Banality

People and places have banality ratings. In general, being in a particularly banal place causes Changelings some discomfort. If a place is sufficiently banal, the location even impacts the Changeling’s own Banality.

If a changeling is in a place with, or spends more than an hour in close proximity to, a location or a character with a banality of 2 or more greater than the Changeling’s own banality rating for more than an hour, the changeling performs a simple test. On a loss, the changeling gains a point of Ennui. The Banality of a location does not impact the Dauntain.

Banal Locations

Location Qualities

Dross

Your location has either naturally-occurring or creatively-manufactured physical Glamour on display which reduces the general banality of the location. These objects are called Dross. Natural dross can take the form of interesting rocks, acorns, and crystals — the sorts of things people find fascinating for no particular reason. Man-made dross appears as everyday objects that have absorbed Glamour due to their proximity to a creative person. Not only can paintings and handwritten poems become dross, but the tools and everyday objects used to create these works might also transform. A typewriter bearing witness to the original draft of a great work may contain some quantity of Glamour, as might a paintbrush used by a famous artist — alongside whatever Glamour the actual works contain.

As an additional effect of Dross, changelings may harvest Glamour here.

Prestige and Iconic locations may have this quality twice, stacking the effects. This effect stacks with other qualities that lower Banality.

Banal Modifiers

A character’s banality can be modified based on certain situations. To calculate a character or location’s modifier, add the highest positive modifier to the highest negative modifier from the reference table.

Kindred / Vampires

Modifier	General	Merits/Flaws
-2	• Crafts or Performance 6+ • Has 3 or more derangements (1st derangement does not count for Malkavians)	• Fae Blood merit • The Friendly Folk • Fae Supernatural Ally
-1	• Crafts or Performance 4+ • Has a derangement (1st derangement does not count for Malkavians)	• Absent Sway • Abstract Awareness • Confusing Realities • Curiosity • Ephemeral Rhapsody • Greater Colors • Labyrinthine Mind • Magic Susceptibility • Nightmares • Songs Beyond Mortal Ken • Sophistry • Strength of Madness • Thin-Blooded • Visceral Artisan • Whisper of Life • Quixotic
+1	• Generation (•••) • 2 or more dots in Cybernetics • Under the effects of a 3-point blood bond • Humanity rating of 3 or less or Path of Enlightenment • Any dots in Temporis or Necromancy	• Artless • Blasé • Coldly Logical • Dead Giveaway • Jaded Existence • Pedantic • Sectarian • Madness Hunter • Magic Resistance • Web of Knives
+2	• Generation (••••) • 4 or more dots in Cybernetics • Humanity Rating of 1 or 2 or Path of Enlightenment with Morality of 3 or less • Any dots in Thaumaturgy: Technomancy	• Archaic • Dull • Dauntain supernatural ally
+3	• Generation (•••••) • Any dots in Daimoinon	• Beacon of the Unholy • Death Sight

Mortals / Ghouls

Modifier	General
-1	• Crafts or Performance 4+ • Has a derangement • Lives in a low-banality location (rating 5 or less) • Habitual user of mind-altering substances • Kinfolk • Sorcerers and Numinous Mortals
+1	• Currently a ghoul or under the effects of vampire disciplines • Has come in contact with the Dauntain in the last month • Works a government job or in a banal location (rating 8 or more) • Banal hobbies, like watching TV and playing video games • 2 or more dots in Cybernetics • Weaver-affiliated Kinfolk • True Faith hunters
+2	• 4 or more dots in Cybernetics • Autumn People

Locations

Modifier	General	Qualities
-2	• Heirlooms or Chimeras on display (Dross x2)	• Artistic
-1	• Local, single-owner businesses • Owned by a Changeling • Dream Stones or Mementos on display (Dross x1)	• Dead Zone • Venue • Workshop
+1	• Is owned by a vampire • Franchise or corporate-owned • Is the haven of a vampire with a banality of 5-7 • A Ravaging has occurred here in the last year	• Cutting Edge
+2	• Is the haven of a vampire with a banality of 8+	• Laboratory

Default Banality Reference Table

Rating	Locations	Mortals	Supernaturals
0	• The Dreaming
1	• The Deep Umbra		• Foundlings
2	• Umbral Homes		• Errants
3	• The Middle Umbra	• Young Children • Animals
4	• Untouched Wilderness	• Adolescents	• Eidolons
5	• Rural Areas • Gardens, Concerts, Art Galleries		• Legends • Most Mages • Wyld Spirits
6	• Parks, Museums, Libraries		• Kiasyd • Garou and other Wyld-affiliated Fera
7	• Public Buildings	• Average Adults	• Daughters of Cacophony, Malkavians, Toreador, Followers of Set • Wraiths • Black Shadow Dancers and Wyrm-affiliated Fera
8	• Shopping Malls, Office Buildings, Commercial Real-Estate • Stygian Fortresses	• Static-minded Adults • Seniors	• Brujah, Caitiff, Gangrel, Gargoyles, Nosferatu, Ravnos, Tremere, Tzimisce • Banes • Weaver-affiliated Fera • Technocracy Mages
9	• Government Buildings, Prisons • The Tempest	• Autumn People	• Assamites, Baali, Cappadocians, Lasombra, Salubri, Ventrue, Giovanni • Weaver Spirits • Spectres
10	• Technocracy Strongholds • Dauntain Strongholds		• Dauntain