Totem
No matter how long they've fought together, how closely related by blood or ordeal they are, a pack of werewolves without a totem is never anything more than "a group of Garou." The mystical bond between pack and patron is more than a collection of useful abilities, it's the thing that unites the pack members on a soul-deep level. Without a totem, a pack can't use pack tactics, and Gifts and rites that affect "packmates" don't work. While it's acceptable for a young, newly-formed pack to wait until it has a few missions under its belt before questing after a totem, going too long without taking a totem is seen as a mark of indecisiveness — or worse, disrespect to Gaia.
Totem Mechanics
Totem operates on a very 'you get out what you put in' dynamic. To gain access to a Totem, you need the first dot of the Totem Background. Your Totem can be nearly any spirit you choose. You will build and design the benefits your Totem gives you based on what is thematically appropriate for the totem spirit and the total number of points your entire pack has invested in their Totem. Once your pack agrees to the same benefits, everyone with at least 1 Point in Totem gains these benefits.
Additionally, every Totem has a ban: a specific restriction/command that members of the pack must obey/RP to prove their devotion to the spirit. If a ban is violated, the pack's totem may go into slumber or even leave the pack entirely.
This system allows for universally consistent totem mechanics without concerns about a base cost, and can take a pack and it's totem from a band of friends to a finely honed machine with a spiritual symbiosis.
Rank & Totem
The more a Garou excels in their duties, the more the spirits reward them. A Garou gets an extra dot in Totem at every rank (does not count towards the 5 point max for the Background). This means that every Cliath starts with a free dot of Totem, and can go up to 6, and an Elder can have a connection so strong, they have a max potential of 10 points in Totem. This benefit does nothing for packless Garou, which is part of why packing is so essential in the Garou nation.
Buying Totem
You gain +1 Totem with every dot of Rank, so all Garou PCs should have a free dot of totem per rank. These can go over 5 and do not count towards the 5 points of Totem you can buy with XP.
Determine Benefits
The total number of Totem points determines the benefit that the totem grants every member of the pack. The players of a pack buy a benefit — an Attribute, Ability, Specialty, Merit, Gift, or Totem Perk — with a pool of Totemic XP, with the number of Totemic XP based on the total number of the pack's Totem points. All choices made within the totem benefit must be within the theme of the chosen totem.
| Totem Points | Totem Creation Pool |
|---|---|
| 1-5 | Two Totemic XP |
| 5-10 | Four Totemic XP |
| 11-15 | Six Totemic XP |
| 16-20 | Eight Totemic XP |
| 21-30 | Ten Totemic XP |
| 31+ | Fifteen Totemic XP |
| Benefit | Cost | Restriction |
|---|---|---|
| Attribute | 3 | Can be purchased Once for up to two different Attributes.* |
| Ability | 1 | Can be purchased Once for up to four different Abilities. |
| Specialty | 1 | You get two ability specialties when purchased. Can only be purchased once. |
| Merit | Cost of Merit | Can only be purchased once. May only be used to purchase Universal Merits (excluding Heroic Attribute). |
| Gift | Level x 2 | Can only be purchased once. Level 1 through 3 Gifts only. |
| Totem Perk | 1 | Cannot choose the same Totem Perk more than once. |
Sample Base Totems
You don't have to pull from this list, this is simply to help you get an idea of Totem builds.
Sample Totems of Cunning
| Totem | Example Abilities | Example Attribute | Example Ban |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuckoo | Legerdemain, Subterfuge | Manipulation | Never pass up opportunity to improve pack's standing |
| Fox | Stealth, Streetwise | Manipulation | Protect foxes |
| Butterfly | Athletics, Subterfuge | Dexterity | Never attack in anger; only defense |
| Goat | Subterfuge, Survival | Stamina | Eat anything non-toxic offered to you |
| Grapevine | Empathy, Occult | Stamina | Always succumb to temptation |
| Gull | Streetwise, Seamanship | Stamina | Protect beaches |
| Swan | Subterfuge, Leadership | Charisma | Pursue any lover unabashedly |
| Rooster | Performance, Commerce | Wits | Never pay without haggling |
| Echo | Linguistics, Stealth | Composure | Never let anyone else get the last word |
Sample Totems of Respect
| Totem | Example Abilities | Example Attribute | Example Ban |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falcon | Leadership, Etiquette | Composure | Blatant disrespect forbidden |
| Grandfather Thunder | Intimidation, Law | Manipulation | Sycophancy forbidden |
| Pegasus | Animal Ken, Empathy | Composure | Cannot refuse requests for help |
| Stag | Performance, Survival | Charisma | Must aid fae and respect prey |
| Mammoth | Hearth Wisdom, Survival | Resolve | Help Mammoth's spirit survive |
| Volcano | Leadership, Primal Urge | Strength | Never attack without warning |
| Peacock | Empathy, Seneschal | Charisma | Expose/prevent infidelity |
| Hearthfire | Hearth Wisdom, Seneschal | Wits | Never turn away a guest |
| Themis | Etiquette, Law | Manipulation | Never allow crime to go unaddressed |
Sample Totems of War
| Totem | Example Abilities | Example Attribute | Example Ban |
|---|---|---|---|
| Griffin | Brawl, Primal Urge | Strength | Don't associate with humans |
| Rat | Stealth, Survival | Strength | Don't kill vermin |
| Lion | Leadership, Melee | Charisma | Prevent hunting animals for sport |
| Winter Wolf | Brawl, Intimidation | Strength | Never pass up a worthy fight |
| Bear | Hearth Wisdom, Medicine | Stamina | Prioritize survival of others to victory |
| Weasel | Athletics, Dodge | Dexterity | Never back down from larger foe |
| Deer | Archery, Investigation | Dexterity | Never charge into battle |
| Shark | Athletics, Seamanship | Resolve | Never show pleasure/distress from killing |
| Phobos | Intimidation, Melee | Composure | Never show fear; cause it |
Sample Totems of Wisdom
| Totem | Example Abilities | Example Attribute | Example Ban |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chimera | Awareness, Occult | Wits | Seek enlightenment |
| Cockroach | Streetwise, Academics | Intelligence | Never kill a cockroach |
| Owl | Rituals, Stealth | Intelligence | Leave small rodents to eat |
| Unicorn | Empathy, Hearth Wisdom | Resolve | Protect/aid the weak and exploited |
| Ibis | Occult, Theology | Intelligence | Intercede on behalf of ghosts |
| Sphinx | Academics, Occult | Wits | Never pass up riddle contest |
| Trash Heap | Streetwise, Investigation | Resolve | Declare a trash heap as home and defend it |
| Arion | Animal Ken, Ride | Dexterity | Never allow cruelty to (or eat) horses |
| Beaver | Crafts, Commerce | Intelligence | Never pass up a good joke |
Totem Perks
In addition to attributes, abilities, specialties, merits, and Gifts, there are unique effects that Totems can provide those under them. Each of these Totem perks are able to be purchased only once, with a few exceptions detailed as such.
