Ragabash Gifts

[Xenia]

Ragabash Gifts

Level One Gifts

• Blur of the Milky Eye
• Hush
• Liar’s Face
• Open Seal
• Scent of Running Water
• Spirit Skin
• Taunt

Level Two Gifts

• Calm the Heart
• Eyes of the Lynx
• Falling Touch
• Luna's Blessing
• Petal Float
• Taking the Forgotten
• Tracker's Eye

Level Three Gifts

• Hermes' Mantle
• Impunity
• Liar’s Craft
• Open Moon Bridge
• Pathfinder
• Terrain Shift
• Thousand Forms

Level Four Gifts

• Cheap Shot
• Hobbling Strike
• Laugh of the Hyena
• Misdirection
• The Madness Season
• Whelp Body
• Umbral Dodge

Level Five Gifts

• Artful Dodger
• Blank
• Bridge Walker
• Thieving Talons of the Magpie
• Turn the Moon
• Violation
• Weakest Link

[Xenia]

Level One

Blur of the Milky Eye
You have learned to harness spirits of light and stealth, forcing them to work together to render you invisible to observers. They hide your presence from others, allowing you to pass unnoticed. This power relies upon stealth, and it only works so long as you are attempting to avoid notice. A chameleon-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: Wits + Willpower (Optional Wits + Stealth) versus special (See Blur of the Milky Eye Versus Supernatural Senses, below)

System:
Spend a standard action. You and all inanimate objects on your person become invisible to anyone who was not looking at you when you activated Blur of the Milky Eye. If another individual is watching you when you activate this Gift, the observer automatically sees through this power. If she looks away for more than a few seconds (i.e., one turn in combat), she automatically loses track of you.

While this Gift is active, others ignore minimal effects of your presence, such as minute sounds, fragrances, or breathing. If you talk, touch someone, produce an outlandish odor, or take any action that requires a challenge, Blur of the Milky Eye immediately ends. If you place other characters in a position where they must logically acknowledge your existence, Blur of the Milky Eye fails, and you become visible to all.

Blur of the Milky Eye cannot be used to make another character invisible, even if that character is unconscious or dead. This power does not work on umbral spirits.

Blur of the the Milky Eye Versus Supernatural Senses

Opponents with supernatural senses, such as a Garou using Wolf Senses or a vampire using Heightened Senses, can attempt to use her sharpened senses to pierce Blur of the Milky Eye. To see you, she must win an opposed challenge using her power activation test pool against your Wits + Willpower or Stealth skill. For example, a rival Garou attempts to pierce through your Blur of the Milky Eye with Wolf Senses. She must succeed in an opposed challenge with her Wolf Senses activation test pool versus your Blur of the Milky Eye test pool.

Affinity:
By spending an extra Gnosis at activation, you may cloak a number of people up to your Rank, granting them the effects of this Gift so long as they remain within 10 steps of you. Anyone who wishes to try and pierce the invisibility set by you must win in a challenge against your test pool. Should they succeed, they are able to see all individuals that were covered by a single application of this power.


Hush
Though Ragabash are teachers, one thing they can’t always teach is when to keep one’s mouth shut. Maybe a brash Ahroun is about to say something unfortunate to a bigger Ahroun, or perhaps a talkative cub is about to reveal too much about what she knows. In such situations, this Gift acts as a temporary stopgap; it makes the target fumble for words, lose his train of thought or become momentarily distracted. Beside keeping friends from saying stupid things, the Gift can also be used against insulting rivals or the enemy calling in reinforcements. Because of the bond between packmates, it is easier to use this Gift within the pack — after all, it’s for the greater good, right? A mockingbird-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: None

Test Pool: Wits + Subterfuge versus target's Resolve + Willpower

System:
Expend a standard action and target an individual within 10 steps in the Gift's challenge. If successful, the target is silenced for a number of turns equal to your rank (minimum 1), preventing the target from communicating verbally (although other forms of communications, such as hand signals or writing, are still possible).

Further, sometimes it's important to shut your allies up more than your enemies. If you are using this Gift against a packmate, the test pool is changed to Wits + Subterfuge + Rank versus target's Resolve + Willpower, with only you getting to add your rank to the challenge.

Exceptional Success:
The number of silenced turns doubles to equal to twice your rank (minimum 2).

Affinity:
Knowing your packmates well, you may use this Gift immediately after they make a sentence you would have liked to silence. If successful it is as though that statement was never said; instead silence reigned as they found their words stripped from them.


Liar’s Face
The Ragabash wraps herself in such a deceitful attitude that nothing she says can be trusted — not even the clear and unvarnished truth. The werewolf may make a single truthful statement, and no human who hears it will believe her. A platypus-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Willpower

Test Pool: Charisma + Subterfuge versus target's Composure + Willpower

System:
Expend a standard action and make a truthful statement to an individual. This Gift is automatically effective on humans, causing them to believe the Ragabash is lying. Supernatural listeners may test against the Gift's test pool to see if they can resist the Gift. If the Gift is successful they too will not believe the Ragabash's words.

Exceptional Success:
The listener is so convinced of your lie, that should someone come to them later with the same information within 1 hour of having been affected by this power the target of this power will refuse to believe them regardless of what proof they have.

Affinity:
You are able to lie to a crowd. You are able to make use of this Gift when addressing a group of people following the same rules. This Gift is automatically effective against mortal listeners. Supernatural listeners may choose to contest individually.


Open Seal
With this Gift, the Garou can open nearly any sort of closed or locked physical device. An ermine-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: None

Test Pool: Gnosis difficulty current Gauntlet Rating

System:
Spend a standard action touching a lock, sealed item, or otherwise closed physical device. If successful, whatever prevented you from mundanely opening something is no longer an impediment. Note that this only affects items that are mundanely inaccessible, and does no good against magical barriers.

