Chapter Eight: Dramatic Systems

  This chapter presents guidelines for handling the dramatic elements of a Changeling chronicle when story and system converge, and sometimes conflict. The rules presented here are as much for the players as for the Storyteller. These systems add flavor and continuity to a chronicle — they are the link the players have to the reality the Storyteller is weaving. A Storyteller who arbitrarily changes the rules on the players risks pulling the "rug" of reality out from under them.
  However, the story cannot be dictated by mere rules systems. Try these systems, but if they don't work for your chronicle, adapt them or create your own. As always, our advice for the Storyteller is to err on the side of the story.

Action Scenes

  During scenes of combat and derring-do, time is broken into turns because the effects of the characters' actions can be critical in determining what comes next.

Organizing an Action Turn

  Action turns are a mixture of brief moments of tension when a player gets to act, and long sessions of boredom while she waits for her turn to come again. To keep things moving, and to give everyone an opportunity to act, all action turns consist of four stages.

Describing the Scene

  Before the characters can act, the players must have a detailed description of their surroundings. Good descriptions, updated as the turns flow, prevent confusion and give the characters options beyond Dice Pools and dots. Springing surprises on the characters ("Didn't I mention there was an antique blunderbuss on the wall behind him?") or not giving them enough information about a scene is a recipe for chaos. The characters should always know where they are in relation to each other and anything else of importance.

Initiative Stage

  Once the players understand where their characters are, they may want to do things. However, everyone can't shout out at once what they're going to do — again, the makings for chaos. One way to decide the order that players go in is to roll initiative. Each player makes a Wits + Alertness roll (difficulty 4). The person with the least successes acts first. Those players with more successes may interrupt this with their own characters' actions.
  If the characters are not in a combat situation, any convenient way may be used to decide who acts first, perhaps just going around the table.

Decision Stage

  This is when all the characters, including those played by the Storyteller, make their moves, with the player with the least amount of successes going first. By working things this way, those players with higher initiatives (those characters who are thinking faster this turn) have the advantage of seeing what's going on around them and reacting more quickly as well.
  As the players describe their actions, the Storyteller decides how she wants their actions to be resolved — what rolls are necessary, difficulty numbers, the number of successes necessary, etc.

Resolution Stage

  At this point the players begin making rolls, and the conflicting intents get resolved. The players roll their dice and see what Lady Luck has brought them.
  By the end of this stage, the rolls need to be interpreted into plot, action and consequence. Try to stay away from number chatter: "You get three 8s — the chimerical serpent's lost his last two Health Levels." This is a storytelling game, after all, and stories are about action and reaction, not numbers: "Your dagger slides under the serpent's emerald scales and into the cold meat beneath. Green ichor spills over your hands as the creature thrashes in death throes, finally collapsing at your feet."

Taking Actions

  There are two basic actions a character can take without the need for rolls:
  Yielding: The character allows the person with next highest initiative to perform his action, thereby yielding her turn. She can still take her action at the end of the turn or may interupt a character with a lower initiative at any time.
  Moving: The character may move by walking, jogging or running. If she walks, she may move seven yards. If she jogs, she may move 12 yards + Dexterity. If she runs, she may move 20 yards + (3 x Dexterity).
  Movement does not have to be rolled for if it is the only action allowed to the character during a turn. In some situations, however, it can be hazardous to jog or run, and the character might need to make a Dexterity roll to maintain her balance. It's also best to dodge if the character is running from a conflict or encounter, so splitting the character's Dice Pool will be necessary.
  Most actions in an action turn require rolls to succeed. Don't forget the automatic success rule, though.
  Attack: A character may decide to fire his weapon or strike someone. The player rolls Dexterity + the appropriate combat skill.
  Climb: This action requires a Dexterity + Athletics roll.
  Dodge: Dodging not only allows a character to avoid damage, but to avoid an attack altogether.
  Get to Feet: It takes a turn to get up from the ground without the need for a roll. If a character wants to get to her feet and still take other actions, the player can take dice from her announced action and attempt to score at least one success on a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty at least 4).
  Leadership: A character may give commands to followers by making an appropriate Charisma (or Manipulation) + Leadership roll.
  Reload Gun: Reloading a gun in a turn takes a single action as long as the character has a preloaded clip. Revolvers take a complete turn to completely reload, no matter how many actions a character has.
  Research: A character may try to locate vital information in a book. Research generally employs the Investigation Ability. Though this would likely take longer than three seconds, you may wish to suspend reality a bit for dramatic purposes.
  Start a Car: The action doesn't require a roll at all unless the character is hot-wiring the car.
  Sneak up on Enemy: This action usually requires a Dexterity + Stealth roll.
  Unjam Gun: Make a Wits + Firearms roll (difficulty 7) to unjam a gun in a single turn.

Dramatic Systems

  This section includes a variety of suggested systems to resolve actions, or, to put it simply, a bunch of ways to make rolls. There are more examples of Physical dramatic systems than any other kind; these actions are impossible to resolve purely through roleplaying. Situations in which Social and Mental contests come up can be roleplayed out without the use of dice.

Physical

  These systems describe dramatic situations in which Physical Attributes come into play.

Climbing

  When a character attempts to climb anything (a tree, cliff or building), the player must roll the character's Dexterity + Athletics. The difficulty depends on the type and sheerness of the surface and, to a lesser extent, the weather conditions. Each success indicates that the character has climbed five feet. Once the player accumulates enough successes to get to where the character wants to go, he can stop rolling.
  For example, Bartolome the nocker is trying to climb a 25-foot wall into his rivals' lab; five successes are needed to get to the top. A failure indicates that Bartolome is unable to make any progress during the turn. A botch indicates that he falls and cannot attempt to climb again without expending a Willpower point. Of course if he falls too far...

2	Easy climb: a tree with many stout branches.
4	Simple climb: a cliff with many handholds.
6	Straightforward: a tree with thin branches.
8	Treacherous: very few handholds.
10	Extremely difficult: a nearly sheer surface.

Feats of Strength

  A character's Strength is often rolled alone, without an Ability, when brute force is all that matters. If the character's Strength equals or exceeds the difficulty of the task she is attempting, she succeeds automatically. She need only roll if the difficulty is higher than her Dice Pool.
  When the player makes the roll, however, it is based on Willpower, not Strength. This is a pretty simple roll, so she gets only one chance to make it. The difficulty is almost always 9, though it can vary according to the surface conditions, the object being lifted and Storyteller whim. Each success pushes the character's effective Strength up one step on the chart below (to a maximum of 5). Thus, if the character has Strength 4, but wants to flip over a car, she needs three successes on the Willpower roll to do it.

Dice Pool	Feats	Lift
1	Crush a beer can	40 lbs.
2	Break a chair	100 lbs.
3	Break down a wooden door	250 lbs.
4	Break a 2" x 4"	250 lbs.
5	Break open a metal fire door	650 lbs.
6	Throw a motorcycle	800 lbs.
7	Flip over a small car	900 lbs.
8	Break a three-inch lead pipe	1000 lbs.
9	Punch through a cement wall	1200 lbs.
10	Rip open a steel drum	1500 lbs.
11	Punch through 1" sheet metal	2000 lbs.
12	Break a metal lamp post	3000 lbs.
13	Throw a car	4000 lbs.
14	Throw a van	5000 lbs.
15	Throw a truck	6000 lbs.

Jumping

  Jumping requires a Strength roll for a vertical or standing broad jump, or a Strength + Athletics roll for a horizontal jump with a decent running start. The difficulty for a jump is almost always 3 (prohibitive weather conditions or a narrow landing space may modify this). The Storyteller calculates how many successes the character needs to make the jump. There are no partial successes in jumping; the character either succeeds or falls in one roll. A Storyteller may influence the difficulty based on a changeling's form. A pooka who can turn into a jackrabbit might make jump rolls at difficulty 2.
  You can use the chart below, if necessary. The number of successes required is based on the number of feet that must be jumped and whether the character is jumping horizontally or vertically.

Type of Jump	Feet per Success
Vertical (up)	2
Horizontal (across)	4

Pursuit

  Use this simple system if one character is trying to catch another. One opponent starts with a certain number of successes; say two for every turn's worth of head start, or one for every success on a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty 6). The pursuing character has to match or beat these successes before he can catch up. Once he does, he can try to grapple the fleeing person (see "Grapple," pg. 239). The pursuer might only want to catch up halfway, just to get a better shot at the fleeing character.

