Rage

All werewolves have Rage, a blessing and a curse from Luna, the moon. Rage channels Gaia's pain into the ferocity Garou use to destroy their enemies, but it also threatens their self-control and makes them dangerous to their own kin and packmates.

 

When normal humans interacts with a werewolf, they often instinctively sense the werewolf's simmering Rage, causing them to fear or avoid the werewolf. This effect is known to Garou as the Curse. Garou blame the Curse for their difficulty interacting with the mundane human world. For purposes of interacting with mortals Garou are considered down a number of social traits equal to their current rage except for intimidation. Garou can burn off some rage to circumvent these affects (see below).

 

Burning Rage Off

Garou can burn off their current rage to a lower value, but they can only ever burn it down to one. Burning rage requires some violent outburst against an object or person. Examples would be destroying a car with your bare hands or smashing all the dishes in your kitchen, some aggressive act that is cathartic in nature.

 

Using Rage

Rage Traits can accomplish the following:

• Shapeshifting: Spend one Rage Trait to instantly change into any form. (The Primal Urge Ability can be used this way as well.)

• Extra Actions: Spend Rage to gain an extra action in a combat round, up to half of your perminent level of Rage rounded down.

• Gifts: Many Gifts require you to spend Rage to activate them.

 

You may not spend Rage during any turn during which you use Gnosis.

 

Regaining Rage 

These events make you gain Rage Traits:

• Entering Combat: When you enter combat, gain a Rage Trait.

• Taking Damage: The first time per night you take damage, gain a Rage Trait.

• Gazing on the Moon: The first time you gaze upon the moon at night, the Beast inside stirs and Rage floods back into you. Under a new moon, you get back one Trait; under a crescent moon, two Traits; under a half moon, three Traits; under a gibbous moon, four Traits; and under a full moon you gain five Traits. If the moon is in your Auspice, you instead regain all your spend Rage Traits, no matter the number. Unlike some other methods of gaining Rage, Traits gained from viewing the moon will not take you over your permanent Rage rating.

• Stress and Humiliation: The Storyteller may award you a Rage Trait when you suffer a particularly humiliating or stressful encounter -- although they will often call for a Frenzy test while they're at it.

 

When You Run Out of Rage

If you run out of either Rage Traits and Willpower, you "lose the wolf" -- you revert to your Breed Form and cannot shapeshift until you regain some Rage or Willpower.

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Gnosis

Gnosis represents the spiritual connection between Gaia and Her changing children. It grants them entry to the spirit realm of the Umbra, opens them to the spirits in nature and helps fuel their powerful Gifts.

 

Using Gnosis

Gnosis fuels werewolves' interaction with the spirit worlds in the following ways:

• Stepping Sideways: Make a Gnosis Challenge versus the local Gauntlet rating to attempt to step sideways, crossing from the spirit world to the physical world, or vice versa. Retest this Challenge with the Primal Urge Ability. If you fail, you must engage in two Simple Tests; if you fail both of the tests, you have become stuck in the gauntlet.  Alternatively you may spend a Gnosis to cross without testing (however if you choose to test, you must wait until the next round before you may spend to cross).

• Fetish and Talen Activation: Make a Gnosis Challenge versus the Gnosis rating of a Fetish or Talen to activate the powers of that Fetish or Talen. Retest this Challenge with the Primal Urge Ability. If you fail, it does not activate.  Alternatively you may spend a Gnosis to force the Fetish or Talen to wake and activate (however if you choose to test, you must wait until the next round before you may spend to activate the fetish or talen).

• Gifts: Many Gifts require a Gnosis expenditure to activate.

 

Gnosis Challenges pit your current (temporary) Gnosis Traits against the difficulty.

 

You may not spend Gnosis or make Gnosis Challenges during any round in which you use Rage.

 

Regaining Gnosis

You can regain Gnosis in the following ways:

• Meditation: If you have the Meditation Ability, you may regain Gnosis through time spent in solitary reflection. See the rules for the Meditation Ability to learn the specifics.

• Rites: Certain Rites, like the Rite of the Sacred Hunt and the Rite of the Cup, can restore Gnosis.

• Fetished and Talens: Powerful Fetishes (like a Gnostic Bag or a Heart of the Spirit) and some Talens (like a Spirit Brew) can restore Gnosis.

 

When You Run Out of Gnosis

Carrying silver items reduces your Temporary Gnosis rating. See the rules for Silver to learn the specifics.

 

If you run out of Gnosis, you may no longer attempt Gnosis Challenges to step sideways or activate Fetishes and Talens.

 

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Willpower

Willpower Traits measure the strength of your character's resolve and self-control.

 

Using Willpower

Willpower Traits accomplish the following:

• Frenzy Tests: If you are pushed to the edge of your self-control, a test of your current Willpower versus your current Rage determines whether you enter Frenzy.  You may also spend Willpower to maintain some control if you fail the Test and/or enter Frenzy. (See Frenzy for specifics.)

• Refresh Physical, Mental, or Social Traits: Spend a Willpower Trait to refresh all of your lost Traits in one category – Physical, Social or Mental. You may do so once per category per game session.

• Defensive Retest against Control: Spend a Willpower Trait for a retest when you lose a challenge wherein someone is trying to alter, manipulate or control your will, mind or emotions.

• Ignore Wound Penalties: Spend a Willpower Trait to ignore your Wound Penalties for one round of combat.

• Gifts: Several Gifts require you to spend Willpower to activate them.

• Suppress a Derangement: If you have Derangement that gets triggered, you may spend a Willpower Trait to suppress it for one scene.

• Simulate an Ability: If some kind of Challenge would require you possess a certain Ability, but you do not have that Ability at all, you may spend Willpower to attempt the Challenge anyway. Note that this does not give you any Ability Retests -- it simply allows you to attempt the Challenge in the first place. For example, a Storyteller could require the Athletics Ability to attempt a long jump over a chasm; if you don't have Athletics, you could spend Willpower to attempt the leap out of desperation.

• Meaningful Death: You may spend a Willpower in the event you die in order to positively affect the scene in a meaningful way. You may also spend it in order to deliver your last words at the end of the scene. This use of Willpower is not hampered by gifts and other powers that make it so Willpower cannot be spent.

• Resisting Temptation by Taint: By spending a Willpower you may stave off the temptations that high levels of Taint cause.  

 

Willpower Challenges pit your current (temporary) Willpower against the difficulty.

 

Regaining Willpower

You may regain Willpower in one of the following ways:

• Achieving a goal in accordance with your Nature.

• Certain Gifts restore Willpower, like the Philodox Gift Strength of Purpose.

• The Black Fury Tribe can regain Willpower by meditating at a site holy to Gaia.

 

When You Run Out of Willpower

If you run out of Willpower Traits, you are highly suggestible. Stop playing your Demeanor, and purely play your Nature.

 

If you run out of Willpower Traits but still have Rage Traits, you will automatically enter Frenzy at the least provocation.

 

If you run out of either Rage Traits and Willpower, you "lose the wolf" -- you revert to your Breed Form and cannot shapeshift until you regain some Rage or Willpower.