Contracts of Forge

The Gentry can reshape Arcadia with a whim and impose significant changes on the mortal world. Changelings lack this level of power, but can learn to alter and shape the reality of the mortal world in small ways, and to shape the Hedge in a more profound fashion. Contracts of the Forge are considered affinity Contracts for the Wizened.

## Rewriting the Image (•)

The changeling can alter the details of any two dimensional image, including paintings, photographs and video clips. The basic form of the image cannot be changed but all of the details can be, allowing the changeling to transform an image of one person into the image of someone else. This clause cannot alter writing — the changeling could twist the face in a driver’s license or political ad, but not alter the birth date or campaign slogan.

* **Cost**: 1 Glamour
* **Dice Pool**: Wyrd + Expression
* **Action**: Instant
* **Catch**: The changeling is changing an image of someone else into the changeling’s own image.

Roll Results

* Dramatic Failure: The image is changed in some manner that is detrimental to the changeling or her immediate goals.
* Failure: The Contract fails, and the image remains unchanged.
* Success: The image that is the target of this clause shifts and alters, but retains its basic form. An ID photo remains a close-up image of someone’s face, but the changeling can determine whose picture is on this ID. Similarly, a grainy and dimly lit video of a robbery remains a grainy video of a robbery, but the changeling could replace blurry faces with clearly visible ones of her choice, or if the individuals shown were already clearly visible, it could show a different robber, a different victim or both. This clause works equally well on still and video images, and can be performed upon any single image or video regardless of size. However, affecting the image in a TV program changes only the image shown on one particular TV set; the images shown on other TV sets are unaffected. All changes last for the duration of the scene. This clause can affect everything from an ID photo to a large billboard, and the image appears to be authentic even under magnification or careful observation. However, this clause affects only photographs or videos; it has no effect on drawing, paintings or printed words and explicitly cannot be use to change the denomination of paper money.
* Exceptional Success: The change to the image is permanent.

## Trivial Reworking (••)

The changeling can temporarily reshape a small object in relatively minor ways.

* **Cost**: 2 Glamour
* **Dice Pool**: Wyrd + Crafts
* **Action**: Instant
* **Catch**: The changeling is reshaping an item that she stole from someone so that the changeling can use it against this person.

Roll Results

* Dramatic Failure: The object breaks in the process of reshaping itself and can no longer be used for any purpose.
* Failure: The Contract fails, and the object is unharmed.
* Success: The changeling can take any object of Size 1 that she can easily hold in one hand, and reshape it to into a similar object. The changeling could transform a house key to be the key to another house, including the one she is standing in front of. She could instead reshape a stolen driver’s license so that it has her picture on it and contains whatever name and other information she wishes, and she could even transform this license into a corporate ID card or the official ID of an FBI agent. In addition, she could reshape a .45 bullet so that it becomes a 9mm pistol bullet that can be fired from a 9mm pistol. However, this clause cannot change objects in more extensive ways. A key to a piece of luggage could not be transformed into a house key, and a driver’s license could not be made into a credit card. A house key must remain a house key; an ID card must remain some sort of ID card. In addition, these changes cannot be used to alter any electronic data stored in the item. These changes last for only one scene. Also, carefully examining the object reveals that it is a clever fake. Money, ID cards or similar items will not pass either an examination by an expert used to finding fakes or any sort of instrument designed to indicate authenticity. Also, this clause cannot be used on any object that was created using a Contract; this clause can only be used on real objects.
* Exceptional Success: The object remains in its new form until the sun next rises.

## Discreet Conjuration (•••)

The character can remove a small object from a pocket, desk drawer or other location where the object could be — even though, before this Contract’s use, the object wasn’t there at all.

* **Cost**: 2 Glamour + 1 Willpower
* **Dice Pool**: Manipulation + Wyrd
* **Action**: Instant
* **Catch**: The changeling is paying an enemy for some information or service with a valuable object of some sort.

