Creation of Werewolf Character an Character SHeet

Werewolf: The Apocalypse

Is a role-playing game from the old World of Darkness line by White Wolf . In this game, players take the role of werewolves known as Garou (as well as other lycanthropes ), warriors who are locked in a two-front war against (on the one hand) the spiritual desolation of urban civilization and (on the other) supernatural forces of corruption that seek to bring about the Apocalypse .

Along with the other titles in the original World of Darkness, Werewolf was retired in 2004 . Its successor title, werewolf: The Forsaken , was released on March 14 , 2005 .

Garou

The Garou are beings of both physical strength and spiritual depth. Created by (and in most cases fighting on the side of) a force known as Gaia , Garou are shapeshifters capable of changing their physical form at will to appear as humans (a form they call homid ), wolves ( lupus ), or several intermediary mixed forms. There are: glabro ; physically strong and brutish humans, crinos ; the traditional wolf-man, and hispo ; wolves of unnatural size and strength. Unlike werewolves in most traditional folklore, Garou in Werewolf: The Apocalypse are neither mindless predators nor lunatics . Instead, they are depicted as defenders of Mother Earth and its Umbra (or spirit world ).

Breeds

Breed Gifts ______________________________________________________________________________________

Homid

Master of Fire (Level One): Once humans tamed fire to keep them warm and to drive off the wild beasts, they were on their way to civilization. Werewolves with this Gift invoke humanity's ancient pact with the spirits of fire. The spirits of flame agree to hold back their hunger when the werewolf touches them. An ancestor spirit or a fire spirit teaches this Gift.

Persuasion (Level One): 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. An ancestor spirit teaches this Gift.

Smell of Man (Level One): 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. An ancestor spirit grants this Gift.

\Jam Technology (Level Two): 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. A Gremlin -- a type of Wyld spirit that enjoys breaking things -- teaches this Gift.

One Gnosis Trait - computer, phone, radio
Two Gnosis Traits - firearm, car, lock
Three Gnosis Traits - lever, wrench

Staredown (Level Two): By staring into the eyes of a human or animal, a werewolf can cause the target to flee in terror. This Gift can be used against other werewolves, but the target will freeze in place rather than flee. Targets that are powerful enough to remain frozen rather than flee, such as werewolves, Wyrm creatures, or vampires, may not flee, but cannot attack as long as the Garou continues to stare them down. However, if they are attacked themselves, all bets are off. A ram or snake spirit teaches this Gift.

Disquiet (Level Three): The Garou can cause a deep and profound depression to overcome her target. By expending a Gnosis Trait and winning a Social Challenge, the Garou prevents the victim from recovering any Rage for the session or day. Additionally, this Gift will trigger the following Derangements (if already present) in a target: Manic-Depression and Regression. An ancestor spirit teaches this Gift.

Reshape Object (Level Three): The werewolf can shape once-living material (but not undead!) into a variety of objects instantly. Trees may become shelter, buck antlers become spears, animal hides become armor, and flowers become perfumes. The item will resemble the object from which it was shaped (e.g. the aforementioned spear is made of antler, not wood). Gnosis most be expended to use this Gift. A Pattern Spider -- one of the Weaver's spirits -- teaches this Gift.

Cocoon (Level Four): The werewolf can wrap himself in a thick, opaque sarcophagus-like epidermis, making him immobile, but near impervious to harm. This cocoon grants him immunity to fire, starvation, gas, high pressure, cold and similar environmental hazards. Spending a Gnosis point activates the Gift. An insect or Weaver spirit teaches this Gift.

Spirit Ward (Level Four): By concentrating intensely and expending a Gnosis Trait and a variable number of Mental Traits, the Garou sends a disruptive ripple through the Umbra as well as in the physical world after drawing an invisible pictogram in the air. The total number of Mental Traits expended represents resistance against all spirits within 100 ft.: the spirits will be down that number of Traits in any challenges they participate in for the next hour. (The number of Traits they have is temporarily reduced.) If the number of Traits should equal or exceed the highest number of Traits a spirit has in a single area (i.e., Attributes), it must win or tie a Simple Test or flee immediately and not return for one full hour. The symbol follows the Garou for as long as the Gift lasts. An ancestor spirit teaches this Gift.

Assimilation (Level Five): A werewolf with this Gift blends smoothly into any culture, no matter how strange or unfamiliar he might normally find it. He could slip in among Bedouin nomads as if he were one of them, or he could shop in a Chinese market without anyone noticing that he does not belong. The Gift doesn't hide racial differences, but it does allow the user to mimic mannerisms and behaviors of a native. It also grants the ability to speak and understand the culture's language, although this knowledge vanishes as the Gift ends. Spending Willpower can make it last longer. Ancestor spirits teach this Gift.

Part the Veil (Level Five): With this Gift, and spending one Gnosis point, a werewolf may immunize any human from the Delirium for a scene. In this way, the human can interact with Garou without deleterious effects. However, the human will forget much of what he knows if the Delirium is induced in him at a later date. An ancestor spirit teaches this Gift.
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Lupus

Hare's Leap (Level One): By invoking this Gift, the werewolf may leap incredible distances. Hare, frog, and cat spirits usually teach this Gift. The lost Bunyip Gift knew this Gift as Leap of the Kangaroo, however marsupial spirits seem loath to aid werewolves these days. Today, many werewolves call this Gift "Leap of the Kangaroo" in their fallen cousins' honor.

