Dan Keenan (free product) 2

Dan Keenan (free product) 2

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6
 Welcome to Werewolf: The Apocalypse, a storytelling game of savage horror. Within these pages is the tale of
the Garou, the proud race of werewolves that lives outside human society and is engaged in a desperate war for survival.
By the time you’re finished, you’ll have learned something about the Garou - and you’ll even be able to try acting
out the role of a werewolf yourself.
The following is a lexicon of terms specific to the world of Werewolf: The Apocalypse for you to refer to as you
immerse yourself in the world of the Garou.

Apocalypse: The age of destruction, the final cycle, Klaive: A fetish dagger or sword, usually of great
the birth of death, the everlasting corruption, the end of spiritual potency and nearly always made of silver.
Gaia -a word used in Garou mythology to describe the Litany: The code of laws kept by the Garou.
time of the final battle with the Wyrm. Many consider Lupus: When capitalized, a werewolfs wolf form
this time to be the present. (“Take Lupus form - we need to run swiftly now!”).

human Or
by ties of friendship as op
Ot where the a pack or sept.

de
ac
:0
e6 .9,

E-
dr
n.

Ea
technological (Weaver) places, weakest around Ways, the: The traditi
Gnosis: The reserves of spiritual ene--’
lgy -1 n
L l l d L IUCl d
Weaver, the: The bo1 of
f math-
on the

tation and symbol of pure

(“Stay in Homid form; we need to look inc * ,
I
change. I he chaos ot transmutation and elementalforce.
When lower-case, a Garou of human ancestry.
Wyrm, the: The manifestation and symbol of
Impergium: The 3,000 years immediately following
evil, entropy and decay in Garou belief. Vampires are
the birth of agriculture, during which the Garou main-
often manifestations of the Wyrm, as are toxic waste
tained strict population quotas on all human villages.
and pollution.
Kinfolk: The human and wolf relatives of Garou,
who often know about the werewolves’secret and work to
aid their werewolf relatives.

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 2
3

Because of the mature themes involved, reader discretion is advised.

Based on the Werewolf: The Apocalypse game created by Bill Bridges, Sam Chupp, Andrew Greenherg, Robert Hatch, Mark Rein-Hagen, Joshua
Gabriel Timbrook and Stewart Wieck.
Original Quickstart rules by Rob Hatch.
02001 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except
for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf and World of Darkness are
registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Werewolf the Apocalypse is a trademark of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All
rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc.
The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.
This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment
purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.
For a free White Wolf catalog call 1-800-454-WOLF.
Check out White Wolf online at
http://www.white-wolf.com; alt.games.whitewolf and rec.games.frp.storytel1er
PRINTED IN CANADA

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 ‘&‘elcometo the world of Werewolf: the Apoca- story setting -the sacred glens in the wilderness, the
lypse. Werewolf: T h e Apocalypse is a roleplaying nightclubs, research facilities and other areas the char-
game - a book that details the lives of a society of acters may visit. The players decide how their charac-
werewolves that live outside the bounds of human ters react to the situations in the game, but it is the
civilization. It offersrules for creating your ownwerewolf Storyteller (with the help of the rules) who decides if
character and describes the world around your werewolf the characters actually succeed in their endeavors and,
and the war that threatens to engulf him or her. The if so, how well. Ultimately, the Storyteller is the final
rest is up to you. authority on the events that take place in the game.
This booklet is a very simplified version of Example: Brian, Aileen, Jeff and Justin have gath-
Werewolf: T h e Apocalypse; it’s hard to get across eredfor agame ofwerewolf. Aileen, Jeff and Justin are
even t:he nuances of the Garou’s culture, identity and the players: Aileen is playing Magda the Iron-Handed,
abilities in less than thirty pages. As such, the rules a brooding homid Shadow Lord Philodox; Jeff is play-
presented here are frequently altered from the actual ing Super-size, a massive lupus Bone Gnawer Ahroun;
rules in the name of simplicity. Everything here is the and Justin is playing Otto Twisted-Arm, a wisecrack-
highlights, the basics of the Werewolf setting and ing metis Get of Fenris Ragabash. Brian is the Story-
rules -- enough to get you started. teller, and has decreed that the characters have re-
Try it out. If you like it, the rulebook is available cently been assigned to infiltrate a research lab and
in mast book, hobby and comic stores. Once you’re discover whether the scientists within are breeding
ready, your real Rite of Passage is waiting for you. monsters for use against the Garou. The players may
now decide what to do: Aileen, speaking as Magda,
may devise a plan to bribe their way into the building;
Jeff,as Super-size, may argue for smashing their way in
This pamphlet is an introduction to Werewolf: with brute strength; and Justin, as Otto, may simply try
T h e Apocalypse, a storytelling game from White to sneak in with stealth and cunning. Ultimately,
Wolf Publishing. With the rules in this kit, you and though, it is Brian, the Storyteller, who determines
your friends can take the roles of werewolves, predators how the facility’s personnel react to the characters’
among the flock of humanity, and tell stories about actions; it is Brian, speaking as each individual facility
these characters’ triumphs and failures, their deeds of employee, who roleplayswhatever reactions are neces-
glory and darkest secrets. sary, and it is Brian who determines whether the
In a lot ofways,storytellingresemblesgames such as characters’ actions, if any, succeed or fail.
How to Host aMurder. Players take the role of a character
- in this case, a werewolf -and engage in a form of
improvisationaltheater, sayingwhat the werewolfwould
say arid describing what the werewolf would do. Cinema and folklore paint a fairly clear picture of
In a storytelling game, players take their characters what a werewolf is like. Sometimes a werewolf is a
throuzh adventures, called (appropriately enough) sto- witch who turns into a wolf by donning a wolfs skin,
ries. Stories are told through a combination of the wishes although more commonly a werewolf is a victim of the
of the players and the directives of the Storyteller. disease lycanthropy, passed o n by another werewolf s
bite. On nights of the full moon, the cursed individual
PAYW-Yqnac/l;l*@fiPJ
v shifts into wolf form (or sometimes a wolf-man form)
Most people who play Werewolf are players. They and seeks blood and prey. The only thing that can kill
create werewolf characters - imaginary protagonists a werewolf is a silver bullet through the heart -
similar to those found in novels, films and comics - nothing else will stop its rampage.
who operate together as a pack to fight their war These legends also exist in the world ofwerewolf:
against the minions of the Wyrm, the supernatural T h e Apocalypse. However, they fall very far short of
embodiment of corruption. In each group, however, the truth.
one person must take the role of the Storyteller. The In Werewolf, werewolves are a race unto them-
Storyteller acts as a combination director, moderator, selves, born to humans or wolves, growing up in
narrator and referee. The Storyteller creates the drama troubled environments, always suspecting they are
through which the players direct their characters. The somehow different -until the First Change. At that
Storyteller also creates and takes the roles of support- time, the other werewolves, their true family, come to
ing cast - both allies with whom the characters collect them. Then the young cubs learn something of
’
interact and antagonists against whom the characters their true nature.
fight. The Storyteller invents the salient details of the

2 Werewolf: The A p o c ~ l y p ~Lnfro4cActor-y

e Kt
Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6
 Werewolves, or the Garou, as they call them- human settlements when they grew too large, emerg-
selves, are the warriors of Gaia -the defenders of the ing from the night to slay with bloodied fangs. Al-
Earth Mother, the great spirit of Nature and the Earth though this culling ended long ago, humans faintly
itself. They gather in hidden places and form packs to remember the nights of terror. To this day, humans
strike against the enemies of the Earth Mother. They have a long-buried, ancestral fear of werewolves - a
are creatures of fury and speed and strength, children human might laugh at a Lon Chaney movie or a
of the earth and the moon. They can be hurt and killed, Halloween cartoon, but if confronted with the real
but they heal their wounds with supernatural speed, thing, it’s not funny anymore.
unless they are injured with silver. And they are In the old times, there were also many more
terribly, terribly strong. shapechangers -werecats, werespiders, wererats and
Werewolves are a dying race, the last defenders of more, each charged with a duty of vigilance against the
the wild places that are dying as humanity breeds out Wyrm. But war broke out between the werewolves and
of control. They work to save the unwitting humans - the other shapeshifters, and many of the shapeshifter
and the rest of the world -from the spiritual evil that races were driven to extinction. To this day, if any
dwells in humanity’s heart, in the deepest recesses of exist, they keep themselves hidden from Garou eyes,
the cities, in the toxic spills buried under the earth‘s for they remember all too well that the Garou were
crust. They fight against a gre
the spirit of Corruption itself. r of Rage, and they regret it, but
to a close, for the final battles

