Renown

Open Development, Werewolf: The Forsaken

It’s still Sunday somewere. Renown won out, 33 to 28. Sorry for the lack of replies to last week’s post, I’l be going through and adding some today. Always busy.

Renown is one of those things that didn’t do what it said it did. It didn’t have the impact on the story that it was described as having; it granted Gifts and added to their dice pools but not in a unified way, and determined effective spirit rank… that was pretty much it. It was more expensive than new Gifts and required deeds in the game, but did nothing to actually reflect those deeds.

Part of this is what drove the changes to Gifts that I talked about previously. Renown doesn’t just give Gifts, it’s the main way of getting them. Each dot increases the effect or dice pool for a Gift.

Likewise, if you’re familiar with the God-Machine Chronicle spirit rules, you’ll know that spirit rank is a very effective tool — an Uratha who outranks a spirit does aggravated damage to it.

Renown also powers hunter’s aspects, first mentioned in the Auspices update. In the context of the siskur-dah, the player can place his Aupice’s hunters aspect on his prey. Doing so requires a roll depending on the situation, but it always adds the character’s Auspice renown. A success places the appropriate condition on the werewolf’s prey. A character can only be terrified by one hunter’s aspect at a time.

Here’s the Cahalith and Rahu examples:

Resigned

Your character faced down his hunter, and the frightening beast has shown him the essence of doom. While he may still fight or flee, there’s a part of him inside that welcomes the release of death. Your character may not spend Willpower to add dice or resistance for any action to defend himself from an existential threat. He can fuel Gifts or use other actions, but his self-defense becomes lackluster at best.

Possible Sources: The Cahalith’s Monstrous hunter aspect.

Resolution: Suffer a wound penalty from lethal or aggravated damage, or suffer a lethal wound in your character’s last health box.

Beat: n/a Submissive

Your character faced the full bore of a Rahu’s essence. He’s cowed, and cannot bear to face the Rahu’s fury. He can not directly attack, insult, or defy the Rahu, or the Rahu’s pack without first spending a Willpower point and making an extended, reflexive Resolve + Composure roll. You may make one roll per turn, but each roll requires an additional point of Willpower. The target number of successes is equal to the Rahu’s Purity.

Possible Sources: The Rahu’s Dominant hunter aspect.

Resolution: Suffer a wound penalty from lethal or aggravated wounds, or suffer a lethal wound in your character’s last health box.

Beat: n/a

Finally, characters can flare their Renown. This is a matter of posturing and dominance, not direct aggression, so drawing claws against a werewolf who dares to use the spiritual equivalent of a boast is a very bad idea.

Renown Conditions make your character act much like the stereotype of her Renown, which makes it easier for another character to manipulate her. An Honorable Uratha gives +2 dice to anyone trying to fool or take advantage of her, while a Cunning Uratha gives +2 dice to anyone trying to detect his lies or notice his sneaking.

But wait, why would you voluntarily take on penalties as a result of your Renown? Well, that comes when resolving the Condition. Someone has to use the bonus against you, but once they have you can choose to resolve the Condition. In so doing, you get your Renown dots in automatic successes roll involving one of three Skills (the Renown’s Auspice’s Skills, but that’s a messy construction).

Here’s the Renown Conditions for Honor and Wisdom.

Honorable

Your character is Honorable. She wields honesty the way some Uratha wield their claws. She fights fairly, and pursues fair prey. She does not abuse the already downtrodden, or take advantage of the innocent. Characters knowing of her Honor will attempt to fool or take advantage of her. Any such rolls gain +2 dice. When your character bears that weight, her humble dignity gives her an aura of grace and respect.

Possible Sources: Flaring Honor Renown brands with Essence.

Resolution: Once at least one character has used the +2 bonus, you may choose to shed this Condition to add her Honor Renown in automatic successes to any Empathy, Politics, or Socialize action. Wise

Your character is Wise. She seeks the intelligent, reasoned answer in all things. She looks to past successes and failures, and those successes and failures of others so as to take a smarter course of action. This inspires others to challenge her wisdom, and question her foundation of knowledge. Any rolls to defy or question her advice gain +2 dice. When she’s proven her reason sound, she’s redoubled in her understanding of the world.

Possible Sources: Flaring Wisdom Renown brands with Essence.

Resolution: Once at least one character has used the +2 bonus, you may choose to shed this Condition to add her Wisdom Renown in automatic successes to any Investigation, Medicine, or Occult action.

This week’s music is the theme to the Resigned Condition up above; the Inspiral Caprets’ This Is How It Feels. Finally for this week, would you like Idigam or Lodges?