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_Breed

_Homid

_{The most common of all the breeds, homid Garou are born to a human or homid mother and suffer from her lack of connection to Gaia. Because humanity has separated itself from the Wyld and has become focused on the trials and tribulations of civilization, members of the homid breed have become disassociated from their wild inner selves.}

_{This is why so many homids are lost cubs, Lunatics who do not know their true heritage. Many times the Kin Fetch (see “Baptism by Fire”) for a homid will be lost when she is young, and a homid child will have her First Change in a strange place without Garou aid. Still, it might be argued that the homids are the most hardy of the breeds, able to adapt to almost any environmental threat. Many Garou believe that the homids will be the last breed to fall before the end of the Apocalypse.}

• _{Natural Form: Homid}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Persuasion, Smell of Man.}
• _{Beginning Gnosis: Homids begin with only one Gnosis Trait.}

_Lupus

_{This is a Garou whose mother is either a wolf or a lupus Garou. This breed is the least represented among the Garou population. It is a sad state of affairs when even the metis, who are considered abominations among some of the Garou, are more populous than the lupus. This is, in part, because of the nearly genocidal killing of wolves throughout North America and Europe.}

_{Wolves once had the largest natural range of any terrestrial mammal except man. Currently, the only significant populations of wolves in North America are in Canada, Alaska and northern Minnesota.}

_{Part of playing a lupus character is understanding her lupine nature. You must keep in mind some facts about wolves that make lupus Garou different from homid or metis Garou.}

_{Wolves are nocturnal or crepuscular (meaning that they come out at night or twilight), although diurnal activity, especially during cool weather and in winter, is not uncommon. Lupus Garou are often “night creatures” and tend to be lazy and sleepy during the day. They are almost entirely carnivorous. Some lupus Garou have adapted enough to eat foods other than meat, but they usually like their meat bloody, warm and freshly killed.}

_{Lupus do not understand some human concepts at first. The concept of time is difficult, as is using money and operating technology (the lupus refer to it as “weavertech”). Human laws, bureaucracy and computers are totally alien to them.}

_{Also, lupus do not communicate like humans do. In fact, they have to learn human tongues by painstakingly taking Homid form and trying to form strange words. They are used to howling, posturing and marking territory with their scent glands to get their point across.}

_{Lupus characters howl during mating, during courtship, as a warning, as part of worshipping the moon and in celebration. In addition to howling, wolves also bark, growl and whine. The bark is associated with surprise and warning. Growling occurs during challenges and is associated with threatening others or asserting one’s rights. Whines are associated with greetings, hungry cubs, playtime and other signs of anxiety, curiosity or inquiry. These noises are intimate messages that lupus Garou make to other wolves and to each other.}

_{Lupus will posture to show dominance: the most common pose for this is placing one’s paw on another lupus as that lupus rolls over to accept dominance. Lupus also mark possessions and territories with their scent glands, which, in Crinos form, are located on the wrists and the neck.}

_{The dominant members of a lupus pack are the alpha male and alpha female. In a lupus pack, only the alpha pair breeds with wolves, and this pair also suppresses breeding in all other pack members. However, all pack members will help care for pups and feed them as well. Unlike homid and metis Garou, many lupus packs also have Kin-folk wolves as members.}

_{Lupus Garou respect other Garou more when they take Lupus form to communicate with them. They generally have a hard time considering possible actions in terms of future results or as a result of past actions. They live in the present for the most part, and often take the most logical, most common-sense course of action rather than involving themselves in complicated schemes. They do not often make elaborate plans— instinct usually guides them.}

_{They believe that Gaia watches over them, and that she will provide for them. They are perhaps the most spiritual of the breeds. They are known to respect Theurges (of any breed) more than the other auspices, and in the Umbra, they show respect for all spirits encountered.}

• _{Natural Form: Lupus}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Heightened Senses, Catfeet}
• _{Beginning Gnosis: Lupus Garou begin with three Gnosis Traits.}
• _{Restrictions: A lupus cannot have certain Backgrounds or Abilities}

_Metis

_{When a Garou mates with another Garou, the result is a metis. This mating is proscribed by the Litany and is usually considered a perversion among the Garou. In these last days, when so many Garou are dying and not many are born among the lupus or homids, it is very tempting for some of the remaining Garou to consider producing more Garou this way. Still, the fact that they are born disfigured is proof enough to most Garou that metis are somehow tainted by the Wyrm from birth.}

_{Despite the stigma, metis do usually grow up fully aware of their Garou heritage and have the unmistakable proof that they are Garou from the day they are born. This is a powerful thing, largely because they do not have to go through the traumatic First Change as homids or the lupus do, and they are often taught Beginning Gifts before they even show signs of changing. They sometimes take their first trip in the Umbra as children, as it is a simple thing for them to step sideways even before they first learn to walk. It is a good thing that a metis has Garou parents— not many human parents could handle a toddler whose natural form is a growling Crinos. Garou mothers usually assume Crinos form in order to give birth to metis, but the births are always difficult and dangerous.}

_{Metis are considered to be the cursed of Gaia because of the sin that caused their birth. They are, by nature, infertile, and they each have at least one disfigurement. The disfigurement is always detrimental (see Metis Disfigurements )}

• _{Natural Form: Crinos. Unlike homid or lupus Garou, metis always regenerate their damage in Crinos. They are truly an amalgam of human and wolf, and there is no true “natural” form for them to assume.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Sense Wyrm, Create Element}
• _{Beginning Gnosis: Two Gnosis Traits}

_{Metis Disfigurements}

_{You must choose a disfigurement from the list below or make up your own and have it approved by your Narrator. All mandatory Negative Traits do not count towards the normal bonuses gained by Negative Traits (you cannot gain extra Traits simply by choosing to play a metis).}

Hunchback:	You cannot take any of the following Social Traits: Beguiling, Charming, Elegant, Friendly, Gorgeous, Magnetic, Persuasive or Seductive. You must take the Negative Trait: Repugnant.
Malformed Limb:	You cannot take the Physical Trait: Dexterous, and you must take the Negative Trait: Lame.
Widely Spaced Eyes:	You are automatically recieve a one Trait penalty when bidding for ranged attacks, and you must take the Negative Social Trait: Bestial.
Musk:	You smell. Most humans attribute this to bad perfume, but it sets animals on edge, and it causes lupus Garou to avoid you. You are easily tracked by your smell, and you must take the Negative Social Trait: Obnoxious.
Madness:	You are slightly mad. Your mental “wiring” is a little bit off. When in a stressful situation, you must spend a Willpower Trait or have a temporary Derangement imposed on you by a Narrator. This can cause many Garou to distrust you.
Cleft Lip:	You have a cleft lip— at least you can snarl. You must take the Negative Social Trait: Repugnant, but it only applies to homid or human opponents. You should roleplay this disability: it’s hard for others to understand you when you get excited.
Bad Hearing:	You must take the Negative Mental Trait: Oblivious, and you must roleplay your disability. This can actually be useful: you can encourage other Garou to repeat themselves. Of course, many Garou have frenzied for simpler reasons.
Hairless:	You have no hair on your body. This is not necessarily a disadvantage in homid form, although you will probably attract some notice. In any other form, however, other Garou will shun you. You must take the Negative Social Trait: Repugnant, which applies to Garou only. When it is cold, you must also take the Negative Trait: Delicate, which applies to nearly every situation.
Lack of Claws:	You have no claws, and you do not do aggravated damage, ever. The only way you can fight efficiently in wolf form is if you create some kind of fetish that gives you weaponry in that form. Furthermore, you need twice the amount of Glory if Glory is a requirement for you to advance in Rank. It’s a wonder that you weren’t euthanized at birth.
Human Face:	You retain a human face in all your forms. This is disgusting to most Garou— take the Negative Social Trait: Bestial (only other Garou can use this Trait against you, however). You also do not gain any Trait bonuses for perception while in Lupus form.

_Auspices

_{The Touch of Luna}

_{It is often difficult to explain the nature of auspice to those who don’t have Garou blood coursing through their veins. Some, in their ignorance, assume it to be some form of petty astrology. Others with some understanding of such things dislike the sense of destiny this idea suggests. Many young Garou who are disdainful of anything that hints at constraint make similar false assumptions. One’s auspice is not a predestined and inflexible path a Garou is forced to follow. Instead, it is a silvery beacon that serves to illuminate her path through life. The influence of an auspice comes as much from within as it does from without.}

_{Auspice also serves as an important focus of Garou social life. The Garou as a whole lack the vast diversity of potential interaction that their human counterparts enjoy. Therefore, it is not uncommon for Garou of the same auspice to gather together for fellowship. These meetings are informal and not at all closed to other Garou. The “Society” section provides more details on these meetings.}

_{In addition to the distinctions of the phases of the moon, many werewolves notice a difference between a Garou with a waxing auspice and one with a waning auspice. When waxing, the moon provides a more positive, aggressive and direct auspice. When waning, the moon causes a more negative, introspective and indirect auspice. Thus, a waxing Galliard may be a great public performer, while a waning Galliard may only create songs for herself and dwell on things in quiet places.}

_{It should be noticed that the brighter, more clearly-seen planets (Mars, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter) are sometimes also noted in the night sky on the day a Garou is born, as well as whether those planets are rising or falling in the sky. Saturn is ignored, as it is regarded as the “Star of the Wyrm.”}

_Ragabash

_{The penultimate outsiders, Ragabash are the breakers of boundaries, the outcasts, the rogues, the pranksters and the scapegoats of Garou society. They are always playing the fool, breaking rules and making new paths and new traditions.}

_{Some Ragabash rebel just because it is their nature, while others do it out of a reasoned and essential need to question authority. Sometimes a No-Moon can go from a cynical hardcase to a trusting idiot in seconds. They are often adept at following their noses, listening to their instincts and trusting in their luck.}

_{They’re often found in the midst of trouble, and when they’re caught, they usually claim innocence. Whether a Ragabash is responsible or reckless, it’s quite likely that he can get himself out of just about any situation he uncovers.}

_{The Coyote Totem has been known to consort with Ragabash, and they are fond of playing jokes not just on Garou, but also on mages, vampires and especially faeries.}

_{Ragabash are not tied to tradition: indeed, they are expected to break it. They usually follow rules only when it suits them.}

• _{Beginning Gifts: Blur of the Milky Eye, Open Seal, Scent of Running Water.}
• _{Nickname: Trickster, No-Moon}
• _{Stereotype: A Ragabash is regarded as a shifty, untrustworthy prankster who must be watched every minute. In reality, however, only Garou who lack a sense of humor have something to fear.}
• _{Beginning Rage: A Ragabash begins with one Rage Trait.}

_{Quote: “Just because the Moon is dark doesn’t mean that we walk always in darkness. We hold within us the inner light of Gaia, and we find our way out of the darkness to new paths that were never before known. We are the pathfinders, the scouts for our Garou brothers. We will always be on the outside, but we are an intrinsic part of the Garou Nation.”}

_Theurge

_{Theurges explore the paths of the spirit and are most familiar with the spirit world. They serve as healers, prophets, warders, exorcists, diviners, spiritual counselors, purifiers, artificers and summoners. They use spirits to accomplish their magic, and many Theurges develop rites of their own to use when they reach elder status.}

_{Because they are allied with the spirit world, they often have conversations with people who aren’t there and develop complicated superstitions. Some of these superstitions are geasa laid on them by spirits. (See “Geasa” in the section on “Spirits” and as part of the Rite of Spirit Summoning.)}

• _{Beginning Gifts: Mother’s Touch, Sense Wyrm, Spirit Speech}
• _{Nicknames: Seer, Shaman}
• _{Stereotype: Although Theurges are powerful in the spirit world, the more physically-oriented Garou often see Theurges as strange, unearthly and weak in combat. This is not the case: many Theurges learn the martial arts in order to potentially intimidate or do battle with spirits.
  Still, it is not a coincidence that many of the Theurges of a sept will tend to gather together in Medicine Circles, for only a true Theurge can truly understand another.}
• _{Beginning Rage: Theurges begin with two Rage Traits.}

_{Quote: “Quiet! Do you hear the wind? I’ve listened to its sighs every morning and every evening for the space of a moon. Do you know why? I await my messenger, who has been sent into the Deep Umbra to search out other realms and other places. What do you think it will say when it returns? Will it still speak my language? Will it hold secrets of a new race of people? Will it tell the tale of another Gaia-spirit out there in the void? Or will it never return, like a stone dropped in a bottomless well? Quiet! Listen! You may hear something...”}

_Philodox

_{Much about the Garou is a matter of balance: balance between wolf and man, spirit and flesh, and creation and destruction. Born when Luna’s face sits on the threshold between light and darkness, Philodox are the physical incarnation of this balance. Among the Garou, they are known for their unbiased outlook. Indeed, the words of a Philodox are often taken to heart by the most radical of Garou factions. They value this honor and strive to maintain their image as fair and impartial judges in the eyes of other Garou. The Philodox who does otherwise may find himself ostracized by other Half-Moons.}

_{A Philodox character is often the mediator and peace-maker in his pack. As she grows older and wiser, she should expect to be called upon as a judge and arbitrator for a wide variety of matters. And although a Philodox can not help but see the world in terms of balance, she is loathe to express her views unless others ask her. This reluctance to become involved often makes her seem unconcerned to other auspices. Sometimes, by “playing the devil’s advocate,” she actually hinders necessary split-second decisions. Such is her nature, however, and few would argue her inestimable value to the already fractious Garou.}

• _{Beginning Gifts: Resist Pain, Scent of the True Form, Truth of Gaia}
• _{Nickname: Bard}
• _{Stereotype: The Philodox are often seen as mediators. Of all the Garou, they are typically perceived as being the most honorable.}
• _{Initial Rage: A Philodox begins with three Rage Traits.}

_{Quote: “You do not know of what you speak. Do you both truly mean the curses that you spit at each other? Would the two of you truly tear each other apart? Would you slay your own brother while the Wyrm coils and readies to strike at us from the darkness? Have you no wits about you? Now is the time for unity, not strife— the Apocalypse is nearly upon us!”}

_Galliard

_{The Garou born under this phase of the moon are imbued with the spark of creation. The greatest poems, songs and tales of the Garou have sprung from their fertile minds. Their thoughts are like quicksilver, racing and fluid, dashing headlong into places where few other Garou give a passing glance. The Moon Dancers lead the sept in its howls during the time of the moot. Their energetic and inspirational performances infect the whole sept, filling them with a sense of belonging and tradition. This is an important role in a time when so many Garou are losing their sense of direction and purpose.}

_{The Galliard character is a creative and intuitive spirit. He will be the member of her pack most likely to come up with an original or previously unconsidered solution to a problem. This Trait, combined with the ability to quickly and powerfully communicate his unique views to others, often allows a Galliard to inspire his fellows to great accomplishments. However, his continual deviance from the norm threatens some conservative Garou. This lack of restraint is deeply ingrained into the Galliard auspice. A Galliard will sometimes have to force himself to stick with time-honored or direct solutions, even when they are the best options.}

• _{Beginning Gifts: Beast Life, Call of the Wyld, Mindspeak}
• _{Nickname: Moon Dancer}
• _{Stereotype: The Galliard are seen as having little sense of restraint and no sense of self-control. Instead, they possess a great capacity to understand others and guide them.}
• _{Initial Rage: Galliards begin with four Rage Traits.}

_{Quote: “Your traditions and customs confine you like chains. Who are you to question passion? That is the only truth before Gaia. I will be true to myself as I live my life.”}

_Ahroun

_{The Ahroun are the undisputed battlelords of the Garou. Born under the power and majesty of the full moon, they are the first in battle and the last to retreat. Even as pups, those born under the full moon are taught the martial ways and take great pride in their warrior status. The impending Apocalypse requires strong warriors, both in mind and body, to assault the forces of the Wyrm, and the Ahroun of all Thirteen Tribes are prepared to face that challenge.}

_{Most prefer death to defeat, and many have lived and died by this ideal.Unlike other auspices in the Thirteen Tribes, the Ahroun do not segregate themselves because of their tribes. They tend to be a close-knit family despite tribal politics. It is a familiar sight to see Ahroun from all tribes congregate to share tales of glory while those of other auspices remain detached from their peers. Other Garou could learn a lesson from their example.}

• _{Beginning Gifts: Razor Claws, Inspiration, The Falling Touch}
• _{Nickname: Spirit Warrior}
• _{Stereotype: The Ahroun are seen as rugged individuals and leaders (at least in times of war). They are perceived as being socially inept, often showing too much of their wolf-like nature when in public.}
• _{Initial Rage: Ahroun begin with five Rage Traits.}

_{Quote: “Death holds no power over me, for I do not fear it. I will gladly meet her vicious onslaught and rend her very essence with my teeth and claws before she brings me down. These are the final days, the Apocalypse. My death is already accounted for in the grand scheme of things— it is only a question of when I will die in battle.”}

_Tribes

_{Black Furies}

_{The Black Furies exist as a counterpoint to the somewhat male-dominated Garou society. Ever since their ancestors left the rest of the Garou and went to the farthest places to establish a place where they could be alone, Black Furies have been separate and strong. They believe that their Goddess, Artemis (Luna in another guise), wants them to remain apart from men. The only men in their tribe are those who are of the infertile metis breed.}

_{They believe that their tribe has remained strong and pure with their own heritage throughout the centuries, and they can trace their heritage all the way back to prehistoric times.}

_{Among the Furies, there are many reactions to the current Apocalypse. Some choose to save everyone they can, some choose to defend only women, some search through the world looking for lost sacred places and missing artifacts, and some choose to worship Artemis as their Goddess. Despite these disparate goals, they are all united under one tribe, and when they are unified under a common cause and bring their might to bear, they are a powerful foe.}