Heightened Senses (Level One): The werewolf with this Gift who spends a Gnosis point tunes into the world around him, increasing his senses vastly. When in Homid or Glabro form, her senses become as sharp as those of a wolf, allowing him to hear sounds beyond his normal range, granting him superior night vision and making his sense of smell stronger than that of any dog. In wolf forms, his senses become preternaturally potent, allowing him to perform feats that border on precognition. This Gift has drawbacks as well. If a fire alarm were to go off around a Garou using this Gift, it might render him helpless. Cities can barrage the werewolf with a sensory overload. Wolf spirits teach this Gift.

Sense Prey (Level One): Werewolves used this ancient Gift during hard times to feed their packs. The Gift lets Garou locate enough prey to feed a pack. In the urban environment, this Gift guides the lupus to prey within the city, usually in parks, sewers, animal shelters and even zoos. The Gift will tell the werewolf the location of large numbers of prey within 50 miles in the wilds, and within the limits of a city and its suburbs. Humans do not register as prey animals, although some say that the Red Talons know a variant of this Gift that can find them. A wolf spirit teaches this Gift.
Scent of Sight (Level Two): The werwolf can compensate for her vision completely by using her sense of smell. She can attack invisible creatures normally or navigate roughly in absolute darkness. Wolf spirits teach this Gift.
Sense the Unnatural (Level Two): The werewolf can sense any unnatural presence and determine its approximate strength and type. Supernatural presences can include magic, spirits, the Wyrm, wraiths and vampires, although it won't pick them out specifically as such. The Werewolf may sense a person plagued by hauntings as easily as a ghost. Any spirit servant of Gaia can teach this Gift.

Catfeet (Level Three): The Garou gains the preternatural agility of this Gift's namesake. By spending a Gnosis Trait, she avoids either 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. Cat spirits teach this Gift.

Name the Spirit (Level Three): The werewolf with this Gift who spends a Willpower point becomes familar with the ways of the Umbra. He can sense the type and approximate Trait levels (Rage, Gnosis, Willpower) of spirits. A spirit of the Uktena totem teaches this Gift.

Beast Life (Level Four): With the expenditure of a Gnosis Trait and a successful Simple Test, the Garou may call forth a group of a single sort of animal (subject to the availability of the animal). They must be given a specific and short term mission or they will disperse. Missions could include attacking an enemy, guarding a place for an hour or destroying an object. The group acts as one creature. Rats, insects, snakes, wolves, dogs or cats can be summoned in this way. Any animal spirit may teach this Gift, although Lion and Bear are most often sought as teachers.

Gnaw (Level Four): The Garou's jaws and teeth take on a supernatural strength and resilience after spending a Willpower point. She may chew through and destroy objects by chewing on them (remember that objects have Traits and Health Levels, just like people). If the Garou with this Gift declares she is biting an opponent and succeeds, she may try to win a second Simple Test to inflict a second wound. Wolf spirits teach this Gift.
Elemental Gift (Level Five): The werewolf calls upon the primal force of Gaia Herself, thereby commanding the spirits of the elements to rise up, undulate forward and even engulf foes. This Gift requires the spending of a Gnosis point and summons an elemental spirit, not merely the raw matter of the elements, but primal spirits possessing power enough to challenge even something as powerful as a Nexus Crawler. The elementals grant this Gift.

Song of the Great Beast (Level Five): The werewolf with this Gift who spends a Gnosis point must travel to the deep wilderness. When she reaches her destination, she howls the Song of the Great Beast into the sky, summoning one of the Great Beasts to her aid. These beasts are the terrible and ancient creatures that walked the Earth in ages. Examples include the Willawau (giant owl), the Yeti, the Sabretooth Tiger, the great Megalodon sharks that swam the seas eons ago and the mighty Mammoth, who arrives in herds. Who knows what else a Garou might call? Rumors say that dinosaurs survive in the deep Congo...The surviving Great Beasts possess abilities in the physical world that rival those of mighty spirits in the Umbra. Even the wisest of Garou are not certain of their natures. Once the ancient one arrives, the werewolf may make a request, although she should do so with great caution. If the Great Beast agrees to aid the werewolf, it will do so in its own way, but enemies of the lupus should beware. Few spirits know this Gift. It's said that those that do dwell in the Realm of Pangaea.
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Metis

Create Element (Level One): The metis has the power to create a small amount of one of the four basic elements -- fire, air, earth, or water. In this way, she can replenish the air supply in an airtight room, make a rock to throw at someone, create a fire without matches or wood, or even fill a bathtub without any faucets or pipes. The metis cannot create specialized forms of any element. Precious metals (especially silver), lethal gases and acid are beyond his reach. To use this Gift, spend a Gnosis point. This Gift creates only natural air, earth, fire and water. Elementals teach this Gift.

Primal Anger (Level One): The metis, at the sacrifice of one aggravated health level once per scene to gain two extra points of Rage, learns to focus the anger within her heart and use it to increase her Rage. The anger takes a physical toll on the werewolf, and it is up to her to unleash it on her enemies. The spirits of ancient metis teach this Gift. Few members of other Breeds have suffered enough shame and suffering to learn this Gift.

