Changeling Creation Guide

Before you begin with this guide, it helps immensely to read the main Changeling page, to better understand what these twisted slaves of the Fae are, and whether or not you're truly interested in playing one. Once the basics of their condition have been applied to a base Human template, to reason out how they became what they are today and detail them as a person (aspects much more important than the details on this page). After that, this guide will walk you through the rest of the creation process.

Seeming
Seeming is the group your character belongs to, based on what they went through in Arcadia and how the experience changed them (physically as well as mentally). There are six to choose from. Wild and animalistic, they were used in ways animals are used back in Arcadia; hunting dogs, beasts of burden, birds and so on. They are ruled by instincts rather than rationality. Nimble, stealthy and cunning, they prefer the night over the day as they were kept in lightless grottoes and deep, dark forest out of the light. Otherworldly and strange, these Changelings were put into servitude as raw elements of nature. There is great variation with them; earth, fire, water, air and everything inbetween. Graceful and manipulative, they were kept as entertainment or lovers in Arcadia. They are elegant and adored, the most beautiful of the Changeling - though not always the kindest. Strong, often brutal, loyal and stubborn, these troll-like Changelings are prone to violence and have survived brutal abuse back in Arcadia. They are resilient and strong-willed. Crafty and intelligent, the Wizened were often put through cruel experimentations back in Arcadia. They are often skilled craftsmen and tireless, industrious workers with a quick wit.
 * Beast
 * Darkling
 * Elemental 
 * Fairest 
 * Ogre
 * Wizened

Kith
Kiths are sub-categories to Seeming, to further categorize them into groups of belonging based on their looks. There are numerous ones for every Seeming, and they are chosen based on which fits the purpose they served in Arcadia the best. They can be used as inspiration for coming up with a Fae Mien. Multiple Kith might fit, so take the one that seems to be the closest to your character concept.

Kiths are optional but encouraged.

Beast Kiths

 * Broadback - beasts of burden.
 * Chimera - culture-themed kith with parts from many creatures.
 * Cleareyes - Beasts who retain an animal's heightened senses.
 * Coldscales - kin to reptiles of all kinds.
 * Coyote - culture-themed kith of coyote-headed tricksters.
 * Hunterheart - predators and hunters.
 * Nix - culture-themed kith of river mermaids
 * Riddleseeker - Beasts of wisdom, cunning and curiosity.
 * Roteater - scavengers and eaters of the dead.
 * Runnerswift - beasts of great speed.
 * Skitterskulk - creepy-crawlies, spiders and insects.
 * Steepscrambler - climbers and tree-dwellers.
 * Swimmerskin - aquatic beasts of all kinds.
 * Truefriend - faithful and loyal pets.
 * Venombite - poisonous creatures, from snakes to scorpions.
 * Windwing - flying beasts.

Darkling Kiths

 * Antiquarian - keepers of ancient lore and artefacts.
 * Gravewight - creatures who feel more at home among the dead than the living.
 * Illes - culture-themed kith of troll-like under-folk.
 * Leechfinger - faeries who steal the life from mortal folk.
 * Lurker - Victorian-era kith of master thieves and pickpockets.
 * Lurkglider - winged creatures of the night.
 * Mirrorskin - masters of disguise whose real forms are malleable as clay.
 * Moonborn - deranged madmen touched by the moon.
 * Nightsinger - dark musicians who conjure up hypnotic tunes.
 * Palewraith - near-transparent beings that lurk in the shadows.
 * Pishacha - culture-themed kith of demonic haunters.
 * Razorhand - shadowy stalkers and slashers with blades for hands.
 * Skogsra - culture-themed kith of woodland trolls.
 * Tunnelgrub - dwellers in the tight spaces and darkness underneath.
 * Whisperwisp - secretive whisperers that gather information.

