{"id":27462,"date":"2022-06-23T07:00:40","date_gmt":"2022-06-23T12:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/?p=27462"},"modified":"2022-06-18T08:54:54","modified_gmt":"2022-06-18T13:54:54","slug":"beneath-stolen-skin-the-evolution-of-the-chronicles-of-darkness-skinchangers-part-four","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/beneath-stolen-skin-the-evolution-of-the-chronicles-of-darkness-skinchangers-part-four\/","title":{"rendered":"Beneath Stolen Skin: The Evolution of the Chronicles of Darkness\u2019 Skinchangers PART FOUR"},"content":{"rendered":"

CW: Animal abuse, body horror<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In the first parts of this series (here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>), I reviewed White Wolf\u2019s <\/b>Chronicles of Darkness<\/b><\/i> character Template for the Skinchanger and the four books it appeared in. In the conclusion to this story, I summarize the high points of the character while considering what still needs to be developed in order to bring the Skinchanger into their own.<\/p>\n

WHY DIDN\u2019T SKINCHANGERS GAIN A WIDER FOLLOWING?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Over fifteen years, two systems, and four books later, I\u2019m circling back to the original consideration that turned this into a series: Why did this character Template get its own sourcebook and various levels of support, yet remains obscure and overlooked. In a universe with vampires, werewolves, mages, faeries, hunters, mummies, demons, Frankenstein\u2019s monsters, wraiths, geists, ghosts, beasts, deviants, psychics, slashers, and more, how did the Skinchanger warrant a whole sourcebook and several followups, but not find its place among the other masses?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>While you can do a chronicle about Skinchangers (I\u2019m speaking from firsthand knowledge), these characters and their world are less of a full campaigning option than side characters in a larger chronicle. To date, they lack the mythology to really build a layered, complex modern urban horror tale. Add to that, they do not strike fear into the hearts of the other supernatural beings of the wider Chronicles of Darkness<\/b><\/i> universe. A skinchanger couldn\u2019t win in a fight with a werewolf or a vampire. They lack the powers to deal with anyone stronger than a lone, novice hunter. Sure, they might be able to put up some resistance against a true supernatural adversary, more than a mere mortal, anyway, but the conclusion is foregone. In its original incarnation, Skinchangers were for use with the New World of Darkness Rulebook (1st Edition)<\/b><\/i><\/a>, but didn\u2019t truly fit in.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not their lack of clarity within their lore, it\u2019s the core concept. The World of Darkness<\/b><\/i> and Chronicles of Darkness<\/b><\/i> deal with deep, personal horror. Bad things happen to people in these games. But, generally, bad things do not happen to animals in these games. Sure, people get eaten and the like, but skinning a dog and wearing the hide is a big step into player discomfort.<\/p>\n

In stories, there\u2019s a character device named \u201cPet the Dog.\u201d This storytelling technique has the hero literally be kind to a dog or other animal so the audience knows they are a good character. Consider that as you consider one of the more difficult aspects of their character canon: A skinchanger gains their power by wearing the skin of an animal, one that they skinned, typically. How they obtained the skin (hunting and skinning or being presented it in some fashion) varies, but the end result is the kind of horror that many players avoid. People love their pets. Threatening them, even in fiction, can be a step too far.<\/p>\n

That said, some of the books I\u2019ve shared contain options to remove the central horror element from this narrative. Your character can get their power from a spirit and make the change without using a skin. In other words, there\u2019s an option in which no animals were harmed in the making of this chronicle. The central concept of Skinchangers involves horrific acts that many would be uncomfortable with. Thus, having a gore-free option makes sense. That said, without the central anchor, this game loses its brand of personal horror. If your character can get their power and no one is hurt, what\u2019s the cost to the PC\u2019s humanity? Within the wider world of the Chronicles of Darkness<\/b><\/i>, this removes its connection with the terrors that drive the rest of the series.<\/p>\n

WHAT <\/b>NEEDS TO SHIFT<\/b><\/h2>\n

The available skinchanger books lay a great foundation for the mechanical side of the concept, but each has a flaw: What\u2019s the story? In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone<\/b><\/i> when Rubeus Hagrid states, \u201cYou\u2019re a wizard, Harry!\u201d every member of the audience understands the adventures those words make possible because, as a culture, we all know what wizards are. To give another example, take Vampire: The Masquerade<\/b><\/i>. The title sums up the whole of its adventures: You\u2019re a vampire but you need to blend among your prey.<\/p>\n

