Tokens/Examples

Examples of Token Power Levels

Especially if you're new to playing Changeling, picking the dot-level of the super cool new Token you want to buy for your alt can be challenging. This page is here to outline some basic guidelines and give you some insight into what staff will, and won't, accept for powers at specific dot levels.

The books themselves have many very helpful examples. Check them out.

Rules of Thumb As a rule of thumb, if you want your token to do something powerful, but want it to have lower dot level, slap some extremely nasty drawbacks on it. If the thing has negatives which almost (or do) outweigh the positives, you can get away with 'discounts' much more feasibly. Tokens tend to "balance out" their blessings with their drawbacks. Something which gives you an extreme physical bonus might give you a crippling mental handicap, for example. Something which lets you benefit somebody else might render you incapable of helping yourself, etc. If the token exactly duplicates a Kith blessing, it is 2 dots. If the token exactly duplicates the effects of a Contract, it is 1 dot less than the dot-level of the clause being duplicated. Minimum 1-dot. (i.e. a 2-dot token can duplicate a 3-dot clause) - The effects duplicated are per the standard success, not the exceptional success. - If a clause can be altered by spending Willpower/promise leaves etc. to have a different effect, choose ONE effect. The token cannot do both. - If you want a power that is similar to, but not exactly the same as a Contract's clause, the dot level will likely be the same if the benefits are roughly equivalent. Tokens do not typically cause permanent changes. The theme of Changeling is more ephemeral/dream-like as a game, and the tokens/Contracts reflect that. For example, a token could not turn someone into a teapot, but it could create the temporary illusion thereof. Short of an extremely powerful (4-5 dot) token, they are unlikely to last more than a scene or, at most, until the next sunrise/sunset, whichever is closer.

1-dot Tokens These don't tend to give more than a +1 or +2 bonus, tops, or something equivalent to that. Durations tend to be no longer than 1 scene. 2-dot Tokens These don't tend to give more than a +2 or +3 bonus, or two +1 bonuses, etc. 3-dot Tokens These don't tend to give more than a +3 or +4 bonus, or multiple lesser bonuses, etc. 4-dot Tokens These don't tend to give more than a +4 bonus, or multiple lesser bonuses, etc. 5-dot Tokens If a token performs multiple powerful things (e.g. a bow which grants , it is more than likely a 5-dot. If a token bends mechanics beyond what they are typically capable of doing (letting you contest rolls which are ordinarily only resisted, etc.), it is likely a 5-dot.