[Shadow Gift] Gift of Coral

[espritdecalmar]

Although many Uratha don't realize it, coral spirits possess a vital link to Luna, scintillating with Essence under the light of her full gaze. Perhaps this is why werewolves on occasion, when hunting through Shadow reefs, find the stinging branches of these colorful and silent entities carving their Gift into the Forsaken's body on their own accord. Maybe it's a call for help for their endangered Flesh-counterparts; maybe it's something like reverse-gathra, payment up front for a service expected of the Uratha some day.

Hydra’s Curse (Cunning)

The werewolf’s claws and teeth can infect prey with stinging cells and fast-growing polyps.

Cost: 1 Essence

Dice Pool: Strength + Survival + Cunning vs Stamina + Primal Urge

Action: Reflexive

Duration: 24 hours, or until damage inflicted is healed, whichever comes last

The Uratha can use this Facet when he successfully damages prey with his claws or bite.

Success: The prey’s wound begins to itch, then burn. The character takes a -1 penalty to physical actions. Whenever the character takes a physical action, applies Defense for any reason, or moves more than half his Speed during a turn, he takes an additional -2 penalty to all rolls until the end of the character's next turn. This penalty also applies to any extended actions taken unless the character chooses to double the time spent on each roll. Additional uses of this Facet on the same prey do not increase penalties further, though they do potentially extend the duration of the effect.

Exceptional Success: The Facet’s base penalty increases to -2.

Failure: The Facet fails.

Dramatic Failure: Polyps growing rapidly and painfully under the werewolf’s nails or along his gumline inflict a -1 wound penalty until the end of the scene.


Colony Mantle (Glory)

The reef is an ever-growing, ever-changing superorganism. Even when stripped bare by tidal currents and wayward anchors, its bedrock endures to ensure life blossoms anew.

Cost: 2 Essence

Dice Pool: None

Action: Instant

The werewolf grows a regenerating coralline exoskeleton, gaining her Glory Renown in general armor. Each time the user is hit by an attack that causes or would cause lethal damage, reduce the bonus armor rating by one. If the attack instead deals aggravated damage, reduce the bonus armor rating by the amount of damage it prevented. Do this only after calculating how much damage, if any, the character would take from the attack. While this Facet is active, the werewolf may reflexively spend one point of Essence to restore one point of armor lost from attacks.


Cling (Honor)

Rooting himself in place with tendrils of Essence extruded from his feet, hands, or even jaws, nothing will move the implacable werewolf, whether from the ground he stands on or the flanks of his prey.

Cost: 1 Essence

Dice Pool: None

Action: Reflexive

So long as the Uratha remains in the same spot for at least one turn, he penalizes rolls to move him or knock him over by his Honor Renown (and adding the same to his own rolls to resist such). By means of this effect, the Uratha can hang from vertical surfaces or ceilings so long as part of his body remains in contact. Moving from a rooted spot causes the Facet to end. If this Facet is activated while touching a living being, the Uratha can instead cling to the prey, reducing the prey’s Speed by the werewolf’s Size, penalizing the prey’s grapple rolls against him by his Honor Renown, and potentially restricting the use of limbs (such as if the Uratha activates this Facet while shaking the prey’s hand). Attempts by the prey to change phase-state, teleport, or shift to another dimension provoke a Clash of Wills; if the Uratha wins, he may choose to go with the prey. This effect lasts until either the prey manages to pry the werewolf off, or the werewolf lets go willingly.


Hunter of the Shallows (Purity)

The Uratha’s mastery of places where land and sea meet make her a terror for prey from either side attempting to intrude upon the other.

Cost: None

Dice Pool: None

Duration: Permanent

The werewolf gains immunity to mundane instances of the Jagged and Currents Environmental Tilts of any kind, and reduces penalties and damage from supernatural versions by her Purity Renown. In addition, while standing in water that comes up to anywhere from her waist to her shoulders, the Uratha adds her Purity Renown to mundane Strength and Presence rolls against land-dwellers and inhabitants of deeper waters, but not against fliers or creatures with an affinity for liminal spaces.


Bleaching Barrier (Wisdom)

The Uratha develops a heightened sensitivity to toxins, bearing their burden so others may pass unharmed.