Sense Wyrm (Level One): The werewolf can sense manifestations of the Wyrm in the nearby area. This Gift involves a mystical sense, not a visual or olfactory image, although werewolves using the Gift may sometimes say things like, "This place stinks of the Wyrm" (with a few more colorful adjectives). Garou should remember that the Wyrm's taint can cling relatively blameless souls or objects. Tainted food donated to a shelter for battered women or orphanges, the frustration and pain a raped woman who recently stayed in a room in a shelter, and other such examples can register as Wyrm tainted. Werewolves may sense an innocent person who happens to work in a Wyrm-controlled factory or who has eaten tainted food. Vampires register as Wyrm tainted, except for those with Humanity ratings of 7 or higher. This power requires active concentration. Any spirit of Gaia may teach this Gift.

Burrow (Level Two): Those who learn this Gift gain the ability to burrow through the earth. They make a real tunnel, and others can follow them through it. The digger creates a burrow just large enough for her to go through. Others may follow, but they are limited by the size of the hole. The werewolf must be in Crinos, Hispo or Lupus form to use this Gift as she needs her claws for digging (although even metis without claws can use this Gift). The tunnel is not structurally sound, and it will collapse over time. Mole spirits kindly teaches this Gift to all metis who seek him.
Curse of Hatred (Level Two): By focusing the anger and hatred within herself and directing it verbally at her opponent, the Garou may demoralize her foe. This power costs a Gnosis Trait to use. Furthermore, the Garou must defeat her opponent in a Social Challenge. If the attacker wins, her foe loses two Willpower Points and two Rage points for the remainder of the session or one day (whichever is longer). It may only be used against an opponent only once per scene. A spirit of hate teaches this Gift.

Eyes of the Cat (Level Three): The werewolf may see clearly in pitch darkness. His eyes glow a lambent green while this power is in effect. Any cat spirit can teach this Gift, although werewolves who make enemies of the Bastet will have trouble finding teachers.

Mental Speech (Level Three): This Gift requires a Willpower point and grants mental communication, even over vast distances. The user must either know the target personally (although he does not have to be friends with that person) or have something that belongs to that person such as a lock of his hair. Bird spirits and spirits of intellect teach this Gift. Owl is a particularly sought-after teacher, and those who learn from him claim to have enhanced abilities at night.
Gift of the Porcupine (Level Four): When using this Gift, which requires spending a Gnosis point, the werewolf undergoes a startling transformation. Her fur becomes elongated, bristly and sharp like the quills of a porcupine. This change makes her an even more fearsome killing machine. A werewolf must be in Crinos, Hispo or Lupus form to use this Gift. The Gift lasts until the metis wills his fur to return to normal. Porcupine spirits teaches this Gift and they have a great fondness for metis.

Wither Limb (Level Four): By spending a Gnosis Point, and giving the opponent a snarl and an angry gaze, the werewolf forces a target's arm or leg to twist, desiccate and wither, making it useless. Creatures with regenerative abilities will restore the limb to full function after one scene; otherwise, the effects are permanent. Snake spirits, spider spirits, and other venomous spirits teach this Gift. Some werewolves even invoke spirits of disease to learn this Gift.

Madness (Level Five): The metis struggles his whole life to find a place, a purpose and a sense of stability in his horrifying existence. With this Gift, which requires an expenditure of a Gnosis point, he can force others to face their inner demons, inducing insanity and madness. The nature of the derangement varies among ndividuals, but it will always be severe, making it impossible for the victim to function normally. Lunes, along with spirits of trickery and madness teach this Gift.

Totem Gift (Level Five): Depending on the metis' strong ties with Garou society, and spending a Gnosis point, she can plead directly with her tribal totem, gaining some of its power. The effects of this Gift depend on the nature of the tribal totem's power. Rat (totem to the Bone Gnawers) might send swarms of rats to attack the Garou's enemies, and Grandfather Thunder (totem of the Shadow Lords) might smite the Garou's enemies with a blast of thunder and lightning. The potential of this Gift depends only on the favor of the totem, and it may cross over into the miraculous. Only the Tribal toten teaches this Gift.

In the World of Darkness, lycanthropy is not a disease but a heritable trait. As dual beings (being both wolves and men), Garou can (and do) interbreed with both species. A Garou's extended non-shapechanging family is called its Kinfolk . Most often, Garou are born to one human and one Garou parent but in families (both wolf and human) where Garou blood is especially strong, Homid or Lupus Garou sometimes are born from non-shapeshifting parents.

The circumstances of their parentage determines their breed . A half-human Garou are called a homid, and is born in homid form. A half-wolf Garou is called a lupus, and is born as a wolf. A Garou born from two Garou parents is called a Metis and is invariably deformed as a result of this inbreeding , as well as completely sterile; however, Metis have Gifts and advantages exclusive to their breed, including the ability to regenerate in all their various forms. Once pariahs in Garou society, trying times have led to the partial reintegration of the Metis breed into the ranks of the Garou. A werewolf's breed determines (to some extent) their Gnosis , or spiritual awareness (Lupus Garou being more in tune with the primal spirit world than Homids, and Metis Garou being in between).

In general, while most Garou leave their native societies to live among their shapechanging kin (engaging in a modern primitive lifestyle), they retain healthy contact with their Kinfolk to ensure their protection as family and the overall health and vitality of the Garou line.

