Hedge Magic

“Sell a man a fish, and you’re owed a single debt. Rent a man a fishing rod, and he’s indebted
for a lifetime.”
There’s nothing wrong with a deal with the Fae, is there? Yes, make a deal with a Demon and
your magic becomes tainted, leading you down a slow descent into the depths of your Beast’s
depravity, but the Fae? What do they really want from you? Little more than a favor here or
there. Nothing too complicated, nothing too dangerous, just tiny tasks in exchange for Sorcery
unheard of by most of Kindred society. Why delve into the depths of the infernal when the
friendly shopkeep at the goblin market is willing to offer you the same thing for a minor memory
or a promise to keep iron away from your haven.
That’s the way it seems, at least. That debt can add up quickly, though, for a Kindred that
doesn’t pay attention. Every time they call upon the magic of the Wyrd, it takes note, and
another “little favor” is owed to that same Goblin that offered you that magic in the first place.
Most Kindred that attune themselves in this way can learn ways in which they can shed this
debt, but even so, using it one too many times can find them drawn inexorably towards the
Hedge, where it can claim its new debtor as one of its own.

Fae Sorcery
Also called “Glamour,” “Pact Magic,” “Goblin Mysticism,” and a host of other one-off terms by its
sales-goblins, Fae Sorcery, simply enough, is Blood Sorcery that’s empowered by the Wyrd via
a deal made with a Hobgoblin or other denizen of the Hedge (or perhaps a True Fae…). Relying
as much on Glamour as the power of the blood, it draws less on the Kindred’s own reserves of
power, and more on the working of the Wyrd, building up debt: Goblin Debt, specifically (see
Changeling: the Lost​ pg. 162 and 256).
The initial purchase of Fae Sorcery typically involves a trip to the Goblin Market, or some other
chance encounter with a Hobgoblin or other Fae creature of some sort, and so few Kindred end
up learning of this strange Sorcery. Still, there are a few rare bloodlines that have an affinity for
the Hedge or for Fae, there’s Kindred with Changeling allies, and there’s always the random
whims of the Wyrd allowing for such a meeting to take place.
To gain the first dot of Fae Sorcery, the Kindred must typically give up a memory, experience, or
some aspect of themself, and an owed favor, which is represented by the accrual of a point of
Goblin Debt (which must be paid off like a mortal does), and the expenditure of 4 Experiences
(like with most forms of Blood Sorcery), which will grant the Linked Themes and Learned rituals
(or “Charms”) it normally grants. Further dots in the Sorcery and its Themes can be learned
normally for Experiences, but can often be gained more quickly by making further deals with the
Fae.
Once learned, a Kindred’s Humanity has no effect on how much further Sorcery can be learned,
but it they ever gain the equivalent of an Oathbreaker condition or a similar supernatural
condition implying a lack of trustworthiness in supernatural bargains, their Sorcery ceases
working until they resolve that condition. Similarly, if they ever break a Bargain with a Hobgoblin
or True Fae, they similarly lose access until they make amends.
The Sacrifice:​ 1 point of Goblin Debt per ritual. Goblin Debt gained from using Fae Sorcery can
be shed by the Storyteller in the same way it can for Changelings utilizing Goblin Contracts
(​Changeling​, pg. 162), but ​only​ for Debt accrued by casting Fae Sorcery (this does ​not ​include
the debt gained to learn Fae Sorcery in the first place).
The Request:​ Improvised and Mastered Charms use Manipulation + (primary) Theme. Learned
Charms use Manipulation + Politics + Fae Sorcery. On a dramatic failure, they gain the Guilty
condition, in addition to the usual effect.
Linked Themes:​ Guidance and Transmutation.
Limitations of Blood Sorcery:​ The Wyrd would never allow for the nature of Blood Sorcery to
be broken, but it can certainly skirt around the edges of these Limits much more closely than
other forms of Sorcery can. Blood Sorcery can’t get you into another realm, but a Charm might
let you borrow the nature of a Key for yourself, causing a Hedge Gate to happen to open. A
Vampiric magic user can’t conjure fire, but perhaps they can happen upon something in the
Hedge that produces it naturally. In general, Fae Sorcery skirts ​very​ close to the Limitations of
Blood Sorcery, perhaps breaking the spirit of the Limitation but never the actual word.
Similarly, though, Fae Sorcery can never be used to break a deal or promise, although again, it