Elemental Kiths

 * Airtouched - the Elementals of wind, cloud, smoke, and sky.
 * Apsaras - culture-themed kith of cloud and fog elementals.
 * Ask-wee-da-eed - culture-themed kith of meteoric elementals.
 * Di-cang - culture-themed kith of jewel elementals.
 * Earthbones - Changelings who have the mark of earth and stone.
 * Fireheart - Elementals marked with fire, heat or electricity.
 * Levenquick - Elementals of lightning and electricity.
 * Manikin - Changelings who have the character of man-made objects.
 * Metalflesh - Metal elementals.
 * Sandharrowed - Changelings of sand.
 * Snowskin - Elementals of the cold, as powerful as the Arctic ice or as delicate as a snowflake.
 * Waterborn - Changelings who are imbued with the nature of the waters.
 * Woodblood - The children of the plants.

Fairest Kiths

 * Bright One - the shining Changelings who embody the beauty of light in all its forms.
 * Dancer - creatures possessed of unearthly grace, always moving. Blessing: Fae Grace. (CtL 114, WM 81)
 * Draconic - inheritors of the blood of Faerie's "great beasts", from dragons to demons.
 * Flamesiren - living incarnations of the allure of flame.
 * Flowering - the epitome of nature's beauty.
 * Gandharva - culture-themed kith of androgynous messengers.
 * Larcenist - graceful and elegant thieves.
 * Minstrel - entertainers and serenaders, with or without an instrument.
 * Muse - beauties who inspire great art by their presence alone.
 * Playmate - friend and companion.
 * Polychromatic - ever-shifting kaleidoscopes of color.
 * Romancer - visions of the ideal nature, for anyone's eyes
 * Shadowsoul - enthralling, terrifying creatures, shaped by darkness and the night.
 * Succubus / Incubus - culture-themed kith of demonic seduction.
 * Telluric - those imbued with the nature and essence of the celestial bodies.
 * Treasured - ornaments and adornments of the True Fae.
 * Weisse Frau - culture-themed kith of weeping protectors.

Ogre Kiths

 * Bloodbrutes - brawlers and gladiators.
 * Corpsegrinders - fed on carrion.
 * Cyclopeans - monstrous hunters and guardians.
 * Daitya - giants of Hindu myths.
 * Farwalkers - hairy and stealthy wild men.
 * Gargantuans - can grow to a gigantic size.
 * Gristlegrinders - possessed of voracious appetites.
 * Oni - red-skinned ogres that feed on blood.
 * Renders - used to break down objects.
 * Stonebones - rock-like troll folk.
 * Trolls - manipulative grotesqueries.
 * Water-Dwellers - appear as water demons of folklore.
 * Witchtooth - hags and twisted witches.

Wizened Kiths

 * Artist - master craftsmen, artisans or artists; gnomes, elves and goblin-smiths.
 * Author - writers, poets and archivists of superb skill.
 * Brewer - possessors of secret fairie recipes.
 * Chatelaine - the perfect butlers, manservants without peer.
 * Chirurgeon - Changelings able to work magic with blade and scalpel.
 * Drudge - fast menial workers who take after boggans and house-elves.
 * Fatemaker - shapers of fate's patterns.
 * Gameplayer - riddle-makers and gamblers who love puzzles and games.
 * Gremlin - culture-themed kith of malevolent tinkerers.
 * Inventor - Victorian-era kith adept with gadgets and devices.
 * Miner - Kobolds and other tunneling sorts.
 * Oracle - Changelings with the ability to tell fortunes.
 * Pamarindo - culture-themed kith of pot-bellied butchers.
 * Smith - forgers of Faerie weapons and superb equipment.
 * Soldier - drafted into Faerie armies, these Wizened find battle is second nature to them.
 * Thusser - culture-themed kith of compelling musicians.
 * Woodwalker - nature's allies and protectors.

Fae Mien
The Fae Mien is the alternate look a Changeling has - the look that is visible to other Changelings as well as the True Fae. It is determined by what kind of purpose they filled in Arcadia, and is therefore dependent on their Seeming.

