I'm looking for 3-5 players for a Werewolf: The Forsaken 2nd edition chronicle set in a Siege of Sarajevo-expy.
If you haven't heard of it, Werewolf the Forsaken is an interesting take on the werewolf myth. There exists a world of animistic spirits lurking behind our material one. Spirits are greedy creatures, dedicated to enforcing their concept. Unchecked, they can cause chaos. Werewolves are half-spirit and half-human creatures who keep the spirits in check.
Meanwhile, this game takes place in the fictional failed state of Tejekov. After a revolution outsed the tyrannical Glorious Leader, a civil war between the Kajiji and Ukultra ethnicities ruined the country. This takes place in the capital Gardai, held by the Kajiji Storm Front (KSF) and besieged by the Confederated Ukultra Fireteams (CUF) for the past month.
We'll be playing on Roll20. Times are every second Thursday of the month, 10pm GMT, 5pm EST (times negotiable, excluding Saturday or Friday).
First note, don't send me a character sheet just yet. Think about a character, certainly, but don't post it here. That can wait until we begin.
For now, say you're interested in joining and what kind of character you'd want to play. If you can, write a few paragraphs about modern war, werewolves, or animism: your thoughts on it, a few facts, or an interesting story. It'll help me decide what kind of game you'd be interested in playing.
Another thing: take a look at the Tells section below. Pick two; this how you define your character's particular brand of lycanthropy.
As well as that, there are two constraints in place for characters:
The Forgotten
In war, not everybody's a soldier.
Your character cannot be a man aged 18-45, because they've been drafted, killed, or left the country.
Instead, you play who remains. The women, the elderly, the children, the foreigners, and the mad.
I encourage thinking about those forgotten about in conventional war stories.
When war comes, what happens to an elderly postman, a sheltered housewife, an orphaned child, a foreign journalist, an escaped mental patient?
I can't wait to hear your answers.
The Moonmarked
Blood of the wolf, marked by the moon: bathes in light yet hides in darkness.
You're not playing werewolves. You're playing wolfblooded.
What's the difference?
Werewolves are half-spirit, half-human. Wolfblooded are mostly human. They're like baby-werewolves: they've got signs of being a werewolf but they aren't one just yet. The rulebook summarizes it:
"If werewolves are half-spirits tied to the earth and the spirit, then Wolf-Blooded are three-quarter-humans tied to the earth and yearning for the spirit. Or tied to the spirit and clinging to the earth. It all depends on
the type.”
Wolfblooded are explained further in the rulebook, Werewolf the Forsaken 2nd edition (p.296). I recommend checking it out, if you've got it.
An interesting note: as the game goes on, it's likely one of you will experience the First Change and become a full werewolf.
Let me know if you're interested in exploring this.
A WOLF’S MEAT
The Wolf-Blooded is vulnerable to silver. She suffers aggravated damage from silver just as a werewolf does. Silver also blocks any regeneration just as it would to a werewolf. Furthermore, she breaks out in itchy red rashes if she comes in physical contact with silver.
Boon: The Wolf-Blooded’s meat is different, more like her stronger cousins. She regenerates health just like a werewolf. The Wolf-Blooded can spend a Willpower point to heal lethal damage.
ANGER ISSUES
Plenty of Wolf-Blooded have bad tempers. For this Wolf-Blooded, that temper isn’t just a problem, it’s potentially deadly. This Wolf-Blooded has a specific trigger that can send him into a murderous rage.
Boon: The Wolf-Blooded takes Dalu form (Wolfman werewolf form) in both stages of Kuruth (Murderous Rage), and has all the benefits of that form, including
heightened traits and regeneration.
BITE
The Wolf-Blooded has a thick jaw. When she’s described, people use words like “square” and “brick” and probably
“tough” even if she’s otherwise not much of a brawler. She looks like she can take it on the chin. Her teeth are remarkably white, strong, and sharp. Any attempt to be underestimated or appear innocent are penalized. The Wolf-Blooded suffers a –3 penalty on any such roll.