• _{Totem: Pegasus}
• _{Initial Willpower: One Trait}
• _{Tribe Advantage: Sisterhood
  A Black Fury can share Willpower Traits with any other Fury or any other female member of her pack.}
• _{Tribe Drawback: Protectors of the Daughter
  The totem of the Black Furies will provide them with a spiritual warning whenever a woman in the area is in danger. This warning (or call) can come at any time and will usually supersede the Black Furies’ other priorities. A Black Fury can ignore this call if she expends one Willpower Trait. However, she may lose Honor or Glory because of it.}
• _{Backgrounds: Black Furies may select any Background.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Sense Wyrm, Heightened Senses, Sense of the Prey}
• _{Wolf Form: Black Furies tend to be dark, with a glossy coat and white or silver streaks. A few of them have natural double-headed ax tattoos or birthmarks.}
• _{Organization: The Black Furies are run by two major bodies, called Calyxes. The Outer Calyx is made up of 13 ranked Black Furies from all over the world, chosen by lot. The Inner Calyx consists of five Furies chosen directly by Artemis herself. The Outer Calyx coordinates Fury actions all over the world and provides regional administrators. The Inner Calyx’s five positions equate to the five auspices and act as a council, deciding policy, interpreting tradition and creating laws for the tribe. Those who Artemis calls for the Inner Calyx are of all ranks and abilities, not just the elders of the tribe, and this has caused some discord among the Outer Calyx, who believe that they should be chosen for service eventually.}
• _{Habitat: Wherever there is wilderness left in the world, the Black Furies will be there. Wherever there are ancient artifacts that might fall into the talons of the Wyrm, the Black Furies will be ready to fight. Wherever there are women in danger, the Black Furies will come to their aid.}
• _{Protectorate: Black Furies see themselves as protectors of the Wyld, a force that embodies the source of mystery and the force of Nature. They tend the wild places that are left in the World of Darkness, and they have charged themselves with the recovery, protection and conservation of ancient, semi-mythical places and things. They see themselves as protectors of women and unspoiled places, and they will go to great lengths to uphold their duty to them.}
• _{Outlook: The Black Furies ally themselves with the Children of Gaia and the Silent Striders, as they usually work together well. They respect the Stargazers, the Wendigo and the Red Talons, but can’t seem to get along with them. They dislike the Fianna, the Glass Walkers and the Bone Gnawers, but they will not usually raise talons against them. They dearly hate the Get of Fenris and the Shadow Lords, and they sorely resent the position of dominance the Silver Fangs hold, although they follow the wisdom of their leaders and generally only attack these politically powerful Garou when they have permission. You can expect Black Furies to give most men “attitude.” The stereotype of all Black Furies as hardcases is misleading... even if it does contain a kernel of truth.}

_{Quote: “Follow you? Why? You show as much common sense as a half-trained cub. I wouldn’t follow you into a paper bag, because I’m sure you couldn’t find your way out of one!”}

_{Bone Gnawers}

_{As hungry mutts, the Bone Gnawers have survived for centuries using their canny ability to sniff out food and sneak about unseen. It’s possible that they were originally of jackal stock, although their legends say that they were the “runt” of the litter back in the old days: young, tough, and stringy. Today, they tend to be play the role of convenient scapegoats, although the Children of Gaia tend to stick up for them in septs. A few Bone Gnawers have gained enough Renown on their own to form their own septs. They often discover or build caerns in the secret places of the city they use on their own.}

_{Throughout history, Bone Gnawers have followed the dispossessed and the homeless. They hate slavery and oppression in general, but they’re usually too busy just surviving to care about most of Garou politics.}

_{Because they are allied with all the dogs in any given city (through a complex system of communication called the “Barking Chain”), and because they know many secrets about the sewers and the tunnels underneath the city, the Bone Gnawers are pretty much in the know about what goes on in any metropolitan area. This is as much a survival tactic as it is a strategic activity: they need to know when it’s time to flee a sinking ship once things go wrong.}

• _{Totem: The Rat}
• _{Initial Willpower: Two Traits}
• _{Tribe Advantage: Finking
  Bone Gnawers always have an inkling as to what is going on in the city in which they live. As a result, they can gain an instant Influence Trait in any area for the purpose of gathering information. This can be done once per session per level of Rank.}
• _{Tribe Drawback:
  Bone Gnawers are often regarded as filthy, second-class Garou because of their lifestyles. Because of this, a Bone Gnawer must first gain the approval and sponsorship of an elder who is not a Bone Gnawer before he can gain any Honor, Glory or Wisdom Renown.}
• _{Backgrounds: Bone Gnawers may not take the Pure Breed Background or the Finance Influence.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Scent of Sweet Honey, Odious Aroma}
• _{Wolf Form: Bone Gnawers look much like large street dogs. They often pass for them in open view of humans, although this has its own dangers: many Bone Gnawers have been caught by Animal Control units and taken to city pounds, where they orchestrate stealthy and ingenious breakouts. Their coats have reddish-brown or gray fur, and they’re usually smaller than other Garou in that form.}
• _{Organization: Bone Gnawers live together in family groups that are usually the result of choice, not breeding. Because they are generally despised by the rest of the Garou for their apparent breeding (they’re mongrels) and because of their smell, they tend to flock together and even form septs all their own. They are ruled by their Mothers and Fathers, respected elders who gain Renown among them by providing food (Honor), collecting interesting things (Glory) and staying alive (Wisdom).
  Because of their status and the places they live, the Bone Gnawers often have positive relations with Nosferatu vampires. Indeed, it is believed by some that they often work together to achieve common goals, although the details of this are carefully guarded secrets.}
• _{Habitat: Bone Gnawers live wherever the homeless live. Some of them move out to the country to join their hillfolk cousins, but for the most part, they live and thrive in the city.}
• _{Protectorate: Bone Gnawers look after the people they live around: the homeless, dispossessed, insane and drug-afflicted peoples of the cities. Although they have rules against interfering in their lives, they usually interfere anyway.}
• _{Outlook: The Bone Gnawers like anyone who will give them half a shred of respect, but they can sense whenever someone is attempting to take advantage of them. They are very practical and tend to ignore the more high-minded tribes, even making fun of them from time to time. They don’t care much about prophesies or even the Wyrm; they’re usually too busy surviving on a day-to-day basis.}

_{Quote: “Whatcha gonna do, send ‘em chocolate and roses? Two days ago, I saw an entrance that could get you into that Pentex factory. If you want in there, you talk to me. Yeah, that’s right... me. Ya got any grub?”}

_{Children of Gaia}

_{Amidst the sea of violence and anger that consumes the Garou race, there is an island of reason and restraint. These gentle and empathic souls are the Children of Gaia, so-named because of their self-professed claim to be the tribe closest to the true purpose of Gaia.}

_{Children of Gaia believe, unlike the majority of Garou, that humans can be taught the error of their ways. They argue that by persecuting the blind, naked humans, Garou have only isolated these errant children from their place in Gaia’s scheme. Caught between the ravages of the Impergium and the dangers of the untamed wilderness, it is no wonder that they sought shelter in the dark shadows of the Wyrm.}

_{The Children of Gaia propose that cooperation and education are the best tools the Garou have to rectify the mistakes of the past and hopefully prevent what appears to be a darkening future. The Children only hope that it’s not too late to avert disaster.}

_{The other tribes often scoff at the pacifistic disposition of the Children, calling them hopeful dreamers. When cornered or defending what they see as a noble or just cause, the Children of Gaia can become a terrifyingly lethal force, even though they lack the blind fury that they despise in their brethren.}

• _{Totem: The Unicorn}
• _{Initial Willpower: Three Traits}
• _{Tribe Advantage: Diplomacy
  The Children of Gaia are steadfast proponent of peaceful negotiation and discourse. To represent this, Children of Gaia begin with the additional Social Trait: Diplomatic, which cannot be lost.}
• _{Tribe Drawback:
  Children of Gaia do not cause a Delirium reaction and therefore must exercise great care not to break the Veil. Many Children see this as a mixed blessing, since it allows them more opportunities to interact freely with humans.}
• _{Backgrounds: Children of Gaia may take any Background Traits.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Mother’s Touch, Resist Pain}
• _{Wolf Form: Children of Gaia don’t look much different from other Garou— the difference is in their demeanor. Instead of seeming like cold, feral animals, they instead seem more like large friendly dogs.}
• _{Organization: The Children of Gaia respect the experience and knowledge of others. However, they also appreciate the energy and originality of the young. At a meeting of the Children, anyone may speak, and everyone is expected to hear other what others have to say.}
• _{Habitat: The Children of Gaia have no apparent preference when it comes to territory and do not shun areas frequented by humans, like some tribes do. On the contrary, they actively look for opportunities to interact with human society to better understand and hopefully communicate with humans. Children of Gaia can be found among ecological movements and activist groups where they believe their message will be openly heard and spread.}
• _{Protectorate: The Children of Gaia will become involved in any segment of humanity in which they believe they can institute peaceful change. Some say the recycling movement and current attitudes of ecological awareness owe a great deal to the efforts of the Children of Gaia.}
• _{Outlook: Children of Gaia believe that it is their responsibility to mediate disputes arising among the other tribes. They fear that the eventual downfall of all Garou will come from inner strife and turmoil rather than from external enemies. Were they not there to guide the Garou toward a gentler path, the Children feel, all would be lost.}

_{Quote: “Each human we alienate, every careless frenzy we give into and every petty power play we engage in fills the bloated belly of the Wyrm to the point of bursting and drowns us all in a flood of hate and putrescence.”}

_Fianna

_{Known among Garou throughout Ireland, Britain and Europe as bards, storytellers and great warriors, the Fianna have earned their reputation through the centuries by mastering both sword and song. Although today the Fianna make their homes in many parts of the world, their graceful Celtic homelands are still dear to them.}

_{The bards of the Fianna are considered by all tribes to be the most gifted, even by other Gibbous Moons. Taught from birth to master the glory of song, their memories reach back farther into Garou history than any other tribe (despite the claims of those who might contest this). Fianna Ahroun are also taught the glory of battle and prove to be difficult adversaries for even the most ferocious Get of Fenris.}

_{Out of all the tribes, the Fianna seem to be more tolerant and hold fewer prejudices than any other tribe. They do have long-standing rivalries with both the Get of Fenris and the Shadow Lords, though, and they will go to great lengths to show up or embarrass members of those tribes. For the most part, the Fianna are content with a good song and a pint of stout, but they are quick to temper and dangerous when angered.}

_{In recent years, there has been a division of loyalties among the Fianna. With the occupation of Northern Ireland by the British, Irish Fianna have lent their services to the IRA, while their British cousins have joined forces with the Provincial Army. This has been the greatest threat to Fianna security ever. The war rages on, despite pleadings from other Fianna for the fighting to cease.}

• _{Totem: The Stag}
• _{Initial Willpower: One Trait}
• _{Tribe Advantage: Heirloom
  The Fianna are extremely close-knit and very family-oriented. As a result, all Fianna begin with an heirloom that can be used as a two Trait fetish. A player can spend additional Background Traits if she would like this Heirloom to be more powerful; however, a Garou can never have a fetish with more than five Traits.}
• _{Tribe Drawback: Heirloom
  If a Fianna ever loses her Heirloom, or if it is destroyed, she automatically loses two Honor Renown Traits and will be unable to gain any further Renown until she has either recovered her Heirloom or received forgiveness from her Fianna elder.}
• _{Backgrounds: Fianna may select any Background.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Persuasion, Resist Toxin}
• _{Wolf Form: In full Lupus form, the Fianna appear as huge blood-red or black wolves with green to greenish-gray eyes. They look very much like dire wolves.}
• _{Organization: Family is very important to the Fianna, as blood is everything to this tribe. Fianna and their Kinfolk meet once every lunar month to settle disputes and rejoice in their Celtic heritage, spinning tales of their deeds and bringing greater glory to themselves and to the tribe. The governing body that oversees this tribe, the Council of Song, is a group of elder Garou. Each one is elected by the tribe from a different Auspice. Their responsibility is to decide all matters concerning the tribe, affairs concerning intertribal politics as well as matters pertaining to other facets of society, both human and Garou. They are well-respected among the Fianna, and their word is considered law.}
• _{Habitat: The Fianna may be found in all environments, although they prefer rural areas. The elders and their kin prefer the quiet life of farming, while the youth are apt to live in the cities among the humans and follow their ways.}
• _{Protectorate: These Garou hold close ties to the Celtic way of life and, because of this, they protect the Irish and British with a fierce passion. Due to their migrations in recent decades, they have also taken the responsibility of protecting singers and entertainers of all types.}
• _{Outlook: You believe that all the world is your stage (or your pub), and believe in enjoying life to the fullest.You tend to ignore your serious cousins in the other tribes. What do they know, anyway?}

_{Quote: “I’m concerned as much about Northern Ireland as you are, but right now, why don’t you sit your arse down and listen to the music? Damn! Bartender, another whiskey... Hey, I said shut up!”}

_{Get of Fenris}

_{Renowned for their fierce tempers and bloodthirsty ways, the Get of Fenris have earned the reputation of being the quintessential battlelords of the Garou. As a rule, they are savage and merciless, giving no quarter to a fallen enemy. They believe mercy is for the weak.}

_{Originally from Scandinavia, the Get migrated with the Vikings in their conquests throughout Europe and took what they wanted before destroying the rest, much like their Viking Kinfolk. They believe in the superiority of their bloodline, much like the Fianna, and even today, most of this tribe hails from Scandinavian and German ancestry. The Get believe that the other tribes are too weak to combat the forces of the Wyrm, and they feel that they must do it themselves. They are renown for intervening in battle, pushing their cousins of other tribes aside and taking the glory for themselves. At times, other tribes harbor great animosity for the Get.}

_{Members of the Get of Fenris believe that the only way to defeat the Wyrm is all-out war; anything less is cowardice. They constantly push their philosophies at the moots and become irritated and violent when their ideas, considered brash and foolish, are ignored. The Get believe that those who do not rush into battle are weak and deserve only death. The battlefield is home for the Get of Fenris, and they do not fear death. They believe that if they fight bravely and embrace the glory of war, they will be lifted to Valhalla upon death and be given the Gift of eternal conflict. The Get have the highest casualty rate of all the tribes.}

_{When the Get are not in battle, they are planning strategies or telling tales of glory around the fire. This tribe keeps mostly to itself, not caring to interact much with other tribes. They are long-standing enemies with the two tribes composed of primarily indigenous peoples, the Wendigo and the Uktena.}

• _{Totem: The Fenris Wolf}
• _{Initial Willpower: One Trait}
• _{Tribe Advantage: Pelt of Fenris
  The Get of Fenris are some of the toughest warriors of all the Tribes. One reason for this is their thick pelt; when in Crinos or Lupus form, a Get of Fenris gains one additional wound level.}
• _{Tribe Drawback:
  The Get are extremely secular and snide. They automatically begin with two Negative Social Traits. One of these must be “Condescending”; the other may be chosen by the player. No additional “freebie” Traits are generated by these, as they are qualities that all Get of Fenris have.}
• _{Backgrounds: The Get may choose from any Background except for Past Life.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Razor Claws, Resist Pain}
• _{Wolf Form: The Get are probably most menacing in Lupus form, as they believe intimidation is mandatory to victory. They appear as gray northern wolves, although this is diminishing somewhat due to their crossbreeding with other cultures.}
• _{Organization: This tribe meets regularly on every full moon. These meetings are very strict, with an air of military discipline about them. The Ahroun are given the greatest respect among the Get, as they are the tribe’s fiercest warriors. However, each of the auspices has a role in battle. Even a Get of Fenris Ragabash can be a fierce opponent. During these moots, the Get plot war strategies and tell of deeds of great glory. They also settle any major disputes within the tribe by combat; sometimes the losers do not live very long.}
• _{Habitat: The Get tend to live in rural areas, making their homes with the same families they have bred with for years. Many of the younger Get have followed the humans and their ways in a disturbing manner, joining with skinhead and Neo-Nazi groups and bringing shame to their tribe.}
• _{Protectorate: The Get hate all humans. They also believe that those who are too weak to survive deserve death.}
• _{Outlook: Life is battle and war is glory. We were put here to fight, and that is what we will do. Mercy is for the weak, and those who are not strong enough to stand by our side will receive no pity from Gaia.}

_{Quote: “You’ve put up a good fight, but I’m through playing. Now I’m going to kick your ass and tell of my glory under the next full moon. Die well.”}

_{Glass Walkers}

_{While the Bone Gnawers merely survive in the city, the Glass Walkers thrive there. They see the city as just another kind of wilderness: an ocean of concrete, a forest of skyscrapers or a coral reef of condominiums. They feel that the city has a kind of spirit and life all its own, and they seek to explore the diversity that this “new wilderness” provides.}

_{The Glass Walkers originated in Mesopotamia, where they split with the Garou and came to live in the cities despite the proscriptions against doing so. They became enforcers and mercenaries for merchants in the Middle Ages and allied with guilds and the like. They were at the forefront of technological change during the Renaissance and later in the Industrial Revolution, learning that everything has spirits, even great steam engines and assembly lines.}

_{The Glass Walkers developed Mafia ties as a result of their enforcer past, and in the ’20s, Glass Walker gangs provided muscle to many Mob actions. With the advent of computers, the Glass Walkers learned about a new kind of spirit— the Net-Spiders, the computer spirits.}

_{Befriending these spirits, they found themselves in control of spirits that could alter and gather information from computers all over the world, and they discovered an entirely new world called the CyberRealm. The Glass Walkers believe it is their duty to guide the cities and technology of the world to a path allied with Gaia. Indeed, they see Gaia as a part of the city itself.}