Society

Garou are not solitary creatures. They live in packs like wolves do and organise themselves into septs (groups of packs) and tribes . Garou tribes resemble human tribes in that they are a community of members sharing common lineage , traditions , rites and values . Unlike most human tribes, however, the tribes of the Garou span the globe, with its members spread thinly over large areas of influence. The Garou tribes each claim descent from the human peoples of particular geographic areas or demographic subset of human/wolf society. There were once sixteen tribes, but only thirteen remain servants of Gaia in the modern age. Twelve of these tribes form a great alliance known as the Garou Nation . They are:

Three tribes have been lost to Gaia: The Bunyip of Australia (destroyed in the War of Tears), the Croatan of North America (who sacrificed themselves to protect their homeland), and the White Howlers of Scotland, who were corrupted by the Wyrm and became the Black Spiral Dancers . A fourth tribe (the Stargazers ) remains loyal to Gaia but have withdrawn from the Garou Nation .

Seventh Generation

The Seventh Generation is a corrupt conspiracy composed of five separate castes; the Business Caste, the Government Caste, the Snatchers Caste, the Medical Caste and the Warrior Caste. This fictional organization works in total secrecy to destroy the world by means of corruption. They worship the various incarnations of the Defiler Wyrm and their main modus operandi (in instigating corruption) is sexual abuse of women and children, the pollution of the environment and all other actions that betray trust and instill pathological relations between humans. In the game King Albrecht, the Silver Fang tribal leader, destroys the Seventh Generation in 1999.

Auspices

Garou society is divided into five auspices , or spiritual life-paths that a Garou is born with. They are tied to the phases of the Moon and considered gifts from Gaia's sister Luna . These auspices determine (to some extent) a Garou's Rage , or violent predatory instinct. The auspice system is one of the pillars of Garou society as it helps to describe social caste, predispositions, and calling. The auspices are:

Ragabash : Auspice of the new moon, the Trickster .
Theurge : Auspice of the crescent moon, the Seer and Shaman .
Philodox : Auspice of the half moon, the Judge .
Galliard : Auspice of the gibbous moon, the Bard .
Ahroun : Auspice of the full moon, the Warrior

Auspice Gifts ______________________________________________________________________________________
Ragabash

Blur of the Milky Eye (Level One): 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. A chameleon spirit teaches this Gift.

Open Seal (Level One): By spending a Gnosis point, this Gift allows the Garou to open nearly any sort of closed or locked physically device. A raccoon spirit teaches this Gift.

Scent of Running Water (Level One): This Gift becomes an innate ability after being learned, the Garou can mask her scent completely, making herself virtually impossible to track. A scent can be left voluntarily, such as to blend in with a wolf pack, etc. A fox spirit teaches this Gift.

Blissful Ignorance (Level Two): The Garou can become completely invisible to all senses, spirits or monitoring devices by remaining still. A chameleon spirit teaches this Gift.

Sense of the Prey (Level Two): If he knows anything about his prey, the character can track it down as rapidly as he can travel. This unerring sense of direction operates anywhere, and it is useful for tracking spirits through the Umbra as well as finding beings on Earth. A wolf or dog spirit teaches this Gift.

Taking the Forgotten (Level Two): The Ragabash with this Gift can steal something from a target , and his victim will forget that she ever possessed the stolen item. A mouse spirit teaches this Gift.

Gremlins (Level Three): The Ragabash can cause a technological device to malfunction merely by touching it. This Gift actually disrupts the spirit energy within the device that aids its function. If the Garou can frighten the spirit sufficently, it will flee the device, causing it to malfunction permanently. A Gremlin teaches this Gift.

Open the Moon Bridge (Level Three): Spending a Gnosis point, the Garou has the ability to open a moon bridge, with or without the permission of the totem of that caern. A Lune teaches this Gift.

Luna's Blessing (Level Four): When the moon is visible in the night sky, silver refuses to cause the Garou aggravated wounds. Indeed, if the moon waxes full, silver weapons may well turn on those who would wield them against the werewolf. The Garou can soak and regenerate silver damage as though it were bashing or lethal damage (depending on whether or not the silver is part of an edged weapon), but only when the moon is in a visible phase above the horizon. Therefore the Garou is stil vulnerable during a new moon. A Lune teaches this Gift.

Whelp Body (Level Four): Spending a Gnosis point, the Garou with this Gift may deliver a devastating curse upon a foe's body, causing it to weaken or palsy. Many consider the use of this power on a foe to be a declaration of an unending war. It may only be used once ever against a given opponent. Either a pain spirit or a spirit of disease teaches this Gift.
Thieving Talons of the Magpie (Level Five): The Garou can steal the powers of others and use them herself. These powers can be Garou Gifts, spirit Charms, vampiric Disciplines, True Magic, or any other such power. While the Garou uses the power(s) stolen, the victim cannot for each successive turn the Garou spends a Gnosis point. Naturally, a magpie spirit teaches this Gift.

Thousand Forms (Level Five): Most trickster archetypes are shapeshifters, and the Ragabash is no different. The Garou with this Gift, and the expenditure of a Gnosis point, may change herself into any animal between the size of a small bird and a bison. The Garou gains all the special powers (flight, gills, poison, sensory abilities, etc.) of the animal she mimics. She may not take the form of Wyrm-beasts (not that she would wish to!), but she may take the form of mythical beasts with some extra effort.
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Theurge

Mother's Touch (Level One): Expending a Gnosis point, the Garou is able to heal the wounds of any living creature, aggravated or otherwise, simply by laying hands over the afflicted area. The Garou may not heal herself, spirits, or the undead with this Gift. The Theurge may even heal Battle Scars in this manner if the Theurge uses the Gift in the same scene in which the scar was obtained and spends a second Gnosis point. There is no limit to how many times this Gift may be used on a person, but each use requires one Gnosis point. A bear or unicorn spirit teaches this Gift.

