The following information is from the WhiteWolf book
Book of Auspices
Ahroun, Galliard, Philodox, Ragabash, TheurgeNew Ahroun Gifts (pg. 122-124)
Empathy of Hatred (Level One) - Using this Gift, an Ahroun can tell at a glance how strongly a given individual is ruled by anger - both at the moment and over the course of their life. An Epiphling of Rage teaches this Gift.
System: No roll is needed; the effect is automatic. By spending an action focusing on a person, the Ahroun can learn the permanent and temporary Rage that said person possesses. This is most useful for spirits and other shapechangers, of course, although some fomori may possess Rage as well. The Shadow Lord Gift: Aura of Confidence blocks the perception granted by this gift completely.
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Pack Tactics (Level One) - While the Ahroun's role as the overall leader of Garou is questionable, there is no doubt at all who should take control of the pack during a battle. By taking the lead and coordinating pack actions, the Ahroun gifts all if her packmates with great competence in the heat of battle. A wolf-spirit teaches this gift.
System: The player spends a Willpower point before initiating a Pack Tactics maneuver (Werewolf, page 212), and divides a pool of extra dice equal to her Leadership score among everyone performing the maneuver. The dice should be divided as evenly as possible, although the player may choose where to distribute extra dice (or in case of the Ahroun's Leadership score granting fewer dice then the number of packmates involved).
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Spiritual Wrath (Level Two) - Garou are by nature beings half of corporeal flesh and half of spirit ephemera, living in two worlds simultaneously. By calling upon this Gift, an Ahroun manifests her spiritual nature more strongly then physical for a brief period, allowing her claws to cut though defenses they could never normally pierce. This Gift has no effect on creatures that are half spirit already, like other Garou, fomori and changelings. But any being entirely of one world, such as banes, vampires, ghosts or animals, is vulnerable to its sting. Any spirit of war can teach this Gift.
System: The player spends a point of Gnosis; the difficulty to soak the damage from a single claw attack the Ahroun makes in that turn is raised to 9. Note that the usual rule of being unable to spend Rage and Gnosis in the same turn still applies.
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Renewed Vigor (Level Two) - By slaying a Wyrm beast (or other enemy, shameful though inter-tribal conflict may be) in a particularly spectacular fashion, the Ahroun can inspire all allies who have her in their line of sight to fight harder through her example. A hawk-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: To activate this Gift, the Ahroun must have spent at least three Rage points in that turn, and must have killed an enemy with a stroke that brought it a at least three health level below Incapacitated, the Ahroun spends a point of Willpower, and all her Garou allies gain a number of points of temporary Rage equal to her Charisma Rating. Using this gift does not require a separate action in combat aside fro the action used to kill the enemy.
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Purity of Spirit (Level Three) - Many Galliards relate stories describing the werewolves' weakness to silver as a kind of chiminage - the price Luna extracts from her children for the gift of Rage. Using this Gift, the werewolf can, at the great cost, briefly shield himself against silver's damaging power with his own spiritual energies. A Lune teaches this Gift.
System: The Garou spends a number of Gnosis points, and immediately receives this many automatic successes to soak damage from silver, even if she has no dice to roll. The effects lasts for a number of turns equal to the Gnosis spent, not including the remainder of the turn in which it was activated.
The Gift does not take an action to activate, and indeed can be activated immediately if the Garou has been struck by surprise with silver bullet or blade to help ameliorate the damage... as long as the user hasn't spent any Rage that turn, of course. This Gift cannot be active at the same time as Luna's Armor; whichever is activated last cancels the prior Gift.
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Touch of Rage (Level Four) - Using this Gift, an Ahroun can channel a portion of her Rage to another, be the beneficiary Garou, human or animal. In the former case, the effects is fairly mundane, lending an ally strength in combat; in the latter, it grants an awesome and destructive quality to beings that do not normally possess such.
One a social level, this Gift can be a potent source of inspiration (and instigation) as well - while Rage is an intensely visceral and difficult-to-control quality, it also bestows the ability to feel righteous anger at corruption and injustice - a faculty many humans have lost in the quiet apathy of the World of Darkness. A fury-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The Ahroun spends one Willpower, or two if bestowing Rage on a mortal. He then expends a number of temporary Rage points, and the target gains them and may spend them normally. Once any points above the target's normal maximum Rage (zero for human) are spent, they are gone for good barring a second use of the Gift.
This Gift cannot grant Rage to mages, ghost or other kinds of supernatural beings that do not already possess Rage. Spirits already have a Rage Trait, but can receive the temporary points to use to gain extra actions in combat as Garou do.
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Aegis (Level Five) - This Gift grants a Garou a mystical aegis protecting her from attacks. This is not a literal shield; rather, strikes simply fail to hit vital areas, bullets deflect off a belt buckle and circumstance otherwise conspires to prevent blows from landing solidly on the warrior while this ability is in effect. A wind-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends a point of Willpower, and the difficulty of all attack rolls made against her for the duration of the scene are increased by two. Any attack roll that scores only one success (after dodge, if applicable) against the Garou is considered to be a graze, and inflicts only bashing damage.
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One on One (Level Six) - The World of Darkness is a complex place, filled with intrigue, misdirection and all manner of supernatural evasion. Ahroun, however, are simpler beings, and this Gift allows them to extend their direct methods where they might not otherwise reach. The Garou says a brief prayer to Luna and the other innumerable spirits of blood, terror and vengeance in the Garou pantheon. She is then transported instantly to a single foe of her choice, whom she may engage in one-on-one combat to the death under Luna's own aegis. The foe cannot flee (though tactical withdrawal with specific intent of continuing the fight this scene is acceptable), nor can she receive aid from outsiders. The invoker is bound by same restrictions, of course.
Luna herself teaches this Gift, and not through an avatar - the petitioner must journey to Luna's court in the Aetherial Realm and convince the capricious goddess that her reason for needing this power are just.
System: The Gift cuts through all supernatural forms of warding, concealment, contingency spells and similar precautions without any roll. For the remainder of the scene, both affected parties can receive no aid from other sources, and can only use powers that are directly physical in nature. A vampire's unearthly strength and speed or a faerie's ability to strike at enemies with the spirit holly would remain potent, but a member of either race would be stripped of his supernatural mind-clouding and unearthly presence. Likewise, a Namebreaker might throw lightning or increase his own strength, but not teleport away or turn incorporeal to avoid the Garou's strikes utterly.
