HistoireThe Same-Bito regard their Western counterparts as little more than murderous animals, and take great pride in their dedication to the teachings of the Zhong- Lung. The epic journey of their legendary hero Mizuchi onto the land was one of the most important events in Same-Bito history. A Zhong-Lung elder found Mizuchi shortly after he ventured ashore and tutored him in both wisdom and ethics. When he returned to the sea, Mizuchi revealed these laws to all of his kind. The Same-Bito state that most weresharks refused this wisdom and swam West, becoming the savage Rokea. Those who remained listened to Mizuchi and his Zhong-Lung teachers. Since that time, all of the Same-Bito have followed the six sacred precepts.
• Attend the elders; you owe them all.
• Respect tribe members, and they honor you in return.
• Dishonor is a mark of lower beings.
• Battle is always honorable.
• If you are alive, you are still learning.
• Protect territory that the Emerald Mother and the Dragon Kings have given to you.
Eastern weresharks only spend a small amount of time on land, but during this time they work with the other Changing Breeds and a few become friends with land-dwelling hengeyokai. The Same-Bito have an especially close relationship with the Zhong-Lung, and these ancient weresaurians act as counselors and advisors to the often impulsive weresharks, helping them to channel their Rage in useful ways. Unlike Western weresharks, the Same-Bito understand that the Bakemono are a threat both on land and in the seas and find fierce joy in hunting underwater Banes and Fomori.
Téléchargez la fiche ici.*Attention, vous ne pouvez pas sauvegarder votre fiche après modification. Vous ne pouvez que l'imprimer. Vous pouvez aussi bien écrire sur la fiche avec un crayon.
Comment la remplir?
- Vous remarquerez qu'il y a plusieurs "type here". Nous procéderons pas colonne verticale.
- La première colonne, celle du milieu, vous inscrivez votre race. Dans votre cas c'est "Same-Bito".
- Ensuite, en dessous, vous inscrivez votre breed. C'est à dire la forme que vous avez à votre naîssance. Humain ou squamus. Plus d'informations sur les breeds sont décritent plus bas.
- La derniere, inscrivez votre auspices : brightwaters, dimwater ou darkwater. Plus d'infos sur les auspices plus bas.
- La seconde colonne, celle de droite, est réservé à votre nature et demeanor. Mais dans la partie Hengeyokai Alma nous ne jouons pas avec ses traits. Cependant, vous utiliserez la première ligne pour indiquer votre Auspice au sein de la Beast Court. Pour infos sur ces auspices, cliquez
ici.
- En bas, Renown, n'inscrivez rien pour l'instant. Les informations sont privé et seul les MJs auront accès à ces infos. Pour plus d'informations sur la renown cliquez
ici.
- Au milieu, juste au dessu de "Gnose", inscrivez "Rage".
- Sur la deuxième page, vous avez 5 colonnes. Chaqu'une d'elle représente une de vos formes de bête. De l'humain, proche-humain, crinos, proche-animal et animal.
- Les Same-Bito ont 5 transformations.
Form Statistics
(Information sur les formes plus bas.)
Human | Glabrus | Gladius | Chasmus | Squamus |
| Str: +2 | Str: +3 | Str: +4 | Str: +2 |
| Dex: +0(+1)* | Dex: –1(+2)* | Dex: N/A(+1)* | Dex: N/A(+3)* |
| Sta: +2 | Sta: +2 | Sta: +3 | Sta: +2 |
| Man: –2 | Man: –4 | Man: –4 | Man: –4 |
| App: –2 | App: 0 | | |
Diff: 6 | Diff: 7 | Diff: 6 | Diff: 7 | Diff: 6 |
*The numbers in parentheses apply when the Rokea is in the water.
Maintenant vous pouvez répartir vos points.
Attribut = 7/5/3
Abilities = 13/9/5 (Les points ne peuvent monter plus haut que 3 à cet étapes)
Backgrounds = 5
(Le premier point de Kinfolk coute 1 mais les suivants coutent 2)Gifts = 2 (Choisissez 1 Gifts de chaque liste plus bas: Rokea/Auspices)
Rage = (Dépend de votre auspice. Voir plus bas)
Gnose = (Dépend de votre breed. Voir plus bas)
Willpower = 4
Renown = 3
15 freebies à placer.
