Draft

XP Costs

Trait	XP Cost
Attribute	4x Current Rating
New Ability	3xp
Raising an existing Ability	2x Current Rating
New Specialty	4xp
New Merit	3xp per point
New Background	3xp
Raise an existing Background	Current Rating x2
Buy off a Flaw	2xp per point
Willpower	1x Current Rating
Gnosis	2x Current Rating
Rage	1x Current Rating

Notes:

Attributes

W20 Core, pg 123-126

All characters in Werewolf: The Apocalypse have Attributes, representing the basic abilities of human beings and similar creatures. The majority of people have Attributes rated between 1 dot (poor) and 3 dots (good). A few gifted individuals — including the pack — can have ratings of 4 (excellent) or 5 (world-class). The Crinos war-form enhances a werewolf’s Physical Attributes to levels far beyond human capacity, while leaving her Social Attributes potentially lower than the human minimum.

[+/-] Physical Attributes

Physical

W20 Core, pg 124

Physical Attributes reflect the capacities of the character’s body: how strong, agile, and tough the character is. Action-oriented characters, including many Ahroun and lupus, should take Physical Attributes as their primary category.
As werewolves shift forms, their Physical Attributes shift with them; space is provided on the character sheet to record these altered values. For more on this, see W20 Core, pg 285.

---

Strength

Strength is a measure of how much weight the character can carry, shove, or lift. Strength figures into jumping and leaping, and it also measures the raw damage you can deliver in a fight. The higher your Strength is, the more punishing your blows are. Generally, characters with high Strength are big and brawny, although this is not always the case; the short and wiry types can also pack quite a punch.

Points	Description
	Poor: You can lift 40 lbs. (about 20 kg.)
	Average: You can lift 100 lbs. (around 50 kg.)
	Good: You can lift 250 lbs. (a little over 100 kg.)
	Exceptional: You can lift 400 lbs. (close to 200 kg.)
	Outstanding: You can lift 650 lbs. (nearly 300 kg.)

Specialties: Steely Grip, Lower Body, Strength Reserves

Dexterity

Dexterity measures a character's control over her own body, including agility, speed and manual deftness. Characters with high Dexterity have good hand-eye coordination. Generally, they're graceful and light on their feet to boot. Dexterity influences accuracy in combat, as well as the ability to do precision work with one's hands.

Points	Description
	Poor: You trip and stumble just walking across carpet.
	Average: You're no gymnast, but you don't embarrass yourself, either.
	Good: There's some grace in your movements and lightness to your step.
	Exeptional: You've got the potential to be a world-class acrobat, dancer or thief.
	Outstanding: Your agility and control over your movements is possibly the stuff of legends. Every step you take is fluid, graceful and lithe.

Specialties: Lightning Reflexes, Preternatural Grace, Nimble Fingers

Stamina

Stamina is a state of both mind and body. It indicates the physical ability to withstand great strain over a long period of time (such as running for hours on end or going without food for days), but it's also a matter of inner resistance (such as holding up in the face of torture or shrugging off dire wounds to finish a mission). High Stamina allows you to enddure an opponent's blows, so it's the Trait of choice for representing tough-as-nails characters.

Points	Description
	Poor: You gasp for breath after one flight of stairs.
	Average: You can take a punch.
	Good: A day's hike without food or water isn't too much for you to bear.
	Exeptional: Whether it's a two-day forced march of sneering at the faces of your torturers, you're up to the task.
	Outstanding: Your constitution and will to survive can overcome any threat.

Specialties: Unbreakable, Tireless, Resilient

[+/-] Social Attributes

Social

W20 Core, pg 124

Social Attributes represent the character’s ability to manipulate the people around him. Whether he’s good looking, charming, or able to sell sand in the Sahara, his Social Traits determine everything from first impressions to ongoing relationships. Naturally, some penalties apply to these Attributes as the werewolf shifts forms. Galliards and Philodox benefit from high Social Traits.

---

Charisma

Charisma isn't really about good looks; rather, it's innate charm, personality, andd power of influence. A character's Charisma comes into question when she tries to win another character's sympathies or encourage others to trust her. Characters with a high Charisma Trait generally serve as inspiration for their fellows, exuding an air of trust andd likability. Whether she's a silver-tongued charmer or a personable bully, other people dependd on her to provide motivation and encouragement. Characters with low Charisma have a hard time getting people see things their way. They do and say the wrong things, and generally end up pissing off people who might otherwise be friends.

Points	Description
	Poor: People just don't find it easy to like you.
	Average: People think you're kind of friendly and fairly easy to get along with.
	Good: People trust you, and look to you in tough circumstances.
	Exeptional: You draw in admirers like bees to honey. No one's ever a stranger for long.
	Outstanding: You're an inspiring leader of both humans and werewolves.

Specialties: Air of Confidence, Captivating, Commanding Voice, Infectious Humor

Manipulation

Manipulation is the fine art of getting other people to dod what you want through the time-honored means of tricks, bluffs, fast-talking, and railroading. Unlike Charisma, your target doesn't have to trust you, or evven like you - a master manipulator takes her target's attitude into account, relying on subtle personality hooks and reverse psychology to control everyone around him. Botching a Manipulation roll can bring doen the wrath of the intended target. Everyone's manipulated every single day, but bringing it to people's attention quickly makes them defensive. This Attribute is generally easier for human-born than it is for animal-born.

Points	Description
	Poor: You'd have trouble getting a starving wolf to eat a freshly killed rabbit.
	Average: You're as sly as the next person; sometimes you got it, sometimes you don't.
	Good: You always get a discount for cash or one for the road.
	Exeptional: Folks do what you want them to, whether they realize it or not.
	Outstanding: You could turn a pack against their own totem, if you wished.

Specialties: Forked Tongue, Unswerving Logic, Double Talk, Seduction

Appearance

Appearance measures how well a character makes a first impression. it covers posture, body language, and unconcious expressions along with physical appearance - anything remarkable on first impression can contribute to a character's Appearance. Appearance is subconscious and instinctual; as such, even someone with no context for what makes an "attractive" human being will still react to people who make strong first impressions. When first impressions are parammount, or people set a great deal of stock by how someone looks and carries herself, a character can have no more ddice in a Social dice pool than her Appearance Trait. It's important to either get to know people or dress to impress before you try convincing them to burn down an enemy's lair.

Points	Description
	Poor: You turn everyone off with your presence.
	Average: You're just another face in the crowd.
	Good: People keep trying to buy you drinks, even if you refuse.
	Exeptional: People stop you in the street just to make your acquaintance.
	Outstanding: Nobody can forget meeting you.

Specialties: Genial, Exotic, Alluring, Noble Bearing

[+/-] Mental Attributes

Mental

W20 Core, pg 125

Mental Traits cover thinking, reasoning, and sharp observation. These Attributes help to determine, among other things, awareness of the world around your character, and her reaction time. Theurges and Ragabash will benefit from high Mental Traits.

---

Perception

perception measures the character's sensitivity to her surroundings. It's a combination of actively monitoring the area around her while also relying on instincts and gut feeling. Perception doesn't normally involve intense concentration; it's more like a certain sensitivity to what's going on in the immediate vicinity. Perception comes in handy when the characters search for clues, maintain alertness for ambushers or seek hidden knowledge. Many animal-born have high Perception, as they're used to synthesizing information from all of their senses. Characters who are cynical or jaded ddon't rely on their Perception as much as they should.

Points	Description
	Poor: You wouldn't notice if an alien was right in front of you - Watch out! Car!
	Average: You get the general idea when trouble brews, but the details can elude you.
	Good: You know the general feeling of a room when you walk in, and you're rarely surprised.
	Exeptional: You notice just about everything, even when one of your senses is dulled.
	Outstanding: You didn't need to look to see that click beetle painted with the bad guy's logo in the neighbor's potted plant.

Specialties: Eyes in the Back of Your Head, Farsighted, Uncanny Instincts, Detail-Orientated

Intelligence

The Intelligence Attribute covers a character's grasp of facts and knowledge. It also governs her ability to reason, solve problems, and evaluate situations. It's not just IQ; instead, Intelligence involves how well a character can make sense of seemingly random facts andd data, organizing them into usable and constructive patterns. Lateral thinking and leaps of intuition are also part of Intelligence, as is logic, both deductive and inductive. Having a low Intelligence doesn't necessarily imply stupidity; the character could be uneducated or only able to think in simple patterns. Likewise, a high intelligence doesn't make a character Stephen Hawking. Instead, the character is just a wiz at pulling together individdual bits of information.

Points	Description
	Poor: Slow on the uptake, you have a hard time with riddles and crosswords.
	Average: You know enough to know your limits.
	Good: You can recognize patterns that most people miss, if you've got time.
	Exeptional: You can easily sort and classify even complex information to draw out new conclusions.
	Outstanding: You're a genius. Given time, you can figure out just about anything.

Specialties: Lateral Problem Solver, Creative Logic, Probability Calculation, Trivia

Wits

A character's Wits Trait represents her capacity for cleverness, planning, and quick thinking. It affects a character's reaction time in combat and his adaptability to new stimuli. Characters with low Wits are gullible and not particularly fast on the uptake. Characters with high Wits, on the other hand, keep cool in stressful circumstances, and can come up with a new plan in a split second to react to changing circumstances. This Attribute comes in handdy both in lively conversation and during the heat of a fight.

Points	Description
	Poor: You're fodder for every trickster you meet.
	Average: You know that incoming bullets have the right of way.
	Good: You can handle a fast-paced debate and make a good showing of yourself.
	Exeptional: You're infamous for your quick retorts; it's difficult to catch you off balance.
	Outstanding: You think and respond almost before you can act.

Specialties: Snappy Retorts, Ambushes, Cool Headed, Cunning

Abilities

W20 Core, pg 126-135

Abilities are the Traits that describe what you know and what you’ve learned to do. A character’s Attributes measure her raw potential, her Abilities measure her ability to use that potential. Most actions combine an Attribute and an appropriate Ability to form a dice pool that’s rolled to determine a character’s success and failure.
There are 30 Abilities, divided into 10 Talents, 10 Skills, and 10 Knowledges. Each Ability covers a broad range of aptitudes, but for some that denote a particularly broad area of study (such as Academics, Crafts, Science, and Technology) it’s best to pick a specialty even if the character doesn’t yet have four dots in the Ability — though a character’s good at making things with her hands, she’s likely not equally good at baking and auto repair.

[+/-] Talents

Talents

W20 Core, pg 126-129

While Talents can be trained, they’re based on an inborn talent that every character possesses. The only way to improve Talents is through direct practice and experience — with a very few exceptions, reading a book or watching an online video doesn’t provide the same feedback as actually going out and doing it. If your character attempts an action involving a Talent she doesn’t possess, your dice pool is the associated Attribute, without penalty. Talents are so intuitive that almost anyone can execute them to some degree.

---

Alertness

Alertness describes the attention that the character pays to the world around him, whether he’s actively looking or not. It measures how attuned the character is to things that he can see, smell, hear, and touch — and to the less tangible conclusions that come from his senses. In combat, it’s often paired with Wits to gauge a character’s reaction time and ability to respond; out of combat, it’s most usually paired with Perception to gain clues about a character’s surroundings.

Points	Description
	Novice: You’re alert to certain sights and sounds around you.
	Practiced: You’re a habitual eavesdropper.
	Competent: You notice even subtle changes in your environment without trying.
	Expert: You’re rarely caught off-guard — are you paranoid, or lupus?
	Master: You have the best of all your senses in every form. Even when sleeping, you’re wary to minute alterations in the world around you.

Possessed by: Bodyguards, Hunters, Thieves, Wild Animals, Security Personnel
Specialties: Ambushes, Eavesdropping, Paranoia, Traps, Scents

Athletics

Athletics is the Talent that covers basic athletic ability, along with any formal training in sports or other physical endeavors. Athletics covers all forms of running, jumping, swimming, throwing, and the like. A character with high Athletics might be a trained athlete or a gifted individual who spends a lot of time in some form of exercise. This Talent doesn’t cover simple motor actions like lifting weights or athletic feats covered by other Abilities (such as boxing or fencing, covered by Brawl and Melee respectively).

Points	Description
	Novice: You had an active childhood.
	Practiced: You ran high-school track.
	Competent: College-level competitor.
	Expert: Professional athlete.
	Master: Olympic-class athlete.

Possessed by: Athletes, Jocks, Kids, Lupus, Outdoors Enthusiasts, “Extreme” Sports Nuts
Specialties: Specific sports, Team Play, Swimming, Rock Climbing, Tumbling, Distance Trials, Pentathlon

Brawl

Brawl is the fine art of injuring other people with only your natural weapons. For humans, this involves punches, kicks, elbows, and the like. For a werewolf, it also covers the powerful teeth and claws of her non-human forms. Brawl reflects the character’s experience in actual fights alongside any formal martial arts training. Experienced brawlers need to be ruthless and brutal, willing to fight on through loose teeth and broken bones to make the other guy fall first.

Points	Description
	Novice: You picked fights in the schoolyard.
	Practiced: You can hold your own in a bar-room brawl.
	Competent: You’ve been in your fair share of fights and have come away on top.
	Expert: You could be a real contender on the MMA circuit.
	Master: You are a deadly weapon in your Homid form; in Crinos, you can fight a war and expect to win.

Possessed by: Police, Thugs, Soldiers, Werewolves, Self-Defense Instructors
Specialties: Boxing, Wrestling, Dirty Infighting, Weaponless Martial Arts (Judo, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, etc.), Kailindo

Empathy

Empathy measures a character’s ability to identify other people’s emotions and feelings. She may use this to take advantage of someone, feign sympathy, or even connect genuinely. A particularly successful Empathy roll might even allow her to tell if someone is lying to her. A highly empathetic character has to watch out, however — she may get so caught up in the feelings of others that her own emotions are affected, whether she wants to or not.

Points	Description
	Novice: You provide the odd shoulder to cry on.
	Practiced: Sometimes, you feel the same emotions as the person you’re talking with.
	Competent: You can analyze the emotions of people around you with a degree of accuracy.
	Expert: It takes a real master (or a sociopath) to lie to you.
	Master: You know what they’re going to say before they do.

Possessed by: Actors, Con Artists, Counselors, Detectives, Social Workers, Psychologists, Best Friends, Psychics
Specialties: Sense Lies, Hidden Motives, Emotional States, Personality Quirks, Affairs of the Heart

Expression

Expression is the art of getting your point across to an audience, in any medium. A character with a high Expression Trait sends emails and tweets with the same eloquence and delicate phrasing she demonstrates in her public speaking, and people sit up and take note — whether she’s telling the truth or not. Expression covers the delivery of information using language as a primary form, whether poetry, speeches, or blog posts. Using non-verbal forms to hook the public’s imagination is the domain of Persuasion. You can choose a specialty for Expression even if you have less than four dots.

Points	Description
	Novice: You’ve sold a poem or two.
	Practiced: You could lead a college debate team.
	Competent: You could make a living as a writer or journalist.
	Expert: Your work gets submitted for international awards.
	Master: When you speak, everyone around you praises your words.

Possessed by: Galliards, Writers, Poets, Politicians, Actors, Bloggers
Specialties: Rhetoric, Inspiriting Speeches, Poetry, Drama, Political Doubletalk, Social Media

Intimidation

Intimidation involves applying pressure to make someone else do what you want them to. It can take many forms, from soft, subtle persuasion to outright brute force. Intimidation need not be cruel or callous; a well-placed intimidating conversation might even be called “diplomatic.” An intimidating character knows what to do and say depending on the occasion, and is very persuasive when he wants something done.

Points	Description
	Novice: Your threats are crude, but effective.
	Practiced: You’re a professional thug.
	Competent: You could be a fine drill sergeant.
	Expert: Your air of authority can stop fights before they start.
	Master: Few werewolves stand against you when you put your mind to things.

Possessed by: Ahroun, Pack Leaders, Bullies, Officers, Drill Sergeants, Shadow Lords, Gangsters
Specialties: Veiled Threats, Good Cop/Bad Cop, Blackmail, Physical Threats, Revenge

Leadership

Leadership makes a character the kind of person or wolf that others support and serve. It involves knowing what to say and how to say it so that people fighting with you will do what you need them to. That said, Leadership has less to do with manipulating other people and more to do with portraying yourself as the kind of person they want to follow. Good leaders know when to make suggestions, when to bark orders — and when to lead by example.

Points	Description
	Novice: Captain of your high-school football team.
	Practiced: When you talk, others listen.
	Competent: You could be a good manager or CEO.
	Expert: You’re a natural alpha of any pack you join, and others accept your authority with little effort.
	Master: You could lead the whole Garou Nation against the Wyrm.

Possessed by: Military Officers, Pack Alphas, Philodox, Executives, Politicians
Specialties: Compelling, Open, Military, Motivation, Combat Readiness

Primal-Urge

This Talent describes a character’s connection to her bestial nature, and her level of gut feelings in her various non-human forms. A character with high Primal-Urge relies not just on her heightened instincts, but a whole range of sensory information that humans don’t fully understand. Her understanding of her feral nature gives her an easier time when changing form, and can let her instinctively notice signs of supernatural activity — though this rarely goes beyond the level of a chill down the spine or the hairs on her neck standing on end.

Points	Description
	Novice: Merely a pup. The urge is there, but hasn’t been honed.
	Practiced: Your instincts put you on a safe path through danger.
	Competent: You know when something weird is going on, and have an easy time taking the right shape to deal with it.
	Expert: The wolf within drives you to act, and its guidance is never wrong.
	Master: You have an innate understanding of what it means to be Garou: a synthesis of man, wolf, and spirit created to be Gaia’s warrior.

