Homebrew Wolf-Blooded Tells

[Deionscribe]

Seeing as I haven't seen anything like it yet on the forums, I've decided to put up my own thread where people can post their own homebrew Tells for Second Edition Wolf-Blooded. I'm interested to find out what kind of ideas will pop up. That said, here's my first entry on the thread, adapted from an aspect of the Unseen Sense (Spirits) Merit, and the Essence Vessel Flaw.

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Wellspring
The Wolf-Blooded is a rich font of Essence. This makes her attractive to both spirits and Uratha, whose interests more often than not prove detrimental to her well-being. That her connection to the Shadow risks pulling her through the Gauntlet only complicates her life further. The character suffers from the Reception Condition (Werewolf: Second Edition, p. 310) as a persistent effect.

Boon: The Wolf-Blooded has an instinctive understanding on Essence flows, allowing her to track down other sources of that ephemeral energy. She can sense any loci within ten miles of her location. An extended Wits + Composure roll with a TN equal to (10 - the locus' dot rating) allows her to read its emotional resonance. Each roll represents one minute.

[Deionscribe]

Here's another custom Tell, adapted from two Merits, Lunatic Glare and Predator's Gaze. I'm still not entirely confident with this one, but I figure there should be a Tell that gives a Wolf-Blooded an edge in Social Maneuvering.

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Predator's Bearing
The Wolf-Blooded has a tendency to look at people as if they were prey animals. Her body language is domineering, and in conversation, her eyes focus on the throat or another weak spot. This doesn't help with making friends and influencing people, and will likely make her the first person in people's heads whenever they hear of a violent crime in the area. Whenever she attempts to conduct Social Maneuvering, the Wolf-Blooded's first impression is one step lower than it should be.

Boon: People want to get out of her presence, and while that can be annoying to the Wolf-Blooded, it can also be very useful for getting things done quickly. Any Hard Leverage used in a Social Maneuver doubles the number of Doors removed. Furthermore, if he spends a Willpower point during a Presence + Intimidation roll, she may forego the +3 bonus for a chance to inflict a Lunacy Condition. The Condition lasts for a scene on a success, and a day on an exceptional success, unless its resolved sooner.

[Deionscribe]

Third Custom Tell, adapted from the Merit of the same name in Book of Spirits. Also, I wanted to clarify this point. Wolf-Blooded with Tells like Locus Drinker or Wellspring can (at ST discretion) possess an Essence pool equal to 5 + Stamina.

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Locus Drinker
The Wolf-Blooded is dependent on Essence, and needs to take frequent fixes of it in order to function normally. This means he has to seek out places where the substance builds up and pools together. The truly daring (or suicidal) even attempt to hunt spirits and werewolves to get their fix. The character gains the Addicted Condition for Essence.

Boon: The Wolf-Blooded can draw Essence from loci, spirits, and werewolves. For loci, this requires a meditation roll. For spirits and werewolves, the Wolf-Blooded must roll Presence + Wits while maintaining physical contact. In a combat situation, this requires establishing and holding a grapple.

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Whether they lose all the Essence they gather every night in a manner akin to Revenants with their Vitae, though, is also on a case-to-case basis. More lenient Storytellers can choose to make them experience a form of Essence Bleed, losing Essence at a rate of one point per hour.

[The young man in the cafe]

Here's one adapted from the pleasing aura merit.

Spirit magnet

the wolf blooded is a source of resouence that is pleasing to all spirits, regardless of influences. As a result spirits like to be around the wolf blooded, but their activities tend to drive away those who aren't supernaturally aware. Add two doors to any mortal character that the wolf blooded is trying to use social maneuvering on due to the weird happenings around them.

Boon: The Wolf Blooded enjoys a first impression one higher when engaged in social maneuvering with spirits

[Deionscribe]

Thought up this Tell because I remember the development article about them mentioning some Wolf-Blooded being able to Reach and bring others along with them, though he risks alerting spirits of his/her intrusion in the process. So, without further ado, here is my take on the concept...

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Pathfinder
The Wolf-Blooded can walk through the barrier between the Worlds of Spirit and Flesh, at will. If he wishes, he can also bring others with him as he slips through the Gauntlet to travel between either realm. This power is deeply flawed, however. Every time he tries to slip through the Gauntlet, the spiritual backlash it causes is strong enough to alert nearby spirits within a certain radius. This almost always leads to the Wolf-Blooded's discovery.