Cost: 1 or 2 Essence

Dice Pool: None

Action: Instant

Duration: One scene

For a point of Essence, the Uratha becomes aware of any sources of poison or disease, mundane or supernatural, within a radius of 10 x Wisdom Renown meters. While this Facet is active, the werewolf can touch one of these sources, spend a second point of Essence to absorb the toxin, suffering the effects of the Poisoned or Sick Tilts (or other relevant deleteria), but nullifying the source in the process: A venomous animal can’t produce doses of its venom for the rest of the scene, a puddle of fertilizer runoff is rendered harmless, any Facets of the Gift of Disease shut off, and so on. Against supernatural toxicants, this forces a Clash of Wills. Ongoing sources of harm regain their potency at the end of the scene. This Facet cannot absorb illness stemming from environmental exposure. In addition, although the Uratha can absorb supernatural diseases and toxins (such as the Geryo Strain), he may be subject to longer-lasting effects, depending on the source.

[Nicolas Milioni]

i love it!

[Korogra]

While I find these very fun, the Wisdom facet seems way too powerful. I’d suggest a limit to what kinds of toxins and diseases it can nullify- especially if it’s supernatural. Shutting down the Gift of Disease or purifying a pool tainted by bleach is easy enough to allow, but a rod of uranium or a source of the Contagion itself should be beyond this Gifts ability to neutralize, even if it’s only temporary.

[Tessie]

In my experience wound penalties almost never show up during play, and when they do it's generally for a single turn before combat ends (one way or another) for that character. That makes Hydra's Curse quite underwhelming. So in general it's going to be a -1 to dice pools, Speed and Defense, which is something but not enough for the investment, imo.

Is there a reason Colony Mantle doesn't follow the printed rules for temporary health boxes? Since it's a scene-long duration it generally won't matter either way except when the werewolf happens to have lethal damage that haven't healed (through spending Essence or going Death Rage) in the temporary boxes that won't wrap around when they disappear.

Regardless of their mechanics, I have to say that Hydra's Curse and Colony Mantle have awesome visuals.

I really like Cling. It's both imaginative and potentially quite useful. Only "drawback" is the lack of flavour in the description. I know why it works and why it's a fitting Facet for this Gift, but some description of how the uratha clings to whatever would be nice.

Hunter in the Shallows is also a good one. I wouldn't like how dependent it is on the setting, but in this case I don't think this Gift would show up at all if the sea already wasn't an important part of the setting so it's not really an issue.

I kinda like Bleaching Barrier (aside for my distaste for the Poisoned and Sick Tilts, but those are part of the game so the Facet has to deal with them), but I would definitely force a Clash of Wills against supernatural sources (which also provides an out for the ST in case of the Contagion since it can auto-win CoWs if necessary for the story without feeling like a total ass pull). I'd also clarify that environmental exposure shouldn't be counted as a source of illness, even though overheating and the like is a source of heat illnesses, etc.

[espritdecalmar]

While I find these very fun, the Wisdom facet seems way too powerful. I’d suggest a limit to what kinds of toxins and diseases it can nullify- especially if it’s supernatural. Shutting down the Gift of Disease or purifying a pool tainted by bleach is easy enough to allow, but a rod of uranium or a source of the Contagion itself should be beyond this Gifts ability to neutralize, even if it’s only temporary.

I'm on the fence about radiation. Since the draining effect only lasts for a scene, and the werewolf would suffer radiation poisoning in the process, it's probably not too big a deal; on the other hand, that could lead to Shenanigans that I'm overlooking if the pack, say, breaks into a nuclear reactor (if I do allow it, I'd also I'm realizing need to note whether or not the user is radioactive himself during the Facet's duration).

I've already made a note in my revised drafts that the Facet is ineffective against the Geryo Strain. Other Contagion stuff probably follows suit, though it probably depends on the specifics of the outbreak.

In my experience wound penalties almost never show up during play, and when they do it's generally for a single turn before combat ends (one way or another) for that character. That makes Hydra's Curse quite underwhelming. So in general it's going to be a -1 to dice pools, Speed and Defense, which is something but not enough for the investment, imo.

Is there a reason Colony Mantle doesn't follow the printed rules for temporary health boxes? Since it's a scene-long duration it generally won't matter either way except when the werewolf happens to have lethal damage that haven't healed (through spending Essence or going Death Rage) in the temporary boxes that won't wrap around when they disappear.

Regardless of their mechanics, I have to say that Hydra's Curse and Colony Mantle have awesome visuals.

I really like Cling. It's both imaginative and potentially quite useful. Only "drawback" is the lack of flavour in the description. I know why it works and why it's a fitting Facet for this Gift, but some description of how the uratha clings to whatever would be nice.

Hunter in the Shallows is also a good one. I wouldn't like how dependent it is on the setting, but in this case I don't think this Gift would show up at all if the sea already wasn't an important part of the setting so it's not really an issue.