Repair

  Sometimes you can't just take something to the garage to be fixed; you have to do it yourself. When a character wishes to fix any sort of mechanical implement, the player must roll Dexterity + Repair. The difficulty is determined by the complexity of the task (see the chart below). Before the job is complete, the player must roll a certain number of successes, usually between two and 20. Each roll means that a certain amount of time passes — whatever the demands of the story require. A botch indicates that the device is somehow damaged in the attempt.
  Chimerical devices are usually twice as difficult to repair outside a freehold or source of Glamour. Nocker-made devices are notoriously hard for non-nockers to repair (+ 2 to difficulty).

Job	Difficulty	# of Successes
Simple mechanical repair	4	3
Soldering job	5	2
Electronic malfunction	5	5
Fitting in new part	6	10
Repair stalled car	6	5
Tough auto repair	7	10
System overhaul	8	20
Technical glitch	9	2

Shadowing

  Sometimes a character will want to "shadow" someone — to follow him as discreetly as possible without being noticed. A character can shadow someone on foot or in a vehicle; he can try even if someone else, like a taxi driver, is driving: "Follow that car — carefully!"
  The player in question makes a Perception + Stealth (or possibly Streetwise) roll. The difficulty is normally 6, but can vary from 5 to 9, depending on the thickness of a crowd or bad weather conditions. Each success indicates that the target has been followed for a turn. The Storyteller determines how many successes are needed to follow the subject all the way to his destination. The first failure indicates that the character has temporarily lost her subject, but can try to locate him again on the following turn. A second failure means she has lost him completely and the chase is off (unless she comes up with a new approach). Should the player botch, the character not only loses her subject, but she stumbles into some new problem other own — a hostile street gang, foraging vampire, lost child.
  If the subject looks to see if he is being followed (out of habit, perhaps), roll his Perception + Investigation (or Streetwise). The difficulty is the shadowing character's Stealth rating + 5. Each success on this roll indicates a higher degree of suspicion; however, the subject's succesesses are lowered by one for each success earned by the shadower. Successes can be accumulated from turn to turn; see the chart below to see how aware the subject is that he is being followed. A failure in the target's roll means that he hasn't seen anything and relaxes his guard, dropping his suspicion to zero. If he botches, he's convinced he isn't being followed and no longer looks behind him.

Successes	Suspicion
1	Hunch
2	Suspicion
3	Near-certainty
4	Positive knowledge
5	The shadower has been spotted

  Buddy System: Two or more characters can shadow one target by trading off. However, they must have worked or trained together in this technique previously, or the difficulty on all rolls for the pair is +1 higher. One character shadows for a turn or more, then trades off whenever her partner gives the signal. If the pair switches off, the subject cannot continue to accumulate successes for very long, making it that much harder to notice his pursuers.

Sneaking

  When a character attempts to hide in shadows or sneak up on a guard, the player must roll Dexterity + Stealth. The difficulty is the guard's Perception + Alertness. Anyone actively looking for intruders can be considered a guard.
  The player needs to collect a certain number of successes for the sneaking character to make it where she wants to go. A Perception + Stealth roll can be made if the player wants to estimate how many successes will be needed for the Stealth roll itself; the difficulty for this is usually 7.
  Failure of any sort on a Stealth roll indicates detection.

Stunt Driving

  This system determines the outcome of nearly any type of automobile chase or maneuver. Dice rolls are made not to see how fast a driver can go, but to see if she stays on the road. Each vehicle is rated for its maximum safe driving speed as well as its maneuverability. One vehicle is not always as fast or maneuverable as another, so the details of the chase often depend on the make of the vehicles (see the chart below).
  A character can perform special maneuvers to catch or lose another vehicle, such as spinning around a tight corner, doing a 180— turn or wheeling about to block a road. Essentially, if one character makes a special maneuver, the other character must copy that maneuver through a similar roll.
  The player rolls Dexterity (or perhaps Perception) + Drive; her Dice Pool cannot exceed the maneuverability rating of the vehicle. Each maneuver is assigned a basic difficulty from 2 to 7, and then the Storyteller decides the maximum safe speed that the maneuver can be perfomed at. If the vehicle is going over that speed, the difficulty is raised (by one for every additional 10 mph), or the character fails outright.
  Cruise Speed: The vehicle's standard comfortable cruising speed.
  Maximum Speed: The vehicle's maximum speed.
  Maneuverability: The difficulty to perform a maneuver when driving the vehicle at cruising speed.

Vehicle	Cruise Speed	Max Speed	Maneuverability
6-wheel truck	60	90	3
Bus	50	100	3
18-wheeler	60	110	4
Sedan	70	120	5
Mini-van	70	120	6
Compact	70	130	6
Sporty compact	70	140	7
Sport coupe	100	150	8
Sports car	100	170	9
Formula One race car	140	240	10

Social

  Social interactions are best handled by roleplaying; that's half the fun of such things. When there isn't time to play out a witty court repartee or an eight-hour jam session, or when a player doesn't share her redcap character's street smarts or her sidhe's smooth manners, these systems may come in handy.

Courtly Etiquette

  Roleplaying is essential to explore the nuances and stratagems of polite changeling and human society. The Storyteller can use the Etiquette Skill to help a player learn the ways of court and ballroom, to speed up a scene, or to judge the depth of a character's skill at evaluating her peers.
  If time is a constraint, the Storyteller may ask the player to make a Perception + Etiquette roll to point out the subtleties of others' actions. Characters may also be able to inflict subtle unanswerable insults upon their foes at court with a Manipulation + Etiquette roll.

Successes	Etiquette
1	A slight barb: "Ah, that's what they are wearing in Newark!"
2	Can distinguish the old money from the new pretenders
3	Spot the best court gossip at first glance
4	Insult master
5	Dr. Samuel Johnson

Credibility

  Use this system if a character attempts to convince someone she's telling the truth, such as persuading a jury that she's not lying, or convincing a police officer other identity. The player makes a Manipulation + Leadership roll, with a difficulty of the other subject's Intelligence + Subterfuge. Lower the difficulty by one to three if the character is telling the truth (it does make a difference). Each success indicates a higher degree of believability. The subject is completely convinced at five successes. A failure indicates disbelief, and a botch means the character is caught in a lie (or the subject thinks he has caught her in a lie).

Facedown

  This system comes in handy when two characters are engaged in a duel of willpower and neither wants to be the first to back down. No words are exchanged — the opponents just glare at one another. Sidhe do this sort of thing often, although trolls can certainly give back as good as they get.
  Both opponents roll Charisma + Intimidation; the difficulty is the opponent's Willpower. The one who accumulates his opponent's Wits + 5 in successes first wins; the other one looks away. A player can spend a Willpower point each turn to avoid giving up until the character runs out of Willpower.

Fast-talk

  With this system, a character browbeats and bamboozles someone into submission. The player usually rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge, though Charisma or Appearance could be used with Expression, Intimidation or any number of Knowledges, depending on the character's approach. The difficulty is the target's Willpower. Success indicates that the target becomes confused.
  The target of the fast-talk can make a resisted Wits + Streetwise roll. He can also expend Willpower points to resist the effects of fast-talk. If the offending character fails his roll, his attempt has faltered, and the target can try to explain himself or even fast-talk back. This rebuttal continues until the target fails or botches. A fast-talker's botch indicates that his target doesn't get confused, only angry. Fast-talk attempts by that character will never work on that particular target again.
  Repeated rolls might be necessary to truly confuse the target.

Interrogation

  Interrogation is a favorite tactic of the sidhe, sluagh and redcaps. This system reflects a form of questioning, not torture, though intimidation (a redcap specialty) is certainly employed. You'll have to develop your own rules for torture if you wish to include it in your chronicle.
  The player makes a Manipulation + Intimidation roll; the difficulty is the victim's Willpower. The number of successes indicates the amount of information obtained. A failure indicates that the character learns nothing of value. A botch indicates the subject tells the character nothing, and will never tell him anything — or worse, the subject lies. To conceal the truth, the Storyteller, not the player, should make Interrogation rolls.   A victim's player may spend Willpower points to resist the effects of interrogation, but the very best (or worst) interrogators know they need only wait for their victims to overextend themselves.

Successes	Interrogation
1	Only a few mumbled facts.
2	Some relevant facts.
3	Much interesting information.
4	The subject talks on and on.
5	Everything of import is revealed.

Oration

  If a player wants her character to give a speech, but doesn't want to actually perform it, you can use this system. To simulate the speech, the player should describe what her character says and maybe come up with a memorable phrase that she uses — that might even get the player started roleplaying the scene out.
  The player makes a Charisma + Leadership roll. The mood of the crowd, its willingness to hear what the orator says and its penchant for throwing rotten vegetables determines the difficulty (usually 7). If the orator has any sort of reputation, it may modify the difficulty accordingly. The number of successes indicates how impressed the crowd is (see the following chart). The player has only one attempt at the roll. A failure indicates the crowd ignores the character. A botch gets the character booed (or possibly even lynched).

