Game mechanics
Game mechanics for casting any cantrip (CtD 204-206) - Hsien see separate section below
- Choose an art
- Choose a realm: if using any modifier/secondary realms, see below
- Determine dice pool: art's attribute + realm level that you have (even if you only need a lower level)
- Choose a bunk: above level 1 requires at least one separate action (Changeling Players Guide 157-160 lists some sample bunks, 178-179 for Nunnehi)
- Determine base difficulty: target's/caster's Banality (whichever is higher) + 4 - bunk level - Glamour spent, minimum 4, maximum 10
- -1 difficulty if the realm is your kith's affinity
- If the target doesn't have a Banality rating at all, then use caster's
- Determine Glamour cost: 1 for Wyrd cantrip and/or unenchanted target, 1 for no bunk, up to 5 to lower difficulty
- Roll dice
- Modifier realms (Scene/Time)
- +1 Glamour cost, +1 difficulty
- Scene to cast cantrip with physical effect (chimerical or Wyrd): +1 difficulty per extra target
- Secondary realms
- -1 difficulty per additional relevant realm
- Example: Mooching a sidhe's dagger when you have both Fae and Prop
Unleashing an Art (20th Anniversary edition, pages 196-197) is also allowed
- Spend 2 Glamour, gain a Nightmare Die, then roll Glamour + Nightmare Dice vs 7
| Number of successes |
IC results
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| Botch |
- Gain a Nightmare Die and suffer an immediate Nightmare (latter is house rule, replacing C20's Imbalance for simplicity)
- Havoc occurs for a turn (details are ST discretion)
- Next turn, suffer a Banality trigger (C20 269: roll Glamour vs 8, fail = +1 temp Banality, botch = +N temp Banality where N is the number of ones rolled)
- Can't spend Glamour or use arts for rest of scene
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| Fail (but not botch) |
- Suffer a Banality trigger (see above)
- Can't use that art for rest of scene
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| 1 to art level |
- Automatically invoke the Wyrd for (Glamour) turns, or spend a Willpower to make it last for rest of scene
- Fae mien becomes visible
- PC narrates effect of that art
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| More than art level |
- PC's intent is fulfilled, but in a twisted or unintended way that adds complication or puts everyone nearby in danger
- Gain a Nightmare Die
- ST narrates effect of that art
- Automatically invoke the Wyrd for rest of scene
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Common arts
| Chicanery (attribute: Manipulation)
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Fuddle
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Veiled Eyes
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Fugue
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Haunted Heart
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Captive Heart
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| Legerdemain (attribute: Dexterity)
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Gimmix
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Ensnare
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Effigy
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Mooch
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Phantom Shadows
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| Primal (attribute: Stamina)
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Willow Whisper
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Eldritch Prime
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Oakenshield
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Heather Balm, Holly Strike
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Elder-Form
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| Soothsay (attribute: Intelligence)
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Omen
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Fair Is Foul and Foul Is Fair
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Tattletale
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Augury
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Fate Fire
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| Sovereign (attribute: Charisma)
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Protocol
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Dictum
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Grandeur
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Weaver Ward
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Geas, Ban
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| Wayfare (attribute: Wits)
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Hopscotch
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Quicksilver
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Portal Passage
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Wind Runner
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Flicker Flash
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Less common arts
More comprehensive list of arts
- Shadow Court arts (Contempt, Delusion) may be learned by others, but are reasonable grounds for suspicion if ICly discovered by another kithain or kinain.
- Adhene arts (Discord, Oneiromancy - not the same as Oneiromancy from C20) may also be learned by others, but are grounds for risk escalation if ICly discovered by another kithain or kinain (2 for knowing, 3 for using).
- Dauntain agendas (Burnout, Stultify, Webcraft) are restricted to Dauntain.
20th Anniversary arts
- Dice pool may include either the art level (as in C20) or the attribute listed below.
- Existing arts remain unchanged (there is some overlap).