Exceptional Success:
In addition to opening the lock, if there are any traps on the item those are similarly disabled.

Affinity:
Seekers of secrets, Ragabash reject the notion that there are unopenable things. If used on a magic seal or barrier of some sort, this grants the Ragabash insight into how that barrier might be breached. This is always some manner of minor clue, never a step-by-step tutorial.


Scent of Running Water
The Garou can mask her scent completely, making herself virtually impossible to track. A fox-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: None

Test Pool: None

System:
This Gift is permanent once learned. You add your Rank to your effective dots of the Streetwise and Survival abilities to prevent individuals from being able to track you. Should anyone be able to track you, they suffer a -2 on all relevant challenges. You may leave behind a scent if you wish, temporarily suspending this Gift, which may be necessary when trying to integrate with wolf packs who will be quite suspicious of someone completely lacking a scent.

Affinity:
Sometimes it can be useful to leave behind a false scent. By spending a Willpower, you can make you scent match that of another character. In order to match someone's scent, you must have spent 5 minutes near them gathering and memorizing the scent. You may only have up to your Resolve in memorized scents.


Spirit Skin
The Umbra can be a dangerous place, with umbral storms and predatory spirits attracted towards adventurous Garou venturing into their domains. You’ve learned to hide your essence and trick other spirits into thinking you’re a simple Gaffling. Other spirits will treat you as an ordinary Gaffling, until you give them reason to believe otherwise. This isn’t always a good thing. Any Gaffling spirit can teach this Gift, though most commonly it is taught by a Chameleon-spirit.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: Wits + Stealth versus special (read Gift)

System:
Spend your standard action to transmute your spiritual essence, mimicking that of a Gaffling spirit. For the next hour, all lesser spirits, such as Gafflings and Jagglings, that can perceive your presence automatically view you as a Gaffling spirit (of a type of your choosing).

While this Gift is active, Gaffling and Jaggling spirits react to you as though you are a spirit and accept you into their umbral landscape. If you encounter an Incarna or Celestine spirit, you must defeat it in an opposed challenge to force it to believe in your disguise. If you place any spirit into a position where it must logically acknowledge that you are not a spirit, Spirit Skin immediately fails, and your true nature becomes known to everything that can perceive you. This Gift only affects spirits. Other people and other creatures, including shapeshifters, will not recognize you as a spirit.

Should a Gaffling or a Jaggling spirit have the ability to contest supernatural concealment they may try to contest this power, if so you may resist either with their Gift's defensive test pool or your own Wits + Stealth.

Exceptional Success:
If you achieve an exceptional success against an Incarna or Celestine spirit, it accepts you as one of its personal servants and treats you as such.

Affinity:
Spend 1 point of Gnosis and use your standard action to extend your Spirit Skin to an individual within three steps of you. This shared ability lasts only as long as your Spirit Skin is active.


Taunt
The clever trickster knows how to pull attention towards them without letting them focus anywhere else. Likewise, you have the ability to transform your disdain into a savage, spiritually-powered jape, triggering a blinding fury in your foe. An ancestor-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Rage

Test Pool: Charisma + Subterfuge versus target's Composure + Willpower

System:
Expend your standard action insulting your target verbally, by rudely gesturing, or using a creative combination of both. If you succeed in an opposed challenge, you afflict your target with an intense anger directed at you for the remainder of the scene. Your target automatically gains 1 point of Rage, and her hatred of you is so intense that she suffers a -3 penalty to Brawl and Melee attacks against anyone else until she has personally struck you with a Brawl or Melee attack. Ranged weapons, such as archery or Gifts that cause ranged damage, do not fulfill the target's urge to physically humiliate you. While affected, your target is free to ignore you, though the effects persist for the next hour.

A target under the effect of Taunt is automatically considered to be focused on you for any powers that require the target look at you.

If you become unconscious or your target can no longer see you, this Gift's effect immediately ends. Creatures that cannot gain Rage do not do so, and suffer no additional effects beyond the Physical penalty.

Exceptional Success:
The effects of this power persist for the next hour or until the target of this Gift has succeeded in physically striking you three times, regardless of if your target can see you or if you become unconscious.

Affinity:
Skilled at shifting blame, after a successful use of this power you may designate another individual within 2 steps of you. They are treated as though they were the person who successfully used this power on the target, making them the target of the victim's wrath.

[Xenia]

Level Two

Calm the Heart
Rage is both a gift and a curse to werewolves—it poisons the soul while it strengthens the body. While anger is a potent tool, sometimes the greater path to victory lies in restraint. This power calls on Gaia to grant others the peace needed to maintain their clarity of purpose.

Cost: None

Test Pool: Charisma + Empathy versus target's Composure + Willpower

System:
Expend a standard action and initiate an opposed challenge against your target. If you succeed, your target loses 1 point of Rage, to a minimum of 0 Rage.

Exceptional Success:
Your target loses 2 points of Rage, instead of 1.

Affinity:
When you successfully use this power against an allied target, you may allow her to voluntarily lose 3 points of Rage, instead of the standard effect. If she declines, apply the normal or exceptional success effect as appropriate. Should they accept while in frenzy, they may immediately make another test for frenzy using their new Rage total.


Eyes of the Lynx
Lynx-spirits, embodying the Umbral ideal of their earthly counterparts' powerful eyesight, can see even beyond physical obstacles. Ragabash who learn this Gift can peer through walls or beneath the earth. A lynx-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Willpower

Test Pool: None

System:
Spend a simple action to activate this Gift. For the next 10 minutes, the garou can see through solid matter, up to a yard of material. This grants no ability to pierce magical effects though that may still prevent sight.