Successes	Crowd Reaction
1	They listen, but aren't excited.
2	The character convinces them somewhat.
3	The crowd is won over.
4	The crowd is completely enthralled.
5	The crowd is in the palm of the character's hand.

  If the speech is vital to the story, the player may make several rolls. If you want to spend some time on it, you can make it an extended action, interspersing rolls with roleplaying. The character can spend as many turns as she would like on the speech, but the difficulty goes up by one each turn after the third. It might take more than five successes to completely win the crowd over.

Performance

  This system is used whenever a character gives any type of performance, whether it is comedy, music, acting or storytelling. It can be on a stage or in a nightclub, formal or informal.
  The player rolls Attribute + Expression (or Subterfuge, Etiquette or some other performance-oriented Trait). The difficulty is based on how receptive the audience is, according to the Storyteller. A failure indicates a lackluster, forgettable performance. A botch indicates a miserable performance that cannot even be finished — the dancer trips or the musician breaks his instrument.
  The number of successes rolled indicates how moved the audience is.

Successes	Performance	Reaction
1	Mediocre	Polite applause
2	Average	Approval
3	Good	Genuine appreciation
4	Superior	Vigorous applause
5	Exceptional	Ecstatic reaction
6	Superb	Immediate sensation
7	Brilliant	Miracle, magnum opus

Seduction

  Seductions are tricky; the seducer woos her target in stages, from clever lines to intimacies. Not all seductions are sexual — they may range from intellectual diversions to changes of faith. No matter the goal, a seducer uses false pretenses to gain some form of intimacy with her quarry, who usually assumes that the seducer's feelings are real.
  A seduction occurs in stages, and unless the seducing character succeeds at each stage, she will not be successful in the long run. This system simulates misdirection; if the seducer's emotions and motives are real, ignore the system and roleplay it out. Even if you use the system, play it out anyway — it can be fun, and may make all the difference to the characters' later relationship.
  Some characters, depending on their Legacies, regain Willpower from successful seductions. This skill is a stock-in-trade of the Shadow Court, who use it to sway others into corruption. Whatever the goal, the seducer will gain something of value from her target if everything goes as planned...
  The following are the stages one needs to go through to conduct a successful seduction. A roll is required at each of these stages.
  Opening Line: The player rolls Appearance + Subterfuge (or another combination, if applicable — Manipulation + Subterfuge, Expression, Lore, etc.). The difficulty is the subject's Wits + 3, although good roleplaying may adjust this for better or worse. Each success after the first adds an extra die to the roll of the next stage.
  Witty exchange: The player rolls Wits + Subterfuge (difficulty is the target's Intelligence + 3). Give bonuses and penalties for roleplaying. Each additional success adds an extra die to the roll of the next stage.
  Conversation: The player rolls Charisma + Empathy (difficulty is Perception +3). Again, add roleplaying bonuses if they are merited.
  Intimacies: At this point the couple moves on to activities best left without systems. If the seducer is trying to convert her target — change his beliefs, swing his support from one person to another, talk him into some undesirable activity or to reveal a secret — her successes show how thorough a job she does, as determined by the Storyteller.

Mental

  Mental tasks often lend themselves to "downtime" scenes between the Storyteller and one of her players. Encourage the players to be detailed in describing their characters' efforts, whether it is an eshu scholar prowling the restricted stacks of a university library, or a boggan bartender offering her interpretation of another character's dreams.

Dream Interpretation

  Most Kithain believe dreams reveal important information. Unfortunately, it is often shrouded in mysterious symbolism and obscure references. Thus it is very difficult for a changeling to decipher his dreams.
  The Storyteller must first craft the dream sequence, perhaps even roleplay it though with the player. It should be replete with bizarre occurrences and mythological symbols that relate to the character's concerns. The character may attempt to explain his dream, with a Perception + Enigmas roll tacked on (difficulty 7). For each success rolled, the Storyteller may correct one of the player's misconceptions. Other characters may try to interpret the same dream, but the difficulty will be higher, depending on how well they know the dreamer.

Research

  Information is an important commodity. In many stories, research is the only way for the characters to uncover clues, lore or gossip they may need to proceed. A sluagh detective may have to investigate matters in a library, bar, newspaper office and computer archive in order to obtain the information he needs. General research is a great way to let a character with high Intelligence show off, while back-alley or ballroom research allows a streetwise character to do what he does best.
  For general research, the player rolls Intelligence + Research (or an appropriate Knowledge, like Computers or Investigation, after a place to research has been found). Street or social research goes on in the appropriate places — bars, jails, costume balls, social events. A character gathers this kind of information by seeking out people who might know the answers he wants and asking the right questions. While such research may involve Social interactions (see "Seduction"), the character uses his wits more than his looks. With a little luck, his Intelligence + Streetwise, Etiquette, Investigation or Subterfuge will usually get him what he needs to know.
  Research difficulty is based upon the obscurity of the information:

Difficulty	Accessibility of Information
2	Generally available
4	Widely documented
6	Accessible
8	Difficult to find
10	Incredibly well-concealed

  The number of successes rolled determines how much the character discovers. One success might mean that he uncovers the most obvious facts, while five successes might mean that he learns the full (and maybe truthful) story. Depending on the precise information the character seeks, 10 or 20 successes might be required to find all the available data.
  The player might want his character to continue his research after only partial success. Continued research, however, takes longer than the initial search. Basic research usually takes only an hour — that's the first roll. More in-depth research (and a second roll) takes one complete day. If the player wants a third roll, further research takes a week; a fourth roll takes a month, a fifth roll takes a year. After that, use your imagination. It's easy to see how some research projects can take years or even decades to complete.

Search

  This system enables a character to search for something in a confined area, like a room. Have the player roll Perception + Investigation; the difficulty depends on how well-concealed the object is (usually between 7 and 10). Each success indicates more is found. Sometimes a certain number of successes are required to find something hidden well. A lower number of successes could warrant a hint or clue from the Storyteller about where to look, thus encouraging roleplaying and a degree of puzzle-solving. The player should go through the search step-by-step as much as possible, describing where she looks to the Storyteller. If the player's search is going down the wrong trail, then the character can't find the object in question. The Storyteller may let the player succeed automatically if her description is detailed enough.

Track

  Changelings can often track people and things by following their physical trails. A player rolls Perception + Survival (or Investigation in the city — tracks are rarely left on sidewalks and pavement, but people leave other impressions on their surroundings). The difficulty is based on weather conditions, terrain and the age of the tracks, but averages around 8. Each success beyond the first lowers the difficulty of the next roll by one.
  The character needs to succeed for a certain number of turns; the exact number depends on the length of the trail, as determined by the Storyteller. Each turn is considered about five minutes long when tracking. If the player misses a roll, the character can try again; this time, however, the difficulty is +1 higher. Once it goes above 10, the character loses the trail. If the trail is lost, the character must start over from scratch.

Combat

  There are three basic types of combat: firefight, melee and brawl. Each uses the same basic system, yet they have some minor differences.
  • A firefight is any type of armed combat using projectile weapons, things like crossbows and sawed-off shotguns. Opponents normally need to be within sight of each other in order to engage in a firefight.
  • Melee refers to fighting with hand weapons — anything from broken bottles to chimerical swords. Opponents need to be within one or two yards of each other in order to engage in melee.
  • A brawl describes a hand-to-hand battle fought with bare hands — unarmed combat. Opponents need to be within touching distance to engage in a brawl.

Stage One: Initiative

  This stage organizes the turn. The players declare their characters' actions — leaping behind a wall, shouting a warning, swinging a sledgehammer, whatever. Each player, in turn, must describe what his character is doing and with what, in as much detail as the Storyteller requires.
  Players make initiative rolls using Wits + Alertness (difficulty 4). Everyone takes their actions in descending order of successes — the character with the least successes goes first. For simplicity, Storytellers may call for initiative only once per fight scene and use that order for the whole battle. Those who botch go last — something disastrous happens at the beginning of the fight which slows them for the whole scene — though they can still act.
  Players must declare their characters' actions before going to the Attack Stage. A player splitting her Dice Pool (e.g., for her character to dodge and attack) must also declare how many dice to allocate to each action. The only action a character may take out of turn is a dodge, which she can perform at any time as long as she has dice left in her pool. Keeping a die or two in reserve is always a good idea.
  Optionally, during melee combat, the Storyteller may choose to grant initiative to the participant with the greatest reach. The size and shape of melee weapons greatly influences their usefulness. Alternately, a person with a spear is not going to win initiative against a foe with a knife during a fight in a thicket. Use common sense.