Boon: The Wolf-Blooded is capable of Reaching like a spirit with a successful Resolve + Composure roll. Unless he is within the vicinity of a locus, he must spend a Willpower point and suffer a penalty equal to the immediate area's Gauntlet strength. If he wishes to bring others with him, he also suffers targeting penalties proportional to the number of people he includes in his Reaching. Regardless of the roll's results, all spirits within a radius of 15 yards are alerted of his attempt. If performed at a locus, this distance is doubled by its dot rating.

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As a footnote, I was contemplating the idea that several Wolf-Blooded who possess this Tell could turn the Reaching into a teamwork action. But the mechanics are something I'm having a problem wrapping my head around, at the moment. If anyone wants to help flesh them out, you're more than welcome to.

[Deionscribe]

Not a Tell, but this is a Merit which could be learned for those with a specific Tell. Inspired by a comment written by Dataweaver on another thread.

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Wolf's Envoy (oo)
Prerequisites: Clever Fingers Tell, Pack Bond 3
Effect: The character's increasing respect among his Uratha packmates, coupled with his connection to the pack's Totem, allows him to learn rituals which are normally beyond the abilities of other Wolf-Blooded. He can learn and perform Wolf Rituals as if he was a werewolf. If the Wolf-Blooded possesses a Tribal Affiliation Merit, he can learn Wolf Rites that are restricted to members of that Tribe.

[Ephsy]

Third Custom Tell, adapted from the Merit of the same name in Book of Spirits. Also, I wanted to clarify this point. Wolf-Blooded with Tells like Locus Drinker or Wellspring can (at ST discretion) possess an Essence pool equal to 5 + Stamina.

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Locus Drinker
The Wolf-Blooded is dependent on Essence, and needs to take frequent fixes of it in order to function normally. This means he has to seek out places where the substance builds up and pools together. The truly daring (or suicidal) even attempt to hunt spirits and werewolves to get their fix. The character gains the Addicted Condition for Essence.

Boon: The Wolf-Blooded can draw Essence from loci, spirits, and werewolves. For loci, this requires a meditation roll. For spirits and werewolves, the Wolf-Blooded must roll Presence + Wits while maintaining physical contact. In a combat situation, this requires establishing and holding a grapple.

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Whether they lose all the Essence they gather every night in a manner akin to Revenants with their Vitae, though, is also on a case-to-case basis. More lenient Storytellers can choose to make them experience a form of Essence Bleed, losing Essence at a rate of one point per hour.

Needs an essence limit. Stamina (like Ghouls) sounds fine. Also needs something to be able to do with essence - Regenerate & Activate Fetishes?

[Deionscribe]

Needs an essence limit. Stamina (like Ghouls) sounds fine. Also needs something to be able to do with essence - Regenerate & Activate Fetishes?

Yeah. I forgot to add that in, as well. Not sure what you mean when you mention regenerate, but an Essence pool would give an edge for Wolf-Blooded with regards to fetishes. Especially the five-dot ones. Also, what about Essence bleed? Does one point per hour work? That is how fast spirits normally lose Essence, yes?

[amechra]

If you have Regeneration from a different source (A Wolf's Meat, perhaps?), you can already spend Essence to improve it to healing Lethal damage. It doesn't matter than Wolfblooded don't normally have the stuff, it's part of the basic rules for Regeneration.

[Deionscribe]

I thought A Wolf's Meat required spending Willpower in place of Essence to heal lethal damage? That said, I can see why granting an Essence pool via certain Tells would complicate things a bit. Then again, we have Wolf-Blooded who (depending on their Tells) can lead in certain Werewolf Rites. Plus, getting an additional Tell requires spending EXP for three dots AND ST justification.

[Ephsy]

I thought A Wolf's Meat required spending Willpower in place of Essence to heal lethal damage?

That's correct. I'm thinking being able to burn essence to regenerate like an Uratha with PU 1 does, without the benefit on Bashing.

That said, I can see why granting an Essence pool via certain Tells would complicate things a bit.

If you make it be equal to the character's Stamina, you just make lines under the dots of Stamina in the sheet. Like Ghouls. And I'd make the bleed be each 24 hours, and the need to get a fix only happening when he's depleted of it.

[Deionscribe]

If you make it be equal to the character's Stamina, you just make lines under the dots of Stamina in the sheet. Like Ghouls. And I'd make the bleed be each 24 hours, and the need to get a fix only happening when he's depleted of it.

So, a Wolf-Blooded with the Locus Drinker Tell really would have to make routine searches for Essence. And if he quickly burns through it if he has a small pool or otherwise spends it on a variety of things, his Addiction quickly turns into Deprived. Heh, that works.