Garou are strong enough to p Wyrm’s corrupt spirit children

These are the End Times. t on the dark impulses in their
final battle - the Apocal ers to ravage the land and
ht to heal the land where

s of hate and lust and perver-

naotheWynncvasmaddened,sick
its poison fangs into Gaia, and the
The Wynn was thegreatest enemy
It birthed monsters,spits of evil and the like. It spa These are the End Times. The Earth Mother is
legions of foul creatures that raced forth to conquer.
dying. The Thirteen Tribes of werewolves are her only
Gaia needed Q champion. hope -the werewolves, and their brutal, terrible Rage.
so she looked to herChi&en, d the c r e m e s offhe land.
None were strong enough to fight the Wym on their o m . rnWfD4h
But one of hgt. children, humunity , wus clever - h e y had The Garou’s world, the World of Darkness, is
learned to use c~~eapons and make tools and speak m lam much like our own - but in many ways, more grim.
guage. And another of her children, wolves, were great Race riots happen a little more often. There are fewer
hunters who acted as if of one mind. honest cops, and more criminal gangs. People are less
So Gaia todc the strongest and wisesthumans and the likely to stop and help out an injured pedestrian and
fastest und fiercest d w s , a d she bound them tog@& more likely to gawk and keep driving. At least a little
into a new race. She ma$e herself a race uf &mpim, ofthis increased heartlessness is the work of the Wyrm,
Creatures that c o d ignore pain and red trees lpnd run the colossal spirit of corruption.
swiftly on four legs. What’s more, in the World of Darkness, the super-
Thus were barn the Garou. natural is real, if hidden. Vampires seduce their victims
into joining them in their penthouse suites. Spirits of
%&?WP bloodlust possess the borderline psychotic and drive
Since before humans first gathered in cities, the them to killing sprees. Secretive warlocks hoard magical
Garou were among them. In prehistory, they culled might a?zd fight each other in invisible wars of intrigue.

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 Even ghosts are said to walk the streets where they died Even the Garou, who call the wilds home, know
when the moon is full. And like the humans in the but a few of the land’s secrets. Indeed, the wiser Garou
World of Darkness, all of these supernatural beings are reiterate that some of Gaia’s mysteries are better left
more often selfish and callous than not. unknown. Gaia is not always a loving mother, and
Even the Garou, the warriors of Gaia, are no werewolves have long known that certain places in the
paragcins of virtue. Too often, they fight amongst wilds are taboo. Garou who foolishly venture into
thems1:lves for glory and territory, rather than joining these places often do not return. Their more prudent
forces against common foes. They often assault their brethren sigh and shrug. Such is Gaia’s way.. ..
enemies rather than even trying to parley. They are &k
Zm
antihero and hero all in one.
Nothing is more sacred to the Garou than the
Still, they may very well be the World of Dark- caerns, the sacred places. The spirit world is closer,
ness’ only hope.

The cities of the rkness are oppressive

places. Even their hu ants find them bleak,
and the Garou des of a caern, the were
is strong, too. Which is for the best -
caern is the last line of defense. When Garou face their
enemy at the boundaries of the caerns, they intend to
win - or die defending their home.

1s mock the werewolf

onstantly watch for

72%dwj&m
If the “civilized”areas of the World of Darkness are

truck stops. City newspapers write off the occasional

bizarre slayings as the deeds of serial killers and the like,
I
but the natives know better.

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 The Garou Nation is a paradox. On one hand, it brethren, now glare at each other with lowered ears and
can prove to be a remarkable display of unity, as slitted eyes. Even the packs vie for supremacy.
werewolf rivals with nothing in common join together Many Garou, afraid or tired or simply disgusted,
to fight a mutual enemy. On the other hand, it is often turn away from their duties, seeking freedom in ano-
wracked with infighting as werewolves jockey for prize nymity. Indeed, apathy and malaise are among the
territory, prestige and seniority. Like their wolf kin, Wyrm’s greatest allies. The Garou have, in large part,
werewolves are all too aware of the politics of domi- lost their fire. They roll around with each other in the
nance and submission - and many would rather be dirt, seeking dominance over some petty pack, desper-
the alpha than the beta. ately clutch at their ever-shrinking domains or simply
The werewolves pay particular attention to the retreat to the stagnant security of tedious human exist-
deeds of their brethren, passing on tales of valorous ence. Cynicism and callousness are increasingly com-
battles, clever tricks and just decisions. The Garou mon, and the numbers of Ronin (Garou who turn away
who is fearless in war, honorable in bearing and wise in from their pack and tribe) swell with each new moon.
his judgement is considered of particularly high rank Now, in this age of smog and concrete and rust,
among his peers, whereas cowards and fools are reviled. when the Garou are at their nadir, the Wyrm strikes in
To the werewolves, it is better to die bravely and well earnest. Will the planet succumb to the great cancer, or
than to live a life of shame and dishonor -or so it has can a handful of determined warriors somehow stem the
traditionally been. However, some werewolves have gathering maelstrom?
turned away from the path of honor and glory, and are
willing to do whatever it takes, deal with whomever Aflh?j$@&
they must, in order to survive. Many of these fall to the The Garou are defined by their war against the
Wyrm, and become the Garou’s greatest foes. forces of corruption. In many ways, a Werewolf game
is also defined by its antagonists. Although the charac-
Nom ters may find themselves thrown up against rivals of
As the sacred sites are drained of energy by human their own kind, there are a few enemies that force even
negligence and supernatural plots, the mbes must com- Get of Fenris and Black Furies to set aside their
pete formundane andspiritualresources alike.Werewolves differences and fight together.
of different tribes, who once looked upon one another as

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 Banes are evil spirits the demons that are born

as human for a tim

The Litany is the great song of ages containing the traditions, codes and laws of the Garou. I t is a living
law, one which evolves from tribe to tribe and sept to sept -many Garou ignore the Litany’s tenets out of
rebellion or necessity. Even so,the Litany has existed for many millennia, and few Garoudefy it without cause.

d&roHSM&&M& uMG4m
To breed a metis is a s i n , and a cruel thing to do to
your child. If a Garou h e s a n o h Garou, he must not The GMCWw e created to be the world’s potec-
express his passion. This is the law. tors. Abuse not your power, lest those above you shike
&*&flymw!&f &b#& down. This is the h.
b ? . . { f l ! m P J f M W/JUl\.&&W
The Garou were born tofight the Wyrm. There is Our enemies are many,and all seek our death. To
grectter honor. This is the law. our existence to the humurn is to offer our t)mmts
Wynn. This is the h.
bRqswW&%*fA&
Ask before entering another’s&tory, for mty
miter of a territory knows best how to gumd it agai

st death we m a y hope fur.

Wyrm. This is the law.

&&&fifb rn#q@h!&hPJ?fi
wisdomofmany battles. Learnfrom them, andobey their A pack may not win if they fight amongst them-
wcurds. This is the law. selves when danger approaches. The law of the @ x k is
liES&Y&f&&K vital to victory, and obedience is vital to the law of the
fi&d&hfMfi pack. In battle, the word of the leader is immutable.
This is the law.
Honor your alpha,for he has brought you victory. In
retim, he will honor you. This is the law. zAu%vm%&@A&fi
$4JMl\.&&&SM#&rnH rnC/j/Xrkq(RC/IBlwfb& h%.%G&d
Tofeast on the fish of your Kin is to invite the Wyrm The caerns are Gaia’s lifeblood. If they are de-
into your body and soul. Human meat poisons both fish smqea, we ceuse to Those bemay a
and spirit; it is not fittingp e r . This is the law. are to be slain without w c y . “his is the law.

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 monolithic holding company controls countless sub-
sidiaries and produces a staggering variety of products l JBr C M m @.4TkCh&
ChMb
- from the computers of Tellus Enterprises to the Choose breed: Write down the breed
drugs of Magadon, Inc. to the roleplaying parapherna- Weakness.
lia of Black Dog Game Factory. Through its subsidiar- Choose auspice: Write down the auspice
ies, Pentex holds virtual monopolies in certain indus- Aptitude.
Choose tribe: Write down the tribal Ad-
vantage and Totem.
Choose Traits: Rank the character’s Physi-
cal, Mental, Social and Psychic Traits from 1 to 4;
4 is the best, 1 is the worst. Then divide six points
between Rage and Gnosis (five points if the char-
acter is homid).
Give your character a name, and make up
some details about her appearance, personality,
mannerisms and other features that will help you
roleplay her.

