Kith

• Craftwork -- Boggans never shy away from hard work. In fact, it brings them together. They have a reputation for being swift and superior craftspersons. If unobserved they can accomplish any task involving simple physical labor in one third the normal time. Because of their affinity with work, Boggans can never botch Crafts rolls.


• Social Dynamics -- Since they're often intimately acquainted with the workings of the households, boggans have a heightened sense of the relationships between people. Gossip gets around even in the largest of freeholds. Seelie pick up clues such as the subtle glances of would-be lovers; Unseelie tend to notice conspiratorial relationships and rivalries. A successful Perception + Empathy ( or Subterfuge ) roll allows a boggan to puzzle out a group's social dynamics. The difficulty can range from 5 ( for a small traveling band ) to 10 ( for a royal ball brimming with intrigue ). This birthright functions normally even with dealing with mortals and the unenchanted in social situations.

• Call of the Needy -- Boggans cannot stand the sight of another person in need. When confronted by someone in legitimate need, a boggan must make a Willpower roll ( difficulty 8 ) to avoid assisting that person in some way.

• Spirit Pathways -- Eshu have an amazing sense of direction and exquisite timing; they always seem to arrive at their destinations at the most opportune moments. The path an eshu follows is always the most interesting route possible, filled with danger and challenge. Seelie triumph righteously over adversity; Unseelie leave bitterness and misfortune in their wake. Either way, the stories are always worth the trouble. No matter what she encounters along the way, an eshu will always find her way to her destination, eventually.


• Tale craft -- Whenever an eshu encounters a true adventure, he becomes wiser and his repertoire of stories grows. Eshu characters gain an additional experience point for any session in which they learn a fantastic new story or perform an incredible feat. ( Tricking a chimerical dragon or outwitting a lofty noble are two examples of such feats. ) Eshu can never botch rolls involving Performance or Empathy.

• Recklessness: Confidence and curiosity are inborn traits. Eshu cannot resist a challenge, gamble, or quest if there's a way to come out of it alive. They're not stupid - they won't take on suicide missions - but they do believe their luck can carry them through any hardship.

• Forge Chimera -- Nockers can create simple, nonliving chimera. If an artisan has a basic working knowledge of how a device operates, she can conceive of how to build a better version. In general, her creation cannot involve electricity, magnetism or chemical reactions. To create chimera, the nocker needs raw chimerical material and a forge or machine shop of some kind. The creative process is represented by extended rolls of Intelligence + Crafts. The difficulty and number of successes depends on the size and complexity of the project. With five successes at a difficulty of 5 a nocker can create simple items ( doors, baseball bats ); 10 or more successes at a difficulty of 9 can result in a large or highly complex item ( siege engines, semi-automatic knife-throwers, and so on ). Nockers must have some degree of privacy when they construct chimera. While it is possible for Kithain to be present, a nocker cannot work with chimerical materials in the presence of mortals.


• Fix-it -- Nockers are masters of machines and everyone knows it. A few harsh words or well timed threats can intimidate a malfunctioning machine into working properly. A nocker can fix nearly any mechanical device by making a successful Intelligence + Crafts or Intimidation roll. The difficulty can range from 5 ( for simple, familiar problems ) to as high as 10 ( a complex machine that's really acting up ). This takes time and a lot of hostility, but nockers generally have both in spades. In addition, Seelie and Unseelie craftspersons can choose different specialties during character creation. A Seelie can choose one anachronistic device ( waterwheels, steam engines, pulley systems ) and get a -1 difficulty in any roll to fix, manipulate or control that device. Unseelie get the same bonus with one type of high tech or modern device. This birthright functions normally in the presence of mortals.

• Flaws -- Nockers are cynical because they're such perfectionists. They can always see ways for things to work better, but they can never quite achieve their ideals. Some say this is a curse from the First Artisan; others claim it's a karmic debt for their attitude problems. Regardless, anything a nocker creates will have one trivial ( but irreparable ) flaw. This serves as a constant frustration to the artisan who's crafted it. Even if a nocker scores five or more successes on a creation roll ( a complete success ) there will still be an elusive, annoying fault.