Animal Communication
When creating this totem, choose a type of animal. Individuals benefiting from this bonus can communicate with the chosen animal type without using a gift to do so. Additionally, once per game session, characters with this bonus can summon animals of this type, which will do their bidding for the next hour as long as said commands do not place the animals in danger. [May purchase multiple times for multiple types of animals.]
Armored
Individuals benefiting from this bonus are always considered to be wearing armor with the Hardened quality. This armor is part of the character’s natural defense and is not visible. It doesn’t combine its benefits with other sources of armor that provide the same quality, though it may increase potency when combined with certain gifts, if those gifts state they can stack with armor.
Defensive
Individuals benefiting from this bonus are always considered to be wearing armor with the Ballistic quality. It doesn’t combine its benefits with other sources of armor that provide the same quality, though it may increase potency when combined with certain gifts, if those gifts state they can stack with armor.
Dream Speak
Characters benefiting from this bonus can spend 1 point of Gnosis to speak to a familiar target who is currently asleep or unconscious. The user must meditate for the duration of the conversation. The target perceives the user as appearing in her dream. This bonus works regardless of distance, but does not allow physical interaction or the use of other supernatural powers while conversing with the dreamer.
Environment Affinity
When creating this totem, choose a type of terrain, such as desert, open water, jungle, tundra, etc. Individuals benefiting from this bonus can exist in this environment without risk from normal environmental conditions, and they can move through or over the terrain without penalty. This bonus doesn’t provide any defense against living creatures or damage that doesn’t result from the environment. For example, a character with an affinity for open water could breathe underwater and swim as fast as she can run, but does not have any added defense against being bitten by a shark or sucked under by a whirlpool. Characters benefiting from Environment Affinity may choose to make themselves untraceable by mundane means, such as scent tracking, when moving through their chosen environment. Powers that track supernaturally continue to function normally. [May purchase multiple times for multiple types of environment.]
Focused Attack
A totem's connection runs so strong through all pack members that they can sense each other's movement; all members of a pack may act on the same initiative.
Helping Hand
Once per game session, a character benefiting from this bonus can ask her totem for a small mundane item. The item finds its way into the character’s hands within the next few minutes. Items produced with this power may be weapons, but they must be commonly found in the area. The Storyteller selects the item’s equipment qualities.
Increased Will
Once per game session, when spending Willpower, a character benefitting from this bonus immediately regains the spent point of Willpower.
Manifested Companion
Your faith in your totem has made it significantly easier for its avatar to manifest in the Realm; as such, it's easy for the avatar itself to accompany your pack in the mortal world, often posing as a hapless companion of some sort.
Pack Link
Characters in the pack can communicate mentally, as long as they are in the same plane of existence and within five miles of one another. For example, characters in the Umbra cannot hear pack members in the Material Realm. Messages sent over a pack link are broadcast to every member of the pack eligible to receive them. Private conversations are not possible via a pack link.
Resist Corruption
After a battle that results in your character gaining Wyrm Taint, you can immediately make a simple test, with no test pool required. If you win or tie, you do not gain Wyrm Taint. This bonus can prevent you from becoming tainted, but doesn’t prevent existing taint from growing worse over time.
Spirit Bond
The totem directly lends power to its followers. Characters benefiting from this bonus have their maximum and starting Gnosis pool raised by 2 points.
Spiritual Empowerment
Your focus on the bond with your totem has strengthened the spirit itself, making it a formidable foe if called to aid you in battle or while journeying the umbra. This is largely behind-the-scenes mechanics the staff will handle.
Tracking
Totem can always find the pack members. In addition, you may send your totem out to try and find the location of a particular thing. You must have a singular knowledge of your subject: "a holy relic" cannot be found, but "the guy with black hair and a scar over his right eye who broke into the warehouse and left a sandal behind while escaping" probably can.
Umbral Aptitude
Characters benefiting from this bonus gain an advantage in the Umbra that allows them to more easily complete Umbral Quests. The totem may grant increased speed, flight, or active protection, as suits the spirit.
Umbral Reputation
Your totem has spread quite a bit of word of mouth, and its family deeply respects you. You may add your dots in totem to any test dealing with spirits of your totem's brood.
Umbral Stare Down
The totem you follow is feared by agents of the Wyrm. Pack members gain their dots in totem to any attempt to intimidate a Wyrm Spirit, and agents of the Wyrm generally flee from the pack or do their best to wipe them out posthaste.