Which came first? Mr. Happy Egg doesn't care. He's eliminating the competition.

Last updated 6/18/2002. Changes from last year, many involving the Shining Host Players Guide, are marked NEW.

Contents

Character Concepts (NEW)

You are also of course welcome simply to volunteer for NPCs or other specially created characters and leave the driving to us -- but even so, some idea of what sort of characters you prefer (or prefer to avoid) would be helpful.

There will be pregenerated characters on hand, complete with a few plot hooks, for use if someone shows up unannounced.
 

Gallain (NEW): Unlike in past years, there might be a little more room for Gallain characters, as events in the fae world are beginning to affect all fae. Rules have been published in Mind's Eye Theatre Journal and SHPG for Nunnehi and the Thallain of the Shadow Court as well as the Inanimae; I have rules for playing the Denizens of the Dreaming and the merfolk. There will be a limit to this sort of thing, though, so it will depend on the player pool and how many people are going with "normal" characters. You will need a good pitch.

Prodigals: Vampires, werecreatures, wraiths, mages, fomori, hunters, Kuei-jin and so on are not available as player characters.

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Notes on Character Creation

Childings 10 (max 7 for Physical)
Wilders 12
Grumps 14

Furthermore, as per the Revised rules (starting with Laws of the Night Revised, and presented as an optional rule in SHPG), characters may spend a trait gained from Negative trait or Flaw to specialize in an Ability purchased separately, meaning that the character gains an extra trait for comparison in challenges involving that specialization. Overly broad specialization will not be allowed (the classic example is "I'm taking the Firearms ability and specializing in guns!"). We're talking more along the lines of Law with a specialization in "Massachusetts tax law," Security with a specialization in "breaking and entering," or (if you must specialize in combat) Melee with a specialization in "parrying" or "bastard swords."
 

 Chimerical Companions were mentioned above. A point system for creating them, adapted from Changeling: The Dreaming 2nd. ed., pp. 220-223, may be found here, with additional redes from Dreams and Nightmares and The Changeling Storyteller's Guide.

Contacts (NEW): Now officially part of the Shining Host world as of SHPG p. 152. Use this background to gain information about Influences you don't otherwise have.

Destiny: As in Laws of Ascension, p. 104 f.; this Background may be spent to enable a Simple Test to regain a lost Willpower Trait. Sometimes, however, you may be destined to fail, and so the Storyteller might not let you call upon this Background in certain circumstances.

Dross: A kinain Background in SHPG that should be available to full changelings: each trait indicates how many traits of Dross you can have at the start of the game.

Kinain: Also not in SH. This Background, much like the "Kinfolk" Background in Laws of the Wild (p. 49 f.), provides access to mortals with faerie blood who are prepared to do you a favor now and again. Normally, you will seek them out because of a particular Skill they have, or perhaps because of some Numina or Faerie Gifts they possess. Spend a trait of this Background and do a simple test with a Narrator or Storyteller; if you win, you have found a kinain competent in the desired skill; on a tie, the kinain possesses the skill but may require extra coaxing or travel time, or may not in fact be as competent as you would like. On a loss, of course, no kinain with the requisite skill can be found. You may try again by spending another Kinain Background trait.

Status (UPDATED 6/18/02): There are new Status rules in SHPG, essentially taken over from Masquerade. Since our rules from last year were similarly stolen, there's not too much difference. Here's what we'll do: You may purchase Status traits as Backgrounds. (Make up your own damn adjectives, but feel free to use Masquerade Status traits as a guide.) Characters (kithain characters, anyway) without Status are still assumed to be members in good standing of their local society; outcasts and undesirables should take an appropriate Flaw. Kithain with Status are famed for their deeds, or occupy important positions at court, or run Freeholds, or what have you. Like Title traits, these can be bid and counted as Social traits in all Social challenges against other kithain except cantrip challenges.
- Anyone may ignore someone else's Status, at the risk of developing a bad reputation and making an enemy; generally, the social penalty will be worse if you ignore the Status of someone of your own Court.
- House rule: Title trumps Status. A Knight with no additional Status still outranks a popular commoner with five Status traits. The commoner is likely to be more adept in a Social challenge (he'll have five bonus traits to the knight's two), but those of higher Title can usually get away with ignoring Status more safely. (On the other hand, a well-connected commoner can perhaps more easily ignore the knight's Title...) Also, those of higher Title can freely improve or remove the Status of other characters by one trait per session (generally through public proclamation at Court), up to a number of characters equal to their Title trait: so a Duke could proclaim up to five kithain of lower title "Beloved" or "Feared" or whatever took his fancy, or he could proclaim up to five people as being rather less Beloved, or mix the two.
- Note that Status traits may NOT be counted in Sovereign cantrips as Title traits can (see below).

