History TabletopGame / ChangelingTheLost

* BeastMan: The Beast seeming. Also a source of FetishFuel for [[FurryFandom some]].

* DarkerAndEdgier: So much compared to the predecessor. This might be one of the "good" examples of this trope - many consider this game much more powerful than ''Changeling: The Dreaming'' was. YourMileageMayVary, of course.
** ''Changeling: The Dreaming'' was actually the bleakest of the original line of games, and is arguably bleaker than its heir. After all, in ''Changeling: The Dreaming'', you, the PC, are guaranteed to lose eventually, forget all your wondrous fae nature, and become irrevocably, boringly human. Wraiths didn't even have it so bad. People were just fooled by the 1st edition artwork.
*** Given that most denizens of both Worlds of Darkness would ''kill'' to be irrevocably, boringly, ''blessedly'' human again ([[MageTheAwakening excluding]] [[TabletopGame/MageTheAscension Mages]]) I think it's fair to say that [[YourMileageMayVary your mileage still varies]].

** Though in the core book, each one of the Seemings' intro text claims that its durance was ''actually'' the worst. YourMileageMayVary.
*** The intro text claims it, but elsewhere it mentions that most Changelings consider the typical Wizened durance to be the worst, mainly because the typical Wizened durance is pointless horrific torture for pointless horrific torture's sake, followed by slave labor once a Fae gets bored with its captive's pain.
*** It should also be noted that the core states that the Fairest are seldom traditionally beautiful, but have had [[ButYourWingsAreBeautiful aesthetically pleasing alterations made to them]].

** There's also a very subtle implication: [[spoiler:the True Fae occupy themselves by making up fictional characters, settings, and items, and then enacting fictional stories with them for their own amusement. Remind you of anyone?]]

*** Of course, rumors in the book are to be taken with a grain of salt (they're in-character pieces, and changelings are prone to [[DidNotDoTheResearch assume things without all-or any-of the facts)]]. Said rumor sidebar also claims they lose [[PowerAtAPrice bits of themselves due to their abilities]], which is simply not true.
** A specific example would be Jack o' The Lantern (yes, ''[[PublicDomainCharacter that]]'' Jack) who was banned from Hell-ie, Arcadia-no because his Keeper was afraid of getting scammed again, but because he tricked the greedy Fae into believing there was a (non-existent) treasure only her was capable of getting. He [[TheStoic lost some of his emotions in the process]], but for his part, he could not care less he's stuck on Earth.

* ChessMotifs: Contracts of the Board, which allow a character who serves as head of a number of forces (such as a general or one of the seasonal Monarchs) to understand the conflict in terms of a game of chess or some other board game, allowing him to transmit strategies and direct forces by manipulation of the board itself. Of course, this doesn't *have* to be Chess. Picture an Ogre warrior, directing his forces by intently playing Candyland.

* ColdIron: The specific [[WeaksauceWeakness vulnerability]] of the True Fae. Notably, in game terms there are two levels of this: "Iron," which is anything that's pure enough to be labeled iron (as opposed to steel,etc.) and "ColdIron," which has never been heated by the hand of man. As iron needs to be heated in order to be smelted, forged, or the like, most of the ColdIron changelings use [[ThunderboltIron is taken from meteorites.]]

*** It's not uncommon for Freehold oaths to specifically forbid this. If you trick someone into an unfair or damaging pact, or oathbind another without consent (without a damn good reason)? [[AFateWorseThenDeath Enjoy getting kicked out into the Hedge alone, without resources... Dick]].

*** It's not uncommon for Freehold oaths to specifically forbid this. If you trick someone into an unfair or damaging pact, or oathbind another without consent (without a damn good reason)? [[FateWorseThenDeath Enjoy getting kicked out into the Hedge alone, without resources... Dick]]

* BeastAndBeauty: It's even a stereotype that Ogres ''really'' like the Fairest [[hottip:* :[[FairestOfThemAll of them all]]]] . The Fairest usually don't reciprocate these feelings, but it happens. Generally though the Ogre will merely be strung along and serve as dumb muscle.