Sense Wyrm (Level One): As the Metis power.

Spirit Speech (Level One): 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. Communication is possible, whether the spirit wants to listen or not. Nothing (usually) can prevent the spirit from ignoring the Theurge or leaving. Any spirit can teach this Gift.

Command Spirit (Level Two): The Garou can issue a simple, yet compelling command to a spirit. The subject must be able to hear and understand the Garou. A measure of compliance is expected by the Theurge. The command itself cannot be blatantly suicidal, must be within the subject's ability to perform and cannot have effects that last longer than ten minutes. If a spirit is unwilling, it must first be defeated in a Mental Challenge. This Gift costs one Gnosis Trait to use. Any Incarna avatar can teach this Gift.

Name the Spirit (Level Two): As the Level Three lupus Gift.

Sight from Beyond (Level Two): 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, veiled in metaphor -- a powerful vampire may appear in the Theurge's dream as a blood skeleton. The Garou must make of them what she will. Crow spirits teach this Gift.

Exorcism (Level Three): The Garou can drive spirits from an area, even persistent spirits or spirits bound to items or locations. A Willpower Trait must be expended to make an Exorcism attempt. If the spirit has not been bound, driving it off is merely a matter of defeating it in a Mental Challenge. If it is bound, however, it must still be defeated in a Mental Challenge, but it also receives a number of free Traits to bid equal to the number of Traits assigned to the fetish that houses it. The Garou may not attempt to use this Gift on the same spirit more than once per day. Any Incarna avatar can teach this Gift.

Pulse of the Invisible (Level Three): If the Theurge's permanent Gnosies equals or exceeds the Gauntlet in the area, the werewolf can see into the Umbra automatically. Spirits fill the world around the Garou, and none know this better than the Theurge. This Gift grants constant awareness of the spirit world. Even in the physical world, the Theurge with this Gift can interact with spirits in the Pennumbra at will. While most spirit activity is barely worth watching, the Theurge will be aware of dramatic changes. Any spirit can teach this Gift.

Grasp the Beyond (Level Four): The Garou may take things to and from the Umbra without having to dedicate them to herself (via the Rite of Talisman Dedication). This Gift affects humans and animals, both willing and unwilling. Garou often use this power to take loyal Kinfolk with them on Umbra quests or to heal injured Kinfolk -- both body and soul -- in mystic glens. The Garou must grasp the object or person he wishes to take to the spirit world. He must then spend one Willpower point (in addition to the Gnosis roll to pierce the Gauntlet) for small objects (knife), two for medium objects (backpack, bow, rifle), or three for large objects (man sized or somewhat bigger). Any person who does not have the ability to "step sideways" into and out of the Umbra must rely on the Garou to take them back out, or find an area with a very thin Gauntlet, such as a caern. Any spirit can teach this Gift.

Spirit Drain (Level Four): The Garou may drain power from a spirit to feed his own resolve. A spirit servant of the Uktena totem teaches this Gift.

Feral Lobotomy (Level Five): With but a thought, the Garou can devolvean opponent's mind to that of an animal, effectively destroying his intelligence. A spirit servant of the Griffin totem teaches this Gift.

Malleable Spirit (Level Five): The Garou can change a spirit's form or purpose. The Garou's Gnosis must be stronger than the target's. The easiest change are Characteristics (Willpower, Rage, Gnosis); the strenuous changes are in Disposition (Friendly, Neutral, Hostile); and the hardest changes are in Type (Naturae, Elemental, Bane, etc.)
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Philodox

Resist Pain (Level One): By expending a Gnosis Trait, the Garou may ignore wound penalties for the duration of a single conflict.

Scent of the True Form (Level One): This Gift allows the Garou to determine the true nature of a person. This information is conveyed as an olfactory sensation -- it is actually a scent of the target's natural form. Any spirit servant of Gaia can teach this Gift.

Truth of Gaia (Level One): The Garou may enter a Mental Challenge with an opponent to determine if the last statement the opponent made was true or false, as judges of the Litany. A Gaffling of Falcon teaches this Gift.

Call to Duty (Level Two): The Garou can call a spirit she knows by name to aid her in times of need. By spending a Gnosis Trait and winning a Simple Test, the Garou can beseech a spirit for help. The Spirit Keeper (one of the Narrators) determines the time the spirit takes to arrive, the type of spirit and its ability to serve, but in general, only minor spirits will answer this call and serve the Garou. This Gift may not be used more than once per session. An Incarna avatar teaches this Gift.

King of the Beasts (Level Two): The Garou is able to call upon the aid of a single animal type (canines, big cats, rodents, etc.) that is chosen when this Gift is learned. Specifically, the Garou can control a single animal of her chosen type that is within sight. The Garou must first expend a Gnosis Trait and win or tie a Social Challenge with the animal. The animal follows his commands willingly and unconditionally if successful. This Gift will only affect normal animals, not Garou in Lupus form, Kindred in animal form, ghouled animals, etc. The control lasts for one hour. A lion or falcon spirit teaches this Gift.

