Contracts of Urbanity

From Seattle Nwod

Current revision as of 09:45, 3 February 2008

[edit] Contracts of Urbanity

Although some Changelings may think this collection of contracts to be one of the newest that the Lost have access to, they are in fact are as old as the cities of the world themselves. Rather than merely swearing oaths to stone or steel, the Gentry founded a connection with the very concept of The City. Through this connection, the Lost have learned well about the entity within which they live, and work with her to do what is needed. These contracts are concerned to be affinity to all stripes of Lost; The City accepts all those who seek her aid.

[edit] Streetwise (*)

The City talks, although few listen to its words. Through this contract, the Changeling taps into those whispers and learns tidbits about the city itself.

Cost: 1 Glamour
Dice Pool: Wyrd + Streetwise
Action: Instant
Catch: The character uses a map of the city that he drew himself as the focus for the contract.

Roll Results:
Dramatic Failure: The information gathered is incredibly incorrect, and leads the character in the completely wrong direction.
Failure: The whispers fall silent, and the character learns nothing.
Success: Each success allows the character to ask one detail about the city, ranging from the overall population to the number of buildings in a certain district. The character knows these facts to be the utter truth and to-the-minute in accuracy.
Exceptional Success: Same as above.

[edit] Spraypaint (**)

Writing is everywhere within the city, from the billboards to the words scrawled on the walls by street kids. The Changeling can add his own message to the mix, targeting certain people within the city.

Cost: 1 Glamour
Dice Pool: Wits + Craft
Action: Instant
Catch: The character uses an item unique the city to write the message; a souvenir pencil, for example, or a piece of chalk from an old schoolhouse.

Roll Results:
Dramatic Failure: Not only can everyone see the character’s message, they find it horribly insulting AND know that your character was the one who wrote it.
Failure: The writing blends into the wall as the contract fails.
Success: The message, which must be no more than one sentence per Wyrd, is created as planned. The character may choose who sees or hears it, ranging from a single person to all people of a group (such as all members of the freehold). The image stays in place for a week.
Exceptional Success: The message moves about in the city to find the target of the message. However, the message will not cross the city lines to reach a target.

[edit] Wrong Turn (***)

At this point, the Changeling can use the twists and turns of the city against his enemies, leading them into the perfect trap.

Cost: 2 Glamour
Dice Pool: Wits + Wyrd vs target's Resolve + Wyrd
Action: Instant
Catch: The changeling must place a token such as a lock of hair or wax figurine containing its blood that represents the target somewhere in the location.

Roll Results:
Dramatic Failure: The effects of the contract are reversed, and the Changeling finds himself in a very bad situation in a place where his target has the upper hand.
Failure: The contract fails, and the changeling must go back to doing all the legwork.
Success: Upon succeeding the roll, the next time the target travels within the city, he finds himself led to an area of the Changeling's choosing. Traffic blocks his way, crowds push him in the proper direction, and fate seems to want the target to arrive at that certain place.
Exceptional Success: If the target tries to resist the push to the location, the city does its damndest to make him go there. For example, the target is arrested for whatever reason, and the police car breaks down at the chosen location.

[edit] The Secret Name of Streets (****)

A Changeling with this contract senses the connection between the various streets of the cities across the country and uses it to travel quickly. By merely turning the corner, a Changeling can start walking on Broadway St, St. Louis and end up on Broadway, New York City.

Cost: 3 Glamour
Dice Pool: Wyrd + Streetwise
Action: Instant
Catch: The character must have in hand one item unique to the arrival and departure points, and must be seen by no one as he jumps.

Roll Results:
Dramatic Failure: The changeling becomes incredibly lost, losing all sense of direction. For the next scene, he literally must be lead about by someone else or he has no way whatsoever to determine where he is.
Failure: The contract fails, and the changeling remains where he is.
Success: The Changeling can choose a streets with the same name that he is currently walking on in any city that is within (Wyrd x 50) miles and transport between them. It takes five minutes to travel between the two cities, no matter the distance.
Exceptional Success: The changeling can travel to a city within (Wyrd x 100) miles.

[edit] Assumption of the City’s Heart (*****)

By using this penultimate contract with the City, the Changeling fuses with the city itself, spreading his consciousness through the wires, tunnels and steel and becoming one with his surroundings. However, doing so ties him to the city irrevocably; if the character Assumes The City's Heart more than (Wyrd x2) times, he physically cannot leave the borders of the city barring using The Secret Name of Streets. Even then, though, the character can only leave his city for (Wyrd/2, round up) hours; past that point, he takes damage much like the True Fae do when they remain in the Real for too long.

There are rumors of an entitlement called the Lords of the Steel Webs made up of masters of the Contracts of Urbanity who act as information hubs between the various cities of the world. All have become trapped in their respective cities...well, trapped as far as other are concerned.

Cost: 4 Glamour + 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Presence + Wyrd
Action: Extended (Five successes; each additional success grants another five minutes; number of rolls equal to Wyrd)
Catch: The changeling swallows a concoction made with at least five items native to the city; grass from a park, water from an alleyway tap, what have you.

Roll Results:
Dramatic Failure: The Changeling does merge with the city, but he feels everything: the footsteps of every person walking the streets pressing against him, the pain of the burning buildings. When the Changeling emerges from the city, he is reduced to one health level and must roll for a derangement.
Failure: The character fails to gain the connection to the city that he so desires.
Success: The character literally sinks into the ground, his consciousness spreading throughout the city. For ten minutes (plus an additional five minutes per additional success), the changeling can send his consciousness to any point in the city that has not been warded against such intrusions (by Space wards, for example.) By spending a Willpower point, he can manifest in a chosen area, using his surroundings to his advantage; messages ring out in the honking of car horns, or a nearby flower pot falls on the head of a running mugger. The manifestation lasts for a turn per success rolled on the Contract.
Exceptional Success: Same as above.