I love the idea of each Court giving you magical protection against the gentry. But I found the actual mechanics for the seasonal courts lacklustre, so I present alternatives:
General: The fundamental idea behind these wards is that each court channels threats in a way that incentivised changeling to become the kind of person idealized by that court as a way of building their defences to face the likely avenue of attack. Contrawise if you want to become the kind of person one court ideals you can join that court knowing the ward will protect you. Because of this, when using these rules a Changeling benefits from their own Court's protection all year round rather than rotating through each during the year.
Spring: Before the Others or their loyalists can act to harm a changeling or the new life she has built, that changeling must desire the hound or the bait she has placed in her trap. She could agree to sell him a desired token then have her goons fall upon the changeling when he steps into her office, or she could post a pornographic video of herself on a website the changeling frequents and breach the protections of Spring entirely. But the desire, whatever form it takes, must be real.
- Rationale: Under the current protections it's entirely possible (if bad Storytelling) for a True Fae to feel a sudden desire for a Changeling then swoop down and snatch them off the street without warning. Even when the storyteller is sensible the cannon ward is deep in the an NPC's private thoughts and so has few ways for a player to interact with it. This new protection provides the court of renewal with the ability to build a new life and protect it all. But putting yourself out to build again means exposing yourself, this ward has the most flexible avenue for attack. Only a Changeling who fulfils springs credo: Who understands and owns their desires has nothing to fear. The Others can't tempt them if they have already fulfilled their desire, and if they truly understand their desire they know every angle of attack. It also likely to mean the battle between Other and Changeling revolves around social manoeuvring where one tries to tempt and the other tries to resist.
Summer: Before the Others or their hounds can take a changeling they must first be beaten down, literally or metaphorically. And before they can attack a changeling they must announce their challenge, even if only by walking up to them with a naked blade and declaring "draw!".
- Rationale: Under the current protection the Others are incentivised to avoid combat and have free reign to use any technique they like, it's a tool for a Changeling who wants to attack but provides no real defence. This reverses that: Under these rules the Other must inflict the Beaten Down tilt or they must do things like attack friends and family until the changeling feels defeated. But if you're a true son of Summer you can't be metaphorically beaten down. The more the Other tries the angrier you get, so the only way to breach this ward is the Beaten Down Tilt. If you master Summer's anger you're guaranteed your fight, master combat and you win that fight.
Autumn: Before the Others and their pawns can move against a changeling they must send a message spelling out their plans. The more powerful the Gentry the clearer this message must be but contrariwise, the further in the future the Gentry will make their move the more cryptic they are aloud to be. Two rules remains absolute, the message must be received by it's intended recipient, and only the clue must remain in place until the attack unless destroyed by the intended recepient. If the Other hides a message in a newspaper advertisement and the Changeling doesn't buy their usual copy, they must try again even if that means sending the message straight into the changeling's home. If they hide a message as crack on the wall and someone else covers it up, the crack or a suitable replacement must reappear.
- Rationale: Why rule out cryptic messages for the court that's stereotyped as occultists? With this reversal a Autumn Courtier who's a skilled occult investigator can spot the warning while one who lacks their Court's skills cannot. And a Courtier who masters their fear will have a healthy paranoia to keep an eye out for clues, but one who is mastered by their fear will chase shadows and miss the real threat.
Winter: In winter the Others and the vassals must respect the rules of hospitality. They cannot enter a changeling's home uninvited, nor can they shoot arrows or spells at it, and should they be invited they cannot act against their host in any way other than with words alone. What's more the Winter court have no obligation in kind, they are free to slam the door in their former jailer's face if they are willing to bear the risk of giving an insult and may freely attack any Gentry within their home or from behind the safety of their threshold; which is why no Gentry will ever enter without a receiving a binding promise of fair treatment.
- Rationale: Winter is the court of "I just don't want to be hurt" and so it gives the ultimate protection. But if you break Winter's ideals, if you have friends, a life. If you have something to loose then the gentry is free to take your life apart piece by piece to lure you out. You can't even leave the house to defend them, for where the other courts provide protection everywhere Winter only protects your own abode. If you want to have your cake and eat it your best chance is to hide your connections with subterfuge and secrecy, and if that fails cultivate a cold heart that can bear the sorrow of loss to keep yourself safe until winter passes and it's safe to come out again.