This Gift involves the direct interference of the Celestine Luna in mortal affairs, and the Storyteller should remember that a thinking being is determining the Gift's exact effects, not a defined supernatural spell. The storyteller should make judgment calls on the Gift's effects keeping within its intended spirit of providing a fair, open and physical fight. A Garou asking to the transported to a vampire in torpor, for example, might find the Leech awake and ready to fight....
The Garou must expend a point of permanent Gnosis to activate this Gift. Once the fight is done, normal rules of reality reassert themselves - which might be bad if the Garou has been sent to Malfeas or some other hellish domain.
Ahroun - Merits and Flaws (pg. 124)
Combat Expertise (2 point Merit)
You've spent a great many hours in real, lethal combat and you're practiced enough that you very rarely screw up truly badly. You may ignore one botch on an attack or dodge roll each session.
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Diverse Fighting Styles (4 point Merit)
You have trained in a truly vast range of different methods of combat, and can apply the full extent of your knowledge to the situation at hand. You never face penalties in combat for using unfamiliar or exotic weapons, and you can easily identify any weapon or fighting style you are exposed to.
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Infectious courage (5 point Merit)
While it's the duty of all Ahroun to inspire valor on the field of battle, it comes to you far more naturally than to most; even among the stout Garou, your courage and resolve is legendary. Whenever a fear-causing Gift or power is used on you, adjust the difficulty of the roll by two in your favor. If a similar ability is used on one or more of your packmates and you are in their line of sight, adjust the difficulty by one in their favor.
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Scarred (2 point Flaw)
The unceasing brutality of existence as an Ahroun has finally gotten under your skin. Your emotional responses of all kinds are somewhat stunted, and almost nothing really gets a rise out of you. Creepy. The difficulty of all Empathy rolls you make is increased by two; if the adjusted difficulty is above nine, you can't even attempt the roll.
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Hubris (1-4 point Flaw)
You are firmly convinced that your own might is superior to nearly anyone else's, that you are entitled to benefits far above your actual station and the other Garou, especially of the less combative auspices, are more nuisances then aides. This doesn't necessarily make your arrogance obvious to everybody; you might sublimate it very well, or express it in only limited ways. But your tunnel vision does leave you blind to many of the subtleties of the World of Darkness, and at the higher levels of the flaw your mentality can border on solipsism.
The Flaw is primarily intended for Storyteller characters, as it can make a character difficult to cope with in a pack and frustrating to roleplay with. A player who wants to apply it to his character should double-check with both the Storyteller and the other player first.
New Galliard Gifts (pg. 101-102)
Perfect Recall (Level One) - As mentioned earlier in this chapter, Galliards often share one trait even before the Change takes them. That trait is in memory, Moon-Dancers often have good heads for details; this Gift, however, accentuates that capacity. Any Weaver-spirit can teach this Gift, which is one reason it isn't more common.
System: The player spends one Gnosis point. The Garou can then remember any one detail, no matter how small, from her entire life. A name she only heard once, a scent that she only smelled faintly - whatever the memory, as long as she experience it, she can call it to mind. Note that this Gift does not provide context for the memory, but using it can lower the difficulty on related (remembering a conversation the character had with his father about cars might aid in fixing an engine, for example). The Storyteller has final say over whether or not the character has ever experienced a given detail.
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Unified Force (Level Two) - The Galliard can bond the pack into a truly unified force, striking as one. As long as no one in the pack succumbs to frenzy, each member strikes at the same instant, and few foes can stand up to such an attack for long. A wolf-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player must spend one Gnosis point for each turn in which this Gift is to be active. Every turn that she does so, each player rolls for initiative as usual, but the entire pack acts on the highest initiative rolled (so if the character's initiative totals wind up being 10, 8, 14, and 17, the entire pack acts on 17, even if the pack's alpha wound up with the 8). The entire pack must be present in the battle for this Gift to be effective, and if even one pack member frenzies, the effect is lost. Also, only pack members bonded by a totem may enjoy these benefits. All pack tactics are at -1 difficulty while this Gift is active.
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View the Battlefield (Level Three) - Moon Dancers are renowned for their ability to be everywhere at once during a fight. Some onlookers say that Galliards have a sort of innate sense of where they need to be during a fight, either to witness a blood feud consummated or simply to help an overwhelmed packmate. This Gift is part of the reason for these tales, and allows the Galliard to see the entire battlefield in her mind's eye. A hawk-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends one Gnosis point and rolls Wits + Alertness. The difficulty varies based on the size of the battlefield. One large room would be difficulty 5, while a football field would be difficulty 7 and an entire forest would be difficulty 9. If the roll succeeds, the character can see the entire battlefield as if from above (and can look through ceilings and the like to view the combatants below). This makes ambushing the character nearly impossible, and allows her to know if any of her allies are in immediate danger. Even if the character's sight is somehow blocked (through use of the gift: Shroud, for example) she still instinctively knows the exact location of her packmates. This Gift lasts for one turn per success on the initial roll.
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Book of Years (Level Four) - The Galliard taps into a floodgate of knowledge from her ancestors. While the amount f information thus received is overwhelming, the Garou, if she keeps her head about her, can find information on nearly any topic. An ancestor-spirit teaches this Gift, although certain reptilian spirits have been known to impart it as well.
System: The player rolls Wits + Enigmas or Ancestors (whichever is higher; the Garou need not have the Ancestors background to learn this Gift) at a difficulty of the local Gauntlet. The character falls into a trance and is immediately immersed in a deluge of memories stretching back to the dawn of time. The flood continues until the character terminates the Gift, and the memories get older the longer she remains in the trance. For every hour the character remains under the Gift's influence, the memories stretch back roughly five centuries. For each hour that the character remains in the trance, however, the player must roll Willpower (difficultly 7) to keep the character grounded in her own time. If the roll fails, the character must either immediately terminate the trance or lose a point of temporary Willpower as the memories threaten to consume her. If the roll botches, her body disappears and reappears somewhere in the Umbra; the Legendary Realm and Battlefield are both popular choices.
While the character cannot hope to remember all or even most of the information she sees, she can attempt to search for specific moments in history. The result is a sort of vision quest; the Storyteller may choose to simply describe what the character sees or might lead the character on a quest through the memories of the Garou until she finds the information she needs.