Dancers as agents and guards. It also bonds various moon he was born under, determining his role in life;
Banes to important sites. Garou venturing onto Pentex and mibe -his extended family, his werewolf blood-
installations are usually unnerved, for they can liter- line. The combination of breed, auspice and tribe can
ally smell the taint of the Wyrm. help you get an instant grasp on your character’s
personality and the forces that affected him while he
Unfortunately, the Garou’sworst foe is as powerful
was growing up. For example, if you wanted to create
and canny as they are, for this foe is nothing less than
an aloof teenager who spent much of his childhood
moving from town to town, a homid Silent Strider
would seem to be a logical choice. If you then chose the
auspice of Ragabash, it becomes likely that the young
werewolf has a black sense of humor, further fleshing
out the character.
Once you’ve selected a breed, tribe and auspice,
write down the listed Aptitude, Advantage and Weak-
ness that each choice grants. Also, make a note of your
tribal totem, and the abilities this powerful spirit gives
you- as well as the ban it has placed on your behavior.
Next, you get to decide your character’s Trait
no other foe knows levels. Characters have six Traits in all. Four represent
the heart of the Garou so well. your mundane abilities: Physical, Mental, Social and
Psychic. Two represent your supernatural power: Rage
and Gnosis.
Now that you’ve learned the basics of the Garou’s T o determine your mundane Traits, rank these
struggle, it’s time to generate your own werewolf char- from 1 to 4; 4 is the best, 1 is the worst. (Each number
acter. Creating a character is easy, involving just a few may only be assigned to one Trait - you can’t give
simple choices. It is a good idea to have a general your character a 4 in everything!) So, if you decide
concept of what you want your werewolf to be like your character is remarkably charming, quite clever, in
(Was he a wolf cub raised in northern Alaska -or a average shape but fairly suggestible,you might decide
zoo? An army brat with an alienated family? A shy, the character has Social 4, Mental 3, Physical 2,
retiring young girl who Changed for the first time at Psychic 1.
her junior prom?).Even this is not necessary, however; To determine your werewolf s supernatural apti-
a concept can be created as you go. tudes, divide six points - or five, if the character is
The next step is selecting your character’s breed- homid -between Rage and Gnosis. To continue the
the form he was born in; auspice - the phase of the example, let’s say that your charming young werewolf

Werewolf: The Apocnlypse It+-odwcfary Wf 7

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 above is a homid. You think he’d be slightly more suited distinct disadvantage. After all, no form of upbringing
to mystical pursuits than acts of supernatural destruc- can truly prepare one for becoming Gaia’s warrior.
tion, sci you give him a 2 in Rage and 3 in Gnosis. If you &OMM
wanted him to be much more mystical, you might give
Most
him a Rage of only 1 but a Gnosis of 4.
humans a
That’s about it. With that, you’re ready for the
human parents. Because the Garou
finishing touches. What is your werewolf s name?Does
there are far more of these lost cubs e
he hake a tribal name like “Stonehand” or “Walks-
werewolves are.. . different from the
Unseen”?What does he look like in each of his forms?
latent Rage sets them apart, all bu
What was his First Change like? Does he still have
the child will suffer a troubled you
mortal friends? Does he have rivals in another tribe?
the pressures of adolescence - or
What outstanding personality traits does he have?
Once you’ve come up with these details, your charac-
re born
ter is ready to join the fight.
with less of the
Details about breeds, auspices, tribes, Traits and
become slightly
Disciplines can be found on the following pages.
world. As a resul
&%d between their Rage an
Gairou are not “infected”- they are born. To keep
their li neage alive,werewolves must breed with humans
and wolves. Their children, whether born of human or
wolf, grow up suspectingthat they are different -until
the First Change. Although Garou can breed with one
another, this is taboo -the product of such a union, the
metis, is sterile and deformed. For the race to continue,
there must be viable young homid and lupus cubs in
every generation.
Although each breed produces mighty warriors
and wise seers, each breed also begins play with a

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 Weakness: Deformity. All metis are born with cultures, Theurge werew
debilitating deformities, whether twisted limbs, un- ous, touched and set
usual but useless body parts like gnarled horns or
cloven hooves, or a complete lack of hair in any form.
These deformities appear in all their forms. All metis
roll one less die whenever making a Social Trait roll.

J9P
are a dying breed. There are
combat with Banes, a it does apply to other

Philodox straddles

om the other Garou

hilodox is without peer. In

mediately if they spot a

cated than a club or knife.

A
M * roll made to determine the truth of a matter, whether
The pull of the moon can affect a werewolf s tem- this is determining if an informant is lying or trying to
perament, even from birth. The Garou have noticed see through a disguise.
this, and have therefore recognized five auspices, or
moon signs, that dictate a cub’s role in Garou society. ddkd- 722 d/&WMOOlCl
When a werewolf is born, he receives a special aptitude As Luna grows pregnant with Rage, she bids the
from the moon phase that watched over his birth. This Moon Dancer to sing her songs of battle and past
auspice can affect a werewolf s Rage, particularly when glories. Heeding the call, the Galliard raises her voice
the moon is in his auspice’sphase. Tales of werewolves
killing during the full moon were almost certainly
started by angry Ahroun, the Garou’s warrior elite,
being filled with rage by their auspice moon.. ..

a speech, a Galliard may add a die to the roll. This

aptitude is not effective on spirits, animals, or other
creatures that don’t reason through language. At the
Storyteller’s discretion, this aptitude might help the
Galliard against certain fomori or other enemies.
to the appropriate roll.
Akmm - rnS@HNOOfl
ThWp- 7.25 C W # # M O O . When the moon is full, the Garou are filled with
The crescent moon shines like a blade. In its light, Rage. And the Ahroun are filled with the most Rage of
the Theurge, seer of the Garou, makes her peace with all. They are the warriors of the Garou Nation, always
the spirit world. Like the human shamans of native

Werewolf: The APOCG~YPSG

Illfrodwcfovy lcif 9

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 ’U

Twelve tribes of Garouremain in the GarouNation

of the present day. Each one has their own agenda, their
own patron totem, their own territories and their own
unique abilities. The tribes are often at each other’s
throats, constantly infighting for dominance. Unless
they ;ire able to unite soon, the Wyrm will have won.
Each tribe has a particular Advantage, a specialty
that they’ve honed over millennia of handing down
their practices to their children. Furthermore, each
tribe has a tribal totem spirit that watches over them.
A totem spirit grants his tribe certain spiritual advan-
tages, but also demands a show of loyalty. If a Garou
violates the ban of his tribe’s totem, he loses his special
totem power until such time as he can make sufficient
amends. Ifhis violation is great enough, he might even
be banished from the tribe. s
zZ&&e?P&
These ferocious de of the Wyld are re- mined by the level of the taint. Detecting a pack of
y and attunement to Black Spiral Daricers hidden in a room would be
the sacred. The Furie difficulty 3 , whereas detecting the subtle hint of cor-
ruption on a mundane politician would be difficulty 6.
Totem: The Black Furies follow Pegasus, spirit of
inspiration and guardian of the wild places. Pegasus
grants her children insight into the hearts of animals.
No animal will willingly attack a Black Fury, even if
starving or rabid. The ban of Pegasus is that Black
Furies must aid females of all species who are in danger,
particularly young females.
gum dM#0PJ
Most Garou see the Bone Gnawersas the dregs of the
Garou, pathetic scavengers living in the humans’ filth.
But the Bone Gnawers
dence over manners
lienates many Garou. The tribe endures the co
Furies loathe the nris, and the two tribes have with the homeless,
Children of Gaia have

or lofty ideals. Hard-core surv

is their driving force, and freedom is their passion -
Fury must make a Gnosis roll. The difficulty is deter- freedom without the ties of rank or property. They live

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 .
their commitment to the Mother. Although a Child of
Gaia will always search for a way to resolve conflicts
without bloodshed, he will not surrender an inch to
the Wym’s brood.
Other Garou grant the Children of Gaia a grudg-
ing respect. The Children are known as honorable
peacekeepers, if a little soft in the head. They have

may be used only once per scene on any given person.

