Dramatic Systems: Battle Scars
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2022 11:35 am
Battle Scars
Garou can heal from most wounds without ill effect. A human whose fingers are bitten off by a wolf will need surgery, and will lose some function in those fingers (if she doesn’t lose the fingers entirely). A werewolf can grow the missing tissue and nerve connections back, even re-growing his fingers if they cannot be reattached.
Some injuries, especially those caused by other Garou, can cause a werewolf lasting damage. These wounds occur when a character channels her Rage to remain active in the face of death. A werewolf can also acquire a battle scar as a result of a particularly brutal attack, or from torture, if the player chooses to take one.
Battle Scars are recognized as a sign of tremendous worth as a garou, especially among ahrouns and more martial tribes like the Get of Winter Wolf and Night Claws. They indicate a garou's willingness to risk everything for Gaia, and are seen as a means of boasting sacrifices given in Her name. More modern tribes acknowledge the importance of "fight smarter, not harder" and put little stock in battle scars. The average mortal (yes, even Spartans) finds battle scars unnerving, and may react less favorably to someone covered in scars. The exception to this is the Scarred Merit, when scars show a particular devotion to an ideology.
Gaining Battle Scars
Any time a werewolf rage heals (or chooses a scar as the result of a particularly intense scene), they gain a battle scar tied to the damage they took during the course of the battle. A player may choose any of the following battle scars when they rage heal, and earn an amount of temporary Glory renown equal to the severity of the injury. Scars requiring more involved mechanics (Mangled, Loss of Limbs) may take time to establish the particular mechanics at the end of the scene, but the nature of the Battle Scar itself musts be chosen in the round you rage heal.
| Battle Scar | Example | Mechanics | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superficial (Concealable) | Shoulder claw mark, leg bite | -1 social penalty with mortals if scar is visible | |
| Deep Scar | Gash on any muscled area | Scar aches when humidity changes | |
| Superficial (Visible) | Face scratch, neck burns | -1 social penalty with mortals | |
| Extensive Burns | Burns all over at least one limb | -1 penalty to noticing anything based on touch | |
| Improper Bone Setting | Scars near joints, misshaped shoulder | -1 penalty to Stamina if active for more than 15 minutes | |
| Lost Fingers | Missing little finger, tips of 2-3 fingers | -1 penalty to Dexterity for anything involving your fingers | |
| Shortened Leg | Limp and obvious tissue damage | Take Awkward Mobility Flaw | |
| Impaired Sense | Injured ear, eye scar | Take Dulled Sense Flaw | |
| Loss of Limb | Lost leg, arm, eye, etc. | Depends on limb (see below) | |
| Mangled | Anything not covered above | Take Deformity Flaw |
| Lost Limb | Mechanics |
|---|---|
| Lost Hand/Arm | Can’t use two handed weapons, lose the Ambidextrous Merit, suffer a -1 penalty to defense as you can’t defend a side |
| Lost Foot/Leg | Speed drops to 1, suffer a -5 penalty on all tests related to balance, take the Awkward Mobility Flaw |
| Lost Eye | Take the One Eye Flaw and a -2 penalty on any social tests relate to Appearance while visible. |
| Lost Ear | Take Dulled Sense Flaw (Hearing) and a -2 penalty on any social tests relate to Appearance while visible. |
| Lost Nose | Take Dulled Sense Flaw (Smell) and a -2 penalty on any social tests relate to Appearance while visible. |
| Lost Tongue | Take the Mute Flaw. |
| Multiple Losses | Take the Crippled Flaw. |
Healing Battle Scars
Battle Scars can be healed by any healing Gift at the cost of an additional Gnosis and declared intent to do so, provided it happens while the scar is still fresh (i.e., within the same game session). Once this occurs, give any Glory gained for receiving the scar back to the nearest staff member.