Stage Two: Attack

  The attack is the meat of the combat turn. It's where success or failure are determined, as well as any impact on the targets.
  The Roll: There are three different types of attack rolls; the type of combat determines which one to use.
  • For firefights, roll Dexterity + Firearms or Dexterity + Archery.
  • For melee (with weapons) combat, roll Dexterity + Melee.
  • For hand-to-hand (without weapons) combat, roll Dexterity + Brawl.
  The weapon or attack determines the base difficulty of the attacker's roll. The number of dice might be modified by a gun's rate of fire or the use of a scope.
  If the player does not gain any successes, the character has failed his attack, and no damage is inflicted. If the player rolls a botch, the attack fails and something nasty happens as well.

Dodging

  Any time a character is attacked, he has the option of dodging. In fact, a player may announce at any time that her character is using an action (or part of it, by dividing her Dice Pool) to dodge, simply by declaring "Dodge!" before the opponent makes an attack roll. A dodge may not be allowed in some cases, such as in confined quarters or when the character has been surprised. The required roll is Dexterity + Dodge; each success subtracts one success from the attacker's roll.
  • The difficulty to dodge melee or brawling attacks is a base 6, +1 for every opponent after the first.
  • In firefights, the difficulty depends on the availability of nearby cover. Each success removes one of the opponent's successes. A character can even take away successes from different opponents, though this means splitting successes between them. After such an attempt, the character usually ends up behind some sort of cover or, at the very least, lying on the ground (if there was no cover to be found).

Difficulty	Terrain
2	By moving back half a step, the character is back under full cover.
4	Full cover within diving distance (one yard).
6	Full cover within running distance (three yards).
7	Partial cover within running distance (three yards).
8	Flat and featureless, no cover (the character dives to the ground).

Stage Three: Resolution

  In this stage, players determine the damage inflicted by their attacks and the Storyteller describes what occurs in the turn. It's a mixture of game and story; though the dice never lie, the Storyteller must interpret what luck has decreed.
  Damage: Each weapon or attack allows the wielder to roll a certain number of damage dice (difficulty 6). Each success removes one Health Level from the target. Additionally, each success scored on the attack roll with a firearm (after any dodge) adds one die to this damage roll. Melee and brawling successes do not add to damage rolls.
  Soak: A target may make a roll to see how much damage she "soaks up" because of her natural hardiness. The target rolls Stamina (difficulty 6); each success reduces the damage by one.
  Exception: Damage and soak rolls are two rolls in Changeling that cannot be botched.

Complications

  A number of factors determine whether an attack hits or not. Smart combatants head for cover as soon as bullets and bolts start flying. Others find that ganging up on one foe in a brawl never hurts. The following modifiers delineate many of the variables that affect combat (see also the chart on pg. 250).

General Complications

  • Changing Actions: If a character changes her declared action after the turn has started, the difficulty for the new action increases by one. Generally, the Storyteller should allow the character to change her declared action only if events have made it impossible to perform. "Yes, I know I said my character would jump onto the bicycle seat, but that redcap just ate it!"
  • Immobilization: If a target is immobilized (e.g., held down by someone), but still struggles, the difficulty for attack rolls against the target is lowered by two. However, if the target is completely immobilized (e.g., is tied up), no roll is required to hit and the attack succeeds automatically.

Firefight Complications

  • Range: Getting close to one's foe is a good idea if a character doesn't mind taking a few shots in return. The range given on the Firearms Chart or the Range Weapons Chart is a weapon's medium range. The character receives no modifier for shooting at this range. Twice that range is the farthest the weapon can shoot. The difficulties of shots within this range increased by one. On the other hand, shots made at targets within a yard of the attacker are considered "point-blank"; the difficulty of a point-blank shot is 4.
  • Cover: Intelligent characters use cover to protect themselves from enemy fire. Cover increases the difficulty of an attack, depending on how much of the character's body is still exposed. Though cover protects, it can also hamper return fire, and in some rare instances it can completely prevent any return fire. Ducking out from around a corner to shoot may increase the difficulty by one, while watching a shoot-out through the cracks in a battered wall prevents a character from firing back at all.

Cover	Difficulty
Lying flat	+1
Behind pole	+2
Behind wall	+3
Only head exposed	+4

  • Movement: Shooting at a moving target increases the difficulty by one (or even more), as does shooting while moving at any speed faster than a walk (such as firing out the window of a speeding car).
  • Aiming: A character may add her Perception rating to her Dexterity + Firearms Dice Pool if she spends time aiming. However, it takes one turn for each die added, and during this time the character can do nothing but aim — it takes time and patience. Additionally, the target may not be moving at a speed faster than a walk. Shotguns and SMGs cannot be aimed.
  If the gun has a scope, the character may add two dice to her pool in addition to the dice added for Perception. The scope bonus can only be used once per shot — after the initial three dice added in the first turn (two for the scope and one for Perception), the character continues aiming as outlined above.
  • Targeting: Aiming for a specific location (gun hand, the heart) increases the difficulty of the shot by two, but if the changeling hits an unarmored spot the victim does not get the benefit of the armor's soak dice.
  • Multiple Shots: If a character wants to take more than one shot in a turn, he must divide his Dice Pool into two or more actions. Also, for every additional shot after the first, the difficulty increases by one; 10 is the maximum difficulty. A character can only take as many shots as allowed by the rate of the firearm.
  The multiple shot penalty is cumulative. Thus a character adds two to her difficulty on the third shot and three on the fourth. It is not usually wise to snap shots off blindly; the recoil always catches up with the gunman. It is permissible to fire two or more three-round bursts in a single turn using these rules.
  • Full-Auto: The full-auto option is the most damaging attack a firearm can make, as the attacker unloads the full contents of a gun's ammunition clip within a very short time span. However, the gun becomes a bucking bronco, difficult to control and even harder to aim.
  A character gets 10 additional dice to roll on the attack, thus increasing the chance to hit and cause damage. However, the difficulty goes up two from the recoil.
  Full-auto fire can only be done when a weapon has more than half its clip remaining. Whenever a character uses the full-auto option, he uses up the entire clip of the weapon. Reloading takes one full action and requires the character's full concentration (and Dice Pool). A character can only fire on full-auto once per turn (and must reload to do it again).
  • Three-Round Burst: The semi-auto option is the middle ground between the full-auto and the single-shot options, and has some of the strengths and weaknesses of both. A burst gives the attacker three additional dice on the attack roll. However, the recoil increases the difficulty by one.
  • Spray: When using full-auto, a gunman can decide to spray across an area instead of focusing on one foe. A spray uses the extra 10 dice given by full-auto fire, but the attack has a base difficulty of 5, increased by one for every yard covered by the spray, in addition to other modifiers.
  The player divides any successes gained on the attack roll evenly between all targets in the covered area. However, if only one target is in the sprayed area, only half the successes affect him. The player then assigns any leftover successes as she desires. If the attacker rolls fewer successes than there are targets, the player may only assign one to a target until they are used up. This attack also empties the clip.
  The difficulty of a dodge roll against a spray is increased by two.

Melee and Brawling Complications

  • Body Slam: A character may try to charge forward, hurling his weight into his opponent in an attempt to damage her. It's possible to hurt oneself with this attack, as bodies were not meant to be used as battering rams. A character needs three successes to unbalance an opponent and does one Health Level of damage to himself for every success fewer than three.
  If the attack succeeds, the opponent is thrown off balance, and the difficulties for the rest of her actions for this turn are increased by two. Also, if the opponent does not succeed in a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty of the successes +3), she falls to the ground. The base damage done by the attacker equals his Strength; each success scored on the attack roll above the minimum adds one to this base. If the attacker does not roll at least three successes, this maneuver fails; he falls to the ground and is treated as though he had no dice left in his pool.
  • Flank and Rear Attacks: The difficulty of a flank attack is lowered by one, while that of a rear attack is lowered by two.
  • Grapple: An attacker can try to grab a foe, hoping to immobilize and subsequently crush him. If the attacker scores more successes than the opponent's Strength, the attacker pins the target. She can begin to inflict harm in the next round. Any character struck by this attack loses his attacks for the current turn. If the attacker misses altogether (by failing the Dexterity + Brawl roll), she falls down and must spend an action getting to her feet.
  Continuing to grapple during each turn after the first requires the combatants to make opposed Strength + Brawl rolls. Whoever accumulates more successes may immobilize the other. If both score the same number of successes, neither gains the upper hand that turn.
  • Joint Break: A favorite of the Unseelie and many redcaps, this maneuver merely requires some knowledge of how arms and legs are not supposed to bend. If the victim takes any Health Levels in damage from this maneuver, her limb is broken and useless until it heals. A character must have Brawl 4 and Strength 2 to perform this maneuver. (Of course, joint break has no crippling effects on sluagh!)