• Nimble -- All piskeys add one to their Dexterity, even if this raises the Trait above 5; this Birthright is in effect at all times.


• Human Bonds -- Piskeys are especially sensitive to the emotions of humans, particularly children. The difficulty of any Empathy rolls when dealing with mortals is reduced by two for adults and three for children, to a minimum difficulty of 3. Piskies are also incredibly adaptable to their surroundings and cannot botch any Survival rolls.

• Kleptomania -- If piskeys see something that strikes their fancy, they simply have to have it. Note that this doesn't have to be anything terribly valuable by human standards; a pretty rock paperweight could be just as interesting to a piskey as a gold watch. To resisit this impulse, the player must make a successful Willpower roll, difficulty 8. Most Seelie piskies give back stolen property with no hard feelings; an Unseelie piskey matter entirely.

• Shapechanging -- Each pooka has an affinity with an animal of her choice. When completely alone, she can shapechange into that animal ( or back from it ) in one turn. Shapechanging costs a point of Glamour, but revering back is free. The pooka has all of the animal's natural abilities ( claws, speed, leaping, etc. ), although it's only possible to assume the forms of mundane beasts. Even the large and scary forms tend to be far more playful than deadly, even when a fight breaks out. Changelings can't ken the animal form of a pooka in her mortal seeming. They really don't need to see the animal form to figure it out, though: a pooka often shares a few of the animal's more endearing qualities. A cat pooka, for instance, might lick her fingers after a meal, or purr when stroked. In her faerie mien, she might have little ears and a long swishing tail.


• Confidant -- The innate charm of a pooka breaks down the barriers of even the coldest people. Adding a faeries curiosity to that makes him an outstanding confidant. Once during a conversation, a pooka may roll a Perception + Empathy ( or Subterfuge ) to get a changeling or mortal to spill her guts; the difficulty is the 'victim's' Willpower. Each success allows a truthful answer to one personal question. This isn't an instantaneous effect, though. It takes time, effort and role-playing to coax out the information. This birthright functions normally at all times, even with mortals. A pooka can never botch an Empathy or Subterfuge roll.

• Lies -- People may trust a pooka, but no one in their right mind would believe one. They're infamous for their elaborate lies. No matter how important an issue may be, a pooka must always mix in a lie. It's their nature. A pooka must make a Willpower roll, difficulty 8, to tell the whole truth. Different pooka have different styles of lying. Some Seelie pooka always say the opposite of what they mean, while many Unseelie purposefully tell the truth now and then to throw listeners off guard. Unseelie pooka sometimes couch their lies very carefully - and if an Unseelie makes a Willpower roll at the beginning of a scene, he can mix lies and truth freely. This can make him even more dangerous.

• Dark Appetite -- Redcaps can literally eat anything. They can chew through cars and eat their way through walls. Their bulldog teeth are brutally flat and hard as steel; their digestive systems remain a mystery. Most prefer human or animal meat, but when hunger strikes, anything will do. No. Really. Anything. As long as a redcap can put his mouth around something, he can eat it. Large objects can be chewed into smaller pieces. Digesting something particularly vile or tough, such as wood, steel, romance novels or toxic waste, requires the expenditure of a point of Glamour. Keep all arms and hands away from redcaps at all times. Anytime a redcap attempts to use this Birthright in combat, he must spend a point of Glamour, just as if he were trying to eat something not normally edible. The base damage for a redcap bite is Strength +2 difficulty 5. Additionally, the redcaps my try to sever an opponent's limb. Severing a limb with this ability requires five successes on a Dexterity + Brawl roll, difficulty 8, or by three successes if the victim has been grappled first. This attack inflicts a minimum of three Health Levels of damage if successful, in addition to any other damage rolled.