Possessed by: Lupus, Wild Animals, Predators
Specialties:' Shifting Forms, Hunting, Hunches, Reacting

Streetwise

A character with this Talent is at home on the streets. He can fit in with rough crowds, knows who to ask for information, understands slang, and can buy and sell whatever people want to trade. The network of criminals, junkies, and lowlifes who live on the streets will turn on an outsider, but if he’s careful, a streetwise werewolf can get his hands on almost anything.

Points	Description
	Novice: You know who’s holding.
	Practiced: You get a measure of respect on the street.
	Competent: You could head up your own gang.
	Expert: You have connections throughout the criminal underworld.
	Master: If you haven’t heard it, it hasn’t been said.

Possessed by: Homeless People, Bone Gnawers, Criminals, Gang Members, Detectives, Beat Cops
Specialties: Fencing, Illegal Drugs, Illegal Guns, Gangs, Unsecured Wifi

Subterfuge

Subterfuge involves hiding your motives and projecting something else on top of that. If you can figure out what someone else wants, you can twist that to your best advantage. This Trait defines your talent for intrigue, double-dealing, con artistry, and just plain lying to people. Characters with high Subterfuge are masters of finding people who want something for nothing and giving them nothing for something, knowing precisely what to say to further their own goals.

Points	Description
	Novice: You can pass a white lie as the truth.
	Practiced: You could be a pickup artist.
	Competent: You can get hardened criminals declared “Not Guilty.”
	Expert: You could be a very successful grifter or double-agent.
	Master: They’ll never know it was you.

Possessed by: Lawyers, Con Artists, Vampires, Politicians, Uktena
Specialties: White Lies, Seduction, the Long Con, Feigned Innocence

[+/-] Skills

Skills

W20 Core, pg 129-131

Skills are Abilities learned as a direct result of training and instruction. No one wakes up one day knowing how to drive a car, for example; every driver needs some practice before hitting the interstate. If you try to perform an action involving a Skill in which you have no rating, your difficulty is increased by one. It’s a lot harder to swing a sword than it looks on TV.

---

Animal Ken

Humans think and behave far differently to other animals. It takes a special touch to deal with other creatures, especially if they’re hurt or frightened. A person (or werewolf) with Animal Ken knows how to speak and move in such a way to gain an animal’s trust. Without it, even homid werewolves have a hard time dealing with animals that can sense their Rage. Animal Ken is also necessary for training animals and for working closely with animals (such as leading a mule train).

Points	Description
	Novice: You know how to behave around tame animals.
	Practiced: You’ve housebroken puppies and performed basic obedience training.
	Competent: You can train animals for specialized work, like herding or sniffing out drugs.
	Expert: You can teach most animals complex tricks and routines.
	Master: You can train wild animals to perform very complex tasks.

Possessed by: Veterinarians, Animal Trainers, Farmers, Pet Owners
Specialties: Falconry, Farm Animals, Feral Animals, Attack Training, Horses, Big Cats, Dogs

Crafts

The Crafts Skill covers a character’s ability to make or fix things with her hands. Crafts allows her to work in fields including carpentry, leather-working, weaving, or even areas requiring mechanical expertise such as car repair. Crafts is especially useful for werewolves who hope to make fetishes. It’s easier to convince a spirit to enter a vessel that’s made well, after all. A player must always choose a specialty in Crafts, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.

Points	Description
	Novice: You can produce something basic, but not attractive or functional.
	Practiced: You’re developing your own style.
	Competent: You can reliably sell your creations for a tidy profit.
	Expert: You write books on your field of expertise.
	Master: You are among the greatest crafters in your chosen field.

Possessed by: Artists, Designers, Inventors, Handcrafters, Theurges, Weaponsmiths
Specialties: Woodwork, Drawing/Painting, Weaving, Carving, Sculpture, Metalworking, Auto Repair

Drive

The Drive Skill covers familiarity with cars and related vehicles. The difficulty of a given Drive roll might increase or decrease depending on the terrain and the character’s familiarity with the vehicle. Having taken her pack on a road trip in her station wagon isn’t much use when she’s chasing the horizon at 150 in a new Porsche, and neither is of much use when the only getaway vehicle is a motorcycle.

Points	Description
	Novice: You can drive an automatic transmission.
	Practiced: You prefer to drive stick, and a V6 is your best friend.
	Competent: You can drive 18-wheelers on long hauls.
	Expert: You’re good enough to be a NASCAR driver, or you can make a tank do what you want.
	Master: If it’s got an engine, you can make it sing.

Possessed by: Cabbies, Truckers, Automobile Show Hosts, Race Car Drivers
Specialties: Off-road, Motorcycles, Heavy Traffic, High Speed

Etiquette

Etiquette is the ability to be nice to people, whatever you think of them. Part of that is good manners and social niceties, but it’s also useful for the subtler side of diplomacy, knowing when to haggle, and what to do when a place setting has more knives than a serial killer’s basement. While a character understands the culture in which he was raised, the Storyteller may raise the difficulty should he be faced with traditions and mores that are not his own.

Points	Description
	Novice: You know when to speak, and when to shut up and listen.
	Practiced: You’ve been to black-tie and white-tie events.
	Competent: You don’t blink when faced with an oyster fork at a formal dinner.
	Expert: You’d fit right in when dining with royalty.
	Master: With the right people at a dinner, you can end wars — or start them.

Possessed by: Socialites, Diplomats, Silver Fangs, Executives
Specialties: High Society, Moots, Tribal, Big Business

Firearms

A character with the Firearms Skill knows how to kill things with guns. Sticking a klaive in the back of a Wyrm-tainted CEO is a gilt-edged invitation to the police, but blowing him away at an ATM can look like just another mugging gone wrong. This Skill represents a broad knowledge and familiarity with all kinds of guns, from a kid’s BB pistol to a heavy machine gun. The character can clean, repair, recognize, and accurately fire pretty much any kind of small arms he comes across — though it doesn’t extend to artillery or tank cannons (themselves covered by a specialized Professional Skill).

Points	Description
	Novice: You have your hunting permit.
	Practiced: You leave the gun range happy most of the time.
	Competent: You’ve been in a firefight, and know how to handle a lot of guns.
	Expert: Chances are, you’ve been in a lot of gun battles, and could work as a hitman.
	Master: As soon as you smell Wyrmspawn, you reach for your gun before remembering your claws.

Possessed by: Police, Criminals, Soldiers, Hunters, Survivalists
Specialties: Rifles, Pistols, Submachine Guns, Gunsmithing, Marksmanship, Trick Shots

Larceny

The Larceny Skill entails familiarity with the tools and techniques of the professional criminal. You can pick locks, forge documents by hand, crack safes, hotwire cars, break into places, and run a mean game of three-card monte. Larceny doesn’t just cover breaking systems and picking pockets — it’s also used to set up “unbreakable” security, notice pickpockets, and deduce where thieves broke in. The Skill doesn’t extend to computer forgery, or to advanced security systems like video surveillance and alarm systems — those fall under the auspices of the Computer and Technology Knowledges, respectively.

Points	Description
	Novice: You can pick a padlock.
	Practiced: You can make a living running a shell game (until the cops get wise).
	Competent: You can break into most safes, given enough time.
	Expert: You can “retool” a passport or ID card.
	Master: You’re waiting for the day they realize you left them with the fake Crown Jewels.

Possessed By: Ragabash, Burglars, Security Consultants, Street Magicians, Con Artists, Policemen
Specialties: Pickpocketing, Misdirection, Lockpicking, Hotwiring, Safecracking

Melee

The counterpart to Firearms and Brawl, the Melee Skill involves fighting up close and personal with a weapon. A master of Melee can use a sword, spear, staff, or a wooden stake with equal ease. Werewolves use this Skill to fight with klaives — silver fetish blades. This Skill covers weapons from around the world, such as tonfa, kukri, and shotels. While modern weaponry and the Garou’s natural weapons can leave Melee feeling outdated, knives don’t run out of ammo, and a heavy club doesn’t inspire the Delirium.

Points	Description
	Novice: You can hold a knife with confidence.
	Practiced: You’ve been in street fights and survived.
	Competent: You could make a college fencing team.
	Expert: In your hands, anything is a deadly weapon.
	Master: You have a widespread reputation as an extremely dangerous opponent with any weapon.

Possessed by: Police, Thugs, Gang Members, Martial Artists, Ahroun
Specialties: Swords, Spears, Improvised Weaponry, Klaives

Performance

The Performance Skill covers a character’s ability with performance arts, including singing, dancing, acting, and music. She knows about the history of her art, and has a broad repertoire of pieces that she can perform from a variety of time periods. This Skill combines technical aptitude with the ability to hook an audience and keep them enraptured with your show. A player must always choose a specialty in Crafts, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.

Points	Description
	Novice: You sing in a church choir, or you’re a regular at jam sessions.
	Practiced: You’re a regular on the club circuit, and your online videos have a huge following.
	Competent: You can get a gig most nights, and you’ve been approached for a movie or record contract.
	Expert: You’re a regional celebrity who could easily go national.
	Master: People will talk about your genius long after your death.

Possessed by: Galliards, Actors, Musicians, Singers, Dancers
Specialties: Dancing, Singing, Acting, Rock and Roll, Guitar Solos, Opera, Howling

Stealth

Stealth allows a character to avoid being seen or heard, whether moving through cover and shadows, hiding in a crowd, or shadowing someone on his route home. Most uses of Stealth are contested by someone else’s Perception + Alertness, with whoever rolls the most successes thwarting the other. The Storyteller should keep in mind that staying hidden in a forest is very different to hiding out in an urban alleyway. Stealth is also used for hiding items, either on one’s person when being searched or in the environment.

Points	Description
	Novice: You can hide in full darkness.
	Practiced: You know how to stick to the shadows when moving.
	Competent: You have little difficulty following your prey without being spotted.
	Expert: Dry leaves and twigs don’t give away your position.
	Master: If you don’t want to be seen, you’re as good as invisible.

Possessed by: Cat Burglars, Ragabash, Hunters, Snipers, Assassins
Specialties: Shadowing, Urban, Taking Point, Crowds, Hiding Objects

Survival

Characters skilled in Survival can live off the land without a ready supply of food, water, or shelter. This Skill covers finding all of those essentials, along with tracking, starting fires, navigating through dangerous territory, and determining which foods are safe and which are deadly poisons. Lupus have an edge on other Garou with this Skill, as it covers many of the tasks necessary to survive in a wolf pack. The Storyteller should note that characters in the wilderness can’t roll more dice in Stealth than they have in Survival.

Points	Description
	Novice: You made it through scout camp.
	Practiced: You can identify edible berries and mushrooms.
	Competent: You can follow animal trails and navigate with improvised tools.
	Expert: You’re happy living for months at a time in the wilderness.
	Master: You could be dropped naked in the Antarctic and still thrive.

Possessed by: Hunters, Scouts, Lupus, Explorers, Outdoor Enthusiasts, Rangers
Specialties: Foraging, Tracking, Specific Environments (Arctic, Desert, etc.), Trapping

[+/-] Knowledges

Knowledges

W20 Core, pg 132-135

Knowledge Abilities develop from time spent in classroom learning, private tutoring, or rigorous independent study. Because they focus more on what you character knows rather than what he does, Knowledges normally involve the use of Mental Attributes. Lupus often have fewer Knowledges than homid characters — not because they’re unintelligent, but because they are less likely to have had several years of compulsory schooling. If a character doesn’t have any dots in a Knowledge Ability, she can’t make a roll for it. While this may seem odd, most of what’s considered “common knowledge” doesn’t require a roll in the first place, much as someone with the Drive Skill doesn’t need to roll to drive to the store.

---

Academics

The Academics Knowledge represents the character’s education in the humanities: literature, history, art, philosophy, linguistics, and other subjects normally encompassed under the banner of “liberal arts.” A high Academics rating indicates a well-rounded knowledge in many of these fields, along with expertise in one in particular. A player must always choose a specialty in Academics, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.

Points	Description
	Student: You know Henry VIII sure liked the ladies.
	College: You can quote from the classics of literature, identify major cultural movements, and understand the shift of languages over time.
	Masters: You could get a paper published on your area of expertise.
	Doctorate: When they say you wrote the book on the subject, it isn’t a metaphor.
	Scholar: In your field, you are one of the ultimate voices of authority.

Possessed by: Professors, Historians, Literati, Arts Students, Topical Bloggers
Specialties: Color Theory, Linguistics, Poststructuralism, Ethics, Metaphysics, Sumeria

Computer

Computer defines the character’s ability to operate and program computers, from traditional desktops and laptops to cellphones and tablets. A character with this Knowledge is also assumed to have a general familiarity with the Internet, including the use of search engines and online research resources. At higher levels, you can write software and create convincing fake websites, and even use system vulnerabilities to break in to secure networks.

Points	Description
	Student: You’re at home with a smartphone or a traditional point-and-click interface.
	College: You’re familiar with most major operating systems and applications, and don’t get scared at a command prompt.
	Masters: You can develop websites, write custom software, and provide tech support to the rest of your pack.
	Doctorate: You can make a very comfortable living as a consultant.
	Scholar: You’re well on your way to making the next big thing to rival Google or the iPhone.

Possessed by: Students, Office Workers, Programmers, Tech Journalists, Tech Support
Specialties: Internet research, Video Editing, Photo Manipulation, Programming, Computer Languages

Enigmas

The Enigmas Knowledge describes a character’s ability to solve logic problems, puzzles, and mysteries. Characters with this Knowledge link information, trivia, and hunches to solve conundrums of all varieties — especially useful when dealing with spirits who do not share a werewolf’s frame of reference. High Enigmas can lead a character to apply lateral thinking to all manner of problems, from setting up codes and signals among his pack so they can talk in secret, to matching wits against a devious villain.

Points	Description
	Student: You solve the New York Times crossword every day.
	College: You can work out whodunit several chapters before the ending.
	Masters: You are your pack’s resident riddler, used to talking to wily spirits.
	Doctorate: You recognize when your starting point is wrong, then reason your way to the right conclusion.
	Scholar: Deep philosophical mysteries and issues pose you little difficulty.

Possessed by: Theurges, Mystics, Wise Elders, Mystery Fans, Quiz Teams
Specialties: Logic Problems, Lateral Thinking, Ancient Mysteries, Things Werewolves Were Not Meant to Know

Investigation

Investigation ties physical evidence, witness statements, and lucky finds together into a coherent narrative that tells the character what actually happened. A character with high Investigation can distinguish murder from accident, and follow up on leads to solve thefts and kidnappings. This Knowledge also covers general forensic procedures, such as lifting fingerprints, tracing bullet paths, and approximating time of death. Note that Investigation is rooted entirely in evidence and witness statements, the feats of induction common to TV detectives fall to Enigmas.

Points	Description
	Student: You know how to construct a web search that will find what you want.
	College: You can tear holes in a rookie cop’s case.
	Masters: You could make a living as a detective.
	Doctorate: The FBI wants you to work for them.
	Scholar: No scrap of evidence escapes your attention.

Possessed by: Detectives, Mystery Buffs, Reporters, Policemen, Stalkers, Special Agents
Specialties: Evidence, Ballistics, Forensics, Fingerprints, Searches, Internet Research

Law

The Law Knowledge covers a character’s familiarity with law enforcement systems and legal codes, both in human jurisdictions and among the Garou. When a character’s in trouble with the police, he needs this Knowledge to get out of legal tangles, and when a pack stands accused of breaching the Litany, their Philodox needs to know how his sept is likely to react. More than that, many Philodox learn the codes that have grown up around the Litany, and the appropriate punishments for crimes against the Garou Nation.

Points	Description
	Student: You know the basis of the legal system, and can quote the Litany in your sleep.
	College: You could pass the bar exam, or punish werewolves for minor Litany breaches.
	Masters: You’re a much-sought counselor, or a local expert on Garou law.
	Doctorate: You could be a judge or your sept’s Truthcatcher.
	Scholar: When you pass judgment, the law changes to match your intent.

Possessed by: Philodox, Lawyers, Judges, Detectives, Crime Writers
Specialties: Fitting Punishments, Litany Breaches, Human Field (Criminal, Liability, etc.)

Medicine

Medicine is the study of how the human body works, and how to fix it when it goes wrong. This Knowledge encompasses fields including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and emergency aid. Characters with this Knowledge can diagnose and treat diseases and injuries, and can also care for wolves and other animals — though their expertise will not be as specific as that of a veterinarian unless they choose a veterinary specialty. Medicine’s knowledge of pharmaceuticals covers both legal and illicit substances that can be used to help or harm.

Points	Description
	Student: You know CPR, and handle first aid in your office.
	College: You’re a pre-med, or a paramedic.
	Masters: You could be a general practitioner, with the right papers.
	Doctorate: Yes, you are a brain surgeon.
	Scholar: You’re one of the greatest healers of your generation.

Possessed by: MDs, Theurges, Paramedics, Nurses, Med Students
Specialties: Emergency Medicine, Forensic Pathology, Neurology, Pharmacology, Poison Treatments, Garou Physiology

Occult

The character has a working knowledge of the vast area of the occult. He knows something about (but not limited to) psychic phenomena, tarot, various systems of magic, and general mysticism. This Knowledge doesn’t confer hard facts, as the pool of information that it works from is based in human folklore and tales. A character with high Occult likely knows more about vampires than a teenager who has read a Twilight novel, but he won’t know anything about the leeches’ actual secrets — though he may be able to work out what’s actively false.