* TheBeautifulPeople: The Fairest seeming[[hottip:* :[[FairestOfThemAll of them all]]]]

** On changelings and having children, several books offer possibilities for a changeling desperate to become a father or mother. Certain goblin-beasts in the Hedge reflections of the tundra bear a goblin fruit called "pedicle velvet", which causes the eater's next heterosexual encounter to produce a pregnancy. It explicitly doesn't safeguard the embryo from miscarriage or abortion, but it's still a conception. A more difficult and dangerous option is granted by the final Clause of the Contracts of Shade & Spirit, a charm called "Opening the Black Gate", which opens a doorway to the [[GeistTheSinEaters Underworld]]. The Underworld has a river called Eresh-ki-gala, the River of Dead Seed -- "drinking" from this river will cause the drinker to be able to produce a pregnancy through their next heterosexual act, even if his partner (or her partner) is infertile. A soup made from the comb of Fenghuang, a phoenix-like hobgoblin with the power to bring the recently killed back to life, will grant the drinker fertility akin to the other options, so much so that ordinary contraception will fail to prevent the drinker from producing a pregnancy. Finally, the Goblin Contract "Goblin Midwife" once more offers the guarantee that the target's next heterosexual act will generate a baby - but the child will have some fae flaw, and the changeling who enacts the Contract will lose the affection of someone he loves. Nothing comes free.

The successor to ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming'' and fifth of the rebooted WorldOfDarkness games, following ''[[VampireTheRequiem Vampire]]'', ''[[WerewolfTheForsaken Werewolf]]'', ''[[TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening Mage]]'' and ''[[PrometheanTheCreated Promethean]]''. Player characters are Changelings, humans who were stolen from their lives by the [[TheFairFolk True Fae]] of Arcadia and kept as slaves or servants. Changelings are no longer entirely human, having been tormented in positively [[HPLovecraft Lovecraftian]] ways until they were broken in either body, mind, soul, or all of the above, and then rebuilt according to the True Fae's whims. The player characters, and many non-player character Changelings, are those who managed to fight, sneak, run, or trick their way back to freedom and the mortal world, but even when they return they bear the scars of their experience. Their very bodies have been changed into inhuman shapes. Their eyes have been opened so that they can see the truth of things Fae, but they are also beset by hallucinations and tricks of perception. Worst of all is the constant, nagging worry: ''what if I never escaped? What if this is all a trick... or if I was '''allowed''' to leave?''

Considered by some to be the single bleakest thing White Wolf has ever written. Well, maybe not ''quite'' as bleak as WraithTheOblivion was, but cranked up there pretty hard and fast. ''Definitely'' a stark contrast to its idealistic predecessor, ''Changeling: The Dreaming''. On the other hand, there is a deep emphasis on relationships and connection that isn't there in other WorldOfDarkness games- being only slightly better than humans, Changelings must rely on others- their Motley, their Freehold, their Entitlement- to help them take on most threats and maintain their hold on what sanity remains to them.

* ''Autumn Court'' - The best way to beat the Gentry is to understand how they work. The Leaden Mirror consists of occultists, Hedge wanderers, and sorcerers. They learn and develop powerful Contracts, catalogue the weaknesses of the True Fae, and even study the other strange denizens of the WorldOfDarkness. Their court emotion is Fear.

** Another way to look at it? Yes, you've gone through hell like none of the other [[WorldofDarkness denizens]] can understand, but you were strong enough to escape it. [[CrowningMomentofAwesome And that's really, really awesome.]]

** This is mostly because the WorldOfDarkness covers most of the major myths in their other books; Changeling is the grab-bag of what's left over after they're done. Goblins, dragons, magic talking mirrors. If it's not a vampire, a werewolf, a ghost or magic, it's probably found here.

*** At least one Wiki listing down all the varying contracts puts down the drawback of "Call the hunt" has "Seriously? Hah, nice going...No seriously, you deserve this asshole" Almost nobody gets away from actually USING Call the Hunt.

** Of course, if a Changeling tries to do that without the direct consent of the one they are making the Pledge with (IE Tricking them into making one) you get the benefits, and also a nasty loss of [[KarmaMeter Clarity]] for doing something so dickish/that the True Fae would do. It's stated that a good deal of Changelings get dragged to Arcadia in the first place by the True Fae pulling this kind of shit, so its not too surprising its frowned upon.
*** Its not uncommon for this to be forbidden in a Freehold pact. You trick someone into an unfair or damaging pact, or pact without consent without a damn good reason? [[FateWorseThenDeath Enjoy getting kicked out into the Hedge alone, without resources...Dick]]

* LesCollaborateurs: Privateers and Loyalists. Technically, Loyalists work directly for one of the True Fae (whether out of misguided loyalty or just in order to avoid a horrible fate for themselves). They're poorly regarded at best, but can also garner some sympathy, Privateers are Changelings who kidnap and sell their fellow men just for the money. They're pretty much universally reviled among other Changelings, and for good reason.

