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Werewolf: The Forsaken - Blank It

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180<br />

Chapter III: Special Rules and Systems<br />

Vampires, having no blood of their own, are an<br />

exception to this rule. If a werewolf tastes the blood in a<br />

vampire’s veins, no bonus is gained to track the creature.<br />

<strong>The</strong> vampire’s stolen blood is a mix of several conflicting<br />

tastes and sensations, some fresh, some stale. <strong>The</strong> resulting<br />

blend is useless for the purposes of this ability. Vampires’<br />

ghouls can be tasted and tracked with the +4 as normal.<br />

Hosts also benefit from some protection from this ability,<br />

due to their composite nature. A werewolf gains only a +2<br />

bonus to any rolls to track a Host whose blood she’s tasted.<br />

WOLF’S BLOOD<br />

Werewolves can recognize the scent of their own kind<br />

even when wearing human skin. This ability is partially<br />

based on their sense acuity, but seems to be more than<br />

that. A werewolf in Hishu form can sometimes catch the<br />

scent of another werewolf who’s also wearing Hishu form,<br />

despite the fact that the human shape confers no exceptional<br />

olfactory capabilities. Something about the werewolf<br />

nature simply calls to others of the People — which<br />

can prove hazardous when a werewolf is packless and not<br />

among friends.<br />

Whenever a character comes within moderate scent<br />

range of another werewolf (generally about thirty feet in<br />

an open space), the Storyteller may call for a roll to see<br />

if the character catches or recognizes the scent. (<strong>The</strong><br />

Storyteller may make this roll on players’ behalf to keep<br />

them in the dark about what’s happening.) <strong>The</strong> results<br />

can allow two human-form werewolves to recognize one<br />

another for what they truly are, or it may alert a pack<br />

to a would-be ambush party that has clumsily chosen to<br />

hide upwind.<br />

This ability cannot be used reliably to detect the<br />

wolf-blooded for what they are. A werewolf may find a<br />

wolf-blooded human somewhat more attractive than the<br />

human standing next to her, but the pheromonal cues<br />

are indistinguishable from the usual cues for a healthy<br />

potential mate. Werewolves who have not yet undergone<br />

the First Change cannot be detected in this manner unless<br />

the Change is imminent, at which point the scent is<br />

stronger than usual as the nascent werewolf’s flesh and<br />

spirit begin to go into flux.<br />

Dice Pool: Wits + Primal Urge<br />

Action: Reflexive<br />

Roll Results<br />

Dramatic Failure: <strong>The</strong> character doesn’t catch the<br />

scent, and no other rolls may be made to do so for the<br />

remainder of the scene.<br />

Failure: <strong>The</strong> character doesn’t catch the scent. <strong>The</strong><br />

Storyteller may ask for a successive attempt (World of<br />

Darkness Rulebook, p. 132) if the character remains near<br />

the other werewolf for a while.<br />

Success: <strong>The</strong> character notices that another werewolf<br />

is in the area, as well as a few obvious details of<br />

the scent (the other werewolf’s sex and what form she’s<br />

currently in).<br />

Exceptional Success: <strong>The</strong> character notices the scent<br />

of the other werewolf and can tell exactly where the scent<br />

originates.<br />

Suggested Equipment: Character is in Dalu or Gauru<br />

form (+1), character is in Urshul or Urhan form (+2), other<br />

werewolf is on the cusp of the First Change (+2)<br />

Possible Penalties: Other strong scents in the air<br />

(–1), other werewolf is in Hishu or Urhan form (–2)<br />

MORALIT Y — HARMONY<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Forsaken</strong> have been barred from walking freely<br />

in the spirit world as they once could, and their allies in<br />

the Shadow Realm are few and far between. <strong>The</strong>ir ancestor’s<br />

legendary act of patricide was rooted in the belief<br />

that the spirit world and the physical realm must remain<br />

in relative balance, however, much as their own bestial<br />

and human natures must be. This principle of balance and<br />

coexistence forms the basis of Uratha morality.<br />

Werewolves aren’t human. Although they’re raised<br />

with human mores, they find certain ethical credos somewhat<br />

counterintuitive. For example, even before her First<br />

Change, a werewolf might consider stealing to be not so<br />

much a sin. After all, if the owner of the given property<br />

wasn’t strong or smart enough to protect it, why shouldn’t<br />

the werewolf take it? Yet werewolves often form very close<br />

bonds to friends and family, protecting them as a wolf does<br />

her packmates. That this affection isn’t always returned<br />

— the friends and family aren’t werewolves, and might find<br />

the strange child frightening — is a source of constant<br />

frustration and angst for these cubs.<br />

When the First Change comes, a werewolf suddenly<br />

begins to see the world through different eyes. In some<br />

ways, the Change brings freedom. Human laws and morals<br />

no longer seem quite appropriate. How can the laws of<br />

humans not killing one another apply to creatures seemingly<br />

designed to kill? Yet this philosophy is deceptive.<br />

A werewolf who utterly succumbs to his bestial side loses<br />

the ability to control it. In order to retain their sanity and<br />

have a chance at some precious peace of mind, the Uratha<br />

must walk a middle path between animal and human, between<br />

spirit and flesh, between instinct and reason. This<br />

is the path of Harmony.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Harmony credo stresses the need to abide by<br />

the laws that the werewolves have set down, to keep Rage<br />

in check until it’s needed, to honor Luna and the totems<br />

(both pack and tribal) and to always protect the pack.<br />

Those werewolves who obey these strictures might never<br />

find complete peace, which is denied <strong>Forsaken</strong> nature, but<br />

they come closest. Those who search for Harmony come<br />

nearest to balancing their dual natures, accepting their<br />

feral instinct without losing their human reason. Those

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