In contrast, Skinchanger is a power, not a story. Storytellers and players may not be sure what the overall goal is, and after four supplements with limited adventure ideas, that\u2019s a fair concern. How do Hunters feel about skinchangers? Do Werewolves kill them as perversions of the Wyrm? Do ghost hunters and psychics hear and see the horrors that skinchangers have visited on their animal victims?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Counter to the obvious significance of words like \u201cwerewolf\u201d or \u201chunter,\u201d Skinchanger, or even the more descriptive Skinthief, do not throw open the doorway to epic adventures. Most likely players will deem it more of a power than a plot. In fact, that\u2019s part of the genius of Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras<\/b><\/i><\/a> and Borrowed Power\u2019s<\/b><\/i><\/a> move from a Template to a Merit. As a Template, there must be a larger reason for these characters to exist because Templates are a foundational part of your character. But flipping the scope from the Template to a Merit, this just becomes an option that a character might possess.<\/p>\n

Of the four books, Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras<\/b><\/i><\/a> gave the most world. Just by saying you\u2019re a shapechanger in the jungles of central America during the height of the Aztec Empire, there\u2019s a concept to sink your teeth into. That setting gives the powers of skinthieves context. Yet, it\u2019s also the book that first moves the power from a character level concern to a Merit which takes the focus off of Skinchangers as a class in need of a specific narrative. The other books focus more on the powers and the types of characters that would have this power without tying the concepts into a world.<\/p>\n

This is to say, with the next book or revision that includes Skinchangers as a Template, a setting that ties the skinthieves into the wider world would be a welcome addition to their mechanics. Expanding on their existing mythology would offer a wider world worth exploring.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, an animal bestiary would be a welcome addition for this concept. This is a hard game to throw together since the number of animals with stats in CoD<\/b> is limited. A book of animals, even if they\u2019re just broad categories like \u201cCanine, Small\u201d and \u201cFeline, Large\u201d, would open up more gaming options for the Skinchanger.<\/p>\n

SHOULD YOU CHANGE SKINS?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Should you add Skinchangers to your Chronicles of Darkness<\/b><\/i> campaign? Will they fit or cause challenges. There\u2019s two considerations with this: Your narrative and your tastes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Narratively, this class could add some spice to any CoD<\/b> story focused on Mortals. As a power, Skinchangers aren\u2019t game changers, they have some unexpected enhancements, but not so much that they\u2019ll dominate a fight against another mortal.<\/p>\n

Going deeper and exploring a Skinchangers campaign, that\u2019s where you\u2019ll need to get creative. Your characters can take an animal\u2019s power and transform into that animal, what do you do with that? Can you come up with a scenario? Yes. Can you carry it through a campaign and achieve all that you wanted to? Yes. But it\u2019s not as easily spelled out as some other gaming options.<\/p>\n

Switching from PCs to NPCs, Skinchangers are a great villain option between Hunters and Werewolves. As antagonists, a group of Skinchangers that wear Werewolf pelts would be a great mystery for a pack to deal with. Not too powerful, but a specific threat, and one that\u2019s parallel to the Wyrm. They might even be co-opted by Hunters to put more pressure on Werewolves. Going the other direction, Hunters facing off against a Skinchanger or a group of them could be interesting.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s change tack and talk about Skinchangers and your gaming table\u2019s tastes. To be blunt and grotesque, Skinchangers capture and kill animals for barbaric purposes. This concept may not sit well with your gaming table or you as a storyteller. Before you can enter into a Skinchangers campaign or even a character option, you need to be sure that no one is going to be hurt by the concept of wearing a skin in order to take its power.<\/p>\n

Overall, if your table approves of the core concepts of this horror and you have a story to tell with the Skinchangers, then I recommend sampling the below books. You can select the system and character type that works best for your campaign. Best of all, if you write up your own Skinchanger ideas, you can add them to the community content available via the Storytellers Vault<\/b>.<\/p>\n

FURTHER READING<\/b><\/h2>\n

If you are interested in the books featuring Skinchangers, then try out these publications.<\/p>\n