Affinity:
The range of material passed through with this eyesight increases to a number of yards equal to the character's Rank.


Falling Touch
The most powerful fighters are neither those who rage and fury, nor those whose strength lifts mountains. Such distinction belongs to those who understand how it was the lowly blow to his heel that laid Achilles low. Those who master this Gift know that Gaia’s gentleness is also a weapon and how her smallest movement can bring victory.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: Strength + Brawl versus target's Physical Defense (soaking makes the Gift automatically successful)

System:
Spend your standard action as you touch an opponent with the palm of your hand. Touching an opponent in this manner requires a challenge using the Gift's test pool. If you succeed, your target is knocked two steps away in a direction of your choosing and lands prone, but she does not suffer any damage.

Exceptional Success:
The target is too stunned to act immediately after the Falling Touch impacts her flesh. She loses her standard and simple actions during her next initiative.

Affinity:
Sending an opponent sprawling like that is noticeable and draws attention, importantly away from you. Immediately after using this Gift, you are treated as though no one is currently looking at you and may make use of Gifts such as Blur the Milky Eye, making use of Gift in such a manner still requires its normal cost be spent; however the normal action requirement is waived. Only one Gift may be activated in this manner.


Luna's Blessing
Silver is the legendary bane of the Garou, but you've learned to commune with the spirit of Luna and have earned her blessing. By invoking her name, you can sense silver and even become immune to its harmful effects. A lune teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: None

System:
Spend your standard action to call upon Luna and enact her blessing. You can immediately sense the presence and relative size of any silver within line of sight. While silver is common in the currency of the area, the Gift will expressly highlight any concentration that should be alarming. This power detects silver concealed by mundane means, but does not reveal silver concealed by supernatural means, such as Blur of the Milky Eye. In those instances, this Gift reveals that silver is present, but at an indeterminate location.

Additionally, for the next five minutes, you are immune to the negative effects of silver due to being a werewolf. You can touch silver without issue, and you are immune the damage effects of silver.

Affinity:
Spend 1 Gnosis and use your standard action to grant this immunity to a single individual within 3 steps of you for the next 5 minutes.


Petal Float
The Ragabash becomes light as a flower petal when falling long distances, spinning, and drifting in the breeze. A Glade Child or flower-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: None

System:
You may activate this Gift as soon as you start falling,. Doing so will negate any damage from falling for up to a mile. If you are falling for more than a mile, then subsequent activations of this Gift are necessary. While active, you are as light as a feather and so you may be affected by high wind much more easily at Storyteller discretion.

Affinity:
While this Gift is active, you have limited control over your movement and are able to glide. As a full action each turn, you may take a number of 'steps' equal to your Athletics as you glide through the air. This is in effect only if you're actively falling; it's not a Gift of literal flight. Your precise rate of falling is left to the storyteller; however, you are easily able to glide over short distances and the like with this Gift.


Taking the Forgotten
The trickster spirits are known for their cunning and thieving ways. You've learned to call on these spirits to help you steal from your enemy, even while she watches. If you succeed, she will forget she ever owned it for a time. A trickster-spirit teaches this Gift, eager to help spread chaos.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: Wits + Legerdemain vs Resolve + Willpower or Strength + Brawl versus target's Physical Defense (soaking the attack means the Gift automatically succeeds)

System:
Expend your standard action to call upon the spirits of tricksters. In combat, you can use the Disarm combat maneuver for no cost; this combat maneuver must be immediately used against your target in an opposed challenge. During the challenge, you have the choice between using either of Taking the Forgotten's test pools. If you succeed, you automatically steal one item from your target, rather than simply force your enemy to drop it, as described in the Disarm combat maneuver. If you fail, it becomes apparent that you attempted to steal from your target and that you made use of a Gift to do so. Outside of combat, you may only use Wits + Legerdemain to ensure you successfully snatch the object.

If you succeed, the spirits confuse and befuddle your target and any observers witnessing the theft, removing any memory that you stole from her. In addition, the target completely forgets that she was carrying the stolen object, making a mental justification, such as that she left it at home, let you borrow it, or that you somehow have a similar or duplicate object. This memory block of the theft dissolves after 1 hour, or until your target regains the object. Be warned, this particular effect may be bypassed by fetishes specifically crafted to avoid such effects.

If you use Taking the Forgotten to steal a living being or supernatural creature from your target, such as saving a baby from a vampire, the memory-block aspect of the Gift fails to work, as the spirits can't befuddle memories about living beings.

Exceptional Success:
If you score an exceptional success when using Taking the Forgotten, the duration of the memory block extends to 24 hours.

Affinity:
If you use Taking the Forgotten to steal a living being of supernatural creature, while the memory block doesn't fully take hold - it does briefly befuddle the target, who loses their next simple action.


Tracker's Eye
If he knows anything about his prey, the character can track it down as rapidly as he can travel. This unerring sense of direction operates anywhere, and it is useful for tracking spirits through the Umbra as well as finding beings on Earth. A wolf- or dog-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: None

Test Pool: None

System:
Once learned, this Gift is always active. For the purposes of tracking individuals you add your Rank to your Streetwise or Survival to overcome those abilities; further, should you be affected by a Gift such as Trackless Wastes that requires the ability to supernaturally track, you are considered to have supernatural tracking.

Affinity:
Ragabash can feel when someone is hiding, after all they do it so often. When you begin tracking an individual with this Gift, you gain a general awareness of whether or not they are trying to hide right now or not. This sense lasts so long as they are your prey that you are tracking.

