For the purpose of this document - Chimerical(ly) means existing to fae & enchanted senses only, whether in the Autumn World or the Dreaming. Actual (and ”real”) mean existing to mortal, un-enchanted senses - human eyes, banal eyes, Prodigal senses.
Changeling, fae, faerie and Kithain are used interchangeably.
Prodigal refers to a non-Kithain supernatural: vampire, mage, werewolf
Fae & enchanted humans or Prodigals are aware of the Chimerical reality overlaying the Actual reality. In a grey world where the Glamour is thin, there are few places where the bright colours of dream show through, and a Changeling has no trouble navigating the Autumn world. When dealing with situations where the Chimerical reality sits thickly atop the actual reality - in or near a freehold, or when looking at another fae - for a fae to see the actual reality and not the chimerical requires an internal shift, looking with the mortal eyes and not the faerie - in other words, take a temporary Banality.
Character Creation
Points for Character Creation are as follows:
Attributes 7-5-3
Abilities 10
Two points of Lore (although you can spend ability points on Lore) - Graymare is a Lore
Backgrounds 5
Merits & Flaws - up to 14 points each
* one free point of the Past Life merit with which to beleaguer your character
5 freebie points
An additional 5 freebie points for filling out the background sheet
If you played in 7 Silver You have the XP earned on your longest-running 7 Silver character to apply to this character,
and you may earn up to 10 XP for a character background.
If you did not play in 7 Silver You may earn up to 18 XP for a character background
(this number will go up by 2 for every month the game is running when you begin your character.)
Building a new character after PC death or retirement You will gain a portion of your old PC's XP at ST discretion.
Trait caps Backgrounds and Abilities may be bought up to 5
Glamour, Willpower, and Banality (tempers) may be bought (or inflicted) up to 10, although a Banality 10 character is unplayable
Your attributes (physical, social, & mental traits) are capped at 8 for your mortal seeming; you can buy up to 8 + your permanent willpower to use in challanges involving your fae mien (when dealing with fae, chimera, or enchanted mortals or chimera, when calling upon the Wyrd, when in the Dreaming). Birthright gifts of Attributes that are not listed as Wyrd (for instance, Bully Browbeat) are applicable on both your human and fae mien and allow you to go over both trait maxes, whereas Wyrd Birthrights (the satyrs' physical prowess) apply only above the fae trait maxes. .
Free attribute traits (physical, social, mental) granted by a kith advantage are not Vigor (they can not be bid over and over again without regard to the win or loss of the prior challenge). They are lost & regained temporarily the same way as any other physical/social/mental trait, but cannot be permanently lost as the result of an attack, burnt permanently to fuel a power, and so on.
Specific clarifications are as follows:
Boggin Call of the Needy - When witnessing a mortal in need and unable (or unwilling) to help, the Boggin is down one trait on all challenges1 for the next hour.
Clurichan Twinkling - (Believe it or not, the book is not actually clear enough for my tastes on this one). You must be unobserved by sentient beings to activate this power - that is, no-one can be looking at you.
Ghille Dhu No clarifications needed.
Eshu It may only be my long familiarity with this kith that makes their advantages & disadvantages seem clear to me. If you need a clarification, ask.
Nockers Forge away. All forged creations must go by the ST for statting & approval.
Pooka The pookah frailty must be role-played at all times!
Redcaps Bully Browbeat - +1 intimidating social trait, and an additional 2 traits on challenges of intimidation or browbeating.
Satyrs Physical Prowess - +1 Athletic trait. The fair escape of satyrs is due to their amazing running speed and is only valid in situations where they can actually run away (and thus outrun their pursuers). However, satyrs can, when running and nothing else (“full-out run”), run at twice the speed of any other fae2 Passion's Curse – this includes social tests to sway the satyr's emotions, willpower tests against an emotional effect, dire insult… any situation in which there could be a challenge relating to an emotional effect. These guys are moody buggers.
Sidhe (Scathac) This game is set pre-Resurgence, and the only sidhe in the Autumn world are the Scathac. The Grey Walkers are rare and stealthy and ST approval to play.
Their birthright and frailty are as in the book.
Sluagh To escape bonds is a simple test, not a “simple or static test.”
Note that, even in their mortal mien, sluagh are never loud. Also note the agoraphobia, which I know I've always missed.
Trolls As per the book.