Points	Description
	Student: You write a blog about Fortean phenomena, and read tarot cards on weekends.
	College: You’ve pieced together some truths, and have gleaned some insights into the world of spirits.
	Masters: You can make educated guesses about the veracity of any new information.
	Doctorate: You can pick credible stories out of the tabloids.
	Scholar: You know truths that would cripple a weaker mind.

Possessed by: Theurges, Occultists, New Agers, the Superstitious, Fortune-Tellers
Specialties: Tarot, Witchcraft, Curses, Ghosts, Psychometry, Garou Lore

Rituals

Rituals are an important part of werewolf life. Ritual behavior helps a werewolf control the Rage within. This Knowledge lets the character know about the traditions, mysteries, and ceremonies of the Garou, including how to participate in common rites and how to behave properly towards elders and leaders. Some werewolf rituals are more than formalized behavior: they call upon ancient spirit magics to powerful effect. A character cannot learn a rite of higher level than his Rituals rating.

Points	Description
	Student: You’ve watched a number of rites closely.
	College: You know how to carry yourself at tribal moots.
	Masters: Other tribes invite you to attend their moots.
	Doctorate: Even Black Spiral Dancers know and respect your knowledge.
	Scholar: You’ve quested into the Umbra to develop new rites.

Possessed by: Garou, Changing Breeds, a few Kinfolk
Specialties: Accord, Caern, Death, Mystic, Punishment, Renown, Seasonal, Minor

Science

At its most basic, Science involves developing hypotheses and testing them through the scientific method. This Knowledge covers the “hard sciences” and related fields — from biology and chemistry to more abstract fields like mathematics. It allows the character to develop theories and test them through experimentation and to apply what she knows to everyday problems. A player must always choose a specialty in Science, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.

Points	Description
	Student: You understand the basic theories and laws in your area.
	College: You comprehend your area well enough to apply it to your life.
	Masters: You could teach high-school science.
	Doctorate: You’re actively researching and advancing the knowledge in your field.
	Scholar: The Nobel Prize committee is on line two for you.

Possessed by: Researchers, Engineers, Inventors, Technicians, Students, Pilots
Specialties: Experiments, Theory, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics, Astronomy

Technology

The Technology Knowledge represents a character’s broad aptitude with electronics, computer hardware, and the anything that needs an understanding of modern electronics to work with — mechanical devices fall under the Crafts Skill. If it has a processor, some transistors, or an integrated circuit — if it’s electronic rather than electrical — manipulating it falls under Technology. A character can use Technology to build a computer, crack a security system, repair a cellphone, or hack together a shortwave radio. A player must always choose a specialty in Technology, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.

Points	Description
	Student: You can perform simple repairs and modifications.
	College: You can make a living in computer repair.
	Masters: You can design new equipment to achieve a specific objective.
	Doctorate: Given a penknife and a soldering iron, the world’s your oyster.
	Scholar: You’re going to revolutionize the world with one of your inventions — or you already have.

Possessed by: Engineers, Scientists, Defense Contractors, Glass Walkers, the Cable Guy
Specialties: Telecoms, Computers, Security, Communications, Jury-Rigging, Industrial Espionage

Specialties

W20 Core, pg 117, and Mage20 Core, pg 279

We use the "Well-Skilled Craftsman" optional rule here, found in Mage20:
Whenever an Ability requires you to take a Specialty at level 1 (Art/Artistic Expression, Athletics, Crafts, Firearms, Martial Arts, Melee, Academics, Esoterica, Politics, Science), once you reach 4 dots in that Ability, you can buy additional Specialties for 4 XP each.
(Note: the Specialty you choose at 1 represents where your training is, it does not grant double successes for 10's on the roll unless you have at least 4 dots in the ability).

Doing It Right

The things on this page require a little bit of typing on your end. Try to make sure you give us all the relevant info in order to get a request processed quickly. Total up the XP cost, tell us what page and what book it's in, and give us the how and why. Below are some examples of what we need.

• Missing something? If you notice any mistakes, put in a request for staff to fix it. If you're looking for a Merit/Flaw/Background and don't find it here, its source might be another Sphere's splat. Further pages for those are coming and their links will be available eventually, these are just the ones from the Shifter books.

[+/-] How to buy stuff

Buying

+xpreq NameOfThing/Points=Cost, source if needed, and justification

• +xpreq Kinfolk/2=3+2xp, Steve's going to import five kinfolk friends/family to help him out in Houston. I've set +note Steve/Kinfolk with some light details.
• +xpreq Ally/2=2xp, Steve met Randy during a PRP run by Dave, a raid on a donut cache and they clicked. Turns out he's an under cover cop embedded in the donut smuggling business of Houston. He trusts Steve with his secret after Steve kept him from being found out by the actual smugglers in the outfit. He'll help Steve out with the seedy donut underworld. I have set +note Steve/Ally Randy
• +xpreq Nightmares/0=2xp to buy off a 1 point Flaw, W20 Core, pg 477, Steve has been going through a lot of therapy lately off camera with a theurge npc and has even opened up about things on camera during scenes. He's finally ready to forgive himself for hitting that squirrel with his car and buy off this flaw. Please remove +note Steve/Flaw Nightmares

+Notes

Not EVERY single thing requires notes, but a lot of it will. The notes don't need to be overly detailed novels, they just need to give the relevant info about an npc or a thing's mechanics.

+note/set me/NameOfNote=The information we need to know

• +note/set me/Kinfolk=Steve brought his Silver Fang kinfolk friends and family with him to Houston:
  

Beth - Attourney (financial law)

Keith - Expert at red tape

Cathy - Future mate and 5 star restaurant chef

Benny - Steve's cousin, supplies the weed that calms Steve's paranoia

Earl - Journalist for a local paper

• +note/set me/Ally Randy=Steve met Randy during a raid on a donut cache and they clicked. Turns out he's an under cover cop embedded in the donut smuggling business of Houston. He trusts Steve with his secret after Steve kept him from being found out by the actual smugglers in the outfit. He'll help Steve out with the seedy donut underworld.
• note/set me/Flaw Nightmares=1 point flaw, W20 Core, pg 477 - Steve once hit a squirrel with his car and this memory lives rent free in his head, ruining his sleep and crushing his sense of self. - Upon awakening, you must succeed on a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) or lose a die on all actions for that day.

[+/-] How to justify your buys

How to get...?

Merits: Some things can be gained with lots of practice and training, such as working on ambidexterity or gaining an alcohol tolerance. Other things will require something a heck of a lot more dramatic and magical; you cant train yourself to be a foot taller or to not have a personal scent. Come up with a great story! Talk to Staff! Remember, the worst that can happen is you get told no, or maybe it results in a cool plot, or fits in with an existing plot.

Flaws: If for some crazy reason you WANT to be more flawed... As long as it makes sense, doesn't disrupt the game or put a burden on others, then by all means, maim your character! More than likely these things will be the consequence of bad decisions, insidious dice, or something you and staff talked about before hand and agreed upon.

• Getting rid of a flaw requires you putting in the effort to overcome it ICly, if possible. Therapy for Nightmares is much simpler than having a missing arm grown back through crazy spirit juju.

Backgrounds: XP and story! Maybe an NPC that came up in a plot is someone you'd like to make an Ally, or you're doing the work to discover your Ancestors, or to create a Den Realm. It could even be as simple as deciding to invite some of your kinfolk family to join you in Houston, or thinking up a Contact that will help your character's story. Talk to staff or the ST if you're not sure.

Hard Nopes: If something simply does not fit your type, then it's just not going to work. A Corax isn't going to get Tolerance to Silver or build an Umbral Glade, a Bastet isn't going to get Double Drought or develop Mnesis, they're just plain not possible to cross over.

Merits

A lot of Merits are only available at Character Generation, but there are cases where they can be learned or somehow gained. A person can put a lot of effort into training themselves to be ambidextrous, or to be more calm, but they cant train themselves to be a foot taller or to have no bodily scent.

[+/-] General Merits

Merit	Cost	Allowed	Type	Source	Details
Acute Sense	1	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 472	Synopsis: One of your senses is exceptionally sharp (even for a Garou). Choose sight, hearing, smell, touch, or taste. System: The difficulty for all tasks involving use of this particular sense is reduced by two. This Merit can be bought more than once for different senses, but only one time for each particular sense. The difficulty reduction for a given sensory roll is accumulative with other difficulty reductions (due to Gifts, etc.), but only a single reduction for Acute Sense is applicable in any given roll. Acute Sense cannot be purchased for any sense if it is missing or hampered via a Flaw (i.e., Blind, Bad Sight, Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Anosmia, etc.). Notes:
Alcohol Tolerance	1	General	Physical	W20 Core, 472	Synopsis: This Merit works against all natural intoxicants, even if processed (such as cocaine), though not against poisons or entirely man-made chemical drugs (such as meth). System: With a successful Stamina roll (difficulty 7), you can shake off the effects of intoxication, suffering no coordination penalties that might normally affect a drunken fighter. Notes:
Ambidextrous	1	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 472	Synopsis: You have a high degree of off-hand dexterity and can perform tasks with your “wrong” hand at no penalty. System: The rules for taking multiple actions still apply, but you do not suffer a difficulty penalty if you use two weapons or are forced to use your off hand to complete a task. Notes:
Double Jointed	1	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 472	Synopsis: You can contort yourself into odd positions or squeeze into small spaces. System: You possess uncanny suppleness, making all dice rolls that require flexibility (such as wriggling free from an opponent’s grasp) at –2 difficulty. Notes:
Perfect Balance	1	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 472	Synopsis: You have an uncanny knack for staying on your feet (two or four, depending on your form) either from natural talent or from long hours of training. System: Any rolls you make to attempt balance-related physical activities (e.g., Dexterity + Athletics for tightrope walking, maneuvering across ice, mountain climbing, or rock scaling) are at –2 difficulty. Notes:
Physically Impressive	2	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 472	Synopsis: You appear dangerous both in outward demeanor and in physical bearing, and exude a confidence that impresses opponents. System: Add one die to all Social rolls that involve intimidation. Notes:
Daredevil	3	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 472	Synopsis: You excel at taking risks and have a talent for surviving them. System: When attempting exceptionally risky non-combat actions (such as leaping from rooftop to rooftop thirty stories above the ground), you may add three additional dice to your rolls. In addition, you may negate a single botch die on those rolls. Generally, an action must be at least difficulty 8, and with the potential to inflict at least three health levels of damage if failed, to qualify for this bonus. Notes:
Long Distance Runner	3	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 472	Synopsis: Through practice and/or innate skill, you have developed your ability to run very fast for a very long time. System: You can run at double your normal running speed for one hour per dot you possess in Stamina. This Merit is very popular with Silent Striders. You must have at least four dots in Stamina to purchase this Merit. Notes:
Common Sense	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 474	Synopsis: You have an abundance of plain, everyday common sense (which is often not so common among humans or Garou). System: Whenever you’re about to do something counter to common sense, the Storyteller may step in and advise you that you’re about to do something that your character would recognize as foolhardy. This Merit is particularly recommended for novice players still coming to grips with the world of Werewolf and its dangers. Notes:
Computer Aptitude	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 474	Synopsis: You are familiar with and talented in the uses of computer equipment. System: All rolls involving computers (hardware, software, or operations) are at –2 difficulty for you. Notes:
Concentration	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 475	Synopsis: You have the ability to focus your mind and shut out any distractions or annoyances. System: Characters with this Merit are unaffected by any circumstantial penalties that otherwise might affect their dice pools or difficulty ratings (e.g., nearby gunfire, overpowering aromas, or hanging upside down). Notes:
Expert Driver	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 475	Synopsis: You drive like you were born behind the wheel. System: All difficulties on driving rolls are reduced by two. Notes:
Language	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 475	Synopsis: You know a language in addition to your native one. System: You can take this Merit multiple times, each reflecting a different language. Spirit Speech is a Gift and cannot be learned using this Merit. Garou are not required to use this Merit to purchase Garou Tongue or lupine communication; those are considered to come as naturally to them along with their native homid language. Notes:
Lightning Calculator	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 475	Synopsis: You have a natural affinity with numbers and mental calculations, making you a natural when working with finance, estimating at a glance, computing odds, figuring complex variable equations, and the like. System: All rolls where mental math comes into play are made with a –2 difficulty. Another possible use for this Merit is figuring the odds of success or failure of a particular endeavor, assuming you have sufficient data upon which to base your calculations. In appropriate situations, you may ask the Storyteller for the difficulty of a task you are about to undertake before committing to the effort. Notes:
Mechanical Aptitude	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 475	Synopsis: You are naturally adept with all kinds of mechanical devices (note that this aptitude does not extend to electronic devices, such as computers, or anything that does not work predominantly through moving parts). System: The difficulties of all dice rolls to understand, repair, or operate any kind of mechanical device are reduced by 2. However, this Merit does not help you drive any sort of vehicle; once you’re behind the wheel, you’re on your own. Notes:
Time Sense	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 475	Synopsis: You have an innate sense of time. System: You are able to estimate the passage of time accurately without using a watch or other mechanical device, even after long periods of unconsciousness. This allows you to know (among other things) what phase the moon is in. Notes:
Code of Honor	2	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 476	Synopsis: You have a rigid personal code of ethics to which you adhere. The specifics of this code must be worked out with the Storyteller prior to play, and the character must follow it strictly System: Characters with this Merit gain two additional dice to all Willpower rolls when acting in accordance with their code (e.g., defending the helpless) or when attempting to avoid violating their code. You may choose something already established (the Litany is a common Code of Honor amongst Garou) or create your own list of moral and ethical dos and don’ts with your Storyteller’s approval. Notes:
Eidetic Memory	2	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 476	Synopsis: You remember, with perfect detail, things you see and hear. System: Documents, photographs, conversations, etc., can be committed to memory with only minor concentration, as can complicated trails, complex scents, or detailed howls. Under stressful conditions involving numerous distractions, you must make a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty 6) to summon enough concentration to absorb what your senses detect. Notes:
Inner Strength	2	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 476	Synopsis: You have the grit of a true survivor. In a crisis, your deep reserve of determination gets you through. System: Reduce the difficulty of Willpower rolls by two if struggling against overwhelming odds. Notes:
Natural Linguist	2	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 476	Synopsis: You have a flair for languages. System: Add three dice to any dice pool involving written or spoken language, and each purchase of the Language Merit gives you two languages instead of just one. Notes:
Iron Will	3	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 476	Synopsis: You have a tremendous ability to resist outside attempts to take over your mind. System: You receive three extra dice to resist attempts to manipulate your mind, and may spend a Willpower point to shake off the direct mental control of a vampire. This Merit works only against direct mental control, not emotional manipulation; Gifts that induce frenzy still have the usual chance to succeed, for instance. Notes:
Jack of All Trades	3	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 476	Synopsis: You have a little knowledge about a lot of things. System: If making a roll on a Skill you do not possess, you do not suffer the usual penalty to the roll’s difficulty. You may attempt a roll on a Knowledge that you do not possess, although the difficulty for the roll is raised by 2. Only homid or metis characters may take this Merit. Notes:
Self Confident	5	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 476	Synopsis: You are so sure of your own abilities that when you expend Willpower to gain an automatic success on an endeavor, you have a chance to gain the benefit of that expenditure without actually losing the Willpower. System: When you spend Willpower for an automatic success, you do not actually lose it unless the auto-success is the only one garnered in the roll. This Merit may only be used in challenging situations, that is, when the difficulty of your roll is six or higher. You may spend Willpower for an automatic success at other times, but if your difficulty is five or less, the Willpower will be spent regardless of what you roll. Notes:
Pitiable	1	General	Social	W20 Core, pg 479	Synopsis: Something about you makes others look at you as if you are deserving of their pity. Perhaps they see you as still a cub, despite your age or experience. System: You gain one die on Social rolls when actively playing up your pitiable nature. Wheedling someone into helping you would be appropriate; intimidating them into submission would not. Final word rests with the Storyteller in regards to when this Merit’s benefit may be used. Notes:
Natural Leader	2	General	Social	W20 Core, pg 480 V20 Core, pg 487	Synopsis: You were born with a strength of bearing to which others naturally defer. System: You receive two extra dice when making Leadership rolls. You must have a Charisma of 3 or greater to purchase this Merit. Notes:
Supporter	2	General	Social	W20 Core, pg 480	Synopsis: You inspire all around you to greater efforts. Whether by speaking, writing, or leading by example, you give anyone who works with you reason to go on and hope of success. System: You have a –2 difficulty on Social rolls, and you give any group effort +1 to its total dice pool. Notes:
Danger Sense	3	General	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 483	Synopsis: You’ve got a knack for knowing when something bad is about to happen. System: When you are in danger but not aware of it, the Storyteller should make a secret roll against your Perception + Alertness; the difficulty corresponds to the immediacy of the danger. If the roll succeeds, you are given a sense of foreboding. Multiple successes may refine the feeling and give an indication of direction, distance, or nature of the threat. Notes:
Lucky	3	General	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 483	Synopsis: You enjoy some special favor from Gaia or some other powerful spirit. System: You may re-roll any three failed rolls per story, including botches, but you may try only once per failed roll. Notes:

[+/-] Shifter Merits

Merit	Cost	Allowed	Type	Source	Details
Mixed Morph	1 or 5	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 472	Synopsis: You find the art of partial transformation relatively easy. System: Make the required Dexterity + Primal Urge roll at difficulty 6 rather than difficulty 9 (W20 Core, pg 286). The five-point version of this Merit eliminates the need for a Willpower point; you can achieve partial transformation almost at will. Notes:
Wolf Sight	1	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 472	Synopsis: In all your forms, you see colors and intensities of light as a wolf does. Your color vision is slightly less distinct than that of humans, though you embrace the full spectrum of colors. Your night vision, however, far surpasses human nocturnal vision. You also notice movement more readily. System: You gain an extra die to all visually-based Perception rolls that involve movement or take place at night. Notes:
Bad Taste	2	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 472	Synopsis: You are gamey to the palate and revolting to the taste buds; plainly put, you taste nasty. System: Anyone who bites you (vampires, Garou, fomori, Wyrm monsters) is immediately nauseated. The biter must spend a Willpower point or retch uncontrollably for a scene. There is a drawback, however: lupus Garou and wolves are unlikely to lick or groom you, and even affectionate nibbles are affected by your foul flavor. Notes:
Fair Glabro	2	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 472	Synopsis: You have a Glabro form that can pass for human, though it’s still larger than normal people. System: You have no penalties to Social Attributes in Glabro form. Notes:
Lack of Scent	2	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 472	Synopsis: You either have no scent at all or only a very faint odor. System: Any humans, animals, or Garou who attempt to track you by scent have a +2 difficulty to do so. You may find it difficult to deal with lupus Garou or wolves, as they tend to mistrust your lack of a “natural” scent. Notes:
Natural Weapons	3 or 4	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 473	Synopsis: You are greatly in tune with your wolf physique. Your balance and physical acuity in Lupus form are greater than in Homid form. System: Subtract one from the difficulty of any attack roll with an innate natural weapon (e.g., claw, bite, kick, etc.) when in Lupus form. However, add one to the difficulty of any such attacks made while in Homid form. There is no change to your attack rolls in other forms. This Merit costs 3 points for lupus or metis characters, and 4 points for homid Garou. Notes:
Huge Size	4	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 473	Synopsis: You stand close to 7’ tall and may weigh as much as 400 pounds in your Homid form; your other forms are also proportionately huge. System: This Merit gives you an extra health level, which acts as an additional Bruised health level for purposes of calculating damage and wound penalties. Of course, with your immense size comes other problems (blending into a crowd, finding clothes that fit, fitting into an airplane seat, etc.). Notes:
Metamorph	7	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 473	Synopsis: Shape changing for you is as easy as breathing. System: You do not need to roll to change forms, nor is it necessary to spend a Rage point for an instantaneous shift. You make your changes as if you scored five successes on your roll to shift forms. If you lose consciousness from wounds or for some other reason, you may roll Wits + Primal Urge (difficulty 8) to choose which form you assume rather than reverting to breed form. Notes:
Berserker	2	Shifter	Mental	W20 Core, pg 476	Synopsis: You have uncanny control over your inner anger, and can use your Rage as most Garou cannot. System: You can enter a berserk frenzy at will, ignoring your wound penalties. You still suffer the consequences of any actions committed in the throes of frenzy. When circumstances might cause you to frenzy, you must make a standard roll to see if you do so or not. Notes: My love for you is ticking clock, berserker!
Seldom Sleeps	2	Shifter	Mental	W20 Core, pg 476	Synopsis: Whether due to a strong constitution, a frenetic nature, or even a hint of ancestral magic in your blood, you require significantly less sleep than the average Garou. While rest is still required after exertion, sleep is seldom necessary System: One hour a night is fine, and even an hour every three days won’t make you more than a little bleary-eyed. You are not immune to sleep-causing supernatural effects, and you must still rest (no combat and no efforts requiring rolls) after using taxing rituals or Gifts. You are not always perky, bright-eyed, and bushy-tailed, but you suffer no penalties or ill effects from remaining awake for extended periods. Notes:
Calm Heart	3	Shifter	Mental	W20 Core, pg 476	Synopsis: You remain calm and collected even in the most trying of circumstances. System: You receive two extra dice when attempting to resist frenzy. Notes: Actual rule intention: +2 diff to resist frenzy. White Wolf's text makes no sense, more dice would actually make it easier to frenzy.
Untamable	5	Shifter	Mental	W20 Core, pg 476	Synopsis: You are a wild soul who has never bent to the leash. System: You are immune to vampiric Domination (but not emotional manipulations via Presence) and these Gifts will not work on you: Roll Over, Obedience, and Mastery. Notes:
Family Support	1	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 479	Synopsis: Your family knows what you are and accepts your new life wholeheartedly. Perhaps your parents are Kinfolk and have prepared themselves for the potential that you might be a full Garou. However they need not be actual Kin (of the sort purchased through the Kinfolk Background); they may not understand what you’ve become, but still believe you are “special” or “gifted.” System: While you can’t assume they will risk themselves for you or your pack, you can rely on their moral support and understanding — and maybe a place to crash on occasion. Notes:
Favor	1-3	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 479	Synopsis: You have earned the favor of someone more powerful than yourself because of something you did in the past. Work out with your Storyteller who exactly owes you the favor — perhaps an elder of your sept, an influential member of your tribe, or even a powerful pack of Garou. System: A 1-point Merit indicates that you provided a minor service; a 2-point Merit means that you have done something significant for them; a 3-point Merit probably means that you saved their life (or the life of someone important to them). You can ask for (and expect to receive) a similar level of favor in return. You can only call in this favor once; after that, your previous service holds no particular sway. While it stands, however, other Garou may know that someone important is indebted to you and react to you accordingly. Notes:
Camp Goodwill	1	Garou	Social	W20 Core, pg 479	Synopsis: You have earned the attention and favor of a particular Garou tribal camp (see pg. 491). Perhaps you’ve done them a favor, or maybe they’re trying to recruit you. System: Regardless, all Social rolls when interacting with that camp are made at –1 difficulty. You may not be a member of this camp when you first take this Merit, although you can become recruited into the camp during play at the Storyteller’s discretion. You may take this Merit multiple times for different camps, and may take it for tribal camps other than your own tribe, each with the Storyteller’s approval. Notes:
Animal Magnetism	2	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 480	Synopsis: Others of your breed (humans if you’re homid, wolves if you’re lupus; metis should pick either humans or wolves, not Garou) find you especially attractive. System: Your rolls to attract, persuade, charm, or seduce those individuals is at –2 difficulty. This effect does not apply to threatening or intimidating actions. Notes:
Notable Heritage	2	Garou	Social	W20 Core, pg 480	Synopsis: Your direct family line is particularly renowned, either in Garou society or in the human world. You must choose (with your Storyteller’s approval) which world your heritage relates to, and detail your family line accordingly. System: You are at –1 difficulty to all Social rolls when working in the appropriate society (with Garou and Kinfolk who are aware of werewolf society, or when dealing with humans who are aware of your heritage). You are expected to live up to your lineage’s reputation. If you fail to do so, you may find the Merit dwindling over time as stories of your own failings begin to outweigh the high regard your family receives. This Merit may not be taken by Bone Gnawers. Notes:
Reputation	2	Garou	Social	W20 Core, pg 480	Synopsis: Your reputation among the Garou of your sept does you credit. You may have earned this good name independently, or through the actions of your pack. System: When you deal with the Garou of your sept, you gain three extra dice to your Social dice pools. Reputation should not be confused with Renown; you may have a good “name” with your sept while possessing relatively little Renown. You may not take the Flaw: Notoriety. Notes:
Noted Messenger	3	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 480	Synopsis: Legends and Elders have used your services to deliver their important words. You may have even been called upon to carry messages of peace (or war) between the Nation and outside forces. System: Because of your reputation as a reliable messenger, you can pass through other Garou territories without your presence causing offense, and you may be allowed into any sept (or other locale where your reputation is respected, such as spirit courts or Fera holdings) unchallenged, as long as you carry a message for someone residing there. However, you are expected to behave in accordance with your reputation; if you take offensive actions, act indiscreetly, or speak rudely while in the line of duty, it may affect how you are treated (and may cause the Storyteller to deem that you lose this Merit). Notes:
Supernatural Companion	3	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 480	Synopsis: You have a friend or ally who happens to be a vampire, mage, wraith, changeling, or other non-werewolf supernatural creature. System: Although you may call upon her in time of need, she also has the right to call upon you (after all, you are friends). This relationship, however, does not have the sanction of your kind or hers, and you’ll likely face scandal — or worse — if you are found out. Meeting places and methods of communication are always risky. The Storyteller creates and controls your companion, but does not reveal to you her full powers (or secret motivations). Notes:
Ancestor Ally	1	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 482	Synopsis: One of your ancestor spirits is particularly close to you. System: You have –2 to your difficulty to contact this ancestor via your Ancestors Background. Flesh out your special ancestor with a name, personality characteristics, significant abilities or powers, details about her life, and her reputation among Garou. To purchase this Merit, you must have Ancestors as a Background. Notes:
Moon Bound	1	Garou	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 482	Synopsis: You are more in tune with your auspice than most Garou. System: When Luna waxes in your auspice, you receive one extra die to each of your rolls. Correspondingly, when Luna wanes in your auspice, you receive one less die to every roll. Notes:
Spirit Magnet	1	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 482	Synopsis: You naturally attract the attention of the spirits whenever you cross the Gauntlet into the Umbra. Most of the time, the Umbral inhabitants are simply curious, gathering around you to see who you are and what you’re doing in their “neck of the woods.” Occasionally you attract more than you bargained for — Banes are also likely to come calling. System: None of the spirits who collect in your vicinity are under your command unless you use a Gift that allows you to command them or influence them in some way. Notes:
Natural Channel	3	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 483	Synopsis: You find crossing the Gauntlet easier than many of your fellow Garou. System: The difficulty for stepping sideways is one less for you. Notes:
True Love	4	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 483	Synopsis: You have a true love — a Kinfolk, human, wolf, or perhaps even another Garou. Simply the knowledge that this individual exists provides joy and strength to you even in the darkest hour. The Wyrm may be winning, the battle may be endless, but you know there is something beyond the esoteric to keep fighting for. When you are suffering, the thought of your true love gives you strength. System: In game terms, this Merit allows you one automatic success on any Willpower roll, but only when you are actively striving to protect or come closer to your true love. Also, the power of your love may be strong enough to protect you from other supernatural forces (at the Storyteller’s discretion). However, having a true love may also be a hindrance, and they may require aid (or even rescue) from time to time. True Love between Garou (even if it is not acted upon) may be seen as near-enough to a breach of the Litany to cause scorn or even scandal if it is suspected by others, making it appropriate justification for a Dark Secret Flaw as well. Notes:
Immune to Wyrm Emanations	6	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 483	Synopsis: Gaia has blessed you with a powerful resistance to the poisons of the Wyrm. System: Although you still take damage from balefire, supernaturally-caused radiation, Wyrm elementals, or other forms of Wyrm toxins, you do not suffer any dice pool penalties from them. Banes cannot possess you. Notes:
Silver Tolerance	7	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 483	Synopsis: You are blessed with an extremely unusual tolerance toward silver. System: You may soak silver damage in any form at difficulty 8, although this does not change the type of damage that silver does. Notes:
Constant Sending	1	Rokea	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 207	Synopsis: The character’s Lorenzini’s ampullae remain in all forms, allowing him to use the Sending even in Homid form. System: Notes:
Manshape	1	Mokole	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 207	Synopsis: The character’s Archid form is very humanoid — a callback to the Lizard Kings with a reptilian head, the size of a Crinos Garou. System: The character must have the Archid characteristics: Bipedal and Grasping Hands to buy this Merit. Manshape allows the Mokolé in Archid form to pass as human in poor light, though anyone seeing the character’s scaly skin still suffers the Delirium. Notes:
Double Draught	2	Corax	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 207	Synopsis: Unlike most Corax, the character can drink from both of a dead man’s eyes, seeing the best and the worst of the corpse’s death. System: Notes:
Gauntlet Runner	2	Ratkin	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 208	Synopsis: The character is able to squeeze through the Gauntlet in the presence of any manner of company — even in front of a room full of human witnesses. System: Notes:
Good Looking	2	Rokea	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 208	Synopsis: Unlike most Rokea, who are rough-looking in homid form at best, the character looks completely human and may start with as high an Appearance score as the player desires. Homid Rokea do not need to purchase this Merit. System: Notes:
Umbral Affinity	2-3	Nuwisha Umbral Danser	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 208	Synopsis: The character has an uncommonly strong connection to the Umbra, treating the local Gauntlet as 2 points lower than its real value. For 3 points, the character need not stare into a reflection to step sideways. System: Notes:
Free of the Yava	3, 4, or 5	Ajaba Bastet	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 208	Synopsis: Perhaps the character was granted a special blessing by a powerful spirit; perhaps they are simply a strange prodigy of the world. System: For whatever reason, the character does not suffer the restriction of one or more Yava: 3 points grants freedom from one Yava, 4 from two Yava, and 5 from all Yava. Notes:
Early Maturation	3	Gurahl	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 208	Synopsis: For some reason the character emerged as an auspice other than Arcas. Perhaps her First Change came late in life, or her early years contained so much strife and upheaval that her change catapulted her directly into another auspice. System: The character begins play as an Uzmati, Kojubat, Kieh, or a Rishi, and must choose her starting auspice Gift from Level One Gifts on that auspice’s Gift list. Notes:
Venomous	3	Ananasi	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 208	Synopsis: The Ananasi retains her venom sacs even when in homid form. System: In homid, she may use any of her venom-based Gifts that are normally restricted to other forms. Notes:
Sex Appeal	4	Ananasi Bastet Kitsune	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg	Synopsis: Whether it’s grace, charm, or pheromones, the character’s got it. Those attracted to the character’s gender like being around him and are eager to please him. System: This grants a –2 difficulty reduction to all social rolls against such individuals. Notes:
Swim Sideways	4	Rokea	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 208	Synopsis: The wereshark has a natural connection to Sea’s Soul, and can swim there in much the same manner as a Garou steps sideways, without the requirement for a reflective object. System: The Rokea can only use this talent in seas and oceans; weresharks who can also Step Sideways on land should look to that Merit instead. Notes:
Feral Near-Man	5	Ananasi Corax Mokole Ratkin	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 208	Synopsis: The character’s near-man form (Glabro, Anthros, Sokto, etc) is unusually savage in profile; perhaps this is a result of countless hours of shapeshifting refinement, or maybe the character was just born nasty. System: Either way, the Changer’s near-human form sports wicked claws capable of inflicting aggravated damage. Notes:
Gender Morph	6	Ananasi	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 208	Synopsis: The character can change their human sex at will, by breaking into the Crawlerling form and reforming as a human again. System: This can come in handy when being chased; not only are pursuers unlikely to confuse a man for a woman, but the character’s scent even changes in order to throw off Garou and other keen-nosed hunters. Aside from the sex switch, this doesn’t grant a radical change in appearance — both sexes have similar features and look sufficiently alike to be siblings. Notes:
Cat/Fox Magic	7	Bastet Kitsune	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 208	Synopsis: In addition to the blessings of Luna and Gaia, the character has a rare aptitude for lesser human magic—she is capable of learning what mages call “hedge magic.” System: The character can use this talent to mimic Gifts and rites from any Changing Breed, and can develop her own mystic rites given time and Storyteller approval. For a more in-depth treatment of hedge magic, see Sorcerer Revised. Notes:
Step Sideways	7	Bastet Gurahl Mokole Rokea	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 209	Synopsis: Unlike normal members of her Breed, the character may step sideways in the manner of the Garou. System: While almost all members of her Breed can access the Umbra through Gifts or Rites, the character has an inherent connection to the spirit world. Perhaps this is a particular blessing from a powerful spirit, or perhaps it is as much a mystery to her as it is to everyone else. Notes:

[+/-] Kinfolk Merits

Merit	Cost	Allowed	Type	Source	Details
Feral appearance	1	Kinfolk	Physical	W20 Core, pg 382	Synopsis: Whether you're more rugged than average or have a lean, hungry look to your features, werewolves like what they see. It isn't a matter of physical beauty as human society judges it; there's just something about you that stirs werewolves' animal natures. System: You get an extra die on all rolls involving Appearance when dealing with Garou. Notes:
Wolf-Sense	1	Kinfolk	Mental	W20 Core, pg 382	Synopsis: This Merit is a blend of folk wisdom, practical sense, and animal instinct. System: If you have Wolf-sense and make a successful Wits roll, the Storyteller can opt to give you advice on whether you’re about to do something foolish in the eyes of wolf or Garou culture. It doesn’t mean she’ll tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, but at least you’ll have some warning. Notes:
Gall	2	Kinfolk	Mental	W20 Core, pg 382	Synopsis: Audacity, guts, pluck — whatever it’s called, you’ve got it. You aren’t afraid to stand up to anyone, from hoodlums to tribal leaders. This isn’t brash, foolhardy behavior, and you’re not necessarily rude or impolite. You simply don’t get the shakes when the Silver Fang Ahroun comes over to speak to you. Many werewolves and Kin respect you for your honesty and forthrightness. System: Add an extra die to any Social roll involving a display of backbone. Notes:
Recognize Garou	3	Kinfolk	Mental	W20 Core, pg 382	Synopsis: Over the years, you’ve become adept at picking out the werewolves in a crowd. It’s not mystical awareness; you’ve simply learned what physical and personality traits tend to mark Gaia’s warriors once they’ve undergone the Change. System: All Perception attempts to figure out if someone is a werewolf are made at –2 difficulty. Notes:
Good Old Boy (or Girl)	2	Kinfolk	Social	W20 Core, pg 382	Synopsis: You’re an intrinsically nice person, and you genuinely care about your fellows. Werewolves and other Kin (both human and wolf) tend to like you and confide in you. Even lupus Garou may approach you in a friendly manner; something about you just seems trustworthy and inviting. System: Take an extra die on all Social rolls involving interaction with Garou or Kinfolk. Notes:
Fetish	5-7	Kinfolk	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 383	Synopsis: You own a fetish. You may have inherited this item, received it as a gift, or found it on your own. System: You and your Storyteller should work together on constructing the item and establishing how it came into your possession. Five points equals a Level One fetish, six points a Level Two fetish, and seven points a Level Three fetish. If you do not have the Gnosis Merit, you may not be able to attune the Fetish to yourself or use it. Notes:
Gnosis	5-7	Kinfolk	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 383	Synopsis: More than any other blessing, the possession of Gnosis among Kin is a special mark of Gaia’s favor. It’s extremely rare for mortals to be so gifted. Having Gnosis grants many privileges, such as the ability to learn a broader range of Gifts, use fetishes, and — if Embraced by a vampire — the chance to die with dignity and honor, rather than suffer unlife. System: Kinfolk lucky enough to possess Gnosis recover it in the same manner as Garou. Five points spent on the Merit grants one point of Gnosis; six points, two points of Gnosis; and seven points, three points of Gnosis. Notes:

---

Flaws

Like Merits, Flaws are mostly a Character Generation thing, but IC life and story might lead to gaining or losing your flaws.