[Xenia]

Level Three

Hermes' Mantle
Hermes is a well known trickster, and responsible for many thefts and deceptions, it is in fact to him that many such scoundrels direct their praise and prayer. Through this Gift, one can help get out of the tight spots that living such a life invariably leads to by avoiding detection. A hare-sprit teaches this Gift.

Cost: None

Test Pool: Resolve + Willpower (Optional Wits + Stealth) versus special (see Hermes' Mantle versus supernatural senses below)

System:
Expend a simple action to change any number of your physical features. To each of the five senses, you are an entirely different person. You can use this power to formulate a generic identity, sampling and mixing various features from people you have met in the past.

If you wish to mimic a specific person's or wolf's identity, you must have at least 2 dots of Subterfuge to attempt such an impersonation, and you must have studied the subject in person for at least five minutes, intuiting how to duplicate her essence. You can copy obvious traits like appearance and voice, but also subtler aspects like her scent and personality. Your disguise stands up to most levels of scrutiny; you automatically fool those who do not have familiarity with your copied subject.

Hermes' Mantle can be used to change the appearance of your clothing, equipment, and skeletal structure in minor ways, so long as your body or equipment does not change significantly in size or shape. A ribbon around your neck could be made to appear as a necklace, but this power could not make a sword appear as a writing stylus. Alternatively you could appear as a different breed of wolf, but you could not appear as a dog. Hermes' Mantle cannot be used to make an object invisible or partially invisible. You could not reduce your clothing to appear to be nothing to blend in at the Olympic games, for example. Hermes' Mantle can only affect objects that you are holding or that are on your person.

Although this power can fool supernatural senses, it cannot overcome the power of the Curse. For the purpose of scent tracking, the scent you leave is your own; however anyone who smells you in your presence while this power is active recognizes you as who you appear to be.

Hermes' Mantle Versus Supernatural Senses
Opponents with supernatural senses, such as a Garou using Wolf Senses or a vampire using Heightened Senses, can attempt to use her sharpened senses to pierce Hermes' Mantle. To see your true appearance, she must win an opposed challenge using her power activation test pool against your Wits + Willpower or Stealth skill.

Affinity:
Your powers of metamorphosis are exceptionally flexible. You can disguise yourself as a non-human creature of a similar shape to your current form. For this disguise to work, you must have knowingly met an example of such a creature in the past and studied it as described before, for at least five minutes. For example, if you are in Lupus form, you can disguise yourself as a leopard or a jackal, or even just a larger type of wolf. Your Crinos form might be made to resemble a standing bear or one of the horrifying War Forms that the shapehifting leeches that the Shadow Lords face against have been known to take.

You can also dramatically change the appearance of your wardrobe and equipment. You are capable of feats like making most any article of clothing look like any other - though you still cannot make objects invisible with this Gift.


Impunity
One of the Ragabash’s jobs is to voice uncomfortable truths. Unfortunately, not all tolerate that role, and those who most need to hear the truth are often least willing to listen. No Moons must be quick on their feet to avoid a furious elder who’s been called on the carpet by a subordinate. With this Gift, the Garou may tell a respected leader he screwed up without becoming the dead messenger. The Gift is taught by a cat-spirit.

Cost: None

Test Pool: Charisma + Subterfuge versus target's Composure + Willpower

System:
After making a provocative statement the Ragabash may make use of this Gift targeting any individual(s) they believe might mean them harm after what they have said; if you use your general retest on any of the challenges, you may use your general retest on all remaining challenges without needing to spend another point of Willpower, you may not go back to previous challenges you have already resolved.. If successful, the target may not take any hostile actions towards the Ragabash for the statement they have just made. This Gift may only be used once a session.

In order to use this Gift, the Ragabash must make a statement that is clearly and completely true from the user's point of view - no prevarication or double entendres are possible. For example, "Your nephew broke the Litany" would work if the Garou ate a guard, but not if he failed to respect a fallen Garou's territory. (Though a simple opinion such as "You're being an idiot" is acceptable if heartfelt.) The storyteller is the final arbiter. If the Ragabash attempts to misuse this impressive Gift, not only will he not realize it didn't work until after he speaks, but Cat will make her displeasure evident.

Affinity:
A Ragabash can make use of this Gift multiple times; however, each additional use of this Gift gives a cumulative -1 penalty to the Ragabash's test pool. This penalty resets at the next session.


Liar’s Craft
The Ragabash can tell the most outrageous of lies and have them accepted as truth — for a while, at least. This Gift is taught by a fox-spirit.

Cost: None

Test Pool: Wits + Subterfuge versus Resolve + Willpower

System:
The ragabash tells his lie, then the player engages anyone who could hear that lie in a challenge with the Gift's test pool. For mundane mortals, you only need to make one test with the highest resistance of the group, on a success you succeed against all mortals. Against even partially supernatural creatures however (such as kinfolk) you must test individually; if you use your general retest on any of the challenges, you may use your general retest on all remaining challenges without needing to spend another point of Willpower, you may not go back to previous challenges you have already resolved.

Importantly, the Gift is tested after the lie is told, so there is always some risk.

Exceptional Success:
On an exceptional success, you regain a single point of Willpower from having told a really good lie. You may only gain this benefit once an hour.

Affinity:
When using this Gift you gain a number of Gift retests equal to your rank that can be used when activating this Gift. Only one such retest can be used on a given challenge.


Open Moon Bridge
The Garou has the ability to open a moon bridge, with or without the permission of the totem of that caern. A Lune teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: None

System:
Spend a standard action to activate this Gift, immediately opening a moon bridge. See Rite of the Opened Bridge for more information on opening moon bridges. The maximum distance that a moon bridge opened by this Gift can cover is 26 miles and 385 yards.