• _{Totem: Cockroach
  This may sound disgusting at first, but Cockroach is the most adapted animal in any city. Some Glass Walkers hold Spider in high regard as well.}
• _{Initial Willpower: Two Traits}
• _{Tribe Advantage: Weaver’s Children
  The Glass Walkers begin the game with one additional Influence Trait. Furthermore, a Glass Walker can purchase more Influence with experience (which is something other Garou cannot do). One Trait of Influence can be purchased for three experience points— subject to Storyteller approval, of course.}
• _{Tribe Drawback: Touch of the Weaver
  Glass Walkers are one bid down in all interactions with non-Weaver Spirits (they must bid two Traits to begin a challenge against one).}
• _{Backgrounds: Glass Walkers may not buy the Past Life or Pure Breed Backgrounds.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Control Simple Machine, Persuasion}
• _{Wolf Form: Small-to-medium size wolves with mottled patterns in their fur (often with an “unnatural” tinge). Many of the cubs of this tribe indulge in Urban Primitivism, cutting their fur in strange shapes, piercing their bodies, submitting to silver brandings, accumulating strange tattoos and generally altering their bodies the way they want them to be.}
• _{Organization: The Glass Walkers are generally organized in a very human way. They tend to think of themselves as a corporation, with directors, middle-management and employees. Their caerns are usually located within cities, often in places that shock and alarm other Garou (such as the tops of skyscrapers or in the middle of abandoned factories).
  Many of the old-guard Glass Walkers are still very much allied with the Mafia and tend to rule their septs like Mafia families. Many young Glass Walker packs have very loose structures— Garou hackers and Computer Theurges care more for knowledge and skill than they do for Renown. Some Glass Walker packs merge with other Glass Walker packs into large, roaming “Urban Primitive” tribes.
  The Glass Walkers were once allied with the Bone Gnawers, but since 1929 and the Great Depression, they have fought off and on. Still, because they both live in the city, they are usually friends, or at least allies against a common outside evil.
  Many Glass Walkers have positive relations with Ventrue and Toreador vampires, despite the Litany’s prohibition against dealing with the Kindred. These more civilized Kindred see the Glass Walkers as perhaps the last hope of making peace with the Garou, although competition in financial spheres has also caused conflict in the past.}
• _{Habitat: The Glass Walkers live in the cities, period. They hate the wilderness for the most part, and need civilized comforts wherever they go. Some Glass Walkers are seeking to beautify the city by planting hardy trees and creating arboretums, but this is as close to the wild as the Glass Walkers want to get.}
• _{Protectorate: The Glass Walkers watch over the city, but more specifically, in recent times, they have begun guarding and watching over the underworld of a city: the crime, drugs, prostitution and nightclubs. The younger Glass Walkers see it as their duty to watch over the worldwide computer Net— the Digital Web that stretches across the entire globe.}
• _{Outlook: Glass Walkers see themselves as the next stage in Garou evolution. They believe that Gaia is leading them to be the rulers of a new world where the Weaver has woven her webs all over the Earth. They believe that they can help humanity and the Garou survive the coming Apocalypse by providing them with the technology and spiritual wisdom to survive. Because of this, they are somewhat arrogant. They are almost as subtle and crafty as their Shadow Lord cousins. Indeed, many conflicts between the Glass Walkers and the Shadow Lords are like great chess games using the other Garou as pieces. Their irreverence for tradition has earned them many enemies, especially among the Silver Fangs. Many tribes lust after their secret knowledge of city-spirits, especially the Uktena. The Stargazers find them interesting. They are hated severely by the Red Talons and the Get of Fenris, who have almost decided that they are of the Wyrm. The Bone Gnawers like them, but don’t get too involved in their plots, if for no other reason than survival. Strangely enough, the Silent Striders and the Black Furies do not conflict with them as much as the other tribes.}

_{Quote: “Okay, I was cool when you asked me to leave the Gameboy behind. And I can understand not bringing along an electric generator— they’re heavy. But now you’re saying that I can’t bring my CD player into the caern because it’s upsetting the spirits? That’s crap! What do they want to hear? John Denver?”}

_{Red Talons}

_{The Red Talons are perhaps more intolerant of humans than any other tribe, even the Get of Fenris. They would enjoy nothing more than seeing the entire race utterly destroyed so that the blood of the humans could flow freely through the streets. The Red Talons were the most opposed to ending the Impergium and still attempt to convince other tribes to reinstate it. They believe humanity as a whole is “of the Wyrm” and, as such, must be removed from the Earth. Only then will the Garou be able to defeat the Wyrm completely.}

_{The Red Talon tribe is composed entirely of lupus stock Garou, and although they tolerate the other breeds, they disdain being in their presence. Other breeds are considered to be weak, but are also seen as necessary in the war against the Wyrm. The Red Talons are the least understood of all the tribes. They are the most wolf-like and take great pleasure in rituals that the other tribes could never fathom. They also keep to themselves as much as possible, and fighting among their own tribe members is very rare.}

_{Humans are not the only creatures they despise. They’re so filled with hate that they’ve got plenty to go around. Vampires are at the top of their list and rival the hatred they hold for the humans. The Red Talons believe that vampires are little more than dead humans with too much power, a blasphemous manifestation of the Wyrm whose only gift should be destruction. Younger members of this tribe have become more tolerant toward humans and believe that some of them may be worth saving. These upstarts have become the targets of anger and violence from their elders, and many have been destroyed because of their beliefs.}

• _{Totem: the Griffin}
• _{Initial Willpower: One Trait}
• _{Tribe Advantage: Gaia’s Fury
  Red Talons gain one additional Rage Trait during character generation.}
• _{Tribe Drawback: Wyld Child
  A Red Talon is completely at home in the Wyld. Unfortunately, he cannot find peace in the cities. As a result, a Red Talon cannot regain Gnosis in any urban environment.}
• _{Backgrounds: Red Talons may not buy Influence.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Beast Life, Scent of Running Water}
• _{Wolf Form: A large brown wolf with fangs and claws prominent and ready for battle. When they appear in Homid form, it is always an unpleasant sight: they are slouching, hairy and often ape-like in appearance. This is to convey their contempt for humanity.}
• _{Organization: As this tribe is very close to their lupine roots, any group is led by an Alpha. The strong lead and the weaker follow.}
• _{Habitat: The Red Talons are found in the wilds, far removed from human settlements of any kind.}
• _{Protectorate: The Red Talons protect the wolves of the world from destruction at the hands of the humans. They have sworn to destroy any who bring harm to their wolfen Kinfolk.}
• _{Outlook: The other tribes were weak to allow the humans to reign as they do. Bringing an end to the Impergium was a mistake. Now the Red Talons must suffer under the talons of the Wyrm and the persecution of its host, the humans.}

_{Quote: “Grrrrrrrr. Me hate human, kill human, kill all human. Start with you first. Grrrrrrr.”}

_{Shadow Lords}

_{The Shadow Lords are a tribe as dark, forbidding and unyielding as the lands of Eastern Europe that spawned them. Their deeply ingrained hierarchy gives them a strength that is sorely lacking in the other tribes. Their tales are filled with descriptions of their prowess, cunning and innate superiority.}

_{Highest among Shadow Lord instincts is a sense of “manifest destiny.” They see the Garou as the ultimate lifeform on the planet. Therefore, Garou are the obvious rulers. Furthermore, among Garou, there is no greater tribe than the Shadow Lords. After that, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out this tribe’s agenda.}

_{In the end, the only thing the Shadow Lords will respect from Garou of other tribes is power. Even then, they will always be waiting to seize the opportunity to displace their rivals at the slightest sign of weakness.}

_{The dark strengths of the Shadow Lords are possibly their greatest weaknesses. Their boundless pride, perhaps better called arrogance, is easily warped by the Wyrm. Under the Wyrm’s maddening tutelage, the Shadow Lord’s pride blossoms into full scale megalomania.}

• _{Totem: Grandfather Thunder}
• _{Initial Willpower: Two Traits}
• _{Tribe Advantage: Will of Thunder
  By spending one Willpower Trait, a Shadow Lord can double the total number of Social Traits she has bid in a Social Challenge. This includes doubling Traits to resolve a tie or crush an opponent in an overbid.}
• _{Tribe Drawback: Burden of Failure
  Because of the unforgiving nature of their tribe, Shadow Lords suffer double Renown loss for any failing or transgression on their part.}
• _{Backgrounds: No restrictions.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Aura of Confidence, Fatal Flaw}
• _{Wolf Form: They appear as massive dark gray or black wolves with massive, thick shoulders, much like pit bulls.}
• _{Organization: The Shadow Lords boast of a chainnof command that would make any corporate division proud. No member is ignorant of his position, power or, more importantly, responsibility. At the lower levels, the eager young pups stand ready fill any vacancy that might open in the tribe’s ranks, including vacancies they sometimes create. Those already comfortable in positions of power are constantly on guard for capable upstarts, because they must constantly prove themselves. All in all, the Shadow Lord drive for dominance creates a constant current that inundates their hierarchy with the most capable members while washing away those who can no longer compete.}
• _{Habitat: The Shadow Lords are highly adaptable, not as much as the Glass Walkers or Bone Gnawers, but they more than manage. They can be found as lawyers, businessmen, crime lords, politicians or just about any profession where they can exert control over others. Protectorate: The Shadow Lords respect only power, and the few humans they deal with must either respect it or wield it. Many of their well-established Kinfolk occupy complementary positions of power. As one would expect, vampires and Shadow Lords often find themselves at odds with each other, like two predators competing for the same ecological niche. It’s only a matter of time before the two realize they stand a great deal to gain from cooperation; some say they already have...}
• _{Outlook: The Shadow Lord character has to realize that while it is perfectly obvious to her that she is the obvious choice as leader, others may not see things as clearly. Some Garou will perceive the ambitious Shadow Lord as a potential tyrant. Nonetheless, if she is not chosen outright as the pack’s leader, she must achieve that position (or a greater one) by some other means. Some choose to lead from behind the scenes, manipulating others in a puppet show. In some cases, staging a coup is a simple matter of challenging the current, inept leader. Others must go as far as to humiliate and discredit the current leader. Regardless of the means you use, the end result will justify your means. Do not fail. Your superiors cast a grim eye upon failure.}

_{Quote: “The meek may very well inherit the Earth, but not until we’re finished with it.”}

_{Silent Striders}

_{As their name would suggest, these enigmatic Garou skirt the boundaries of both Garou and human society. Quick minds, agile bodies and an unfathomable pool of knowledge are the hallmarks of these most mysterious of Garou. Their origins, both as individuals and as a tribe, are often nebulous at best. Their preference in names and in culture suggests strong ties to ancient Egypt. Among the other tribes, they are respected for their wisdom, but their solitary and secretive nature makes it difficult for other Garou to fully accept them.}

_{The same nature that alienates the Silent Striders from many of their fellow Garou also makes them best-suited for the invaluable service they provide to the other tribes. Among Garou, the Silent Strid-ers are the penultimate messengers and couriers. Striders cross regions other Garou would avoid, and they travel with an alacrity that rivals human contraptions. Without this service, communications among the already fractious septs would quickly erode.}

_{The rigors of a nomadic lifestyle are not without their price, however. Few Silent Striders form lasting friendships with those outside their tribe.}

• _{Totem: The Owl}
• _{Initial Willpower: Two Traits}
• _{Tribe Advantage: The Omen of Doom
  Once per session, a Silent Strider can choose to avoid a single situation as if he never uncovered it. This will only apply to the Strider, not to his companions or current allies. Examples include avoiding an alleyway where he will be ambushed, dropping a poisoned glass of wine or running out of ammunition when accidentally shooting an ally. The event is considered to have not occurred at all, and anyone involved will totally disregard it and any information concerning it. To represent this power, the player is issued an “Omen of Doom” card at the beginning of the session; the card is destroyed when the power is evoked. These cards may not be accumulated and must be returned at the end of the session if they have not been used.}
• _{Tribe Drawback: Wandering Spirit
  Because of their role as outsiders in the Garou community, Silent Striders may not support or contest any Renown nominations concerning themselves or others.}
• _{Backgrounds: Silent Striders may not buy the Past Life Background.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Sense Wyrm, Speed of Thought}
• _{Wolf Form: Silent Striders resemble the jackals of Egyptian art: huge, lean creatures with inscrutable expressions and regal countenances.}
• _{Organization: Among the Striders, a well-defined structure would be impractical, if not completely useless. Instead, they defer to those with the most experience in the matters at hand.}
• _{Habitat: The Silent Striders claim no land as their own and can be found in almost any corner of the world. They remain in one place only as long as is necessary and then leave, sometimes never to return.}
• _{Protectorate: Serving few individuals other than their fellow Garou, Silent Striders pay little heed to the tradition of protectorates. Unlike the Red Talons, they bear humans no particular malice and even hold a grudging respect for those who share their lifestyle, such as gypsies, circus performers and the few nomadic peoples left in this world.}
• _{Outlook: Silent Striders have an economy of behavior that belies their nomadic existence. They act and speak on what is pertinent and have little use for what they see as frivolous. They always seem prepared for any situation and are rarely taken by surprise. Their directness of action leaves them little time or opportunity to make friends, and perhaps they prefer it that way. Once a Strider has completed a task at hand, he moves on, almost instinctively, to where he is needed next.}

_{Quote: “I can handle the ‘rain, sleet and dead of night’ thing, but next day delivery? Into Malfeas? We’ve got to talk...”}

_{Silver Fangs}

_{It has been said that if one were to take the single best quality from each of the other twelve tribes and bring them together in a Garou, that Garou would be a Silver Fang. While many would contest this, none can deny that, more so than any other tribe, the Silver Fangs have been a rallying point for the Garou race. Leadership and valor are the bread and butter of the Silver Fangs. The palpable charisma and confidence they exude has made them obvious leaders among the Garou.}

_{Of late, however, the rock-solid bearing of the Silver Fangs has suffered a terrible erosion. At best, they are reserved and overly cautious in their rulings. At worst, they are moonstruck. As a result, younger Garou are loosing the time-honored respect for these once noble Garou.}

_{A Silver Fang character won’t just assume command, he will expect it. While they are hardly the heavy-handed tyrants the Shadow Lords portray, a Silver Fang will brook little disrespect for his ability as a leader. The character should lead by example. By best exemplifying the most noble Garou Traits— wisdom, courage and honor— she will inspire those around her to act likewise. Remember, the Silver Fangs know more about what it is to be a heroic Garou than most of the tribes.}

• _{Totem: The Falcon}
• _{Initial Willpower: Two Traits}
• _{Tribe Advantage: Noble Birthright
  Because of her traditional role as a leader and commander, a Silver Fang may retest any Social Challenge once.}
• _{Tribe Drawback: Inbreeding
  The bane of the Silver Fangs, whether it be from centuries of inbreeding or the depredations of the Wyrm, manifests itself as insanity. Therefore, all Silver Fang characters have a permanent Derangement, chosen at character creation. This Derangement can be any of the following, but is not limited to those listed.}
  • _{Sample Derangements}
    • _{Amnesia — In highly stressful and traumatic situations, you forget who you are.}
    • _{Intellectualization — You compulsively analyze everything and block out as many emotions as possible. However, when your fragile world of facts and figures is shattered by the supernatural, you usually freak out.}
    • _{Manic-Depression — You suffer from wild mood swings ranging from wild bliss to complete despair. You begin each story in one phase or the other and can switch back and forth for any number of reasons.}
    • _{Multiple Personalities— There are a number of different personalities housed within your head. You may switch your identity, Nature or Demeanor during times of great stress.}
    • _{Obsession— You tend to latch on to someone or something and make him or it the focal point of your life.}
    • _{Paranoia— You see the Wyrm’s influence in everything. Don’t the others see it too? Perhaps they’ve been corrupted as well.}
    • _{Perfection— You work hard to keep everything in your life going perfectly at all times. You use all of your energy to prevent things from going wrong and have been known to frenzy when things don’t go in your favor.}
    • _{Power Madness— You are obsessed with control and dominance over others.}
    • _{Regression— You tend to revert to child-like behavior during times of extreme stress.}
    • _{Vengeful— When you have been wronged, you become obsessed with getting even and bent on making those who crossed you pay.}
• _{Background: Silver Fangs must allocate at least three of their five Background Traits to Pure Breed.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Lambent Flame, Sense Wyrm}
• _{Wolf Form: They appear as stunningly beautiful silver wolves.}
• _{Organization: The Silver Fangs honor their aristocratic heritage in their tribal organization. Those with the best lineage and those who have been in power the longest are invariably heeded over others. While no one argues giving an elder her due, many young voices with new ideas have been drowned out by the rhetoric of the old guard.}
• _{Habitat: The Silver Fangs have a deep love for the unspoiled wilderness of whatever land they dwell in. In ancient times, they held fiefs with large tracks of wilderness set aside for their personal enjoyment. This isolation has done little to help them understand the dire peril Gaia is in.}
• _{Protectorate: The Silver Fangs are expected, not just by themselves, to persevere where all others would fail. As a result, they have developed a sort of noblesse oblige attitude that many Garou find condescending. However, you haven’t seen determination until you’ve seen a Silver Fang wading through a swarm of lesser minions to face an enemy leader. Think of Lancelot with fur and claws.}
• _{Outlook: We have always ruled and will continue to do so. It is our heritage and our right. We must serve and guide our fellow Garou. As the Apocalypse draws near, our leadership is needed more than ever.}

_{Quote: “Patience and birthright are apparently virtues you lack, pup. You would do well to follow me and my example.”}

_Stargazers

_{The Stargazers are perhaps the most peaceful and contemplative of the Garou tribes. During the Impergium, they were among the Garou who believed the treatment of the humans was unjust and criminal and sought an end to their persecution. Their pleas fell upon deaf ears, so they withdrew from werewolf society to study and meditate on their own, hoping to find inner peace and enlightenment in a bleak, violent world. Their tendency to gaze thoughtfully into the night sky was the inspiration for the other tribes to give them the name they carry still today.}

_{The Stargazers, despite their peaceful nature, can be as fierce in times of war as any other Garou. They merely have different ideals. Working unseen in the shadows, they protect humanity from the hideous minions of the Wyrm. This has brought them great animosity from some members of other tribes, but their wisdom is widely respected among the Garou. Despite this, the Stargazers are considered untrust-worthy by many Garou.}

_{The Stargazers live a very spartan life, shunning civilization completely. They do not hold to mate-rial wealth of any kind, considering it to be a burden to spiritual enlightenment. They seek only truth. Due to their spiritualistic nature, they have strained relations with the Glass Walkers, who are children of the city and followers of mankind’s ways. The Glass Walkers cannot understand their tranquil nature, so they condemn them for it.'}

_{The Stargazers hold a special relationship with the moon. They believe that she guides them in all ways, watching over and protecting them from the horrors of the night.}

• _{Totem: The Chimera}
• _{Initial Willpower: Three Traits}
• _{Tribe Advantage: Inner Peace
  A Stargazer may regain Willpower as well as Gnosis through meditation.}
• _{Tribe Drawback: Removed
  All Stargazers have the Negative Social Trait: Untrustworthy because they are so removed from the rest of Garou society.}
• _{Backgrounds: Stargazers may not take the Backgrounds of Allies, Fetish or Resources.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Catfeet, Sense Wyrm}
• _{Wolf Form: Varies from light brown to complete black.}
• _{Organization: They have no council or elders to whom they must answer. Instead, each Stargazer seeks her own path in the world. When they require wisdom, members of this tribe seek to gain audience with the aged among their kind.}
• _{Habitat: The Stargazers are wanderers, travelling the world and calling no place home. They journey from caern to caern, seeking wisdom and enlightenment during their travels. They breed with humans who have also cast away the evils of society: explorers, hermits and rustics who live far removed from the world of men.}
• _{Protectorate: Due to their nature, Stargazers feel a special bond with the loners and derelicts of human society. They protect them quietly, never allowing them to realize the true horrors of the Wyrm.}
• _{Outlook: We must guide our Garou cousins into a new era of peace. Only then, as one tribe with one goal, can we hope to destroy the Wyrm and its minions. Until they wish to see things that way, we shall leave them to their own folly.}