can skirt close to the line. Guidance rituals can’t get the Sorcerer out of a Pledge or Oath of any
sort, for instance, but Divination might let you know how best to skirt the wording of it.
Transmutation can’t force someone to break their Oaths, but Guidance can be used to tempt
them to do it themselves.
Motifs:​ Fae Sorcery is the magic of tricksters, a comparatively subtle form of Blood Sorcery that
can allow one to skirt the rules, veil their actions, and forge miniature “bargains” with aspects of
reality itself. It calls upon the Wyrd, offering up a bit of one’s own Fate, or a promised favor to be
returned, in exchange for a more immediate change to the nature of the world around the
Sorcerer. Like all Blood Sorcery, it never truly changes the innate nature of what something is,
but it’s incredibly good at pulling that nature in another direction, or combining it with aspects of
something else entirely.
Charms often involve subtle little promises being made, along with strange, but meaningful
actions that align with the Wyrd’s concept of the effect being drawn out. There’s no visceral
sacrifices, or blatant pleas to holy avatars, just a tugging on the catches already built into every
aspect of reality. Often times, the ritual behind the casting is little more than setting up the right
circumstances or criteria for a period of time; this might mean closing one’s eyes and wearing all
black when striking someone blind from afar, for instance, or borrowing the healing power of a
goblin fruit (or stolen blood) with a simple request to mend a coterie-mate’s wounds. This
requires a Manipulation of the underlying nature of the world, and an understanding of how
these woven contracts and oaths between aspects of reality really work.
Its motifs are as follows:
Fae Sorcery is ​associative ​- Effects are managed by calling upon the infinite connections
between every aspect of reality, and their inherent associations with each other. By calling upon
the color black’s connection to darkness, you can conjure shadows. By calling on the
connection of anger with violence, you can destroy someone you hate from afar. You always
need some relation between your ritual and the desired effect, it’s never as simple as just
spilling blood or getting into the right state of mind (unless one of those is directly associated
with what you’re trying to do, of course).
● Charms can be Learned more easily if they require very specific materials, situations, or
circumstances to work at ​all​, rather than relying on anything of an appropriate resonance
or connection; some call these the built in “Catch” or “Loophole” that can manage an
effect more easily than normal.
Fae Sorcery is ​subtle​ - While it can transform, it’s more likely to do so internally or to do so in a
way that can be seen as a twist of fate or a natural happenstance occurring at an unnatural time
than it is to create blatantly obviously supernatural effects. This doesn’t mean someone can’t be
given razor sharp claws or unnatural musculature, it just means those claws will come from
strangely sharp humanoid nails, or those feats of strength will seem like surges of adrenaline.
● Kindred can Learn charms more easily if they rely on some aspect of the process going
unseen. Perhaps a token needs to be hidden on someone’s person without them
noticing, or the magic won’t work, or the ritual itself must go unobserved. This always
must be combined with some criteria that makes it impossible to just cast alone from afar
for an easier effect; perhaps they need to blind a victim and still perform it on them, or do
it when they’re sleeping and can’t possibly stumble upon the caster.
Fae Sorcery is ​aware​ - Carrying a bit of the Wyrd in it, the magic that empowers it always
seems to be oddly aware of the caster and their victims (or beneficiaries), the effects shifting
slightly when observed or changing when the emotional state of the subjects do. Sometimes,
this means it works better in certain circumstances, but sometimes it means the magic will have
side effects or oddities born of the Wyrd’s own whims (especially in other realms like the
Hedge).
● A Fae Sorcerer can learn a Charm more easily if the Storyteller is given leave to
determine some aspect of the effect. Perhaps a curse that causes penalties has those
penalties decided by the ST instead of the Sorcerer, for instance, as the Wyrd sees most
suiting for the crime being punished, or perhaps a Creation ritual spawns what the Wyrd
specifically deems most helpful, rather than a chosen object.
Some sample Charms follow:

Blessing of Basic Competence (Guidance •)