Affinity:
The maximum range that a moon bridge opened by this Gift can cover becomes 500 miles.


Pathfinder
The werewolf can strike implausible trails through pristine wilderness and the urban jungle alike, locating the fastest and shortest routes from one place to another. A crow-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Willpower

Test Pool: None

System:
Spend a simple action to activate this Gift and determine the best possible path from one place to another. If you are navigating wilderness, use your dots in Survival for this Gift's effect. If you are navigating an urban environment use your dots in Streetwise for this Gift's effect.

For each dot in the relevant Ability, you reduce your travel time down by 5 minutes (up to a maximum of half reduced). Further, any attempt to track the Garou using this Gift suffer a -2 penalty that stacks with similar effects (such as those from Scent of Running Water).

Affinity:
The travel time is reduced down by 10 minutes per dot rather than 5.


Terrain Shift
Nature accepts the Ragabash as an ally, and views his pursuers as enemies. Earth and stone move aside to create tunnels or footholds to climb, foliage gathers behind him impassably, and rivers create dry spots for him to cross. A Glade Child or earth elemental teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: None

System:
The player spends one Gnosis point, no action, and one feature of the terrain in the werewolf’s immediate vicinity shifts to either allow him passage where there should be none, or deny passage to anyone pursuing him. These shifts are minor and localized - for example one couldn't use this Gift to cross the sea from the sept island to mainland Greece. Further this Gift many only be activated once in a scene.

Affinity:
This Gift may be activated a number of times a scene up to the Ragabash's rank +1. With that in mind, if the player wishes to create a feature where one didn’t exist, such as an earth bridge or tunnel, and then make it vanish behind them, they must activate the Gift twice.


Thousand Forms
Most cultures possess stories of tricksters changing shape. Whether to confound pursuers, move more efficiently, or have a bit of fun, you can change your shape into any small animal, such as a small bird, a squirrel, a fish, or a cat. This Gift is taught by an ancestor spirit.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: N/A

System:
Expend your standard action to change into a small animal, choosing a specific form each time you use this Gift. You may select any non-supernatural animal roughly the size of a cat. In no case can the form you assume be small enough to hide on another individual's person. While you retain the form of this animal, you can't speak or communicate with other animals. While transformed, you divide your Physical Attributes in half (round up) when making any physical attacks; however you gain a +3 to your Dodge-based defense test pools due to your small size. You can possess one of the following bonuses, so long as it fits the theme of your chosen form:

• Agile: You receive a +5 bonus to your Dodge-based defense test pools, rather than the standard +3 bonus.
• Aquatic: You swim at normal movement speed, but your movement speed on land is reduced to one step per action. Alternately, at your Storyteller's discretion, you cannot move on land at all while in this form.
• Avian: You can fly at your normal movement speed.
• Fast: If you expend both your simple and standard actions on movement, you can move nine steps a round, instead of the standard six.
• Climbing: You can climb upward at a speed equal to your walking pace and climb as a simple action, rather than a standard action.
• Vicious: Do not reduce your Physical attributes when making Physical attacks while in this form.

Thousand forms cannot be combined with any other powers that change your form, including a Garou's innate ability to shape shift. You may end this transformation at any time by expending a simple action. Upon ending this Gift you revert to your breed form.

Affinity:
Once this power has been activated, you can shift into the animal form you chose at any time during the rest of the session by spending a simple action. There is no limit to the number of times you may shift back and forth, but if you wish to adopt a new small animal form, you must reactivate the power and pay the costs again, overwriting the previous use of Thousand Forms.

[Xenia]

Level Four

Cheap Shot
Not every battle is waged with honor. Glory goes to the victor, and it doesn't care how dirty the winner' hands are. You have the ability to call on the spirits to help you make a humiliating strike against your enemy that distracts her for a short amount of time. A hare-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Rage

Test Pool: Strength + Brawl versus target's Physical Defense

System:
Expend a standard action making a brawl attack to humiliate your target with a strike. This attack must be painful and embarrassing, like a back-handed slap or a devastating shot to the crotch. If you succeed, you deal the normal damage for the attack, and the victim is temporarily dazed for the next turn, until the conclusion of her next action during the next Universal round. During this time she suffers a -3 penalty to any non-defensive physical test and suffers a -3 penalty to initiative (if she has already acted this turn she does not get to act again if her initiative drops below the current count).

Although this Gift requires you to humiliate your target, please bear in mind the comfort of your fellow players when roleplaying the requirements and effects of this Gift.

Exceptional Success:
If you achieve an exceptional success, then your target also suffers a penalty on all Mental or Social challenges, their choice.

Affinity:
Ragabash know how to hit someone and really make them feel the sting. The penalty from this Gift increases from -3 to -5.


Hobbling Strike
By working together to exhaust their quarry, wolves working in tandem are capable of bring down prey much larger than any single wolf could defeat. Striking at your target's musculature, a Garou harries her target, weakening its defenses and limiting lines of retreat.

Cost: 1 Rage

Test Pool: Physical Attack versus target's Physical Defense

System:
Spend a standard action to make a Physical attack against your opponent, using the appropriate test pool for this attack (brawl for claws, melee for a sword, archery for a bow, etc.). If you succeed, you compromise your target's ability to move and react in addition to normal damage dealt from the attack. Your opponent does not get a general retest for free on physical challenges for the rest of the turn and must spend a point of Willpower. If they would normally have to spend a point of Willpower already, they must spend a second point of Willpower if they wish to use their general retest. Additionally, for the rest of the turn, your target cannot take more that three steps during a single round. This limit applies regardless of how many actions she spends on movement, whether or not she is targeted by powers that grant bonuses of movement, or whether or not she possesses powers or merits that allow her to take additional or bonus steps.