I kinda like Bleaching Barrier (aside for my distaste for the Poisoned and Sick Tilts, but those are part of the game so the Facet has to deal with them), but I would definitely force a Clash of Wills against supernatural sources (which also provides an out for the ST in case of the Contagion since it can auto-win CoWs if necessary for the story without feeling like a total ass pull). I'd also clarify that environmental exposure shouldn't be counted as a source of illness, even though overheating and the like is a source of heat illnesses, etc.

Thanks for the feedback. A few things you address I've already gone back over, realizing they're bits I wrote in haste. Colony Mantle was an attempt to create an "ablative armor" Facet, but I think I may have outfoxed myself there. I might change it to something like "mark these extra health boxes above your health track; they take damage first; one heals every (6 - Glory) turns" or such.

Hydra's Curse, as written, as basically a repurposing of the Stinging Tilt from Beast (and an attempt not to retread the Gift of Disease's Festering Bite). I might write up a custom Condition for the Facet.

I wrote Hunter in the Shallows to be as agnostic as possible, so the werewolf would also be immune to, say, thorny underbrush in the woods, and could gain the dice bonus while standing in a swimming pool. The Facet could probably use some language making this explicit/justifying why this is.

I've run my head up against the ambiguous rules for poisons in the Chronicles of Darkness for years. Even a simple chart with a few examples (What's the Toxicity of arsenic? Black widow venom?) would be helpful. Actually, although it wouldn't be the most exciting Storyteller's Vault product, that does give me an idea. . . .

I like your suggestion for a Clash with Bleaching Barrier. I might replace the stated dice pool with that, and have the Facet automatically succeed against mundane sources of harm since it comes with a baked-in drawback anyway.

[Tessie]

I'm on the fence about radiation. Since the draining effect only lasts for a scene, and the werewolf would suffer radiation poisoning in the process, it's probably not too big a deal; on the other hand, that could lead to Shenanigans that I'm overlooking if the pack, say, breaks into a nuclear reactor (if I do allow it, I'd also I'm realizing need to note whether or not the user is radioactive himself during the Facet's duration).

I don't really think it matters one way or another. A uranium rod makes no difference because the damage interval exceeds the duration of the Facet. The inside of a nuclear reactor would matter, but only after [Stamina] minutes of exposure, and anything you do within a reactor should probably be measured in turns (unless you leave someone unconscious or locked up inside, anyway). Any stronger radiation comes from the aftermath of a nuclear explosion, in which case you'll be surrounded by more sources of radiation than you've got Essence to spend on absorbing it all. A straight up nuclear explosion follows the explosion rules (as well as the chunky salsa rule).

I've already made a note in my revised drafts that the Facet is ineffective against the Geryo Strain. Other Contagion stuff probably follows suit, though it probably depends on the specifics of the outbreak.

Since it only suppresses the effect for a scene (if you do remove the roll so you can't get the 24h effect) I think it's fine to allow it to affect stuff like the Geryo infection and/or the Contagion, but doing so for anything that can spread across spiritual/magical interactions should definitely count as exposure to that contagion, potentially infecting the werewolf when the Facet ends.

Thanks for the feedback. A few things you address I've already gone back over, realizing they're bits I wrote in haste. Colony Mantle was an attempt to create an "ablative armor" Facet, but I think I may have outfoxed myself there. I might change it to something like "mark these extra health boxes above your health track; they take damage first; one heals every (6 - Glory) turns" or such.

I think if you want an armour-like effect you should probably base it on the armour rules. Something like "Gain Glory dots extra general armour. Each time the user is hit by an attack that causes or would cause lethal damage, reduce the bonus armour rating by one. If the attack instead deals aggravated damage, reduce the bonus armour rating by the amount of damage it prevented. Do this only after calculating how much damage, if any, the character would take from the attack."

Hydra's Curse, as written, as basically a repurposing of the Stinging Tilt from Beast (and an attempt not to retread the Gift of Disease's Festering Bite). I might write up a custom Condition for the Facet.

I'm not a fan of the Stinging Lair Trait either, tbh, but it works better there because it's a passive effect that covers the entire area.
The underlying idea of "infecting" your opponent like that is good. I just think it needs a bit more sting (hehe). Perhaps a personal Tilt that represents stinging pain, like:
"The character takes a -1 penalty to all physical actions. Whenever the character takes a physical action, applies Defense for any reason or moves more than half his Speed during a turn, he takes an additional -2 penalty to all rolls until the end of the character's next turn. This penalty also applies to any extended actions taken unless the character chooses to double the time spent on each roll."


Just a few suggestions.

[espritdecalmar]

Okay, I've made some changes and clarifications based on feedback. I feel that your suggestions, Tessie, for Hydra's Curse and Colony Mantle are pretty spot-on, so for the time being I'm borrowing them more or less wholecloth.