Boon: Her teeth aren’t just sharp, they’re dangerously sharp. And by way of that unusual biology, she can distend her jaw and deliver a devastating bite to anything or anyone she can get her mouth around. Not only can she perform a bite attack without grappling, she deals +1 lethal damage when she succeeds.
BITTEN
Whether the cause or the result of being a Wolf-Blooded, a werewolf has bitten the character. The events that lead up
to the bite could have come up in a thousand ways, but in the end, it has left the Wolf-Blooded with a terrible, unnatu-
ral scar at the site of the bite that’s never quite healed right. Werewolves and other creatures that can track by scent have
a +3 bonus to follow her.
Boon: The blood that slowly leaks from the bite wound creates visions when tasted by anyone. The vision grants the character knowledge of where to find the body of the nearest and most recent victim of a werewolf attack in the area. If no one has died in the area, it will instead reveal living victims of attack.
CLEVER FINGERS
There’s something strange about the Wolf-Blood’s hands. Her fingers are too long, her index finger is longer than her middle, they are all the same length, or they are unusually jointed. Whatever the manifestation, her hands twitch and move strangely. They flitter about when the Wolf-Blooded talks, and fold in odd ways when the character can manage to keep them still.
Boon: Something about the way those fingers move, and the general postures and movement common to these
Wolf-Blooded, make her naturally beneficial to have around during a ritual. Rituals just go smoother when she’s involved. When working a ritual, she uses the Advanced Action mechanic (You roll twice and choose the best result). This includes rituals she leads, and rituals where she supports another.
DEVIL INSIDE
The Wolf-Blooded has an edge of evil about him. He isn’t inherently demonic, satanic, or even evil, but others perceive him that way. He may have strange birthmarks, a single eyebrow, or other classic signs of demonic affiliation, but he’s really just a Wolf-Blooded.
Boon: Just as Wolf-Blooded influenced the mythology that rose up around werewolves, the mythology that’s risen up around werewolves has, on occasion, affected the Tells of Wolf-Blooded. In this case, in specific, exposure to prominent religious iconography when it’s presented forcefully to or at the Wolf-Blooded causes him to shift into a Dalu form. He remains in Dalu until he leaves the scene, and enjoys the physical benefits granted. Brandishing crosses or even offering the Wolf-Blooded a religious pamphlet is enough.
EVIL EYE
One of the Wolf-Blooded’s eyes is different — it may be red, white, or pale blue, but it stands out as not normal in
the character’s face. She can try to hide it or conceal it, but that’s always awkward with eyes.
Boon: Just like the legends say, the Evil Eye can produce something like a curse if the Wolf-Blooded stares at someone.
Determine a specific action. Spend a point of Willpower and roll Manipulation + Occult. The victim can resist with Resolve + Primal Urge. If successful, the next time the victim engages in that action, it’s automatically a dramatic failure, though the victim receives a Beat. Successive uses of the Evil Eye on a given character suffer a cumulative –1 penalty. condition, and that point of sympathy can go a long way for the character if people look past the surface. As a result, any time after the first meeting, the Wolf-Blooded can spend a Willpower point to add another character’s Empathy score to any social action against that character.
EXCITING
The Wolf-Blooded gives off a sort of invigorating scent when he sweats that is as compelling as it addictive. The character is often physically attractive, but these two things are not necessarily synonymous.
Boon: Once per scene, engaging with the Wolf-Blooded in any physically exhausting activity (so long as skin to skin
touching happens between Wolf-Blooded and the other character) has a euphoric quality for both. This can be anything
from willing sexual contact to a rough game of basketball. The moment that sweat is exchanged, both characters gain a point of Willpower.
However, the scent and feeling is addictive. The next time the character who isn’t the Wolf-Blooded can share the same experience, no matter how inconvenient it might be, they must, or lose a point of Willpower until the Wolf-Blooded again willingly engages in the activity.
