Traits[]
Chimerical creatures are created with these rules for use with the Chimera Background. All sentient chimerical creatures have seven fundamental types of Traits: Physical, Social and Mental Attributes, Abilities, Glamour, Willpower and Health Levels. Nonsentient chimerical creatures have Physical Attributes, Glamour and Health Levels. Creatures of the Dreaming may also possess chimerical powers, called Redes.
Attributes[]
All chimerical creatures are designed with chimera points, which can be allocated among the chimera's Attributes in almost any manner. Most chimera from the Near Dreaming may have anywhere from eight to 36 chimera points (see the Background: Chimera). Some, however, are far more powerful. Chimera can go above the human maximum of 5 in any Attribute, though one can never have an Attribute higher than its own Glamour rating.
- Physical Attributes: Most chimera have quasi-physical bodies because of their rather crude Glamour construction. (Chimera with the Dreamform Rede are the exception.) Chimera with physical forms have three Physical Attributes: Strength, Dexterity and Stamina. If an attacker disperses a chimera, but does not destroy it, the chimera's Attributes return at the rate of one point for each Attribute per week.
- Cost: Each chimera point buys three points to allocate among a chimera's Physical Attributes. Chimera do not begin with one dot in each Attribute as characters do.
- Mental Attributes: All sentient chimera have the three Mental Attributes: Perception, Intelligence and Wits. Nonsentient chimera do not have Mental Attributes, though some may appeal intelligent. Such chimera have limited behavioral patterns and cannot grow in knowledge or make independent decisions outside of their "original programming."
- Cost: One chimera point buys three points to allocate among the three Mental Attributes. Chimera do not begin with one dot in each Attribute as characters do.
- Social Attributes: Chimera are dream-creatures and are often socially active. All sentient chimera have the three Social Attributes: Charisma, Manipulation and Appearance. (Appearance can have a rating of zero — monstrously ugly.) Nonsentient chimera are not required to have Social Attributes, but may possess them. A nonsentient chimera may still have a high Appearance. It may even be charismatic or a convincing speaker, even if it is really nothing more than an automaton.
- Cost: Each chimera point buys three points to allocate among the chimera's three Social Attributes. Chimera do not begin with one dot in each Attribute as characters do.
Abilities[]
Chimera may have almost any Ability that can be possessed by changelings or other creatures in the World of Darkness. If a person can dream of someone doing something, then a chimera can do it too. A chimerical duelist may be just as good with a sword as the best changeling warrior. A sentient chimera may be a great, original artist. Chimerical Abilities do not usually exceed the human maximum of 5, but potent chimera from the Dreaming may surpass the most talented humans in skill.
- Cost: One chimera point buys three Ability points.
Glamour[]
All chimera have some Glamour, or they would cease to exist. Most have only a few points, while legendary creatures from the Far Dreaming and Deep Dreaming may have almost limitless dream power. Chimera cannot regain Glamour while in the mundane world unless they visit a freehold, are given it by a changeling, or have the Steal Glamour Rede. Chimera regain one Glamour an hour in the Dreaming.
- Cost: One chimera point buys one point of Glamour.
Willpower[]
Willpower suffuses a sentient chimera's Glamour, giving it independent purpose and direction. Sentient chimera need Willpower to fuel certain Redes. Nonsentient chimera do not have Willpower. Chimera regain Willpower at the rate of one point per day. All Chimerical creatures begin with one Willpower.
- Cost: Three chimera points buys one point of Willpower.
Health Levels[]
Physical chimera have a very real substance to those in, and of, the Dreaming. Kithain can destroy chimera through "physical" chimerical means. A chimerical sword draws blood, and a chimerical fire burns chimera and changeling alike. This damage may force changelings into their mortal seemings, but it destroys chimera. The penalties applied for losing Wound Levels is exactly the same as for changelings until the chimera exceeds seven Health Levels. Once past this point the Storyteller may decide the affects of additional Health Levels.
- Cost: One chimera point buys two Health Levels. The limit to Health Levels is five times the chimera's Stamina score.
Attack[]
All physical chimera can inflict Strength + 1 chimerical damage, unless they use weapons or Redes.
Redes[]
These strange powers are displayed by many chimera. The variety of these powers is seemingly endless; a few examples follow. A chimera uses Glamour to power most of its Redes, but needs Willpower to affect the mundane world. Not all chimera have Redes.
- Chimera Point Cost: This is the number of chimera points that must be spent for a chimera to possess a Rede.