Strength of Purpose (Level Two): Whenever the Garou is dealing with a challenge that affects or deals with the very core of her auspice or tribe and in a time of need, 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. This pulls resolve from her deepest reserves. A wolf spirit teaches this Gift.

Weak Arm (Level Three): A perceptive Philodox with this Gift can gain valuable insights about a foe's martial prowess by merely observing his style. By witnessing a single combative challenge in which the subject is engaged, the Garou may attempt to ascertain the style's inherent strengths and weaknesses. If the Garou wins a Mental Challenge with the subject, she gains three free Physical Traits to use against the subject in their next combative challenge. These Traits are expended regardless of whether the challenge is won. In addition, the challenge must take place within the next hour or the Traits are lost. The Garou may not use this Gift on the same individual more than once per session. Snake and wind spirits teach this Gift.

Wisdom of the Ancient Ways (Level Three): All werewolves have an innate connection to their ancestors, a form of racial unconsciousness accessible through intense meditation. The Philodox can tap into these deep memories to remember ancient facts and lore. The Garou must meditate for a short time, concentrating on the past. The number of dots in the Background Ancestors decreases the difficulty of the Gnosis roll. An ancestor spirit teaches this Gift.

Roll Over (Level Four): The Garou can exude a powerful aura of power and command. If anyone should attempt an offensive action against the Gifted Garou, the Garou may opt to expend a Gnosis Trait and demand a Social Challenge before he proceeds. If the attacker succeeds, he is not hampered by the attack or for the rest of the evening. If the attacker should fail, however, he may not attack the Gifted Garou for the next hour. Furthermore, a defeated foe who returns in the same session must still win a Social Challenge to attack the Garou, who is not required to spend Gnosis. Any offensive action by the defending Garou negates this Gift's effects. The Gift's range extends about four paces from the Gifted Garou's body. Either a wolf or lion spirit teaches this Gift.

Scent of Beyond (Level Four): The werewolf can bring all his senses to bear on one spot with which he is familiar (even an Umbral site), no matter how far away that spot is. The Philodox senses the site from a point of view as if he were standing in the middle of the area being scanned. A bird spirit teaches this Gift.

Geas (Level Five): This Gift places its target under a geas, a sacred oath to obey the Philodox's bidding. The geas cannot make the targets act contrary to their basic instincts (such as self-preservation). Therefore, she could send a group on a quest, but she could not make its members attack and try to kill each other -- unless they were psychotic, or werewolves without pack bonds. The geas' compulsion lasts until the task is completed, or until the target is dropped to the Incapacitated health level in pursuit of the quest. No victim can labor under more than one geas at a time; the first one laid always takes precedence. An Incarna avatar teaches this Gift.

Wall of Granite (Level Five): The Garou spends a Gnosis point, and because they have a stronger relationship with the elementals of the earth than do other werewolves, for just as the earth upholds those upon it, the Philodox uphold their people's ways. While in contact with earth or rock, the Philodox can invoke a wall to protect himself. This wall will move with the Garou, defending him from all angles. The wall is three yards high, two yards long, and one yard thick. It has a soak pool of 10 dice, and 15 health levels must be inflicted to penetrate it at any point. The wall lasts for one scene, or until released into the earth by the Garou. An earth elemental teaches this Gift.
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Galliard

Beast Speech (Level One): The werewolf with this Gift may communicate with any animals from fish to mammals. This Gift does not change their basic reactions; most animals are still afraid of predators such as werewolves. Any spirit of nature can teach this Gift.

Call of the Wyld (Level One): The Garou can issue forth a great howl that is audible to those nearby, but the effects 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). This Gift can be used with any of the standard Garou howls. A wolf spirit teaches this Gift.

Mindspeak (Level One): By invoking the power of waking dreams, the Garou can place any chosen characters into silent communication. The Mindspeak ends when all participants want it to. The beings must be within line of sight. A Chimerling teaches this Gift.

Call of the Wyrm (Level Two): This dangerous Gift actually attracts creatures of the Wyrm. Galliards typically use the Call to bait an ambush or to flush prey from hiding. Any spirit servant of Gaia may teach this Gift.

Distractions (Level Two): The Garou can make annoying yips, yelps, and howls to divert the attention of his target. A coyote spirit teaches this Gift.

Dreamspeak (Level Two): The Galliard can enter another's dream and thereby affect the course of that dream. The werewolf does not have to be anywhere near the target, but must know or have seen the dreamer. If the dreamer awakens while the Garou is in the dream, the Garou is thrown out of the dream world and he loses a Gnosis point. A Chimerling teaches this Gift.

Eyes of the Cobra (Level Three): With but a look, the Garou can attract anyone to his side. Once the target is there, he can do as he pleases, but he must try his best to get to the Galliard until then. A snake spirit teaches this Gift.
Song of Rage (Level Three): This power unleashes a fearsome, bestial nature in its host. The Garou must spend a Gnosis Trait and defeat the subject in a Mental Challenge in order to use this Gift. If successful, the subject gains an active temporary Derangement and flies into an uncontrollable rage (or frenzy if they are prone) for the next ten minutes. The Garou immediately regains one Rage Trait. This Gift seems to work equally well against other Garou, Kindred and humans. If the Garou fails, she may not attempt to use this Gift on the subject again for the remainder of this session. A wolverine spirit teaches this Gift.

