The Pack is here!

[Monghani]

Considering that pack mates provide an Open Condition for them its not a matter of needing to summon them. They can enter or leave at any time.

[AForgeForThoughts]

How are the new Totem mechanics? can the Pack summon him in battle?

Totem's are more sustainable now. Their relationship with their pack means they can exist in twilight much more easily than a normal spirit.

[nofather]

How are the new Totem mechanics? can the Pack summon him in battle?

Second edition established the totem as a member of the pack, not just some distant patron. So they could always come and fight with you, and there were rites to help them assist further. The Pack establishes more what it's like for the totem, why it might join or help, and what it does on the hunt, or outside the hunt. There's also a section on totems without packs which is pretty interesting.

[Elfive]

Becoming a Totem is basically a licence to do a lot of the stuff werewolves normally don't like spirits doing.

[Lian]

So the Warden in Dubai he's a Demon right?

[Monghani]

Definitely a powerful Demon in the Inferno sense. The Agency is straight up Unchained, though

[nofather]

So the Warden in Dubai he's a Demon right?

Demons are certainly interested in it, but they're interested in the idigam as well. Basically anything that can help them against or rival the God-Machine, which suggests the Warden is very powerful. If it isn't an idigam, I can't think of many 'proper' templates it would be, though there's a wealth of possibility that just grows when you consider weirdnesses of the Chronicles of Darkness or mixes, like a strix-idigam synthesis.

Black ooze and an enmity with the Locust Hosts doesn't strike me as very Demonic.

[Blakemikizuki]

With just Primal Instinct, no*, no*, and possibly**.



Yes*

* If the Wolf-Blooded gains other Tells that access those aspects, the Primal Urge rating will impact them.

** I'd be inclined to make the sacred hunt requirement a thing if the Wolf-Blooded synergises Primal Instinct with any other Tell, but ultimately it's the ST's decision.

That is beyond amazing thank you.

[Bunyip]

That is beyond amazing that you.

?
Sorry, I don't understand.

[Leliel]

Demons are certainly interested in it, but they're interested in the idigam as well. Basically anything that can help them against or rival the God-Machine, which suggests the Warden is very powerful. If it isn't an idigam, I can't think of many 'proper' templates it would be, though there's a wealth of possibility that just grows when you consider weirdnesses of the Chronicles of Darkness or mixes, like a strix-idigam synthesis.

Black ooze and an enmity with the Locust Hosts doesn't strike me as very Demonic.

Oil, an obsession with keeping the peace, and hatred of things that take resources without giving anything back has "loyalist angel" written all over it, though. The fact the Unchained seem interested clinches the deal in my mind-I think the God-Machine's running experiments into taming the Shadow, and the Agency is keeping tabs on the competition (in particular given how the Warden isn't a hunter, it's way too busy with spiritual agriculture).

[Blakemikizuki]

?
Sorry, I don't understand.

Sorry auto correct, it was suppose to be thank you.

[nofather]

Oil, an obsession with keeping the peace, and hatred of things that take resources without giving anything back has "loyalist angel" written all over it, though. The fact the Unchained seem interested clinches the deal in my mind-I think the God-Machine's running experiments into taming the Shadow, and the Agency is keeping tabs on the competition (in particular given how the Warden isn't a hunter, it's way too busy with spiritual agriculture).

The God-Machine wouldn't need something like the Broken Man, though, would it?

[Elfive]

What the God-Machine "needs" at any given point can seem arbitrary and confusing to, well, pretty much anyone else.

[nofather]

What the God-Machine "needs" at any given point can seem arbitrary and confusing to, well, pretty much anyone else.

It just seems 'Demons are interested, it must be God-Machine' is a bit on the nose. But fair enough, I don't really know enough about Demon to say for sure anyways.

Does anyone else think the Vampire section of 'The Other' packmates block stood out a bit oddly? It seems very negative toward the idea. Vampires have numbers and social influence, but 'Not all packs want, or need, to take shortcuts.' Which is true, but then goes on to the Mage section and has them recruiting Mages to be shamans and warrior-priests and to help them take shortcuts.

[Acrozatarim]

Just so's you know, there is more supporting content for The Pack coming. I wrote up an additional section for each Lodge, titled 'Mysteries', which details some specific oddities, heresies, ritual practices and the like that the Lodge possesses - like the Lodge of Garm rejecting the second tenet of the Oath of the Moon, and the like. They're only short, but it was a toss-up between them and the story hooks sections, and the story hooks won out for the main book. So that's another 1,500 words or so that'll be turning up as a web supplement or blog post at some point.

l absolutely love the Dubai chapter. Kudos to whoever wrote it, they absolutely nailed the city.

Glad you like it!

Well...I'm certainly disturbed by being able to rebirth a Pangean by having a Werewolf consume its corpse.

Well you see... Look! Over there, a bear! *hides*

Also, I'm in LOVE with the Lodge System. Everything is so easily handled that it feels like a simple trick to crank out our own ideas.

I'm pleased you're finding that - I definitely wanted to make the Lodge system feel a bit more coherent mechanically.

I may ask Stew if I can do a blog post with more guidance for Lodge creation, like I did for Gifts.

Ravening Wolf seems to have some elements centered around eating disorders and cultural opinions about eating. She starts off eating everything, and attempts to correct by forcing herself to place herself to view eating as a sacred task, and developing a sense of gratitude. The lodge dedicated to her is based off of changing one's eating pattern from eating live animals and spirits to eating. This would come off as shameful in Forsaken society, because they have come to close to being scavengers and would be compared to dogs, not wolves.

I really like the added foil of the Dog lodge, they really drive home what makes this lodge so deviant.

The Eaters were really interesting to write, and I had fun with making Ravening Wolf more than just 'I wanna eat everything'.

All in all my only complaints are in the vein of 'wanting more.' The Lodges are super cool and interesting, I want to join one already and build a dozen more. The Jaw Hags? The Lodge of the Seven Venoms? I want to know more about them. The cult-like feel is palpable, especially with the totems and their possessing. And the Temple of Apollo! Light shines out your eyes and mouth as you eat the souls of your sacred prey!

Who knows? Maybe I'll be allowed to do proper write-ups for some of them - I'd love to give the Jaw Hags in particular full coverage.