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Legend's Insight (Level Five) - While any Garou with spiritual connection to her ancestor-spirits may barrow an ancestor's wisdom from time to time, the Galliards have, unsurprisingly, perfected the process. The character may call upon her illustrious predecessors for skill or knowledge and become, for a moment, the best she can possibly be. An ancestor-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: Only characters with Ancestors Background may learn this Gift. The player rolls Charisma + Ancestors (difficulty 7). For each success, the player may boost an Ability to five dots, or an Ability already at that level to six dots. Normally, "modern" Abilities such as Computer, Drive, and even Firearms are disallowed, but this is left to the Storyteller's discretion. The player should specify what ancestor she is calling upon and what Abilities that ancestor is likely to grant her; these choices should remain consistent through subsequent uses of this Gift (that is, the same ancestor probably shouldn't be granting Brawl, Melee and Athletics one session and then Occult, Enigmas and Rituals the next.).
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Storyteller (Level Six) - Rather then simply telling and retelling the stories of old, or even waiting until events of the day become the new stories, the Galliard can change the events of the ongoing drama unfolding around her. She may add new "characters," alter chain of events, and even change the motivations of the major participants. However, as this Gift can literally have world-altering ramifications, the handful of Garou in history that have known it have been loath to actually use it. Rumor has it that the defeat of the Storm-Eater was due partially to the use of this Gift - but likewise, rumor also states that the horrific events in Russia during the past century stem from a Child of Gaia Galliard who thought that she knew the way the story would end. No one knows what sort of spirit teaches this Gift; presumably an avatar of Gaia, but since so few Garou even know of the Gift's existence, no one can say for certain.
System: The player spends one permanent Gnosis point and explains, in as much detail as possible, the change she wants to make to the story. The Storyteller, of course, has final say, and once the "dramatic alteration" is done, the Garou has no further control, so utmost care must be taken with the Storyteller Gift.
Galliard - Rites (pg. 102)
Rite of Glorious Past (Caern)
Level threeA caern has it history and heritage, regardless of the Garou that currently inhabit it. Learning the history of a caern is a fascinating undertaking, and one that can take years. However, this rite allows the Garou to experience the nuances of the caern's development as fever dreams, the years passing in a few short moments.
To enact this rite, the ritemaster must draw up a map of the caern as it was when it was first founded (which may require some research by itself). This map is then burnt at the center of the caern. As the map burns, all Garou present growl quietly as the ritemaster recites the history of the caern. All werewolves present see the caern's formation and any other important details in its history as though in a dream. This rite isn't of much use for learning new history, as the information it imparts is largely expansion on what the ritemaster is already reciting, but is does grant a new appreciation for the caern and the honor of guarding it.
System: The player rolls Intelligence + Rituals. The difficulty begins at 9, lowered by one for each dot of Ancestors the ritemaster possesses. If the ritual is performed successfully, each participant receives an additional dot of Ancestors until the next dawn; this occurs even if the character is not normally capable of possessing this Background (as the ancestor thus contacted are former guardians of the caern rather than a given character's personal fore-bearers). Also, the ritual "primes" the caern; the next caern rite performed therein receives a -1 difficulty.
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Rite of Echoing Howl (Death)
Level TwoWhen a mighty hero falls, sometimes the Gathering for the Departed is not enough. Sometimes the spot upon which her heroic blood touched the soil needs a mark, even if the mark is completely invisible in the realm. In such an instance, a Garou may enact the Rite of the Echoing Howl. While this rite can be performed with a pack or an even larger group, it is just as often enacted by one of the fallen werewolf's packmates.
The ritemaster stands at the exact spot at which the hero fell (even if the Garou was taken away to die elsewhere), and walks in a small circle, counterclockwise. She then steps into the Umbra and howls as loud and long as she possibly can. If the rite is successful, that howl echoes for all time, reminding anyone who steps into the Umbra that a champion was lost on that spot.
System: Standard roll. If the roll succeeds, anyone who can perceive spirits hears the howl faintly in the area, and anyone who actually steps sideways hears it as though the ritemaster were still standing there howling. Any Garou attempting to perform this rite for the wrong reason (such as to "mark" an area of the Umbra) assuredly loses Honor Renown, and the rite won't work for such purposes anyway.
Galliard - Fetishes (pg. 103)
Thunder Drum
Level Two, Gnosis 6This fetish doesn't actually have to be a drum; any easily portable musical instrument will do, as long as it can play low, threatening tones (no one has ever crafted a Thunder Banjo, for instance). The Garou beats the drum while marching into battle, unnerving his foes with its quiet, yet pervasive rhythm. The activation successes are subtracted from the initiative scores of any opponent who hears it, for the first turn of combat only. The Garou must beat the drum for at least two turns before rolling to activate the fetish.
To create a Thunder Drum, the Garou must bind a war-spirit into the instrument.
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Monkey's Tongue
Level Three, Gnosis 7Despite the name, this is rarely made from a tongue (though when it is, a human tongue is commonly used). Just as often, the Garou binds a spirit associated with language - a parrot or magpie, or sometimes a Weaver-spirit - into a book or some other innocuous item. When activated, the fetish translates one language into a tongue of the Garou's choice for the rest of the scene. The fetish only works on one language at a time, so it can't simultaneously translate French and Spanish. It does, however, work both ways - the Garou appears to be speaking in the targets language, even if he doesn't speak a word of it. This fetish can translate human language into Garou tongue. No one speaking in the targeted language notices the difference; if a Garou uses this fetish to translate German into English, he hears English when other speak German, but anything speaking in German doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
Galliard - Merits and Flaws (pg. 103)
Cool in Battle (2 point Merit)
You don't lose your head when the fur starts flying. You remain in control in combat, regardless of how chaotic things get. Add one to the character's initiative rating. If the character enters frenzy, this benefit is lost.
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Tangential (1 point Flaw)
No matter how hard you try, your stories tend to meander. You can't stay on topic when in discussion or when performing, unless you heavily rehearse your lines ahead of time. As a result, you are seen as long-winded and rather dull. Add two to all Expression difficulties (unless you are reciting from a script or from memorized lines), and be sure to roleplay this flaw.
Moon Lore (Level one) - Using this Gift, the werewolf can learn the phase of the moon that heralded the birth of another. Although it can determine auspice, Moon Lore gives no clue to whether the subject is a werewolf or even if it is supernatural in any way; being born under a waxing gibbous moon means much more to a Garou then it does to a normal human. Any moon-spirit can teach this Gift.
System: A single success on a Perception + Primal-Urge roll (difficulty 6) is required to determine the moon's phase at the time of the subject's birth; two successes determine whether it was waxing or waning.
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Omen of Truth (Level Two) - Half Moons are seldom called upon to make easy decisions or clear-cut judgment - if things were so simple the Philodox would not be needed. Yet when it comes down to it, even the judge could use a hint now and then. By taking a moment to look around, the wise Garou may see in the fall of a leaf or path of a butterfly an answer he seeks.