• Bully Browbeat -- Redcaps can intimidate anything, even imaginary or chimerical objects. The difficulties of all Intimidation rolls are reduced by one. A successful roll causes chimera to obey without question; sentient creatures can resist with Willpower rolled at a difficulty equal to the redcap's Willpower. This birthright functions normally at all times, even in the presence of mortals or unenchanted supernaturals.

• Bad Attitude -- No one likes a redcap, not even other redcaps. Some noble freeholds try to ostracize or kill redcaps just on general principles. As part of this stigma, they suffer a +2 difficulty, or greater, for any roll involving a social situation other than browbeating.

• Gift of Pan -- Dionysian revelry is high ritual to these fae. Singing, music and dance can be used to stir fae and mortals alike to the height of carnal passion. Anyone who fails a willpower roll, difficulty 7, is swept away by hidden desires and the activities of the evening. After an hour or two, the Banality of those in the area slowly drops. Everyone involved, mortal or not, has his permanent Banality lowered by one for as long as the satyrs continue to perform. Tragos can combine their efforts to lower Banality even further. Each satyr fueling the fire can lower the revelers' temporary Banality by one more, to a minimum of 2. These effects last only for as long as the satyrs continue to entertain. Lost Banality returns at the rate of one point per hour.


• Physical Prowess --All satyrs add one to their Stamina, even if this increases it above 5. This bonus is in effect at all times. When they call upon the Wyrd and take their faerie form, or when not in the presence of mortals or the unenchanted, their goat legs can carry them at shocking speeds. Each turn, they can move 25 + three times their Dexterity. Regardless of form, satyrs can never botch an Athletics roll.

• Passion's Curse -- Passion has its unpleasant moments as well. Satyrs are prone to wild mood swings, especially when they're drunk. With the slightest of provocation, they may explode into a torrent of fury or a fit of weeping. Furthermore, on the rare occasions when they try to resist temptation, the difficulties for all Willpower rolls are increased by two.

• Awe and Beauty -- Sidhe get two extra dots of Appearance during character creation, even if this increases scores above 5. They cannot help but stand out in a crowd. The fury of a sidhe scorned is a majestic and terrifying sight. When one is impassioned, all of her Social rolls ( especially Empathy or Intimidation rolls ) are at a -2 difficulty. Anyone who tries to attack an angry sidhe head-on must make a Willpower roll; this difficulty ranges from a 6 ( for the average sidhe ) to an 8 or 9 ( for one of a suitably higher station ). These abilities only affect other Kithain and the enchanted, unless the sidhe calls upon the Wyrd.


• Noble Bearing -- Whether heroes or villains, all sidhe are dignified. Any cantrips that would directly make them look foolish immediately fails. Sidhe cannot botch Etiquette rolls.

• Banality's Curse -- Sidhe are truly not of this world. The taint of banality affects them more strongly than it does other fae. Each temporary point of Banality that a highborn gains becomes two points. If a sidhe character must make a roll at a difficulty equal to her Banality ( or a roll that's resisted by Banality ), treat it as one level higher. Sidhe are also prone to fits of depression. The weakest of them can overcome these fits by changing their Legacies back and forth. When this happens, the spell must last at least from moonrise to moonrise, or sunset to sunset. Strong willed sidhe escape the mania by retreating further into their Legacies; Seelie become impossibly idealistic and Unseelie sink to the very depths of villainy. Their great extremes can make them almost unendurable.

• Squirm -- Dislocating body parts is a popular amusement for these desicated creatures. Confining them is almost impossible. Although they cannot change their shape or mass, underfolk can contort into disquieting shapes with unnatural ease. This requires a few minutes of entertainment and a roll of Dexterity + Athletics; the difficulty ranges from a 6 ( escaping from ropes ) to a 10 ( worming through the bars of a locked cell ). The only substance that can completely imprison them, of course, is cold iron. A sluagh cannot use this birthright in the presence of mortals or the unenchanted.