[+/-] General Flaws

Flaw	Cost	Allowed	Type	Source	Details
Anosmia	1	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 473	Synopsis: Whether from birth or due to some illness or accident, you’ve lost all sense of taste and smell. System: You automatically fail any roll involving these two senses, including Primal Urge rolls for tracking or hunting. In Lupus form, it’s even more crippling, since smell is a wolf’s most acute sense; this Flaw cancels out the –2 difficulty to Perception rolls a Garou gets in that form. There’s a slight benefit, however: At the Storyteller’s discretion, you may be immune to the debilitating effects of environmental conditions, Gifts and supernatural abilities that rely on odors. Notes:
Hard of Hearing	1	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 473	Synopsis: You have problems hearing certain sounds or ranges of sounds, or have some other problem that affects your auditory senses. System: You have a +2 difficulty to all rolls involving hearing sounds. You do not receive the normal bonus for Perception in Lupus form for auditory checks. Notes:
Monochrome Vision	1	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 473	Synopsis: You cannot distinguish between colors, but see the world in varying shades of black and white and gray. This is not true color-blindness, which usually refers to the inability to distinguish between certain colors (such as red and green). System: Color has no meaning for you, though you can differentiate intensities of shade — dark gray, light gray, dull gray, etc. This Flaw occurs more frequently among lupus Garou. Notes:
Short	1	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 473	Synopsis: You are well below average height — four and a half feet (1.5 meters) tall or less. Your diminutive size causes you problems, making it difficult to see over obstacles, reach high shelves, or manipulate things built for average individuals. System: This lack of stature is mirrored in all of your forms. Your running speed is halved, and your Storyteller may choose to levy additional penalties as appropriate in any given situation, although occasionally, this Flaw can give you a concealment advantage. Notes:
One Eye	2	General	Physical	W20 Core, pf 473	Synopsis: You lack depth perception and have limited vision, due to the fact that you only have one eye. Your blind side has no peripheral vision. System: The difficulties of all Perception rolls involving eyesight are increased by two, and when depth perception is involved (such as during ranged combat), the difficulty is increased by an additional +1. Notes:
Bad Sight	2	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 473	Synopsis: You have a hard time seeing due to an uncorrectable visual defect. System: The difficulties of all dice rolls related to sight increased by two. Your Lupus form does not receive the standard bonus to Perception for visual checks, though the bonuses to other senses are not affected. Unlike nearsightedness or farsightedness, this defect cannot be corrected. Notes:
Lame	3	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 474	Synopsis: Either from birth, an accident, or a major battle scar, your legs are damaged, which prevents you from running or walking easily. You have a pronounced limp and may need assistance from a cane or walking stick. System: Your walking speed is one-quarter that of a normal human, and running is impossible. Metis characters may take this Flaw (for no freebie points) as their metis disfigurement. Notes:
One Arm	3	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 474	Synopsis: You were either born with only one arm or lost your arm through an injury of some sort. You suffer no secondary-hand penalty, since you have adapted to using your one hand for most activities. System: When you need to use two hands, however, you lose two dice from your dice pool. Your running speed in Hispo and Lupus form is 1/2 of normal. Metis characters may take this Flaw (for no freebie points) as their inherent deformity. Notes:
Deaf	4	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 474	Synopsis: You were either born profoundly deaf or have lost your hearing entirely. You may feel sound vibrations from sufficiently loud noises, but you hear nothing. System: The difficulty of any Perception rolls related to sound is increased by three. Metis characters may take this Flaw (for no freebie points) as their inborn disfigurement. Notes:
Mute	4	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 474	Synopsis: You cannot speak, in any form. Even communicating via Garou Tongue or lupine language (which relies upon both vocalizations and body movements to communicate) are beyond you, as is Spirit Speech. System: As a player, you may communicate with the Storyteller and describe your actions, but your character cannot talk to other characters unless everyone concerned possesses a commonly understood sign language (via the Language Merit). Otherwise, your character must communicate through writing or body language. Metis characters may take this Flaw (for no freebie points) as their inborn disfigurement. Notes:
Blind	6	General	Physical	W20 Core, pg 474	Synopsis: You cannot see. System: ou automatically fail any rolls based solely on vision. Difficulties on all Dexterity-based rolls are increased by two as well. All rolls made to step sideways are at +1 difficulty, as you cannot use the usual method of visualizing the other world. This flaw can be taken by metis characters as their disfigurement (for no freebie points). Notes:
Compulsion	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 476	Synopsis: You feel compelled to take certain actions at certain times or under specific circumstances. System: This psychological quirk sometimes takes a highly ritualized form (constant hand-washing or grooming) or else manifests in trigger situations (compulsive gambling, swearing, talking, stealing). This Flaw not only causes problems for you, but for your packmates as well. You may spend a Willpower point to avoid your compulsion temporarily. Check with your Storyteller to find out how long you can resist before you must spend another Willpower point or succumb to your compulsion. Notes:
Impatient	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 477	Synopsis: You have no patience for standing around and waiting. Now is the time for action. System: Make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) any time you try to wait rather than act immediately. Failure means you’re off to tackle what’s got to be done, on your own if necessary. Notes:
Intolerance	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 477	Synopsis: You have an irrational dislike of a certain thing: an animal, class of person, situation, or object. System: You gain a +2 difficulty on all dice rolls involving the focus of your intolerance. The Storyteller is the final arbiter of what you can choose to have an Intolerance of: some dislikes may be too trivial to count (doughnuts or mechanical pencils) while disliking “the Wyrm” is already a common mindset for Garou and hardly counts as a Flaw. Notes:
Nightmares	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 477	Synopsis: You experience horrendous nightmares every time you sleep, and memories of them haunt you during your waking hours. System: Upon awakening, you must succeed on a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) or lose a die on all actions for that day. Notes:
Overconfident	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 477	Synopsis: You can do anything — or so you think. No challenge is too big for you to tackle, regardless of whether you actually have the skill to succeed. System: Never refuse to attempt something due to being outgunned, outclassed, or outnumbered. If you fail, you will find someone or something else to blame; it couldn’t have been any lack on your part, of course. Notes:
Shy	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 477	Synopsis: You dislike being the center of attention and feel uncomfortable in crowds. System: Difficulties for all rolls involving social interaction with strangers are increased by two. If you are the focus of the situation, even amongst those you know, the difficulty increases by three. Notes:
Soft Hearted	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 477	Synopsis: Whether because of an abundance of empathy and compassion, or simply a weak stomach, you cannot stand to watch others suffer. System: You must avoid or leave any situation that involves someone in physical or emotional pain, unless you succeed on a Willpower roll (difficulty 8). Notes:
Speech Impediment	1	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 477	Synopsis: You have a stammer, lisp, or other speech impediment that interferes with verbal communication. System: This impediment affects not only your human voice but also carries over into the Garou tongue, marring your howls and snarls so that they are difficult to understand. The difficulties of all die rolls involving verbal communication are increased by two. This Flaw must be roleplayed whenever possible. Notes:
Curiosity	2	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 477	Synopsis: You find mysteries of any sort irresistible. Whether it’s a closed drawer, a whispered conversation, or a mysterious light just beyond the trees, you have to know what is going on at all times. System: Anytime you are presented with the unknown, make a Wits roll or else you must go investigate. The difficulty varies with the roll involved: 5 for simple things (“What is in that storage unit?”) and up to 9 for intense circumstances (“I wonder what those fomori are planning. I’d better go listen in. What could possibly go wrong?”) Notes:
Phobia	2 or 3	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 477	Synopsis: You have an overwhelming fear of something. Spiders, snakes, crowds, and heights are examples of common phobias. System: If you have a mild phobia (2 points), you must make a Willpower roll every time you encounter the object of your fear. The difficulty of the roll is determined by the Storyteller and based on the circumstances of the encounter. You must make at last three successes in order to approach the object of your fear or deal with the fearful situation. If you fail the roll, you must run away. The three-point version of this Flaw requires that you make a frenzy check to resist fox frenzy when you are faced with what you fear. Your Storyteller must approve your choice of phobia. Notes:
Absent Minded	3	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 478	Synopsis: You forget things: important things like names, phone numbers, and which route to take to the caern. You often forget tasks you’ve been assigned, what day or time certain happenings are taking place, or even when you last ate. System: Although you don’t forget Skills, Talents, or Knowledges, in order to remember specific details about anything more significant than your own name, you need to make an Intelligence roll (difficulty is set by the Storyteller). Notes:
Hatred	3	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 478	Synopsis: Certain types of people or situations arouse an uncontrollable and irrational hatred in you, causing you to make a frenzy roll whenever you confront the object or objects of your hatred. Furthermore, you actively look for opportunities to wreak destruction on your chosen targets. System: You should choose your nemesis carefully, since the Flaw can affect your relationship with your pack or sept, and can get in the way of your duties as a Garou. Hatred of the Wyrm is assumed and doesn’t count as a suitable object for this Flaw. Notes:
Weak Willed	3	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 478	Synopsis: You have little resistance to attempts to dominate or intimidate you. System: Domination-focused Gifts such as Staredown, Roll Over, etc. automatically succeed against you. Your difficulties to resist Social Talents such as Intimidation or Leadership, as well as mind-altering spells or magic, are increased by two. Your Willpower may never rise above 4. Notes:
Ability Deficit	5	General	Mental	W20 Core, pg 478	Synopsis: Whether due to poor education, lack of opportunity, or simple laziness, you’ve fallen short of your potential. System: You have five fewer points to distribute in one of your Ability categories: Talents, Skills, or Knowledges. Therefore, the most you could initially take in that category would be eight points, and the least would be zero. Of course, you can still spend freebie points to take Abilities in the affected category. However, you cannot have any Ability in that category at three dots or higher at the start of the game. This Flaw is particularly appropriate to lupus characters that have yet to learn much about life as Garou. Notes:
Conniver	1	General	Social	W20 Core, pg 480	Synopsis: There is no honor among thieves, nor trust among liars. You are known as someone whose word cannot be trusted. System: Whether earned or not, you have a reputation for deceit and treachery, and you lose one die from all Social rolls involving any extension of trust, truth, or believing your words. Notes: Whether earned or not, you have a reputation for deceit and treachery, and you lose one die from all Social rolls involving any extension of trust, truth, or believing your words.
Naive	1	General	Social	W20 Core, pg 481	Synopsis: You are hopelessly naïve about the nature of reality and see everything through “rose-colored glasses.” You may have been brought up in wealth and privilege or be a survivor of abuse and trauma that you have repressed. System: You are hesitant to suspect evil or foul play in others, which can be a serious problem. The difficulty for any rolls for you to detect another person’s ill intent, from the Sense Wyrm Gift to Empathy rolls, is raised by 2. Notes:
Gullible	2	General	Social	W20 Core, pg 481	Synopsis: Maybe you’re slow on the uptake, or maybe you just never learned to separate truth from fiction. Whatever the cause, you’re particularly susceptible to lies and half-truths. System: You lose three dice from all dice pools relating to guile and subterfuge (not stealth), whether perpetrating your own feeble lies or attempting to penetrate someone else’s words to find the truth. Notes:
Cursed	1-5	General	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 483	Synopsis: You have fallen afoul of someone with supernatural abilities that has cursed you with a specific effect. This curse may have been laid during your prelude, or perhaps even at your birth; it may even be inherited from your ancestors System: Your curse is very specific and difficult to dispel without undertaking some major quest or atoning for whatever offense you have committed. Some examples include: (1 point) If you pass on a secret you were entrusted with, your betrayal will come back to harm you in some way. (2 points) Things you value for sentimental or functional reasons tend to disappear — mementos, minor fetishes, or significant utilitarian items like the keys to your car or your favorite knife. (3 points) Tools break or malfunction when you try to use them, always to your own detriment or inconvenience. (4 points) Relationships seem to go wrong as soon as you begin to care for someone. This might keep you from establishing good relations with the members of your sept, your kinfolk, or the rest of your pack. (5 points) At critical moments, you tend to experience catastrophic failures. A Fetish doesn’t work when you need it most, your gun misfires or jams during combat, or you get stuck while crossing the Gauntlet in an emergency situation. As a significant Flaw, Storytellers should feel free to put you into peril on a frequent basis with this level of Curse. Notes:
Dark Fate	5	General	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 485	Synopsis: You labor under some future doom, marked by Fate for a horrible end. All you strive for will amount to nothing. From time to time, you receive flashes of visions regarding your destined fate, causing you to suffer prematurely. System: You can overcome your morbid moods by spending Willpower, but this only works temporarily. Sooner or later, you will meet your fate (when is left up to your Storyteller, but it will happen during the course of the chronicle — otherwise, this Flaw would be worth no points). In the meantime, however, you can still attempt to achieve something worthwhile. You may do so with a sense of freedom and abandon, since you know that unless a situation leads directly to your ultimate doom, you stand a good chance of surviving and succeeding. This Flaw works well in conjunction with the Fate Background (W20 Core, pg 137), which allows you to survive lesser potential bad ends so that you can meet the true doom laid on you. Notes:
Airhead	1	General	Mental	W20 Kinfolk, pg 63	Synopsis: Your personal concerns are so important that you tend to be clueless about the real world or what is going on around you. This may be your means of avoiding problems or retreating from your fears; nevertheless, you don’t often use your brain to its best advantage — or any advantage, it seems. System: Those who know you describe you as “spacey,” and their patience often wears thin around you. You fade in and out of conversations, insert non sequiturs, or just plain fail to get it. The Garou and even your own Kin make fun of you behind your back. Notes:
Flashbacks	1-3	General	Mental	W20 Kinfolk, pg 63	Synopsis: You may have left the battlefield, but it never left you. Alternately, you survived a traumatic catastrophe in your childhood or some other time in your past. Whatever the source of your “episodes,” you re-live the horror of those hideous moments as if they were happening all around you. System: As a one-point Flaw, you have momentary flashes of the event, enough to rattle you for a single action or a few minutes. As a two-point Flaw, the flashback can last as long as an entire scene and requires action on the part of someone you trust to bring you back to the present. No roll is required. As a three-point Flaw, you feel the terror anew and you struggle to get away from it as you did way back when. Everyone around you becomes part of your horror scenario. A family member or close friend may try up to three times to bring you back using a contested Willpower roll. After that, you need professional help. Medications may reduce the difficulty of bringing you back to speed by lowering your Willpower, but only for purposes of calming you down. Notes:

[+/-] Shifter Flaws

Flaw	Cost	Allowed	Type	Source	Details
Animal Musk	1	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 473	Synopsis: You have the odor of an animal, even in Homid form. System: Whenever you are indoors or in a crowd of people, you make all Social rolls at a +2 difficulty. Outdoors or in situations where you can distance yourself from humans, your odor is not noticeable. Wolves (and lupus-born Garou) take little notice of this Flaw. Notes:
No Partial Transformation	1	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 473	Synopsis: You can only change into the complete form. System: You have no ability to mix forms; you cannot shift your larynx in Lupus to be capable of human speech, or grow a wolf’s muzzle in Glabro Notes:
Strict Carnivore	1	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 473	Synopsis: “Vegetarian” is just another way of saying “lazy hunter.” System: Vegetables and grains give you no nutritional benefit; you can only subsist on meat — the closer to raw, the better. You have real problems in areas where meat is scarce. Notes:
Deformity	3	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 474 V20 Core, pg 482	Synopsis: You have a misshapen limb, a twisted spine, or some other deformity that interferes with your physical abilities and your interactions with others. System: A hunchback, for instance, would lower a character’s Dexterity by two dots and increase the difficulty of die rolls relating to social skills by one. A withered arm might reduce Dexterity by 2 for all manual manipulation rolls, reduce your running speed in any four-legged form, and increase social skills’ difficulty by one. You should work out the nature of your deformity with your Storyteller, as well as the exact penalties offered. Metis characters may take this Flaw (for no freebie points) as their metis disfigurement. Notes:
Double Jeopardy	3	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 474	Synopsis: Gaia has marked you strongly. You were born not with one, but two significant metis deformities. These may be related, but must be two clearly separate disfigurements. System: A pair of antlers, or two rows of shark teeth would only be one deformity, but antlers and hooves, or a row of shark’s teeth and a set of gills would be acceptably different. The Storyteller has the final judgment on whether the two deformities are significant enough to qualify for this Flaw. This flaw can be taken only by metis Garou. Notes:
Monstrous	3	Shifter	Physical	W20 Core, pg 474 V20 Core, pg 482	Synopsis: Your physical appearance is truly hideous to your fellow Garou. All your forms bear some grotesque qualities; your Homid form barely looks human, while your other forms have something significant that disfigures them. You should decide what you look like. System: Your Appearance rating is zero, and cannot be raised higher with experience points barring some remarkable circumstances. Metis characters may take this Flaw (for no freebie points) as their inborn deformity. Notes:
Persistent Parents	2	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 481	Synopsis: Most werewolves, unless they have Kinfolk parents, sacrifice their family ties after their First Change, in order to protect the Veil. Your parents, however, have not given up on you. System: They may hire detectives to find you, plaster posters with your picture on it around town, pester radio and television stations to run public service ads, or dedicate websites and utilize social media to recruit the aid of the internet in order to try to find you. They may be ignorant of your new life, suspecting instead that you have run away, joined a cult, or been kidnapped. They may instead have ties to Pentex or other organizations with ulterior motives in locating you. Only homids may take this Flaw. Notes:
Notoriety	3	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 481	Synopsis: You have acquired a bad name among the Garou in your sept, either through your own actions or because of something involving your pack. System: You suffer a penalty of two dice on any Social rolls involving Garou of your sept other than your own pack. Renown (or lack thereof) has nothing to do with your reputation. Your own sept members (other than your pack) dislike you regardless of how much Renown you have. You may not take the Merit: Reputation. Notes:
Ward	3	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 481	Synopsis: You are devoted to protecting someone, perhaps a close friend or relative from the days before your First Change. This may be a child (or wolf cub) that relies upon you for care as well as protection. Or it can be an adult who, because of their connection to you, finds themselves exposed to dangers beyond what they can handle themselves. It could even represent a small pack of wolves who rely on you to protect them from human and supernatural predation. System: Regardless, your Ward’s path is firmly tied to yours in some way, and they have a knack for finding themselves in the middle of trouble, looking to you to save the day. Notes:
Hunted	4	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 481	Synopsis: A dedicated werewolf hunter has targeted you as his quarry, convinced that you are a monster out of legend bent on preying upon humans. (He’s not, of course, entirely wrong.) Anyone you know, including your pack members or humans you are close to, may be in danger from the hunter. System: While your nemesis desires the elimination of all werewolves, his primary focus is on you. As fate would have it, the Delirium has no effect on your pursuer. He is also intelligent and resourceful, far more likely to set nasty traps for you than to blunder into any pitfall you leave for him. Notes:
Metis Child	4	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 482	Synopsis: You begin play as the parent of a metis cub from an illicit relationship with another Garou. You need to decide the circumstances surrounding the birth of the child — who the other parent is, when this happened, if you are currently attempting to raise the child in your own sept, or if the cub was fostered out to another sept to avoid further embarrassment. System: The effects of this Flaw include a two dice penalty to any Social rolls made regarding Garou who know of your child, as well as the additional burden of being required to take responsibility for your cub’s welfare (you miserable charach). As a Litany-breaker, you will probably be unable to hold any important sept offices or be trusted with important tasks, no matter how much you strive to prove yourself. Metis characters cannot take this Flaw. If a character sires or bears a metis cub during the events of the chronicle, the penalties of this Flaw may apply, but no bonus points are granted for it. Notes:
Banned Transformation	1-6	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 483	Synopsis: Some circumstance, event, or situation inhibits your ability to change forms, except to return to your breed form System: To overcome the restricting factor requires the expenditure of a Willpower point and a successful Willpower roll (difficulty 8). Some examples of triggers and their relative point costs include: Relaxing music (1 point) In the vicinity of wolfsbane (2 points) Unless you spend a Rage point (3 points) When around silver (4 points) During the day or during the night (5 points) When the moon is not visible (6 points) Notes:
Amnesia	2	Shifter	Meltal	W20 Core, pg 477	Synopsis: You have no memory of your past before your First Change. You don’t know if you still have a family, or if someone is out to get you, much less where you were born or anything about your education (although you do remember what you’ve learned). Your past, however, may catch up with you, revealing many surprising facts about your former life. System: You may take up to five more points in Flaws that remain unknown to you. Your Storyteller picks them for you and brings them into play (to your surprise) during the course of your chronicle. Notes:
Pack Mentality	2	Shifter	Mental	W20 Core, pg 477	Synopsis: You are lost without your pack. Their presence not only supports you, it helps define you. System: When you are with at least one member of your pack, you have –1 difficulty on all rolls involving group activities or strategies; when you are not, your difficulty increases by 2 on any task. You sometimes have trouble making decision without your pack to help you, even if you are the pack leader. In stressful situations, you may need to make a Willpower roll to act on your own. Notes:
Short Fuse	2	Shifter	Mental	W20 Core, pg 478	Synopsis: You are closer to the Wyrm than most Garou; your Rage burns hotter within you than most. System: Your difficulty for Rage rolls is decreased by two, and you fall more readily into the “thrall of the Wyrm.” Be careful when choosing this Flaw; it can bring worlds of trouble down upon you and your pack. Notes:
Territorial	2	Shifter	Mental	W20 Core, pg 478	Synopsis: You have the wolf’s territorial nature. You dislike leaving your home turf or having people you don’t know infringe upon your claimed space. System: Before play starts, work with your Storyteller to define your territory. You must roll to avoid frenzying whenever strangers enter your territory without your permission, and are reluctant to leave there except under desperate circumstances. Notes:
Vengeful	2	Shifter	Mental	W20 Core, pg 478	Synopsis: You have a score to settle; perhaps Black Spiral Dancers murdered your family or a Pentex First Team destroyed your original pack. System: Taking revenge on the individual or group responsible is your overriding priority in any situation where you encounter them, or have the opportunity to come closer to your revenge. You may temporarily resist your need for vengeance by spending a Willpower point. Notes:
Deranged	3	Shifter	Mental	W20 Core, pg 478	Synopsis: You suffer from a permanent form of insanity, either due to a congenital defect or some past trauma. System: Pick a derangement from those available on W20 Core, pg 485. Willpower may allow you to overcome your insanity temporarily, but it always returns. Notes:
Driving Goal	3	Shifter	Mental	W20 Core, pg 478	Synopsis: You are driven by a personal goal that compels you in sometimes startling ways. The goal is always unachievable: reform the Black Spiral Dancers, balance the Triat, make amends for your ancestors’ crimes in the War of Rage. But while many Garou may empathize with your objectives, few are as consumed by the singular nature of your focus. System: You must work toward your goal throughout the chronicle (though you can avoid it for short periods by spending Willpower), and your one-track mind continually gets you into trouble with those who do not share the intensity of your vision. Choose your goal carefully, as it will be the focus of everything your character does. Notes:
Flashbacks	6	Shifter	Mental	W20 Core, pg 478	Synopsis: You managed to make it through your First Change, but not wholly intact. The most insignificant thing can throw you into a different mood or state of mind, and as such your behavior is extremely unpredictable. Because of your precarious emotional state, your Willpower fluctuates. System: At the beginning of each story, make a Willpower roll (you may not spend Willpower for an automatic success). If you succeed, you may participate in the story as normal. If you fail, however, your Willpower score is considered to be 1 for the duration of that session, and you have only one Willpower point to spend. You may roll again at the beginning of the next session to see if your Willpower for that session works as normal. Notes:
Dark Secret	1	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 480	Synopsis: You possess a hidden past which, if revealed, would cause you great embarrassment at best and make you an outcast or even hunted in Garou society at worst. Perhaps you had a lover who is a Black Spiral Dancer. Maybe you were responsible for the slaughter of your former pack or the mysterious death of a sept leader. This secret preys on your mind at all times, even though your friends and packmates are unaware of your shame. System: Occasionally, hints about your secret may arise in stories and you must take precautions to keep the knowledge from coming out into the open. So long as your secret remains unknown to those who might use it against you, you may keep the Flaw, even if a few individuals discover it. If your Dark Secret ever resolves itself so that it is no longer a factor in your life, you must sacrifice the experience points to buy it off. Notes:
Enemy	1-5	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 480	Synopsis: You have acquired an enemy (one or more individuals) that not only knows what you are, but also has power of their own. System: The 1-point version of this Flaw may signify that your enemy is another Garou of your own rank who has taken a strong dislike towards you or who blames you for some past wrong. The 3-point version may represent a pack of Black Spiral Dancers who bear a particular grudge against you or a small group of supernaturally potent werewolf hunters who have tagged you as a specific target. A 5-point Enemy may mean that you have angered one of the legends of Garou society or a powerful elder vampire. Notes:
Twisted Upbringing	1	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 481	Synopsis: The Garou who found you after your First Change, and who oversaw your Rite of Passage and early entry into Garou society, taught you everything they knew — and it was all wrong. Whether they did this out of ignorance or perversity is up to you and your Storyteller to decide. System: Your wrong assumptions and skewed beliefs cause you a great deal of grief until someone straightens you out. Eventually you may overcome the problems caused by this Flaw (and be able to pay the experience point cost to buy it off), but in the meantime, it should present you with a number of good roleplaying opportunities. Notes:
Camp Enmity	1	Shifter	Social	W20 Core, pg 481	Synopsis: You have earned the attention and disfavor of a particular Garou tribal camp. Perhaps you’re a former member of the camp, or have refused to join them and they feel slighted. Perhaps they feel you’ve done them wrong, or the camp you are a part of is ideologically opposed to what they stand for. System: Regardless, all Social rolls when interacting with that camp are made at +1 difficulty. You may not already be a member of this camp when you first take this Merit, although you can become recruited (or re-recruited) into the camp during play at the Storyteller’s discretion. You may take this Merit multiple times for different camps. Storytellers are encouraged to incorporate Storyteller characters of the appropriate camp into their storylines, so as to make this a meaningful Flaw. Notes:
Foe From the Past	1-3	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 484	Synopsis: You have inherited an enemy, not because of anything you’ve done, but because one of your ancestors incurred his wrath. System: The strength of the enemy determines the point value of the Flaw. • (1 point) A werewolf hunter whose parents were killed by your forebear. • (2 points) A mage whose mentor suffered at the hands of one of your ancestors. • (3 points) A powerful vampire or spirit creature who has sworn a vendetta against your family line. You should work with the Storyteller to come up with a logical backstory surrounding your ancestor’s enemy, since encounters with your foe may provide an ongoing story arc for your chronicle. You must possess the Ancestors Background to take this Flaw Notes:
Forced Transformation	1-2	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 484	Synopsis: Certain circumstances force you to undergo an uncontrollable shift in form. System: You may resist the change by spending a Willpower point, but once you have made the forced change, you may not change back until the triggering situation has passed. You may use the following examples or design your own circumstances and point costs (with Storyteller approval). The full moon forces you to assume your Crinos form. (2 points) You automatically change to Crinos when your auspice wanes (2 points) Sexual arousal stimulates a forced change (1 point to Glabro; 2 points to Crinos; 2 points to Homid if you are a lupus) Notes:
Insane Ancestor	1	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 484	Synopsis: An insane ancestor of yours occasionally takes over when you seek help from the spirits of your forebears. Usually, this ancestor appears only under certain common circumstances, such as when Black Spiral Dancers threaten you or whenever a certain common rite is performed in your presence. System: When the Storyteller deems this circumstance has come about, roll your Ancestors Background, difficulty 6. Any successes indicate that your ancestor takes control of you for the scene, or until someone recognizes what is happening and manages to convince him to relinquish control once more. You should create your ancestor, name him, and describe his madness. You may spend a Willpower point to stifle the ancestor-spirit for the scene. You must purchase the Background: Ancestors to take this Flaw. Notes:
Slip Sideways	1	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 484	Synopsis: System: You find it difficult to control travel between the physical world and the Umbra, sometimes entering the spirit world when you don’t intend to. Notes: When stressed and near a reflective surface, you must roll Wits + Occult (difficulty 7) to avoid shifting into the Umbra unintentionally. In order to overcome the Gauntlet, you must still roll your Gnosis, but the difficulty is 1 less than usual. If you deliberately try to step sideways, you do so at the normal difficulty.
Docile	1-3	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 484	Synopsis: Your distance from “the wolf” dampens the fires of Rage within you, hampering your ability to access them in Gaia’s service. System: For every point of Docile you take, your maximum Rage is lowered by 2, and can never be bought above that level. Others may see you as “domesticated” or “more dog than wolf” and react with derision. Notes:
Mark of the Predator	2	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 484	Synopsis: You give off emanations of a predatory nature. Herbivores shy away from you, while carnivores see you as a potential threat and may offer challenge. System: You may not possess the Skill: Animal Ken. Notes:
Sign of the Wolf	2	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 484	Synopsis: The folklore of werewolves holds true as far as you’re concerned. Like the shapechangers of myth and legend, you possess eyebrows that meet in the middle of your forehead, hair grows on the palms of your hands, and the second and third fingers of your hands are the same length. You may even manifest a pentagram on your palm before and during your auspice’s phase of the moon. System: While most people may simply wonder at these bizarre physical manifestations, werewolf hunters who notice these signs suspect your true nature. Notes:
Pierced Veil	3	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 484	Synopsis: Unlike most Garou, your Crinos form does not trigger the Delirium in mortals. System: This makes you particularly vulnerable to werewolf hunters, who may find it less difficult to pursue you back to your caern, putting the members of your sept in considerable danger. Notes:
Harano Prone	4	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 484	Synopsis: Characters suffering from this Flaw are prone to bouts of deep depression, indolence, and mood swings. System: You must make a Willpower roll every scene in which you suffer some form of setback. If the roll fails, you fall into a bout of temporary Harano. You may become morose and inactive, or suddenly spring into self-destructive activity. Your perceptions go awry, causing you to lose a die from every dice pool. If you botch the Willpower roll, you also acquire a temporary derangement (see below). You may delay the Harano attack for a single scene by spending a Willpower point. Notes:
Taint of Corruption	7	Shifter	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 485	Synopsis: Somehow, the Wyrm has touched you and left its taint upon your spirit. System: When other Garou invoke the Gift: Sense Wyrm, you register as strongly Wyrm-tainted. The taint is innate, and cannot be removed by a Rite of Cleansing (which serves only to make you ill and sore). Minions of the Wyrm trouble your sleep, attempting to lure you fully into the service of the Destroyer. You are at +2 difficulty on any rolls made to resist the powers of “fellow” Wyrmspawn — fomori powers, Black Spiral Dancer Gifts, Bane Charms, vampiric Disciplines, or the like. Only your pack can keep you from succumbing to the Wyrm, provided they give you their support and assistance. Ridding yourself of this Flaw requires a major quest and can provide the heart of a character-driven chronicle. Notes:
Shark Teeth	1	Rokea	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 209	Synopsis: Even in Homid form, the character’s teeth remain mildly pointed. System: This isn’t sufficient to do any extra damage, but it’s very noticeable. Notes:
Cant Eat Solid Foodds	5	Ananasi	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 209	Synopsis: For some reason, the character’s human digestive system doesn’t function; she lives on a diet of blood or liquefied flesh, and needs to consume much more of it than the typical werespider. System: The character automatically loses one blood point per day, and when her blood pool falls below three, she risks frenzying from hunger. Notes:
Unsure Footing	5	Rokea	Supernatural	W20 Changing Breeds, pg 209	Synopsis: The character just can’t get the hang of walking on two legs. She stumbles easily, and suffers from vertigo just looking up. System: All rolls involving coordinated movement on land (including combat) add 2 to their difficulty. Notes:

[+/-] Kinfolk Flaws

Flaw	Cost	Allowed	Type	Source	Details
Barren/Sterile	4	Kinfolk	Physical	W20 Core, pg 382	Synopsis: For Kinfolk who serve werewolves as perpetuators of the species, inability to reproduce is a serious Flaw indeed. Not only does it carry a social stigma, it may also incur abuse, neglect, or even exile. System: Kinfolk who can’t reproduce lose a great deal of their value in Garou eyes. For obvious reasons, vampire and wraith who were Kin can’t take this Flaw Notes:
Inferiority Complex	1	Kinfolk	Mental	W20 Core, pg 382	Synopsis: Nope, you’re not worthy. Never have been, never will be. System: In situations requiring you to take charge or be personally responsible, all your difficulties are raised by one. Notes:
Ulterior Motive	2	Kinfolk	Mental	W20 Core, pg 382	Synopsis: Something other than love and respect for your Garou relatives and Kinfolk guides your actions. This “something” may be as simple as greed or a lust for vengeance; you could also be a traitor working for an outside agency. Whatever the case, this ulterior motive holds your ultimate loyalty. System: Should someone suspect things aren’t as they seem, you could be in big trouble. This Flaw makes a good complement for the Flaw: Dark Secret (W20 Core, pg 480). Notes:
Outsider	2	Kinfolk	Social	W20 Core, pg 382	Synopsis: Because of rumors (true or not), an ill-done deed, poor decision, or some other character flaw, you have a poor reputation among Kinfolk and Garou. They don’t necessarily hurt you, but they let you know you aren’t welcome in their camps or homes. System: Make all Social rolls involving interaction with werewolves and Kin at +2 difficulty. Notes:
Veiled	5	Kinfolk	Supernatural	W20 Core, pg 383	Synopsis: For some reason, you’re not immune to the Delirium. System: Gifts such as Part the Veil and the Rending of the Veil rite have no effect on you. You do receive a +1 bonus on the Delirium chart (p. 263) and retain all memories of what you see, but the sight of a Garou in Crinos form still invokes some sort of instinctive, uncontrollable reaction in you. This may convince Garou you’re not really Kinfolk, reduce your likelihood of finding a Garou mate, or throw your heritage into question. Notes:
Wyrm Tainted	4	Kinfolk	Supernatural	W20 Kinfolk, pg 63	Synopsis: Whether through your own twisted actions in the Wyrm’s service, an unfortunate hereditary blemish, or through sheer bad supernatural luck, you reek of Wyrm-taint. System: Because certain Gifts enable a Garou to identify you as marked by the Wyrm, most werewolves may try to kill you outright! This Flaw is not to be taken lightly. You should work with your Storyteller to determine how you acquired this taint, unless you want it to be a mystery to your character. Notes:
Unscented	1	Kinfolk	Physical	W20 Kinfolk, pg 63	Synopsis: For some reason, you have no noticeable body odor. Your scent is so faint as to be practically undetectable by animals and Garou. This may work to your advantage while hiding from scent-driven predators (and many humans may prefer a neutral-smelling person), this fact is a decided disadvantage among Garou. They are likely to instinctively distrust anyone without a scent, suspecting that he or she is using supernatural means to hide Wyrm taint. System: No Gifts, such as Scent of the True Form, can reveal you as Kinfolk. Among a group of people who rely heavily on their sense of smell, you have a distinct disability. Notes:

---

Backgrounds

Backgrounds can be gained or lost much easier than Merits or Flaws, but they still require effort from the character.