System: The player spends a Gnosis point and makes a Perception + Enigmas roll (difficulty varies, from 9 in a featureless, sealed space to 5 for a forest at sunset). The Gift takes a minimum of one full minute to use; the user gains a -1 difficulty if he dwells on the problem for half an hour. Successes add to the nature and certainty of the omen, while a botch brings an equally certain but erroneous conclusion. More then most, the effects of this Gift are up to the Storyteller, and depend on the situation; in general, though, the Storyteller should use it to give hints as to Gaia's two cents worth on the matter in question.
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Divided Heart (Level Three) - The heart of the werewolf is filled with rage, and quite often, this internal fire can overcome a werewolf's strength of will. With this Gift, taught by any tree spirit, a Philodox can briefly allow another to "hold back" the fury inside, lest a poorly made decision cause irreparable damages.
System: The purpose of this Gift is to help alleviate the difficulties a werewolf encounters when his Rage exceeds his Willpower (Werewolf, p. 126). For every success on a Manipulation + Primal-Urge roll by the Philodox player, one penalty die is negated for the target character, the effects last for five minutes per success - a Philodox can temporarily alleviate the Curse, but never negate it.
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Reality's Path (Level Four) - Perception is subjective, but the Philodox cannot afford that luxury. This Gift allows the user to sense whether what the subject believes to be true is actually false. A Jaggling of Falcon teaches this Gift.
System: The player rolls Perception + Enigmas (difficulty 7). A single success determines if what the subject is telling an unintended untruth. Three successes will discover if the subject was deliberately misled. Five successes or more will reveal the truth of the lie at its simplest level (it might tell who perpetrated a crime, but not why or who the perp was working for). Note that this Gift only works when a subject speaks what he truly believes; packmates can't go on "fishing expeditions" by throwing out names to determine who really committed a deed, for example.
Reality's Path deals with knowable facts ("She never intended to return", "despite his boast, your brother didn't kill the Bane single-handed"), not greater spiritual truths.
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Soul's Guilt (Level Five) - This powerful but very temperamental Gift allows the weight of guilt which rests on the heart to emerge to the surface. The effect varies but usually appears as shadowing across the subject's features; the shadows deepen as the guilt grows (other effects include "howls of demons," the sound of winter winds or even ominous background music). Note that, while useful, it has some severe limitations, for it registers only what troubles the individual. To a saintly old lady, a white lie may give her nightmares and deeply shade her soul, while a vigilante may sleep the sleep of the just and go undetected by this gift. Soul's Guilt is taught by one of Falcon's brood, or any spirit associated with Justice.
System: The Garou must look at (or in some cases, listen to or smell) the target and concentrate for one full turn. The player rolls Perception + Empathy (difficulty of 7); number of successes indicate the clarity of the Garou's impression.
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Release from Bondage (Level Six) - There are many ways to mystically bend the will of another. This Gift shatters all bonds, from blood domination of vampire to a mage's mind control or a Half Moon's geas. Those who know this Gift may use it on any being, including themselves. This Gift is only granted by an Incarna or equally powerful spirit, usually as a reward for some great service.
System: The Garou is automatically immune to any supernatural coercion save from any being more powerful than an Incarna. The Gifted one may break another's mystic compulsion by touching her, spending a Gnosis point and rolling Manipulation + Leadership (difficulty 11 - the targets Willpower).
Philodox - New Rites (pg. 80-81)
Rite of Punishment
The Rite of Silver Death
Level FourOnly the Rite of Gaia's Vengeful Teeth is a worse punishment than the Rite of Silver Death. The werewolves reserve it for those who kill their own kind without provocation or lawful challenge but rather through cold, calculated murder in order to achieve some aim or goal. For example, a werewolf who kills another to steal a fetish or ascend to power would be a likely candidate to suffer this punishment... if he could be proven guilty. A lesser crime might warrant a Hunt, where the offender may at least redeem herself by dying well; but in the Silver Death there is no redemption, only further shame and humiliation. Before the assemble werewolves (at least two others) and spirits, the ritemaster recites the crime(s) of the offender. As he does so, all strength drains from the offender's body, so that she may do nothing but cower as one of the Garou (usually the ritemaster, sometimes the murdered one's packmate or Kin) raises the klaive for the deathblow.
System: A Charisma + Ritual roll (difficulty 7) is all that is necessary to rob the offender of all strength. The doomed one cannot step sideways or move from her spot. A Willpower roll (difficulty is 4 + ritemaster's successes) is necessary to stand bravely at the end; a failure costs 1 temporary Glory and 2 temporary Honor, while a botch costs twice as much (as the doomed one broke at the end and groveled most pathetically).
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Rites of Accord
The Rite of the Pack's Blood
Level OneMost Garou form packs that are bound with and dedicated to a totem spirit. In these days of mixed septs and thinning ranks, some werewolves are forced by necessity to run together temporarily. This ritual binds a group of werewolves into a pack dedicated to a particular purpose, such as a quest, a battle or a fortnight's stint of bawn-guarding. The effects of this expire after the task is done, or after a lunar month, whichever comes first. Elders usually expect more permanent associations to ask for the blessings of a totem spirit.
Though the supernatural benefits of this rite eventually end, mutual respect and friendships are a common byproduct. Rival septs may join their warriors with this rite to improve relations. It is not uncommon for such packs to reform into "true" packs down the road, devoted to a specific and appropriate totem spirit.
System: The members of the prospective pack each swear their united purpose as they slice a palm or pad and dribble a small amount of blood into a cup. The blood is mixed and painted on face, hand and chest (over the heart) of each member. Upon a successful completion of the ritual (Charisma + Rituals, difficulty 7), the pack may take on benefits such as simultaneous initiative and special combat maneuvers. Note that packmembers already in a "true" pack may join this temporary pack, but will likely have some explaining to do to a miffed totem.
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Rite of the Great Council
Level FourIn these days when unity is so important, it is often sorely lacking. Too often, a rift pits pack against pack, tribe against tribe, or sept against sept. A popular Garou may be (possibly wrongly) accused and sentenced, or old resentments flare into open warfare. Despite the Half Moon's best effort, the fabric of werewolf society is torn asunder. This risky but impressive ritual draws the most powerful spirits involved in the contention - usually the totems of contending packs, although caern or tribal totems may also be involved. It is a perilous venture, but success will almost certainly bring peace; when the most powerful spirits of a sept speak with one voice, even warring packs will take notice.