With a hastily scribbled drawing or other representation of the task the subject’s meant to be
undertaking, the Sorcerer blesses them with a basic level of bare minimum competence in that
task. For the duration of the ritual, any situational penalties or penalties from lacking training in a
skill are reduced for the named task by up to the ritual’s Potency, for a number of rolls over the
duration up to that same Potency.
Risk +1:​ There’s nothing more inspiring than having a basic level of competence in something!
One time over the duration, when succeeding at a roll modified by this ritual, the subject can
gain the Inspired condition relating to it.
Bloodroot (Transmutation •)
By painting a goblin fruit or similar hedge flora (or a representation thereof) with a bit of Vitae,
the target plant can be made to absorb it, taking on a bit of the nature of Vitae for the duration.
This doesn’t create a Mandragora at this level, but it does let the fruit store the point of Vitae
inside it, which can be offered to fae creatures to attempt to bond them, or alternatively can then
be consumed by Kindred, allowing them to gain the benefits of the fruit even if they normally
couldn’t.
Add Transmutation ••••:​ The plant becomes a full Mandragora, gaining the usual benefits, and
developing up to 1 discipline dot per level of Potency, appropriate to a “Goblin Mandragora.” At
Storyteller discretion, it may also develop Dread Powers and Contracts on its own, becoming a
Hobgoblin, but they’re not directly granted by this Charm, as that would break a Limitation of
Blood Sorcery (see ​Half-Damned​, pg. 115 for Mandragora rules, and ​Changeling: the Lost​ pg.
252 for Hobgoblins).
Motif (Aware):​ Kindred can Learn a version of this ritual that allows the painted fruit to become
animate and capable of movement without further Themes, especially useful for allowing
seeded fruits to offer their Vitae-laden selves to passers by, or to let them follow the Kindred
despite the Vampire’s inability to carry more than a piece of it at a time. However, these
movements and actions are solely at the whims of the “plant” itself, it doesn’t inherently do
exactly what the Kindred wants (but whatever it does will ​usually​ be beneficial to them).

Faerie Food (Creation •, Protection •)

Forming appropriate shapes and representations out of dust or sand, the Kindred is able to
conjure foodstuffs that can heal the bruises of the Undead, and can similarly be tasted digested
by them in the first place. 1 Vitae must be provided per 4 points of bashing damage that the
food is capable of healing in total; once consumed, the substance vanishes in the gut of the
undead that consume it, and heals the appropriate amount of bashing damage (up to Potency,
so long as enough Vitae is provided).
Alternatively, if the blood provided isn’t Vitae, but was taken from a mortal or animal instead (1
lethal wound’s worth per point replaced), the food created can heal the wounds of the living and
sustain them just like normal food, although it always feels oddly unsatisfying as it hits their
stomach.
Add Protection ••• or •••••:​ The wounds healed can be lethal or aggravated, respectively,
requiring Vitae or blood equal to half of what would be needed for a Vampire to heal the wound
normally.

Fetch’s Trick (Transmutation ••)

Leaves or similar detritus are gathered and cast across a corpse or other dead matter, covering
it entirely and causing the veiled substance to transform into crumbled leaves or other bits of
dead dust, allowing it to then be scattered into the breeze or otherwise removed; the effect isn’t
lasting, but if the particles are sufficiently separated, they won’t form back into anything
recognizable at the end of the Charm’s duration.
Risk +1:​ At the ritual’s completion, a bit of wind magically is called up, immediately spreading
the leaves, dust, or otherwise far enough apart to make it unrecognizable when the duration
ends.
Motif (Subtle):​ By making sure the corpse is covered entirely by the Kindred, in person, and out
of sight of anyone else, this Charm can be Learned with Transmutation •.

To Market (Divination ••)

With this ritual, which involves a study of any “oddities” that have recently occurred within the
area in the past few weeks, the Kindred is able to discern the location of the nearest Goblin
Market (if in the Hedge) or the nearest Gateway to it (if not), so long as it’s within the ritual’s
Range.
Risk +2:​ The Kindred gains the Informed condition for the Market, which can be very useful for
negotiating within it.

Positive Reinforcement (Guidance ••)

Writing down the gist of what the Kindred wants the target to focus their words on, they’re able
to reinforce a target’s desire to stick to a certain subject when speaking. A pool of Willpower
points equal to the Potency of this ritual is “set aside” at its casting, and whenever the target
speaks of a certain topic in a way that the Kindred finds desirable, they gain a point of that
Willpower, along with a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that they’re doing what they
should be. This, by default, cannot let them store more Willpower than their maximum.
Risk +3:​ The granted Willpower can be stored above the target’s maximum for the duration,
with any excess disappearing at the end of it.
Add Divination ••:​ The Kindred becomes inherently aware whenever the target speaks in the
desired manner, given a brief awareness of the situation and a basic context behind it.