Title (SH p. 90): Title is not added to Social traits in cantrip challenges EXCEPT Sovereign cantrips. You may ignore someone's title in a Social challenge (except Sovereign cantrips), but the in-character penalties for this insult will probably be rather bad. Note that a noble who has Called Upon the Wyrd may add his Title traits in Social challenges against non-fae. -- Sidhe characters who do not wish to be titled (you freak) should generally take the Flaw: Houseless. All other sidhe must purchase at least one Title trait. (The exception will be newly created Scathach characters, should any exist.) Titled commoners are limited to one or two traits of Title, and even those will be rare, as last year it ended up that there were almost no UNtitled commoners, and that's just wrong.

Treasure (SH p. 90): There are Treasure creation rules for the stat-happy. If you haven't played since 1998 but somehow miraculously still have all your stats, you should know that I have since revised the rules to make Treasures less powerful.

 Fae Songs (SH p. 109): NOT one song per trait, but a single song for X number of traits, although you may purchase this Merit more than once; as written, you could have the equivalent of the Satyr Birthright: Gift of Pan for one trait! The cost of this Merit will vary according to what you wish your song to do.

There is also a mighy plethora of Merits and Flaws on another page that I've adapted from kith books and so forth or just plain made up.

The optional rules for buying extra Basic Arts or Realm levels -- extra, I mean, in addition to the three free Arts and 5 Realms everyone gets -- are in effect (see SH p. 100). In fact, you may spend Negative traits or freebie traits, if applicable, on anything you could spend Experience traits on, and at the same costs (p. 117). Note to Van Helsing players: This means that Intermediate and Advanced Arts bought in character creation are more expensive than Basic ones; it's not just three traits per Art. (A quasi-exception to this rule: you can take an Intermediate Art among your three free slots; this means generally that you'll be taking three levels of one Art.)

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Cantrips

 (NEW 6/18/2002): SHPG, p. 203, has improvisational "Jester's Rules" for Bunks which you may elect to use. Up to a maximum of five traits, you may improvise a Bunk and give yourself one Bunk trait for each "Yes" answer to the following questions:
    * Did you perform a Bunk?
    * Did you use a prop?
    * Did your Bunk have some special connection to the target (or, is it especially appropriate for the cantrip)?
    * Did you act your Bunk out in character?
    * Did your Bunk take longer than a minute (= 10 combat rounds)?
    * Did it take longer than an hour?
    * Was your Bunk especially appropriate to your kith or character?

Note that a combat round is approximately six seconds long in game time; any Bunk that would take longer than that to perform therefore takes longer than a combat round.
 

When casting a cantrip, certain Merits (and the Eiluned House Boon) explicitly allow retests, as does overbidding. A new House Rule, Secondary Realms (see below), allows retests in certain circumstances. Finally, note that Gremayre does not generally allow a casting retest by itself (you must have a special Merit or be using a Secondary Realm).
 

 Here follow some changes and clarifications to the Arts as they are written in The Shining Host pp. 128-150.

 Fuddle (Basic Chicanery) (p. 128): Targets may retest with Willpower.

 Switcheroo (Intermediate Chicanery) (p. 129): Spending a Willpower trait allows only a retest against this Art (it does not cancel automatically).

 Eldritch Prime (Basic Primal) (p. 138): If used to injure to another, damage is chimerical or real but not aggravated (unless, say, you're using fire on a vampire).

 Oakenshield (Intermediate Primal) (p. 139): People with this Art always want to assume they have it active as the game begins. If you are one such, we'll do Simple Tests before the game begins and figure out how many extra Bruised levels you've got based on the number of Stamina-related Physical traits you have.

 Holly Strike (Advanced Primal) (p. 139f.): Damage is real and aggravated, and you can pile on the Physical traits to do more damage, up to a maximum of three Health levels or the number of Bunk traits gained, whichever is lower. However, it's easier to resist this cantrip than written: the target can retest with Gremayre, Dodge, or Willpower, and need not spend Willpower just to be able to resist at all.