[+/-] How To Pool Backgrounds With Your Pack

Pooling Backgrounds

Sources: W20 Core, pg 140

Some Backgrounds can relate to the pack/etc, rather than the individual. Specifically, the members of a pack may choose to pool their individual Allies, Contacts, Fate, Kinfolk, and Resources. Totem as a Background already applies to the pack rather than the individual character, thus is not a candidate for pooling.
A character can draw on a pooled Background even if that Background is normally restricted for her type.

The Anchor

The players should choose one Background as the anchor that links their characters' shared assets together. For example, the players of a pack of Glass Walkers might choose Resources, with the money and property placed in joint ownership to the pack explaining how the pack can access skilled people, connect to Kinfolk around the world, and even serve their destiny as a pack of moneyed werewolves. Any of the poolable Backgrounds can serve as an anchor: packs with grand Fates often find their destinies include other people and resources.
No pooled Background can have more dots assigned to it than the Anchor Background does at any time. If that Background is damaged by events during play or in downtime, the other assets drift out of the pack's control and it takes effort to win them back.
Any character contributing to a pool may withdraw his stake at any time, but extracting personal assets from a pack causes some damage and bruises relationships: he gets back one less dot than he put in.

Example: The members of the Irregulars build their shared Background pool around the pack's Allies: a group of ex-squaddies and political agitators in London who can put them in touch with a people in almost every field, and through whom the Irregulars can call on Kinfolk for assistance. They put a total of five dots into the Allies pool. Members of the pack add four points of pooled Contacts and two points of pooled Kinfolk.
A pack of Black Spiral Dancers wants to make life difficult for the pack, and slaughters the people the Garou relied on for help. Their Allies rating drops from 5 to 3. With so many people dead, the Irregulars cant get in touch with many of their old Contacts, so that Background also drops from 4 to 3. Fortunately, the Black Spiral Dancers didn't kill anyone who knew about the Kinfolk, so that pooled rating doesn't change.
Sustained effort by the Irregulars to help people out and forge new alliances and friendships in new areas can repair the damage. Who knows who their new friends will be able to introduce them to?

As the Anchor Background rating rises again, so do the ratings of those anchored to it, as a result of storytelling directed towards the goals of improving the lost Backgrounds.
Under normal circumstances, a pack cant change its Anchor Background, nor can it acquire a new one. While it may choose to abandon the assets represented by a given Background over the course of a chronicle, and thus free itself from the limitations of the backgrounds pooled to that Anchor, the fact that most Backgrounds can change value only as a result of the story's events means that the pack must acquire new Backgrounds in this manner. The only exception among pooled Backgrounds is Fate, and even then experience points should be used to improve it when discovering more about what the world has in store for the pack.
While some want to pursue their personal goals, the majority pull together and act as a pack against any hardships. It can be hard for a pack to accept pooling their Backgrounds when they don't necessarily know or trust one another, but as time moves on, most packs see the utility in holding assets as a pack rather than an individual. It makes sense on a fundamental level - the pack, not the individual, is the fundamental unit of Garou society.

Using Pooled Backgrounds

Pooled Backgrounds represent the pack's communal property. Anyone who contributes to any aspect of the pool has equal access to the full resources. Even a character who donates only one dot of Contacts still has equal access to all the backgrounds in the pool. Not everyone can use the pool at the same time. A pool of seven Allies represents the same seven people. Who is available to help which members of the pack depends on circumstances and agreements among the pack. Drawing on a pack's Fate has certain limitations that go beyond this; see the Background's description below for more information.

Example: Four Glass Walkers form a pool around their shared Resources - their investments and the property and assets of their wholly-owned corporation. They wish to get dots of Contacts (people in the business world), Allies (specialists each werewolf has met in her travels), and Fate (the pack is prophesied to shake the Garou Nation from a pillar of wealth). Beth contributes three dots of Resources and one of Contacts; Danny adds two dots of Allies and one dot of Resources; Laura can contribute two dots of Resources and three dots of Fate; Chuck is short on dots, but can contribute a dot of Fate and a dot of Contacts. This makes the pool Resources 6, Allies 2, Contacts 2, Fate 4 (with a pack Fate limit of 3 and a personal fate limit of 1). Everyone can tap this pool equally: Chuck can draw on all the pack's Resources if necessary, while Beth and Danny can both draw on the pack's Fate for their own ends - despite not having any Fate of their own.

Some packs may agree to place an individual access limit on shared Backgrounds, to reflect any agreements between the packmates, at the Storyteller's discretion. These arrangements are more common among packs who do not yet trust one another.

Upper Limits

Packs can get Backgrounds that surpass the normal five-dot limit through pooling their points. This is normal, and reflects the many advantages of a pack working together - a pack can keep in touch with more people, or maintain tighter control over a range of investments than one werewolf can. Pooled Backgrounds don't have any absolute upper limit, but things get outright bizarre if you aren't careful - the world's 20 richest people aren't all members of the same pack. It's usually best if the Storyteller sets a 10-dot limit on the Anchor background.
Some Backgrounds work best if they scale differently in a pool to the individual scale, especially when they break through the normal five-dot limit. If an average pack of four players each adds one or two dots of Resources to end up with a shared pool of 6, the effect isn't that they're secret billionaires. Instead, they're of modest means but it's damned near impossible to tear the pack's fiscal assets from them. As with all questions of balancing player expectations with elements of the story, the players and Storyteller should talk through the issue and set out some guidelines for what each shared background represents before the chronicle begins.

---

[+/-] Allies

Allies

W20 Core, pg 135

Allies are people who help and support you, either out of love or common interest. They can be family, friends, or even organizations that are friendly to you. Some allies have useful skills - doctors, hackers, and soldiers, for example - while others have community influence, with contacts or resources they can use on your behalf. Although allies aid you willingly, without coaxing or coercion, they are not always available to offer assistance; they can only ignore so many of their own concerns for the sake of your relationship. Except in special circumstances, your allies don't usually know you're a supernatural creature (that knowledge would probably alter the relationship for the worse), but they may know that you have contacts and skills that most people don't, and they will come to you for favors. After all, friends help each other out, right?

You've got a closer relationship with your allies than with contacts - they're your friends, and they'll listen to you. Convincing your fishing buddy that a local refinery is spilling toxins into a major fishery can do wonders for your cause when he's an aide in the governor's office. Of course, just as your allies are more loyal and directly useful than your contacts, they can also require more in return. But you'd help your buddies out, right?

You should work out who your allies are at the beginning of the game, as well as how you know them. Maybe they're old brothers-in-arms or friends from a local environmental society. Maybe (if your Allies rating is 5) you're an old hunting buddy of the governor. Allies may be pooled among a pack/coterie/etc.

Points	Description
	One ally, of moderate influence and power (doctor or veterinarian, local activist)
	Two allies, both of moderate power (district ranger, deputy sheriff, popular blogger)
	Three allies, one of them quite influential (newspaper editor, local philanthropist)
	Four allies, one of them very influential (city councilman, military base commander)
	Five allies, one of them extremely influential (mayor, senator's aide)

• Ratkin generally don’t have much in the way of Resources or Allies, and don’t have Ancestors or Pure Breed at all.

---

[+/-] Ancestors

Ancestors

Sources: W20 Core, pg 136

Ancestral memory in humans is no more than pseudo scientific nonsense. To the Garou, who can contact the spirits of their ancestors, it's a fact of life. Many werewolves carry some of the same memories of a distant ancestor; some even allow their forebears to take over their bodies.
Once per game session, the player of a Garou with this Background may roll his Ancestors Background (difficulty 8, or 10 if he's trying to contact the spirit of a specific ancestor). Each success allows the character to increase any Ability by one for the purposes of a single die roll, even if he has no dots in the Ability - and he doesn't suffer the penalty for not having the Ability. For example, young Emil, a pure flatlander, must scale an immense cliff to come to the aid of his embattled pack. Emil has an Ancestors rating of 4 and Athletics 0. He calls on his forebears to guide him, and Emil's player rolls four dice at difficulty 8. He scores three successes. Emil contacts his great-great-great granduncle Cragtamer, who guides him over the sheer face and over the top. Now the player has an effective Athletics rating of 3 to make his climbing roll. If the Garou had an Athletics rating of 2, then his effective dice pool would be 5. All effects last for the rest of the scene.
While it is more difficult to contact a specific ancestor, successful contact provides either useful advice or precognitive visions at the discretion of the Storyteller.
Botching an Ancestors roll may indicate that the character becomes catatonic for the remainder of the scene as he's overwhelmed by the memories of thousands of lives. Alternatively, the ancestral spirit refuses to relinquish the body. How long the ancestor stays depends on the Storyteller.

Points	Description
	You have brief, hazy visions from the distant past.
	You remember faces and places from past lives just as you remember those of your early childhood.
	You put names to faces among your ancestors.
	Ancestors converse with you on a regular basis.
	Your ancestors watch your adventures with interest, and they often come to counsel you.

• No Ananasi may have Ancestors or Pure Breed; Ananasa doesn’t want her children dwelling on the past.
  
• Bastet use most of the same Backgrounds as Garou, eschewing only Ancestors (with the exception of Swara).
  
• Mokolé do not possess the Ancestors Background, replacing it with Mnesis instead.
  
• Ratkin generally don’t have much in the way of Resources or Allies, and don’t have Ancestors or Pure Breed at all.
  
• The timeless Rokea don’t have Ancestors, and don’t concern themselves with Pure Breed.

---

[+/-] Contacts

Contacts

W20 Core, pg 136

Contacts are the people you know from all walks of life. They're acquaintances, drinking buddies, or friends who don't mind letting you know what's going on, but wouldn't take a bullet for you. In addition to a general network of people who you can con or bully information from, you have a few major contacts - people you trust to feed you accurate information in their area of expertise. You should come up with a name and a field for your major contacts, either at the start of play, or as you use them.
You also have a number of minor contacts around the area. They are not quite as friendly or reliable in a pinch, but they work in a whole range of different areas and you can bribe, intimidate, or manipulate them into telling you what you need to know. To get in touch with a minor contact, make a roll using your Contacts rating (difficulty 7). Each success means that you have located one of your minor contacts. Because major contacts are closer to you (they're usually good friends), they're easier to find.
Contacts may be pooled among a pack/coterie/etc.

Points	Description
	One major contact
	Two major contacts
	Three major contacts
	Four major contacts
	Five major contacts

---

[+/-] Fate

Fate

Sources: W20 Core, pg 137

The Fate Background represents a prophecy that accompanied your birth or the creation of your pack. A Fate is always something significant, but it's as likely to be dark and infamous as it is to be full of glory. In these times of Apocalypse, the Garou cannot afford to sacrifice even one warrior, no matter how dark the portents surrounding them are. However, even those with terrible fates often prove to be some of the greatest Garou, perhaps because they try so hard to defy their fate. Some even succeed.
In addition to the fame or infamy these prophecies garner you, once per game session you may use this Background to add successes to any roll that either failed or achieved fewer successes than were required. The player rolls his rating in this Background (difficulty 8) and adds any successes to those that were achieved in the original failed roll. If this means the action succeeds, the player should describe what his fortuitous events caused him to succeed. If the storyteller feels the player's actions run against what he is destined to do, she may choose to disallow the use of the background.
When Fate is pooled among the pack, each member may call on this Background, each member may call on this Background once per game session. If the action failed involves the entire pack in some way, then the player may draw on an amount of Fate up to the highest individual Fate in the pack. If the character is acting on her own, the player can only draw on an amount of Fate up to the lowest individual Fate in the pack (to a minimum of one). In a pack with pooled Fate, any character can raise her personal Fate with experience points, much like the totem background. However, she can only raise it up to the same level as the highest Fate in the pack - if no member of the pack starts with more than three dots of Fate, no pack member can ever buy up to four or five dots.
Packs tend to garner prophecies of greater proportions than individuals. This is not only because of the greater weight a pack can swing compared to a single werewolf, but also because the Garou tend to see a pack's accomplishments as more legitimate than those of just one person. For roleplaying purposes, consider the pack's Fate to be equal to that of the highest Fate rating in the pack.
Fate may be pooled among a pack/etc.

Points	Description
	Your pack will be involved in an event that will make you known to the entire Garou Nation. For now, though, only those in your sept know of this prophecy.
	Your pack will be the cause of an event that greatly impacts your sept, such as the destruction of a long time enemy or a highly admired Garou. The Garou throughout the city or local geographical area in which you reside might know your fate.
	Your pack will be responsible for an event that impacts werewolves across the continent, perhaps single-handedly saving (or destroying) a caern. Any Garou in your hemisphere might know of the prophecy.
	The actions of your pack will affect the entire Garou Nation, such as the defeat of a great Wyrm enemy or the massacre of dozens of Garou. There might be a cub or two that hasn't heard of your destiny, but don't count on it.
	You, or your pack, will be a direct factor in the fate of the Apocalypse, one way or another. There isn't a cub that hasn't heard of your destiny.

---

[+/-] Fetish

Fetish

Sources: W20 Core, pg 137

You possess a fetish - a physical object into which a shapeshifter has bound a spirit. The spirit grounds a number of powers to a fetish, so they are very significant to shifters. Such things are valuable, and other garou or other supernatural beings may covet them.

Points	Description
	You possess one Level One fetish
	You possess one Level Two fetish, or two Level One fetishes.
	You possess one or more fetishes with a total of three levels.
	You possess one or more fetishes with a total of four levels.
	You possess one or more fetishes with a total of five levels.

• Getting Fetishes in character: Someone could make you a fetish while you're in game, but you still have to pay the XP cost for it. If someone makes you a Level 1 Truth Earring, you as the recipient of the fetish need to pay XP for the dot of Fetish that will be added to your sheet. If someone makes you a Level 4 fetish, save up and be prepared to pay the cost of 4 points of Fetish background!

---

[+/-] Kinfolk

Kinfolk

W20 Core, pg 138

Kinfolk are otherwise normal humans and animals who descended from shifters without inheriting their spiritual duty. Through this Background you are in contact with a number of Kinfolk. While Kinfolk are normal members of their species in most respects, they are immune to the Delirium, giving them the dubious advantage of looking upon a Crinos-form werewolf. They know that you are a Garou/Bastet/etc, and they are willing to help you however they can, although most are not in positions of power (such people are considered Allies). Networks of Kinfolk are a valuable way for werecreatures to deal with the human world without risking frenzy or discovery. Some Kinfolk may be related to you directly while others are contacts you have made through your sept. Kinfolk may be pooled among a pack.

Points	Description
	Two Kinfolk
	Five Kinfolk
	10 Kinfolk
	20 Kinfolk
	50 Kinfolk

• Rokea can have at most a single dot of Kinfolk, as their shark Kin are spread so far across the seas, and their human relations are so very few.
• Notes: +note/set me/Kinfolk=List some info about your kinfolk, give them some names. We just need to know who they are and what they do.

---

[+/-] Mentor

Mentor

Sources: W20 Core, pg 138

A shifter of higher Rank has taken a keen interest in you, and will look after you - to a point. The rating of your Mentor background quantifies how powerful your mentor is within the tribe and what rank he or she has achieved. A mentor can teach you skills, advise you, or speak on your behalf at a council fire. He has a pack of his own, and his own duties, so he wont be present to save you whenever you bite off more than you can chew. Of course, your mentor will expect something in return for his assistance, he it good company, an occasional gofer, a champion, or perhaps a supporter in sept politics. His demands can make an excellent source of story hooks. In general, however, you will receive more than you give. Other werecreatures may wonder what your mentor sees in you - the two of you deal as individuals, rather than as members of your respective packs.
A powerful mentor doesn't have to be a single person; a pack or council of elders might be considered a collective mentor. The latter would almost certainly have a raging of four or five digs, even if no one on the council is above Rank 5.