Chanjelin Ward (Guidance •••)

By carving or painting a symbol that seems unnatural and confused on an area the Kindred
wishes to ward, they can confuse and befuddle those that would enter their protected spaces.
Anyone that meets the criteria specified by the Sorcerer at the ritual’s casting that comes within
the affected Area of Effect of the ritual is affected by the curse, if they don’t contest it. For so
long as they remain in the area (or for the duration of the ritual, whichever ends first), they suffer
the Confused condition.
Risk +1:​ The condition can not be resolved while in the area, only by leaving it and thus exiting
the area of the Charm.
Motif (Associative):​ The ritual can only be used to specifically defend the Kindred’s own Haven
or other home, and only while they’re still within it. This version of the Charm, however, can be
Learned with Guidance ••.
Hedgespinning (Transmutation •••)
This ritual only works while already within the Hedge, due to the Limitations of Blood Sorcery,
but while in the Hedge, it’s technically the Kindred’s normal realm, and so rituals like this can be
used. By performing ritualistic actions appropriate to the Hedgespinning they wish to attempt,
the Kindred can make Subtle Shifts (see ​Changeling: the Lost​ pg. 204) as if they had scored
successes equal to the ritual Potency on a Hedgespinning action. This, by default, all happens
at once.
Risk +2, Add Guidance ••:​ Instead of the above effect, for the ritual’s duration, the Kindred may
hedgespin in the same way the fae can, to enact subtle shifts by designating an action as meant
for hedgespinning, and spending up to a maximum number of successes on a given shift equal
to the ritual’s Potency at the cost of 1 Vitae.
Risk +3:​ For either of the above effects, Paradigm Shifts (​Changeling: the Lost​ pg. 206) can
be enacted.
Motif (Aware): ​For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction. Every time a Shift is
made, the Hedge will immediately make one of its own (use the normal system for the Hedge
spinning itself), which may or may not be of benefit to the Kindred. However, this version of the
Charm, when Learned, allows the +2 Risk option to be used even without Guidance.

The Warrior’s Epic (Destruction •••)

The Kindred or another subject has an unnatural level of finality given to their shots, almost a
weight of destiny making any attack an epic moment of destruction and triumph. Up to a number
of times over the duration equal to Potency, each subject can “upgrade” one attack they make,
causing it to deal an appropriate Tilt to the body location struck even if it wouldn’t normally be
doing enough damage; if the attack isn’t targeted, it causes the moderate Sick Tilt as the
target’s organs are disrupted and shoved about. For instance, targeting an arm and dealing only
a single point of damage will still inflict Arm Wrack.
Risk +3: ​The “doubled up” version of a Tilt is applied, where appropriate; Arm Wrack being
applied affects both arms, for instance, and Blinded will blind both eyes.
Motif (Associative):​ The subject of this Charm only benefits from it when targeting someone
that has never done them any direct harm; often, this allows for taking revenge on those that
have done the Sorcerer’s allies wrong. This version of the Charm can be learned with
Destruction ••.

Letter of the Law (Divination ••••)

Studying obscure magical laws, whether their own Kindred Praxis’ rules or the oaths of ancient
fairy tales, the Kindred gains a sense for unnatural deals. This provides them or another subject
(or subjects) with magical insight into any sort of bargain or agreement, giving them additional
dots of Politics or Occult equal to the Charm’s Potency (to their normal maximums), along with
an inherent specialty in “Oaths.”
Risk +1:​ The Kindred is inherently aware of any time when a given statement they’re about to
make would cause their words to be sealed into a supernatural bargain, pledge, oath, or similar
effect.
Risk +2: ​ The Potency can be split between Politics and Occult.
Risk +3:​ The affected skill(s) can have its rating increased to up to the Kindred’s Fae Sorcery
rating over the normal maximum.

Locksmith (Guidance ••••)

By enacting ​any​ Key the Kindred is aware of, for any sort of Gateway or Iris of any kind, they’re
able to use this ritual to open up a Hedge Gate (or Hedge Gates, theoretically), so long as that
Hedge Gate has a Key of its own. It remains open for the duration of the ritual.
Motif (Associative):​ The ritual itself can only be cast under a certain circumstance that might
act like a Key on its own, theoretically, for a gateway. For instance, it might only work when cast
at midnight on a full moon, or might only work when a certain song is sung by a child nearby.
The exact criteria should be decided when the Charm is Learned, and cannot be changed after
that, but this version of it requires only Guidance ••.