System: The target number for the Charisma + Rituals roll is equal to the highest spirit type summoned (as per Rite of Summoning, page 161 of the core book). What follows should make for some intense roleplaying (although the Storyteller may adjust the totems' initial attitude by the number of successes). Once all the spirits are in attendance, the Philodox must lay out the situation and/or plead the case. The spirits give council to, or perhaps interrogate, the Half Moon. If they agree with his decisions, they will stand behind him as he makes (or reiterates) the judgment. If on the other hand they disagree with arbiter's decision, that too will be made abundantly clear (usually resulting in a loss of Honor Renown and credibility).
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Mystic Rites
The Rite of the Blackened Moon
Level ThreeThis rarely used rite creates a spiritually dead zone, essentially closing off small spaces to Umbral access. The space can be no larger then a small hut or large room. Garou feel distinctly uncomfortable in this dead zone, and spirits trapped there can wither away to nothingness.
System: The bounds of the space are inscribed with glyphs, and an herbal smudge or incense is burned to banish spirits and spiritual influences from the room. Each success (Wits + Rituals, difficulty 7) increases the Gauntlet by one, to the maximum of 10. In addition, no Gnosis can be regained in any way within the warded space, and materialized spirits trapped within begins to unravel at the rate of 1 Essence/hour. The ritual's effect lasts a number of days equal to the ritemaster's success, fading at sundown of the final day. This takes half an hour to perform, and can be continued as often as necessary.
Philodox - New Fetishes (pg. 81)
Feather of Ma'at
Level 3, Gnosis 5Originally a creation of the Silent Striders, the Striders have been known to share this fetish with Half-Moons of other tribes who've been a great aid to Owl's children. The feather can be of various forms, from ostrich plume to a raven's quill. When a Philodox is speaking to someone, she "applies" the feather against the truth of their speech by tossing it into the air. If the feather sinks to the earth, it "weighs" more then the words of the person speaking; they are being truthful. However, if the speaker is lying, the feather remains floating; their words are too "heavy." Should the werewolf using the feather fail to activate it, the default is that the feather falls to the ground... and she may not realize she's hearing lies.
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Storyglass
Level 4, Gnosis 6A storyglass can be an ordinary pocket mirror, shard of glass or other reflective surface (as long as it's not silver!) When activated, the user speaks a specific question to the glass, such as "Show me who stole my klaive." A brief, silent image will appear. Such flashes can be misleading, as they don't often give a complete picture of what occurred and why. The images also reflect "visible" reality; if someone is wearing a disguise, that's what the viewer sees, not the person under the mask. Images in a storyglass aren't hard and fast evidence for moots or rites of punishment, but they can point a Philodox in a useful direction.
New Ragabash Gifts (pg. 32-34)
Hush (Level One) - Though Ragabash are teachers, one thing they can't always teach is when to keep one's mouth shut. Maybe a brash Ahroun is about to say something unfortunate to a bigger Ahroun, or perhaps a talkative cub is about to reveal too much about what she knows. In such situations, this Gift acts as a temporary stopgap; it makes the target fumble for words, lose his train of thought or become momentarily distracted, besides keeping friends from saying stupid things, the Gift can also be used against insulting rivals or the fomori calling in reinforcements. Because of the bond between packmates, it is easier to use this Gift within the pack - after all, it's for the greater good, right? A mockingbird-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player rolls Wits + Subterfuge (difficulty is the target's Wits + 4; for a packmate reduce the difficulty by one). Every success stalls the target for one turn, preventing the target from communicating verbally (although other forms of communication, such as sign language or writing, are still possible).
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Trickster Beacon (Level Two) - Known as the "Kick Me Gift" by particularly irreverent New Moons, this places a spiritual beacon on the unwitting target, attracting the local troublemaking spirits. While potentially lethal pranks are off limits, anything else is fair game: items are removed or lost temporarily, the target is surrounded by jeering spirits in the Umbra or momentarily loses his way in familiar territory. The beacon cannot be removed or hidden (and the target can never see it although all spirits and perceptive Garou can), but an eloquent and lucky victim may be able to "buy off" the spirits with the appropriate chiminage. This Gift is taught by any trickster spirit.
System: The Ragabash expends a point of Gnosis and touches the target (a pat on the back or handshake do as well as a punch). The player rolls Wits + Enigmas (difficulty is the targets Rank + 2; difficulty 5 for non-shapeshifters). The Gift effects last for one day per success. A botch marks the Ragabash instead (the unfortunate must roll against himself to determine how long the plague of spirits lasts, and a botch on the second roll means a full lunar month). Even spirits agree there is such a thing as carrying a prank too far. A Ragabash who uses this Gift more than once per lunar month or against a given individual more than once per season risks becoming the target of the spirits' attention (subtract one success from the die roll for each consecutive use of the Gift).
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Slip of the Tongue (Level Two) - Sensing the truth is the purview of the Half Moon, but the trickster is adept at obtaining admissions of guilt, however accidental. By engaging in a conversation (heated or otherwise), the user of this Gift can make the target accidentally remark on what she wishes to hide ("of course I had everything to do with his death... I mean, nothing to do with it!" or "The necklace isn't here, search all you like, but don't bother with the study, that's so obvious!") The slip may only arouse already suspicious minds, but it may fluster the target enough to cause some more tangible admission of guilt, like a confession or an attack. This Gift is taught by a Gaffling of Falcon or by any truth spirit.
System: The Ragabash must engage the target in a conversation relating to the suspected crime or action. The player and target make a resisted Manipulation + Subterfuge roll, difficulty of the opponent's Willpower. One success allows a subtle slip only noticeable to the already suspicious, while five results in the spilling of damning information no judge could discount.
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Impunity (Level Three) - One of the Ragabash's jobs is to voice uncomfortable truths. Unfortunately, not all tolerate that role, and those who most need to hear the truth are often least willing to listen. No Moons must be quick on their feet to avoid a furious elder who's been called on the carpet by a subordinate. With this Gift, the Garou may tell a respected leader the screwed up without becoming the dead messenger. The Gift is taught by a cat-spirit.
System: By succeeding in a Charisma + Subterfuge roll (difficulty 6), the Ragabash can avoid the worst repercussions of his statements. The target(s) must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6 plus the No Moon's successes) to punish or attack the speaker for the rest of the scene. Each attempted use of this Gift in the span of a lunar month adds an additional +1 to the No Moon's difficulty. Note that whatever the Ragabash says must be clearly and completely true from the user's point of view - no prevarication or double entendres are possible. For example, "Your nephew broke the Litany" would work if said Garou ate a policeman, but not if he failed to respect a Black Spiral's territory. (Though a simple opinion, such as "You're being an idiot, "is acceptable if heartfelt). The Storyteller is the final arbiter. If the Ragabash attempts to misuse this impressive Gift, not only will he not realize it didn't work until after he speaks, but Cat will maker her displeasure evident.
