Gentry Contracts, at least as explained in 1E, were not fixed with rigid clauses the way Changelings are, allowing for a good deal more flexibility where specific Clauses are concerned. Rather than keeping note of every clause, and all the ways I think one can be manipulated or otherwise interpreted, the last few years, I've just started treating them as rather narrow Mage Arcana, for the sake of simplicity. As a rule of thumb, one dot allows one to pretty much learn information about the thing in within the purview of Contract, two dots protection against it, 3 dots basic manipulation, 4 dots, advanced manipulation, and 5 dots full control.
For example one dot in Contract: Felines will allow the Gentry to understand exactly what sort of feline they are looking at, and all of its physical characteristics. At 2 dots the Gentry may understand any special metaphysical characteristics it has, and can protect against physical contact by anything considered a Cat. Additionally, rudimentary communication is possible. 3 dots allows them to modify the cat, perhaps changing its breed or coat color, take on minor feline characteristics, and communicate more fluently with the creature. 4 dots enables the Gentry to radically alter the cat, perhaps turning a housecat into a lion, shapeshifting into any species of feline, exerting full control over any sufficiently cat-like being, or summoning any feline of the desired type within a certain radius. 5 Dots represents absolute control. At this point, the Gentry can attempt to control Feline based monsters, and shapeshift into anything sufficiently cat like, (for example, a Weretiger's hybrid form) or summon a number of felines from anywhere on the planet to do its bidding, or do pretty much whatever it wants so long as it falls within the realm of felines. Of course, that's where the contract's powers end. Even 5 dots in Felines won't directly affect wombats or yaks. Unlike Mage Arcana, these aren't combined with other ones.
For example one dot in Contract: Felines will allow the Gentry to understand exactly what sort of feline they are looking at, and all of its physical characteristics. At 2 dots the Gentry may understand any special metaphysical characteristics it has, and can protect against physical contact by anything considered a Cat. Additionally, rudimentary communication is possible. 3 dots allows them to modify the cat, perhaps changing its breed or coat color, take on minor feline characteristics, and communicate more fluently with the creature. 4 dots enables the Gentry to radically alter the cat, perhaps turning a housecat into a lion, shapeshifting into any species of feline, exerting full control over any sufficiently cat-like being, or summoning any feline of the desired type within a certain radius. 5 Dots represents absolute control. At this point, the Gentry can attempt to control Feline based monsters, and shapeshift into anything sufficiently cat like, (for example, a Weretiger's hybrid form) or summon a number of felines from anywhere on the planet to do its bidding, or do pretty much whatever it wants so long as it falls within the realm of felines. Of course, that's where the contract's powers end. Even 5 dots in Felines won't directly affect wombats or yaks. Unlike Mage Arcana, these aren't combined with other ones.
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