Multiple applications of Hobbling Strike are not cumulative.

Exceptional Success:
The normal benefits of an exceptional success apply to a Physical attack used to trigger Hobbling Strike. Additionally, this power's duration extends to the end of the next turn, instead of the standard duration ending at the conclusion of this turn.

Affinity:
Ragabash know how useful it can be to get away from an opponent. A target affected by this Gift cannot move more that 2 steps per round, rather than the usual limit of 3.


Laugh of the Hyena
Hyena laughs, mocking anyone who tries to command her. You've learned to mimic her ways. Any time an opponent tries to supernaturally command, cajole, or force you to act against your will, the free-spirited mirth in your heart allows you to attempt to resist such control. A Hyena-Spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: None

Test Pool: None

System:
When you make a retest to resist a Mental or Social power that attempts to change your behavior or influence your emotions, you gain a +5 bonus to your defensive test pool for that retest attempt. This applies to any retests you initiate to resist a power, but not any retests initiated by your opponent.

Affinity:
If you succeed at resisting a power that Laugh of the Hyena benefits, you may choose to make it appear as though it was successful. So long as you act in accordance with the power, it will seem to the initial user as though the power was successful, however, if you take an action that goes against the power it immediately becomes apparent that you resisted the power.


Misdirection
Like a true trickster, the Ragabash combines a steady stream of words with expert sleight of hand to capture his target’s attention fully. He can perform the most egregious acts of larceny or violence right under the nose of the unwitting witness. A powerful trickster spirit teaches this Gift, they have not deigned to reveal their identity - perhaps that's all part of their misdirection as well?

Cost: 1 Willpower

Test Pool: Manipulation + Subterfuge versus target's Composure + Willpower

System:
Spend a standard action and engage your target in a contested challenge using this Gift's test pool. You must be in conversation with your target and they must not be in combat for this Gift to work. If successful, the Garou may take one action that goes completely unnoticed by the target, such as stealing the a glass eye right out of their face, or even killing someone behind his back; such an action must be completed within 5 minutes. Any evidence the Garou doesn’t manage to hide before the effect wears off remains, though. Importantly, directly attacking the target immediately ends the Gift's effects and they are able to apply their full defense against such an attack.

Exceptional Success:
The Garou may perform two such actions, and has a total of 10 minutes to perform them both as well as conceal any evidence they wish.

Affinity:
Misdirection can also be quite useful at cleaning up messes. The Ragabash may make use of this Gift should they ever fail any mundane social challenge. If they do so, the consequences of their failure are removed and if the Ragabash wishes they may make the social challenge attempt again.


The Madness Season
Few are as unpredictable or as feared as the mad. You can hide the essence of your presence with spirits of madness, masking you from supernatural powers that rely upon familiarity. This ability comes at a price - those who wrap themselves with madness must embrace madness themselves. Any spirit of Luna can teach this Gift.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: None or Manipulation + Subterfuge versus target's Composure + Willpower

System:
Spend your standard action to invoke spirits of madness, inviting them to possess your body. For the next hour, spirits of madness cloak your essence, making you immune to any supernatural power that relies upon Familiarity with the Target to activate, such as Scent of the Prey or Summon.

While The Madness Season is active, you suffer from the Derangement: Extreme Paranoia. You believe that everyone, friends and enemies alike, really are out to get you. Further, each time you are targeted by a power that requires familiarity you are aware of it and know that someone tried to find you and they are after you, further intensifying the Derangement.

Affinity:
New Moons understand madness both for themselves, but also how to affect others with it. By spending a standard action as well as an additional Gnosis point with this Gift active, you may target an individual within line of sight, and engage them in a contested challenge using this Gift's challenge pool. If successful, the target loses all ability to communicate sanely and becomes a gibbering font of madness for a number of turns equal to the Ragabash's Permanent Gnosis rating. During this time the target is completely unable to communicate any meaning, though they may still make loud noises - however, any attempt to speak, write, or even communicate telepathically during this time only delivers a garbled mess.

With an exceptional success, the target loses the ability to communicate for the next 10 minutes rather than the normal duration described above.


Whelp Body
With this Gift a Garou may deliver a devastating curse upon a foe’s body, causing it to weaken or palsy. Many consider the use of this power on a foe to be a declaration of unending war. Either a pain-spirit or a spirit of disease teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool; Charisma + Primal Urge versus target's Composure + Willpower

System:
Spend a standard action and target an individual within 10 steps and engage them in a contested challenge using this Gift's test pool. On a success, the target's body withers and atrophies. They suffer a penalty on all physical actions equal to the user's rank for the next hour. When this Gift is used on a target, they immediately know the individual responsible for using this Gift as a clear image of the user's true face flashes before their eyes. They know that individual is responsible; as such any illusions or disguises do not hide the true identity of the user.

Exceptional Success:
In addition to all physical actions, the target suffers a penalty equal to the user's rank on their initiative. If this causes the target's initiative to drop below the current initiative count after they have already acted on the given round they do not get to act again.

Affinity:
Ragabash don't suffer consequences for their actions. An image of their true face is not shown when using this Gift unless they wish it to be; otherwise the target merely knows they have been cursed, but not by whom.


Umbral Dodge
The Ragabash finds that the best way to deal with an enemy is to send him far away — perhaps to a place where he’ll learn the folly of his ways. She may tear open a hole in the Gauntlet while dodging an enemy’s attack, sending them to the land of spirits. A trapdoor spider-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: None

System:
Spend a simple action to activate this Gift for 10 minutes. For the next 10 minutes, if you achieve an exceptional success dodging a close range attack (that is brawl or melee) you dodge the attack, and further the individual making the attack immediately falls into the penumbra.