On another note, I really like Second Edition's addition of Fetishes that can modify the effects of Facets, so I might spend the afternoon dreaming up a few for Coral.

[espritdecalmar]

Coral Fetishes

Poisonflower Choker (•)

A necklace made from a ring of fever-red corals, the Poisonflower Choker allows an Uratha with the Hydra’s Curse Facet of the Gift of Coral and the Festering Bite Facet of the Gift of Disease to activate both effects with a single bite attack, point of Essence, and dice roll.

Fragment of Opuhala (••)

These fetishes often take the form of small conglomerations of coral, shell, and desiccated spiny fishes. When activated, they enhance the Hunter of the Shallows Facet of the Gift of Coral: While partially submerged, the werewolf’s Defense increases by one, and she enjoys the 9-again quality on Strength and Presence rolls bolstered by the Facet.

Serqet’s Phial (•••)

An Uratha with the Bleaching Barrier Facet of the Gift of Coral who holds this small, violet-tinted glass bottle in hand can, when absorbing a toxin, choose not to suffer its effects, and instead transfer the poison into the phial, where it coalesces as a milky liquid that tastes faintly of alcohol. Anyone who consumes this liquid is subject to the toxin’s original effect (although they are still allowed any applicable rolls to resist it). The phial can only hold one toxin at a time, and a given poison loses its potency after three days, or at the end of the scene if decanted.

Record of Betrayal (••••)

These heavy granite tablets invert the Cling Facet of the Gift of Coral. A werewolf can inscribe the name of a target he knows onto the tablet and submerge it in water, and the next time he touches the prey and activates Cling, the prey becomes rooted in place by spiritual tendrils, reducing their Speed to zero and halving their Defense. The prey can try to break free once per round with a Strength + Athletics roll, penalized by the user’s Honor, though each attempt to do so inflicts a point of bashing damage. The rooting lasts until the end of the scene, unless the prey broke a promise to or otherwise betrayed the user, in which case the Facet lasts until the sun next crosses the horizon. Once this fetish’s effect ends, the prey’s name fades from the tablet.

Capricorn Derelict (•••••)

Taking the form of a bleached goat’s skull lined with barnacles and other traces of sedentary sea life, this powerful fetish has for centuries exchanged hands among occultists for the arcane secrets it keeps, despite persistent rumors of a dread curse that hovers around the object like a plague. The fetish possesses two distinct powers, the first only accessible to Uratha. When worn and activated along with the Colony Mantle Facet of the Gift of Coral, the skull provides the following effects:

• The armor rating granted by the Facet is increased by one.
• The Uratha gains a ramming attack with the skull’s horns. This attack has a weapon rating of zero in Hishu and Urhan forms, one in Dalu and Urshul, and two in Gauru. If the werewolf deals more damage than the target’s Stamina, she also inflicts the Knocked Down Tilt. When making an all-out attack as part of a charge in which she moves at least three meters forward, the werewolf’s roll gains the 8-again quality.
• The Uratha can activate other Facets of the Gift of Coral without spending Essence. Facets activated this way shut off if the armor granted by Colony Mantle is reduced to zero.

The skull has a secondary use as well, available to anyone with the proper knowledge: A user can don the skull and activate it to receive whispered directions for occult rituals. So long as the user has on hand a reliable source to consult, such as a tome or mentor, she may perform a Rite, Ceremony, or other type of ritual working without spending Experiences on the effect or even normally qualifying for participating in such. All other requirements, such as specific materials or symbols, must still be fulfilled. In this way, a mortal or anyone else could even lead Wolf Rites, a bizarre and blasphemous proposition indeed. There is a deadly catch, though: If the user rolls a dramatic failure during the conducting of any rite, or successfully completes a Wolf Rite that can’t actually affect her (such as if it affects a quality she doesn’t possess like Kuruth), she immediately suffers her Supernatural Potency (or Integrity for mortals) in aggravated damage, as well as any Personal Tilts the Storyteller deems appropriate. One inexperienced Uratha found her eyes rapidly vitrifying, then exploding, in the middle of an experimental rite. The former Kogaion of Denver used the skull while examining a Wyrm’s Nest, only to suddenly turn to a heap of ash, his attendant pupils left to report that the area was briefly filled with what sounded like the magnified shriek of a bat. A witch wearing the skull attempting to draw out its powers keeled over as three adult foxes tore their way out of her midsection, each then dashing in a different direction with one of her internal organs clamped in its jaws. Thus the origins of its storied curse. For some, however, this is actually the true allure of the fetish, especially for a pack of Forsaken laired high up in the Alps who know much of the artifact’s true history.