Rites adapted from W:TA

[salientmind]

I have a player who made an occult focused character, but he struggles when it comes to putting together new rites. W:tF doesn't have that many cannon rites, so I began adapting some from W:tA 20th Anniversary. Let me know what you think, if you have a critique/advice, or if you have another rite you think I should try to adapt.

Rite of Accomplishment (Level 1) (A)

Symbols: Totems from the battles in Question
This rite is used to honor a werewolf and recognize the trials he has endured to attain his current standing. An elder will call the honored Uratha forward, much as the Garou might be called forward should the elders want to punish or criticize her. As the Garou advances, the elder begins listing all of the things the Garou did to gain the acclaim. The Rite of Accomplishment then takes place, and anyone who wishes to speak on behalf of the Garou being honored may do so. In conclusion, the elder says something along the lines of, “She is made greater in her tribe, her sept and greater among the People everywhere. Let this be known.”
Action: Extended (10 Minutes)
Target: 5 Successes
System: The Rite Master recognizes the accomplishments of the Uratha that have caused them to gain renown from the Lunes. It can only be done once per deed, but it causes the Renown brands to flare as if the Uratha had spent essence. The target Uratha also gets the renown condition.
Rite of Boasting (Level 1) (A)

Symbols: Totems from previous combat, scars, blood of enemies
Boasting and bragging have always been a vital aspect of warrior cultures. Boasts serve to work up a fighter’s courage while putting fear into the opponent. But to truly impress, the boaster must back up his claims. This rite is more than formalized bragging, for it forces the Uratha to “put up or shut up.” Before a battle or mission, the Uratha boasts before all assembled that he will perform a particularly impressive feat (for example, “I will kill three of the Pure with only my claws,” “I will scale the electrified razorwire of the refinery” or “I will be the first to reach the shield wall, there to wrest the enemy’s standard from his dead hand.”). The boast is performed in a ritual fashion, with a short recitation of lineage and a summary of glorious deeds performed to date.
If he makes good on his boast, he magnifies the Glory of the act. If he fails, the resulting derision of his peers costs him Glory; boasting is only respected if you can back it up. It is the equivalent of pointing to where you will hit a ball out of the park.
Action: Extended (1 Minute)
Target: 5 Successes
System: This rite allows a werewolf to gamble their Willpower. If the werewolf accomplishes their goal before the end of combat, then they regain 2 willpower. If they fail, then they lose two willpower. If they have no willpower left to lose, then they gain the condition Demoralized


Baptism of Fire (Level 1) (A)

This gift can also be used on people who become wolf blooded due to Lunacy.
Symbols: Ash, Incense, Blood of a the parent
In the presence of a willing spirit, the rite master anoints a newborn wolfblooded with a mixture of hot ash and blood. Then it has the spirit kiss the child. The kiss inscribes a glyph on the child’s head that is invisible to those who do not have the site. The glyph acts as a fetter, allowing the spirit to watch over the child as it grows. It communicates with the Uratha when the child is in danger, and it provides them with knowledge of its location. When the first change is imminent, the spirit alerts the rite master. The rite must be performed within a lunar cycle of a wolfblooded birth.
Action: Extended (1 round per action)
System: The rite master knows the location of the child as long as the spirit is bound to it. The child also has protection when the Uratha is not present.
Rite of Talisman Dedication (Level 1) (A)

Symbols: Uratha Glyphs, Blood, Soil
This common rite allows a werewolf to bind objects to her body that fit her various forms. They items either shift to accommodate their forms, or they become one with the wolf. Fetishes and Talens remain with the werewolf in all forms, and they already benefit from this effect. A werewolf performs the rite under their auspice moon.
Extended: 1 success per object (1 minute per item)
System: Each items costs an essence to be dedicated. A character may never have more items then their primal urge score. Conceptually linked groups of objects may count as a single object at the storyteller’s discretion. I.E. A uniform, matching clothes, gun (bullets, clip and actual gun)
Objects resize themselves to accommodate a character’s various forms, but they meld into the wolf for forms which they have no use. A gun might meld with the Uratha when they shift to Garou, but a backpack’s straps will expand to accommodate the warform.
Moon Contract (Level 2) (A)