Reaping (Destruction ••••, Transmutation ••••)

Calling the Beast to the surface, but not letting it take control, the Kindred unleashes a bit of
their Aura on someone, but rather than using it to stir an emotional state, it’s used to ​steal​ an
emotional state, and sate the Beast with that loss. The targeted character loses Willpower equal
to the remaining Potency after contesting the ritual, and takes the Ravaged condition
(​Changeling: the Lost​ pg. 334) which lasts for the duration if not resolved. The resultant
Glamour is then converted into Vitae and absorbed by the Kindred; this part of the effect is
instantaneous, so the Vitae doesn’t risk turning back to Glamour after the duration.
Risk +2:​ The imposition of the Ravaged condition is also instantaneous, and so must be
resolved normally even after the duration ends.
Motif (Associative):​ This ritual must be performed to coincide with an appropriate spike of
emotion from a given target (often this is best combined with Divination ••), or else it inherently
fails. However, this version of the Charm can be learned with Transmutation •••• alone.

Hedge Golem (Transmutation •••••)

By mixing Glamour and Vitae, and casting it around a well tamed area of the Hedge
(comparatively speaking), the Kindred is able to shape the thorns and foliage of the Hedge into
a deadly servant for themselves. The Potency of this Charm defines the Retainer rating of the
creation (to a maximum of 5), and the number of Disciplines the Kindred can grant to it, that
they themself are capable of (this can include Fae Sorcery itself). This hedge creation has
Armor equal to the Durability of the hedge-stuff used to forge it, and may Hedgespin via subtle
shifts. It is capable of acting on its own, but can be directly taken control of by the Kindred.
Risk +3:​ The maximum Retainer rating becomes equal to 5 + the Kindred’s Fae Sorcery rating.
Motif (Aware):​ The creation is well disposed to the Kindred, but is not under the Kindred’s direct
control; Social Maneuvering or similar methods must be used to get it to do what the Kindred
wants. This version of the Charm can be learned at Transmutation ••••.

Transferred Debt (Guidance •••••)

All debts must be paid, but there’s no reason that the Kindred has to pay off the debt
themselves. By making an agreement with a mortal (or other non-fae individual), and offering
some level of temporal power in exchange for a “favor” or “helping with an old debt” or some
similar wording, Goblin Debt can be transferred over to them.
The subject (or subjects) gains a number of dots of a mundane, external social merit like Allies,
Contacts, Resources, or Status, equal to the Charm’s Potency (up to normal maximums), which
lasts for the duration. However, an equal number of points of Goblin Debt are transferred to the
target for that same duration, and will “expend” itself like it would for a Changeling; the exact
rate of this is up to the Storyteller, but should be spent about as often as they would be for the
Kindred or a Changeling. Any not spent by the end of the duration returns to the Vampire, so
providing a larger duration for the “favors” is generally of benefit to the Kindred.
Risk +2:​ The Potency can be split between different merits, instead of all going into one.
Motif (Subtle):​ The target cannot be made aware of any level of supernatural component to the
ritual, and so must be convinced the Vampire can mundanely provide the agreed upon merits; if
they suspect at any point that magic is involved, the remaining Debt immediately transfers back
to the Vampire and the ritual ends. This version of the Charm can be learned with Guidance ••••,
however.

Wyrd-Wrapped (Protection •••••)

Wrapping fulfilled contracts or written down promises around their ankles and wrists, the
Kindred or another subject gains a level of protection over their fate and destiny. Any
supernatural effect that the target fails to resist normally, that would alter their “fate,” “luck,”
“destiny,” bind them unwilling into an oath, change the reaction of the wider world to them (such
as with Guidance rituals), or that would cause the Kindred to break or work against a
supernatural oath or promise they’ve sworn, is contested with a Clash of Wills, up to a number
of times equal to the Charm’s Potency over the duration.
Risk +2:​ The ritual also defends against unnatural compulsions to do something the target
doesn’t want to do or that goes against their nature.
Motif (Aware):​ The Wyrd decides what does or doesn’t get protected against; it’s likely to work
against effects that would violate sworn oaths or promises of any sort, but less likely to protect
against those that would bind a Kindred to their word. Ultimately, it’s up to the Storyteller when
the target gets a Clash of Wills against it. However, this risky version of the ritual can be learned
with just Protection •••.