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In Short
Swords at Dawn offers support for Changeling campaigns focused around conflict, most particularly war, while also providing a hodgepodge of additional content. More support for dream and fate use can be found here, alongside suggestions for brewing up epic wars within Changeling society. While the content is often enjoyable, fans should be aware that this is very much an optional supplement and there are better options for the Changeling enthusiast who hasn't picked up all of the supplements yet.The Good: Lots of imaginative ideas help to stimulate the mind of a Changeling Storyteller. Talecrafting is a particularly interesting idea, though it would work better in a more abstract rules system.
The Bad: Some of the discussion is a little too general, especially that focusing on conflicts and war. Talecrafting is a great idea, especially for a game inspired by Fables, but it is yet another system to keep track of in addition to dream and fate manipulation and I think it would work better in a game system that supported meta mechanics better than the World of Darkness system does.
The Physical Thing
At $27.99 this 160 page black and white hardcover showcases the same good production values of other Changeling: The Lost products. The artwork is very evocative of the setting and does a good job of illustrating ideas from the text. The editing is good, the formatting is quite readable, and on the whole I found engaging the book to be quite pleasant.Under the Cover
Swords at Dawn starkly separates itself into four distinct chapters, so let's tackle each one of these in turn.Our introduction to this assortment of Chronicle support begins with a discussion of wars among Changelings. We're given suggestions for different types of large scale conflicts, the motivating factors behind those conflicts, and how different types of Changelings go about waging war. Special attention is paid to the Hedge, since it could be an incredibly valuable asset in a war as it allows for quick troop deployment, traps, and the recruitment of powerful mercenary forces. While much of this discussion is generic, I find it to be worthwhile for Storytellers who intend to run a Chronicle focused around war. Such matters as negotiating passage through a part of the Hedge could be the focus of many sessions of play, and the flavorful discussion of the ways in which different Changelings take to the battlefield will spice up conflict and aid the Storyteller in more fantastic description of events.
While large scale conflicts are rife with adventure opportunity, Swords at Dawn also spends some time discussing duels. At first I was somewhat turned off to this content, as it begins in a decidedly generic manner, but I've been won over through the many flavorful duel examples included in the book. Duels are particularly interesting in a Changeling campaign because they are focused around Dueling Oaths which use the Oath mechanic to enforce specific rules upon those that agree to duel. This leads to a lot of potential strategy based on the nature of the Oath and the rules of the Freehold, such that some political opportunists may use dueling as a means to remove rivals. Non-combat duels, such as artistic demonstrations, are also included as an options which is wonderful considering that many Changelings are not well equipped to swing a sword or fire a pistol.
Rounding out its presentation on conflict is about ten pages of new Contracts suitable to war. While all of these are useful enough outside of warfare, some could be exceptionally useful when wielded on the field. On the whole I feel like the coverage of war and dueling were both excellent, especially in how they provide inspiring ideas and examples to guide a Storyteller in introducing more of the same in her Chronicle.
Talecrafting, a new way to manipulate Fate, is included as another option and will work especially well for those who want a play experience that reflects fairy tales or even more modern works like Fables. The general idea here is that some Changelings are astute to the types of stories the universe likes to tell over and over, and that by being aware of these tales they can subtly manipulate them for their own benefit. To take advantage of these patterns a character need simply recognize the existence of a pattern and then spend Glamour and roll Wyrd to take advantage of it. While an Exceptional Success will enable the Changeling to get off without any consequences, most Changelings will experience a Cruel Twist of Fate that tarnishes their victory. In this way the mechanic can be used to overcome one problem while enabling the Storyteller to introduce another.
Many classic story twists originating with fairy tales, often dark in nature, are included to enable the Storyteller to easily introduce Talecrafting into the game. In fact, there's enough material here to easily make use of it for a lengthy campaign without running out, as many of these will work well as cyclical fairy tales that occur again and again. While I was initially skeptical about this idea, as I don't think the World of Darkness rules set works particularly well for meta-concepts like this one, I do like it as an addition to Changeling. It puts the universe in a different perspective for the characters, and roleplaying the emotional fallout of realizing that they exist solely at the whim of fate, which will continue to jack them around for the rest of their lives. I also like the idea of a player actively using Talecrafting to resolve one problem, perhaps a sub-plot that has become stale, while giving the Storyteller an easy in to introduce a fresh arc.
Continuing its theme of including a little bit of everything, Swords at Dawn offers a short section dedicated to items of legend. This is great considering the game's strong focus on fate and modern stories revolving around storied artifacts. Each of the items included here, first and foremost, has an entertaining story surrounding it that would be fun to explore in play. Further, while they do offer their bearers useful powers they also come with a Drawback, catch, and Fate that sharply limit their overall usefulness. As with all the options in Changeling, these objects have a price attached and it is in paying that price that some interesting stories will be told. I particularly like the story of the Plague Flute, which twists the Pied Piper legend to include plague and zombies instead of rats. On the whole I find these options to be worthwhile, and though they may not find their way into your game they could easily be inserted as an item of importance to kick a Chronicle forward.
Finally, Swords at Dawn includes Storyteller support for incorporating change into a Chronicle, primarily in the form of physical conflict. While I tend to be critical and somewhat uninterested in Storyteller sections in splatbooks, as I find they frequently include very generic suggestions just to fill up space, Swords at Dawn offers material that is a welcome surprise. Two ideas stand out to me as being particularly fun to play with. First, “The Great Depression” posits a situation where Glamour is becoming exceedingly difficult to acquire or where abilities simply cost more to use. With resources stretched thread the political factions within a Changeling community will be much more aggressive in acquiring resources that stretch their Glamour further or that require little Glamour expenditure to make use of. Second, Unmasked briefly explores what would happen if the greater world became aware of Changelings. Playing Changeling cops aggressively deporting troublesome fae back to the Hedge could be a lot of fun.
A smattering of mechanical support can be found throughout this book, and I consider it to be interesting though very much optional in nature. My favorite additions are two of the optional organizations. The Pilgrims of the Endless Road dedicate themselves to constant improvement throughout life. The Legion of the Iron Wall are hardcore freehold defenders, the soldiers sent to stand in the way of serious threats when diplomacy fails. Both groups strike me as particularly interesting for play, but the good news here is that there are other organizations, the Dawn Court (focused on potential for greatness and change), and a smattering of Contracts scattered throughout the book.
My Take
I like this book as an idea book. It has a few concepts that could easily be worked in as a major campaign theme, but at its core this is a supplement meant to provide a hodgepodge of different options for the Changeling Storyteller. That said, the biggest downside of this supplement is that the systems included aren't quite as worthwhile as certain expansions of dream and fate manipulation found in other supplements. The entire Changeling line has done an excellent job of offering lots of different ways for the Storyteller to build the game, and this supplement does not disappoint with the tools it offers. Pick it up if you're a hardcore Changeling fan who has already acquired the more worthwhile supplements.Help support RPGnet by purchasing this item through DriveThruRPG.