Totem: The Children of Gaia serve Unicorn, a
totem of healing, peace and wisdom. Unicorn teaches
them the ability to calm people’s hearts. By making a
Gnosis roll, a Child of Gaia may soothe a restless person

on whatever they can grab. This survival ethic has bred

a tough tribe ideally suited for guerrilla warfare. Like
junkyard dogs, Bone Gnawers should never be under-
estimated.
Advantage: Wretched Refuse. Being the lowest of
the low has at least one thing going for it. The Bone
Gnawers are able to make themselves perfectly in-
nocuous, even supernaturally so. By making a Gnosis
roll, the Gnawer can make any viewers “overlook” her
for a little while, unless the environment clearly
wouldn’t permit it. A shabby Gnawer couldn’t infil-
trate a cocktail party, although she might be able to
skulk around the kitchen unnoticed by the caterers.
Totem: The Bone Gnawers’ totem is Rat, who
teaches them to survive in low places. Rat grants
knowledge of how to bite an opponent in the weak
spots. If a Bone Gnawer is behind a foe, or under a foe’s
belly, she cannot miss if she opts to bite her enemy. In
return, Rat asks that her children never kill vermin
such as rats or their lesser cousins, mice.
Ckfifl #d4k
To the Children of Gaia, life is a gift to be savored,
not a battle to be won. They are the unifiers of the
Garou, the heralds of peace. Even so, they are powerful
warriors when they choose to fight, strengthened by

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 or even a crowd, even if circumstances would make it Advantage: Iron Stomach. Due to plenty of expo-
otherwise impossible. If the target is inclined to resist, sure to supernaturally powerful alcoholic beverages (in
they may do so with a Psychic roll. In return for this Gift, the course of celebration) and the toxins of the Wyrm
Unicorn asks that her chosen tribe continually aid and (in the course of battle), the Fianna are naturally
protect the weak, helpless and abused, so long as this resistant to any sorts of poison, whether it be simple
does not further the Wyrm’s purposes. drugs or bioengineered venoms. A Fianna may make a
Gnosis roll to purge her body of poison without suffer-
ing any ill effects. If she fails, she must wait a full
minute before trying again.
Isles, this tribe is most Totem: The Fianna’s patron is Stag, an incarna-
tion of the wild, primal side of nature. He will some-
of Fenris have lea
times send an image of himself, a ghostly white stag, to
lead Fianna around ambushes or out of danger. What’s
more, he teaches Fianna the trick of always finding
true north. In return, he asks that his tribe guide others
who might be lost to safety. This, of course, excludes
obvious servants of the Wyrm.
all too often end in
d&#Swh
Many Garou consider the savage Get of Fenris to
be the tactical nukes of Gaia. Violent and remorseless,
sly and without hesi- the Get embrace the warrior ideals of the ancient
ven among Garou for Norse and yearn for a place invalhalla. Rare is the Get
ve their Kinfolk, they who backs down from a fight. Rarer still is the Get who
shows mercy. To the Get of Fenris, strength is the
embered with dread. greatest virtue and self-sacri

inst the tribe. The Get

ode of honor, but that
roism, not an abstract
matters to a Get, and

facade, many Get yearn for a peace that they know they
can never attain. They favor their lupine heritage and
seem more attuned to their inner Beasts than do many of
the other tribes. Like the cold wind of their northern
homes, the Get lash against all comers, howling with
Rage as they blow the walls down.
Advantage: Immune to Pain. The Get are made of
sterner stuff than any other werewolf tribe, thanks to their
custom of constant trial by combat. At the beginning of
any turn, a Get may roll his Psychic Trait, difficulty5; any
penalties from pain do not affect this roll. If the Get gets
any successes, he may ignore the effects of pain for the
remainder of the turn.

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 mundane cockroaches, ever.

Totem: The Get’s totem is Fenris, the great Norse

wolf-spirit from which they derive their name. Fenris is
bloodthirsty and strong, and grants his children an
additional point in their Physical Trait for actions that
involve strength and power (not agility or stamina).
However, he also demands that his children never pass
up the opportunity for a fight. Get who back away from
a good battle immediately lose their extra strength, and
are much shamed in their tribe’s eyes.
dr$ScW&a
As a rule, Garou prefer the depths of the forests to the
depthsofthecities. Werewolves,evenhomidwerewolves,
see the concrete expanses as sores on the body of Gaia,
and as a rule shun them. The Glass Walkers are the
exceptions to the rule. They were among the first Garou
to dwell in human settlements, where they grew to
respect human ingenuity and adaptability.
Now the Glass Walkers live among the cities of
humans -not because they have nowhere else to go,
but because they choose to do so. Indeed, they embrace
creature comforts and technology, always seeking to
stay on the cutting edge of human science, art and
fashion. This proclivity makes the Glass Walkers the
sources of much puzzlement and occasional outrage

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 Totem: The Talons follow Griffin, a powerful
spirit who guards the wildernessand the animals within
from extinction and human encroachment. He allows
his favored servants to speak with birds of all sorts
without even so much as a Gnosis roll. However,
Griffin demands that his children never risk them-
selves to save the life of a mere human.
f M m M
Wolves, and werewolves, are creatures of domi-
nance and submission, mastery and servitude. Surely no
Garou tribe exemplifies this dictum so much as the
ords originally hailed

at all costs and by any means. For this reason, the Lords
strive ceaselesslyto dominate human, wolf and werewolf
alike. Shadow Lords despise the Silver Fangs, whom
they consider weak and decrepit. They would like
nothing more than to usurp the Fangs’ position.

Savage and feral, the Red Talons represent the

furious side of nature, red in t
Talon tribe is composed entire

refuse to breed with hum

breeding with one anothe
should never have e

ess Trackers. Nobody can lose

scent through running water, a slaughterhouse, a circus

tent or virtually anywhere.

14

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 Shadow Lords are generally proud, regal, dignified wide across the material and spirit realms. Striders
and aloof. They are skilled and honorable fighters (at have traversed, explored and scouted all the lands
least, some Garou whisper, until observers’ backs are known to Garou (and probably a great many unknown
turned), and accede grudging respect to those beings ones as well). They exist on the periphery of Garou
who prove themselves fit to live. However, they have society, coming and going as they please.
neither sympathy nor tolerance for the weak. Unfortu-
nately for their enemies, this policy has made the
Shadow Lords perhaps the strongest tribe overall.
Advantage: Flawsight. The Shadow Lords are so
attuned to strength and weakness that they have an
uncanny ability to determine the weak points of their
enemies. Anyone trying to soak damage from a Shadow Other Garou have often misconstrued this, reviling
Lord’s attack must do so as if their Physical Trait were Striders as harbingers of ill omen.
one point lower. Indeed, many Silent Striders carry a weighty burden.
Totem: The Lords follow Grandfather Thunder, a They stride and stride and stride because they have
mighty and merciless spirit of the storm. Thunder nowhere to rest. They are silent because they have no
teaches his children the arts of intimidation. A Shadow countrymenwith whom to converse. The Silent Striders
Lord in any form may, by concentrating for a turn and were long ago driven from their homeland and have
rolling Gnosis, terrify mortals as if she were in Crinos never found a place to settle. In the GarouNation,where
-an entire street gang or riot squad will flee from even pack and tribe are so important, the Striders walk alone.
the weakest Shadow Lord, should she desire it. How- Advantage: Speed of Thought. The Silent Strid-
ever, Thunder forbids his children from taking orders ers are remarkably fleet of foot, and their spirit allies
from a person that is not as competent as they are. have taught them tricks to make them even faster. If
flkflfYfi&PJ a Strider makes a successfulGnosis roll, he can run up
to 40 mph (if in human form), 60 mph (if in Crinos
Hailing from the wastes of the Sahara, the tribe
form) or 80 mph (if in wolf form) for up to five
known as the Silent Striders has since ranged far and
minutes. This is very exhausting, however, and after
such a sprint the Strider must rest for a full minute
before exerting himself again.
Totem: Owl, a spirit of silence and the night,
watches over the Silent Striders. He sends warnings to
his children in the form of odd omens, strange dreams or
other premonitions of the future. At the beginning of
each game session, the Storyteller may give any Silent
Strider characters a brief hint or riddle about what is to
come. In return for this foreknowledge, Owl’s children
must leave small animal sacrifices for him in the woods,
such as caged rats or mice tied in place.
flh0PPffW
Lords of the Garou, the Silver Fangs have always
been the ruling tribe and have always mingled their
blood with that of human aristocrats. These noble
Garou are known for their physical beauty, courage and
honor. Sadly, many younger members of the tribe suffer
from odd quirks -absent-mindedness, mild hallucina-
tions, somnambulism -nothing overtly psychotic, but
noticeable nevertheless. The powerful history of the
tribe lays a heavy burden on the shoulders of its mem-
bers, and many are too proud to ask for help.
The Silver Fangs represent all that is best in Garou.
They are magnificent, generous, loyal, mannered and
regal. When they fight, they are predators supreme.