Beasts usually look a bit like animals, Darklings are twisted and dark, Elementals borrow their looks from the elements, the Fairest are beautiful and eerie, and the Wizened usually look small and wrinkly in one way or another.

When creating a Fae Mien for your character, be creative! How would their time and purpose in Arcadia have affected their looks? In what manner were they enslaved, and how is this reflected in their Fae Mien? How were they twisted?

Wyrd
Wyrd is graded 1 to 10, 10 being the highest. A Changeling with low Wyrd has fewer magical abilities and fewer Contracts, they are generally weaker but more human. A Changeling with high Wyrd, on the other hand, has more magical abilities, stronger magic, more Contracts, but are also more inhuman and Fae like.

All Changelings with a Wyrd of 4 or higher have to have a Frailty. The higher the Wyrd, the more fatal and common to come across the Frailty. For those of level 4 or 5, it may only be come across once or twice a month; for those of level 10, the character must actively avoid it in their daily planning, and keep an eye out just in case.

Frailty
Frailties come in two forms: taboos, and banes. A taboo is a behavioural restriction that either compels or prohibits the Changeling from certain behaviours or acts in specific situations. A bane is something that causes the Changeling harm - usually an item, but sometimes a kind of person or a certain situations.

Changelings with a Wyrd of 4 or higher must have a Frailty. The higher the Wyrd, the more severe the Frailty.

Minor Frailty is something that is highly inconvenient, but also something that is unlikely to happen in their day-to-day life. Taboos are triggered by very specific circumstances, and are minor. Banes cause minor damage on this level. For a Wyrd 4-6, your character can have a minor Frailty.

Major Frailties are things that greatly disables the Changeling in important areas of their lives; things that cannot easily be avoided. Banes of this level cause major damage and can quickly prove fatal. Taboos might be such things as being forced to do someone a favour if the person speaks their true name, or being unable to go outside if it rains. For a Wyrd 7-10, your character must have a major Frailty.

Court
Courts are the institutions at a Freehold to which a Changeling swears their allegiance. They are usually chosen determined by how well the character can identify with the Court's main ideals and outlook on their situation.

A Changeling who swears loyalty to no single court is simply known as Courtless, and this is a legitimate choice.
 * Spring; Court of Desire - Focuses on enjoying life and spreadng indulgence and revelry to the world. A light and life-embracing Court who wants to believe the worst is behind them. They often hold festivities and live to the fullest.
 * Summer; Court of Wrath - Often militaristic, this Court seeks to protect the Freehold and all Changelings through brute force. They seek to eliminate the dangers threatening their society and often go on hunts during their rule.
 * Autumn; Court of Fear - Focusing mainly on spreading fear and learning to use their new-found powers to get back at the Fae, this Court can be quite cruel and cunning. They spend most of their time making up clever schemes for survival and payback through wit.
 * Winter; Court of Sorrow - Secretive and hidden, this Court believes that by staying out of sight, they will be out of mind. They use cods, safehouses, trickery and spy networks to keep an eye on the enemy without ever being seen.

Contracts
Contracts are the magical abilities Changelings possess. They come with catches that needs to be filled if the Changeling wants to use them; it is not advisable to use a Contract without properly meeting the conditions of the catch, since the consequences are dire.

Contracts are divided up in Universal Contracts (free to use for everyone), Seeming Contracts (limited to the character's seeming), and Court Contracts (limited to the character's Court).

Each Contract cost Contract points to buy. The contract points are determined by which level the ability is on. Contracts need to be bought in order; you can't skip a level. In other words, to master an entire Contract category, you need to spend 6 Contract points.
 * First Contract: 1 Contract point
 * Second Contract: +1 Contract point
 * Third Contract: +1 Contract point
 * Fourth Contract: +1 Contract point
 * Fifth Contract: +2 Contract point

How many Contract points a character has is determined by their Wyrd level. The higher the Wyrd, the more Contract points a character has. Below is listed how many they are. You get three points for every level, as follows: