the hunter is mortal, while at five the hunter is a different kind of monster, such as a vampire or werewolf.

On Probation (4pt. Flaw)
You defected from an enemy faction, and still have much to prove before the group you turned to accepts you. Other changelings treat you with distrust and even hostility, and your reputation will even sully those with whom you regularly associate.

setting/changeling_flaws.txt · Last modified: 2022/Jan/17 16:35 by flowercrystals