Roll: Dexterity + Brawl	Difficulty: 8
Damage: Strength + 2	Actions: 1

  • Multiple Opponents: If a character is battling multiple opponents in close combat, that character's attack and dodge difficulties are increased by one for each opponent (to a maximum of 10).
  • Neck Snap: Directions — Grab your opponent's head, and twist hard and quick. If this brutal maneuver is successful, the victim may add his Strength to his Stamina for soak purposes. If any Health Levels are unsoaked, his neck is broken. For most it means death, but some are paralyzed from the neck down (Incapacitated). Unfortunate Kithain who fall victim to this will need expert care and a visit to a freehold to recover. A character must have a least Brawl 5 and Strength 2 to perform this maneuver.

Roll: Dexterity + Brawl	Difficulty: 9
Damage: Strength + 3	Actions: 1

  • Parry: As with dodge, a character can perform a parry as long as dice are left in his Dice Pool and he has a suitable weapon. Any weapon larger than a knife will do in a pinch. Each success on a Dexterity + Melee roll subtracts one from the opponent's number of attack successes.
  A botched parry roll usually means the character's weapon is knocked from his hands.

Roll: Dexterity + Melee	Difficulty: 6
Damage: None	Actions: Special (as Dodge)

  • Riposte: A changeling can execute a blindingly fast attack, the riposte, following a successful parry. No other action can follow the parry; if the character is forced to dodge another opponent, for example, the opportunity for a riposte is lost. If the character chooses to riposte in the next turn, the player rolls two extra initiative dice.

Roll: Dexterity + Melee	Difficulty: 6
Damage: As per weapon	Actions: 1

  • Shield Parry: A shield's inherent defenses (see below) always add to the attacker's difficulty. This assumes that the defender is catching her opponent's blows on her shield. If the character is desperate and really needs to hide behind the shield, this maneuver is used. Unlike parry (above), shield parry is considered an action that must be declared at the beginning of an action. Each success on the character's Dexterity + Melee roll subtracts one from the opponent's number of attack successes.
  A botched shield parry roll usually means the changeling's shield is knocked from her hands or destroyed.

Roll: Dexterity + Melee	Difficulty: 6
Damage: None	Actions: 1

  • Sweeps: Sweeps are attempts to knock an opponent's legs out from under him in a fight. The end result of this maneuver is that the foe falls in place — with the extra advantage that the character does not need to close the distance between himself and the opponent. Sweeps are performed with staves, spears and pole weapons.

Roll: Dexterity + Melee	Difficulty: As weapon +1
Damage: Special	Actions: 1

  • Tendon Slice: Skilled, if somewhat unscrupulous warriors can attempt to slice the tendons of their foe's wrists and ankles. Doing this requires Melee 4, Dexterity 2 and a bladed weapon. If two or more Health Levels are taken by the victim, the tendons are cut. Wrists become useless, and a successful tendon slice to the ankle can cripple the opponent for life unless excellent health care or magical aid can be rendered. This maneuver is considered to be completely unchivalrous by most nobles.

Roll: Dexterity + Melee	Difficulty: 9
Damage: As weapon	Actions: 1

Two-Weapon Styles

  Experienced changeling warriors may master Florentine swordplay, ni-to kenjitsu or street-level knife-fighting. Just because a character can hold a weapon in each hand does not mean that he can use them well, though. Characters need at least five dice in their Dexterity + Melee Dice Pools to gain any benefit from two-weapon styles. If a character has fewer dice, the Storyteller should reward botches with serious self-inflicted wounds.
  Characters with sufficient skill (and dice) to use two weapons have several options. The player may decide to have the character attack with both weapons or to use one weapon to defend and the other to attack. If the character attacks with both weapons, the Dice Pool must be split, but the pool gains a bonus die to divide between the attacks. If the character chooses to defend with one weapon, it acts as a shield, adding one to the difficulty of the opponent's attack.

Sapping

  Some weapons are meant to knock characters out without harming them unduly. Saps are usually made out of thick cloth bags filled with lead shot, although any small, heavy object will do: cudgel, candlestick, sword hilt, etc. Sapping requires that the character whack his victim on the head, so sapping is usually done from surprise. Roll Dexterity + Melee or Dexterity + Streetwise (difficulty 7). If the character scores a number of successes equal to the Stamina of her victim, the victim must make a Stamina roll (difficulty 8) to stay awake. Otherwise, he falls unconscious. Victims usually wake at the Bruised Health Level. A sap will not drive a character beyond the Bruised Health Level if he is already damaged.

Weaponry

  Changelings employ hundreds of types of weapons to attack their foes or defend themselves. They tend to be fond of anachronistic weapons such as the sword and bow, but are just as likely to use a shotgun if necessary.

Firearms

  A changeling would have to be a fool to ignore the power of firearms. Their use is extremely widespread among commoners, partly out of familiarity, but also because they can substantially level the playing field when facing Pendragon's Host!

Melee Weapons

  Changelings love medieval weaponry, and most still fight with sword and mace if given the chance. Since many changelings have chimerical weapons, they can bear these in public with little or no complications, although the local nobility usually frowns upon public melees.

Ranged Weapons

  Ranged weapons are low-tech projectile weapons, including thrown weapons and bows. Many changelings are well-practiced in these weapons. They are still favorites of tourneys and contests. Members of Unseelie organizations, such as the Monkey's Paw, prefer these silent weapons over sniper rifles for servicing their clients from a distance.
  Thrown Weapons: The difficulty number is determined by dividing the range in yards by the Strength of the changeling. So, if a pooka wants to throw a potato at a redcap who is standing 16 yards away, the difficulty is 16/3 (the pooka's Strength), or six (always round up).
  If the weapon is designed to be thrown, add one (or more) to the character's Strength for the purpose of determining the difficulty. If the object is definitely not meant to be thrown, such as a pie, subtract one (or more) from the character's Strength for the purpose of finding the difficulty number. So in the same circumstance, the pooka's difficulty would be 4 to hit the redcap with a lawn dart, or 8 to hit him with a key lime pie.
  All rolls to hit are made with Dexterity + Athletics, and the maximum range is the character's Strength x 10 in yards for most objects. Unaerodynamic and light objects have less range. You can throw a football a lot farther than you can a Kleenex box! Use common sense.
  Bows: Bows require two separate actions to use. The character readies an arrow in the first action, and draws and fires in the next action. Successes scored on the Dexterity + Archery roll may add to damage, at the Storyteller's option.
  Crossbows: Crossbows take three turns to fire: one to cock the crossbow, one to ready a bolt and the last to fire. The strings of heavy crossbows must be winched into place, and cocking them takes an extra turn. Successes scored on the Dexterity + Archery roll may add to damage, at the Storyteller's option. Due to the crossbow's similarity to firearms for the purpose of aiming, the Storyteller may let a player roll Dexterity + Firearms (difficulty 7), instead of the normal archery roll.

Mounted Combat

  Sidhe, more than any other changelings, love the thrill and danger of mounted combat. The sight of a sidhe knight in full armor on a charging warhorse bedecked in splendid colors can be breathtaking and inspiring. Horses, however, come with complications — a real horse is expensive and requires much care, while a chimerical one can disappear in a flash of Banality if a wandering mortal happens to see the rider "floating."
  Horses, real and chimerical, are not cars. They have personalities, and must be trained and practiced in the art of war and in obeying their masters. Horses will not jump over obstacles or go near loud noises, much less charge into battle, without a lot of training and reinforcement on the part of their owners. They require hours of work on an almost-daily basis. Nonetheless, sidhe counts and dukes attempt to keep stables, real and chimerical.
  While fighting on horseback, changelings are limited to using the smaller of two Dice Pools for all maneuvers: Dexterity + Melee or Dexterity + Ride. Also, many weapons cannot be used from horseback, and botching a combat roll on horseback is potentially lethal to the horse, and quite possibly to both horse and rider.
  So what is the benefit? Damage. A horse at a trot adds an automatic damage success to his master's melee weapon; two automatic successes at a canter; and three automatic damage successes at a full charge. A weapon that does damage equal to or greater than its normal maximum has a chance of being dropped, broken or left in its victim. If this is a possibility, have the player make a Strength roll (difficulty 7). The Storyteller should decide what happens if the rider fails this roll, based on the situation. (Smart warriors often affix loops to their hand weapons, so the weapons don't fall to the ground.) Sabers and scimitars are made for fighting on horseback; the difficulty number versus dropping them is only 5.
  For example, Sir Mabelrode of House Ailil rides down a peasant nocker with his lance. He hits and rolls his damage, 4 (Strength) +3 (lance).He rolls four successes,but since he was charging he adds three more, for a grand total of seven successes! The peasant is run through — oh, happy day! Since his damage equals the maximum he could possibly do with a lance, Sir Mabelrode makes a Strength roll at difficulty 7. He rolls a 3,5,6 and 1. The Storyteller rules that the lance shatters upon impaling the nocker. Darn — a lance is much more expensive than a peasant.
  Only short bows and crossbows can be fired from horseback, and crossbows can't be re-cocked. Gunfire is likely to panic a horse, unless the animal has been trained to be accustomed to the noise. Difficulty for all ranged attacks from horseback is one higher than normal. As with melee combat, changelings are limited to using the smaller of two Dice Pools for all ranged attacks: Dexterity + Archery/Athletics or Dexterity + Ride.