1 "Down one trait on all challenges" means that you bid one less than your current trait total for purposes 2 Movement rate is three steps at a walk (or when performing an action), 6 steps for full-our run. Satyrs can thus run 12 steps in a round.
Earning XP
XP will be 2 XP a game, .5 for write-up.
I like story-style narrative write-ups. Those willing to share those in a public forum (forum to be determined) will get an extra .5 XP. I also like the "action" system of write-ups, and will encourage 2-5 actions between game (with the theory that some things just take a lot of time, whereas others are pretty simple).
Other contributions to game, including food at game, art or setting pieces for the (yet-to-be-built) web page, narration, plot, what have you, will be worth .5 - 1 XP a shot.
Story is important in dictating backgrounds - what is the name of your treasure sword (or why is it nameless)? How did it come to you? How did you earn your Title? Your backgrounds do not exist until you determine these things.
Backgrounds can be gained and lost in play, or even stolen. To increase a background in character requires work and, yes, more story, as well as an expenditure of XP, while losing one may refund or reassign the XP spent at ST discretion.
When choosing backgrounds, remember that hanging yourself all over with treasures and chimera is an easy step into madness and Bedlam.
Chimera A useful or practical item which exists only chimerically.
Yes, this does mean it is visible only to fae, chimera, and enchanted humans or Prodigals - it will also only affect these things.
A chimera will come with less restrictions than a treasure of the same point value, and is easier to obtain, but the press of banality will eat away at it more quickly than something housed in a “real” shell.
Use the chart in the book and examples from kith books & other sourcebooks for a rough gauge, but the ST will determine the point value of the chimera once you create it.
Companion A per the book, a living, sentient chimerical creature who is loyal to your character (determine the reason, as well as a general description of the chimera). A companion, while loyal, has free will, and will tend to do its own thing, especially if ignored. The more powerful the Companion, the more likely it is to have its own ideas about what it, and you, should be doing.
Dreamers As per the book.
Remembrance While Remembrance may give you brief flashes of your past incarnations, the Past Life merit should be used for real insight into prior lives. What Remembrance gives you is a recollection that you used to know something - once upon a time, you knew that there had been other noble houses of Sidhe - and the ability, once per point per session, to pull upon this knowledge.
As with Past Life, spending too long in your inherited memories can lead to ... strangeness.
Holdings This background is not available to PC's at creation.
The two freeholds in the area, the Haunted Mansion and the Boneyard, are currently being held by NPC's.
Influence While Influence is available as a background, and can be easily used to acquire things, people, information, money, etc., Silk & Bones will not focus heavily on “the Influence Game”
If you wish to have Influence on your character sheet, we are using book levels and descriptions, modified to fit the time period of the game.
Mentor As per the book. A PC Mentor does not cost points, but will be at about the same experience level as your PC. As with Patrons, Allies, Contacts, & Companions, a Mentor may occasionally ask you for favors, or to do small tasks or run errands for them.
Patron The political situation of the Kithain of 1932 is not as well-organized as the hierarchical feudalism of post-Resurgence Kithain society (see also Title); this background provides you with a friend and sometimes protector who holds status and respect (or fear) from fae, either in Rochester or another city or region.
The point value of this background determines both the informal rank of your Patron and their power level. To have the “Baron” Dai FitzRoi (or the leader of the Horde out of Syracuse, or the sovereign of the Realm of () in Buffalo) costs three points; there are no level 5 patrons available.
Political Connections Not available as such. This game is set long before the creation of the Parliament of Dreams.
Title When the sidhe left the Earth during the Shattering, some left behind heirs to titles, loyal retainers and trusted vassals whose titles then passed down through generations, through inheritance or rebirth. Some sidhe stayed, the Scathach, and those that had titles passed them down in similar ways.
In this “modern” day far distant from the Shattering, there are places which still hold to the courtly titles and the feudal hierarchies. If your character hies from one of these places, she may have title from there.
More likely, and more common in this region of the United States at this time, is a kind of title derived from respect, a niche your character has carved out for herself or been gifted as a sign of vassalage and loyalty to another who cared his own niche. These leaders are charismatic, strong, or clever, natural leaders or natural bullies, who have created (or stolen) a position, a name, a reputation for themselves.
The names of these titles varies depending on the region - the Sovereign of the Realm of () holds the same level of Title as the self-styled Baron of Rochester - and are more recognized for the size and power of the region they command then for the words they put to it.