** Clarity is also unique in that ''beneficial'' events can trigger potential drops. Moving to a new home (even if you're acquiring a nicer residence) triggers a chance at degeneration if your Clarity is 7 or above. Pregnancy explicitly is actually a larger trigger for degeneration (Clarity 4) than killing another changeling (Clarity 5) - and that's in addition to all the notes mentioned under CreativeSterility, above.
* LesCollaborateurs: Privateers and Loyalists. Technically, Loyalists work directly for one of the True Fae (whether out of misguided loyalty or just in order to avoid a horrible fate for themselves). Privateers are Changelings who kidnap and sell their fellow men just for the money. They're pretty much universally reviled among other Changelings, and for good reason.

The successor to ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming'' and fifth of the rebooted WorldOfDarkness games, following ''[[VampireTheRequiem Vampire]]'', ''[[WerewolfTheForsaken Werewolf]]'', ''[[TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening Mage]]'' and ''[[PrometheanTheCreated Promethean]]''. Player characters are Changelings, humans who were stolen from their lives by the [[TheFairFolk True Fae]] of Arcadia and kept as slaves or servants. Changelings are no longer entirely human, having been tormented in positively [[HPLovecraft Lovecraftian]] ways until they were broken in either body, mind, soul, or all of the above, and then rebuilt according to the True Fae's whims. The player characters, and many non-player character Changelings, are those who managed to fight, sneak, run, or trick their way back to freedom and the mortal world, but even when they return they bear the scars of their experience. Their very bodies have been changed into inhuman shapes. Their eyes have been opened so that they can see the truth of things Fae, but they are also beset by hallucinations and tricks of perception. Worst of all is the constant, niggling worry: ''what if I never escaped? What if this is all a trick... or if I was '''allowed''' to leave?''

* ShowingTheirWork: Whoever wrote these books knew their legends, myths, and the true much darker stories of the FairFolk.

The successor to ''[[{{ptitleagnjhdbt}} Changeling: The Dreaming]]'' and fifth of the rebooted WorldOfDarkness games, following ''[[VampireTheRequiem Vampire]]'', ''[[WerewolfTheForsaken Werewolf]]'', ''[[TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening Mage]]'' and ''[[PrometheanTheCreated Promethean]]''. Player characters are Changelings, humans who were stolen from their lives by the [[TheFairFolk True Fae]] of Arcadia and kept as slaves or servants. Changelings are no longer entirely human, having been tormented in positively [[HPLovecraft Lovecraftian]] ways until they were broken in either body, mind, soul, or all of the above, and then rebuilt according to the True Fae's whims. The player characters, and many non-player character Changelings, are those who managed to fight, sneak, run, or trick their way back to freedom and the mortal world, but even when they return they bear the scars of their experience. Their very bodies have been changed into inhuman shapes. Their eyes have been opened so that they can see the truth of things Fae, but they are also beset by hallucinations and tricks of perception. Worst of all is the constant, niggling worry: ''what if I never escaped? What if this is all a trick... or if I was '''allowed''' to leave?''

* DifferentAsNightAndDay: Essentially, any given opposing pair of Courts For example, ''Lords of Summer'' details the war practices of the Seasonal Courts. [[LetsFightLikeGentlemen The Summer Court]] has a short list of things that are off limits -- tactics designed to harm a changeling's [[SanityMeter Clarity]] or [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes family]] are high up on that list. Meanwhile, [[TheCombatPragmatist the Winter Court]] practically uses that same list as ''priority targets'' -- they don't declare war so much as [[CurbStompBattle end it.]]

*** Given that most denizens of both Worlds of Darkness would ''kill'' to be irrevocably, boringly, ''blessedly'' human again ([[MageTheAwakening excluding]] [[MageTheAscension Mages]]) I think it's fair to say that [[YourMileageMayVary your mileage still varies]].

** [[SubvertedTrope On the other hand]], the other kind of fetch-child, supposedly created when a Fetch who still thinks he's human has [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean biblical study]] of a person he truly loves is almost always psychologically healthy. They're a little [[CreepyChild weird]], to be sure, but no more weird then a high-functioning autistic, and they [[TheCharmer get better]] as they near puberty. Unfortunately, they're also a little BlessedWithSuck-their very existence is a key to the [[EldritchLocation Hedge]], and their blood is supposedly toxic to Fae, meaning they're likely to draw the attention of [[WellIntentionedExtremist militants]].