Symbols: Rope, a Chain, Locks, Medicine Bag
The denizens of the Shadow do not trust the Uratha. The moon contract is one way they can work together. The moon contract is a rite that allows a rite master to forge a deal between a spirit and a pack. The Moon contract requires each member to contribute one essence to a mixture placed in a medicine bag. Each member speaks their promise out loud. The rite master then wears the bag for the duration of the contract.
System: All participants are bound by “the Word of Luna”, and they are sworn to do what they said they were to do or suffer the “Broken Word” condition. The Word of Luna provides a +2 to resistance rolls against coercion to break your word. Broken Words causes a -2 penalty to interacting with all denizens & interested parties of the spirit world. This is separate from the penalties caused by a rift in the relationship. Resolution: Making recompetence to the offended spirit, or performs a Rite of Contrition.
Rite of Spirit Awakening (Level 2) (A)

This rite is used to awaken a sleeping (inactive) spirit. To perform this rite, a Uratha must play a rhythm on some form of instrument. While the Uratha plays, participating Uratha dance around the rite master howling and growling in counterpoint to the beat. This rite allows the Uratha to cultivate spirit allies from their inception or to awaken long slumbering spirits. Spirits awakened in this way may be hostile.
Action: Extended, 1 hour per roll.
Target: Spirits Resistance + Rank
System: Still working on this.
The Rite of Contrition (Level 1) (A)

Symbols: Gifts, Sacrifices, Groveling
This rite is a form of Apology. The offending party uses it to prevent the enmity of spirits or Uratha whom an individual has offended, or to prevent war between packs or tribes. The rite most often involves the enactor dropping to her belly and sliding forward. The ritemaster may also whine and lick his paws or hands. If performed well, a single inclination of his head may suffice. To enact the rite successfully, the Uratha must either give a small gift to the offended individual, or in the case of a spirit, make an offering to the offended spirit. Such as burning something of value in front of its visage.
System: A penalty is leveled to the roll based on the severity of the offense. The more effort put in, the more the offenses negatives are mitigated. A single success is all that is required for a gracious apology, but may not be enough to mend the relationship. Werewolves who refuse to acknowledge the Rite of Contrition are looked upon poorly by elderrs
Rite of Healing (Level 3) (A)

Symbols Wood, Pure Water, Snow, Charcoal
This rite allows a a Uratha to purify a person, place or object of essence. The rite involves the rite master inscribing a circle on the earth, walking counterclockwise around the afflicted person(s) or object(s) while holding a smoldering branch or torch. She must use a branch dipped in pure water or snow to sprinkle the person or object cleanse. As the rite master does so, all Uratha let out a eerie, otherworldly howl in order to frighten away corrupting influence. Ideally this right is performed at dawn (+2 dice)
Action: Extended (1 Hour)
System: Various factors have an effect on the roll. The level of taint of essence, the thickness of the gauntlet and how severe it is all cause negatives to the roll. Healing wounds are almost impossible.

Presence of mortals	– 2
Presence of Spirits not in pack	Highest Rank
Presence of Spirits who rely on it	Highest Resistance

Contamination	2-10
Shoal	20 successes
Wound	30 successes

[Fumus]

The rite of dedication is pretty useless now, since your equipment / clothing already expands to fit your dalu form and melds with your form in gauru, urshul and urhan so long as your harmony is below 9, there's a reason it wasn't put into the core for 2e.

[The young man in the cafe]

The rite of dedication is pretty useless now, since your equipment / clothing already expands to fit your dalu form and melds with your form in gauru, urshul and urhan so long as your harmony is below 9, there's a reason it wasn't put into the core for 2e.