- Use Cost: This is the number of Glamour points that must be spent for a chimera to use a Rede.
Example Redes[]
- Aggravated Damage - Chimera may use this Rede in tandem with the Wyrd Rede (see below) to cause aggravated real-world damage.
- Chimera Point Cost: 3
- Use Cost: None
- Armor - The chimera may grow armor to protect its physical form. Types of armor include tough skin, metal plating, dragon scales and chitinous exoskeletons.
- Chimera Point Cost: 1 (per point of armor)
- Use Cost: None
- Befuddle - This power confuses its target, making it difficult to perform any action. Roll Glamour with a difficulty equal to its target's Willpower. The target loses one die from all Dice Pools for every success that the chimera achieves in excess of the victim. The effect lasts as long as the chimera remains in the victim's presence.
- Chimera Point Cost: 3
- Use Cost: 1
- Dreamform - The chimera is composed of a more rarefied, purer Glamour than most chimera arc. It does not have a physical form. (It is still visible, however, unless it has the Rede Hide.) Kithain must use Arts or treasures if they wish to affect it, as normal chimerical means will do no good. A chimera with this Rede does not need to possess Physical Attributes, but must still have Health Levels. (If this Rede is purchased, the Stamina limit on Health Levels is ignored.) This Rede is permanent, unless the chimera is exposed to high levels of Banality (it touches an Autumn Person, for example). In such instances, the chimera's current Glamour is rolled (difficulty equals the source's Banality). If the roll fails, the chimera loses its Dreamform instantly and gains two chimera points to be allocated among Physical Attributes that it develops suddenly. The chimera remains in this physical form as long as it remains in contact with the Banality that changed it. If the Glamour roll botches, the change is permanent.
- Chimera Point Cost: 5
- Use Cost: None
- Enchantment - This Rede allows a chimera to affect nonfae, and allows them to affect it. The chimera may interact with a human, chat amiably with him, or attack him. All damage is still chimerical, and the human forgets the encounter quickly. (Refer to the Mists Chart) The chimera would need the Wyrd Rede to affect the physical world.
- Chimera Point Cost: 3
- Use Cost: This Rede costs one Glamour per turn to use, or one per hour in a freehold or the Dreaming.
- Ensnare - The chimera can attempt to physically restrain its target in some manner. The ways in which chimera do this vary widely (a spider's web, a net, sticky foam). An appropriate attack roll is made, or the Ensnare is set in advance in hopes that someone will blunder into it. Ensnare has Strength 2 and two points of armor for every three points of permanent Glamour possessed by the chimera. Chimera with less than three points of permanent Glamour have an Ensnare with Strength 1 and one point of armor.
- Chimera Point Cost: 2
- Use Cost: 1 to capture one human-sized object
- Fear - Chimera with this Rede can cause a subject to freeze with fear or retreat in stark terror. Fear persists for one to 10 turns. The victim may make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6); each success reduces the Rede's duration by one turn. This fear can be generated by any number of means; some chimera frighten their targets by their mere appearance.
- Chimera Point Cost: 2
- Use Cost: 1
- Fester - This Rede causes a victim to manifest the symptoms of a particular disease. The Storyteller decides at what rate the disease progresses, but it is often extremely fast. A disease that normally would take years to manifest may do so in hours. A victim may cure the effects of this Rede by making an opposed Willpower roll and gaining more successes than the chimera does, although the victim must be aware of the chimera's presence to resist. Primal •••• (Heather Balm) may heal damage inflicted by this Rede, but will not cure the disease.
- Chimera Point Cost: 5
- Use Cost: 1 per Health Level of damage inflicted by the disease
- Flight - The chimera can fly under its own power. Changelings seek chimera with this Rede for flying carpets and the like. The chimera can fly 25 feet per turn per point of Dexterity that it has.
- Chimera Point Cost: 3
- Use Cost: 1 per hour
- Gulp - Chimera with this power may unhinge their jaws wide enough to swallow victims. If a chimera gains five or more successes on an attack roll, it swallows the victim whole. Damage is automatic each turn thereafter, if the chimera chooses to inflict it. Some chimera may hold their victims inside themselves just long enough to terrify them, and then spit them out again. Victims swallowed by redcap-inspired chimera are rarely so lucky.