_{Quote: “It is such a peaceful night. Listen carefully to the forest, and it will tell you of days long gone. Do not be so rushed; wisdom will find you. If you go through life at a lightning pace, it will never catch up with you. The choice is yours.”}

_Uktena

_{The Uktena belong to one of the three tribes of Garou that came to America across the Bering Land bridge. They believe that open rage and narrow vision will be the downfall of Garou. They also believe that, by coming to understand the Spirit World, they will be able to spread wisdom and allow the Garou to purify the world of the Wyrm’s influence. The Wyrm is seen as a very real spiritual taint that spreads itself all across the world.}

_{To the Uktena, the “real” world is not important. They would rather be in the Umbra than walking about on earth. Since the destruction of the Croatan Tribe, the Uktena’s maxim is “Know Thy Enemy.” They put their spirits on the line in order to venture into the heart of the Wyrm and discover its foul plans.}

_{The Uktena were once purely Native American, but they have since begun accepting those who are alienated from other tribes. They have incorporated many magical beliefs and cultures into their tribal rites and moots.}

_{They are also concerned with fetishes, as they see them as spiritual tools to strengthen themselves as spirit warriors and protectors. They also feel that it is their duty to watch over Wyrm-ridden areas and protect other Garou from the Wyrm’s influence. They will often raid the holdings of mages, Tremere vampires and even Black Furies to recover fetishes they believe should be used in service to Gaia.}

_{The Uktena are secretive among themselves and are often accused of allying with the Wyrm because of their close study of it. This is not the case, however, as the Uktena are probably one of the only tribes that knows enough about the Wyrm to begin seriously harming it.}

_{Still, taint by the Wyrm is an ever-present danger, and all Uktena are aware of this fact. It is common practice for all Uktena to undergo the Rite of Cleansing regularly in order to clean themselves of Wyrm-taint.}

• _{Totem: Uktena, an ancient water spirit}
• _{Initial Willpower: One Trait}
• _{Tribe Advantage: Umbral Sight
  You can peek into the Umbra from the real world at the cost of a Mental Trait. This also allows you to see others moving within the Umbra.}
• _{Tribe Drawback: Umbra Affinity
  Your ties to this world are weak. You find it difficult to return here from the Umbra. You must spend a Gnosis Trait in order to leave the Umbra and return to Earth.}
• _{Backgrounds: No Restrictions.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Sense Magic, Blur of the Milky Eye}
• _{Wolf Form: A smallish, darkly-hued wolf with strange patterns of a lighter and contrasting color on its back and flanks.}
• _{Organization: They operate very tightly-organized septs, relying heavily on their own messengers, their spirit-messengers, and the Silent Striders. They perform regular rituals just to renew their connection with the Land. It is rumored they have highly secret septs in carefully hidden places that are still as pure and as untamed as the land was during prehistoric times. They are ruled by a central Lodge that is a collection of elders from all the Uktena-dominated septs, although other Uktena are often invited to attend.}
• _{Habitat: The Uktena live as near to their caerns as possible, often building natural-material structures within the Bawn. This means they usually live in the wilderness, but many Uktena caerns are located on the repossessed land of their ancestors.}
• _{Protectorate: They are supposed to watch over the disenfranchised and oppressed people of the world; in practice, they only watch over those who could potentially be of use to them as a tribe. They have mingled with and integrated people of Asian, African and European heritage. Many of the younger members of the tribe are wild street gangsters, but these young warriors soon learn respect for their elders in one the Uktena septs and often turn to a path of wisdom. The Uktena protect a version of the Silver Record which has been around since the early days of the Garou, and they refuse to let it fall into anyone else’s hands.}

_{Quote: “You cannot know the power of the Wyrm. Have you seen the fires reflected in its eyes? Have you watched its fangs drool with poison? Have you heard its breathing? Until you have walked with me down that road, you will have to understand that there are some things that you do not wish to know. There are some things which would kill you if you found them out. Beware of what you ask of the spirits...”}

_Wendigo

_{The Wendigo see themselves as the last of the pure Native American tribes. Once part of the many tribes who called the Americas their home, they are, along with the Uktena, all that remain of the Pure Ones after the European colonization of the continent. Because of this, they still harbor resentment towards everyone of European descent, including their Garou cousins, for destroying the land that they love so dearly. They will, however, reluctantly come to their aid in times of need to wage war against the Wyrm and its dark minions.}

_{The Wendigo are very proud of their pure blood and stay as far away from those of European descent as possible, preferring to live in the wilds or, at the very least, on the reservations away from the cities. Their pride in the Native American heritage is strong, and they pass on tales of glory around the evening fire. The European invaders took their land, but they cannot break their spirit.}

_{The Wendigo are masters of woodland survival, becoming one with the land and letting the spirits guide them through the wilderness. Such prowess has earned them great renown, even among other Garou, and they are sought out for their expertise. They are also experts at hit-and-run tactics and are well-known as some of the fiercest warriors among the Garou. After all, they have more than 200 years of practice gained from fighting the European invaders to fall back on. They enjoy causing trouble and love nothing more than to provoke conflict among their enemies. Their philosophy is simple: we don’t need to fight the Europeans; they’re quite capable of killing themselves.}

_{Some of the young among the Wendigo believe that the world is not as bad as their elders say and believe that the differences between the Native Americans and the others can be overcome. They ignore the teachings of their elders and the bloody lessons that history has taught, preferring to go out in the world and learn for themselves. This has caused great unrest within the tribe.}

• _{Totem: Wendigo, the winter spirit of the north}
• _{Initial Willpower: Three Traits}
• _{Tribe Advantage and Drawback: The Wheel of Seasons
  The Wendigo Gain one (or two) positive Traits and must choose one Negative Trait for each season of the year.}
  • _{Winter — Physical Traits: Tenacious, Rugged; Negative Trait: Callous, Dull or Witless.}
  • _{Spring — Physical Trait: Energetic; Negative Trait: Predictable, Tactless or Impatient.}
  • _{Summer — Social Trait: Charismatic; Negative Trait: Lethargic, Violent or Shortsighted.}
  • _{Fall — Mental Trait: Reflective; Negative Trait: Lethargic, Dull or Impatient.}
• _{Backgrounds: No restrictions.}
• _{Beginning Gifts: Call the Breeze, Camouflage}
• _{Wolf Form: The timber wolf: its fur varies from dark gray to brown and it is known for its fierce black eyes.}
• _{Organization: The elders among the tribe are given the utmost respect. They hold ceremonies on sacred ground, much like Native Americans have for centuries. Their moots are usually held on the crescent moon.}
• _{Habitat: They tend to live in the North Woods, despite the fact that it is shrinking under the white man’s continuing expansion. They make their home wherever they roam, just as their ancestors have done for centuries. Many of the Wendigo live on the reservations, since this provides a haven away from the white men. One of the reasons the Wendigo are not as powerful as they could be is that one of their most powerful caerns, located in the Black Hills, has been denied to them by the United States Government. If it were ever to become open to the Lakota people who originally dwelled on the land and worshipped there, the Wendigo would be able to reclaim the powerful caern and potentially cleanse the land all around it. Many Wendigo seek to free the Black Hills for this very purpose.}
• _{Protectorate: The Wendigo protect Native Americans of all tribes and the lands on which they live. This tribe is famous for organizing war parties with their Native American Kinfolk to drive the whites away from their lands. They still believe that the Wyrm is using the white man to manifest itself and eat away the world. Perhaps the best way to destroy the Wyrm would be to destroy its host as well.}
• _{Outlook: The other tribes are fine as long as they stay on their own land. We will survive without them. In fact, they are part of the problem; if they had not come to our land, the Wyrm would never have followed them. Now, matters are worse, and they are to blame.}

_{Quote: “Welcome to the real America. Now go, before I kill you.”}

_{Nature and Demeanor}

_Alpha

_{You believe that you were born to lead and that instinct proves you correct. It is your driving goal to become the leader of the pack, the sept, the tribe or another group. You are an “alpha,” a lead wolf. However, others do not necessarily recognize you as such. Thus, you feel the need to prove this to others constantly, in order to reinforce this idea in them and in yourself. This has brought you many challenges, and will bring many more in the future.}

_Autist

_{You must hide your secrets from others. Even more importantly, you hide your true self. Anyone who understands you can hurt you, so no one must ever see the real you. No one can come close. Give away as little of yourself as possible— adopt a false personality if you like— but just make sure no one gets hold of the truth about you. Knowledge is power, and those who know you can do anything they like to you. This is a Nature found among many Uktena.}

_Bravo

_{You are a bully, a ruffian and a tough. You delight in tormenting the weak. You always demand to have things your way, and do not tolerate those who cross you. Power and might are all you respect; indeed, you heed only those who can prove their power over you.}

_{You see nothing wrong with forcing your will upon others. There is nothing you like better than to persecute, antagonize, heckle and intimidate those for whom you feel contempt. The emotions of kindness and pity are not completely foreign to you, but you hide from your own sense of weakness through cruelty to others. While most Bravos despise the weak, others become their protectors.}

_Caregiver

_{You always try to help those around you, struggling to make a difference in the needs and sorrows of the unfortunate. People around you depend on your stability and strength to keep them steady and centered. You are the one to whom people turn when they have a problem. This is a Nature found among many Children of Gaia.}

_Child

_{You are still immature in personality and temperament. You’re a kid who never grew up. Though you can care for yourself, you prefer the security of being watched over by others. You often seek out someone to look out for you, not as a parent, but as a caretaker of sorts. Some see you as a spoiled brat, while others see you as an innocent cherub unspoiled by the evils of the world. This is a very uncommon archetype for Garou.}

_Competitor

_{You are driven by the need to win at all costs. The thrill of victory is the only thrill that you recognize; it is the thing that drives you on. You see life as a contest and society as a dichotomy of winners and losers. You believe all the macho business proverbs: if you’re not lead dog, the view never changes; there are no prizes for second place; eat or be eaten. You try to turn every situation into a contest of some kind— it is the only way you can relate to anything. You are capable of cooperating with others, but only by turning the group interactions into another contest. You must be the leader, or the most productive, or the most indispensable, or the best liked— anything, as long as it means you win in some way or another. This is a Nature found among many Shadow Lords.}

_Confidant

_{You understand others, and more importantly, you like them. You are a facilitator who listens and advises. People confess to you, and, in return, you give them advice, most of it good (although sometimes your advice is more for your own benefit than for the benefit of the recipient). You are very interested in other people, including who and what they are. The personality, brutality and beauty of the Garou fascinate you.}

_Conformist

_{You are a follower. Taking charge simply isn’t your style. It’s easy for you to adapt, attune, adjust, comply or reconcile yourself to a new situation in which you find yourself. You are attracted to the brightest star, the person whom you feel will go the farthest. It is both difficult and distasteful for you to go against the flow, to rebel. You hate inconsistency and instability, and know that by supporting a strong leader, you help prevent chaos from occurring. All stable groups need some kind of conformist.}

_Conniver

_{What’s the sense of working hard when you can get something for nothing? Why work when, just by talking, you can get what you want? You’re always trying to find the easy way out, the fast track to success and wealth. Some people might call what you do swindling or even outright theft, but you know that you only do what everyone else does; you just do it better. Besides, it’s kind of like a game to you, and you get great pleasure from outwitting someone. Connivers play many roles. You may be a thief, a swindler, a street waif, an entrepreneur, a con man or just a finagler.}

_Curmudgeon

_{You are an irascible, churlish old wolf at heart, taking everything seriously and finding little humor in life (though you may have a wickedly barbed wit). Cynicism is your middle name; it is the tool by which you judge everything in life. You have a very well-defined understanding of how things really work, especially when they involve the circus of Garou endeavor. Long ago, the foolish actions of others ceased to surprise you. This could be a false front to protect the true sorrow you feel at the coming of the Apocalypse, or maybe the Apocalypse simply feeds your cynicism and “I told you so” attitude.}

_Deviant

_{There are always people who don’t fit in. You’re one of them: you’re a miscreant. Your beliefs, motivations and sense of propriety are the complete antithesis of the status quo. You are not so much an aimless rebel as an independent thinker who does not belong to the society in which you were raised. You don’t give a damn about other people’s morality, but you do adhere to your own strange code of conduct. Deviants are typically irreverent, and some can have truly bizarre tastes and desires.}

_Director

_{You despise chaos and disorder and tend to take control and organize things in order to suppress anarchy. You like to be in charge, live to organize, and habitually strive to make things work smoothly. You trust your own judgment implicitly and tend to think of things in black-and-white terms: “This won’t work”; “You’re either for me or against me”; “There are two ways to do this: my way and the wrong way.” This is not the same as an Alpha, for a Director can be perfectly happy working under an Alpha— as long as she gets her way.}

_Fanatic

_{You are consumed by a cause; it is the primary force in your life, for better or worse. You are driven to accomplish the directives of your self-appointed mission. Every ounce of sweat and passion you possess is directed toward it. Indeed, you may feel very guilty about spending time on anything else. You let nothing stand in your way— nothing that you cannot overcome, in any case. You and those around you may suffer, but your cause is everything. The end justifies the means. Before the game begins, make sure you describe your cause to the Storyteller and define how it may affect your behavior.}

_Gallant

_{You are as flamboyant as you are amoral. Some see you as a rogue, a Don Juan, a rake, a paramour or just a lounge lizard— you see yourself as all these things. As a consummate actor who loves to make as big a show of things as possible, nothing attracts your attention more than an appreciative audience. You love people, and you love to impress them even more. Although you may indeed be a superior lover, you enjoy the chase almost as much as you enjoy the consummation. Gallants vary widely in temperament and ambition, holding little more in common than their love of attention.}

_Hedonist

_{There is no point to life, no meaning or direction, so the best plan is to have as good a time as possible. Rome may burn, but you will drink wine and sing songs. You are a bon vivant, a sensualist, a sybarite and a party animal. The words austerity, self-denial, self-discipline and asceticism have no place in your life. You prefer instant gratification. You don’t mind a little hard work, as long as a good time awaits when the work is done. Most Hedonists have low self-control, for they so dearly love going to excess.}

_Jester

_{You are the fool, idiot, quipster, clown or comic, forever making fun of both yourself and others. You constantly seek the humor in any situation, and always strive to battle the tides of depression inside yourself. You hate sorrow and pain and constantly try to take others’ minds off the dark side of life. Sometimes you’ll do nearly anything to forget that pain exists. Your particular brand of humor might not always impress your friends, but it makes you feel better. Some Jesters manage to escape pain and find true happiness, but most never find release.}

_Judge

_{As a facilitator, moderator, arbitrator, conciliator and peacemaker, you always seek to make things better. You pride yourself on your rationality, judgment and ability to deduce a reasonable explanation when given the facts. Your constant struggle is to promote truth, but you understand how difficult it is to ascertain. You respect justice, for justice is the means by which truth can reign. In your view, people are resources, although they are sometimes difficult to manage and employ. You hate dissension and arguments, and shy away from dogmatism. Judges often make good leaders, but a lack of vision can sometimes cause them to adhere to the status-quo instead of searching for a better way.}

_Loner

_{You are always alone, even in a crowd. You are the wanderer, hunter and lone wolf. Though others might think of you as lonely, forsaken, isolated or remote, in truth, you prefer your own company to that of others. There are many different reasons why this might be: you don’t understand people, people dislike you, people like you too much, or you are simply lost in your own thoughts. Your reasons are your own. You prefer to walk alone and could care less about what others think or say about you.}

_Maker

_{Your sense of purpose goes beyond your own needs; you are trying to create something of lasting value for those who will come after you. People need many things, and you gain satisfaction by providing whatever you can. You are the type of person who makes an effort to build something of value: founding a sept, creating a caern or in some way leave a lasting legacy. Many American pioneers were of this Nature.}

_Martyr

_{Many people possess the insticts of martyrdom, but only a few act upon it. Even fewer live the life of a martyr. You, however, are one of those few. Your desire for self-sacrifice may stem from a poor self-image, a lack of control, or a profoundly developed sense of love. You are able to endure long-lasting and severe suffering because of your beliefs and ideals.}

_{At the worst of times, a Martyr expects sympathy and attention because of his or her suffering, and may even feign or exaggerate pain or deprivation. In the best of times, a Martyr chooses to suffer injury or even death rather than renounce religion, beliefs, principles, causes or friends.}

_Masochist

_{You like to push the boundaries of endurance and like to see how much pain you can tolerate before you collapse. There is a certain satisfaction gained out of suffering humiliation, degradation and even mutilation— especially when you are the cause of it and have some control over it. You know that these needs are somewhat perverse, but you also know that you aren’t crazy; it’s just the way that you are.}

_Penitent

_{You are unworthy. You are sinful. You are base, vile and lacking in virtue. You have no right to exist and are utterly without hope. Either because of a low self-image or because of a spectacularly traumatic past, you have to spend your life making up for what you are, what you lack or what you have done. You owe it to creation at large to make some kind of amends for the crime of your existence. You struggle incessantly to make up for your weaknesses, and your daily dream is finally to be able to overcome it. Nonetheless, you know you are weak and beyond hope.}

_Predator

_{The urge of the wild is strong within you. Kill or be killed, survival of the fittest— these age-old instincts are imprinted in the deepest recesses of your brain. Let the others talk of merciful Gaia all they wish. You know Mother Nature takes no prisoners. The surest way to render yourself safe from harm is to place yourself firmly at the top of the food chain. Whether this “food chain” is metaphorical or all too carnal depends on you.}

_Rebel

_{You are a malcontent, iconoclast and free-thinking recalcitrant. You are independent-minded and free-willed, and you’re unwilling to join any particular cause or movement. You desire only the freedom to be yourself. You do not make a good follower and aren’t usually a very good leader (unless your followers are willing to go wherever you lead). You tend to be deliberately insubordinate to authority, even to the point of stupidity.}