15

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 Totem: The Silver Fangs follow mighty Falcon,
who represents all that is noble in the animal world. He
grants his tribe insight and charisma;they gain two extra
dice to any Social rolls that involve leadership. His ban
is that none of his children are allowed to dishonor
themselves. As such, the Silver Fangs must adhere to a
code of honor as strict as that of a n y samurai.
U&M

slaves or raised in

its curiosity. Its members’

ry, and their sullen silence

Uktena have adopted asiege mentality after centuries of

When they govern,they are eloquent and strong.Though

they espouse the superiority of the Garou, the Silver
Fangs consider mediation, not slaughter, to be the
werewolves’sacred duty. When their ire is raised, how-
ever, the Silver Fangs shed blood as eagerly as any Get
of Fenris. More radical tribes, like the Red Talons and
the Get, see the Silver Fangs as doddering kings, blind

spirit and mind. Inbreeding has weakened the founda-

tion of the tribe, and although they strive to set things
right, it may already be too late.
Advantage: Silver Flame. By making a Gnosis roll,
a Silver Fang can draw on his spiritual heritage to
illuminate his body with a shimmering silver light,
providing light in the darkest places. The glare of this
light raises the difficulty to strike or grab the werewolf
from 4 to 5, although the difficulty to hit the Fang with
a missile weapon is reduced to 3.
16

7/7--,
Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6
 oppression. While they will cooperate with members of
other tribes, Uktena keep their own counsel. They have
looked upon the face of the Wyrm, not only in the Banes
and the Umbra, but within their own hearts and those
of their Kin. Most Uktena are at peace with the darkness
inside them. The enemy one knows, they feel, is easier
to defeat than the shadow one denies.
Advantage: Sixth Sense. The Uktena are able to
sense the presence of other supernatural influences in
the area, such as magic or spirit influence, although
they cannot tell the exact nature of the supernatural
presence. To sense the unnatural, the Uktena must
make a Gnosis roll. Success tells only that something
supernatural is present, and a vague impression of
whether it means the Uktena harm or not.
Totem: The Uktena derive their name from that
of their totem, a water-spirit that is equal parts cougar,
snake and stag. Uktena is a wise and cunning spirit,
and protects his children when they are in the spirit
world. While in the Umbra, Uktena gain three extra
dice for the purpose of soaking wounds. However, they
must always strive to recover mystical lore, objects or
places that have fallen into the hands of the enemy.
#&+l7

The Wendigo, named for the cannibal spirit that is

their totem, carry the bitterness of conquest in their
hearts. Since the coming of the European settlers, this
Native American tribe has watched its human cousins Wendigo character can call forth a wind from any
direction he chooses, to disperse tear gas, douse candles
e waged aguerrillawar or the like. The more successes on the Gnosis roll, the
stronger the wind (although the Wendigo cannot call
we or greater winds).
Totem: Like their fellow tribe, the Uktena, the
Wendigo are named for their totem - the terrible
cannibal spirit of winter. Wendigo is an angry spirit,
and gives some of his own cold Rage to his children.
f Fenris and Shadow Wendigo werewolves receive two extra points of Rage.
the Uktena tribe is In return for his patronage, Wendigo’s children must
ered true kin by most Wendigo. always aid native peoples when they are in trouble.
Wendigo are masters of woodland survival, stealth
and hit-and-run tactics. They remain very true to their TM&
roots, enshrining the traditions of their ancestors. Few The power and skill of a werewolf (or of any
European werewolves have ever been allowed any- character) are measured by her Traits. A werewolf has
where near a Wendigo moot, and none are welcome. four Traits that represent abilities possessed by all
Fierce, proud and deeply spiritual, the Wendigo hold humans to some extent. These four Traits are:
the land as a sacred trust. Some among the tribe believe Physical: This Trait measures a werewolf s physi-
that peace with European humans and Garou might be cal prowess -her raw strength, agility and stamina.
possible, provided that the Wyrmcomers leave their This Trait is used to resolve all tasks involving fight-
rotting cities and return to the old ways. However, that ing, lifting things, running, etc.
seems less and less likely with every passing day. Mental: This trait measures a werewolf s brains,
Advantage: Windmaster. The Wendigo are on reasoning ability, wits and cunning. This Trait is used
excellent terms with the spirits of the air and can call the to resolve all tasks concerned with trying to notice
winds to do their bidding. By making a Gnosis roll, a something, puzzle out a clue or think quickly.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse Xt+o&cfary Kif 17

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 Social: This Trait measures a werewolf s charm, 2 in Physical (no werewolf should forget to race through
attractiveness and presence. Social is used to resolve the woods from time to time), and a 1 in Social (“How
all tasks concerned with trying to coerce, seduce, am I supposed to know which fork is for the salad?
convince or con someone into doing something. Leave me alone!”). Then they divide six points, or five
Psychic: This Trait measures a werewolf s inner if homid, between Rage and Gnosis. Presuming that
strength: her willpower, inner discipline and self- the aforementioned Uktena is metis (metis often excel
mastery. Psychic is used to resolve all tasks concerned at scholastic pursuits), his player might choose to put
with resisting intimidation, mind control or frenzy. a 2 in Rage and a 5 in Gnosis (killing is all well and
Furthermore, Garou have two Traits that repre- good, but knowledge is what’s important!).
sent their supernatural power: Rage and Gnosis. Hu-
2?bpHdG‘
mans do not possess these traits, although spirits do.
Indeed, a spirit might roll Rage to accomplish a feat Besides the four Traits already mentioned,
that a human would use his Physical Trait to complete, werewolves’ abilities are measured by two further Traits
or Gnosis to accomplish a Mental or Social activity. that representtheir supernaturalprowess:Rage andGnosis.
Rage: This Trait represents the reserves of super- A?+?$&
naturally powerful anger that burn in a werewolfs Rage is the supernatural wellspring of fury and
breast. Rage is used to move with extra swiftness and energy that Gaia gave the werewolves. It represents
shapeshift between forms, although the Storyteller connection to their primal selves, as well as a furious
may also allow werewolves to use Rage to accomplish devotion to persevere in the most dangerous situations.
supernatural feats of physical prowess. To shapeshift, a werewolf rolls Rage. If he scores
Gnosis: This Trait measures a werewolf s connec- any successes, he may enter the form of his choice.
tion to the spirit world. Gnosis is used to enter the spirit Shapeshifting is all but automatic for Garou.
world, activate certain supernatural powers, or accom- A werewolf may use his Rage to regenerate his
plish supernatural feats of mystical ability. wounds. To do so,he must concentrate for afull turn and
Traits are rated from 1 to 4; a rating of 1 indicates roll his Rage. For every two successes, he restores one
a mediocre level of ability, while a rating of 4 indicates Health Level. However, a werewolf cannot so easily
a Trait at peak human ability (an Olympic athlete, a heal wounds that have been inflicted with silver, fire or
genius, a great statesman, or a near-Buddha). It is the claws and fangs of werewolves or other supernatural
possible to have a zero in a Trait, reflecting a crippled creatures. To heal these wounds, the werewolf must
or decrepit character (most characters do not start out accumulate three successes to heal one Health Level,
with any zeros). It is also possible for werewolves to and he must concentrate for two full turns for every
attain superhuman scores-5 or even higher, depend- Health Level regenerated. This regeneration works only
ing on their form or special advantages. on the Garou; he cannot heal others.
Most humans possess ratings of 1or 2 in their Traits. Before a turn begins, a player may try to roll his or
Beginning werewolf characters, however, are consid- her character’sRage to gain extra actionsfor the turn. For
ered the pinnacle of human ability. Various monsters every two successesthe character achieves,he may under-
and enemies, as created by the Storyteller, can have take one more action duringthe turn. If he fails to get any
wildly variable Traits. A pack of fomori thugs might successes at all, he may not act (he freezes in the heat of
have Traits ranging from 1to 3, whereas a huge twelve- battle). For example, if a character gained four successes
legged monstrosity might have Traits of 5 or even more. on his Rage roll, he could act three times in the turn.
Trait Ratings A character may not roll Rage and Gnosis in the
0 Abysmal same turn. For instance, a Fianna trying to use his
1 Mediocre tribal Advantage to purify his body of an injected toxin
2 Pretty good could not roll Rage to gain extra actions.
3 Really good G d
4 Human perfection The Gnosis Trait represents the measure of a
5+ Superhuman (supernatural creatures only) werewolfs connection with the spirit world and with
Players creating new characters rank the first four his ownspiritualpowers. Werewolves with highGnosis
Traits from 1 to 4. A player creating a clever Uktena are often meditative and insightful, like wise shamans.
scholar might place a 4 in Mental (his insights are Gnosis powers most of the werewolves’ special
almost frightening), a 3 in Psychic (he’s well-versed spiritual powers; most Advantages granted by a tribe or
with the hypnotic tricks of the servants of darkness), a totem require a Gnosis roll to activate.