General: The fundamental idea behind these wards is that each court channels threats in a way that incentivised changeling to become the kind of person idealized by that court as a way of building their defences to face the likely avenue of attack. Contrawise if you want to become the kind of person one court ideals you can join that court knowing the ward will protect you. Because of this, when using these rules a Changeling benefits from their own Court's protection all year round rather than rotating through each during the year.
Spring: Before the Others or their loyalists can act to harm a changeling or the new life she has built, that changeling must desire the hound or the bait she has placed in her trap. She could agree to sell him a desired token then have her goons fall upon the changeling when he steps into her office, or she could post a pornographic video of herself on a website the changeling frequents and breach the protections of Spring entirely. But the desire, whatever form it takes, must be real.
- Rationale: Under the current protections it's entirely possible (if bad Storytelling) for a True Fae to feel a sudden desire for a Changeling then swoop down and snatch them off the street without warning. Even when the storyteller is sensible the cannon ward is deep in the an NPC's private thoughts and so has few ways for a player to interact with it. This new protection provides the court of renewal with the ability to build a new life and protect it all. But putting yourself out to build again means exposing yourself, this ward has the most flexible avenue for attack. Only a Changeling who fulfils springs credo: Who understands and owns their desires has nothing to fear. The Others can't tempt them if they have already fulfilled their desire, and if they truly understand their desire they know every angle of attack. It also likely to mean the battle between Other and Changeling revolves around social manoeuvring where one tries to tempt and the other tries to resist.
Summer: Before the Others or their hounds can take a changeling they must first be beaten down, literally or metaphorically. And before they can attack a changeling they must announce their challenge, even if only by walking up to them with a naked blade and declaring "draw!".
- Rationale: Under the current protection the Others are incentivised to avoid combat and have free reign to use any technique they like, it's a tool for a Changeling who wants to attack but provides no real defence. This reverses that: Under these rules the Other must inflict the Beaten Down tilt or they must do things like attack friends and family until the changeling feels defeated. But if you're a true son of Summer you can't be metaphorically beaten down. The more the Other tries the angrier you get, so the only way to breach this ward is the Beaten Down Tilt. If you master Summer's anger you're guaranteed your fight, master combat and you win that fight.
Autumn: Before the Others and their pawns can move against a changeling they must send a message spelling out their plans. The more powerful the Gentry the clearer this message must be but contrariwise, the further in the future the Gentry will make their move the more cryptic they are aloud to be. Two rules remains absolute, the message must be received by it's intended recipient, and only the clue must remain in place until the attack unless destroyed by the intended recepient. If the Other hides a message in a newspaper advertisement and the Changeling doesn't buy their usual copy, they must try again even if that means sending the message straight into the changeling's home. If they hide a message as crack on the wall and someone else covers it up, the crack or a suitable replacement must reappear.
- Rationale: Why rule out cryptic messages for the court that's stereotyped as occultists? With this reversal a Autumn Courtier who's a skilled occult investigator can spot the warning while one who lacks their Court's skills cannot. And a Courtier who masters their fear will have a healthy paranoia to keep an eye out for clues, but one who is mastered by their fear will chase shadows and miss the real threat.
Winter: In winter the Others and the vassals must respect the rules of hospitality. They cannot enter a changeling's home uninvited, nor can they shoot arrows or spells at it, and should they be invited they cannot act against their host in any way other than with words alone. What's more the Winter court have no obligation in kind, they are free to slam the door in their former jailer's face if they are willing to bear the risk of giving an insult and may freely attack any Gentry within their home or from behind the safety of their threshold; which is why no Gentry will ever enter without a receiving a binding promise of fair treatment.
- Rationale: Winter is the court of "I just don't want to be hurt" and so it gives the ultimate protection. But if you break Winter's ideals, if you have friends, a life. If you have something to loose then the gentry is free to take your life apart piece by piece to lure you out. You can't even leave the house to defend them, for where the other courts provide protection everywhere Winter only protects your own abode. If you want to have your cake and eat it your best chance is to hide your connections with subterfuge and secrecy, and if that fails cultivate a cold heart that can bear the sorrow of loss to keep yourself safe until winter passes and it's safe to come out again.
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