• Sharpened Senses -- The unusual upbringing of these fae heightens their senses. Subtract 2 from any Perception roll a sluagh makes ( to a minimum of 3 ). They may see through illusionary magic by making a roll of Perception + Alertness, difficulty 7. This birthright always functions normally. It is also impossible for a sluagh to botch a Stealth or Alertness roll.

• Curse of Silence -- Sluagh cannot speak above a whisper, no matter how hard they strain to be heard. Since they dislike social situations and hold to very odd rules of etiquette, add two to the difficulty of all their Social rolls. While sluagh may not appear to whisper to mortal ears, the individual in question is usually quite soft spoken.

• Titan's Power -- Wilders gain an additional Bruised Health Level and an additional dot of Strength during character creation, even if this raises this trait above 5. Grumps get two extra dots in Strength, and two extra Bruised Health Levels ( for a total of 9 Health Levels ). However, graybeards also add a +1 to the difficulty of all Dexterity-based rolls. This extra strength does not function in the presence of mortals or the unenchanted unless the troll has called upon the Wyrd.


• Stubbornness -- Nothing can interfere with a troll's devotion to duty. When in the service of a cause, trolls get an extra two dice to any Willpower roll to resist temptation or distraction. This birthright is always in effect. No troll can botch an Athletics or Alertness roll.

• Bond of Duty -- Any troll who dares to renege on a sworn contract or oath becomes sickly and loses their Titan's Power. Only by atoning for their lapse of trust can they regain their Titan's Power. Usually this involves fulfilling a new oath. Seelie trolls never lie to fae they are protecting; Unseelie trolls uphold their bond of duty, but usually prefer to support more disreputable fae. This trust must extend both ways; if a troll's trust is betrayed, they will become filled with anger, and must roll a Willpower, difficult 8, to avoid becoming violent. Their stoicism belies great rage, perhaps one that has been with them since the Earth was young.

• Twinkling of an Eye -- Clurichaun have a talent for disappearing from potentially troublesome situations. Should someone take his eye off a clurichaun (if only for a moment), the wily fae can disappear into the nearest cover so quickly that it's impossible for anyone to find her.
  
  One minute she's there, the next she's gone! They can effect this trick even if being grasped by someone, but not if they themselves are blindfolded (or otherwise unable to see) or if bound with cold iron.


• Insight -- Whenever a clurichaun is in a social situation (i.e., when not alone), she can roll her Charisma + Empathy (difficulty 7) to assess what the most appropriate response to it is. She can then say the right thing or perform the correct actions (the player may need a judicious Storyteller hint or two) to smooth things or make the situation more pleasant. Unseelie may, of course, do or say the opposite of whatever is indicated if it suits them.
  
  (Note: This does not take the place of good roleplaying. If a player is misusing the Birthright by constant overuse, she's probably burned out the talent for a while.)

• Tippling -- Clurichaun have a terrible time resisting alcohol, and whenever they tipple, they undergo a change. Those of the Seelie persuasion become maudlin and incapable of anything but singing sad songs and telling sad, often pointless, tales. To take action when in this state, a clurichaun must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 8). Unseelie clurichaun must make the same roll to avoid picking a fight with the nearest person (or group of people).

• Nature's Bounty -- Ghille dhu may harvest Glamour directly from nature itself, just as Nunnehi (p. 146, Player's Guide).


• Spin the Wheel (Spring Only) -- Young ghille dhu may reroll any one roll, without spending a point of Willpower to do such, once per story.


• Rose and Oak (Summer Only) -- The ghille dhu are not only beautiful but strong. They gain a dot of Appearance and Strength, even if this takes them above five. This Birthright is in effect at all times.


• Wisdom of the Ages (Autumn Only) -- Old ghille dhu have a mystic contract with the Dreaming and its cycles. once per story, a ghille dhu may meditate upon a question concerning the fae. This must be done in a natural spot, such as a place they might be able to harvest Glamour. (Not in a potted plant in a mall!)
  