PC's may not begin with title above 3. Dai FitzRoi holds Title 4. To hold title in his city is to walk a more careful tightrope than most of his subjects do - either your character has sworn Fealty to him (and he Escheat in return; Dai takes “his people” and his ownership of.. ahem.. responsibility to them very seriously) or she plays a delicate balance of causing-no-offense while still maintaining her own independence. Title may be added to social traits in appropriate social challenges.
1 - “Squire” Your character is well-known locally and has responsibility for some important Autumn place. The Grump Boggin Miss Belle holds this level of title.
2 - “Knight/Lady” Your character commands the respect and loyalty (or obedience and fear) of a household or motley and is responsible for a small freehold, a trod entrance, or a city block of Dreamer-rich or otherwise important territory. People are more likely than not to listen when she talks. The leader(s) of the city are certain to know her name, and may call upon her to organize tasks or quests.
3 - “Baron/Baroness” People know your character, like (or respect) her, and will often do what she suggests. She has responsibility for a large, relatively Glamour-rich area of territory, often several city blocks, and/or a large freehold, and can usually count on people listening to what she says. Often they will come to her for advice, or favors. At this level, she is in the eye of the leader(s) of the city, which can lead to their beneficence or their ill-will. Play your cards carefully. The Wastrel known as The Caryatid holds this level of title.
4 - “Count/Countess” Your character commands control of an entire region, often including direct access to the largest and best freehold and/or Trod. Leaders of other areas treat her as a force to be reckoned with; even Kings who control vast lands will speak to her with respect. Tribute is often due to her from those in her city or region, and her word is law in nearly all cases.
Resources The levels below are if maintained with a job or steady income. To maintain that level of income without a job (i.e., by investments), buy two levels higher. * Small savings, an apartment, a bicycle. $100 if liquidated, $30/month income
** Apartment or condominium, $600 if liquidated, $90/month income
*** Large savings, own your own house & car $3,500 if liquidated, $200/month
**** Well-off. Own a large house or rundown mansion and a large/new car. $35,000 if liquidated, $600/month income
***** Exorbitantly rich. Assets of $350,000; $2000/month income.
Tip of the Tongue - you may divide your Bunk Traits (after the first one) between the period of memory affected (15 mintues per Bunk Trait, as in the book) and the number of days the effects last - for instance, with a 5-trait bunk, you could choose to eliminate a (5x15 minute) 75-minute period of time for a day, or a 15 minute period of time for 4 days.
The target may make a mental test, against a difficulty of the caster's Glamour, after the number of days determined in the casting, to regain the memories.
Chronos
Just No.
Dreamcraft
Does anyone have a copy of Nobles: The Shining Host?
Legerdemain
for now, as written
Naming
Available only with ST approval or, in play, with an NPC teacher.
Runic languages are a dot of linguistics
Rune - as written
Seek n' Spell - the stupidly named level two out of TT, Second basic -
With a cantrip, you can see the meaning in any written text, in any language.
The difficulty of the cantrip challange varied depending on the obscurity of the language, the obscurity of the subject matter, and any attempts made to encrypt it (4 for a German cookbook, 10 for a how-to book on death rites written in an encrypted version of Enochian)
This art can also be used to comprehend the "between the lines" meaning in any text. Make a seperate mental challange (this second test is retestable with Enigmas) to discern the true meaning behind the words.
Runic Circle - duration - without the expenditure of permanent traits to make the Circle permanent, the circle lasts until sundown the next day. If made permanent, each time it is activated, it remains active until sundown the next day.
Saining is an Intermediate Art, with a prerequisite Art of Runic Circle.
Primal
Eldritch Prime - ignore the "Example of Play."
Holly Strike - After the original expenditure, you may spend a Glamour and 2 additional physical traits (3) for each Health Level you wish to inflict, up to a total number of damage equal to the number of Bunk Traits cast in the original cantrip(4).
3 - Spending Attribute Traits - these Traits are lost as if you lost them in a challange. Attribute Traits can be regained with the expenditure of a Willpower no more than once per category per scene, as can Ability Traits. This refresh doesn't take an action, and happens immediatly.
4 - Silk & Bones uses the "declare killing blow" idea; however, a character knocked down to mortally-wounded will bleed out if not tended to (i.e., if you Holly Strike someone, somehow, to the level below Mortally Wounded
These are clearly not done yet. Check back for future additions.