Armor

  Armor adds to the character's soak roll to help resist damage. This advantage is tempered by the fact that armor often weighs a lot and restricts a character's movement. The difficulty numbers of all rolls involving Dexterity are increased by the penalty number listed for a character's armor type on the Armor chart. Some Kithain weaponsmiths, like nockers, can produce armor of such light weight and efficient design that it imposes no Dexterity penalties. No armor is as comfortable as normal clothing, though; not even the most martial changeling wears armor unless it is necessary for protection, or as a matter of decorum.
  Most modern armor is made from ballistic cloth. Some suits of modern armor contain pockets for ceramic and composite plastic plates to improve protection against bullets, but these plates make the suits heavier and more expensive.
  Armor's protection is not universal. Chimerical armor only protects a changeling from chimerical weapons. Real armor only protects a changeling from real weapons. Talisman armor is the only kind of armor that can protect a changeling from both forms of damage. An example of this would be a bulletproof vest that has the chimerical appearance of being a bronze plate doublet. However, this kind of armor tends to cramp a sidhe corporate executive's style in the office, so it is rare and of limited practicality. Wealthy changelings tend to own both modern ballistic armor and suits of chimerical armor, wearing what is suitable for the occasion.

Anachronistic Armor

  Changelings often wear chimerical (or real) armor that simulates the kind worn by medieval warriors. Generally speaking, the heavier the armor, the more protection it grants, although armor may also impose a Dexterity penalty. The following are some of the common types of armor worn by changelings:
  Light Armor: This category includes quilted and leather armor. It is often the only type of armor owned by commoners. Nobles often use it as padding beneath finer suits of mail. A soft leather cap or quilted hood provides minimal head protection. The bodice, or gambeson, usually looks like a duster. Shorter gambesons require some sort of padded trousers to protect the legs..
  Composite Armor: Composite armor is nothing more than assorted bits of reinforced leather armor, perhaps over a quilted suit, linked by chain rings or studs. Common pieces include a breastplate, vambraces for the arms and a gorget for the neck. A lot of unsavory types prefer this armor, as it exhibits their prowess at thiev— er, making something from nothing. A dented helm or rusty chain coif might cover the head.
  Heavy Armor: Retainers or lesser nobles may own suits of heavy armor. These are chain or chain-reinforced leather pieces (gambesons or breastplates) over a thick suit of quilted armor. The helm is a sturdy metal cap or a well-made chain coif covering the top of the head; soft fabric is worn underneath for cushioning.
  Full Armor: All pieces are uniform, tailored to an individual, and made of chain or chain combined with plate, worn over a quilted suit and cap. The helm has a moveable visor. Full armor usually has fine etching or some decoration that reflects the wearer's alliance.
  Sidhe Plate: The armor of a noble is a work of art. Sidhe plate is the stylized armor of sidhe nobles and heroes. It is formed of sweeping oval plates, high collars and a skirt made of plates attached to the cuirass with chainmail. This armor is reserved for sidhe, and usually only landed nobles or retainers of great heroism.
  Surcotes and Crests: Surcotes are square tunics with slit sides. They are worn over armor and are usually embroidered or painted with personal heraldic devices or the device of a warrior's lord or lady. Crests sit atop helms; they are usually a padded or stuffed representation of the major heraldic charge of an individual or a noble house. For example, a warrior of House Liam may sew and stuff a silver tree to mount on his helm.

Shields

  Changelings typically reserve shields for hall decorations; few things make a banquet hall or throne room look more medieval than a hanging row of decorated shields. In combat, however, a shield can mean the difference between glorious victory and a mortal blow. Commoners and nobles alike can bear shields, though the latter usually decorate theirs with heraldic devices.
  Heaters are triangular shields borne by warriors on foot; they were the most common shields of the medieval period. Mounted warriors often carry kite shields, elongated versions of the heater, which protects the legs. Trolls and others with a passion for things Norse might prefer the round shield, which is also seen in parts of the Middle East. Some eshu carry rhe spiked shields of the Zulu, which are elongated and come to a point at top and bottom. Most shields are made of wood, which are partially covered and edged with strips of leather or metal. On the other hand, many's the redcap who prefers a garbage can lid to some fancy painted shield.
  The average shield adds +1 difficulty to the attacker's Dexterity + Melee roll against the defender. A gigantic shield, perhaps carried by a troll or a mounted warrior, adds +2 difficulty. Thus, if the redcap Conor, with his garbage can lid and baseball bat, faces Magdelen, a troll squire with a round shield and oak cudgel, the troll's base difficulty to hit rises from 4 to 5. Conor, on the other hand, suffers a more severe penalty. Conor's base difficulty is 6, thanks to Magdalen's giant round shield.

Invoking the Dragon's Ire

  Tales of fae warriors of preternatural skill fill books of lore, and their exploits resound in the halls of latter-day sidhe kings. Changelings are the masters of melee combat, while the sidhe surpass all Kithain in the arts of dueling. Changeling combat is wild and unpredictable, filled with leaps, parries, pratfalls and breathtaking acts of derring-do. In melee combat, changeling warriors are often able to summon a force from the Dreaming to aid them. They call it the Dragon's Ire.
  Many different tales describe the nature of the Dragon's Ire. Redcaps have several limericks concerning how they ate the heart of a dragon to gain its powers, while the boggans tell a story about a fell dragon that became to a boggan chefs gooseberry tarts. All of the tales have their merits, but the quest of Prince Ardan is recounted most often in the courts of Concordia as the origin of Dragon's Ire.
  In Arcadia's distant past, before the Fair Folk ever came to this world, Ardan's uncle stole the prince's crown and throne. Disconsolate, Ardan ventured far into the Dreaming. There, a mighty dragon, named Ouroboros, attacked him. After hours of fighting, Ardan managed to slip his blade beneath the chin of the beast, but stayed his death blow if the dragon would aid him in his quest to regain his throne. The dragon agreed, and Ardan returned and gathered together a great host with members of every kith. He called his warriors the Orbori in honor of the dragon, and he taught them how to invoke its aid. His army was the first to summon the Dragon's Ire, and it won his throne back, and eventually the throne of Arcadia as well.
  A pale nimbus of flame surrounds those enveloped in the Dragon's Ire, and a subtle cyclone of wind stirs their clothes. Some bystanders even hear music, which seems to echo faintly across the battlefield. Any changeling with Kenning can perceive the invocation of the Dragon's Ire from a great distance as the tide of Glamour shifts subtly in the direction of the wielder.
  The Dragon's Ire is not a force of animalistic energy; it is a celebration of the art of war. It is the dance of the duelist and the song of the fray. Changelings experiencing the Dragon's Ire are confident, implacable, focused and deadly.
  System: When a character attempts to invoke the Dragon's Ire, the player must spend a point of Glamour and make a Glamour roll with a difficulty equal to his character's Banality. If the roll is successful, the player gains a number of dice for each success he gains (with a maximium equal to the character's current Remembrance rating). These Ire dice can be spent on attack or maneuver rolls during each turn of combat, but do not accumulate with repeated attempts to raise the Ire. Once invoked, the Dragon's Ire lasts for an entire scene. Utterly wonderful uses of the Dragon's Ire, especially at the climax of a chronicle, may even generate Glamour at the Storyteller's whim.
  Characters invoking the Dragon's Ire may add to the base Dice Pool in multiple actions, but may not roll more dice than the original pool size for any one feat. Let's say that Marissa, a newly knighted sidhe, has invoked the Dragon's Ire and has three Ire dice to spend in the combat. She may choose to make all of her rolls with three dice instead of two, or she could boost one of her rolls to six dice, leaving three dice for the other two actions. Since her base Dice Pool for her multiple action was six, she cannot roll more than six dice for any of her multiple actions.
  Changelings with less than three dots of Remembrance rarely know of this ability. Some, such as the sidhe of Houses Scathach, Gwydion and Fiona are taught its mysteries when they enter military training. Most commoners discover the Dragon's Ire only under times of life-threatening stress. Summoning the Dragon's Ire is not considered an action. Once a changeling has done it successfully, it becomes instinctual, although not automatic.
  Botching a Dragon's Ire roll is no fun for a character. The Storyteller counts up all the ones rolled and then adds one to that number. At any point during a turn of combat the Storyteller may simply pluck that number of dice from the hands of the player, but may never take all the dice. Once botched, the Dragon's Ire cannot be re-invoked in the same scene. This terrible effect lasts for a scene.