_{Reluctant Garou}

_{Being a werewolf is cool, you guess, and you can understand the need for “change,” but why does it have to be you? You were enjoying being a human (or wolf), and you can never go back. You want to have a normal life, go shopping without guilt, go to school, watch MTV, fall in love, have a family and a career— you want to live just like a normal person. Or, if you were a wolf, you would much prefer to roam the wilderness with your pack. Your eyes have been opened to things you never wanted to see, and you miss being half-blind. Granted, there are certain compensations in being a Garou; still, given the chance, you’d rather have the life you’ve lost.}

_Show-Off

_{You get your self-worth entirely from others. You crave approval and praise and will go to extreme lengths to get it, even risking yourself and the things you love, if necessary. You do not think of protection, and you have no thought of using others’ good opinions to your own advantage. You simply crave approval for its own sake so that you can feel good about yourself.}

_Survivor

_{No matter what, you always manage to survive. You can endure, pull through, recover from, outlast or outlive nearly any circumstance. When the going gets tough, you get going. You never say die, and never give up— never. Nothing angers you as much as a person who doesn’t struggle to make things better, or who surrenders to the nameless forces of the universe. You utterly despise quitters.}

_{Traditionalist}

_{You are an orthodox, conservative and extremely traditional individual. What was good enough for you when you were young is good enough for you now. You almost never change. You oppose change for the sake of change— what point is there in that, after all? You may be seen by some as a miser, a reactionary or simply as an old fogy. You strive to always preserve the status-quo.}

_Visionary

_{There are very few who look beyond the suffocating embrace of society and mundane ideas to see something more. There are very few people who are brave enough, strong enough or imaginative enough. Society treats such people with both respect and contempt. The Visionary perverts the standards of society as she guides others into the future. You may be a spiritualist, shaman, New Age, mystic, philosopher or inventor, but whatever you are, you are always looking for something more. You see beyond the bounds of conventional imagination and create new possibilities. Though you might have your head in the clouds and be of an impractical bent, you are filled with new ideas and perceptions.}

_Traits

_{Traits have two primary purposes. The first purpose is to enable you to describe your character concretely and thereby empower your roleplaying. The second is to enable you to interact with other characters in the mechanics of the game system. The mechanics of The Apocalypse revolve around the Trait system. Challenges between characters are resolved using them.}

_{The premise of this system is that a character who is described by a specific Trait tends to be pretty good at things that involve that Trait, and is certainly better at those things than someone who doesn’t have the Trait. For example, someone who is Brawny is a better arm wrestler than someone who isn’t. Likewise, a marathon runner needs to be Tireless in order to finish a race without being winded, and a child who is Persuasive has a good chance of convincing his mom that he didn’t break a vase that’s been shattered on the floor.}

_{In theory, a player can choose any adjective and take it as a Trait. However, for a number of reasons, this is not suggested for any but the most expert. Many adjectives are unimportant, extraneous and impractical; there is no need for a Pyorrheal Trait, although it’s possible that a vampire might get some form of gum disease. Still, the chances of that Trait being used in a bidding contest— the act of a challenge— are close to nil.}

_{Allowing any adjective would play hell with the mechanics of the game. Players would have to carry around pocket dictionaries and flip pages every time some wise-cracker bid the Trait: Vigesimal. If there are a set number of standard adjectives used as the Trait pool, everyonecan be expected to know the meaning of every adjective and can know when each is applicable. For these reasons, The Apocalypse has a list of Traits from which to choose.}

_{If you decide to add more Traits to the list, here are some guidelines: keep the number of new Traits low, make sure all players understand them, and make sure they don’t duplicate existing Traits.}

_{Attributes and Bidding Traits}

_{Creative players can think of ways to use nearly any Trait in nearly any challenge. Though this is praiseworthy, people can sometimes go too far. To avoid this, the general rule on bidding Traits is very strict: you can only bid Traits from the category that best suits the nature of the challenge (i.e., bidding is done using one of the three categories— Physical, Mental or Social categories). Even then, however, not all Physical (or Mental, or Social) Traits are appropriate to all Physical (or Mental, or Social) Challenges.}

_{For example, beginners might think they can use all their Physical Traits in combat. This is incorrect. If your character is trying to kick someone, Resilient is not an appropriate Trait to bid as part of the attack. Likewise, if your character is trying to sense the taint of the Wyrm,Creative might not be an appropriate Trait.}

_{For such an “inappropriate” Trait to be allowed, both parties must agree. When an opponent bids a Trait that you feel is extremely inappropriate, politely tell her that you’re not going to allow its use. If she is insistent, reevaluate your grievance. If you still can’t agree, appeal to any witnesses of the contest. Then, if there is still deadlock and no one is willing to compromise, seek out a Narrator to make a ruling. Appeals to a Narrator, however, should occur very, very rarely. Learn to handle confrontations on your own, quickly and socially. Apocalypse is a social game, and compromise makes the game more entertaining for everyone.}

_{To keep things simple, your group may choose to ignore the subtleties of Traits and use any Physical Trait in any Physical Challenge. This approach is particularly useful when you have a number of novice players. Eventually, you will go beyond this boring convention and only allow players to use Traits that are appropriate to the situation at hand. This method is more complicated, but it can be a lot more fun. Try it out.}

_{Physical Traits}

• _{Athletic: You have conditioned your body so that it responds well in full-body movements, especially in competitive events.
  Use: Sports. Duels. Running. Acrobatics. Grappling.}
• _{Brawny: Bulky muscular strength.
  Use: Punching, kicking or grappling in combat when your goal is to inflict damage. Power-lifting. Feats of strength.}
• _{Brutal: You are capable of taking nearly any action in order to survive.
  Use: When fighting an obviously superior enemy.}
• _{Dextrous: General adroitness and skillful physical manipulation.
  Use: Weapon-oriented combat (Melee or Firearms Ability). Pickpocketing. Punching.}
• _{Enduring: A persistent sturdiness against physical opposition.
  Use: When your survival is at stake, this is a good Trait to risk as a second, or successive, bid.}
• _{Energetic: A powerful force of spirit. A strong internal drive propels you and, in physical situations, you can draw on a deep reservoir of enthusiasm and zeal.
  Use: Combat. Quickness.}
• _{Ferocious: Possession of brutal intensity and extreme physical determination.
  Use: After the bidding has already begun and you intend serious harm.}
• _{Graceful: Control and balance in the motion and use of the entire body.
  Use: Combat defense. Whenever you might lose your balance (stepping on a banana peel, fighting on four-inch-thick rafters).}
• _{Lithe: Characterized by flexibility and suppleness.
  Use: Acrobatics. Gymnastics. Dodging. Dancing. Attacking.}
• _{Nimble: Light and skillful; able to make agile movements.
  Use: Dodging. Jumping. Rolling. Acrobatics. Hand-to-hand combat.}
• _{Quick: This Trait represents your speed and reactions.
  Use: Defending against a surprise attack. Running. Dodging. Attacking. Reflexive response.}
• _{Resilient: This Trait represents hardiness or recuperative ability. You are able to recover quickly from bodily harm.
  Use: Enduring adverse environments. Defending against damage in an attack.}
• _{Robust: Resistant to physical harm and damage.
  Use: Defending against damage in an attack.}
• _{Rugged: You are hardy, rough and brutally healthy.You can shrug off wounds and pain to continue your struggles.
  Use: When hurt and in pain, you have the will to continue with physical actions.}
• _{Stalwart: Physically strong and uncompromising against opposition.
  Use: The second or higher bid when defending against a combat attack.}
• _{Steady: More than simply physically dependable, you are controlled, unfaltering and balanced. You have firm control over your efforts.
  Use: Weapon attacks. Fighting in exotic locations. Piloting oil tankers.}
• _{Tenacious: Physically determined through force of will. You often prolong physical confrontations, even when it might not be wise to do so.
  Use: You can use this Trait when it’s possible to prolong any physical contest.}
• _{Tireless: You have a runner’s stamina— you are less taxed by physical efforts than ordinary people.
  Use: The second or higher bid in any drawn-out, strenuous action, like running away or fighting.}
• _{Tough: A harsh, aggressive attitude and a reluctance ever to submit.
  Use: Whenever you’re wounded or winded.}
• _{Vigorous: This is a combination of energy, power, intensity and resistance to harm.
  Use: This Trait should be bid whenever possible if you might take damage from an attack.}
• _{Wiry: Tight, streamlined, muscular strength.
  Use: Punching, kicking or grappling in combat. Acrobatic movements. Endurance lifting.}

_{Negative Physical Traits}

• _{Clumsy: Lacking physical coordination, balance and grace. You are prone to stumbling and dropping objects.}
• _{Cowardly: In threatening situations, saving your own neck is all that is important. You might even flee when you have the upper hand, just out of habit.}
• _{Decrepit: You move and act as if you are old and infirm. You recover from physical damage slowly, you are unable to apply your full muscular strength, and you tire easily.}
• _{Delicate: Frail and weak in structure; you are easily damaged by physical harm.}
• _{Docile: The opposite of the Ferocious or Tenacious; you lack physical persistence and tend to submit rather than fight long battles.}
• _{Flabby: Your muscles are underdeveloped. You cannot apply your strength well against resistance.}
• _{Lame: You are disabled in one or more of your limbs. The handicap can be as obvious as a missing leg or as subtle as a dysfunctional arm.}
• _{Lethargic: Slow and drowsy. You suffer from a serious lack of energy or motivation.}
• _{Puny: You are weak and inferior in strength. This might just refer to being small.}
• _{Sickly: Weak and feeble. Your body responds to physical stress as if it were in the throes of a debilitating illness.}

_{Social Traits}

• _{Alluring: You have an attractive and appealing presence that inspires desire in others.
  Use: Seduction. Convincing others.}
• _{Beguiling: This Trait represents the skill of deception and illusion. You can twist the perceptions of others and lead them to believe what suits you.
  Use: Tricking others. Lying under duress.}
• _{Charismatic: This is a talent of inspiration and motivation, the sign of a strong leader.
  Use: In a situation involving leadership or the achievement of leadership. Public speaking. Inspiring others.}
• _{Charming: Your speech and actions make you appear attractive and appealing to others.
  Use: Convincing. Persuading. Resisting Entrancement.}
• _{Commanding: Impressive delivery of orders and suggestions. This implies skill in the control and direction of others.
  Use: Acting as a leader. In social situations, after an initial bid of a Trait like Dignified or Charismatic.}
• _{Compassionate: Deep feelings of caring or pity for others.
  Use: Defending the weak or downtrodden. Defeating major obstacles while pursuing an altruistic end.}
• _{Dignified: Something about your posture and body carriage appears honorable and aesthetically pleasing. You carry yourself well.
  Use: Evoking awe. Against vampires: Defending against Social Disciplines.}
• _{Diplomatic: You are tactful, careful and thoughtful in speech and deed. Few are displeased with what you say or do.
  Use: Very important in intrigue. Leadership situations.}
• _{Elegant: You have a way about you that suggests refined tastefulness. Even though you don’t need money to be elegant, you exude an air of wealth and a familiarity with high society.
  Use: High society gatherings or parties with Toreador vampires. Might be important in some tribes for advancement. Defending against Social Disciplines or Gifts.}
• _{Eloquent: This Trait signifies the ability to speak in an interesting and convincing manner.
  Use: Convincing others. Swaying emotions. Public speaking. Should be used as a later bid, after you’ve had something to say.}
• _{Empathetic: You can identify and understand the emotions and moods of people with whom you come in contact.
  Use: Gauging the feelings of others. Against vampires: defending in Beast Within contests and Curse of Sutek contests. Not very applicable for defending against Social Disciplines (might actually make it easier to use them on you).}
• _{Expressive: The ability to articulate thoughts in interesting, significant, meaningful ways. If you want someone to understand your meaning, this is the Trait to apply.
  Use: Producing art, acting, performing. Against vampires: resisting Curse of Sutek.}
• _{Friendly: You get along with everyone you meet. Even after a short conversation, most find it difficult to dislike you.
  Use: Resisting entrancement. Convincing others.}
• _{Genial: Cordial, kindly, warm and pleasant. You are pleasing to be around.
  Use: Mingling at parties. Generally used as the second or later bid.}
• _{Gorgeous: You are beautiful or handsome. You were born with a face and body that is good-looking to most people you meet.
  Use: Modeling, posing. Against vampires: Beast Within contests.}
• _{Ingratiating: You know what to do to gain the favor of people who know you.
  Use: Dealing with elders in a social situation. Against vampires: Entrancement contests. Defending against Social Disciplines.}
• _{Intimidating: A frightening or awesome presence that causes others to feel timid. This Trait is useful, particularly when attempting to cow opponents.
  Use: Inspiring common fear. Ordering others. Resisting manipulative vampires.}
• _{Magnetic: People feel drawn to you; those around you are interested in your speech and actions.
  Use: Seduction. Resisting mind control.}
• _{Persuasive: Your arguments and requests seem believable, convincing and correct. Very useful when someone else is undecided on an issue.
  Use: Persuading or convincing others.}
• _{Seductive: You know how to entice and tempt. You can use your good looks and your body to get what you want from others.
  Use: Romance, picking up people. Generally used as a later bid in a seduction attempt.}
• _{Witty: Cleverly humorous. Jokes and jests come easily to you, and you are perceived as a funny person when you want to be.
  Use: Parties. Entertaining someone. A good first bid for most actions.}

_{Negative Social Traits}

• _{Bestial: Your appearance belies your bestial, primitive self. If you’re in Homid form, maybe you have claw-like fingernails, heavy body hair or a feral glint in your eyes. If you’re in Lupus form, the “shaggy dog” routine just won’t work. However your animalistic self manifests, you definitely seem inhuman.}
• _{Callous: You are unfeeling, uncaring and insensitive to the suffering of others. Your heart is a frozen stone.}
• _{Condescending: You just can’t help it— your contempt for others is impossible to hide.}
• _{Dull: When others listen to you, they usually find you boring and uninteresting. Most people think that conversing with you a chore. You do not present yourself well to others.}
• _{Naive: You lack the air of worldliness, sophistication or maturity that most carry.}
• _{Obnoxious: You are annoying or unappealing in speech, action or appearance.}
• _{Repugnant: Your appearance disgusts everyone around you. Needless to say, you make a terrible first impression with strangers.}
• _{Shy: You are timid, bashful, reserved and socially hesitant.}
• _{Tactless: You are unable to do or say things that others find appropriate to the social situation.}
• _{Untrustworthy: You are rumored or perceived to be untrustworthy and unreliable (whether you are or not).}

_{Mental Traits}

• _{Alert: You are mentally prepared for danger and can react quickly when it occurs.
  Use: Preventing surprise attacks. Against vampires: resisting Command the Wearied Soul.}
• _{Attentive: You pay attention to everyday occurrences around you. When something extraordinary happens, you are usually ready for it.
  Use: Preventing surprise attacks. Against vampires: seeing through Obfuscate when you don’t expect it, and preventing Command the Wearied Soul.}
• _{Calm: You can withstand an extraordinary level of disturbance without becoming agitated or upset. You are a wellspring of self-control.
  Use: Resisting frenzy or commands that provoke violence. Maintaining control whenever a mental attack might upset you. Primarily for defense.}
• _{Clever: Quick-witted resourcefulness. You think well on your feet.
  Use: Innovation. Brilliant strategies. Witty banter.}
• _{Creative: Your ideas are original and imaginative.This implies an ability to produce solutions to your difficult problems and creating artistic pieces. This is a requirement for any true artist.
  Use: Creating anything. Defending against aura readings. If a Mental Challenge continues for over six bids, this would be a good Trait to bid to tip the scales.}
• _{Cunning: Crafty and sly, you possess a great deal of ingenuity.
  Use: Tricking others. Word games. Gamecraft.}
• _{Dedicated: You give yourself over totally to your beliefs. When one of your causes is at stake, you stop at nothing to succeed.
  Use: Useful in any Mental Challenge when your beliefs are at stake. Against vampires: resisting Forgetful Mind.}
• _{Determined: When it comes to mental endeavors, you are fully committed. Nothing can divert your intentions to succeed once you have made up your mind.
  Use: Facedowns. Useful in a normal Mental Challenge.}
• _{Discerning: You are discriminating and can pick out details, subtleties and idiosyncrasies. You have clarity of vision.
  Use: As a second or later bid, especially when using perception-based Gifts.}
• _{Disciplined: Your mind is structured and controlled. This rigidity gives you an edge in battles of will.
  Use: Facedowns. Asserting your will. Concentration.}
• _{Insightful: The power of looking at a situation and gaining an understanding of it.
  Use: Investigation (but not defense against it). Using Heightened Senses. Seeing through Blur of the Milky Eye or a vampire’s Obfuscate when you expect it.}
• _{Intuitive: Knowledge and understanding somehow come to you without conscious reasoning, as if by instinct.
  Use: Seeing through any form of unseen presence. Seeing true forms. Guessing.}
• _{Knowledgeable: You know copious and detailed information about a wide variety of topics. You have “book-learning.”
  Use: Remembering information your character might know.}
• _{Observant: This Trait signifies depth of vision, the power to look at something and notice the important aspects of it.
  Use: Heightened Senses. Picking up on little secrets the Storyteller might have planted.}
• _{Patient: You are tolerant, persevering and steadfast. You can wait for a long time and maintain your composure.
  Use: Facedowns and mental battles, especially after another Trait has been bid.}
• _{Rational: You believe in logic, reason, sanity and sobriety. Your ability to reduce concepts to a mathematical level helps you analyze the world.
  Use: Defending against emotion-oriented mental attacks. Rarely used as an initial bid.}
• _{Reflective: Meditative self-recollection and deep thought. As a serious thinker, you are able to consider all aspects of a conundrum.
  Use: Meditation. Remembering information. Defending against most Mental attacks.}
• _{Shrewd: You are astute and artful. You keep your wits about you and accomplish mental feats with efficiency and finesse.
  Use: Defending against a Mental Discipline.}
• _{Vigilant: Alertly watchful. You have the disposition of a guard dog. Your scrutiny misses little. More appropriate for mental defense than for attack.
  Use: Seeing through Blur of the Milky Eye or Blissful Ignorance. Discouraging Investigation. Very applicable against vampires, such as when defending against Forgetful Mind or Command the Wearied Soul.}
• _{Wily: You are sly and adept at using guile. Because you are wily, you can trick and deceive easily.
  Use: Tricking others. Lying under duress. Confusing mental situations.}
• _{Wise: This Trait represents an overall understanding of the workings of the world.
  Use: Giving advice. Dispensing snippets of Zen. Detecting a true form.}