 Dictum (Basic Sovereign) (p. 145): Again, Willpower expenditure allows a retest only.

 Quicksilver (Basic Wayfare) (p. 148f.): Quicksilver is a Wyrd cantrip and will already cost one trait of Glamour. This gives you one extra action without further Glamour expenditure. (Of course, leaving it at that gives you an action only to replace the one you used to cast the cantrip.)
 

 Go Ask Alice (Intermediate Metamorphosis, SHPG p. 183-4): This cantrip DOES affect strength, toughness, and quickness. For every two Bunk traits gained (round up), the target of the cantrip has one appropriate bonus Physical trait (e.g., "Brawny" for growing, "Nimble" for shrinking). At 3+ Bunk traits, the recipient also gains an appropriate Negative trait ("Clumsy," "Puny," etc.).

 Merlin's Lessons (Intermediate Metamporphosis, SHPG p. 184): Note that unlike the tabletop version (and thus my adaptation), the SHPG write-up does not say one must use both this cantrip and Go Ask Alice to change someone into something of a vastly different size. So it's easier to turn people into mice now. Go nuts.

 Animantis (Intermediate Infusion, SHPG p. 192-3): "Additionally, for each Bunk Trait ... the caster gets seven traits that can be assigned...": These are assigned one-for-one: One "Animantis" trait buys one Physical trait for your golem, 3 "Animantis" traits a 3-trait rede. (This is slightly different from the rules for Companion creation.) Assume one Glamour trait per Bunk trait; additional Glamour may be purchased one-for-one. Note that Animantis creations do not automatically come with Health levels.

Of the Arts in SHPG, Aphrodesia (so-spelled), Skycraft and Kryos will be considered generally available for PCs with no need for wild justification, and commoners can safely have Metamorphosis. Oneiromancy will be very rare and perhaps not so useful for a one-shot anyway. Infusion is freely available to nockers only.
 

 We, however, are even more generous. If you want to use an additional appropriate Realm in a cantrip, you must decide to do so before any tests have been made. Invoking a Secondary Realm costs one Glamour trait, and allows you to spend a relevant Ability to retest the cantrip. Note that this will have the additional advantage of making it harder for opponents to resist with Gremayre, as they must be able to match each Realm used in the cantrip, and even if they can use the Ability, you can block it with your own Ability retest (see below under published system revisions).

 Only one extra Realm may be used in this way in any cantrip. Time and Scene cannot be used in the same cantrip both as a Secondary Realm and as a modifier to affect extra targets or delay the effect.

 Different levels of the same Realm can sometimes be used in the same cantrip; for instance, the Realm Fae: Dweomer of Glamour is almost always an appropriate Secondary Realm, since that Realm can be used to affect cantrips themselves. Thus it is allowable even in a cantrip directed at, say, a Lofty Noble. (It could not, however, be used in a cantrip where Dweomer of Glamour is the primary Realm...) Likewise, Gremayre is almost always an appropriate Ability for the retest.

 Example 1: Dark Bobby the sluagh is being chased by a hostile chimera through a service duct. He wants to slow it down with an Ensnare cantrip (Intermediate Legerdemain), which he feels will be especially effective as the duct is full of various cables and wires. To cast the cantrip, Bobby chooses as his primary Realm Fae 3: Manifold Chimera and as a secondary Realm Prop 2: Crafted Tool (for the cables). He must spend an additional Glamour trait to cast the cantrip, but if his initial challenge fails, he may spend his Gremayre Ability (as providing specialized knowledge of how to cast cantrips generally) or perhaps Repair (which helps him understand the workings of the cables) for a retest. (The Glamour trait is gone whether or not Bobby needs to make a retest at all.)

 Example 2: Spanky the War Cat, a militant pooka, has stirred up something he oughtn't, and is being pursued through the woods. This is a good time for the Metamorphosis cantrip Hidden Form. As a commoner himself, he needs the Realm Fae 1: Hearty Commoner. However, as he is trying to camouflage himself among the trees, he thinks the Realm Nature 2: Verdant Forest might come in handy. He spends the extra Glamour trait and casts the cantrip. If he fails the initial test, he could retest with Gremayre, Stealth, or possibly Survival.