Roll Results

* Dramatic Failure: The character pulls out an item that is useless and exceedingly awkward, such as drawing a fake but exceedingly realistic pistol in an airport or a piece of broken drug paraphernalia when talking to a police officer.
* Failure: The Contract fails, and the character finds nothing new in the pocket, drawer or other location.
* Success: The character reaches into some relatively small location she cannot see into, such as a pocket, handbag or desk drawer, and pulls out an item that fits comfortably in one hand and that has a maximum Size of 1. This item can be anything the character has handled before, and cannot be larger than a cell phone, a pistol or some similarly sized object. The item is fully functional — a pistol shoots bullets, a cell phone can make and receive calls and a digital camera can take pictures. The item is ready to use, full of ammunition, film or battery charge, though it’s the simplest version available. A pistol might have a full complement of bullets, but it wouldn’t be conjured with Teflon or hollow point rounds, much less silver or other unusual forms of ammunition. However, although the item can look very much as if it were made of precious materials such as gold or diamonds, in reality the item is made from clever fakes, a fact that becomes obvious after close observation. The item is also a relatively generic item of its kind and lacks small details such as serial numbers. The character can pull out a passport or credit card, but cannot determine whose face and name are on it. He could conjure a vial of acid, but would have no control over its strength. Certain properties are unavailable; this power cannot create radioactive materials or holy water, for instance. Also, whether the character pulls out cash, a credit card or an object that can be sold, the maximum value that can be obtained by using this clause is $100. Finally, this clause cannot produce objects made of iron. The object vanishes after one scene or as soon as it is either out of the character’s hands or the character ceases paying attention to it, whichever comes first.
* Exceptional Success: The character can determine the exact features of the object, such as the name and picture on the passport, the particular model of cell phone or pistol or what sort of ammunition the pistol carries. However, the object still lacks small details such as serial numbers and is no more valuable.

## Hidden Reality (••••)

The changeling can create or change some minor feature of her surroundings that was not previously obvious.

* **Cost**: 3 Glamour +1 Willpower
* **Dice Pool**: Wits + Wyrd
* **Action**: Reflexive
* **Catch**: The character is creating a way out of a place where she has been confined against her will.

Roll Results

* Dramatic Failure: Reality resists the changeling’s efforts, causing her to lose an additional point of Willpower and preventing her from using any Contracts of the Forge for the rest of the scene.
* Failure: The clause fails, and the changeling fails to change her environment.
* Success: The changeling creates some feature of her surroundings that was not previously obvious and so might have been present naturally. For example, she causes a pair of bars in a cell to be loose enough to be removed if she tugs on them hard enough. Similarly, she can create a hidden catch that opens a door, cause a normal door to be left unlocked or an electrical outlet that was hidden behind a table. In all cases, the change must be small and relatively reasonable. This change cannot create anything larger than Size 1, and cannot create unlikely features such as pit traps or land mines underneath someone’s doormat. Similarly, if leaving a door unlocked would trip sensors that would register this fact, then causing the door to be left open is impossible. All changes vanish or simply cease to work after one scene or as soon as the character ceases paying attention to it, whichever comes first.
* Exceptional Success: The change remains for one full scene.

## Paths of Desire (•••••)

The character can open a gateway that leads to anyplace in the Hedge that the character has ever visited before.

* **Cost**: 3 Glamour + 2 Willpower
* **Dice Pool**: Wyrd + Academics
* **Action**: Instant
* **Catch**: The character has buried a vial of his own blood in the soil of the desired location.

Roll Results

* Dramatic Failure: Although the doorway seems to lead to the desired locations, in actuality the character ends up completely lost in an unknown portion of the Hedge.
* Failure: The Contract fails, and the character fails to open a doorway into the Hedge.
* Success: The character touches a doorway or other possible entrance into the Hedge and uses this clause to open a doorway that leads to any location in the Hedge that the character has visited before. This doorway remains open only for a number of turns equal to the successes rolled for this clause; after that, the doorway shuts and cannot be reopened. This clause cannot be used while the character is inside the Hedge, and so the character must find another way out. In addition to being a swift way to reach a source of goblin fruit or a Hollow, the character can travel to a portion of the Hedge a few feet from any entrance into the Hedge that the character has ever used, allowing exceedingly rapid transport though the Hedge. Characters cannot use this clause to travel to any location in the Hedge that they have not previously visited. Attempts to do so automatically fail, but do not cause dramatic failures.
* Exceptional Success: The gateway into the Hedge remains open for half an hour, allowing the characters to come and go as they please during this time. At the end of this time, the entrance vanishes and cannot be reopened except by using this clause again in the mortal world.

1. ↑  Changeling: Rites of Spring (p. 99-102)