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The Usual Suspects (Level Three) - The wary Ragabash often wants to keep tabs on others, whether to know the location of a wandering cub or trail a suspicious government agent. The Usual Suspects allows the user know the general whereabouts of several subjects at any time. Owl-spirits or urban spirits of Wisdom teach this Gift.
System: The Ragabash can keep tabs on a number of individuals equal to her Gnosis rating. To choose a target, the New Moon must either have an unobstructed view or have a strong scent trial of the target and makes a Gnosis roll (difficulty 7). Thereafter, by spending a Gnosis point and concentrating for three turns (the player rolls Perception + Enigmas, difficulty 8 for physical beings or Gnosis rating for spirits) the Ragabash can sense the general location of the target. Successes increase accuracy; one success would give "Southwest, a mile or two away," while five would allow "South-southwest, 1.3 miles, on the porch of his house." If the Garou already has a maximum number of targets saved, she must "lose" one before acquiring another.
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Madness Season (Level Four) - A fine line often exists between madcap humor and the precipice of insanity. The New Moon's understanding of this boundary enables her to send enemies teetering off the brink into lunacy. While this Gift does no lasting harm to the victim, it can make him an object of ridicule and scorn... and grant a measure of respect to the Ragabash who uses it. Any spirit of Luna can teach this Gift.
System: The player expends one Gnosis point and makes a resisted Manipulation + Subterfuge roll against the target's Willpower. One success causes the victim to become gibbering and helpless in a fit of madness for a number of turns equal to the Ragabash's Gnosis rating; three successes cause the madness to last the remainder of the scene. With Storyteller's discretion, four or more successes may render the victim incoherent for a longer period of time.
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Turn the Moon (Level Five) - This Gift essentially makes a werewolf "walk a mile in someone else's shoes." For a short period of time, the New Moon can change the auspice of another werewolf to whatever she deems appropriate. Any spirit of Luna can teach this Gift.
System: The Ragabash spends a Willpower point, and the player rolls Manipulation + Primal Urge. For each success, the target must spend a day in his new auspice. The Ragabash can end the effects of the Gift earlier, if she so chooses. The target loses access to specific auspice Gifts, gains or loses enough temporary Rage point to bring him to the base minimum for the appropriate auspice, and suddenly finds his thinking influenced by the duties of the new auspice. For example, if the Ragabash changes an Ahroun into a Philodox, he'll start trying to lead by example, feel an urge to settle disputes and try to bring things around him into balance (an opportunity for some fun and creative roleplaying). The New Moons of rank use this Gift to teach a lesson to those taking the duties of their auspice too much to heart, and it can be quite effective at showing them a different perspective.
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Weakest Link (Level Five) - With this gift, a New Moon can delve into the hearts and minds of a given pack. He can sense the fears and concerns of either friends or enemies to best help or harm them. Armed with this knowledge, the Ragabash can guide his own pack in attacking foes or use his own peculiar brand of wisdom to facilitate peace and healing. Any Weaver spirit can teach this Gift.
System: After spending a Willpower point, the player rolls Perception + Enigmas. With each success above one, he can find out crucial information on two packmembers per success. For example, with two successes, he can target two packmembers; with three, he can learn about four packmembers, the Storyteller should word things in a descriptive way; she needn't give specific rank or auspice, for example, but might point out who's leading and who's following. Moreover, this Gift can clue in a Ragabash on specific fears or phobias he can best use to his advantage. At the Storyteller's discretion, he might also discern the ranking of pack members, who has the most Rage and Gnosis, and possibly certain Merits or Flaws. Storytellers should be generous, as this is a rare and powerful Gift.
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Firebringer (Level Six) - This powerful Gift allows a Ragabash to pull the ultimate stunt, stealing a supernatural power and turning it into a Gift. Moreover, the Gift can be taught to other, as if the New Moon was a spirit teacher. The difficulty part is that the Ragabash has to endure having the power used on her first, but after that, she makes it her own to teach, but alas, not to use herself. A powerful spirit, such as the avatar of a trickster Incarna, teaches this Gift.
System: Survival, smarts and sacrifice are key to acquiring this Gift, though no specific dice rolls are needed. First, the Ragabash must suffer through the effects of the power (such as a vampiric Discipline or a mage's rote) being successfully used on her. Then, she can take her experiences, work with the appropriate spirit and turn the power into a Gift she can teach to others. The Ragabash cannot herself use the Gift, and moreover, she now has a vulnerability to its effects. The next time she encounters another supernatural using the power, the enemy is at one difficulty less to use it on the New Moon (the power more easily affects the Ragabash). Any supernatural power can be co-opted in this way, including Wyrm-tainted powers. In this way, the werewolves can turn the might of the Wyrm back on itself. Because of the sacrifice involved, the New Moon usually gains considerable Renown for not only "stealing" the knowledge of supernatural power, but also teaching it to others. Storytellers should feel free to be creative and innovative in bringing powers from other games (such as Vampire and Mage) into the Werewolf universe. The Storyteller determines the level of any Gift gained in this manner, as appropriate.
Ragabash - New Rite of Accord (pg. 35)
Rite of Omega
Level ThreeIt is often the duty of the Ragbash to add levity and defuse a tense situation. When division and anger threatens the unity of the sept, some Ragabash choose the dangerous and often sacrificial Rite of the Omega. Once it is performed successfully, the ritemaster becomes reviled; everything she says or does steps on the last nerve of everyone in the sept (plus any visitors there at the time the rite begins). Elders put her to work and punish her for being slack, and the Ahroun want to practice their Ragabash-throwing skills. Even the lowest metis says, "Sucks to be you." The ritemaster will be driven from kills, suffer beatings if she isn't quick and may even have her gear stolen or damaged for spite's sake. Even her own pack treats her like dirt. All the tension and hate and anger that threatened to tear the sept apart is now directed at one individual, bringing unity and catharsis to the Garou. The effects last a minimum of one day, although for an ongoing situation the Ragabash may continue to play the ultimate omega to ensure harmony.
System: Using her own blood mixed with soil from the cearn site, the ritemaster inscribes the Garou glyph for Shame on her chest and intones a chant. If successful, the Ragabash drops to Rank One for the duration of the rite.