The Dragon's Dance: Dueling

  The term "duel" is usually reserved for a formal contest, but duels range from murderous street brawls to the climax of changeling tournaments. Duels are fairly common occurrences between sidhe nobles.
  The duel has a nearly-mythic place in sidhe society, and has seen a renaissance since the Resurgence. It is said that the Dragon's Dance was the first use of the Dragon's Ire after the Shattering. Members of House Scathach had nearly forgotten the power of the Dragon's Ire, until the ritual and romance of the duel brought it back to them. Dueling on this ritualistic level is beyond a public brawl; it is an art form and one of the keystones of the noble society.
  Nobles are limited to challenging only those of equal rank — those of higher rank can refuse duels with little loss of honor. Challenges delivered to inferiors are rare, but can be attributed to "teaching the offender a lesson." The person challenged has the right to choose the weapons and time of the fight. These discussions are usually carried out by the parties' factors, persons whom they entrust with the arrangements. The general rules for conduct are set during these negotiations, but hot-blooded sidhe often forget the niceties in order to get on with the fun.
  The formal duels listed below often involve the invocation of the Dragon's Ire, even though cantrip use is usually considered cheating. All of the duels listed involve taking an oath, binding the participants to abide by the rules set forth by the type of duel, and observing any exceptions agreed upon by the duelists. (House Eiluned knights consider cantrip use fair, for instance.) There is no benefit to taking the oath, other than the protection it affords as both parties are bound by the duel's limits. Failing to abide by the oath results in the immediate loss of a permanent point of Willpower.
  The Scarlet Trip: This duel is fought to first blood, usually with little or no armor, and with light weapons.
  Tonight we trip for honor and right.
  Guide our hands, Mother Dream, as we fight.
  Fae are quick to anger, but quicker to mend.
  We swear, tomorrow our anger will end.
  The Dragon's Dance: This duel is regarded as the most honorable and as such, is the most common form of dueling. It is fought until one side or the other yields. It may be fought with any weapons or armor the foes agree to.
  We dance the Dragon's Dance beneath the waning moon,
  And set loose the Dan, the Chariot of Dream and doom.
  The reigns of reason slip as the star-hoofed horses race,
  And we hear the cackle of misrule beneath their frantic pace.
  Wide-eyed, the mares of terror to us draw you near —
  Come, sweet Mother Dream: our love, our lot, our fear.
  Danse Macabre: This duel is to the death. Only queens and kings can sanction such a contest. It may be fought with any weapons or armor the foes agree on.
  We call for honor in deeds
  Let us rise above this petty seeming.
  Death to s/he who flees
  Before the power of the Dreaming.
  The Dance of Iron: This duel is fought with no armor and with iron weapons. It is fought until the death of both the changeling soul and the human host. It is illegal in Concordia and most foreign kingdoms as well.
  The only oath taken before the Dance of Iron is something to the effect of, "Die and to Oblivion with your soul, bastard!" Many variations of this exist.

Glamour and Combat

  Changelings know many other ways to mix Glamour and combat, beyond their ability to invoke the Dragon's Ire. For instance, the Unseelie often use techniques such as the enchanted stroke or the dolorous blow to kill Dreamers they have Ravaged. First they enchant their victims with the enchanted stroke, and then kill them with the dolorous blow. Witnesses, if any, are confused by the Mists and give conflicting reports to the authorities.

The Enchanted Stroke

  By expending a point each of Glamour and Willpower, a changeling can use a chimerical weapon to enchant someone. The player merely expends the points and rolls to strike the target. If the target is hit, he is instantly enchanted for a day. The target suffers no damage from the enchanted stroke, but will most probably have the daylights scared out of him when the character's fae mien is revealed. Treasures cannot be used to perform the enchanted stroke; only chimerical weapons will work.

The Dolorous Blow

  A changeling can make a chimerical object, usually a weapon, real to any unenchanted being by expending a Willpower point. This effect lasts for only one turn and only one object is affected, though no roll is required. The object or weapon suddenly appears out of nowhere to the unenchanted. After the turn has passed or the object is taken from their sight, unenchanted witnesses are soon overcome by the Mists; their limited imaginations quickly transform the object into the most rational substitute that they can conceive.

Cantrips and Combat

  Using cantrips in combat presents several problems. Bunks are often hard to coordinate and are very obvious to other changelings. It doesn't take much gray matter to figure out who is planning to cast a cantrip if there's a Kithain charging into combat with a bunch of cotton candy and rose petals clutched in one hand. In other words, these Kithain tend to draw a lot of fire. Additionally, to use a cantrip in combat, the changeling must spend a turn casting it, leaving her open to attack. The character can attempt multiple actions, but, of course, those actions are more likely to fail.
  The power of some cantrips offsets most disadvantages of their casting, especially Primal and Wayfare cantrips. Primal can boost both damage and Health Levels. Wayfare adds to movement and, with the cantrip Quicksilver, gives changelings multiple actions in combat.
  Other Arts have more subtle uses: Chicanery cantrips can be used to fool a changeling's enemies, Soothsay can shift probability, and Sovereign can be used to gain recruits or command foes to leave combat.

Injury and Health Levels

  There are many ways that a character can suffer injury. Because changelings have a dual existence, they must not only worry about damage to their human selves, but their fae miens as well. To represent this, Changeling uses two ways to record damage to the character.
  Beneath Health Levels on the character sheet there are two rows of boxes: one represents the changeling's chimerical, or fae, self; the other represents his real, human body. Whenever a character suffers chimerical damage, such as from a chimerical dagger, check off a number of boxes under chimerical damage equal to the number of Health Levels lost. Whenever the changeling suffers real damage, such as from Kithain treasures or bullets, check off these boxes. For example, if an opponent scores two levels of damage with a baseball bat, the player checks off two real Health Levels.
  Each level of damage makes it successively harder for a character to complete skills and to participate in combat. A Mauled character (he has now taken five Health Levels of damage) must subtract two dice from his Dice Pool. These modifiers to the Dice Pool are listed to the right of the Health Level boxes.
  Chimerical and real damage are not cumulative. Keep track of them separately, and apply the worst penalty to the character's Dice Pool. If Toby the boggan has been chewed to the Crippled state (-5) with a redcap's chimerical chainsaw, and stabbed with an Unseelie troll's very real icepick to the Injured (-1) Health Level, the total modifier to Toby's Dice Pool is -5, not -6.

Sources of Injury and Healing

  Changelings not only have to worry about falling off a ladder or being shot, but chimerical fangs, tentacles and maces as well. Cold iron causes the worst kinds of wounds. It is anathema to the Kithain.

Stunning

  If a changeling suffers more damage from a single attack than she has Stamina dots, she is stunned for the next turn of combat. The character may do nothing more than fall to the ground, if not already there.

Chimerical Damage

  Changelings suffer chimerical damage (Health Levels) from purely chimerical sources, such as the horns of a nervosa or a chimerical lance. These wounds are visible only to those capable of seeing the character's fae mien — normally other Kithain and enchanted mortals. Purely chimerical wounds are more dramatic than normal wounds, so play up their descriptions. Get medieval. Of course, unenchanted mortals will see nothing outwardly wrong with a Mauled character who is screaming for aid.
  An Incapacitated changeling falls into a comalike state and must be taken to a freehold, glade or strong source of Glamour to recover. The character does not wake until all chimerical Health Levels have been healed. Childlings and wilders usually reawaken on the next day after being healed. Grumps may require any other special aid the Storyteller feels is appropriate.
  Chimerical damage heals at a normal rate, unless the character is in a freehold or glade. While in a freehold, the character heals one chimerical Health Level per night spent there. In the Dreaming, a changeling heals one chimerical Health Level per hour.