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 A werewolf may roll Gnosis to enter the spirit Although a werewolf s clothing would normally be
world or to reemerge from the spirit world into the shreddedby shapechanging,each tribe performs a rite for
physical world. This is much easier in wild, natural new cubs that allows werewolves to shapeshift with a
places than it is in areas where humans have remade certain set of clothing and one to three pieces of equip-
the Wilderness to their liking. The difficulty of the ment (watches,weapons,etc.)without losingtheobjects.
Gnosis roll is 2 in a caern or deep wilderness, 3 in The clothes and equipment simply become part of the
mostly wild areas (like anational park), 4 in somewhat werewolfs body when he shifts out of human form.
settled areas (like farms, small towns or city parks), 5 The three forms available to a werewolf are as
in heavily populated areas (such as downtown or in a follows:
mall), and 6 in particularly sterile or polluted places Homid: In Homid form, a werewolf is indistin-
(such as science labs or toxic waste dumps). guishable from an ordinary human. The Traits on the
Again, a character may not roll Rage and Gnosis character sheet represent the Homid form’s abilities. A
in the same turn. human-form werewolf can do anything a human can
do, and he can understand the Garou’s language,
B44dfqhy although he cannot speak it very well.
Werewolves have seven Health Levels, represent- Crinos: The Crinos form is a death machine. Half
ing various stagesof wounding. These are: Light, Light, again as tall as the werewolf s Homid form (a six-foot
Medium, Medium, Serious, Serious, and Critical. As human becomes a nine-foot werewolf) and weighing
wounds are accumulated, check off the wound boxes nearly half a ton, the Crinos is equal parts human and
on the character sheet. Rage may be rolled to heal wolf, with a lupine head, massive torso, and rear legs
wounds. When all Health Levels are gone, the charac- jointed like a wolfs. The Crinos’s arms are long and
ter falls unconscious and may die (see below). powerful, and the fingers are tipped with long claws. If
%/B necessary, a Crinos werewolf can drop to all fours and
Resilient as they are, werewolves can still feel sprint with surprising speed. However, the werewolf
pain. When a werewolf reaches the Medium Health can only manage human speech of a few words at a time
-
Level, she suffers 1 die penalty to all actions. When (such as “Leave!” or “Die!”), although he can speak
with other Garou as normal.
she falls to the Serious Health Level, she loses two
dice on all rolls. A minimum of one die is always The Crinos form is supernaturally strong, fast and
rolled, n o matter how wounded a werewolf is. durable; while in this form, a werewolf s Physical Trait
Werewolves in frenzy may ignore pain penalties. is raised by two, but his Social Trait is reduced by two.
Finally, the Crinos form inspires terror in ordinary
UW//////N4dfl& humans, who have long-buried ancestral memories of
When a werewolf has lost all her Health Levels, werewolves emerging from the woods to kill. Humans
she falls unconscious. She is still alive, but is effectively who look on a werewolf in Crinos form must make a
catatonic, incapable of movement or action. T o re- Psychic roll (difficulty 6) or immediately faint or flee
cover, the werewolf must sustain no further injuries for in terror. At any rate, they eventually forget that they
five turns. After that, she heals back up to the Critical ever saw the werewolf at all, as their mind blocks out
Health Level. If a werewolf falls into unconsciousness the memory. (“Oh, it must have been some guy in a
and takes one more level worth of damage, she dies. Bigfoot costume. Some sort of promotion, I guess.”)
A slain werewolf is out of the game forever. The Other supernatural creatures are immune to this effect,
player must create a new character. However, there is as are werewolf Kinfolk.
always the chance that the pack might meet their fallen Lupus: The Lupus form is the form of an ordinary
packmate’s“ghost”in the spirit world for a final farewell. wolf. The Lupus form tends to be influenced by his
tribe (Get of Fenris and Wendigo are great gray wolves,
fkP&?P+Y Black Furies and Shadow Lords are often black as
Shapeshifting, the ability to turn into a wolf or a night, Red Talons and Fianna are russet-coated while
human at will, is the trait that truly defines a werewolf. Silver Fangs have coats of purest white, and so on). A
The Garou are capable from shifting from human shape werewolf in wolf form cannot speak human languages
into wolf shape, or into Crinos form, the terrible “man- or use tools, although he may communicate with other
wolf‘ war form in between. To do so, the character need wolves and can still speak the Garou tongue.
only make a Rage roll; this does not count as an action, While in Lupus form, a werewolf s Physical Trait
as the change is instantaneous, but the character cannot is raised by one, but his Social Trait is reduced by one.
shapeshift and use his Gnosis in the same turn.

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 though there’s a chance of botching routine events
(like slipping in the shower or crashing your car), you
Most of the action in Werewolf is determined by don’t have to roll for everyday events.
the players and Storyteller, but we provide a few rules However, if Magda were trying to hotwire a car or
to help arbitrate complex situations. duck into the car as protection from a hail of silver
This system uses six-sided dice, which are avail- bullets, then dice rolling would be necessary, as
able in supermarkets and toy stores. You might already there’s a good chance of failure. Dice rolling only
have some from a board game like Risk. When a player begins when the action becomes dramatic.
decides that his character is going to attempt an action B#%h?&
for which the outcome is in doubt (clawing at a moving
Difficulties range between 2 and 6. A difficulty of 2
enemy, trying to impress one’s elders, etc.), the Story-
represents the easiest feats; a difficulty of 6, the most
teller looks at the character’s Traits and decides which
challenging. When in doubt, the default difficulty is 4.
Trait (Physical, Mental, Social, Psychic, or even Rage
Difficulties can never be higher than 6 -if a difficulty
or Gnosis) is most relevant. The player gathers a
is calculated to be greater than 6, reduce it to 6.
number of dice equal to his character’s Trait, and the
Storyteller assigns a difficulty number (a number be- Difficulty Task
tween 2 and 6) to the feat. The player then rolls the 2 Easy (walking atop a two-foot-wide wall)
dice. If at least one (or sometimes more) of the num- 3 Routine (changing a car battery)
bers on the dice equals or exceeds the difficulty num- 4 Normal (stalking a reasonably alert victim)
ber, the action succeeds. If not, the action fails. 5 Challenging(shootingatargetatlongrange)
6 Really tough (cracking a safe)

Most tasks are automatic. If Aileen says “My N Q ! P #&&m

4 character Magda gets in her car and starts the engine,” Each die whose number equals or exceeds the diffi-
no roll is necessary. It happens automatically. Even culty number is called a “success.” Most of the time, a