_{Negative Mental Traits}

• _{Forgetful: You have trouble remembering even important things.}
• _{Gullible: You are easily deceived, duped or fooled.}
• _{Ignorant: You are uneducated or misinformed and never seem to know anything.}
• _{Impatient: This Trait means you are restless, anxious and generally intolerant of delays. You want everything to go your way— immediately.}
• _{Oblivious: Unaware and unmindful. You’d be lucky if you noticed an airplane flying through your living room.}
• _{Predictable: Because you lack originality or intelligence, even strangers can easily figure out what you intend to do next. Not a very good Trait for chess players.}
• _{Shortsighted: You lack foresight. You rarely look beyond the superficial; details of perception are usually lost on you.}
• _{Submissive: You have no backbone; you relent and surrender at any cost rather than stand up for yourself.}
• _{Violent: An extreme lack of self-control. You fly into rages at the slightest provocation, and you’re always close to a frenzy. This is a Mental Trait because it represents mental instability.}
• _{Witless: You lack the ability to process information quickly. In all seriousness, you are foolish and slow to act when threatened.}

_Abilities

_{Abilities allow the character to engage in, if not excel in, a type of challenge when she could not otherwise participate. Additionally, if a character is defeated in such a challenge, she may choose to temporarily sacrifice a level in the appropriate Ability to call for a retest. While any Traits you’ve risked are still lost, it is possible for you to still win the challenge. An Ability lost in this manner is recovered at the beginning of the next session. If a character loses all her levels in an Ability in this manner, she may not use that Ability until the levels are recovered.}

_{Abilities can be chosen multiple times to represent a high degree of expertise in that skill or familiarity with a wide variety of specialties, such as the case with Performance, Science and Linguistics.}

_{The use of Abilities is often accompanied by a challenge of one sort or another. Some of these will be performed with a Storyteller who will not only assign the relative difficulty of the challenge (measured by a number of Traits), but will actually perform the test with you. As a rule, no Traits or one Trait would be risked for trivial uses, two to four would be at stake in novel, unusual or challenging projects, and five or more would be risked by attempting taxing, groundbreaking or unlikely attempts. More details concerning difficulty and the factors that influence it are included with each Ability.}

_{Other abilities, such as Subterfuge or Melee, can be used directly against another player and rarely need the assistance of a Storyteller to use.}

_{Animal Ken}

_{This Ability is not as common among the Garou as one would imagine— natural animals are just as susceptible to the effects of the Delirium as humans, if not moreso. A character with Animal Ken, however, has practiced long and hard to regain the ability to interact and cooperate with her feral brethren. Given time and access to an animal, she may train it to perform simple tasks, e.g. fetching, guarding, attacking, etc. When the command is given, the animal must make a Mental Challenge to successfully understand and carry out the order. The Traits that must be bid range between one and three depending on the difficulty of the task. The character may also attempt to calm an injured, attacking or frightened animal by defeating it in a Social Challenge.}

_Brawl

_{You are proficient at using your hands (or claws) as weapons. You may possibly be skilled at some form of martial art or may have acquired your skill from numerous street brawls.}

_Bureaucracy

_{The world of homids is a complex place riddled with a staggering amount of complexity, paperwork and red tape. An enterprising character can find this Ability a godsend when trying to enlist the aid of organizations, from government bureaus to small businesses. Bureaucracy can allow the character access to appropriate licenses, use contractual agreements to his advantage, or recover, alter or destroy files (in a pseudo-authorized manner, of course). Bureaucracy often requires a Static Mental or Social Challenge, depending on the type of roleplaying the character performs or as a Storyteller sees fit. Difficulty depends on such factors as security, accessibility, nature of the information sought or cooperativeness of the target involved.}

_Computer

_{We live in an Information Age where data pulses and flows through silicon circuitry and fiberoptic lines. A character with this Ability has learned many of the secrets of this other world and can use them to her advantage. She can infiltrate systems, swap data, steal business and science secrets and access records. A Mental Challenge is required to accomplish these and other similar acts. Difficulty is based on system security and accessibility, equipment, time, and the rarity of information, as interpreted by a Storyteller. Failure can lead to investigation by natural and sometimes supernatural agencies that operate in the computer sphere.}

_Drive

_{The automobile is practically an essential aspect of our world. It shrinks our world, giving the average person the ability to regularly visit places her ancestors would never have seen. In the states, the majority of adults have at least some familiarity with these vehicles. A character who also has this Ability is an adept driver capable of tailing (and avoiding tails), avoiding collisions and using her vehicle as a weapon. These actions often require a Physical or Mental Challenge. Factors influencing difficulty could include the type of vehicle, road conditions and the sort of stunts attempted.}

_Enigmas

_{The character has a knack, if not a fascination, with the perplexing permutations of riddles and problems of both the physical and intellectual varieties. When posed with a conundrum of this sort, the player may request a Mental Challenge to gain insight into the solution. The Storyteller may require the player to risk a variable number of Traits, depending on the relative difficulty, character familiarity with the problem and existing information on the enigma.}

_Finance

_{Money talks, and you are fluent in its language. This Ability allows you to follow money trails, perform and verify accounting and understand such concepts as investment, buyouts and the like. These actions are a function of Mental Challenge that depends on any precautions taken by the subject, the amount of money in question and the availability of information.}

_Firearms

_{Sometime during your existence, you have spent the time to familiarize yourself with a range of guns and similar projectile weapons. You not only to understand how to operate them, but can also care for them, repair them and possibly make minor alterations. The most common use of this Ability is in combat, but a Storyteller may also allow a Mental Challenge to allow the character to use other functions, such as trick shots, hunting and so on.}

_{Investigation}

_{You possess the learned skills of a diligent investigator. This sort of attention to detail is often found among private investigators, police officers, government agents and insurance claims personnel. In any case, you can often pick out or uncover details and clues that other individuals would overlook or ignore. You may request a Mental Challenge with a Storyteller to see if any clues have been overlooked, piece together clues or uncover information through formal investigation.}

_Law

_{Laws, whether civil or criminal, are based on layer after layer of confusing tradition, precedence and procedure. Your experiences with it, however, allow you to make the system work for you. In the world of humans, you can use the Law Ability to write up binding contracts, defend clients, and know the rights of yourself and others. The difficulty of the Mental Challenges necessary to accomplish these tasks depends on factors like the precedence, severity of the crime, legal complexity of the subject and legal action desired.}

_Leadership

_{You have the gift of influencing and inspiring others. This is a function of confidence, bearing and a profound understanding of what motivates others. You may use this Ability to cause others to perform reasonable tasks for you. They must first be under your command or serve in some way as your subordinates. Examples include: an Alpha and her packmates, an officer and his soldiers, a CEO and his employees or a crimelord and her henchmen. These requests should not violate the subject’s Nature or Demeanor. The subject must first be defeated in a Social Challenge. If the action would endanger other characters who follow you, they should be given a choice, but a challenge can assist in roleplaying this out.}

_Linguistics

_{You have received tutelage in one or more languages other than your native tongue. This can be anything from ancient hieroglyphics to common national languages or complex dialects. The language known must be specified when the Linguistics Ability is chosen and may not be changed; one new language is chosen each time it is taken. This skill allows you and anyone who also knows the language to speak privately. Furthermore, you can translate data for yourself or others, though a Static Mental Challenge may be required, depending upon the complexity of the text.}

_Medicine

_{This Ability represents an adeptness at treating the injuries, diseases and various ailments of living creatures. You can allow a living being under the treatment of someone with the Medicine Ability to recover a single Health Level per night with time and a Mental Challenge. The difficulty is influenced by the severity and nature of the damage, equipment at your disposal and any assistance or distractions. Other uses of this Ability include forensic information, diagnosis and pharmaceutical knowledge.}

_Meditation

_{Meditation is the Ability of calming the emotions, controlling the mind and relaxing the body. Garou may use this to channel and renew Gnosis. For every ten minutes spent in meditation, the Garou may convert one Mental Trait into a Gnosis Trait (up to a full Gnosis Pool; see the section on “Gnosis”).}

_Melee

_{You are skilled at armed combat. You are proficient in the use of a variety of weapons, from broken bottles to swords.}

_Occult

_{There exists, on the fringe of mundane society, a wealth of arcane and alternative knowledge, most of which offers enlightening insight into the nature of our mysterious universe. This Ability allows the character to tap that information and use it to her advantage. Examples of these uses include, but are not limited to: identifying the use and nature of visible magicks, rites and rituals, understanding basic fundamentals of the occult, and having knowledge of cults, tomes and artifacts. Most uses of the Occult Ability require a Static Mental Challenge based on the obscurity of the knowledge, the amount of existing data, and the character’s individual scope of understanding.}

_Performance

_{You have the gift to make your own original creations and/or express these creations to your peers. The genius of your creativity or the power with which you convey it is determined by a Static Social Challenge. Some particularly sensitive types (such as Galliards and Toreador vampires) can even become entranced by the use of this skill. They must first be defeated in a Social Challenge, of course. The area you are skilled in should be chosen before play begins.}

_Repair

_{You possess a working understanding of what makes things tick. With time, tools and parts, you can fix or slightly alter most of the trappings of modern society. This knowledge also allows you to excel at sabotage, should you choose to do so. Using this Ability usually calls for a Static Mental Challenge, the difficulty of which depends on such factors as the item’s complexity, the tools and parts available, the extent of the damage and the time spent on the repairs.}

_Science

_{You have a degree of factual and practical expertise in a single field of the hard sciences. This knowledge will allow you to identify properties of your field, perform experiments, fabricate items, bring about results or access information a player could not normally utilize. A Static Mental Challenge is necessary for all but the most trivial uses of this skill. The difficulty depends on resources (equipment, data, etc.) available, complexity of the task and time. A field of study must be chosen when the Science Ability is taken. A few examples are Physics, Biology, Electronics and Chemistry. Other fields can be allowed at the Storyteller’s discretion.}

_Scrounge

_{Scrounge allows the character to produce items through connections, wits and ingenuity. Many individuals who lack the wealth to purchase the things they desire or need develop this Ability instead. Materials acquired with Scrounge aren’t always brand new or exactly right and often require some time to come by, but this Ability can sometimes work where finance or outright theft fail. A Static Mental or Social Challenge is necessary to use Scrounge. Some factors that influence the difficulty of the challenge include rarity and value of the item and local supply and demand.}

_Security

_{You have a degree of experience and knowledge of the variety of ways people defend and protect things. Not only can you counter existing security, such as locks, alarms and guards, but you can also determine the best way to secure items and areas. Other uses include breaking and entering, infiltration, safecracking and hotwiring. Almost all applications of the Security Ability require a Static Mental Challenge. Difficulty depends on the complexity and the thoroughness of the defenses, the intruder’s equipment and the time available.}

_Streetwise

_{With this Ability, you have a feel for the streets. You know its secrets, how to survive and how to use the network of personalities on the street. You can get information on current events on the street, deal with gangs and the homeless, and survive (if somewhat squalidly) without an apparent income. Some uses of Streetwise require a Static Social Challenge influenced by such things as composition of the local street community, familiarity with the area and the current environment on the street.}

_Subterfuge

_{Subterfuge is an art of deception and intrigue that relies on a social backdrop to work. When participating in a social setting or conversation with a subject, you can attempt to draw information out of him trickery and careful probing. Information can be revealed by successfully using Subterfuge. This includes finding out someone’s name, nationality, Negative Traits or friends and enemies. The first requirement to doing this is getting the target to say something dealing with the desired knowledge, such as entering a conversation about foreign culture to find out where the subject is from. If you can accomplish this, then you may proposed your true question and initiate a Social Challenge. If you win, then the subject must forfeit the information (hopefully by roleplaying his faux pas). To use the Ability again, you must once again lure them into a conversation. Furthermore, Subterfuge may not reveal more than one Negative Trait per session, and it may be used to defend against others with Subterfuge.}

_Survival

_{You have the knowledge and training to find food, water and shelter in a variety of wilderness settings. Each successful Static Mental or Physical Challenge allows the character to provide the basic necessities for herself or another living creature for one day. This Ability can also be used to track down someone in a wilderness setting. The nature and difficulty is usually set by a Storyteller. Important factors in the challenge are abundancy or scarcity of resources, the time of the year, equipment used and type of wilderness.}

_Gifts

_{Gifts are normally taught by spirits. A Garou must either petition a particular spirit to teach him its power or ask an elder to summon that spirit and petition for him. (Further ideas for this process can be found in Werewolf Second Edition.) Only spirits allied with the Garou will teach Gifts, and they will not teach them to Garou who have not attained the proper Rank.}

_{Sometimes a Garou may teach another Garou a Gift he knows. Unlike spirit teaching, which takes only a short time, this can take quite a while of training. In addition, Gifts learned this way cost an additional experience point.}

_{Additional note: although many Garou can affect spirits, there is a distinction between spirits and wraiths. A Gift that can affect a spirit will not necessarily have any affect on a wraith.}

_{One Trait Down / One Trait Penalty}

_{If a Gift places a Garou “one Trait down” after a challenge, the Garou has his total number of Traits reduced when ties are resolved. If a Garou receives a “one Trait penalty” as a result of a Gift, the victim must spend one extra Trait when initiating a challenge. Gifts like Smell of Man or Infest incur a Trait penalty; Gifts like Body Wrack or Chill of the Early Frost will put a Garou down a specific number of Traits when ties are resolved.}

_{Breed Gifts}

_Homid

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Persuasion — This Gift enhances the Garou’s charisma and ability to deal with others in Social situations. The character may expend a Gnosis Trait for the three Social Traits that are added to his total in a Social Challenge. This Gift may be used once at the beginning of or during a Social Challenge. These bonus Traits only last for the duration of a scene.}
• _{Smell of Man — The Garou exudes the well-known scent of danger from her body. While man has grown dull to this warning, animals remember it and will act accordingly. A Garou may use this Gift at will, but no more than once on the same animal. When the Gift is first activated, the character may make a Simple Test to affect all nearby animals (20 ft. radius), including ghouled animals. If the Garou wins or ties, the animals flee immediately and will not approach her again that day. Even if she loses, the animal receives a one Trait penalty in any challenge it takes against the character.}
• _{Jam Technology — The Garou can temporarily disrupt the orderly logic of the Weaver upon which technological items depend. It costs at least one Mental Trait to activate this Gift. The Garou may choose to affect a single visible item within 50 ft. The exact number of Traits she must expend depends on the complexity of the item the Garou wishes to affect.}
  • _{One Gnosis Trait - computer, phone, radio}
  • _{Two Gnosis Traits - firearm, car, lock}
  • _{Three Gnosis Traits - lever, wrench}

_Metis

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Sense Wyrm — The stench of the Wyrm and those close to it can be detected by a Garou with this Gift. If the Garou’s target is a inanimate object or area, the Garou senses the taint of the Wyrm (if present) on a Simple Test. Otherwise, the Garou must make a Static Mental Challenge. This Gift not only reveals Banes and the like, but some vampires as well. Vampires with more than two Beast Traits (see The Masquerade, Second Edition) or of an earlier generation than 9th bear the taint of the Wyrm. The only exception to this is a vampire in Golconda— these Kindred never bear any trace of the Wyrm.}
• _{Create Element — By expending a Gnosis Trait, the Garou may create one cubic foot of one of the four basic elements— fire, air, water or earth. The element appears either at the Garou’s feet or in her hands.}
  • _{Fire — Causes an aggravated wound. A Mental Challenge is required to attack someone with the flame; if the attack is unsuccessful, the Garou suffers an aggravated wound}
  • _{Air — Causes a short, slight breeze or provides an entombed creature with a few more minutes worth of air.}
  • _{Water — Enough to extinguish a small fire or provide a days worth of drinking water for a single man, wolf or Garou.}
  • _{Earth — A small mound of fresh, dry dirt.}
• _{Shed — Once per session or day, the Garou may suddenly release all of her fur, making her slippery and difficult to restrain. The Garou gains the Physical Traits: Wiry, Lithe and Nimble. These Traits last for the duration of the day or session. In addition, the Garou also gains the Negative Social Trait: Repugnant for the remainder of the day or session.}

_Lupus

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Heightened Senses — This Gift allows the Garou to try to overhear distant conversations, recognize subtle scents and detect moving targets cloaked by Gifts or vampiric Disciplines by winning a Mental Challenge. This added sensitivity can be a disadvantage if the Garou is exposed to very intense stimuli.}
• _{Scent of the True Form — By inhaling the scent of a nearby subject (someone within a few feet), the Garou may attempt to ascertain its true nature. Vampires, faeries, mummies and other Garou may be detected this way by defeating them in a Mental Challenge. If this Gift is used on a mage or ghoul, the subject wins all ties, regardless of who has the most Traits.}
• _{Catfeet — The Garou gains the preternatural agility of this Gift’s namesake. By spending a Gnosis Trait, she either avoids damage from falls of 100 feet or less or gains the Physical Traits: Athletic, Graceful and Nimble. These Traits can only be used in challenges that deal with balance and agility (not combat) and must be used within the hour or they are lost.}

_{Auspice Gifts}

_Ragabash

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Scent of Running Water — The Garou may expend a Mental Trait and mask her scent. A foe attempting to use an olfactory sensing power, such as Heightened Senses, must first win a Mental Challenge. The effects of this Gift last for one hour.}
• _{Blur of the Milky Eye — The Garou can obscure her presence from others. To activate this Gift, the player must expend a Mental Trait and cross her arms in front of herself. At this point, other characters must ignore the hidden Garou and act normally. However, as soon as the Garou speaks or interacts with her environment (she can still move around), the glamour is shattered and she is visible to all. Otherwise, the power lasts for one hour. This Gift only affects other beings, not machines. Heightened Senses will discover someone using this Gift with a successful Mental Challenge. The power may not be activated if the Garou is being watched by others.}
• _{Taking the Forgotten — This Gift makes the Garou a most daunting thief. If she can steal an item from an opponent (with Streetwise or a Mental Challenge), she can then expend a Gnosis Trait to activate this Gift. The user and the victim then enter a secondary Mental Challenge. If the Garou wins, the victim forgets he ever had the item and will forget that the Ragabash stole from him. If violence is part of the theft, this Gift may not be used.}
• _{Open Seal — By expending two Mental Traits, the Garou may open a single, mundane lock or closure. The affected item shows no sign of tampering or the like (except for the fact that it is now is open). Magical or more complex locks will require a Mental Challenge with a Storyteller.}
• _{Alter Scent — The Garou may replace her scent with any scent she has experienced before by expending a Mental Trait. A foe with Heightened Senses is allowed a single Simple Test (no Traits are expended). If the foe wins the test, she uncovers her prey’s true scent and cannot be fooled again for either the next day, the next evening or the next session. Otherwise, the foe falls for the deception for the same amount of time.}