Moving on to other concepts of Tells, I'm trying to think of a good drawback for a Wolf-Blooded whose Tell actually grants him a Facet in a single Shadow Gift. Unless it's a bad idea? So far, we got a Tell which grants access to a Hunter's Aspect, a number which enable shapeshifting, and there's the Tell that grants regeneration as if you're a Werewolf with PU1. Hence, why not give them access to Gifts? Read below...

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Shadow's Blessing
The Wolf-Blooded was born with a birth mark similar to the scars inflicted by spirits when they confer Gifts upon a Werewolf. This is no coincidence. He can actually channel the Essence in such a way that he can invoke one of the powers normally wielded by his Uratha cousins. This power, however, was not meant to be contained by mortal vessels, even those who share the character's descent.

Boon: The Wolf-Blooded gains access to a Facet from a single Shadow Gift, albeit in an imperfect form. Facets which require a roll treats any failures as dramatic failures, while those that would normally produce passive effects require a Willpower point to activate. The latter last for the duration of a scene. Either way, every use of the Facet inflicts a point of lethal damage on the character.

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This can probably be another Tell which can grant the Wolf-Blooded an Essence pool. But I'm not sure. Input is appreciated.

[Deionscribe]

This was inspired by the Easy Ride Merit, but it's more akin to the 1E Gift, Cage the Rider.

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Cage
The character is more susceptible to spiritual influence than others. Spirits that encounter him realize that he can easily be Ridden, and even those that normally lack the ability to do so can take him as a host. He can just as easily be a fetter as he can be twisted as one of the Claimed. The Wolf-Blooded suffers from the Open Condition to all spirits; any spirit can target him with the Fetter, Possession, and Claim manifestation, even if they do not have it. Additionally, spirits that possess the Manifestation gain a bonus equal to their Rank.

Boon: The Wolf-Blooded is not as vulnerable as most spirits would think. Any that see him as an Easy Ride might find themselves in a trap instead. A spirit attempting to Fetter, Possess, or Claim the character must score successes equal to the Wolf-Blooded's Willpower in a roll. If they fail to do so, they are drawn into their would-be victim's body and subsequently trapped. The character can consciously tap this power; if he spends a Willpower point after making a successful abjuration roll, the spirit can be imprisoned within him instead.

A Wolf-Blooded with the Cage Tell can act as a container for a number of spirits whose total Rank adds up to his Willpower dots or less. He also gains the Ban Condition related to the highest ranking Spirit trapped within him. If he ever violates this Ban, suffers a breaking point, or experiences an emotionally charged event, he must roll his Willpower at a penalty equal to the Rank of the most powerful spirit imprisoned. Failure means all the spirits he has inside him break free. A dramatic failure inflicts the Madness or Insensate Tilt. The character also takes damage equal to the Rank of the strongest spirit he contained. Severity is determined by the result of the roll: bashing for exceptional success, lethal for success, and aggravated for failure and dramatic failure.

[Deionscribe]

Putting together all the Tells thought up, so far, in this post. With some updates and tweaks, and taking into consideration the revisions suggested in previous posts.

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Cage
The character is more susceptible to spiritual influence than others. Spirits that encounter him realize that he can easily be Ridden, and even those that normally lack the ability to do so can take him as a host. He can just as easily be a fetter as he can be twisted as one of the Claimed. The Wolf-Blooded suffers from the Open Condition to all spirits; any spirit can target him with the Fetter, Possession, and Claim manifestation, even if they do not have it. Additionally, spirits that possess the Manifestation gain a bonus equal to their Rank.

Boon: The Wolf-Blooded is not as vulnerable as most spirits would think. Any that see him as an Easy Ride might find themselves in a trap instead. A spirit attempting to Fetter, Possess, or Claim the character must score successes equal to the Wolf-Blooded's Willpower in a roll. If they fail to do so, they are drawn into their would-be victim's body and subsequently trapped. The character can consciously tap this power; if he spends a Willpower point after making a successful abjuration roll, the spirit can be imprisoned within him instead.

A Wolf-Blooded with the Cage Tell can act as a container for a number of spirits whose total Rank adds up to his Willpower dots or less. He also gains the Ban Condition related to the highest ranking Spirit trapped within him. If he ever violates this Ban, suffers a breaking point, or experiences an emotionally charged event, he must roll his Willpower at a penalty equal to the Rank of the most powerful spirit imprisoned. Failure means all the spirits he has inside him break free. A dramatic failure inflicts the Madness or Insensate Tilt. The character also takes damage equal to the Rank of the strongest spirit he contained. Severity is determined by the result of the roll: bashing for exceptional success, lethal for success, and aggravated for failure and dramatic failure.