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 single success allows the werewolf to succeed in her Example: Simon Whitecrown (Social 4) is at-
attempted task -barely. Getting more successes indi- tempting to stare down a rebellious cub (Psychic 2).
cates a higher level of performance. For example, let’s say Simon’s player rolls four dice and scores 1 , 2 , 4 , and 5
an Uktena Theurge (Social 3) is attempting to persuade - two successes. The cub’s player rolls two dice and
aspirit.Four dice are rolled (threeforherSocialTrait,plus scores 2 and 5 -one success. Simon wins - the cub
one for her Theurge aptitude); while a single success grudgingly defers to his elder.
indicates an acceptable attempt (the spirit isn’t insulted),
three or four successesare needed to win the spirit’sloyalty
and unquestioning enthusiasm.
The life of a werewolf is fraught with danger and
Successes Quality
suspense. The following section looks at some situa-
1 It’ll do tions that will likely arise over the course of an evening’s
2 Good play, as well as some rules to handle them.
3 Great
4+ Masterful
735
Werewolf uses a fairly loose system of keeping
d%?q?& #PA. track of time. Although the Storyteller can certainly
Justin’scharacter, Otto Twisted-Arm, is being pur- keep trackof the hours and days as they pass, game time
sued by a pair of Black Spiral Dancers. Knowing that is usually measured in terms of turns, scenes and stories.
two-on-one aren’t good odds, Otto takes to the subway Turn: A turn usually lasts about three seconds. It
tunnels in Lupus form, trying to evade them. The is used when adjudicating dramatic situations involv-
Storyteller describes the subway station, and mentions ing split-second decisions and actions, such as combat.
that a train is just about to pull through the area without In one turn, each character can take one action, unless
stopping.Justin decides that Otto will try to leap across he is using Rage to gain extra speed.
the tunnel before the train barrels through. The Story- Scene: A scene is a sequence of events in roughly
teller decides that this is a Physical feat, difficulty 5 the same time and place. So, a brutal fight with a
(Otto has something of a head start on the train, but it’s fomori gang and a tribal moot both constitute a scene,
still a difficult jump). Otto has a Physical score of 2, but even though the moot lasts longer than the fight.
it’s modified to 3 for being in Lupus form. Justin rolls a Story: A story is an entire sequence of events in
2,3, and a 5 - he just makes it across without being which the characters take part. It has a plot, a climax
pasted. The Storyteller decides that for dramatic effect, and a resolution.
the Black Spiral Dancers will try to make the jump, too,
Example: In the movie Star Wars, each swing of
but because they’re just a little behind Otto, the diffi- Obi-wan’s and Darth Vader’s lightsabers took a turn;
culty of the jump will be 6. Both Dancers have Physical
the scene in the Death Star garbage disposal took,
Traitsof3, modifiedup to4forbeinginLupusform.The
appropriately enough, a scene; and the entire movie
Storyteller rolls for the Dancers. One scores a 3,3,1 and
was a story.
6; it just barely clears the train. The other rolls a 2,4,4,
and 5 - it’s not so lucky, and is hit by the oncoming /#O&
train. Now Otto has only one Dancer on his tail, but he’s Sometimes it’s important to know who acts first. A
a long ways from safe.. .. werewolf who gets the jump on her opponent is said to
&@A& have the initiative .
Sometimes, a character will be in conflict with
To determine initiative, compare Traits in this
order:
another person, werewolf or other rival, not simply a
situation. Such events are known as contests. To Highest Rage
resolve a contest, the player rolls against a difficulty Highest Physical
number as normal, but the opponent also gets to roll Highest Mental
his own Trait against the same difficulty number. The Ties: Roll one die; the highest roll wins, Keep
Traits may be the same, or may be different, depending rolling until the tie is resolved.
on the situation. The contestant who scores the most Example: Magda the Iron-Handed is cornered by a
successes wins. Ties reroll. viciousBlack SpiralDancer who means to killher inorder
Almost all contests are considered difficulty 4. to prove himself to his twisted pack. Both have a Rage of
First, the attacker rolls. Then the defender rolls in an 5; they’re both skilled warriors. Since neither has the
attempt to take away the attacker’s successes. advantage, the Storyteller compares Magda’s and the

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 Dancer’s Physical Traits. Both have Physical Traits of 5 Soak: Because werewolves are supernaturally re-
(they’reboth in Crinos). ComparingMental Traits, the silient to injury, they may attempt to absorb some of
Storyteller sees that Magda has a Mental Trait of 3,while the damage just as a trained boxer can ignore some
the Dancer has a Mental Trait of 1. Magda attacks first. punches. A n injured werewolf may make a Physical
If the Black SpiralDancer had had a MentalTrait of 3,the roll (difficulty 5 ) . If she succeeds, she only takes half
Storyteller and Magda’s player would have simply rolled the normal damage, rounded up (minimum of one
a die, with the highest roll acting first. Health Level).
All extra actions gained via Rage come after R4vd&&
everyone has taken their first actions. Initiative of
To conduct ranged combat, the werewolf must
extra actions is determined normally.
have a thrown object or a gun. Each turn, the werewolf
&M&f may throw an object or fire one accurate shot, provided
she has objects to throw or bullets to fire. Rage rolls
The Garou are creatures of blood and war, no
may allow increased rates of fire.
strangers to battle. With their short tempers and battle
training, they are all too ready to draw blood when the Strikes: Strikes take place at long, medium or
situation warrants it. point-blank range. Strikes made at long range are diffi-
culty 5 ;at medium range, difficulty 4; and at point-blank
Combat is conducted in three-second turn. It uses
range, difficulty 3. (However,at point-blank range, the
the task system already established. Initiative is deter-
defender has the option to enter hand-to-hand combat
minednormally,and most combat actions are considered
with the attacker!)
Physical tasks. There are two basic types of combat: hand-
to-hand and ranged. Dodge: A defender may dodge normally, as
above, though this does not automatically give the
&ffd-*-&ffd defender the initiative in the next turn if successful. A
Hand-to-hand combat is conducted with fists, defender may also execute a running dodge. A running
natural weaponry (claws or fangs) or weapons. Initia- dodge takes anentire action, and the defender does not
tive is determined normally. Attacks are resolved in gain any bonuses to her Physical Trait; however, she
order of initiative. Each turn, acombatant may choose automatically closes the gap between herself and the
to strike, grab or dodge. attacker by one range level (i.e., if she was at long
Strike: The attacker rolls Physical (difficulty4). range, she is now at medium range). When dodging, a
The combatant being attacked automatically defends character cannot roll Rage to gain extra actions.
(also Physical, difficulty 4). If the attacker scores a Straight Run: A defender may decide to simply
number of successesequal to or exceedingthe defender’s charge at the attacker. This takes an entire action, and the
roll, he has successfully struck the defender. defender may not defend against the attacker’s shot.
Grab: The attacker rolls Physical (difficulty 4). However, at the end of the turn, the defender is automati-
The combatant being attacked automatically defends cally in hand-to-hand range and may attack next turn.
(rolling Physical as well, difficulty 4). If the attacker’s Damage: Damage from thrown objects and gun-
successes equals or exceeds the defender’ssuccesses, the shots is conducted a little differently from hand-to-hand
defender is grabbed. Each turn thereafter, the attacker damage. A thrown object inflicts a number of Health
may automatically inflict damage, and the defender is Levels equal to the attacker’s successeson the strike roll
trapped until he successfully strikes and inflicts damage + 1.A bullet inflicts a number of Health Levels equal to
on the attacker, in this or a subsequent turn. the attacker’s successes on the strike roll +3.
Dodge: Actively dodging takes an action -the Soak: Bullets and thrown objects can be soaked
dodging party may not do anything else, even attack, normally.
this turn. However,the dodgingcombatant gains +2 to
&%%7P
her Physical roll to avoid all attackers’ blows. If the
dodging defender beats the attacker’s successes, she The werewolves’ greatest weakness is silver, the
gains the initiative next turn! When dodging, a char- moon-metal. Even so much as touching silver inflicts
acter cannot roll Rage to gain extra actions. one Health Level of wounds every turn. This damage
may not be soaked. Similarly, Garou cannot soak
Damage: If the attacker hits, he inflicts anumber of
damage inflicted with silver weapons.
Health Levels of damage equal to his Physical Trait, or
(if using claws, teeth or a weapon) equal to his Physical zmz.?q
Trait + 1. A werewolfs Rage has a dark side. Whenever a
Garou’sRage is too powerful, it may take over, driving

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 the werewolf into a berserk, unthinking state. This Example: Firepaw is chasing a wolf that has been
terrifying state is known as frenzy. possessed by a Bane. She is in Lupus form -but her
Whenever a werewolf is enraged or humiliated, she quarry is considered to be in wolf form as well. She has
must check to see if she frenzies. To do this, the player a Physical Trait of 3 in this form -but so does the
rolls the werewolfs Rage Trait (difficulty 5 , o r 4 if the wolf. Moving down the chart, the Storyteller sees
moon is full). If the player gets three or more successes, that Firepaw’s Mental Trait is 2. The possessed wolfs
the werewolf flies into a frenzy. She must immediately is 1. Maxine catches the possessed wolf, and can try
attack the source of provocation. Werewolves in frenzy to capture it in order to have her pack‘s Theurge
may ignore the effects of pain (they are too fearful or exorcise the Bane.
enraged to register pain). The frenzy lasts for a scene, or &.Mf*m&
until the source of the frenzy is eradicated.
Only a fool tries to resolve everything with blood-
Tm?Ah&fp&fld shed. The Garou are social creatures, and often have to
The spirit world lies just on the other side of resort to social intrigues to establish their place in the
reality. In appearance, it is much like our own, save pack or sept’s hierarchy. There are a number of social
that it is perpetually moonlit, and the spirits of things challenges that might arise in a game; a few, along with
are what is important there. For instance, a bad section suggestions for handling them, are listed below.
of town might look like an apocalyptic wasteland in Intimidation:The werewolfmaytry to intimidate
the spirit world, and a toxic waste dump might be a her target through physical threats (use the Physical
swirling storm of Wyrm-corruption. On the other Trait), social condescension (use the Social Trait) or
hand, deep forest might look even more pristine and verbal bullying (use the Mental Trait). When dealing
majestic than its physical counterpart. with other werewolves, the most common form of
The Garou can access the spirit world by “step- challenge and intimidation is the stare down (use the
ping sideways,” transforming their physical bodies Psychic Trait). The victim may resist with her Psychic
into bodies of pure spirit matter. Once through, they Trait. The highest roll wins.
are free to wander the realms of spirit -and to fight Leadership: The werewolf may issue commands,
there, for the War has come to the spirit world just as but must make a Social roll to convince a hesitant
it has to every other place. target. If the target is inclined to disobey, he may make
While in the spirit world, werewolves cannot a Mental roll to resist. The highest roll wins.
interact with people in the physical world. They can Fast Talk: The werewolf rolls Social; the party
enter the spirit analogue of a building without security beingseducedusesPsychic toresist.The highest rdl wins.
guards stopping them, but they can also fail to notice
a vampire slipping past them in the physical world.
f F
Also, werewolves in the spirit world are likely to The werewolf stalking his target rolls Physical
encounter spirits of the area. A wilderness might be (difficulty 4); the prey, guard, etc., rolls Mental
home to Bear-spirits and Wolf-spirits, while an urban (difficulty 4). If the werewolf wins, he successfully
area probably hosts spirits of electricity, sickness or remains undetected. If the prey wins, she detects the
metal. These spirits can be helpful to the Garou if werewolf. If the werewolf and prey tie, the prey
properly approached and appeased. of course, the “thinks she hears something” or “sees something out
spirit world isn’t an entirely safe haven - the Garou of the comer of her eye” (future rolls to detect the
still runs the risk of meeting Banes, the spirits of the werewolf are difficulty 3).
Wyrm, who are undying enemies of all that is of Gaia. Tm&v
PbYWYffdCk The werewolf must be in Lupus form to track by
Sometimes, characters will want to chase other scent. To track prey, the werewolf rolls Mental (diffi-
characters. Chases are resolved as is initiative, based culty 4 to 6, depending on how old the trail is). Some
on the following chart: circumstancesmay prohibit tracking at all, such as if the
prey crosses a stream or walks along a busy sidewalk.
Lupus form
Crinos form dJ*qLi&
Physical First Change: The characters are werewolves
Mental just coming into their own. In this story, the players
Tie: Die roll, per initiative and Storyteller play out the details of each character’s