 Hmmm. I didn't intend for both of my examples to involve the Better Part of Valor, but that's the way it turned out.

 If any disputes arise concerning the relevance of a Secondary Realm or an Ability used for retests, the Storytellers have the final say, as usual.

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Miscellaneous

 Cold Iron: Also noted in Dark Epics, p. 79: While in possession of cold iron, a changeling is one Trait down on all challenges, and her maximum Glamour decreases by one. Cold iron weapons cause both aggravated and chimerical damage on changelings, and each hit in addition gives them one Trait of temporary Banality. Finally, cold iron bonds on a changeling will prevent her from casting cantrips or employing Birthrights, and will eventually cause nasty burns.

 The Dolorous Blow (p. 179): Instead of two Willpower traits, this will cost one Willpower trait and a successful Glamour-vs.-Banality static test. Two Willpower traits is rather "expensive," and it would probably be better just to spend a Willpower and a Glamour trait to Call Upon the Wyrd and smack the hell out of your unenchanted opponent for a whole hour. -- Note that the Dolorous Blow will generally be a "surprise" attack.

 The Dragon's Ire (NEW 6/18/2002) Though there are now official rules in SHPG even buffer and more complicated than the system that appeared in this spot last year, Steve and I have decided that, should this ancient and mysterious combat-enhancing power come into play at all, we'll improvise it cinematically.

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Published MET System Revisions

Health levels and damage: We will use the new number of Health levels: 2 Healthy, 3 Bruised, 2 Wounded, Incapacitated, Mortally Wounded, Dead. Likewise we will be using the weapon descriptions from the most recent Mind's Eye Theatre products, so that some weapons do two or even three Health levels. We'll need to adjust some other game mechanics as a result (allowing some cantrips to do another level of damage, tweaking the Companion rules so that one can buy a few more Health levels cheaply, etc.). We will not, however, be distinguishing between Bashing and Lethal damage, as there's already Real vs. Chimerical to keep track of.

Mob Scene (SH p. 168f.): I like the new Mind's Eye Theatre rules better (e.g., in Laws of the Night Revised). Ideally, of course, we won't need to use them.

Retests: We will adopt and adapt somewhat the revised rules; i.e., if both parties can retest, keep the original results. You may not use the same source for multiple retests in one challenge (so you could not, e.g., retest with 2 Abilities, or levels of the same Ability, in one challenge, or spend more than one Willpower trait to retest a Mental or Social challenge). Willpower retests, or any kind of retest that is explicitly stated to be "the last retest in any challenge," cannot be countered.
 

Example 1: Combat

Roger the troll: I Brutally thump you with a stick.
Timmy the pooka: I'm Agile enough to jump out of the way.
(They play rock-paper-scissors; Roger wins.)
Timmy: I should have been able to Dodge that.
Roger: Sorry, I'm a master of Melee.
(Timmy briefly contemplates his character sheet.)
Timmy: Oh ho! But Luck is with me!
Roger: Bloody hell.
(They play rock-paper-scissors again, and Timmy manages to escape the blow. Now, if, say, Roger could overbid, or if the thumping stick were a Treasure that allowed him a combat retest, he could then cancel out the "Luck" retest as well.)

Count Dumas ap Eiluned: I Command you to be silent, in, uhm, a Commanding way!
A Commoner of Some Repute: I'm too Dignified to be pushed around.
(They play rock-paper-scissors; the Commoner wins.)
Count: We Eiluned are skilled at cantrips; it is our Birthright.
Commoner: I've studied the ways of Gremayre myself, Your Excellency.
(The Count's cantrip retest based on his Birthright is canceled because the Commoner can retest with Gremayre, as both know the Realm: Hearty Commoner.)
Count: But I'm at least twice as Commanding as you!
(i.e., he's trying to overbid; they compare traits and indeed, the Count has 12 social traits to the Commoner's 6.)
Commoner: True, your Excellency, but I my Will is strong.
(The commoner's Willpower retest canceled the Overbid. As Dumas has no other means of retesting, the cantrip fails.)

Note: An issue of MET Journal has some clarifications to the Shining Host rules, written by Peter Woodworth, author of said rules; that will be available at the game if you don't have it.

Naturally, the STs get to be the final arbiters in any rule dispute. Yay us.

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