Points	Description
	Mentor is Rank 2
	Mentor is Rank 3
	Mentor is Rank 4
	Mentor is Rank 5
	Mentor is Rank 6

• Corax rarely stick with any single Mentor for an appreciable length of time, and dismiss Pure Breed as elitist nonsense.
• Notes: +note/set me/Mentor=Tell us a bit about your Mentor, give them a name and tell us how they can help you, and what they might want in return.

---

[+/-] Pure Breed

Pure Breed

W20 Core, pg 138

Garou take great stock in ancestry, and the werewolf who is descended from renowned forebears has a definite advantage in Garou society. This Background represents your lineage, markings, bearings and other features of birth. Other Garou revere werewolves with high ranks in Pure Breed as heroes of yore come to life - and such werewolves are expected to act the part. The higher your Pure Breed score is, the more likely you are to impress elder councils or receive hospitality from foreign tribes. Each point of Pure Breed adds an extra die to formal challenges (such as Rank challenges) and to Social rolls involving other Garou (even Ronin or Black Spiral Dancers).
Pure breed is a nebulous combination of bloodline and spiritual inheritance. A character with high Pure Breed looks and carries himself like an archetypal member of his tribe - however, if he does not join that tribe, any benefits of Pure Breed are removed by the tribe's totem. Many werewolves with Pure Breed can trace their ancestry directly, while others resemble distant ancestors who cannot be connected without a degree of genealogical exactitude that is lost to the Garou.
Some tribes place more value on good breeding than others, but Pure Breed is almost universally respected. It's a mystical trait, and werewolves can tell instinctively whose blood is particularly pure. Of course, Garou expect those of pure blood to live up to the standards set by their noble ancestors. They frown on those who cant or wont accept the challenge.

Points	Description
	You have your father's eyes.
	Your grandfather made a name for himself at the Battle of Blood Ford, and you carry that name with pride.
	Your pedigree is blessed with pillars of the Garou Nation, and the blood tells.
	You could be dressed as a beggar and still command respect.
	The greatest of heroes live on in you.

• Ajaba use all of the same Backgrounds as the Garou, although high Pure Breed becomes increasingly rare as the Ajaba scramble to shore up their decimated numbers.
  
• No Ananasi may have Ancestors or Pure Breed; Ananasa doesn’t want her children dwelling on the past.
  
• Corax rarely stick with any single Mentor for an appreciable length of time, and dismiss Pure Breed as elitist nonsense.
  
• Kitsune use many of the same Backgrounds as the Garou, eschewing only Pure Breed as redundant — werefoxes are all of the purest blood, after all.
  
• Ratkin generally don’t have much in the way of Resources or Allies, and don’t have Ancestors or Pure Breed at all.
  
• The timeless Rokea don’t have Ancestors, and don’t concern themselves with Pure Breed.
  

---

[+/-] Resources

Resources

W20 Core, pg 138

The Resources Background describes your character’s access to and control over a range of valuable assets. These assets may be actual cash, but as this Background increases, they’re more likely to be investments, property, or earning capital such as stocks and bonds. A character’s Resources depend upon the standard of living she’s comfortable with — a lupus in the Yukon isn’t likely to get a wire transfer from her broker each month. A character with no dots in Resources can have enough clothing and supplies to get by, or she may be homeless, sleeping in a den in her lupus form.
You receive a basic allowance each month based on your rating, so make sure to detail where this money comes from. The Storyteller will determine how much this is based on the area your game takes part in and the cultures you’re in contact with. A werewolf’s fortune can run out if she’s fighting in the Amazon rather than managing her stock portfolio. You can also sell your less liquid resources if you need the cash, but this can take weeks or even months, depending on what exactly you’re trying to sell. Art buyers don’t just pop out of the woodwork, after all. Resources can be pooled among a pack.

Points	Description
	Sufficient. You don’t get many spending sprees, but you’ve got a decent place to live, a car that doesn’t crap out every week, and a decent standard of living for the working class.
	Moderate. You’re thoroughly middle-class in income, and can afford the odd indulgence. You can hire specific help as necessary. You have enough available cash, portable property, and valuables that you can maintain a one-dot standard of living wherever you are for up to six months.
	Comfortable. You own a house and some land outright, which you may let the sept use or keep for your pack, and you’ve a reputation that gives you easy access to credit at good terms. More of your assets are tied up in property than in cash, and if needs be you can maintain a one-dot standard of living wherever you are for as long as you like.
	Wealthy. You have serious financial power, and are one of the richest people in your country. You don’t deal much with actual cash, using more valuable and stable assets to pay off debts as they arise. When you can’t focus on maintaining your level of Resources, you can live at the three-dot level for up to a year, or a two-dot life indefinitely.
	Extremely Wealthy. You’re one of the richest people on Earth. You have multiple homes, many forms of luxury transport, and frequently show up in glossy magazines and on gossip websites. You have assets everywhere, and can hobble the Wyrm’s activities with a ten-minute phone call. You can live at the three-dot level indefinitely if you ignore your fortune; higher if you put a little effort in to it.

• Owing to their rarity, Gurahl rarely amass much in the way of Resources
  
• Ratkin generally don’t have much in the way of Resources or Allies, and don’t have Ancestors or Pure Breed at all.
  
• Notes: +note/set me/Resources=Tell us a little about how you get your money and what you do with it.

---

[+/-] Rites

Rites

We do not use the Rites background here, so you can spend your points on other things! Instead, if you buy the Rituals Knowledge, it will work the same: One level of rite per point of Rituals.

---

[+/-] Spirit Heritage

Spirit Heritage

W20 Core, pg 139

The Garou are creatures of duality - torn between man and wolf, and between flesh and spirit. The Garou share a kinsship with inhabitants of the spirit world, but some have a stronger connection than others. For some reason, perhaps an ancestral tie to a household of spirits, certain types of spirits react more positively to you than others. This doesn't need to be a friendly relationship - spirits may be fearful and respectful of you, in awe of you, or feel a sense of duty to you. No matter what the relationship, one group of spirits is more likely to cooperate with you.
When you select this background, choose one type of spirits. Examples of possible groups are animal spirits, plant spirits, elementals, urban spirits, and even Banes. When dealing with spirits of this type, the player may add his Spirit Heritage rating to any Social rolls, or rolls involved in challenges. Spirits whom you are attuned to view you, to some degree, as one of their own - a daunting prospect for those attuned to Banes, when other Garou discover their heritage. If you act against such spirits or ignore their plights, you may be seen as betraying them

Points	Description
	Spirits can smell their scent on you, though no one else can.
	The spirits note your arrival. You bring your chosen spirits to mind in others when they look at you, though few understand why.
	In the umbra, you emanate an intangible, though noticeable, sense of your aligned spirit type.
	In the Umbra, you have visible hints of your aligned spirit type. Those attuned to nature spirits may have tiny twigs emerge from their fur, for example.
	Some question if you really are only half spirit.

• Notes: Tell us what sort of spirits you're related to, and maybe how that came to be.

---

[+/-] Totem

Totem

W20 Core, pg 140, W20 Changing Breeds, pg 212

Totem is a Background that applies directly to the character’s pack, rather than the individual. Unlike other pooled Backgrounds, the pack spends all of the points that members have invested in this Trait to determine their totem’s power.
Each totem has a Background cost rating; the pack must spend that amount to ally with that totem. Some totems are willing to lend great powers to their adherents; their point costs are correspondingly greater. See Pack Totems (W20 Core, pg 373) for a list of possible totems. In addition to their Totem bonuses, all beginning totems have a base of eight points to divide among Rage, Willpower, and Gnosis. The totem also begins with the Airt Sense and Re-form Charms. Apart from bestowing power, totems start out somewhat aloof from the pack, and they have little influence among spirits, unless the players buy a closer connection with Background points. With time, roleplaying, and experience points, pack totems can grow in power as their pack grows in Rank and influence. Some totems can even become the totems of whole septs or — in legendary circumstances — even tribes.
Most of the powers that totems bestow are available to only one pack member at a time. At the end of each turn, the Garou with the power declares who the power may be given to next turn (assuming that she doesn’t keep it). After spending the initial cost of the totem, the players can spend any remaining Background points to add to the totem’s strength and abilities.

A multi-Fera pack may pool its Background points to buy its Totem in the same fashion as a Garou pack. Owing perhaps to some similarity to the rites used by the hengeyokai, even Corax and Gurahl are able to participate in the rite, giving up Raven or Bear’s favor in exchange for that of the pack totem. The inclusion of a Nuwisha still guarantees that the totem attracted will be a trickster of some variety, however. In the incredible event that an Ananasi or Nagah participates in the rite, they gain only the ability to participate in pack tactics and the totem spirit’s favorable regard; Queen Ananasa will not relinquish her children to another, while the Nagah remain outside of the Pact that facilitates congress between the spirit world and the other Fera.

Cost	Power
1	Per three points to spend on Willpower, Rage, or Gnosis
1	Totem can speak to the pack without the benefit of the Gift: Spirit Speech.
1	Totem can always find the pack members.
2	Totem is nearly always with the pack members.
2	Totem is respected by other spirits.
2	Per charm possessed
3	Per extra pack member who can use the totem’s powers in the same turn
4	Totem is connected mystically to all pack members, allowing communication among them even at great distances.
5	Totem is feared by agents of the Wyrm. Either minions of the Wyrm flee from the pack, or they do their best to kill the pack.

The listed cost is in Background points, which can be bought through experience (see Spending Experience Points, p. 244) at the rate of two experience points per Background point. (Therefore, three points of Rage would cost two experience points.) The Storyteller should allow increases in totem powers only when it fits in to the story, such as when pack members gain a higher rank, a new member joins the pack, or when pack members gain new insight into the nature of their totem. When the totem is affiliated with a more powerful spirit, the greater spirit might grant the strengthening of its servant (pack totem) in return for a great service done it by the pack.

• As social creatures, werehyenas are much more likely to have pack totems than personal ones.
  
• Queen Ananasa also serves as the totem for all werespiders, granting Occult +3 and Enigmas +2 while the werespider meditates in his Sylie. In return, they must obey her laws.
  
• Bastet often use personal rather than pack totems, however (calling such patrons “Jamak”).
  
• Corax have no pack or personal Totems, either; Raven claims each Corax for his own, granting them one free dot of Athletics, Enigmas, and Subterfuge. In return he asks only that they whisper each secret they learn into the air, that he might hear it as well.
  
• All Gurahl have an aspect of Bear as their personal Totem.
  
• Those not associated with a sentai or other pack-group may have either a personal totem or no totem at all.
  
• Virtually all Nuwisha have a personal totem, inevitably a trickster spirit of some sort. Rarely, a Nuwisha will bind herself into a pack of other Fera — but only if the pack is united under a trickster totem.
  
• Some wererats establish themselves under a permanent Totem, while others use a special rite to temporarily assume a Totem for the duration of only a single mission or quest, dissolving their bond to the spirit once their task is done.

---

[+/-] Den Realm

Den-Realm

W20 Changing Breeds, pg 210

The Bastet has built or acquired (either by inheritance or duel) her own Den-Realm, a sanctuary where she and the land have become one. In the Umbra, a Den-Realm resembles a Domain, one which other travelers cannot pass through without permission. The appearance of this Domain is up to the Bastet who owns the Den-Realm — a proud Khan’s Den-Realm may resemble a maharaja’s fortress, while a Balam’s might resemble an impenetrable forest.
A difficulty 8 Perception + Occult roll is necessary to recognize a Den-Realm for what it is, and penetrating its walls uninvited requires a roll as though the intruder were stepping sideways (difficulty 9). This automatically alerts the Bastet that an intruder is coming in.
A werecat inside of his Den-Realm enjoys several benefits: He may step sideways at any time within his Den-Realm, against a Gauntlet of 3. A number of times per scene equal to his Gnosis rating, the Bastet may make a Gnosis roll (difficulty 6) to blink between two points in his Den-Realm without crossing the intervening space. Any attack on the Den-Realm (whether by banes in the Umbra or bulldozers in the Gaia Realm) registers as a cold bolt of pain in the werecat’s heart. The Bastet can freely peer through the Gauntlet from either side within her Den-Realm. Finally, the Bastet can lead any others she chooses across the Gauntlet while in her Den-Realm as though they were packmates.
A Den-Realm’s rating determines how big it is. The first rating is for urban Den-Realms, while the second is for the much larger Den-Realms possible in the wilderness.

Points	Description
	The size of a house/one square mile.
	The size of a mansion/two square miles.
	A city block/five square miles.
	Two city blocks/10 square miles.
	Five city blocks/20 square miles.

---

[+/-] Umbral Glade

Umbral Glade

W20 Changing Breeds, pg 210

A Gurahl with this Background possesses a Den which opens into a Glade in the Umbra, serving as a “mini-caern” or wellspring of Gnosis. The size and location of the Umbral Glade determines how much Gnosis is available for the resident Gurahl. If more than one Gurahl remains within the Glade in order to regain Gnosis, the total Gnosis available must be shared among those wishing to partake of it.
In addition to providing Gnosis for the Gurahl, an Umbral Glade gives the werebear an instantaneous doorway into the Umbra without the need for a rite.

Points	Description
	A 20 x 20 foot area, supplying one Gnosis per day.
	A 50 x 50 foot area, supplying two Gnosis per day.
	A 100 x 100 foot area, supplying three Gnosis per day.
	A 500 x 500 foot area, supplying four Gnosis per day.
	A 1,000 x 1,000 foot area, supplying five Gnosis per day.

---

[+/-] Mnesis

Mnesis

Any Mokolé (even one without this Background) may place himself into a Mnesis quest — a sort of auto-hypnosis in which the character journeys deep into the halls of ancestral memory, much like the Umbral vision-quests of the Garou. Because a Mnesis quest can easily last for hours and renders the seeker oblivious to the outside world for its duration, most Mokolé will only enter Mnesis while in the safety of their wallows. The rating of the Background determines how far back the Mokolé may remember.

Points	Description
None	Roughly a century.
	Three to five hundred years.
	Roughly a millennium.
	The Impergium and the beginning of human civilization.
	The awakening of the mammalian shapeshifters.
	The time of the Dinosaur Kings.

---

[+/-] Wallow

Wallow

The Wallow Background means that you have ties to a Mokolé wallow, one with some history and other Mokolé residents. If you are a homid, this may be a village, rural homestead, or isolated island such as Komodo. If you are a suchid, it may be an ancient temple, jungle swamp, zoo, or gator farm. Any Allies, Contacts, or Kinfolk you may have likely live at the wallow. The wallow is a place where you can meditate to regain Gnosis in Sun’s light, hold gathers and perform rites. You may live there all the time; of course, if you don’t have Resources, your home might not be very luxurious.

Points	Description
	A poor wallow. One Mokolé lives there or perhaps only Kin.
	No palace. A few Mokolé and Kin live there.
	The wallow has lots of land (maybe a national park) or places to live.
	A nice place: a village, isolated creek, or lake.
	A temple, alligator farm, or large village.

---

[+/-] Secrets

Secrets

The character possesses information that would be considered desirable — or damaging — by someone else. While such knowledge can sometimes place the character in danger, mostly it gives her leverage and advantages. What the character does with these secrets (bartering them for favors or cash, using them to take down minions of the Wyrm, or something else entirely) is up to her.
The player and Storyteller should work together to determine what sort of secrets the character possesses. The Background’s rating determines the value and number of secrets the character knows. This Background is normally the province of Corax and Bastet, though other Changing Breeds (and even the odd Shadow Lord!) occasionally pick it up as well.

Points	Description
	A small but noteworthy secret — a secret affair, a hidden sexual orientation, a minor crime.
	A moderate secret. The human identities of a Garou pack, the whereabouts of a criminal on the run, a significant crime, or evidence of two Garou sleeping together. Alternately, a few minor secrets.
	A substantial secret, or equivalent amount of lesser secrets. A matter of life and death or utter ruination for someone. The location of a lost fetish that someone needs to stay lost. The identity of a murderer of one or more Fera.
	A heavy secret, or equivalent amount of lesser secrets. The location of a national fugitive, a vampire’s “little black book” of contacts, the location of a Gurahl.
	An enormous secret, or equivalent amount of lesser secrets. A high-level Pentex plot. The location of a legendary cursed fetish. The secret weakness of an Incarna.

• Bastet and Corax both have access to Secrets.
• Notes: +note/set me/Secrets=What kinda secrets have you picked up?

---

[+/-] Umbral Maps

Umbral Maps

The character possesses a wealth of experience and received information about Umbral navigation. These “Umbral maps” are not physical objects, but rather the collected lore of symbolic navigation among spirit paths, the entry methods for safe havens and refuges, the cycles of natural spirit paths, and reliable methods to bypass various obstacles along the way.
This Background is normally the province of Corax and Nuwisha, though other Changing Breeds occasionally pick it up as well.

Points	Description
	A few safe paths and refuges. The character enjoys –1 difficulty to rolls to navigate the Umbra.
	Several routes to common destinations. As Level One, plus once per story the character can re-roll a failed attempt to navigate through the Umbra.
	Safe zones, routes to virtually any place, and knowledge of where not to go. –2 difficulty to rolls to navigate the Umbra, plus one re-roll per story.
	Several safe places and refuges, extensive knowledge of Umbral paths and dwellers in those areas. –2 difficulty to rolls to navigate the Umbra, plus two re-rolls per story.
	No one knows the Near Umbra like the character. –3 difficulty to rolls to navigate the Umbra, plus three re-rolls per story.

---