FAMILIAR
The Wolf-Blooded is never alone for long. Be it a spirit or an animal, the Wolf-Blooded is always followed by a familiar creature she did not invite into her life. Each time the familiar is hurt, the Wolf-Blooded takes the first point of damage instead of the familiar.
Boon: The familiar is a smart example of its type, but doesn’t exhibit unnatural intelligence. It is loyal to the Wolf-Blooded. If a spirit, the familiar is a Hursih (Low-level spirit). If an animal, it can be anything up to the size of a small dog. It’s not hostile to the Wolf-Blooded, but doesn’t always help her. When the Wolf-Blooded takes damage, the first point is instead dealt to the familiar — unless that would kill the creature.
FUCK-UGLY
The Wolf-Blooded’s arms are too long. She’s hairy, though the hair might be well groomed or particularly soft, healthy, and silky. She’s hunched and has an overbite. Her brow grows together. She has fangs instead of teeth. The end result is, she’s in no way attractive or appealing, and tends to put people off if they only have a surface interaction with her. Any first impression roll made by the character doesn’t benefit from 10-again.
Boon: There is something tragic in the Wolf-Blooded’s condition, and that point of sympathy can go a long way for the character if people look past the surface. As a result, any time after the first meeting, the Wolf-Blooded can spend a Willpower point to add another character’s Empathy score to any social action against that character.
HORSE
The Wolf-Blooded often hears the whispers of spirits, and can invite them to speak through her. If she does so, she suffers from the spirit’s ban (supernatural taboo for spirits) either from dusk to dawn of that day, or dawn to dusk.
Boon: The Wolf-Blooded can invite spirits in Twilight to speak through her. Doing so is not possession, and does not give the spirit a chance to Fetter to her. She can also become Resonant or Open to a particular spirit. No roll is necessary, only a willingness on the part of the Wolf-Blooded and an interest on the part of the spirit.
HOST-ACHE
Sometimes, the Wolf-Blooded just aches. Her head hurts, her
stomach throbs, or she experiences cramps. Nose bleeds are common, as is spontaneous menstruation. There’s nothing random about the aches and pains, though — they are in direct relation to the presence of Hosts (horrible spirit rats and spiders that invade humans). For some reason, the Wolf-Blooded is unusually sensitive to the existence of the shartha, and her pain grows increasingly uncomfortable the closer she gets to the alien presence.
Boon: The Wolf-Blooded needs no roll to sense Hosts. If a Host is within 10 miles, the ache begins and may confer a –2 to Composure rolls. Using the pain to “track” the Host is possible, but requires Stamina + Survival rolls in place of the usual tracking rolls. Failed rolls can be turned into dramatic failures if the player wishes, in which case the Wolf-Blooded suffers actual damage in proportion to the strength of the Host she’s tracking.
LIAR’S SKIN
Slashing the Wolf-Blooded’s skin does not reveal tissue or bone, but thick fur. He’ll still bleed, but the blood will spill over matted wolf fur that smells strongly of the woods and fresh raw meat. Anyone seeing the fur beneath the flesh suffers Lunacy as though seeing a werewolf’s Urshul (monstrous wolf) form.
Boon: The additional layer of flesh gives the Wolf-Blooded 1/1 armor at all times.
MARKER
There’s something about the Wolf-Blooded’s secretions that are unique to him. He leaves his mark, literally, through
sweat, tears, blood, or other bodily fluids. A sweaty handprint can leave an impression on even human senses. Stronger
secretions leave a stronger impression.
Boon: The Wolf-Blooded can “mark” any area that she has access to via the Safe Place Merit. Anyone entering that area may make a Resolve + Composure roll as a reflexive action in order to enter the marked area. On a success, they become aware this area “belongs” to the Wolf-Blooded; if they fail, they suffer the Demoralized condition. Furthermore, if the owner of a Safe Place Merit in the area fails to contest the “mark” for a month, it causes them to temporarily lose one dot of the Safe Place Merit.