Bridge Walker (Level Four): The Galliard can open a minor Moon Bridge at will without the benefit of a caern or the Rite of the Opened Bridge. By spending a Gnosis Trait, the Garou disappears, only to reappear a split-second later a short distance away (only foes with Gifts that increase speed can attempt to prevent the use of this Gift). Once the Gnosis is spent, the player may take fifteen paces in any horizontal direction she wishes. The character is not hampered at all by Physical barriers, but magical ones will cause her to reappear immediately if she attempts to cross them. At the end of her journey, the character must make a Simple Test; if she loses, she has gained the attention of a Bane, which appears with her and attacks the character immediately. A Lune teaches this Gift.

Shadows by the Firelight (Level Four): By invoking the power of shadows and dreams, the Galliard may create interactive stories in which others take part -- willingly or not. Shadows dance around the participants as they act out their roles (as directed by the Galliard). This Gift is used commonly at moots, allowing many Garou to take part in the same legend recounted by the Garou. However, this Gift can also be used on the unwilling, forcing them to participate in a story of the Garou's choosing. Each Gnosis point spent increases the success and effect duration. An ancestor spirit teaches this Gift.

Fabric of the Mind (Level Five): The highest ranking Galliards can bring the products of their imagination to very solid life, crafting creatures from the spiritual essence of dreams. This Gift is an extended attempt. The creatures created can be of any type or shape, taking as long as desired to craft the creature, costing Gnosis to keep it manifested, one Gnosis per scene. If the Garou botches, the creature is out of her control and can remain as long as it desires, and take actions on its own. Chimerlings teach this Gift.

Head Games (Level Five): This Gift embodies the Galliard's ability to manipulate emotion in its purest form. The Galliard can change a target's emotions as she pleases, from hate to love and back again. The emotions don't last an unusual amount of time, but last long enough for the effect to manifest. Coyote spirits teach this Gift.
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Ahroun

Falling Touch (Level One): This Gift allows the Garou to send her foe sprawling with but a touch. Any aerial spirit teaches this Gift.

Inspiration (Level One): Other werewolves look to the Ahroun for leadership in combat. The Gift of Inspiration is one reason. The Garou with this Gift lends new resolve and righteous anger to his brethren. This Gift allows all comrades (but not the Gift's user) one automatic success on an action. Either a lion or wolf spirit teaches this Gift.

Razor Claws (Level One): 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. The Garou must sharpen his claws, in Crinos form, for one turn before combat. For the duration of the scene, the claws will do an extra die of damage. Either a cat or bear spirit teaches this Gift.

Sense Silver (Level Two): 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. A Lune teaches this Gift.

Spirit of the Fray (Level Two): This Gift allows the Ahroun to attack with lightning speed, striking before any foe. The Garou cannot spend Rage in the same turn as activating this Gift, because it costs a Gnosis point. Once learned, this Gift is permanent and therefore does not count as an action. A cat spirit teaches this Gift.

True Fear (Level Two): The Ahroun can display the true extent of her power, scaring one chosen foe into quiescence for a number of turns. When under this power, the victim cannot attack, but may defend himself if attacked and otherwise act normally, although his actions will likely be guided by fear. Spirits of fear teach this Gift.

Heart of Fury (Level Three): The Ahroun can steel himself against anger, suppressing his Rage and creating a mental dam against the explosive frenzies of his kind. This anger will catch up with him eventually, though, so he must vent it before it breaks free. The Garou's Willpower is what is used to activate this Gift, and he must check for frenzy frequently until vented. A boar spirit teaches this Gift.

Silver Claws (Level Three): The Ahroun can establish her battlefield primacy against other werebeasts by transforming her own claws into silver. A Gnosis roll is required to begin this Gift, and the transformation lasts for a scene, or until the Garou ends it. The silver claws do aggravated damage to all targets, and is unsoakable by most other werebeasts. While the Ahroun manifests the claws, she suffers searing agonies. Each turn, she gains an automatic Rage point. All non-combat difficulties are increased by one because of the distraction. When her Rage points exceed her Willpower, she must check for frenzy. A Lune teaches this Gift.

Clenched Jaw (Level Four): The werewolf with this Gift can bite down with such power that her grip won't loosen until she chooses to do so; even in death, her jaws bite down. A Rage point activates this Gift, and the werewolf makes a bite attack. A wolf or hyena spirit teaches this Gift.

Stoking Fury's Furnace (Level Four): No auspice is as closely tied to their Rage as the Ahroun, who is the master of directing his fury. This Gift allows him to channel his Rage even more effectively. The Garou gains one Rage point in any turn he takes damage, and does not have to check for frenzy from that particular stimulus (other simuli induce frenzy checks as normal). In addition, the Garou can spend one Rage point -- and only one -- per turn without losing any temporary Rage. However, if multiple Rage points are spent, they are marked off as normal. A wolverine spirit teaches this Gift.

Kiss of Helios (Level Five): The Ahroun can invoke the sun's power to become completely immune to the damaging effects of fire. Additionally, the Ahroun may ignite any portion of his body and keep it burning for extended periods. Most commonly the Garou will light his mane during rituals, but he can also ignite his claws or mouth without ill effects. The Garou spends one Gnosis point. The Garou becomes totally immune to the effects of fire, up to and including molten lava for one scene. Artificial fires (napalm, gas fires, etc.) do one quarter damage, and they are treated as bashing damage. The Garou does two additional dice of aggravated damage if he attacks with blazing fists, claws or fangs. A fire elemental or a sun spirit teaches this Gift.