_Theurge

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Sense Wyrm — As the Metis power.}
• _{Spirit Speech — The Garou with this Gift has learned the spirit tongue and may converse with any spirits near enough to hear her. This, of course, is no guarantee that the spirit will be cooperative or even listen to the character.}
• _{Mother’s Touch — The Garou’s touch can act as a cool, soothing poultice that drains away pain and heals the injuries of others of his kind. The Garou need only touch the subject, concentrate for one minute and expend a Gnosis Trait. A single wound, whether aggravated or non-aggravated, will be completely healed. The Gift may not be used on the same person more than once per day, and the Garou may not use his healing power on himself.}
• _{Sight from Beyond — The Garou with this Gift is subject to unexpected and uncontrolled visions of the future. Sometimes, these visions and dreams warn her of imminent danger or herald great events. More often than not, however, these visions are cryptic and unclear. The Garou must make of them what she will. Once per session, the Storyteller may opt to give the Garou a strange, enigmatic preview of a possible outcome to the evening’s play.}
• _{Name the Spirit — The Garou has a certain mystical adeptness at identifying the different types of spirits and their abilities. By spending a Mental Trait and winning or tying a Simple Test, she may learn the type, nature and powers of a single spirit that is present.}

_Philodox

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Resist Pain — By expending a Gnosis Trait, the Garou may ignore wound penalties for the duration of a single conflict.}
• _{Truth of Gaia — The Garou may enter a Mental Challenge with an opponent to determine if the last statement the opponent made was true.}
• _{Scent of the True Form — As per the Lupus Gift.}
• _{Strength of Purpose — Whenever the Garou is dealing with a challenge that affects or deals with the very core of her auspice or tribe, she may expend a Gnosis Trait to gain two Willpower Traits. These Traits must be spent immediately or they are lost. Furthermore, she must spend the Traits in a situation that also deals with the essential nature of her auspice or tribe. This Gift may only be used once per session.}

_Galliard

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Beast Life — As per the Lupus Gift.}
• _{Call of the Wyld — The Garou can issue forth a great howl that is audible to those nearby, but the affects will travel even beyond that, reaching Garou miles away in some cases. Most often, it is used to summon others to a moot or herald other important events, but it can serve as a general distress call (the Garou equivalent of firing a flare pistol into the sky). This last function of the Gift is quite embarrassing to Garou, and the user could lose a Renown Trait (depending upon the reason for the call, of course). A Garou wishing to use this Gift should contact a Storyteller. She will instruct the character to expend a Gnosis Trait and record the nature of the howl (which must be brief and to the point).}
• _{Mindspeak — The Garou can forge a telepathic communication between herself and other willing participants within visual range by expending a Mental Trait for each subject to be included. Other creatures, such as a vampire with the Discipline: Telepathy may listen in if she can defeat the Gift user in a Mental Challenge.}

_Ahroun

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Razor Claws — The Garou can hone his claws to a razor sharpness by scratching them across a hard surface, such as a stone floor or metal dumpster. By spending a Rage Trait, the Garou gains two Sharp Traits for the duration of his next combat. These Traits also count towards the character’s total number of Traits. This Gift is only usable in Crinos form, and the benefits are lost if the character assumes another form.}
• _{Inspiration — The powerful figure of an Ahroun serves to urge other Garou on to acts of greatness, especially if the Ahroun has this Gift. By spending a Gnosis Trait, the Garou may allow any of his fellow Garou nearby to retry a test. The Garou may not benefit from his own Gift.}
• _{The Falling Touch — The Garou can send his foe sprawling to the ground with but a touch. The Garou must spend a Gnosis Trait and defeat the subject in a Physical Challenge in order for this Gift to work. If the attempt is successful, the victim must sit down on the ground for a full fifteen seconds (count them out loud, please) and may not initiate any Physical Challenges during that time. They may defend themselves normally, however. Opponents with Celerity or Speed of Thought cut this time to eight seconds. Rapidity or Speed Beyond Thought reduces this penalty to four seconds. A vampire with the Discipline: Fleetness is unaffected by this.}
• _{Sense Silver — With a disdainful snort, the Garou can uncover the foul scent of the bane metal on an individual. At a distance of up to 20 feet, the Garou can detect whether or not a person is carrying anything made of silver. Winning or tying a Simple Test will reveal the metal’s general presence. The Garou would have to defeat the subject in a Mental Challenge to determine the silver’s exact whereabouts. A character must then reveal to the Garou the presence of any silver items she possesses.}

_{Tribal Gifts}

_{Black Furies}

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Sense Wyrm — As the Metis Gift.}
• _{Heightened Senses — As the Lupus Gift.}
• _{Sense of the Prey — As the Ragabash Gift.}

_{Bone Gnawers}

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Scent of Sweet Honey — The Garou can lay down a scent upon an object that insects and all manner of vermin find irresistible. This Gift costs one Gnosis to use. An object affected by this will be infested in five minutes. If used on a creature, the creature is allowed a Physical Challenge (against three Annoying Traits). If the victim loses, she suffers a one Trait penalty on any further challenges for the next hour.}
• _{Odious Aroma — By expending a Gnosis Trait, a Garou can put his natural defensive pheromone glands into a sort of overdrive. Anyone who can smell who approaches within ten feet of the Garou will be so overpowered by her stench that they will begin all challenges with the Garou with a one Trait penalty (that is, any opponent must spend two Traits to begin a challenge). Those using Heightened Senses at the time will suffer an additional one Trait penalty. The Garou using this power immediately gains the Negative Social Traits: Repugnant x 3. The effects of this Gift last for thirty minutes.}

_{Children of Gaia}

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Resist Pain — As the Philodox Gift}
• _{Mother’s Touch — As the Theurge Gift.}
• _{Calm — By expending a two Social Traits, the Garou may take away one of a target’s Rage Traits. (The Trait is gone, but it can be regained as normal. No, the frustration of losing a Rage Trait will not cause it to be regained. Nice try.)}

_Fianna

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Resist Toxin — The Garou may call upon incredible recuperative powers to stop diseases and poisons that may enter her body. When affected (or infected) by a toxin or disease, the Garou may spend a Gnosis Trait to cancel the effects of the invading substance. In the case of extremely potent or magical diseases or toxins, the Storyteller may call for a Physical Challenge of some sort.}
• _{Persuasion — As the Homid Gift.}

_{Get of Fenris}

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Razor Claws — As the Ahroun Gift.}
• _{Resist Pain — As the Philodox Gift.}
• _{Snarl of the Predator — The Garou’s intimidating growl weakens his foe’s resolve and determination. The Gift costs a Social Trait to use. If successful, the target suffers a two Trait penalty against the Garou for the next ten minutes (that is, he must spend three Traits to initiate a challenge with the Garou). The effects of this Gift are not cumulative.}

_{Glass Walkers}

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Control Simple Machine — The Garou can control very simple technological items. The Garou can cause nearby, non-electronic machinery to turn on and off and/or perform a normal range of functions. Using this Gift to affect one item costs a variable number of Gnosis Traits. Each command requires the Garou to win or tie a Simple Test. The Gift ends when the Garou loses one of the Simple Tests or a full minute has passed. This Gift costs a variable number of Gnosis Traits.}
  • _{One Gnosis: Lock, doorknob, pistol or small lever}
  • _{Two Gnosis: Rifle, safe door or hydraulic jack}
  • _{Three Gnosis: Crane or watermill}
• _{Persuasion — As the Homid Gift.}
• _{Cybersenses — The Garou may alter his senses to a degree to gain access to a range of sensory information he could not normally comprehend. This power cost a Gnosis to use and lasts for ten minutes.}
  • _Sight:
    • _{- Infrared— See heat sources, ignore most darkness penalties or detect a vampire (unless they’ve fed in the last hour or they’ve been in a very warm area).}
    • _{- High band transmissions— Watch television programs as transmissions pass through the air; the Garou must win a Simple Test to find a specific station.}
  • _Hearing:
    • _{- Radio Band— Listen to random radio transmissions; the Garou must win a Simple Test to find a specific band.}
    • _{- Radar— See immediate surroundings, ignore darkness penalties.}
    • _{- Supersonic/Subsonic— See motion-sensor beams.}
  • _Touch:
    • _{- Electric (Stream)— Feel the transmission of electricity, find live wires, or tap a phone line or intercom by touching the wiring.}
  • _{Note only one effect of this Gift may be in use at a time.}

_{Red Talons}

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Beast Life — As the Lupus Gift.}
• _{Scent of Running Water — As the Galliard Gift.}
• _{Babble — The Garou can temporarily steal the Gift of language from a person. The Garou must spend a Gnosis Trait and win a Mental Challenge with the target. If the attempt is successful, the victim cannot read, write, speak intelligibly or understand the speech of others. Not even hand gestures are possible. The effects last for thirty minutes.}
• _{Beastmind — The Garou can implant a powerful, animalistic nature in the victim. By spending a Mental Trait and defeating the target in a Mental Challenge, the Garou can force the victim to adopt the following temporary Negative Traits: Bestial x 2 and Shortsighted. The effects of this Gift last for ten minutes.}

_{Shadow Lords}

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Fatal Flaw — The Garou may enter a Mental Challenge with an individual to uncover a weakness. If successful, the Garou learns one of his target’s Negative Traits or a Derangement (the target chooses which one). This Gift costs a Gnosis Trait to use, and the Garou may not use it on an individual more than once a session.}
• _{Aura of Confidence — The Garou bolsters his natural aura so that Fatal Flaw and similar powers do not reveal his weaknesses. Furthermore, those who can see auras will find the Garou’s emotional state to be solidly confident while the Gift is in effect. It does not hamper the other powers of Aura Perception whatsoever. The Gift costs a Gnosis Trait to use and lasts for one hour.}
• _{Clap of Thunder — By forcefully clapping his hands together, the Garou can produce a stunning shockwave. Everyone within ten feet of the Garou must make a Simple Test. If the defender wins, he is unaffected. If the defender ties, he is stunned and may not initiate a Physical Challenge for one full minute. If the defender loses, he must not initiate any sort of challenge for one full minute. This Gift costs one Gnosis to use.}
• _{Disfigurement — Through vile whispers, the Garou can create a ugly, unsightly blemish or mark upon her target. By spending a Gnosis Trait and defeating her opponent in a Social Challenge, the Garou can bestow the target with the Negative Social Trait: Repugnant. This Gift lasts for one session and is not cumulative.}

_{Silent Striders}

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Sense Wyrm — As the Metis Gift.}
• _{Speed of Thought — The Garou may spend a Mental Trait and gain the following Traits, which can only be used in reference to land movement: Quick, Quick and Tireless. If these Traits are not used within the next hour, they are lost.}
• _{Messenger’s Fortitude — The Garou may travel great distances without experiencing hunger or fatigue. The Strider must continue to run to continue using this Gift. The Garou can run for up to three days non-stop, but must sleep for one week afterwards. The power costs a Mental Trait to use, and for a Gnosis Trait, another Garou may benefit from this Gift as well. In the game, this means that Garou using this Gift can cover long distances in a third of the normal time.}

_{Silver Fangs}

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Sense Wyrm — As the Metis Gift.}
• _{Lambent Flame — The Garou emanates a silvery shower of light from her body, illuminating an area with up to a hundred foot radius. The light itself is harmless, but anyone engaged in melee against the Silver Fang must make an initial bid of two Traits to attack. Ranged attackers, on the other hand, act as if they had two additional Traits to their total. The Gift costs one Gnosis Trait to use and lasts for ten minutes.}
• _{Paralyzing Stare — As the Shadow Lord Gift.}

_Stargazers

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Sense Wyrm — As the Metis Gift.}
• _{Catfeet — As the Lupus Gift.}
• _{Surface Attunement — The Garou may spend a Gnosis Trait to activate this Gift, and for the next hour, he may pass effortlessly over mud, water, grease, oil, snow, ice, quicksand or similar substances without leaving a trace. The attunement can also be used to resist Gifts that mimic the effects of these surfaces.}

_Uktena

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Sense Magic — The Garou can expend a Gnosis Trait and tell if an item or a particular area is magical or enchanted (the area affected is quite small). To use this Gift on another individual, a Mental Challenge is required.}
• _{Spirit of the Fish — The Garou may breathe water and travel unhindered underwater. The Gift costs one Gnosis Trait to use, but lasts until the Garou surfaces or breathes air again.}
• _{Blur of the Milky Eye — As the Ragabash Gift.}

_Wendigo

_{Basic Gifts}

• _{Call the Breeze — The Garou may call up a strong, cold breeze at will. This breeze lasts only for a moment, but it will blow away insects or loose paper and extinguish candles, torches and oil lamps. This Gift costs one Gnosis Trait to use.}
• _{Camouflage — As the Ragabash Gift: Blur of the Milky Eye, but only usable in wilderness settings.}
• _{Cutting Wind — A painfully frigid wind blasts forth from the Garou, chilling opponents to the bone. The area of effect is ten feet wide and twenty feet long. Those within this area must make a Simple Test. If the defenders win, they are unharmed. If they tie, they suffer a one Trait penalty on any Physical Challenges. If they lose, they suffer a two Trait penalty on any Physical Challenges. The Gift costs a Gnosis to use and is over in an instant. The penalties, however, remain in effect for ten minutes.}
• _{Speak with the Wind Spirits — The Garou may beckon the nearby air spirits to bring him words spoken by others. The Garou may use this Gift to listen in on conversation of others nearby (fifty feet or so) as long as there are no obstructions in the way. This Gift costs a Gnosis Trait to use and lasts for ten minutes.}

_Rites

_{Enacting a Rite}

_{All but the simplest of rites are performed by a group of three or more Garou. One participant coordinates the effort and is designated as the Ritemaster. The Ritemaster is the only member of the group that must know the rite, and, as a result, she directs the actions and channels the energies of the others.}

_{Rites often demand intense, if not total, concentration. If undisturbed, a competent Ritemaster can cast a rite in about ten minutes for each level of the rite. Basic Rites require approximately 10 minutes, Intermediate Rites take approximately 20 Minutes and Advanced Rites can take up to 30 Minutes or more. An untested or inexperienced Garou can take twice as long.}

_{Each rite has a requirement of a minimum number of Traits. This means that the Garou attempting the rite must match this minimum Trait requirement before he can perform the ceremony. These Traits are not spent— they are merely the minimum number of Traits the character must have in order to perform the ceremony. If the Ritemaster does not have enough Traits, but is within three Traits of the number required, then he can still make an attempt. If this is the case, the rite will take require as much time.}

_{Additionally, a rite can take less time to perform if the Ritemaster has more Traits than needed. For every two Traits over the minimum needed, the Ritemaster can subtract five minutes from the time it takes to perform the rite.}

_{Involving more Garou makes the rite easier to perform. For every two Garou beyond the minimum number necessary, a free additional Trait is gained by the Ritemaster to use in the ceremony. The following table shows the type of Traits that are used in different types of rites.}

_{Minimum Participants}

_{Some confident or desperate Garou attempt rites even when they do not have the necessary resources. If a rite does not have the minimum number of Garou necessary to complete the rite, the Ritemaster must spend a number of Mental Traits equal to the number of participants he is lacking.}

_{Minimum Number of Traits}

_{If a ceremony requires a minimum number of Traits from the Garou present, this pool of Traits is separate from the Traits that are actually risked. This is not part of the actual test, and the Traits of attending Garou are not actually part of the bid. The Traits risked in a rite are those of the Ritemaster.}

_{Rites of Accord}

_{These rites draw their power from connecting to the primal state of Gaia. That cycle is characterized by harmonious coexistence and rejuvenation.}

_{To channel this power, the Garou must utilize an object that is unspoiled by the ravages of man or the Wyrm.}

_{Basic Rites}

• _{Rite of Cleansing — The Wyrm and its minions leave their indelible taint on everything they touch. While this rite cannot affect the Wyrm or its minions directly, it can remove the taint of their presence. Once the taint is removed, the area, person or object may not be further infected for the rest of the session. The Gnosis cost varies with the area the Garou wishes to affect.
  If a minion of the Wyrm is present in the contaminated object or area, it must first be defeated in order for the rite to work. Also, if the minion is not banished in time, it can reinfect the target.}
  • _{One Gnosis: one person or one man-sized object}
  • _{Two Gnosis: small room}
  • _{Three Gnosis: a large building}
• _{Rite of Contrition — A Garou performs this rite when she has committed a slight, either real or imagined, against another Garou or spirit. This is an elaborate form of apology. When used on a spirit, it soothes its anger, and attacking the caster becomes difficult. The Garou must have an aspect of the subject (clothing, fur, a representation, etc.) The caster can then expend a Gnosis Trait and perform the Mental Challenge. She may bid additional Traits after the initial bid. For each additional Trait bid, a one Trait penalty is levied against the rite’s subject, should he choose to ignore the rite. The effects of the rite end when the Garou initiate any sort of attack, when the spirit is insulted or when the session ends.}
• _{Rite of the Pack — In these last days, many packs are decimated by the raking claws of Death. Sadly, more than one Garou pack has been reduced to only one member after a surprise attack. For this reason, it has become important to create a means by which a pack may be made out of the fragments of other fallen packs. This has become a triumphant rite to perform, however. The Rite of the Pack is a statement of a renewed commitment to Gaia and a promise that the fight against the Wyrm will never end until victory is won.
  If Garou are adding a member to their pack, they have to all agree to the addition. The Rite of the Pack is begun by telling the tales of the fallen comrades who are no longer with them. Then the pack’s Alpha (or the last remaining member of the former pack) will go to each Garou and ask the totem of the pack to recognize the new pack member. At the end of this rite, the new pack howls as one, and they go immediately to the nearest tribe or sept elder and announce their new name and members. Usually a feast or hunt is planned for this occasion. If an entirely new pack is formed, the Garou may attract a brand new totem and may also acquire a brand new quest.}
• _{Rite of Renunciation — Once in a rare while, a Garou will find herself unable to fulfill the role of the auspice under which she was born. This rite allows the Garou to take on a new auspice while leaving the old auspice (and any previous Rank) behind. It is also used by those wishing to leave some great shame behind and experience a rebirth of sorts. Those partaking of this rite are often frowned upon by the more conservative factions of Garou society and may even experience open hostility. The rite itself is easily performed, requiring no challenge or Gnosis cost. The subject must do this of her own free will. She can no longer learn Gifts of her previous auspice, but she does retain any old ones. For all other purposes, she is a fostern of her new auspice, with the minimum number of Renown in her chosen auspice. She may learn the appropriate Gifts of her new auspice with experience.}