  A successful Willpower roll nets them an answer from the Dreaming. A simple yes/no question is difficulty 7, more difficult questions have higher difficulties. A botch means that no more answers will be given on that subject, no matter how cleverly worded.
  
  This ability can generally be used once per lunar cycle. The difficulty increases by one for each additional use. Using this ability to excess is said to be extremely dangerous and has resulted in the sudden disappearance of the ghille dhu who defy this tradition.

• The Kiss of Winter -- Ghille dhu who suffer a Chimerical Death automatically age to the next seeming. Additionally every time the character gains a permanent point of Banality the character must succeed in a Glamour roll (difficulty equal to his current Banality rating) or pass into the next seeming. This rapid aging only affects the character's fae mien, not his mortal seeming. if the changeling's seeming is already Autumn, the fae mien dies. There is no chance of recovery for the ghille dhu. The fae spirit lies dormant until reborn in another body.

• Spirit Pathways -- Identical to the eshu Birthright; this is a reflection of the hell-raising years oba enjoy before settling down into responsibility. This Birthright is lost immediately and forever when the oba assumes a title, and is replaced by the Mantle of the Orishas Birthright.


• Mantle of the Orishas -- Identical to the sidhe Birthright, Awe and Beauty. Only oba who have lawfully claimed a title and preside over territory recognized by their fellows receive this Birthright.
  
  Oba cannot bond with lands outside of Africa, India, or the Middle East; all attempts to claim lands elsewhere have failed, and in one instance even resulted in the death of the oba as the very earth rebelled and swallowed her whole. For that reason, oba will rarely, if ever, be found outside of these lands except in the most extreme circumstances.
  
  Oba can never botch rolls involving Empathy or Leadership


• Tale Craft -- Same as the eshu Birthright. Their tales hold great weight as they impart wisdom on the whole tribe.

• Reckless -- Identical to the eshu Frailty; this Frailty is immediately and forever lost when the oba assumes a title, replaced by the Native Soil Frailty.


• Native Soil -- Oba are literally tied to the lands they love. Upon assuming a title, they become bonded to the land they rule and cannot leave it or its Near Dreaming counterpart for long without becoming sickly and eventually wasting away to nothing. This prohibition does not include traveling to the Far or Deep Dreaming, though oba are still loath to leave their lands for long and will not agree to do so unless the need is truly dire.
  
  Oba may leave their territory for up to one full cycle of the moon. After that they begin losing Health Levels at the rate of 1 per day, which cannot be healed by any means until the oba returns to her lands. Oba are innately aware of this time limit. Outside of their lands, oba suffer a +1 difficulty to all rolls due to their constant pain and distraction.

• Seal's Beauty -- All selkies have a natural animal magnetism, increasing their Charisma by 2, even if this raises the trait above 5. This bonus only applies when dealing with those who are attracted to their sex, and only in those situations where animal magnetism applies. Seal's Beauty aids Seduction and Leadership, but has few uses for Intimidation or Subterfuge.


• Ocean's Grace -- A selike may lower the difficulty of all Dexterity rolls by two when in the water, and moreover can never botch a roll regarding swimming, even in human form. However, the difficulty for all Dexterity rolls is raised by one when on dry land.

• Longing of the Ocean Shore -- Selkies are creatures of the shoreline. For every day a selkie remains away from the ocean shore, she gains an extra point of temporary Banality until her Banality exceeds her Glamour and she forgets her selkie nature. A selkie may erase this Banality (even permanent Banality) by spending a day in her altershape for each point gained. Selkies lost to their fae natures due to separation from the shoreline can only be reawakened by forcibly placing them in their skins and dropping them in the sea. This abrupt change runs the risk of Bedlam, though it is often the only therapy that works. Sadly, even this is often not enough…


• Seal Coat -- If a selkie's sealskin is destroyed, her fae self is destroyed forever. In addition, the mortal that remains must make a Stamina roll (difficulty 8). Failure means that the character enters a coma; a botch indicates that the character dies.