Strength of Will (Level Five): The Ahroun with this Gift could lead his pack to the gates of Hell itself if that were what it took. A Willpower point is spent, and it effects spread over the Garou's allies within 100 feet for each point of Willpower spent, giving them an extra point of Willpower for each one spent, able to be increased over 10 points. This Gift may be used only once per scene. A wolf spirit or an Incarna avatar teaches this Gift.

As a Garou performs deeds fitting with their auspice, they rise in rank in Garou society. While Garou can renounce their auspice and select another more suited to their true calling, this is a grave action, done only in cases where a Garou's auspice truly does not fit their destiny.

Spirituality

Garou are spiritual creatures. It is said that they once were animistic spirits themselves, and upon entering flesh they retained their spiritual affinities and pacts. The culture of the Garou nation is centered around venerating various spirits (every pack, sept, and tribe has its patron spirit or totem ) that can help them in their war against the enemies of Gaia. While it is Theurges who deal with spirits most often, every werewolf has to deal with spirits, in order to gain favors and knowledge, and to learn Gifts , the quasi-magical powers of Garou.

The thematic conflicts of Werewolf: The Apocalypse is largely driven by a spiritual war being waged by the Triat , incarnations of the three aspects of reality:

Wyld is the force of primal creation and chaos
Weaver is the force of stability and stasis
Wyrm is the force of corruption, decay, and destruction.

The Creation Myth of Werewolf: The Apocalypse

According to Garou mythology created as backstory for the game:

In the beginning there were the three members of the Triat: the Wyld, the Weaver, and the Wyrm. They were balanced with one another in the beginning. Creation began with the Wyld. The Wyld is chaos and the vast endless of possibility, constantly swirling with change, shifting forms endlessly. From the Wyld's heedless creation came growth. Gaia sprang from the Wyld. The Weaver, the embodiment of order, selected portions of creation from the Wyld and gave them structure; kept them from dissolving back into chaos at the moment of their birth. In doing so, the Weaver began to create the fabric of the universe - the Pattern Web. The Wyrm was once the restorer of balance. Residing between the Pattern Web and the chaos of the Wyld, it ensuring that neither the order of the Weaver nor the chaos of the Wyld prevailed throughout reality, removing all that was not harmonious. According to Garou myth, this was the true cosmological cycle of chaos, creation, and destruction. It lasted an eternity, but was ultimately shattered when the Weaver gained consciousness. The Garou disagree on exactly how this happened. Regardless, the Weaver subsequently tried to spin the entire Wyld into full, patterned existence. The futility of such an impossible task drove the Weaver insane. In its desperation, the Weaver ensnared the Wyrm within the Pattern Web in its pursuit of the Wyld, in turn, driving the Wyrm insane as well. Now the balance of pattern and chaos has been replaced by stagnation and decay, as the Weaver madly weaves its patterns unchecked or balanced, while the Wyrm, trapped within the Pattern Web, works to devour Gaia and destroy all of creation from the inside out. [1] [ edit ]

History

According to Garou oral history, it was always their duty to keep the balance in nature on behalf of Gaia. They did so by culling overgrown populaces, hunting too powerful predators that otherwise would rampage unchecked and fending off otherwordly spirits that overstepped their stance.

The formation of nations and cities was the first radical change wrought on the Garou by humanity. The Garou prevented it declaring the Impergium. During this period, Garou are credited with destroying large human cities and retarding the technological and scientific progress of the human race. Though the Impergium dates back to the Mythic Age before recorded history, humanity has retained an inborn fear of the Garou. Humans seeing Garou in their hybrid (Crinos) form may be struck with a condition known as Delirium , a state of panic and denial that has been largely responsible for modern humanity's disbelief of the existence of the Garou.

The Garou maintained an active role in the direction of humanity until the Industrial Revolution . This overwhelming societal transformation weakened Gaia and pushed the Umbra away from terrestrial reality, giving it less influence over the world. This period was marked by the withdrawal and extinction of many spirit varieties, but also heralded the birth of new "urban" spirits (such as glass and electricity elementals ). These changes were visible in the Umbral landscape , as sites associated with Gaia became fewer and weaker, while the Pattern Web of the Weaver and the corrupt influence of the Wyrm became more prominent.

As the defense of Gaia becomes more difficult, the Garou have found their tasks increasingly harder to perform. Once able to act as silent warriors and guides, many have been reduced to guerrilla tactics and monkeywrenching . These ill omens have led to a general consensus that an Apocalypse is nigh, in which a final desperate battle will be waged by all sides. In addition to discrete threats such as the Wyrm and its minions, Garou find themselves opposed to the faceless foe of general disinterest in Gaia. Environmental disasters and modern warfare have done considerable damage to Gaia in recent decades. This callousness is sometimes spread by the Wyrm itself (as best exemplified by the Pentex corporation, a global conglomerate dedicated to spreading the Wyrm's influence).

The Fera

Though the most widespread, Garou are not the only shapeshifters in the World of Darkness . The Fera (also called the Changing Breeds ) is a term used by Garou to refer to other shapechangers. The affiliation of these other beings is not necessarily to Gaia, but by and large this is the case.