Point / Coût en FBAttribut / 5
Abilities / 2 (À ce niveau un 4ieme et 5ieme points peut être acheté.)
Une spécialisation / 2 (droit à une seul spécialisation)
Background / 1 (Le premier point de Kinfolk coute 1 mais les suivants coutent 2)
Gifts / 7
Rage / 1
Gnose / 2
Willpower / 1
Mérite / 1
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Traits(Les informations ci-bas sont destiné aux Rokea mais aussi pour les Same-Bito.)
A few Same-Bito can transform into a type of small shark known as the goblin shark. These Rokea are the spiritual leaders of the Same-Bito. All of them have the Swim Sideways* Merit for free, and can purchase Step Sideways for 3 points in order to enter the Umbra on land. Due to their small size, reduce a goblin shark Same-bito’s Strength by one in both Chasmus and Squamus forms.
*Swim Sideways : The wereshark has a natural connection to Sea’s Soul, and can swim there in much the same manner as a Garou steps sideways, without the requirement for a reflective object. The Rokea can only use this talent in seas and oceans; weresharks who can also Step Sideways on land should look to that Merit instead.
As Gaia’s only Sea-dwelling children, the Rokea differ in many ways from the rest of Her family. These differences, both physical and spiritual, all contribute to the schism between the Rokea and the rest of the Changing Breeds.
In Chasmus or Gladius form, anyone striking the Rokea with bare hands or feet takes two levels of lethal damage (that can be soaked), due to the wereshark’s rough, tooth-like scales.
Rokea cease aging when they reach adulthood. A careful Rokea — if such a thing exists — is practically immortal.
Gnosis and SpiritsRokea must be at least partially immersed in salt water in order to regain Gnosis. They can also regain Gnosis from grottoes, and from undersea spirits called Rorqual — embodied spirits that are nothing short of living caerns. Weresharks can perceive spirits of the deep ocean without needing a Gift, but cannot step sideways without using a Gift or the Rite of Passing the Net.
Rage, Frenzy, and WillpowerAs a result of needing to move to breathe underwater, the Rokea hate being restrained or confined. Rokea on land will pace unless the player succeeds in a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) each scene. If restrained, such as being grappled or handcuffed, the Rokea must immediately check for frenzy. Permanently short-tempered, a Rokea must roll only two successes on a Rage roll to frenzy. If she rolls four or more successes she enters Kunmind, a state similar to the Thrall of the Wyrm. Kunmind causes the Rokea to attack any creature within reach, trying to eat anything close by, without regard for friend or foe. Rokea never enter fox frenzy.
Rokea begin play with Willpower 4.
RegenerationRokea regenerate as Garou do, and like werewolves they cannot soak silver damage other than in their breed forms. Squamous Rokea can regenerate damage in their breed form as long as they are immersed in salt water.
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BreedsThere are two breeds of Rokea, squamous and homid. All weresharks are the offspring of a Rokea and either a shark or (in the case of the Same-Bito) a human Kinfolk; even on land where their mating urge is strong and constant, Rokea feel no physical attraction to those of their own kind.
•
Homid: Prevalent only among the Same-Bito and exceedingly rare even then, human-born weresharks enter their First Change around the same age that werewolves do. They look more like normal humans and understand humanity far better than squamus Rokea and can speak human languages. Most Rokea find the notion of humanborn weresharks to be abhorrent.
Beginning Gnosis: 1
•
Squamus: The vast majority of Rokea are born of sharks. Weresharks only breed with the largest and deadliest species: makos, white sharks, tiger sharks, hammerheads, blue sharks, and thresher sharks. Squamus Rokea possess the same Ability restrictions as lupus Garou, and cannot have an Appearance rating above 2. Such characters do however gain a free dot of both Primal-Urge and Survival.
Beginning Gnosis: 5
Restricted Abilities: Beginning squamus characters cannot take the following Skills and Knowledges with their initial dots. You may, however, use freebie points to purchase them, perhaps as a result of your character’s prelude. Similarly, you can use experience points to add these Abilities as a result of training or “life experience” in the course of the chronicle.