MOON MARKED
The Wolf-Blooded has a tattoo-like birthmark somewhere on his body that is visible only when a certain moon-phase
is in the sky. It’s usually in a place that’s hard to hide, or else the character feels very uncomfortable covering the mark, and must spend a point of Willpower to hide it when the
corresponding moon is in the sky.
Boon: When the Mark is visible because it’s corresponding moon is in the sky, the Wolf-Blooded can inflict that auspice’s Hunter’s Aspect on a victim (basically, demoralize victims in different ways according to different lunar phases).
PHANTOM PACK
The Wolf-Blooded belongs to a pack that exists only for her. A pack of phantom wolves, possibly spirits or ghosts, lurk at her periphery at all times. They won’t invade human space and so won’t appear in her classes or workplace, but they’ll make their presence known with howls and glinting eyes through a window even if she’s inside.
Boon: A Wolf-Blooded with a Phantom Pack is never really alone. She gets a +2 to any rolls to resist fear, and she can purchase the Pack Dynamics Merit (see p. 107) but does not suffer the drawbacks.
PIERCING EYES
The characters eyes, literally, pierce the Twilight (invisible world). She has unusually colored, uncommonly vibrant eyes that catch the light in the way a wolf’s might at night. They are difficult to conceal, and the shine happens even if she’s wearing contact lenses. She can see things that normal people think aren’t there, and can’t stop seeing them.
Boon: Her eyes see through to the other side. She can perceive all manner of Twilight creatures. Ghosts, spirits, and angels (yep, there's angels; nope, they're not what you expect) are as clearly visible to her as other human beings are to everyone else. She cannot deactivate this ability.
SECOND SKIN
The Wolf-Blooded was born with the pelt of a wolf. Not attached to her, but a living skin that rushed from her mother at the same time as the Wolf-Blooded. It breathes, in a way, has a sort of heartbeat, and is clearly alive. It doesn’t think, but it does feel, and the Wolf-Blooded has a sense for its feelings. They’re connected on a deep level, and the Wolf-Blooded cares for the pelt. She will feed it and keep it safe, and every week she must let it run. If she wears the pelt once a week, she’s fine. If seven days have passed and she has not run with her pelt, she must roll Resolve + Composure when in a stressful situation, with a cumulative –1 to the roll for every week that’s passed. If she fails, she must flee the scene, running back to her pelt so she can let it loose.
Boon: When the Wolf-Blooded puts her sibling pelt on her bare skin, she transforms into Urhan (regular wolf) form. She has all of the benefits of that form, including enhanced traits and regeneration like a werewolf. As long as she has her pelt, she can transform at any time.
SHAPE-SHIFTED
The full moon controls the Wolf-Blooded’s body just like in the old myths. For the night before, of, and following the full moon, at night, the Wolf-Blooded goes through a painful transformation and takes an Urshul (monstrous wolf) form. She can’t resist the transformation. It simply happens at twilight, and ends at dawn.
Boon: While in Urshul, the Wolf-Blooded enjoys all the benefits of the form including enhanced traits and regeneration; she also causes Lunacy (causes normal humans to forget your werewolf form) like a werewolf.
SHADOW TWIN
You should have been a twin, but your twin didn’t make it to birth. Instead, she went to the Shadow (spirit world) and grew up there. You have a deep connection.
Boon: At a locus (place where spirit and mortal worlds meet), you and she may switch places, allowing you to Reach (enter the spirit world). Of course, she is your twin, with her own will and her own mind. She prefers her life in the Shadow, and she may not always be happy about the exchange.
SKINNER
The Wolf-Blooded’s skin is unusually thin and pink and has a shine to it at all times. It almost looks like the top layers
of his dermis never grew in, or like he’s been skinned. His skin weeps fluid even when it’s covered up by makeup or clothes.