If the tension in the sept is the result of a singular event (a death, a divisive challenge, etc.), the rite's effects last a single day. In the case of an ongoing crisis (intersept negotiations or a heated concolation), the rite may last as long as a week. At the end of the rite, the glyph disappears and the Ragabash's Rank is restored, plus 3 temporary Honor (up to 5 for an extended rite) and hopefully some decent treatment to make up for the sacrifice. The sept members will be more inclined to compromise and have greater understanding of opposing views, staying unified for a time.
The put-upon ritemaster may end the rite prematurely simply by wiping the glyph away and shouting "I've had enough!" but looses 2 Honor and 1 Wisdom, and worse, the sept loses all benefits of the rite.
This is specifically a Ragabash ritual; any other auspice (assuming they can find a teacher) has a +2 difficulty to the roll and gains or loses only 1 Honor.
Ragabash - New Fetishes (pg. 35)
Pinch Bugs
Level 1, Gnosis 3Pinch bugs are fetishes that appear to be some kind of large insect - ladybugs, bumblebees or mantises, for example - crafted from clay and often painted garish colors. A werewolf can stick one of these little bugs to an item he wants to protect from casual snooping, activating the fetish as it is attached. When anyone but the werewolf tries to open or disturb the item in question the pinch bug comes to life and "stings" the offender. This is nonleathal, but it's exceedingly painful, like the worst wasp sting imaginable. If the offender has some compelling reason to remain silent, he must make a Willpower roll, difficulty 8, to avoid screeching or hurling some kind of expletive at the top of his lungs.
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Loki's Fire
Level 4, Gnosis 7This fetish usually appears as a fiery red stone about the size of a human's palm, similar in color to a carnelian. When activated with the expenditure of a Gnosis point (a simple roll will not activate a fetish of this potency), it allows the wielder to raise her Manipulation by two points for the duration of a scene. Ideally, the user takes this opportunity to successfully perform a prank or somehow use the advantage in a way that stone's namesake would approve. A spirit of deceit is often the source of the fetish's power.
Ragabash - New Talen (pg. 35)
Face Paint
Gnosis 7Face Paint can take on a number of appearances, from pancake makeup to rich ochre mud, usually depending on the cultural background of its maker. It's an extremely useful fetish, as it can temporarily obfuscate the wearer's appearance. When activated, the paint can simply make the user appear more or less beautiful (raising or lowering Appearance by two points), or give the wearer different facial features entirely. A person with dark skin and brown eyes might, for example, choose to have blue eyes and tan skin. The changes aren't present anywhere expect in the face, but this is quite a useful item to have when impersonating someone. The effects last for one scene.
Airt Perception (Level One) - Using this Gift, a Theurge can roughly identify a spirit by it airt - the trial left in the wake of a spirit's passing. This works essentially like tracking in the corporeal world, and is no more informative - a hunter can tell deer tracks from bison tracks, but can't learn anything meaningful about an unknown creature. Also, powerful and subtle spirits are often able to disguise their airts. Any ancestor-spirit renowned as a great hunter can teach this Gift.
System: Treat this exactly as a Garou identifying and tracking animals (by scent or by looking for tracks, at the Theurge's discretion), but apply it to spirits instead. Note that Garou may not be able to go everywhere spirits do to follow the trail - remember, spirits can fly.
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Sense Chiminage (Level One) - Theurges have ways of knowing all manner of secret things other Garou would wish stayed hidden; with this Gift, they can learn where the balance of chiminage lies with any spiritually aware being with a glance. The gift reveals if the target has paid all proper obligations to the spirits, if he has ignored a debt or engaged in blasphemy against his totem or other spiritual patrons. An owl-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: A Perception + Subterfuge roll (difficulty 7) reveals the target's state of debt in the spirit worlds; with three or more successes, the Theurge may learn the name of the one spirit the target most recently egregiously wronged, if such a being exists.
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Spirit Knife (Level Two) - Using this Gift, a Theurge can imbue a knife - or any other weapon she hand-crafted herself - with the power to strike across the Gauntlet, affecting enemies on the other side. This Gift conveys no ability to see across the Gauntlet beyond what the Garou normally possesses, however. A Wasp-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The Garou spends one Gnosis point, and any single weapon she crafted entirely herself is able to strike creatures on either side of the Gauntlet in any area where the Gauntlet is equal to or lower than her Gnosis. This effect lasts for the duration of the scene.
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The Spirits' Displeasure (Level Two) - Theurges use this Gift as a form of mystical warning against those who have offended the spirits. It causes the victim to suffer ill luck, and to witness an omen from his own culture indicating foreboding or cosmological displeasure. Note that many modern people may not recognize an omen as an omen, but they will still find it unsettling by it's very nature. A Stormcrow teaches this Gift.
System: The Theurge spends a point of Gnosis, burns an effigy of the victim and rolls her Manipulation + Occult (difficulty7); the intended target does not need to be present. Sometime in the same story the Gift is used, the target will botch an important (but not life-threatening) roll automatically, or suffer botch-like effects at one time in his everyday life.
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Evocation of Ceremony (Level Three) - Rituals are not used only to evoke supernatural effects; they also have an inherent value to Theurges in and of themselves. Using this Gift, the Garou evokes a sense of awe, reverence and holy mystery through ritualistic behavior - anything from a Garou rite to a Catholic sacrament. Along with any normal mystical effect, the ceremony produces a sense of reaffirmation and cosmological belonging in everyone who participates. While Theurges usually use this effect to strengthen sincere spiritual devotions or build community among Garou, it's just as easily abused to keep participants in a rite in ignorant, dogmatic fear of the supernatural world - the Theurge's intent, not the nature of the Gift, determines which is the case. An enigmatic spirit teaches this Gift.
System: Any being can attempt to inspire, unify or cow an audience through ritualism with a Charisma + Rituals, Occult, Performance or Subterfuge roll as appropriate to the exact situation. Possession of the Gift increases the Charisma of the Theurge by four dots, only for the purpose of such attempts (to a maximum of nine).
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Castigate (Level Three) - The Theurge call upon the spirit to revoke their favor from another Garou; she must verbally state the target's offense against the spirit worlds, and the target must be present; if successful, the target loses both Renown and spiritual Gifts. A hyena-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends a point of Gnosis and rolls Charisma + Intimidation against a difficulty equal to the target's [Gnosis + 3]. Each success causes the target to lose one point of temporary Renown for good. In addition, the target loses access to one Gift of the Theurge player's choice for the remainder of the story, or a maximum level equal to the successes rolled.
