Jackie Cassada (1949–2020)

This book holds a lot of nostalgia for me; it takes me right back to 1995. Marketed as the last of the five White Wolf core game lines (before Hunter: The Reckoning and Mummy: The Resurrection, and [Noun: The Evocative Verb] proved them wrong, it was by far the brightest of the five lines. Many people say it is the lightest, this is misleading. It is the brightest, the most colorful and evocative. The other games like Vampire, and Wraith in particular can get bogged down in the dreary weeds of the World of Darkness; Changeling offers an alternative, a game where you play a character half mortal and half immortal fairie (a creature native to the realm of Dreams). You are literally awash in the dreaming life of mortals, their fantasies, idle fancy and darkest nightmares. This means that Changeling can be as dark as you wish it too, or as light-hearted as well. In fact, it is the only core game that has rules for playing children (and believe me after four years of playing angst-ridden Kindred or brutal Garou that was a revolutionary change).

Not everything is light, like the other WoD games there is an apocalypse built in, that involving the death of creativity in light of the cynical nature of our postmodern world. For a changeling, this means the terrifying prospect of the permanent loss of their fairie soul.

As much as I love the game in theory, it is a challenge in practice. First is the challenge of finding players and storytellers who really grok the game. Many gamers just can't wrap their mind around it. Secondly is the magic system: Hopelessly Broken. Changelings are also underpowered compared to other WoD characters, but this doesn't really matter as the game is a nightmare to crossover anyhow, as the Changeling characters exist halfway in their own separate reality of the Dreaming. As time went by, I also found the character creation to be rather restrictive, but back in 1995 it was still new and fresh.

The design of the book is top notch, particularly the first chapter where the authors take a playful break from the "opening fiction" of previous material. The artwork by Tony DiTerlizzi and others is top notch, and really helps you grasp the theme and feel of the game.

Changeling: the Dreaming is a game with few but passionate fans. I hope if you find it you enjoy it as much as I did the spring of 1995.… (more)

I bring to the table very mixed feelings when I set out to review Changeling: The Dreaming Second Edition. This is one of my favorite games of the World of Darkness lines, but it has its share of problems. There are some things that could be improved upon, but wrinkles aside my core gut reaction is fondness and excitement.

Changeling is the brightest of the WoD games, not the most cheerful. Many people make that mistake. It has the shine of colors and fantasy that Vampire, Werewolf, perhaps even Mage cannot hope to match but being that is a game about dreams it can also be about the most frightening nightmares as well. Also, a core theme of the game is the loss of dreams, loss of imagination as the world steadily becomes cynical, cruel and grinding, full of ennui. That is as frightening as any monster, indeed.

Literally anything can happen in the half/world Changelings inhabit. They are mortal humans that share an immortal soul with a Fairie of Legend, so they have one foot in the real world and one in the imaginary world of dreams. So, while a changelings mortal half may be dodging traffic on his way to work his Fey self may be hunting down quarry on an imaginary steed. Comedy ensues.

The biggest problem about the game is finding players and storytellers who really understand this esoteric notion. It isn’t a game everyone can grasp. The second problem is based in irony. While the Dreaming is a place where anything can happen; Changeling: The Dreaming offers frustratingly limited character creation options. If you don’t want to be any of the “Kith” archetypes listed in the main book, there isn’t a mechanic to create just the kind of Fey you want to be without house rules. Also, the magic system is… lets not mice words. It’s broken, badly. Fans of the series deny or overlook these flaws, however. If you can, than it is a very enjoyable game. Plus, the artwork is luxuriant and beautiful.… (more)

This collection of cards is worth it for the Mage-inspired artwork alone. Five different artists give their unique talents to four of the factions in the game, each taking one of the four character types: Technocracy for pentacles representing Stasis, Marauders for swords representing Dynamism, Nephandi for cups representing Primordial, The Traditions for staves representing Questing. The major arcana have their own artist as well. This really sets the various card types apart. There is an instruction booklet that tells you some traditional ways of using the Tarot, but what I found useful was tips on using the Mage Tarot for character creation and role playing plot ideas. I used them in this manner with very good results. Perhaps they will come out with something like this for the new incarnation of Mage featuring their current stable of artists.

Astute Mage: The Ascension fans will notice that a few cards that were featured on certain 1st Edition products were redone with different artists, which is a pity. I liked a few of the old ones.… (more)