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 First Change, and how they are subsequently brought Endangered Kinfolk: Something is preying on
into their tribes. Was the Change brought on by the local Kinfolk; perhaps it’s vampires, fomori or
trauma?Were there dangerouswitnesses, such as min- some other threat. How will the werewolves find
ions of the Wyrm?Do the characters resent the werewolf where the stalker will strike next? This could also be
elders who took them away from their former lives?Do a good story to introduce a romantic subplot, as
the characters react poorly to their new lives, or do perhaps one of the endangered Kin falls for his or her
they readily take to being Garou?How are they brought defender - possibly even going so far as to demand
together as a pack, and what is the first challenge they the right to stand and fight alongside the werewolves
must face together? to prove himself or herself.
Caern Politics: The caern’s leader has been The Doom Pack: The characters are brought
challenged by one of the other elders, and a power face to face with their twisted mirror image - a pack
struggle is taking place at the local caern, as the of Black Spiral Dancers. These wretched and irre-
werewolves divide along tribal lines. Will the charac- deemably corrupt werewolves decide that the charac-
ters be divided along with the rest of the caern, or will ters are their own “personal” project -they may try to
their pack work to end the struggle peaceably? And hunt down the characters, one by one, or seduce them
what if the forces of the Wyrm take advantage of the into joining the legions of the Wyrm. How will the
division among Garou to start preying on werewolves pack deal with an enemy that has all of their own
and their human or wolf Kin? strengths and cunning?

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 At this point, you may want to have the players
describe their characters to one another, or even
you feel necessary. Never be afraid to improvise! The
introduce themselves to one another. To get this
more you fit a situation to your players and the mood
moving, you can have a friendly Garou introduce
of the game, the more real it becomes. That’s what
herself to the young packmates-to-be, such as “No
roleplaying is all about.
need to worry, cubs. The elders are stem, but fair. By
“Rite of Passage” should take about a night, maybe
the way, I’m Brenna Nine-Claws, Galliard to the
two, to roleplay, depending on how much detail and
Fianna. And you are?” Feel free to supply supporting
character interaction the Storyteller chooses to intro-
cast members of whatever breed, auspice and tribe you
duce. The story is fairly straightforward -in order to
like. Players may feel a little more at home if there are
prove themselves adults in Garou society, the newly
members of their characters’ tribes on hand.
formed pack of characters is sent to investigate a new-
After a few introductions, the formalities begin:
comer Garou to their city and determine whether he’s
a threat. As it turns out, he isn’t, but the Wyrm-tainted
werewolves chasing him are. Once you’ve gotten this
under your belt, you’ll be ready to construct stories of
your own, which can be as complex as you like.
One final note: It may seem quite daunting to run
a story for the first time. Remember: even if you bungle
a line or have to back up and pause the game long
enough to get your bearings, that’s fine. If details that
aren’t presented here become important, go ahead and
make them up. Improvise dialogue, elaborate on area
descriptions, and above all, make sure that the envi-
ronment reacts to the characters’ actions. They are the
stars of the show, after all.
&&B!.. %A%%& At this point, the elder will ask each cub’sname in
The first part of the story begins with the various tum, and ask who speaks for them. There should be
characters being gathered for a werewolf moot, their one relative or tribemate who will endorse each char-
very first. As Storyteller, you’ll want to be familiar with acter. These supporting cast members can serve as
the details of each player’s First Change, so you can see possible mentor figures for the characters later on.
who brings them to the moot -is it a Garou parent, or When the formal introductions to the elder have
a mentor who stepped into their lives from afar? The finished, the elder addresses them directly.
gathering can be a scene in its own right, or you can sum
it up in just a few sentences. It all depends on how
interesting a scene you think it would be for the players.

The fuil moon hangs over the tree line, and

its silver light blends with the orange of the
bonfire blazing in the center of the clearing.
Werewolves, some in the shape of wolves, some
in their human forms, quietly shift in the shad-

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Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 “You’ve got it all wrong,)) he exclaims. “I’m
not a Black Spiral Dancer - but there are real
Black Spiral Dancers after me!”

The characters’prey, Ryan, is a Ronin of the Black

Spiral Dancers, who was never abducted into their tribe.
He is a homid Ahroun, with the Advantage and Weak-
ness that entails, but has no Tribal Aptitude or Totem.
Ryan tries to talk the characters into meeting in
the club’s parking lot, where they can speak in relative
quiet. At any rate, when the pack leaves the building,
presumably with Ryan in tow, they are being watched.
Once they get moderately away from witnesses, they
are attacked by a number of black-furred werewolves
Once this is done, the elder withdraws for the with batlike ears - Black Spiral Dancers!
evening. If the players have questions, let them ask There should be one fewer Black Spiral Dancer
questions in character; some of the other Garou of the than the number of characters in the pack - good
seDt will be dad to answer them as need be. This can be odds to take down a lone Ronin like Ryan, but prob-

26

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

 &w/&
Light

Light

Crinos: Medium

Medium

Serious
Lupus:
Serious

Critical

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6
 &&flhX rn&MT@&d
What does death mean for those who live forever?Vampires have walked along side their
human herd since time began, fighting their Jyhad against each other and vying for dominance
over the World of Darkness. Sustaining themselves on the blood of mortals, these undead
masters are fearful creatures of legend and postmodern monsters.Do you dare walk amongthem?

Mv&:G&b&r,
Reality is a lie invented by a technocratic enemy who has written
history to it’s liking. The truth is magic -the universe can be crafted
with a simple working of your will. Mages have taught this truth
throughout the ages, but the proponents of technology have crushed
the mystic masters. Join the last stand in the war for reality.

I ,-,,,,“, . , I-” Y.WW,,,,

7
For centuries, supernatural powers have reigned, warring among themselves, culling the
human herds and lashingout from the shadows. The creatures of the night have held court since
before the dawn of history.. . but nothing lasts forever. We have been called from among the
throngs of humanity. We know the monsters are real, and we have the power to stop them!

ChV&PVm&DW&/*
The gates to the first paradise, Arcadia, are closed, leaving only
the dull gray world of man behind. Unaware of our true nature,
humanity crushes us beneath its banal heel. We are the changelings,
the forgotten ones ae neither fully fae nor wholly mortal. We have
constructed an invisible kingdom with our Glamour, where imagina-
tion is reality, dreams can kill, and monsters and heroes walk just
I beneath your notice.

Vampire the Masquerade and Mage the Ascenwn are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc Werewolf the Apocalypse, Changeling the Dreaming, Hunter the !
Reckoning, Vampire the Dark Ages, Vampire Guides and Storytellers Handbook are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6

Dan Keenan (free product) 204.6