< Contracts Of Goblin Dreams | Contracts | Contracts Of Whispers >
Contracts of Fervor
The raw power of ones zeal, harnessed with a pact, can be a powerful thing. The Ogres and Fairest who made these pacts understood that, and learned to harness that inner power and express it through their Voice. Through the Contracts of Fervor these Changelings gained voices that can roar with the might of a lion, speak with the authority of a high priest, and kill with nothing more than a scream.
This is an Affinity Contract for both Ogres and Fairest.
Bellow (•)
The most basic clause of the Contract of Fervor, Bellow gains the changeling little more than extra volume. Despite that, it can be highly useful, allowing her to make herself heard over the loudest ambient noise or ensure that she's heard by a distant target whose attention she needs to flag. At its most simple, she simply yells with great volume, often surprising any who didn't think such a loud sound could come from a human being. This can allow the character to gain the attention of rioting crowds, talk to a friend while standing on the tarmac with jets taking off or to speak to the party-goers at a nightclub over the music. She need not go to such extremes, however, if she simply wants to talk to someone standing nearby, order a drink in a particularly noisy bar, or just speak in a loud obnoxious voice for some reason. This clause can also give the Changeling a positively ear-splitting whistle, if she so wishes.
Cost: 1 Glamour
Dice Pool: Stamina + Wyrd
Action: Reflexive
Catch: The character is attempting to address a crowd in an environment far too noisy for anyone to hear him, or is unable to speak at full volume for any reason.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: In addition to nothing happening, you damage your voice and can't speak above a dim whisper without using this clause for an hour. Every time you do use this clause to talk again at a normal volume, extend the time you're without your voice by another hour.
Failure: The contract does nothing to raise the volume of your voice; I'm sure you gave it the old college try anyway.
Success: You no longer need a microphone or a bullhorn unless you actually want to use one, and god help the people standing near you if you do. You have a +3 bonus to any Presence based roll to attract attention to yourself by yelling or speaking loudly, can flag a Taxi in New York with all the finesse of Clark Kent, and can make yourself heard over pretty much any level of ambient noise. If World War III strikes, you'll be able to yell "Duck!" over the impact of the Bomb. At its highest level of volume, this clauses effects are exceptional but not necesarily unnatural. This power lasts until you stop talking for longer than a minute.
Exceptional Success: When addressing a Crowd, you gain a +1 bonus to your Presence while addressing them. You're just that loud and forceful and commanding.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier | Situation |
+2 | You yell at the top of your lungs. All those nearby go "Ouch!" |
+1 | Just trying to get someones attention, not actually communicate anything. |
-1 | You want to be heard, but not actually be all that loud. Wimp. |
Listen To Me (••)
The changeling who uses this clause isn't just loud anymore, he ascends past the level of being "loud" and now speaks with the clear perfect voice of a incarnate god. There's something unnatural about listening to a Changeling say even a single word backed up with this clause that causes people to stop what they are doing for a few moments. A couple walking down the sidewalk stops walking and glances at him, a pair of lovers necking under the bleachers peek up to see whats going on, the insane fanatic about the press the button and kill everyone just gapes and maybe cries a little. What you say cuts through the layers of defense that people build up around their psyche and gets in there; it doesn't necessarily win them over to your cause or convince them of anything. It just gets to them.
Cost: 2 Glamour
Dice Pool: Wyrd + Expression - Composure (use highest in crowd)
Action: Instant
Catch: The changeling is trying to get people to shut up so that he can get a word in edgewise, or is trying to stop some event by yelling out a secret he knows.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Everyone's attention turns to you. This isn't a good thing; you might want to start running. The storyteller will fill in the details, but the odds are, you probably want to keep running for a while. Hiding might work too.
Failure: You might distract a few people with Composure 1, but otherwise, nothing actually happens.
Success: Whatever you said, it really got to everyone who heard it. They stop what they're doing for a full turn, rather that be killing each other with large pointy objects or playing a rock song at a concern they're hosting. Anyone who might have an emotional response to the changelings words does so, though anyone who desires to do such may spend a willpower to reign themselves in and simply be somewhat off-guard for a moment. The actual magic only lingers for a sentence or three worth of words, at most, but the changeling can easily fill the silence with additional sentence. Anyone listening suffers a -1 penalty to any resistance rolls that are compelled by his words, but eventually the haze wears off. Everyone will remember what was said for weeks, however, though they tend to rationalize away the effects of his words over time.
Exceptional Success: Everyone remains off-center for somewhat longer, and the penalty listeners suffer increases to -3.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier | Situation |
+2 | You have Splendor of the Envoy's Protection already activated. |
+1 | You have Songs of Distant Arcadia already activated; not cumulative with above. |
+1 | You activated Bellow before using or while activating this Contract. |
-1 | You want to speak in a normal tone of voice, in a level reasonable volume. |
-2 | You want to sound normal, if impossibly attention getting. Cumulative with above. |
Shatter (•••)
This clause takes the sheer volume of the first clause and combines it with the raw power of the second clause, creating something born of uncontrolled malice and relentless fury. A Changeling using Bellow can yell really loud, yes. A Changeling using Shatter can, well, shatter eardrums, blow out plate glass, send people to their knees clutching their ears, and above all, create a lot of noise. If you use Shatter to yell out on the tarmac of an airport with jets taking off, to use an earlier example, people will cover their ears and look at you while thinking "How is he so LOUD!" You can use shatter to communicate, just don't expect people to listen. Or, you know, be able to listen.
Cost: 3 Glamour
Dice Pool: Wyrd + Intimidation
Action: Instant
Catch: The changeling is angry at one of the people who will be affected by Shatter's activation, and is using it to hurt him, irregardless of anyone else.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: In addition to nothing happening, you damage your voice and can't speak above a dim whisper without using Bellow for a day. Every time you do use Bellow to talk again at a normal volume, extend the time you're without your voice by another day.
Failure: You can let off a shatter anyway, if you want, but your not protected from any of its effects. This is treated as if you achieved one success in all other respects. Otherwise, nothing happens.
Success: You roar out at full volume, inflicting egregious damage on your surroundings. Anything within the range of your ear shattering scream is affected. Human beings take one level of bashing damage, period, and are at a penalty to all actions equal to the number of successes you achieved on your activation roll. Non-human beings with particularly keen senses of hearing or that are otherwise vulnerable to sonic attacks instead take one bashing level of damage per success rolled in addition to any penalties. Glass or Crystalline structures take one level of lethal damage, that ignores all durability, per success - one success will positively shatter wine glasses and crack thick windows, while five successes can blow out entire walls worth of plate glass or an entire line of windows up and down a street. In addition, the character is extremely loud, and can probably be heard for quite some distance.
Exceptional Success: In addition to doing a lot of damage, living opponents are stunned and do nothing on their next action.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier | Situation |
+1 | The changeling is very angry, furious even. He wants to hurt people. |
-1 | The changeling is quite calm and collected. |
Jedi Mind Trick (••••)
Wail (•••••)