_{Caern Rites}

_{These rites are aligned with the most sacred sites of Garou and Gaia. Caerns are the bosom from which all Garou are nourished. If the caerns were left to ebb and die out, the death of the Garou race would not be far behind.}

_{These rites may only be performed while within a caern. This implies having the permission of the presiding Garou, as caern piracy is one of the foulest breeches of Garou etiquette. Furthermore, for every level of the caern, the Ritemaster receives a free Trait to use in the rite’s contest. This is in addition to any other bonus Traits.}

_{Basic Rites}

• _{Moot Rite — This rite must be performed to prepare the spirit realm surrounding a site for a coming moot. The ceremony is an integral part of the Opening Howl. If it is not performed, the moot will be cursed with ill-fortune and poor fellowship, and spirits will shun the event. It must be performed at least once per month or the strength of the caern will wane. During the course of the rite, two Gnosis Traits must be sacrificed for each level of the caern. For each month this rite is ignored, the caern will drop one level of power until it is dormant. These Gnosis Traits are spent during the Revel stage of the moot and may come from any Garou present for the moot.}

_{Rites of Death}

_{Having spent their lives so close to the spirit world, Garou understand death as an essential part of Gaia’s cycle and show the appropriate homage for it instead of showing fear or ignorance.}

_{Basic Rites}

• _{Gathering for the Departed — The rite eases the passage of a fallen Garou to the Umbra and his totem. If it is neglected, the spirit may become lost and haunt his old companions until they give her this honor.}
• _{Rite of the Winter Wolf — There comes a time in a Garou’s life when he can no longer serve the tribe or find purpose in this world. In a solemn and serious ceremony, the tales of his life is sung by his fellow Garou. The ceremony ends as the Garou retires to a secluded place where he will take his own life. This rite is immediately followed by the Gathering for the Departed.}

_{Mystic Rites}

_{These rites call forth spirits and Umbral entities to the Garou that performs them. This is considered a solitary affair, as it is performed by a lone Ritemaster (a ceremony can be performed somewhere else). The results often occur in complete privacy.}

_{Basic Rites}

• _{Baptism of Fire — This rite is used to help Garou keep track of their young, the cubs who will one day share in task of defending Gaia. It leaves a permanent spiritual mark upon the child that is only lifted upon the completion of the Rite of Passage. Until that time, she may be found as if the caster were using the Ritual of the Questing Stone. Rumor has it that Black Spiral Dancers (and worse) may be taking advantage of this rite to track down Garou young for their own purposes.}
• _{Rite of Spirit Awakening — This rite awakens the sleeping spirit in an object or a place. If the rite is performed on an object, the sleeping spirit will “wake up.” The spirit is now available to be commanded or bound. Usually an object’s spirit is a Gaffling or Jaggling. If this rite is done to a fetish or talen that has been discovered, it allows the Ritualist to speak briefly with the inhabiting spirit and perhaps learn some of the secrets of the fetish or talen. In addition, natural herbs that have been specially dried and treated with this rite gain special powers of various kinds. These herbs are assigned a Gnosis Trait rating based on how much of the herbs are gathered. For example, properly prepared yaupon banishes fatigue and negates the need for sleep. Plantain can heal a number of wound levels equal to its Gnosis pool. The Spirit Keeper will have to decide what sacred foods and herbs do in the context of her story and decide what is available in a given area.
  When this rite is used on an area or larger object, like a car, it awakens its spirit in the Umbra and allows the Garou to interact with it. So, a Rite of Spirit Awakening done on a Garou’s apartment building may cause the building’s spirit to awaken and discuss with its Garou tenant how it could be helped by a few coats of paint and a new heating system (as well the spiritual benefits that could be achieved if that loud young man on the third floor would just turn his music down). It can be useful, however, to be a friend of the spirit of the place in which you live, or the spirit of the car that you drive. Glass Walkers are particularly adept at speaking to technology spirits, and often Awaken even the floppy disks they use.}
• _{Rite of the Cup — This rite allows Garou to exchange Gnosis with each other, either receiving it or giving it. It requires two Garou, or one Garou and a spirit.
  The Rite of the Cup requires that each Garou participating spends one of the following Mental Traits: Calm, Disciplined, Insightful, Intuitive, Patient, Reflective or Wise. If the Garou in question does not possess one of these Mental Traits, he may not take part in the rite.
  A ritual cup is prepared: it can be any kind of cup, from a styrofoam coffee cup to a crystal goblet or a beer stein. The container is filled with water. At this point, everyone decides where their Gnosis is going. If there is a dispute, than the person who is performing the rite decides where the Gnosis goes. Once the rite begins, the Gnosis cannot be removed. The Gnosis then travels through the water into the Garou and the rite is over— the Garou do not have to drink the water to get the Gnosis.
  Gnosis may be stored by performing this rite with the assistance of an invested, bound spirit who agrees to hold the Gnosis and is accessed again by another use of the rite (Investiture is discussed under “The Rite of Binding”).There is no effective limit to the amount of Gnosis that can be transferred, but Garou cannot possess a number of Gnosis Traits higher than her Gnosis Pool.}
• _{Ritual of the Questing Stone — By enacting this rite, the Garou forms a sympathetic magical link between the subject and either a piece of the subject or a close possession. This trinket is necessary to successfully cast the rite and is destroyed in the casting. The Ritemaster will feel a slight tug by the trinket in the direction of its owner. The subject must be within one mile for the rite to work. The magic fades after one hour. After the rite has been performed, the player whose character is the Ritemaster may ask any other player or Storyteller (out of play, of course) where the subject was last seen. The person who answers must answer honestly.}
• _{Rite of the Talisman Dedication — Normally, when a Garou changes forms, her possessions are left behind or destroyed. This rite is used to convince a minor spirit to inhabit an item so that it will change with the Garou. The exact cost varies.}
  • _{One Gnosis: set of clothes, low tech item (knife, jewelry, etc...)}
  • _{Two Gnosis: handgun, small electronic device, body armor}
  • _{Three Gnosis: rifle, laptop computer}
  • _{The rite is permanent unless the spirit is somehow destroyed or released. In no case may a Garou have more Traits worth of items bound to her than her total Gnosis score. (Note that if an “inappropriate” technological item, such as a Nintendo Game Boy or a power drill, is bound by a Garou who isn’t a Bone Gnawer or Glass Walker, that individual may lose Renown.)}

_{Punishment Rites}

_{In a race as isolated as the Garou, the regard and fellowship of one’s peers is of paramount importance. It is no surprise that their punishments for transgressions rely so heavily on the pack, tribe and sept. This is usually enough, but for truly heinous or repeated offenses, these rites may be brought to bear.}

_{Basic Rites}

• _{Rite of Ostracism — This rite serves as a punishment by peers for those Garou who would commit lesser crimes in the eyes of other Garou. The length of the rite varies with the severity of the crime. It can be permanent, if necessary. While under this sentence, the Garou is ignored by other Garou, not allowed to participate in any functions and may not use her status Traits. For all practical purposes, they cease to exist. No challenge is necessary. Players whose characters are subjected to this rite will find themselves left out of plots and unable to participate in the Garou portion of a session.}

_{Rites of Renown}

_{These rites serve to reward Garou who distinguish themselves in any of the Garou virtues. Many Garou dream of frequently receiving the accolades of these rites.}

_{Basic Rites}

• _{Rite of Accomplishment — When a Garou performs a great deed against the Wyrm or shows uncommon valor, her peers may choose to perform this rite in her honor. The Rite of Accomplishment is generally enacted in the Stories and Songs portion of a moot and is almost invariably presided over by Galliards. Its purpose is to award a Garou Renown for a recent deed. The Ritemaster extols the virtues of the supplicant, and while no challenge is made, any Garou who wish to dispute the claim to Renown can do so. If the majority of Garou present agree, the subject receives the Renown Trait.}
• _{Rite of Passage — This rite serves as the “coming of age” ceremony for Garou. It is the time when their true nature is awakened within them. They are introduced to their fellows as well as their heritage. Usually, some quest or trial must also be performed instead of a challenge. This trail can vary greatly. Without this rite, a young Garou may not question or challenge his elders and has no voice whatsoever within Garou society.}
• _{Rite of Wounding — This rite is held in high regards among the more martial tribes and auspices. It celebrates the first wound a Garou receives in true battle. It is generally presided over by Ahroun regardless of the subject’s auspice. If it is neglected, other Garou will seriously doubt the new warrior’s competence and prowess. This is particularly true of Ahroun, who will challenge any Rite of Accomplishment until the Rite of Wounding is performed.}

_Backgrounds

_{Pure Breed}

_{The Garou hold their dead heroes and mystics in high regard. To actually share the same blood as one of these Garou of Renown bestows a great honor, as well as responsibility. All other Garou automatically sense the noble lineage within the bearer. A character with the Pure Breed background gains an additional Social Trait for each level of Pure Breed— these Traits may only be used in challenges with other Garou. In exchange, those “of the blood” are expected to live up to the standards of their famous ancestors and are given far less lenience than other “common” stock Garou.}

_{Past Life}

_{The Garou can call upon the knowledge of his dead ancestors in times of need. For each level of Past Life, the Garou may try to use an Ability she does not have or has already expended. To do so, the player must win a Simple Test. Additionally, the Storyteller may rule that certain Abilities are not accessible to the character in this manner. This may only be attempted once per session per level taken. Roleplaying this Background can be quite entertaining.}

_Fetish

_{Many cultures have a tradition of passing on physical items that are held in high regard by the young. Among the Garou, this tradition is especially important because the relics of their past are often totems of mystical power. A Garou who carries one of these items may draw upon its powers. Being chosen to carry one of these items is a great honor to the Garou and should be taken very seriously. The Storyteller will assign a fetish appropriate to the level of Background taken.}

_Rites

_{The Garou has been introduced to the mysteries of the rites and celebration of her race. She knows the traditions and trappings of these rites and can identify them by drawing upon her knowledge of them (the player must win or tie on a Static Challenge). Furthermore, she may have been taught how to perform a few of these rites.}

• _{One Point: Has knowledge of Basic Rites}
• _{Two Points: Has knowledge of Basic Rites and can perform one Basic Rite}
• _{Three Points: Has knowledge of Basic and Intermediate Rites, or has knowledge of Basic Rites and can perform two Basic Rites}
• _{Four Points: Has knowledge of Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Rites, or has knowledge of Basic and Intermediate Rites and can perform three Basic Rites}
• _{Five Points: Has knowledge of Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Rites and can perform three Basic Rites and one Intermediate Rite.}
• _{Individual Rites may be learned by any Garou who can find a willing teacher and pays the appropriate experience cost. Teachers often ask would-be students for hefty favors or require difficult quests before passing on their guarded knowledge.}

_Influence

_{A Garou with Influence Traits has gained a certain degree of control in aspects of normal human society. While many Garou shun taking such an active role in human affairs, others see it as the only way to keep accurate tabs on certain organizations and groups. Other forms of influence can reflect access to contacts, allies or the aid of Kinfolk. Possible areas of influence include the following:}

• _{Bureaucracy: city government}
• _{Church: religious establishments}
• _{Finance: big business}
• _{Health: hospitals, morgues, etc.}
• _{High Society: rich dilettantes and art community}
• _{Industry: unions, steel mills, etc.}
• _{Legal: lawyers, judges, etc.}
• _{Media: television, radio, newspapers}
• _{Occult: cult leaders, occult bookstore owners, etc.}
• _{Police: local law enforcement}
• _{Politics: politicians}
• _{Street: street-level crime}
• _{Transportation: bus terminals, airlines, harbor masters}
• _{Underworld: organized crime}
• _{One area of influence may be chosen for every level of this Background. Note that Influence does not give you knowledge of a particular area (Abilities handle that), but it does give you sway over a certain area of human society.
  A character with influence is usually given Influence Cards to represent the areas of influence he controls. Influences may be spent during the game to affect an area of society. Some influences may even allow you to gain something that you desire. Turning your Finance Influence into quick cash is one example. In most cases where Influence is spent, a challenge is not necessary. Influence Cards spent in this fashion are returned at the beginning of the next session. Influence may also be loaned to others. In this case, the card is given to another player and is not returned to its owner until after it is spent or it is returned.}

_Totem

_{When a pack is formed, its members often choose a totem spirit to watch over them. This spirit is the summoned by all the members of the pack and is created using the total score of the pack’s Totem Background. Costs to build the spirit are as follows:}

• _{One point: Provides three Traits to divide among the Totem’s Willpower, Rage or Gnosis (minimum of one each)}
• _{One point: The totem can speak}
• _{One point: The totem can locate and appear in the presence of any pack member}
• _{Two points: The totem spend the majority of its time around the pack and is readily available to them.}
• _{Two points: The totem has a degree of respect among fellow spirits (may retest a single Social Challenge with a spirit per session)}
• _{Five points: Totem can contact and interact with the Physical world for brief periods of time when the need is great.}

_Willpower

_{Each character begins the game with a number of Willpower Traits. For Garou, the number of Traits depends on the character’s tribe. These Willpower Traits can be used for almost anything that the player deems important. A few examples of how Willpower can be used by Garou are listed below.}

_{Willpower can be used to negate the effects of frenzy (by using a Willpower Trait, the character gains a new tolerance of the situation that would ordinarily throw her into frenzy).}

_{Willpower allows the character to replenish all of her lost Traits in any one category: Physical, Social or Mental.}

_{Willpower allows a character to ignore the side effects of wounds, such as In-capacitation, for one challenge.}

_{A Willpower Trait can be expended to negate the effects of any one Mental or Social Challenge}

_{Once a Willpower point has been used, it is gone until the end of the story. At that time, the character regains all Willpower used during the course of the story. It is possible that a Narrator may choose to give a character Willpower during the course of a story as a reward for exceptional roleplaying. Such a reward would be given for playing a Nature appropriately, acting out a Derangement in an appropriate fashion or any other reason the Narrator deems suitable. This should not, however, be a common occurrence.}

_Rage

_{Using Rage}

_{Rage can be used in many ways, depending on the needs of the character. Several examples of how Rage can be used in the course of a story are listed below.}

• _{Changing Forms — Changing forms is easier with the use of Rage. By expending a Rage Trait, you are able to change into another form immediately. Otherwise, changing into another form takes a number of seconds equal to the number of Social Traits you possess; you may, however, take your natural form automatically without spending Rage.}
• _{Extra Action — Rage can give the character the ability to perform extra feats during a challenge. This means that a character can challenge several players to different tests at the same time with no penalty. The number of players challenged depends on the number of Rage Traits spent.}
• _{Extra Attacks — A werewolf can also use Rage to attack with greater frequency and ferocity. A Garou who has just won a Physical Challenge (attacking someone) can immediately expend a Rage Trait and do a second test to attempt to inflict a second wound on a foe. This test occurs before a new challenge can begin. Furthermore, the Garou who expended Rage cannot be wounded as a result of this second test, unless, of course, his opponent has also spent Rage (or Celerity, in the case of vampires).
  For example, if a character is being attacked by two opponents at the same time, the defending character can spend a Rage Trait to acquire an extra action. Thus, he will be able to defend himself against both opponents in a challenge while suffering no penalty.}
• _{Remaining Active — When a character becomes Incapacitated from losing a challenge, she may use a Rage Trait to bring herself up one Health Level so that she may continue to fight. Once a character loses all of her Rage, she is no longer able to change forms. She has “lost the wolf” within and will revert to her natural form, whether that is Lupus or Homid.}

_{Regaining Rage:}

• _{The Moon: When the character first sees the moon at night, something deep in his soul surges. The character regains one Rage Trait.}
• _{Confrontation: At the beginning of any new conflict in which a challenge is involved, the character regains a Rage Trait. Only one Rage Trait is regained during the confrontation, regardless of the number of challenges.}
• _{Wounds: The first time a Garou is wounded in an evening, he regains a Rage Trait. This is only done once per day.}
• _{Humiliation: The character may regain a Rage Trait during a particularly humiliating situation. Awarding this Trait is the Narrator’s option.}

_Gnosis

_{Beginning Gnosis is determined by breed, because the birth of a Garou establishes his initial connection to Gaia. You may gain extra Gnosis Traits by spending experience and becoming more spiritually aware in a roleplaying sense— either through meditation or guidance.}

_{Gnosis Traits are used in Gifts and rites, and one Gnosis Trait can be spent to immediately step sideways into the Umbra (see “Spirit”, Stepping Sideways).}

_{Garou have both Gnosis Traits and a Gnosis Pool. The Gnosis Pool determines how many Gnosis Traits a Garou can store within herself. Gnosis Traits can be bid and spent in Static Challenges just like other Traits.}

_{Garou regain their spent Gnosis Traits in the following ways:}

• _{Meditation: You must have the Meditation Ability to do this. A Garou may spend a Mental Trait and get a Gnosis Trait if she has ten minutes to meditate alone. Of course, this must be a relevant Mental Trait.}
• _{Fetish: A Garou may gain Gnosis from a fetish, such as a Tear of Renewal (see “Fetishes”).}
• _{Spirits: A Garou may gain Gnosis through an Engling spirit. Either by summoning the Engling or running across it in the Umbra, the Garou must convince the Engling to give itself up for the benefit of the Garou. If it agrees, the Engling will give itself up to the Garou, and, in death, it will recharge all the Gnosis Pools of the Garou participating. The Spirit Keeper has the option of complicating this process.}
• _{Rites: A Garou may gain Gnosis through the Rite of the Cup (see Spirit Rites, below), although this Gnosis is actually shared Gnosis, and it must come from another Garou or a spirit.}