Skills: Crafts, Drive, Etiquette, Firearms, Larceny
Knowledges: Academics, Computer, Law, Science, Technology
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AuspicesThe Rokea’s three auspices are based on both the sun and the moon.
• Brightwaters: These Rokea are born on a sunny day, or under the light of the full moon. They are consummate warriors with an odd desire to stay near the sea’s surface. Most betweeners come from among the Brightwaters.
Beginning Rage: 4
Starting Gifts: Eyes of the Wound, Restraint
• Dimwater: Dimwater Rokea are born on extremely cloudy days, or at night during anytime except the new or the full moon. They are the most common type of wereshark and are also natural leaders. Dimwater Rokea tend to be the most interested in exploring and traveling to all portions of the oceans. They are also the strongest proponents of hunting down and killing betweeners and their human Kinfolk.
Beginning Rage: 3
Starting Gifts: King Fish, Sea’s Voice
• Darkwater: These Rokea are born during eclipses or under the new moon, and are the rarest of the auspices. Innovative and curious, they are the calmest of the Rokea, and those most interested in new ideas and in exploring the extreme places — physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Beginning Rage: 2
Starting Gifts: Blood of the Deeps, Silent Sending
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Forms• Homid (“Long Fins”): This form is that of a somewhat squat and coarse-featured, human. Humanborn Rokea (among the Same-Bito) tend to share their human parent’s heritage and appearance, while sharkborn Rokea take on the appearance of the humans of the area from which they first emerge from the sea, regardless of any distant human ancestry.
• Glabrus (“Round Back”): Similar to Glabro, in this form Rokea grow a few inches in height, but double in weight. They become huge, ugly, and muscular, with the first hints of a dorsal fin on their backs. Their sharklike mouths can bite (difficulty 5), dealing lethal damage equal to their Strength
. This form incites reduced Delirium (treat an onlooker’s Willpower as though it were two points higher).
• Gladius (“Standing Jaws”): These monsters are monstrous humanoid sharks, standing more than ten feet tall, with jaws capable of biting an adult human in half. Their bite does Strength + 1 Aggravated damage. This form incites full Delirium.
•
Chasmus (“Fighting Jaws”): This huge and dangerous shark is the preferred combat form for Rokea. Weresharks gain half-again their length in this form — a 20-foot white shark becomes a 30-foot Chasmus. Their bite does Strength + 2 aggravated damage. Rokea in Chasmus form incite full Delirium in onlookers.
•
Squamus (Swimming Jaws): This form is indistinguishable from a normal (if unusually large) shark. Only about 20% of the world’s shark population is represented among Rokea Squamus forms: the biggest, fiercest, and most predatory.
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GiftsVous pouvez remplacer un de vos gifts de dépars par un gift commun de la Beast Court. Voyez la liste en cliquant ici.General Rokea Gifts•
Breach (Level One) — Generally used to hurl themselves high out of the water. The werewolf can leap impossible distances. Hare-spirits teach this Gift, naturally, though cat-, frog-, kangaroo-, and even fleaspirits occasionally do so as well.
System: The player makes a reflexive Strength + Athletics roll (difficulty 7) to activate this Gift. If successful, the character’s leaping distances are doubled for the scene — or tripled for a single turn with the expenditure of a Willpower point (see Jumping, p. 271).
•
Fast (Level One) — The wereshark can survive for a long time using only her inner reserves. A sharkspirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends one Gnosis point. The character need not eat or drink for the next week.
•
Killing Bite (Level One) — The Rokea’s mouth briefly becomes a razor-edged nightmare, regardless of her form. A shark-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends one Rage point. The next successful bite attack the character lands inflicts two extra levels (not dice) of aggravated damage.
•
Sense Danger (Level One) — As a race charged with survival, the Rokea need to be able to identify danger. This Gift helps the Rokea know whether or not a being or situation is dangerous to her. It is taught by an avatar of Sea.
System: The Rokea focuses for a turn; the player rolls Perception + Primal-Urge to determine if an individual or situation is dangerous to her. The difficulty is 6 for immediate and palpable threats, and 8 for subtler or more roundabout ones.