- General game mechanics for casting cantrips remain unchanged.
| Spring (attribute: Stamina)
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Awaken
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Verdant Reclamation
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Well of Life
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Faerie Ring
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Renewal
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| Summer (attribute: Charisma)
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Flicker-Flies
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Enkindle
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Aphrodisia
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Vesta's Blessing
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The Beltane Blade
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| Autumn (attribute: Manipulation)
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Creeping Shadows
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Autumn Eyes
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The Poisoned Apple
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The Withering
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Shivers
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| Winter (attribute: Strength)
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Chill
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Hardened Heart
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Terror of the Long Night
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Sculpt
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Stasis
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| Contract (attribute: Charisma)
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Done Deal
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Liar's Bell
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Castigate
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Casual Contract
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Sanctified Words
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| Dragon's Ire (attribute: Strength)
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Burning Thew
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Confounding Coils
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Dragonscales
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Holly-Strike
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Tripping the Ire
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| "Oneiromancy (art)" (attribute: Intelligence)
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Dream Walk
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Dream Craft
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Dream Portal
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Manifest
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Dream Puppet
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Hsien
Hsien game mechanics
Hsien: (Land of Eight Million Dreams pages 99, 105-110)
- Choose an art
- Choose whether the effect is Yin or Yang (page 97)
- Yin: Dark, passive, cold, moist, decaying, negative, defensive, material, female
- Yang: Light, active, hot, dry, growing, positive, offensive, male
- Determine successes needed
- Typically 1, sometimes 2*N to modify an attribute / ability / dice pool
- Modifiers = more successes needed (pages 106-107)
- Fortune = fewer successes needed (pages 108-110), minimum 1
- Rituals: see pages 111-112
- Spend Yugen (1 unless using a Cohort, pages 110-111)
- Roll art + relevant attribute (see below)
- Difficulty = 11 - (Yin or Yang, whichever is relevant) (page 97)
- Multiple hsien with the same art can use it together; dice pool includes all their art levels, but only the lead caster's attribute
- By default, the effect has a single target within about 10 yards and lasts for one turn
- Things that require more successes: more targets, conditional circumstances, longer duration, longer range, add damage (only to a level 4+ effect), greater magnitude of change and/or form
- Fortunes that each reduce required successes by 1 (to a minimum of 1): color, direction, Dzi Dzat (folded paper), festivals, kwannon-jin elemental affinity, Mu-jen (wooden men), poetry, season, sense, skills, Wani form
Wu Tan (Hsien arts)
| Element |
Yin |
Yang
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| Wood |
Appearance |
Strength
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| Metal |
Perception |
Dexterity
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| Water |
Stamina |
Manipulation
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| Fire |
Charisma |
Wits
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| Earth |
Intelligence |
Intelligence
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| General
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The Prodigal Tongue
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Command Elemental Vassals
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Raiment of the Elements
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Awaken the Elements
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Master the Elements; Throne of Jade
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| Di Tan (Earth Alchemy)
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Entreat the Yellow Mandarins (Commune)
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Command the Vassals of Tu Ti
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| Hou Tan (Fire Alchemy)
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The Flame Bears Witness (Elemental Soul)
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The Fiery Claws of Ch'ih Ching-tsu (Elemental Fist)
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| Tieh Tan (Metal Alchemy)
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|

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Paths of Iron (Paths of the Elements)
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The Chisel of P'an Ku (Awaken the Elements)
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| Shui Tan (Water Alchemy)
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Entreat the Attendants of the Water Dragon (Nurture Elemental Soul)
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Awaken the Black Tortoise (Awaken Jade)
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| Lin Tan (Wood Alchemy)
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Wood Fist (Elemental Fist)
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Summon the Forest of Spears (Summon Element)
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| Nei Tan (Internal Alchemy)
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T'ai Su: The Great Primordial
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T'ai I: The Great Change; Axis of Time; The Typhoon's Eye
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T'ai Chi: The Great Pole
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Hu T'un: Chaos
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Wu Chi: No Limit - The Jade Key
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