Changeling the Lost

First Week Testing of Gaming in the Bear Cave:

Check out the audio for this posting, it's a submission for The World Strikes Back, a Versus the World Production

Changeling the Lost

Publisher: White Wolf Publishing

Genre: Dark Fantasy/ Personal Horror in a Modern Time

Setting: Changelings are basically humans who have been taken and escaped from True Fae, and have been changed in some fashion. They are no longer human, and they are not fae, but they are lost in the world and trying to simultaneously survive and fit into the world that now looks and feels dramatically different... and while trying to keep their sanity in check. Many horrors are out to get the lost, including the True Fae, Beasts from the Hedge, Hunters, and anything else you could possibly imagine.

Character Types: The characters have two major choices that define what type of changeling they are... although it is left wide open for options and variety...

Seemings: Basically represent the race they are, giving some overall advantage and disadvantage. It also chooses what types of seeming contracts they may choose from with a lower experience cost.

-Beasts: Animalistic, Primal, generally a hybrid of human and animal.

-Elementals: Hybrid of Man and Element... from fire to water to earth and air, to metal, and plant, and ether, and energy... They often serve as fae tools or power sources for engines.

-Darklings: The bogeymen of the world, they are creepy, secretive, and tend to hang out in the shadows

-Fairest: The fairest of the all... they are beautiful and socially powerful... From Elven to Dragon to Artist... they are certainly as diverse as they are beautiful.

-Ogre: Cruel, Mean, and Strong as mountains. Ogres have a stubborn streak about them and places high importance on honoring one's word.

-Wizend: Servants, thought to be meek and worthless... but incredibly skilled and dexterous... and can easily become a problem for you if you look the wrong direction.

Courts: A much more important distinction, you align yourself with a court that appeals to your outlook and how you choose to survive in this strange new world. Each court is tied to a season, and tied to an emotion that is easier to feed off of (Changelings power themselves off of human emotions)

Summer: They have an affinity for Wrath... They tend to be the soldiers, warriors, protectors of the homesteads. They choose to fight the powers that be head on, and strive to be stronger then them.

Fall: They have an affinity for Fear... They try to research and learn all they can about the mysteries of the headge and universe. To understand the tools and powers of the hedge is to gain it's power and they can use that knowledge to stay safe.

Winter: They have an affinity for Sorrow... they have lost so much already, they find the best way to survive is to not be seen for what they are. Stealth and Subterfuge go a long way to living for another day... not that it's going to get any better.

Spring: They have an affinity for Greed and Gluttony... You might not live tomorrow, so you might as well live today like it was your last... nurturing your fae side makes you stronger, and nurturing growth in all things makes this court the life of the party.

Courtless: There are those who choose no allegiance, and face the world's dangers alone... in their own way.

Powers you get to wield:

Two major categories of powers are Contracts and Pledges... the basis for all powers and life in general is based in the concept of contracts. Without a contract with water, you could not quench your thirst... with a contract with fire, you could freeze to death. Many of these deals have been made a long time ago... you may have forgotten them, but they exist.

Each Changeling can use this power to gain contracts they can use... based on their court and seeming, experience costs will vary. Each contract group has 5 levels that you much purchase in order to gain the next level.

Goblin Contracts are different from that rule set... they can be bought singularly, no matter what level they are... and they are generally much more powerful... BUT they always have a cost associated to them as well.

Pledges: Another more free form power is the pledge... where you can use the same contract magic of the universe and gain power (like stat, ability, and merit boosts) so long as you don't break your word and go back on your contract. There are free form rules that keep these bonuses in check and balanced... and you are limited to the number of pledges you may take by your overall power level.

What do you need to play this game?: The tabletop game uses the new World of Darkness base system, to which you will want a main World of Darkness book, and a series of D10's (around 10 or so). You will also need the core book for Changeling the Lost, which can be found at most book stores that sell tabletop games, or a PDF can be purchased at DriveThurRPG.com.

There are about 8-9 supplemental books which greatly expand on aspects of the game, and while nice, they are not required to play a good game.

The game is a pretty fascinating game, with a really dark creepy fairy tale feel to it. What if the wolf ate little red robin hood? What is snow white managed to be saved by a kiss... and had to give her first child to a Goblin who powered the magic behind the scenes. And how do you survive in a world where the very boundaries of reality and supernatural are ripping apart more and more each day?

Check this game out...