•
Teeth of the Skin (Level One) — The werewolf undergoes a startling transformation: Her fur elongates, becoming bristly and sharp like the quills of a porcupine. The werewolf must be in Crinos, Hispo or Lupus form to use this Gift. Porcupine teaches this gift, and he has a strong fondness for metis.
System: The character spends a Gnosis point to sharpen her fur. Anyone whom the metis tackles, grapples or immobilizes takes (Strength + 1) aggravated damage from these newfound quills. Furthermore, those who strike her with bare flesh and score less than five successes on the attack roll take their
own Strength in aggravated damage (this does not negate any damage done to the metis). This Gift lasts for one scene or until the werewolf wills her fur to return to normal.
•
Shou of Zhong Lung (Level One) — This Gift allows the Rokea to spit out a tiny spirit-shark, which swims away to her Mentor, if she has one, to seek whatever wisdom the Rokea desires. It returns bearing the mentor’s answer once the he provides it — usually within the same session. A frog-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends one point of Gnosis to create the spirit-shark; the Rokea can ask any question she likes, but the Storyteller decides how long an answer will take.
•
Blood Scent (Level One) — The wereshark can sense the presence of hengeyokai or other
shen. A sharkspirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player rolls Perception + Primal-Urge. The difficulty to sense shapeshifters is 7, while other
shen are 9.
Auspice GiftsVous pouvez remplacer votre gift d'auspice par un gift d’auspice de la Beast Court en cliquant
ici.
Brightwater Gifts•
Eyes of the Wound (Level One) — The werewolf may see clearly in complete darkness. His eyes glow a lambent green while this power is in effect. A cat-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The character suffers no penalties from darkness. This power may be used at will; it requires no roll or expenditure.
•
Restraint (Level One) — This Gift allows the wereshark to ignore her slew-mates and allies when in frenzy. A spirit-servant of Sea teaches it.
System: The player spends one Willpower point upon entering Frenzy and rolls Willpower (difficulty 6). For each success, she may ignore one character during the frenzy.
•
Shatterbite (Level One) — As the Ahroun Gift: Spur Claws, save that it enhances bite attacks. — In ancient times, Ahroun warriors made common cause with the spirit-Queen of Bees. As her own hive-children rallied to protect her, so too did the Garou fight in defense of Gaia, and the Queen decreed that they should be properly equipped for the fight. This Gift, taught by a bee-spirit in recognition of that alliance, allows the Ahroun to transform her claws into hooked and barbed spurs.
System: The player spends one Rage. The next successful claw attack the character makes buries her claws into the victim, where they stick after breaking free from the werewolf’s fingertips. Until the victim takes the time to pull them out (which takes a full turn), they suffer +2 difficulty to all actions. The Garou’s claws take a full turn to regenerate.
•
Unseen Attack (Level One) — If the Brightwater can approach her target without being seen, her first attack will also generally be her only one. This Gift is taught by a shark-spirit.
System: The Rokea’s surprise attacks add four dice to their damage. This Gift’s effects are permanent.
Dimwater Gifts •
King Fish (Level One) — This Gift allows the Dimwater to command the respect of others. A sharkspirit teaches it.
System: The Rokea permanently adds one die to Leadership and Intimidation rolls.
•
Resist Pain (Level One) — As the Philodox Gift. — Fortifying herself with purpose and will, the werewolf shuts out the pain of her wounds. A bear- or badger-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends one Willpower point; the character ignores all wound penalties for the rest of the scene.
•
Sea’s Voice (Level One) — As the Galliard Gift: Beast Speech. — The werewolf may instinctively understand and communicate with any natural animals, from fish to mammals. She need only speak normally to be understood by animals, along with a touch of appropriate body language — there is no need to bark like a dog. This Gift doesn’t change animals’ basic reactions or dispositions; most are still afraid of predators such as werewolves. Any animal spirit can teach this Gift.
System: This Gift’s effects are permanent.