Affinity:
You may choose to activate this Gift reflexively when targeted by an attack - even a surprise attack. However, if you do so, you must make a Gnosis challenge against the current Gauntlet rating. The Gift only activates on a success, at which point you must pay the normal Gnosis cost. On a failure, you are not able to overcome the Gauntlet at that moment and must wait either until you are attacked again (and make a second challenge) or your turn to activate the Gift normally.

[Xenia]

Level Five

Artful Dodger
The Artful Dodger is the epitome of the trickster, and many a servant of Hermes prizes this gift. You're able to get out of dangerous situations and putting your hands on things that don't belong to you. A hawk-spirit teaches this gift.

Cost: 2 Gnosis

Test Pool: None

System:
Spend your simple action entreating spirits of evasion and chicanery to lend you their finesse and cunning. For a number of turns equal to the number of dots you possess of Subterfuge, you gain a +3 bonus to tests using your Dodge, Legerdemain, and Streetwise abilities. In addition, you become immune to the Grapple and Disarm combat maneuvers.

In addition, you cannot be imprisoned or trapped inside of any container or unnatural structure, such as a cell or a vault. You simply pass through any barrier that would otherwise impede your progress out of confinement, as though you are an immaterial ghost. However, if you try to pass through natural phenomena such as a mountain or through trees and brush, you simply become stuck. The escape aspect of the Artful Dodger can only be used when you are not directly observed, but you can use it if you are under remote surveillance such as if someone is scrying upon you. Note: this Gift does not help you break into secure areas, but it does help you escape from them.

Affinity:
This Gift's effects last for a number of rounds equal to the Ragabash's dots in Subterfuge + their Rank rather than the usual duration of just their Subterfuge.


Blank
Dreams hold powerful sway, and forcing a dream upon all around can give a Ragabash time to get up to some real mischief. Calling upon the power of the Oneiroi, the Ragabash pulls everyone around them into a communal dream, their eyes shutting, and the world becoming nothing but a dream for a short time. A bat-spirit teaches this Gift.

Cost: 3 Rage

Test Pool: Intelligence + Primal Urge versus target's Resolve + Willpower

System:
Spend a standard action to activate this Gift. Against mortals, you only need to make one test against the highest resistance present; however, any supernatural creature (garou, mage, kinfolk, ghoul, etc.) is able to resist individually. If you use your general retest on any of the challenges, you may use your general retest on all remaining challenges without needing to spend another point of Willpower. You may not go back to previous challenges you have already resolved.

If successful, the targets' eyes close and they lose all awareness of the world around them for two turns. This effect immediately ends on all affected targets if any of them are attacked, damaged, or excessively moved or jostled as that breaks the communal trance. An attacked individual is able to make use of their full defensive test pool.

Exceptional Success:
The duration of this effect increases to 3 turns rather than just two.

Affinity:
Ragabashes using this Gift are able to jostle and touch their targets. As such you would be able to pick up and move targets, as such you could pick up an affected individual and bring them out to a wagon you had outside and drive off (assuming you were able to perform such actions quickly enough).


Bridge Walker
The Garou travels between the ends of this moon bridge in one percent of the time it would take to travel that distance normally, allowing her to disappear from in front of a foe and reappear behind it instantly. Note that these moon bridges are not protected by Lunes, and they attract the interest of spirit creatures occasionally. These being have even been known to follow the Garou into the physical world. A Lune teaches this Gift.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: None

System:
Once per turn, spend a simple action to activate this Gift and disappear in a flash of silver light. You immediately reappear up to three steps away + 1 additional step for each dot of Subterfuge you have. You can move in any direction; however, your new spot must be within line of sight of where you departed from. This power also confounds attempts to track you by scent.

You may also take additional passengers with you by spending an additional point of Gnosis per traveler you wish to bring along; however, an individual can only benefit from a single use of Bridge Walker a turn. When using this power, you can only bring along items that you can easily carry. Bridge Walker cannot be used if you are grappled.

Affinity:
By spending 2 points of Gnosis when activating this Gift, as well as using both your standard and simple action, you are able to traverse greater distances. The range now increases to 50 steps. The spot you reappear at must still have been within line of sight of the location you activated the power from.


Thieving Talons of the Magpie
There are tales of tricksters so cunning that they stole magic from the gods themselves. You've learned to identify the sacred spark that allows others to perform magic and temporarily rob them of their ability to access it. A magpie-spirit teaches this, though there are rumors of stranger powers that might offer this gift, should you be able to find them. To some local Garou this gift is known as Prometheus' Fire.

Cost: 1 Gnosis

Test Pool: Wits + Occult versus target's Resolve + Willpower

System:
Expend a standard action concentration on the supernatural nature of your target. If you succeed in an opposed challenge against her, you steal one of your target's Gifts away from her. This stolen Gift becomes immediately inaccessible to your victim, locked away in her heart, and it cannot be used for the next hour. In order to strip a Gift in this fashion, you don't need to know the power's name, but you must be aware of the power or have personally seen it used.

If the Gift is already active, it immediately ends, even if that power would otherwise be automatic or always active. Thieving Talons of the Magpie can be used multiple times in order to rob a target of more than one Gift, so long as you pay this power's cost and succeed in opposed challenges separately for each use. If you choose to strip a power the victim does not possess, this Gift has no effect.

You do not need to speak to use Thieving Talons of the Magpie, but you must have your target's Gaze and Focus. Your victim immediately identifies you as the individual who has affected her with Thieving Talons of the Magpie, and she is also aware of which power she has lost.