Locus Drinker*
The Wolf-Blooded is dependent on Essence, and needs to take frequent fixes of it in order to function normally. This means he has to seek out places where the substance builds up and pools together. The truly daring (or suicidal) even attempt to hunt spirits and werewolves to get their fix. The character gains the Addicted Condition for Essence, which advances to the Deprived Condition if he has none.

Boon: The Wolf-Blooded can draw Essence from loci, spirits, and werewolves. For loci, this requires a meditation roll. For spirits and werewolves, the Wolf-Blooded must roll Presence + Wits while maintaining physical contact. In a combat situation, this requires making a grapple. Consequentially, devouring Essence from a spirit or werewolf is considered a grappling maneuver.


Pathfinder
The Wolf-Blooded can walk through the barrier between the Worlds of Spirit and Flesh, at will. If he wishes, he can also bring others with him as he slips through the Gauntlet to travel between either realm. This power is deeply flawed, however. Every time he tries to slip through the Gauntlet, the spiritual backlash it causes is strong enough to alert nearby spirits within a certain radius. This almost always leads to the Wolf-Blooded's discovery.

Boon: The Wolf-Blooded is capable of Reaching like a spirit with a successful Resolve + Composure roll. Unless he is within the vicinity of a locus, he must spend a Willpower point and suffer a penalty equal to the immediate area's Gauntlet strength. If he wishes to bring others with him, he also suffers targeting penalties proportional to the number of people he includes in his Reaching. Regardless of the roll's results, all spirits within a radius of 15 yards are alerted of his attempt. If performed at a locus, this distance is doubled by its dot rating.


Predator's Bearing
The Wolf-Blooded has a tendency to look at people as if they were prey animals. Her body language is domineering, and in conversation, her eyes focus on the throat or another weak spot. This doesn't help with making friends and influencing people, and will likely make her the first person in people's heads whenever they hear of a violent crime in the area. Whenever she attempts to conduct Social Maneuvering, the Wolf-Blooded's first impression is one step lower than it should be.

Boon: People want to get out of her presence, and while that can be annoying to the Wolf-Blooded, it can also be very useful for getting things done quickly. Any Hard Leverage used in a Social Maneuver doubles the number of Doors removed. Furthermore, if he spends a Willpower point during a Presence + Intimidation roll, she may forego the +3 bonus for a chance to inflict a Lunacy Condition. The Condition lasts for a scene on a success, and a day on an exceptional success, unless its resolved sooner.


Shadow's Blessing*
The Wolf-Blooded was born with a birth mark similar to the scars inflicted by spirits when they confer Gifts upon a Werewolf. This is no coincidence. He can actually channel the Essence in such a way that he can invoke one of the powers normally wielded by his Uratha cousins. This power, however, was not meant to be contained by mortal vessels, even those who share the character's descent.

Boon: The Wolf-Blooded gains access to a Facet from a single Shadow Gift, albeit in an imperfect form. Facets which require a roll treats any failures as dramatic failures, while those that would normally produce passive effects require a Willpower point to activate. The latter last for the duration of a scene. Either way, every use of the Facet inflicts a point of lethal damage on the character.


Spirit Magnet [by The young man in the cafe]
The Wolf-Blooded is a source of resonance that is pleasing to all spirits, regardless of Influences. As a result, spirits like to be around him, but their activities tend to drive away those who aren't supernaturally aware. Add two Doors to any mortal character that the Wolf-Blooded is trying to use Social Maneuvering on due to the weird happenings around them.

Boon: The Wolf-Blooded enjoys a First Impression one higher when engaged in Social Maneuvering with spirits


Wellspring*
The Wolf-Blooded is a rich font of Essence. This makes her attractive to both spirits and Uratha, whose interests more often than not prove detrimental to her well-being. That her connection to the Shadow risks pulling her through the Gauntlet only complicates her life further. The character suffers from the Reception Condition (Werewolf: Second Edition, p. 310) as a persistent effect.

Boon: The Wolf-Blooded has an instinctive understanding on Essence flows, allowing her to track down other sources of that ephemeral energy. She can sense any loci within ten miles of her location, and a reflexive Wits + Composure roll allows her to read its emotional resonance.

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* - The Tell also grants the Wolf-Blooded an Essence pool equal to his Stamina.

[Raistlin]

I would add to the Cage Tell the possibility of using the imprisoned spirit 's numinas or influences, at the cost of 1 willpower and/or lethal damage.