•
Strange Blood (Level One) — As the Lupus Gift: Sense the Unnatural. — The werewolf can sense any supernatural presence and determine its approximate strength and type. Supernatural presences can include magic, spirits, Wyrm taint, ghosts, vampires, faeries, and any other such unnatural manifestation — although it won’t pick them out specifically as such. A werewolf may sense a person plagued by haunting as easily as a ghost. Any spirit servant of Gaia can teach this Gift.
System: The player rolls Perception + Enigmas (difficulty 6). The more successes he rolls, the more information he gains. The sensory input is somewhat vague and subject to interpretation, though. For instance, a vampire might smell of clotted blood, fear, corpse-meat or whatever else the Storyteller finds appropriate.
Darkwater Gifts •
Blood of the Deeps (Level One) — Most sharks aren’t built to operate in environments of extreme cold or pressure, but Darkwaters must go where Sea’s greatest secrets are hidden. This Gift allows them to do so. Any deep-sea spirit can teach it.
System: The wereshark becomes permanently capable of surviving deep-ocean environments.
•
Chill (Level One) — The Darkwater may summon up the essence of the abyssal depths and saturate the area with it. This chills both the water (or air) around him and the souls of those not of his slew. A servant of Sea teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends one Rage point. The temperature in her immediate area drops significantly for the rest of the scene. All characters not of the wereshark’s slew suffer a +1 difficulty to all non-physical actions.
•
Qyrl’s Blood (Level One) — As the Uktena Gift: Shroud. — The Uktena can create a field of inky blackness through which only she can see. A night-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends one Gnosis point and rolls Gnosis (difficulty varies: 3 for twilight, 6 indoors, 9 for bright sunlight). Each success blacks out a 10’ by 10’ by 10’ area within the Garou’s line of sight. Powers which permit sight in total darkness are capable of defeating this Gift.
•
Sudden Surge (Level One) — As the Get of Fenris Gift: Lightning Reflexes. — Fenrir are Gaia’s ultimate warriors, effortlessly switching from offense to defense as the needs of battle demand. A mongoose-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player reflexively spends one Willpower point. For the next day, the character need neither make a Willpower roll nor spend a Willpower point to abort to a defensive action.
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MéritesCliquez
ici pour la liste.
Constant Sending(1-pt. Merit, Rokea only)The character’s Lorenzini’s ampullae remain in all forms, allowing him to use the Sending* even in Homid form.
*The Sending is the Rokea’s natural means form of communication. Weresharks can send and receive faint electrical pulses, which travel up to half a mile through open water. On land, the Sending has a range of about 50 feet. Under normal circumstances, no rolls are required to use this ability, it’s as natural as talking is to humans. However, unless the character uses the Darkwater Gift: Silent Sending, all Rokea within range perceive these Sendings.
Sending also allows weresharks to freely communicate with undersea spirits without spending Gnosis or using a Gift. Rokea can receive Sendings in all of their forms but cannot normally produce them in homid form. Until they have spent at least some time on land, most squamous weresharks know no human languages and cannot communicate with anyone in homid form.
