Character Creation Simplified

Since the character creation steps in the Changeling book can be a bit wordy, here's the gist of it boiled down to the base mechanics. You can find character sheets (including interactive ones) at MrGone's Character Sheets.

Step One: Choose Concept
The idea behind your character. A simple phrase, or even a paragraph. Can include seeming, kith, Court, etc.

Step Two: Select Attributes
Primary: 5 dots

Secondary: 4 dots

Tertiary: 3 dots

First dot is free, fifth dot costs two.

Step Three: Select Skills
Primary: 11 dots

Secondary: 7 dots

Tertiary: 4 dots

No free dots to start, fifth dot costs two.

Step Four: Select Skill Specialties
Three free skill specialties.

Seeming and Kith
Gain one free specialty to Athletics, Brawl, or Stealth just for being a changeling. Can go kithless (no kith blessing).
 * Beast: animal-blooded changelings
 * Darkling: changelings that go bump in the night
 * Elemental: children of the raw elements of nature
 * Fairest: the elegant, adored, graceful, and manipulative
 * Ogre: the brutes and giants
 * Wizened: the cunning and crafty wondermakers

All canon kiths

Court
Get one free dot of the appropriate Mantle (unless Courtless).
 * Spring: Desire. Reject the pain and sorrow of your imprisonment.
 * Summer: Wrath. Gather strength to fight against your erstwhile captors.
 * Autumn: Fear. Find strength in fae magic, fighting fire with fire.
 * Winter: Sorrow. Hide under layers of deception, avoiding recapture.
 * Courtless: No Court affiliation (no Mantle, no Court contracts past 1 dot).

Court affiliation can be changed later in-game.

Wyrd
First dot free. Additional dots cost 3 Merit dots per dot of Wyrd.

Contracts
5 dots free.

2 minimum must be spent in seeming and Court affinity Contracts. Contract clauses (dot levels) must be purchased sequentially.

Only one-dot Goblin Contracts may be purchased at character creation. Goblin Contracts are not purchased sequentially.

Step Six: Select Merits
7 dots free. Can be spent on Wyrd (3 per additional Wyrd dot).

Willpower
Resolve + Composure

Clarity
Start at 7. May reduce by up to two dots at character creation for 5 xp per dot sacrificed.

Kenning available at Clarity 6+. Perception penalties start at Clarity 5 and increase as you get lower.

Glamour

 * Wyrd 1: 10 Max Glamour, 1 Glamour can be spent per turn. Starting Glamour Pool: 5 (+ Harvest)
 * Wyrd 2: 11 Max Glamour, 2 Glamour can be spent per turn. Starting Glamour Pool: 6 (+ Harvest)
 * Wyrd 3: 12 Max Glamour, 3 Glamour can be spent per turn. Starting Glamour Pool: 6 (+ Harvest)

Virtues and Vices
Virtues: Charity, Faith, Fortitude, Hope, Justice, Prudence, Temperance

Vices: Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth, Wrath

Mirrors Option: Personal Labels — Choose a specific label for your Virtue/Vice to easier define it. Examples:
 * "There's always a reason" (Believer) for Faith
 * "Follows through on chosen tasks" (Conviction) for Fortitude
 * "Likes to pick fights" (Brawler) for Wrath
 * "Likes to get high all the time" (Junkie) for Gluttony

Flaws (Optional)
All WoD Flaws

As many flaws as you like at character creation, but only 2 will provide bonus XP when they become a hinderance to your character in-game.

Step Eight: The Spark of Life
In short, if you haven't filled out the questionnaire yet, now's the time to do it.