Boon: The Wolf-Blooded’s skin can accept the skin of others easily and readily. If the Wolf-Blooded has the skin of another human being of roughly the same height and weight, he can attach that skin to his own body and take on the appearance of the person to whom the skin once belonged. The false skin confers no supernatural ability to mimic the previous owner of the skin. This skin lasts as long as the Wolf-Blooded keeps it on, but falls apart when he takes it off.
SPIRIT DOUBLE
When under stress, or frustration — or sometimes just at random — the Wolf-Blooded doesn’t sleep. Instead, her spirit leaves her body and runs around causing mischief and violence, as if her id were in control. Her spirit runs wild any time the character falls asleep with half of her total Willpower or less. In the morning, she’s sore and achy, but often fulfilled. She wakes with only fuzzy memories of what she’s done the night before.
Boon: While the character is bodiless, she is driven by her Vice. She can interact with the world like a normal person, but is actually disembodied. Any physical damage to her doesn’t hurt her, it simply discorporates her spirit, sending it back to her sleeping body. While in this state, fulfilling her Vice grants her two points of Willpower instead of one, and fulfilling her Virtue grants her nothing.
STRONG SCENT
The Wolf-Blooded has a noticeable scent about her. It’s unmistakable and unmistakably her. It’s not a bad smell, just
a potent one that allows even the human nose to identify her by scent alone.
Boon: The Wolf-Blooded isn’t the center of attention because of her healthy scent, but people are aware of her. As
a result, any attempt to notice anything about her other than her scent and that her presence in the scene has a –2 modifier. She could be lying, stealing, or cheating, but no one is paying attention to that.
THIRD NIPPLE
In the Dark Ages, they might have called it a witch’s teat, while modern medicine would just call it vestigial. The
Wolf-Blooded has a third nipple somewhere on his chest. Sometimes, the nipple weeps milk or blood. The Wolf-Blooded, like witches of old, can use his extra nipple to feed spirits, which might have given rise to the image of a familiar in the old days.
Boon: By spending a point of Willpower and suffering a point of bashing damage, he may leak a point of Essence (spiritual energy).
TONGUES
Sometimes strange, profane, and alien words fall out of the Wolf-Blooded’s mouth instead of the language she’s trying to speak. Anytime a character fails a roll that involves speaking or singing, he can turn it into a dramatic failure. He takes a Beat (experience point) and suffers the results of stumbling mutters accidentally said in the language of the Shadow. To humans, it sounds horrific and impossible. To werewolves and spirits, it seems impossible that a human mouth could form the words that the Wolf-Blooded just has.
Boon: The Wolf-Blooded can force herself to speak in tongues. By spending a point of Willpower, she can speak in the First Tongue (language of spirits) for the rest of the scene.
WAYSTONE
The Wolf-Blooded is a sort of vortex where the line between Flesh and Spirit is weak. Spirits and creatures of flesh that seek the Twilight tend to be drawn to the Wolf-Blooded unconsciously.
Boon: The Wolf-Blooded is a one-dot locus (gateway from spirit world) for the purposes of spirits and others Reaching across to the opposite side. She can shut off the hole she creates by her existence, but doing so requires concentration and opens her up to possession by giving her the Open Condition.
WOLF SIGN
It isn’t the Wolf-Blood’s doing, but whenever he stays in a place for too long, signs of wolves and wolf activities appear over time. Tracks, scat, leaves, and dead rabbits appear any place he stays for more than a few hours. Any naturalist looking at his apartment would think he’s housing a pack of wolves, no matter how impossible that might be.
Boon: Aside from causing the Wolf-Blooded to need to learn a great deal about cleaning mud out of carpets, he’s impossible to track by scent. The wolves — that don’t exist — have no consistent smell, but whatever they leave behind can baffle the scent of anyone trying to find the Wolf-Blooded specifically.
Any questions, feel free to ask.
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Topic: ENCIRCLED: Werewolves in a Siege (Roll20) (Read 1862 times)