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Notez bien que nous limitons la plupars des backgrounds à 3. Seul quelques exceptions existent : Pure Breed, Spirit Heritage et Totem.Backgrounds AlliesIls peuvent faire des actions pour vous. Leur utilité est surtout dans les passe-play de semaines. Plus le niveau est haut plus l'action peut-être de haute sphère, ou de grande efficacité. ContactsSert à chercher des informations. Une information pour chaque points de contact. Kinfolk(Le premier point coûte 1, mais les suivant coûtent 2)Ils peuvent faire des actions pour vous. Leur utilité est surtout dans les passe-play de semaines. Plus le niveau est haut plus l'action peut impliquer la présence de plusieurs Kinfolks. Donc, plus efficace. ResourcesThe Resources Background describes your character’s access to and control over a range of valuable assets. These assets may be actual cash, but as this Background increases, they’re more likely to be investments, property, or earning capital such as stocks and bonds. A character’s Resources depend upon the standard of living she’s comfortable with — a lupus in the Yukon isn’t likely to get a wire transfer from her broker each month. A character with no dots in Resources can have enough clothing and supplies to get by, or she may be homeless, sleeping in a den in her lupus form. You receive a basic allowance each month based on your rating, so make sure to detail where this money comes from. The Storyteller will determine how much this is based on the area your game takes part in and the cultures you’re in contact with. A werewolf’s fortune can run out if she’s fighting in the Amazon rather than managing her stock portfolio. You can also sell your less liquid resources if you need the cash, but this can take weeks or even months, depending on what exactly you’re trying to sell. Art buyers don’t just pop out of the woodwork, after all. Resources can be pooled among a pack. • Sufficient. You don’t get many spending sprees, but you’ve got a decent place to live, a car that doesn’t crap out every week, and a decent standard of living for the working class.•• Moderate. You’re thoroughly middle-class in income, and can afford the odd indulgence. You can hire specific help as necessary. You have enough available cash, portable property, and valuables that you can maintain a one-dot standard of living wherever you are for up to six months.••• Comfortable. You own a house and some land outright, which you may let the sept use or keep for your pack, and you’ve a reputation that gives you easy access to credit at good terms. More of your assets are tied up in property than in cash, and if needs be you can maintain a one-dot standard of living wherever you are for as long as you like.•••• Wealthy. You have serious financial power, and are one of the richest people in your country. You don’t deal much with actual cash, using more valuable and stable assets to pay off debts as they arise. When you can’t focus on maintaining your level of Resources, you can live at the three-dot level for up to a year, or a two-dot life indefinitely.••••• Extremely Wealthy. You’re one of the richest people on Earth. You have multiple homes, many forms of luxury transport, and frequently show up in glossy magazines and on gossip websites. You have assets everywhere, and can hobble the Wyrm’s activities with a ten-minute phone call. You can live at the three-dot level indefinitely if you ignore your fortune; higher if you put a little effort in to it. RitesRituals are an important part of Garou life. This Trait denotes how many rites the character knows at the beginning of the game. The rating represents levels of rites, so a character with four dots in this Background may have a Level Four rite, one Level One and one Level Three rites or any other combination. Remember that to learn a rite the character needs a Rituals Knowledge rating at least equal to the level of a given rite. While Rank is not necessarily a factor, many Theurges would need a pretty convincing reason to teach a Level Five rite to a Rank 1 Garou. Note that two minor rites can be purchased in place of one Level One rite. • You know one level of rites.•• You know two levels of rites.••• You know three levels of rites.•••• You know four levels of rites.••••• You know five levels of rites. Spirit HeritageThe Garou are creatures of duality — torn between man and wolf, and between flesh and spirit. The Garou share a kinship with inhabitants of the spirit world, but some have a stronger connection than others. For some reason, perhaps an ancestral tie to a household of spirits, certain types of spirits react more positively to you than others. This doesn’t need to be a friendly relationship — spirits may be fearful and respectful of you, in awe of you, or feel a sense of duty to you. No matter what the relationship, one group of spirits is more likely to cooperate with you. When you select this background, choose one type of spirits. Examples of possible groups are animal spirits, plant spirits, elementals, urban spirits, and even Banes. When dealing with spirits of this type, the player may add his Spirit Heritage rating to any Social rolls, or rolls involved in challenges. Spirits whom you are attuned to view you, to some degree, as one of their own — a daunting prospect for those attuned to Banes, when other Garou discover their heritage. If you act against such spirits or ignore their plights, you may be seen as betraying them. • Spirits can smell their scent on you, though no one else can•• The spirits note your arrival. You bring your chosen spirits to mind in others when they look at you, though few understand why.••• In the Umbra, you emanate an intangible, though noticeable, sense of your aligned spirit type.