Exceptional Success:
If you achieve an exceptional success when stealing a Gift with Thieving Talons of the Magpie, you can utilize the stolen power once, as though you had purchased the Gift normally. If this power has a continual or unlimited effect, you may receive its benefit exactly once in a challenge. This single use of the stolen Gift can occur anytime during Thieving Talons of the Magpie's hour-long duration.

Affinity:
Thieving Talons of the Magpie can be used to strip away a power native to another creature type, such as abilities possessed by vampires, fae, or mages. If you steal powers from other supernatural creatures, you fuel those powers with Gnosis if it calls for a temper you do not possess.


Turn the Moon
This Gift essentially makes a werewolf “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.” For a short period of time, the New Moon can change the auspice of another werewolf to whatever she deems appropriate. Any spirit of Luna can teach this Gift.

Cost: 1 Willpower

Test Pool: Manipulation + Primal Urge versus target's Composure + Willpower

System:
Spend a standard action and target a Garou within 15 steps. If successful, the Ragabash 'changes' the target's auspice for the next 10 minutes. While the target's auspice is changed the experience the following effects:

• They lose access to any specific auspice Gifts that their 'new auspice' does not possess. Should any of those Gifts currently be active, they are immediately disabled.
• They gain (or lose) a number of temporary Rage points to bring them to the base minimum of the appropriate auspice.
• While affected by this Gift, the target finds their method of thought more in line with their 'new auspice' and as such should make an attempt to roleplay out this new line of thought.

Exceptional Success:
The target of this Gift becomes their 'new auspice' for an hour rather than 10 minutes.

Affinity:
The New Moons of rank use this Gift to teach a lesson to those taking the duties of their auspice too much to heart, and it can be quite effective at showing them a different perspective. As such, against Gaian Garou, the Ragabash may use this as a teaching quest. If the target assents, this Gift's duration is changed to 2 sessions, during which they must roleplay the change of thought quite intensely. At the conclusion of this period, they then present themselves to the Ragabash that used this gift to give their lesson that they learned, and so long as both the Ragabash and Spirits (Storytelling staff) approve of the learned lesson then the target of this power will earn 1 or more points of renown as appropriate for the lesson learned.


Violation
Those few Garou privy to the secret of Violation know well the hate and revulsion of others. This power requires the Garou to make physical contact with the target, but once that has happened, the victim is quickly overwhelmed with feelings of defilement. To learn this Gift, the Garou must confront a malevolent spirit such as a pain- or hate-spirit (though not a Bane) in spirit combat; if he wins, he may wrest the knowledge of this Gift from it.

Cost: 1 Willpower

Test Pool: Manipulation + Primal Urge versus target's Composure + Willpower

System:
Spend a standard action and target an individual within two steps engaging them in a contested challenge using the Gift's test pool. If successful, for the next turn, and for a number of turns equal to the user's Rank, the victim cannot spend Rage or Willpower unless expressly forced to by another power.

Exceptional Success:
The duration of the Gift increases to three turns plus a number of turns equal to the user's rank.

Affinity:
Additionally, while under the effects of this Gift the victim suffers a -2 penalty on all tests involving Willpower, and has the difficulty of all tests to resist frenzy raised by 2 (the victim may not be able to direct his anger, but he definitely feels it).


Weakest Link
With this Gift, a New Moon can delve into the hearts and minds of a given pack. He can sense the fears and concerns of either friends or enemies to the best help or harm them. Armed with this knowledge, the Ragabash can guide his own pack in attaching foes or use his own peculiar brand of wisdom to facilitate peace and healing. Any Weaver spirit can teach this Gift.

Cost: 1 Willpower

Test Pool: Wits + Empathy versus target's Resolve + Willpower

System:
Spend a standard action and target an individual within 15 steps and engage them in a contested challenge with this Gift's test pool. If successful the Ragabash can ask any three of the following questions about the target which are answered truthfully based on the target's understanding:

• Who is the leader of your pack?
• What is your rank, auspice, tribe, and breed?
• What is the rank, auspice, tribe, and breed of a named pack mate? (You must be able to name the packmate for the target)
• What totem does your pack serve?
• What is the highest rank in your pack?
• What is a fear you possess?
• What is a fear that a named packmate possesses? (You must be able to name the packmate for the target)
• Who in your pack as the most Rage?
• Who in your pack as the most Gnosis?
• Does anyone in your pack have a specific Merit/Flaw? If so, who? (You are able to choose which Merit or Flaw you wish to ask about)

This information is transmitted to the Ragabash telepathically from the target's mind. Importantly though, the answers are limited to the character's knowledge. If the character is unsure they will give the most accurate answer possible (e.g. if this Gift was used and you knew you had four Gnosis, another packmate had two, and you were unsure about the last one you would answer that you had the most Gnosis based on your knowledge).

Exceptional Success:
You are able to ask four questions instead of three.

Affinity:
The real benefit of this gift is learning about a whole pack. Rather than targeting just a single individual, a Ragabash can use this Gift against all members of a single pack within 30 steps; if you use your general retest on any of the challenges, you may use your general retest on all remaining challenges without needing to spend another point of Willpower, you may not go back to previous challenges you have already resolved. If successful, you may ask the questions of this gift of any individual that the Gift was successfully used against.

You also are able to ask a number of questions equal to 3 for every success, or 4 for an exceptional. These questions do not have to be used against the targets they were won against, though no target may have more that 5 questions asked of them. (E.g. if you used this gift against a pack that had four individuals in range and you succeeded against two, an exceptional against the third, and failed on the last one you would have a pool of 10 questions to split as you saw fit among the three you succeeded against.)