What if you made a rite to have ritual clothes or body armor in gauru form, instead of melding?

[Fumus]

What if you made a rite to have ritual clothes or body armor in gauru form, instead of melding?

Yeah, that'd be pretty good actually. Like hulk's shorts.

[salientmind]

The rite of dedication is pretty useless now, since your equipment / clothing already expands to fit your dalu form and melds with your form in gauru, urshul and urhan so long as your harmony is below 9, there's a reason it wasn't put into the core for 2e.

My players wanted to house rule that clothes/equipment don't meld with you when change. So I did. Then they regretted it a bit, so the right is back. lol

[Lyrics Of War]

unintended consequences lol. I'm a fan of thinking outside the box so its good to pull from outside influences. Remember that you can also make your own rituals, and they dont necessarily have to perform a function, but can be entirely spiritual and tribal in nature. Pack bonding and all that.

[salientmind]

unintended consequences lol. I'm a fan of thinking outside the box so its good to pull from outside influences. Remember that you can also make your own rituals, and they dont necessarily have to perform a function, but can be entirely spiritual and tribal in nature. Pack bonding and all that.

The one player not present when the decision was made hates it. He moved back into the area after like 5 sessions, and he just keeps saying to them "Why?" That is a good point. I think I have been doing it already without thinking. The pack drinks scotch together after a hunt. Certain conversations happen in specific rooms. It wouldn't be hard to formalize these into rituals. I was also thinking of making some minor rites that offer small bonuses to certain actions. Maybe even an equipment bonus for figuring out an enigma, or some other roll you wouldn't typically have equipment for.

[Acrozatarim]

Some notes:
- As mentioned, the Dedication rite is redundant in 2nd ed as things just shift with you automatically as long as your Harmony isn't too high.
- Several of these were in, or had equivalents in, 1st ed Forsaken. I explicitly cut many of them out in order to remove what I term 'administrative rites' - things that ritemasters ended up having to pay XP for that were fundamentally just a 'spiritual administration tax' with minimal meaningful impact. Take the Rite of Contrition, for example - there is no real reason this needs to be a rite. Handling dealing with an offended party may be ritualistic in style in how a character handles it, but I'll be buggered if I'm going to put an XP cost on the ability to say sorry.
- 'Moon Contract' is already handled by one of the Elodoth Gift Facets.
- You haven't really defined what the Rite of Healing actually does?
- Baptism of Fire is the only one you've listed that really sparks my interest, although I'd suggest it's... inherently risky given the Forsaken spirit world. That's not a bad thing - certainly adds a 'playing with fire' element to it.

[salientmind]

Some notes:
- As mentioned, the Dedication rite is redundant in 2nd ed as things just shift with you automatically as long as your Harmony isn't too high.
- Several of these were in, or had equivalents in, 1st ed Forsaken. I explicitly cut many of them out in order to remove what I term 'administrative rites' - things that ritemasters ended up having to pay XP for that were fundamentally just a 'spiritual administration tax' with minimal meaningful impact. Take the Rite of Contrition, for example - there is no real reason this needs to be a rite. Handling dealing with an offended party may be ritualistic in style in how a character handles it, but I'll be buggered if I'm going to put an XP cost on the ability to say sorry.
- 'Moon Contract' is already handled by one of the Elodoth Gift Facets.
- You haven't really defined what the Rite of Healing actually does?
- Baptism of Fire is the only one you've listed that really sparks my interest, although I'd suggest it's... inherently risky given the Forsaken spirit world. That's not a bad thing - certainly adds a 'playing with fire' element to it.

`

Rite of Healing cleanses an area of "Resonance Taint", a "Shoal" or a "Wound". It brings that spot in the shadow into Harmony for just a moment. It was a plot device for our last story. I understand your feelings on certain Rites being an administration tax, but rather then cut them completely I would rather make them free. I think minor rites add texture to the game. I see your point with moon contract.