CANTRIPS & CONTRAPTIONS V - CANTRIPS 1O1

Before the Cantrip is used, the Changeling has to whether his/her Cantrip is to affect only chimerical beings (which would make it a chimerical Cantrip) or is also meant to target beings in the Autumn World, ie the real world (which would make it a Wyrd Cantrip). Wyrd Cantrips always cost Glamour upon activation.

The actual Cantrip is divided into two indispensable parts:

• Arts - the way of shaping Glamour to a desired end to manipulate the world (some examples; aphrodesia for inducing positive emotions, skycraft for changing climate)
• Realms - the objects the Changeling can influence via use of that art (can also be sapient species or other organisms, as well as places). Changelings may attempt to use more than one Realm in their Cantrip 
• Let's say Grantaire wants to hit on Enjolras (which the latter would actually be immune to) - as a satyr wylder from Marseille he knows aphrodisia well and he would, if he knew Enj's true nature, use the fae realm for a chimerical cantrip - the one to affect other species and even objects of the Dreaming. If R had wished to hit on a mortal human boy instead, he'd use aphrodisia but on the actor realm, which covers other sapient species, human mortals or otherwise (vampires, werebeasts, and so forth), and wyrd - it would be a Crave cantrip for the effect to be lasting but not lethal; ditto if he wished to hit on Enj without knowing his true sidhe nature. The latter is what actually happened in Cantrips & Contraptions - the Crave cantrip did not affect Enjolras because it was the wrong realm (actor instead of fae). As a result Enj cast a geas, a sovereign-art cantrip, using the fae realm (the bunk implied reciting some lines from Othello while standing on a chair and spreading his golden fire wings wide open); this was a geas forbidding that Grantaire should ever confess his true feelings towards Enjolras, or else he (R) would die immediately after the confession. And a geas is unbreakable interdiction...

After that, the Cantrip is theoretically ready to be used. However, the Glamour must be stabilized, lest it desintegrates.

This is achieved via a Bunk, an action that establishes a link to the Dreaming. Bunks vary from Changeling to Changeling and from Cantrip to Cantrip. Some involve long procedures, while other are as simple as clapping your hands.

There are many factors that go into the casting of a cantrip. Beyond choosing Art and Realm, one must decided if the effect is Wyrd or Chimerical, and whether the target is enchanted or mundane.

1: Choose an Art

The first thing a changeling must do when casting cantrips is to choose an Art. There can never be more than one Art involved in the casting of a cantrip. The player must describe the effect they wish to create. All Arts are defined as being either Wyrd or Chimerical. Chimerical Arts are those that have only chimerical effects, or effects so subtle that the unenchanted won't notice things out of the ordinary. Wyrd effects have physical, noticeable effects in the mundane world.

2: Choose a Realm(s)

Decide the Realm needed to cast the cantrip based on the effect described. The realm typically describes the target that is affected (though some Realms are incompatible with certain Arts). It is possible to use multiple realms. Modifier realms (like Time or Scene) are also applied at this time.

3: Choose a Bunk

The player must now declare the Bunk that the character performs. The nature of the Bunk is determined by the Art and Realm(s) being used (in the Enjoltaire example I give you, blowing a kiss and taking Enj strongly by the wrist, massaging the seized wrist with lavender oil). See the article on Bunks for Difficulty Modifiers, requirement, and examples.

4: Determine Difficulty

The base difficulty to affect a target is equal to the target's Banality + 4. When casting a cantrip on an inanimate object the difficulty is equal to the caster's Banality + 4. A changeling casting a cantrip on another changeling gains one free success (even if no successes are rolled on the dice). A changeling who is the subject of a cantrip may invoke their own Banality in order to ignore this automatic success. Changelings who employ this method of defense gain one point of temporary Banality each time they do so.

Casting cantrips is always difficult when mortal witnesses are present. The base difficulty for casting any cantrip when mortals are present is equal to the highest Banality + 5. If numerous particularly banal mortals are present, the Storyteller may wish to further increase the difficulty.

5: Determine Glamour Cost should be used to determine the final cost of using a cantrip.

• All Wyrd cantrips cost one Glamour.
• Chimerical cantrips cast on enchanted beings or inanimate objects cost no Glamour, though the player may still spend additional Glamour to lower the difficulty of the casting.
• Any cantrip cast on a banal target costs one Glamour (This is NOT cumulative with the cost for casting a Wyrd cantrip.) Banal targets include mortals, unenchanted supernatural beings, and anyone without a Glamour Trait rating (including changelings who have fallen into the Forgetting).
• Casting a cantrip without a bunk requires the expenditure of one Glamour.
• Up to five points of Glamour may be spent to lower the casting difficulty.
• Using a modifier Realm (Scene or Time) costs an additional point of Glamour.

The total cost for casting a cantrip must be paid before the cantrip goes into effect. If a character cannot pay the total cost (either with their own Glamour or Dross), the cantrip fails, though no Glamour points are lost.

FUTURE THEMES ON CHARACTERS:

 Enjolras (autumn sidhe of house Liam but adopted by house Varich)?

Valjean (troll grump)?

Grantaire (satyr)?

Combeferre (technocrat/nocker/simply curious mortal - will have to decide on that)?