•••• In the Umbra, you have visible hints of your aligned spirit type. Those attuned to nature spirits may have tiny twigs emerge from their fur, for example.••••• Some question if you really are only half spirit. TotemTotem is a Background that applies directly to the character’s pack, rather than the individual. Unlike other pooled Backgrounds, the pack spends all of the points that members have invested in this Trait to determine their totem’s power. Each totem has a Background cost rating; the pack must spend that amount to ally with that totem. Some totems are willing to lend great powers to their adherents; their point costs are correspondingly greater. See Pack Totems (p. 373) for a list of possible totems. In addition to their Totem bonuses, all beginning totems have a base of eight points to divide among Rage, Willpower, and Gnosis. The totem also begins with the Airt Sense and Re-form Charms. Apart from bestowing power, totems start out somewhat aloof from the pack, and they have little influence among spirits, unless the players buy a closer connection with Background points. With time, roleplaying, and experience points, pack totems can grow in power as their pack grows in Rank and influence. Some totems can even become the totems of whole septs or — in legendary circumstances — even tribes.Most of the powers that totems bestow are available to only one pack member at a time. At the end of each turn, the Garou with the power declares who the power may be given to next turn (assuming that she doesn’t keep it). After spending the initial cost of the totem, the players can spend any remaining Background points to add to the totem’s strength and abilities. Cost Power1 Per three points to spend on Willpower, Rage, or Gnosis1 Totem can speak to the pack without the benefit of the Gift: Spirit Speech.1 Totem can always find the pack members.2 Totem is nearly always with the pack members.2 Totem is respected by other spirits.2 Per charm possessed3 Per extra pack member who can use the totem’s powers in the same turn4 Totem is connected mystically to all pack members, allowing communication among them even at great distances.5 Totem is feared by agents of the Wyrm. Either minions of the Wyrm flee from the pack, or they do their best to kill the pack.The listed cost is in Background points, which can be bought through experience (see Spending Experience Points, p. 244) at the rate of two experience points per Background point. (Therefore, three points of Rage would cost two experience points.) The Storyteller should allow increases in totem powers only when it fits in to the story, such as when pack members gain a higher rank, a new member joins the pack, or when pack members gain new insight into the nature of their totem. When the totem is affiliated with a more powerful spirit, the greater spirit might grant the strengthening of its servant (pack totem) in return for a great service done it by the pack. SecretsThe character possesses information that would be considered desirable — or damaging — by someone else. While such knowledge can sometimes place the character in danger, mostly it gives her leverage and advantages. What the character does with these secrets (bartering them for favors or cash, using them to take down minions of the Wyrm, or something else entirely) is up to her. The player and Storyteller should work together to determine what sort of secrets the character possesses. The Background’s rating determines the value and number of secrets the character knows. This Background is normally the province of Corax and Bastet, though other Changing Breeds (and even the odd Shadow Lord!) occasionally pick it up as well. • A small but noteworthy secret — a secret affair, a hidden sexual orientation, a minor crime.•• A moderate secret. The human identities of a Garou pack, the whereabouts of a criminal on the run, a significant crime, or evidence of two Garou sleeping together. Alternately, a few minor secrets.••• A substantial secret, or equivalent amount of lesser secrets. A matter of life and death or utter ruination for someone. The location of a lost fetish that someone needs to stay lost. The identity of a murderer of one or more Fera.•••• A heavy secret, or equivalent amount of lesser secrets. The location of a national fugitive, a vampire’s “little black book” of contacts, the location of a Gurahl.••••• An enormous secret, or equivalent amount of lesser secrets. A high-level Pentex plot. The location of a legendary cursed fetish. The secret weakness of an Incarna. Umbral MapsThe character possesses a wealth of experience and received information about Umbral navigation. These “Umbral maps” are not physical objects, but rather the collected lore of symbolic navigation among spirit paths, the entry methods for safe havens and refuges, the cycles of natural spirit paths, and reliable methods to bypass various obstacles along the way.This Background is normally the province of Corax and Nuwisha, though other Changing Breeds occasionally pick it up as well. • A few safe paths and refuges. The character enjoys –1 difficulty to rolls to navigate the Umbra.•• Several routes to common destinations. As Level One, plus once per story the character can re-roll a failed attempt to navigate through the Umbra.••• Safe zones, routes to virtually any place, and knowledge of where not to go. –2 difficulty to rolls to navigate the Umbra, plus one re-roll per story.•••• Several safe places and refuges, extensive knowledge of Umbral paths and dwellers in those areas. –2 difficulty to rolls to navigate the Umbra, plus two re-rolls per story. ••••• No one knows the Near Umbra like the character. –3 difficulty to rolls to navigate the Umbra, plus three re-rolls per story.