So, i'm soon going to ST a campaign of Changeling the Lost for a few friends of mine, anyone has tips on how to create good Hobgoblins/Gentry mechanic-wise? And yes, i know there's a template in the manuals, but i want to know opinions from people more expert than me lol

>>96098243 (OP)
A few questions:
1. I take it you've done WoD before? If so, what games? Have you ever played Changeling before? The Lost is very different from The Dreaming
2. What is your setting and who are your characters?
3. What kind of hobgoblins or gentry are looking to create? Obviously, gentry are gonna be waaaaayyyy more difficult to deal with rather than hobgoblins or other changelings, fae are ridiculous in their powers and reach.

Let me know, Anon, I'd love to hear. Changeling was my first game and introduction to TTRPGs over 15 years ago now, and I am always happy to see it played. :)

>>96098243 (OP)
Played and ST'd CtL in the past, and am preparing a new chronicle right now myself.
My advice: flair and theme>rules
Don't get lost in exact dots and powers and do what's cool in the moment.

If you have them the 1e books are still great for inspiration and describtions.
Gentry are special because they literally are plotpoints and don't care for any rules but their own in-game. To them everything but the Gentry is just as permanent as dreams are to us. Without knowing the Title it's hard to help you more though.

For gobs it's slightly easier, as they are more real in a way. I usualy just give them 3 dicepools and a few powers, rest is improvised as needed.
I do have a homebrew googledoc from some years ago with quite a few npcs:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X3FoZxl-OV-9BI-wywMZIt5zCkdnGumlN2pJERH_xYI/edit?usp=drivesdk

Hope this helps.

>>96102307
1) To be fair, I sadly never managed to play a WoD game, only a few CofD games that sadly ended up too soon. But I did read the sourcebooks of CtL a lot, considering is my fave.
2) I am still building it, to be completely fair, but it involves the two players (a Draconic Ogre and a Flickerflash Fairest) ending up in a ploy by a traitorous seasonal Monarch to get the entirety of the freehold in the clutches of a True Fae.
3) I'm still building those two, we haven't started yet with anything, but the only one I have for now is the focus of the first mission, the Ever-Burning Bull of Cherry Blossoms, which the duo will get the job of driving it out of a certain place (and the Monarch really hopes they'll die from it)

So... yeah, while I'm still a newbie for actually playing WoD and CofD, I am willing to discuss and learn all I can!

>>96102438
Oooh, that helps quite a bit! Will probs give it a read for inspiration!

Oh, I forgot to say, we're using 2e for the campaign.

Congrats anon. I've wanted to play CtL since reading through the book at a Barnes and Noble shortly after it came out. I could never get more than 1-2 friends interested. Even people who like fairie related media like Sandman or Labyrinth.

When it comes to the Gentry, I think it's important to give them focus. They're all powerful, but only within their own domain and purview. Take Jareth from Labyrinth as an example. He has complete control over the Labyrinth and the Goblin City, able to manipulate reality there as he pleases, and he has limited ability in the real world to kidnap babies and bind people to quests. But even where he's mostly omnipotent in his domain, he still operates under the strictures of crafting the experience that Sarah expects to have leading up to the moment, the choice she has to make. That's what's really important to Jareth, that choice and everything he does is directed to making that happen.

>>96103373
Better example here would be the Red Bull from the last unicorn. That is one of the best examples for Gentry i can think of. Or Q from when star treck still had heart and soul

>>96103373
Hmm... I did read that, while powerful, the Gentry are not even Sapient, incapable of learning and understanding what isn't connected to them...

For example, if I made the True Fae responsible for the plot a Conqueror as one of its Titles... it could have the problem that it can't go to conquest unannounced, but capture territory bit by bit by spreading its presence, even when it would be tactically unsound?

>>96103535
>it could have the problem that it can't go to conquest unannounced, but capture territory bit by bit by spreading its presence, even when it would be tactically unsound?
No. If it's entitled to Conquest it must conquer. So spreading influence in a subtle way would be as unnatural to it as breathing in a vacuum to us. Conquest implies pride, martial art and directness (Honour optional). If it would reach a goal through unConquesty ways it won't be true to its Title and suffer consequences.
Gentry don't do things for sane reasons. Folliwing contradictory or even nonsensical rules is part of how tgey are ment to be used in-game.
They aren't evil, more like very dedicated artists and actors. True to their roles to the last.

>>96103603
Ah, got it! Sorry, got confused.

Anyway, back on the focus of the thread: when you have to create the sheet for something (in this case Hobs and Gentry, but can also be important NPCs, Spirits, whatever), what are some things to consider, other than the templates in the book?

>>96104313
I go by the following and fill out my scribblings from there
>theme
What kind of Goblin is this? Rock throwing giant has different uses than a tiny market sprite. Note down general personality (helpfull, dislikes changelings, wants X at all costs)
>enemy/neutral/friendly?
If enemy, make combat and related dice pools, if neutral social dice pool with maybe one or two specials, if friendly no stats needed
>magic dice pool for everything (make up contracts/dread powers as you go, players will never know you winged it anyways)
2-4 dice for weaklings, 5-8 for normal foes, 10+ for boss-tier enemies, 15+ for weak Gentry, 30+ for angry Gentry
>powers
Depends on theme. Limited only by wyrd of the goblin or what makes sense for the story
>banes
Only for important npcs. Make one up spontaniously if needed. Usualy a plothook to blackmail/threaten someone with. Knowing the bane is just as usefull as having it most of tge time for players
>name
Usualy a pun (mr. Blake Wyatt/black white) or something describtive (jingles the jester, donald duster the mothia [moth-mafia] don)


I only realy bother making proper sheets for the realy important npcs. Everything else is just busywork that goes to waste.

>>96104429
Oooh, helpful! Thank you very much!

>>96103049
And? Did my homebrew help you?

>>96113631
It did!