- Chimera Point Cost: 3
- Use Cost: 2
- Glamour Pact - The chimera can protect itself from being crafted, forged or trapped in a treasure against its will. The difficulty of any attempt to do so by changeling artisans is increased by two, and the chimera may be even more difficult to control than the average unwilling chimera. Changelings consider most Glamour Pact items to be "cursed," and the chimera in one may still use any Redes that are not based on Physical Attributes. Chimera with Glamour Pact that are trapped in items retain their Glamour and Willpower scores. Their new forms dictate their physical characteristics. Some chimera use this power to force an artisan to change them back to their true forms (often a difficult task). Some, however, retain their imposed forms for years, relishing their status as cursed objects. Only the greatest or most insane changeling artisans work with chimera that possess this Rede.
- Chimera Point Cost: 5
- Use Cost: 1 permanent Glamour
- Healing - The chimera can heal its own wounds or those of others. The chimera must have the Wyrd Rede to heal nonchimerical injuries.
- Chimera Point Cost: 5
- Use Cost: 1 point of Glamour heals one Health Level of damage
- Hide - This Rede allows a chimera to become invisible to all changelings and enchanted beings. A Perception + Sensitivity roll (difficulty 8) must be made for a changeling trying to determine the location of a chimera that is using this Rede, and at least two successes must be achieved. (One success indicates the genera! location of the chimera.) This effect lasts for the duration of a scene (up to one hour). Some chimera can use this Rede to hide changelings or even unenchanted beings. Hiding a changeling from another changeling functions just as described above. Hiding a changeling from the unenchanted, or hiding a unenchanted item or person requires that the chimera possess the Wyrd Rede.
- Chimera Point Cost: 5 (for hiding self only); 7 (for ability to affect others)
- Use Cost: 1 (and 1 per person or item affected)
- Possession - The chimera must touch the target. An opposed roll is made of the chimera's Glamour and the target's Willpower (difficulties are the opponents' scores). If the chimera rolls more successes, it possesses the victim for one turn per success in excess of the opponent's roll. If the target has a higher permanent Banality score than the chimera has permanent Glamour, the chimera loses a point of Glamour for each point of the difference. This Rede works only on Kithain unless the chimera has the Rede Enchantment.
- Chimera Point Cost: 7
- Use Cost: 2 Willpower
- Scuttle - Chimera with this Rede may move at truly amazing speeds.
- Chimera Point Cost: 3
- Use Cost: A chimera may take one extra action per Glamour point spent.
- Sense Banality - The chimera can tell how much Banality is in a person, object or place.
- Chimera Point Cost: 2
- Use Cost: 1 Willpower
- Shapeshift - A chimera with this power can change its appearance in almost any way it desires. It may appear to grow larger or smaller. It may turn into a creature of dazzling beauty or a monstrosity from the Nightmare Realms. This image is completely illusionary, and the chimera gains no additional abilities from this Rede. This power affects all five senses, but cannot be used to cause damage with illusionary weapons.
- Chimera Point Cost: 5
- Use Cost: 1 per shape change
- Steal Glamour - This Rede allows the chimera to actually steal Glamour from a changeling or even another chimera. A Willpower roll with a difficulty equal to the target's Glamour must be made for a chimera to use this Rede successfully. The number of successes rolled determines how many points of temporary Glamour are stolen.
- Chimera Point Cost: 3
- Use Cost: 1 Willpower
- Traverse Dreaming - This Rede allows chimera to travel to the mortal world from the Dreaming, or to enter the Dreaming from the mortal world. Chimera can travel only through established trods and portals, though some travel chimerical trods known only to their kind.
- Chimera Point Cost: 5
- Use Cost: 1
- Venom - Chimerical venom can cause paralysis or even "death" to changelings. The victim may suffer damage, and a successful Stamina roll (difficulty 8) must be made, or the victim may be paralyzed for one minute per Glamour point invested by the chimera.
- Chimera Point Cost: 3
- Use Cost: Chimera usually deliver their venom in tandem with a physical attack (bite, stinger, claw). This Rede causes one additional Health Level of damage per point of Glamour that the chimera chooses to invest (assuming that the chimera seeks to do harm with its venom).
- Weaponry - The chimera may create physical (non-ranged) weapons from its chimerical substance. These may include swords, horns or lashing tails. If a chimera loses its physical form, its weapon disappears with it, but the weapon may stay behind in some cases.
- Chimera Point Cost: The chimera inflicts +1 damage for every two chimera points spent.
- Use Cost: None
- Wyrd - A chimera that invokes this Rede becomes a solid creature in the real world and can cause physical damage. This is one of the rarest chimerical powers.
- Chimera Point Cost: 5
- Use Cost: 1 Willpower per scene