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Placation (Level Four) - Shamans from many diverse cultures are said to know secrets for placating angry ghost and ancestors - this Gift is one of them. A Theurge with this Gift always knows exactly what kind of sacrifice is necessary to make atonement for an offence against the spirit world, and is skilled in the secret methods of offering it. A spirit from the realm of Erebus teaches this Gift.
System: With a Perception + Occult roll (difficulty 7), the Theurge learns what she must offer to placate an offended spirit. Usually, as long as both offender and Theurge are sincere, a few points of Gnosis spent is sufficient to restore harmony; if the offender is dead or absent, or the offense is truly great, the spirit courts may require the Theurge take on a geas as chiminage, offer a fetish or undertake a quest. In legendary cases, Theurge have even been known to surrender their lives to restore the Garou Nation's ties to a wronged Incarna to totem spirit.
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Prophecy (Level Four) - This Gift offers the Theurge true insight into the future. Such visions are sporadic and sometimes enigmatic, but unless a specific effort is made to change what is ahead, they are always accurate. An owl-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: This Gift is as much a story elements as a power; the player should check with his Storyteller before buying it for a character. Regardless of whether it is possessed by a player character or not, visions come only at the Storyteller's whim and contain whatever information he desires. The Storyteller should obviously avoid depicting player characters' futures in such visions, to avoid turning them into a set piece.
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Healing the Soul (Level Five) - Through a week-long ordeal of fasting, trance states and spirit communion, the Theurge is able to set the elements of the Trait into perfect balance within one individual's soul. Obviously, the subject to be healed must be willing, and the two individuals must remain in solitude (save for contact with spirits) for the duration. This Gift can cure insanity, ease emotional wounds, heal the effects of trauma and remove desensitization. If the spiritual injury was caused by ill conduct on the subject's part, however, this Gift can only benefit them once: even the greatest empathy has little sympathy for those who willingly slide back into self-degradation after being helped out the first time. An avatar of Unicorn teaches the Gift.
System: The effects are largely character and story-based. This Gift alone cannot cure full-blown Harano, but it can certainly ameliorate the cause, preventing it before it takes hold completely.
If the Storyteller has already embraced the complication of mechanical crossover in her Werewolf chronicle, she may elect to allow this Gift to restore one or two levels of Humanity, or subtract one or two levels of permanent Angst, once in a given vampire or wraith's life. Of course, very few Garou elders would ever consider wasting Gaia's blessings on a Leech, even a penitent one.
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Poisoned Legacy (Level Five) - This most terrible Gift allows the Theurge to lay a great and malicious curse upon a victim of her choice. Such a stigma is irreversible, and will remain with the victim for all her life. The victim must be present, and the Theurge must verbally state her malediction. A spirit of hatred, or an animal spirit of a highly venomous animal, teaches this Gift.
System: The Theurge spends a point of Gnosis and a point of Willpower, then rolls Manipulation + Occult against a difficulty of the target's Willpower as she pronounces the curse. With one to five successes, the Theurge can inflict the Cursed Flaw on her target at a level equal to the successes rolled; the Storyteller chooses and appropriately poetic manifestation. With six or more successes, the Theurge can instead choose to inflict the Dark Fate Flaw.
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Invoke Presence (Level Six) - By using this awesome Gift, the Theurge can call upon an Incarna or Celestine directly, bringing their focus to bear on the area around him. This does not summon an Avatar; rather, the presence is a mystical permeation of the principle the invoked spirit represents. The Theurge will later need to repay the debt owed to the spirit he invoked before he can use this Gift again; this typically entails a strong geasa, an extended spirit quest or the sacrifice of a valuable fetish. Any Celestine's avatar can teach this Gift.
System: The Theurge spends five point of Gnosis and the presence of a Celestine or Incarna is made manifest within a 180 yard radius globe around her for several hours. Essentially, this Gift is like a sustained, area-effect form of Totem Gift, and the effects are thus highly variable dependant upon which greater power the Garou chooses to invoke. The following three effects are constant:
- Any actions that directly support the principle of the invoked spirit have a number of dice equal to the Theurge's Gnosis added to their dice pool. In the case of combat, only one type of combat roll (attack, damage, dodge, initiative, etc.) will be so enhanced.
- Attempting to take any action directly antithetical to the invoked spirit requires three successes on a Willpower roll (difficulty 8), and even then, the action will be rolled at +2 difficulty.
- The spirit will send members of its Brood equivalent in power to a full pack of Rank One Garou to the site to aid the Theurge and his allies immediately.
Beyond this, the effects are dependant on the power the Theurge chose to invoke; Unicorn may simply make any act of violence impossible in the area; a Harvest Incarna may cause all the plants in the area to grow to rich and healthy maturity in minutes, while invoking the Weaver might make the Gauntlet utterly impenetrable.
Theurge - New Background (pg. 58-59)
Spirit Network
The falcon-spirit wheeled three times over Marya's head before settling on her shoulder and rubbing its head against her cheek. If chirped softly into her ear, like a chick with its mother.
"Very good, my daughter," Marya crooned. "Very helpful. Now go and tell the others."
This Background is something of a spiritual equivalent of Contacts. A Theurge possessing the Spirit Network Background has cultivated good relations with the minor wisp-spirits and Gafflings in a given area, and is thus able to gain information about what transpires therein - even if the events she wants to learn about were unobserved in the real world, they were likely witnessed by some spirit or another. The background is one of the reasons that Theurges are often privy to information they have no mundane way of knowing.
To see if a Theurge can turn up information about a specific event from spirits, she must first spend several hours in the Umbra talking with different spirits (via the Gift, Spirit Speech). Then, roll her Spirit Network rating against a difficulty of the Gauntlet where the event occurred. This may only be attempted once for any given event. One success gives a vague description, while three or more mean that the Theurge will get a fairly complete rundown. Regardless of successes, however, the description will still be given from the perspective of spirits, which may miss out on important details that have no strong spiritual resonance.
A Theurge can also receive however much random gossip and minor secrets the Storyteller wishes by means of this Background, simply through daily communication with spirits. Of course, this is a wonderful way to introduce a new plot hook or adventure.
* You have a few spirits on the lookout for interesting information.
** Several spirits are willing to share what they have seen with you.
*** You have unseen eyes in countless different locations at any time.
**** Spirits far and wide seek out information and report strange happenings to you.
***** Unless the Gauntlet is extremely high, very little escapes the notice of your watcher-spirits.
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The above information is provided for the Haunted Ground Gaming Chat Site.
The information is from the book Book of Auspice published by White Wolf, Inc.
It is provided to help the players of the White Wolf (oWoD) games.