Real Damage

  Real damage occurs most often during games in combat, but normal damage and its associated Health Levels represent damage from any of the sources that could harm a normal human: falling, fire, disease, drowning.
  Real damage heals at a normal pace (see the Normal Healing Times chart) unless cantrips are used, or the character is in a freehold. The time listed next to each Health Level on the chart is the rate for healing to the next Health Level only. A Crippled character takes three months to heal to the Mauled state, then another three months to heal to Wounded. This chart assumes sanitary, adequate health care. The Storyteller may adjust times for poor or excellent care, as appropriate.
  Cantrips, such as Heather Balm, can heal normal damage easily. Also, changelings regenerate normal damage when exposed to the powers of the Dreaming. When in a freehold, glade or in the Dreaming, normal damage heals at the rate of one Health Level per night.

Aggravated Damage

  Cantrips, such as Holly Strike, that damage a character directly cause aggravated wounds. Certain Prodigal attacks (the teeth and claws of vampire and werewolves, Garou Gifts, vampire Disciplines and True Magick) can also cause these deadly wounds. Cold iron (see below), toxic waste, acid and fire are also common causes of aggravated wounds.
  Use a different method to mark aggravated damage from the one you use to mark real or chimerical damage. Circling or putting an X in the box instead of a check is the easiest way to note which damage is aggravated.
  Aggravated damage can only be healed by the body's natural processes. Consult the Healing Times chart for these healing times. In the Dreaming or a freehold, these times are halved, round up, with a minimum of one day required to heal a Health Level.
  Aggravated damage can only be healed by cantrips if additional points of Glamour, beyond points used for casting itself, are spent. One level of aggravated damage can be healed per point of Glamour expended.

Cold Iron

  Cold iron is the ultimate sign of Banality to changelings. Perhaps it was the rise of the iron age that precipitated the Sundering, and thus cold iron is the Sundering's banal manifestation. Its presence makes changelings ill at ease, and cold iron weapons cause horrible, smoking wounds that rob changelings of Glamour and threaten their very existence. It is so distasteful to changelings that they can sense cold iron in their immediate presence.
  Like many things in Changeling, cold iron is a bit of a paradox. Steel actually contains more of the element iron than does cold iron. In fact, most of the things we associate with iron nowadays are actually steel or cast iron (cold iron which has been melted and poured into a mold). Cold iron is what we know as wrought iron. The best way to think about cold iron is not as a thing, but as a process, a very low-tech process. It must be produced from iron ore over a charcoal fire. The resulting lump of black-gray material can then be forged (hammered) into useful shapes.
  Cold iron weapons are heavier, softer, more brittle than steel weapons and lose their edge more quickly. Any cold iron weapon larger than an dagger is very unwieldy, usually adding +1 or +2 to the difficulty number to hit. Botches almost certainly cause them to break. Cold iron weapons therefore tend to be small — axe heads, daggers, arrow heads, darts, bolts, caltrops, shuriken.
  Making cold iron weapons is illegal in most kingdoms, and even owning one is considered a crime in most. (Many a noble still has one secreted away, just in case.) Mortal blacksmiths are much prized for their abilities to work cold iron, and finding the ore is not too difficult since large iron ore deposits are common in Alabama, Utah, Texas, California, Pennsylvania and New York. It is rumored that some mortal mages can produce cold iron weapons that have the properties of steel. It is also believed that weapons quenched in changeling blood are extremely hard for changelings to sense.   Cold iron is the only thing that causes Health Levels of chimerical and aggravated damage simultaneously. Cold iron weapons also cause changelings to loose a point of temporary Glamour per Health Level inflicted.

Disease and Poison

  Poison and human diseases affect changelings like they do mortals. Fae who have access to the Glamour of freeholds, however, do not generally die by mundane means — their powers of recuperation are better than that. Health Levels lost to disease or poison are assumed to be normal wounds for the purposes of healing. Once the changeling is healed, she is cured. Severe diseases and vicious poisons are treated as aggravated wounds.

Falling

  The sad result of missing that much-needed Dexterity + Athletics roll. Use the falling chart to calculate damage. Characters can make Stamina rolls to try to "soak" damage, though; the difficulty is 8. Each success means one less Health Level is lost (the changeling happens to fall into the passing garbage truck, etc.). Each botch means an additional Health Level is lost.

5	One Health Level
10	Two Health Levels
20	Three Health Levels
30	Four Health Levels
40	Five Health Levels
50	Six Health Levels
60	Seven Health Levels
... and so on, to a maximum of 10 Health Levels.

Fire

  A character struck (or worse, enveloped) by flames takes damage according to the Fire chart. The player may roll a number of dice equal to the character's Stamina rating against the difficulties listed below. The player must roll for each turn that the character is in the flames to see if the character can resist the damage. If the roll fails, the character takes from one to three Health Levels of damage (see the second chart). If the roll succeeds, the character takes one less Health Level of damage per success than the size of the fire inflicts. If the roll is botched, the character is harmed in some special way — perhaps she loses her eyesight or her limbs are maimed.

Difficulty	Heat of Fire
3	Heat of a candle (first-degree burns)
5	Heat of a torch (second-degree burns)
7	Heat of a Bunsen burner (third-degree burns)
9	Heat of a chemical fire
10	Molten metal
Wounds	Size of Fire
One	Torch; part of body burned
Two	Bonfire; half of body burned
Three	Raging inferno; entire body burned

Suffocation and Drowning

  Even changelings die without air. A Kithain can hold her breath for a length of time based on her Stamina (see chart) — she can even extend this time by spending Willpower points (30 seconds for every point). If she cannot get air by the time her Willpower runs out, she suffocates or drowns at a rate of one Health Level per turn. While this is not aggravated damage, she cannot heal it until she leaves that hostile environment. When the changeling falls to Incapacitated, she dies within one minute per point of her Stamina rating.

Stamina	Holding Breath
1	30 seconds
2	One minute
3	Two minutes
4	Four minutes
5	Eight minutes
6	15 minutes
7	20 minutes
8	30 minutes

Death

  Changelings heal with amazing speed, but their dual (human and fae) natures makes them fragile as well. Changelings are neither human or fae; the true death of either part is the death of whole. The fae mien can be "killed" by chimerical damage and still be reborn. Perhaps this fragile nature is also responsible for the wisdom and vitality of many fae. They experience many times what most mortal know only once: death.

Banal Death

  When the human part of a changeling dies, the fae self may live on, but that changeling will never come into existence again. Commoners are reborn into another human host, who has a different appearance and upbringing from the previous human seeming. No one knows what happens to sidhe souls. Many sidhe comfort themselves with the notion that they are taken to Arcadia, but no one knows for sure.
  The death of the human part of a changeling while she is on a Silver Path is an amazing sight. The fae souls of commoners stand over the corpses of their human hosts. Others present in the Dreaming can converse with these souls, but memories of their last Earthbound lifetimes deteriorate as the minutes pass. As this happens, they begin to remember more and more of Arcadia. At the moment their memories of the human life fade completely, and their ancient lives in Arcadia and the pre-Sundering Earth are remembered, a fist of purple chimerical flame pulls them fighting and screaming all the way back into the World of Darkness.
  The souls of sidhe changelings killed on a Silver Path shine forth in all their fae glory and stride off into the Deep Dreaming, beyond the powers of the Silver Paths, as if on some great mission.
  It is said that all fae killed off of a Silver Path wander the Dreaming looking for Arcadia. Direction is hard to determine away from a Silver Path, and those dying in the Near and Far Dreaming may never find Arcadia. Those killed in the Deep Dreaming, with its host of chimerical horrors, are closer to their goal, but in much greater threat of Final Death.
  Sorcerers of House Eiluned are said to know of cantrips capable of capturing the fae souls of changelings and investing them in new human hosts. This task is extremely risky (and unethical).

Chimerical Death

  Chimerical death occurs when a character suffers more chimerical damage than she has Health Levels. The character passes out immediately, and has only fleeting and often nightmarish memories of her fae life when she regains consciousness. She believes that she is mortal, and only mortal.
  The changeling can be restored with Glamour, though only after the requisite amount of time as passed (see the Mists Chart, pg. 208). Chimerical death also earns the character a permanent point of Banality.

Fae Death

  Fae death occurs whenever a character is killed by cold iron. The death blow must come from a cold iron weapon. If this tragedy occurs, not only does the changeling die a physical death, but her faerie soul can never be reborn in a mortal host. She is lost to the Dreaming for all time.
  If a character is taken to the Injured Health Level by a cold iron dagger, and then is slain by a chimerical sword, he faces chimerical death. If the death blow is from the cold iron dagger, or if the assailant finishes the character off with the dagger, the victim experiences fae death.

Charts