Wolf-Blooded

Open Development, Werewolf: The Forsaken

No fancy title for this week’s Forsaken Friday. No, we’ve got a lot to cover so let’s get stuck in. First of all, thanks for the huge volume of responses these post have got. I do read every comment and I jump in to read forum threads when I can, and you do make me think. I am however often busy with writing and development work, so I can’t give every comment a full response. It’s a shame, but I’ve got to keep busy.

As you can probably guess from the title, Wolf-Blooded won last week’s vote. While it looked like a sure thing, Lodges was the first choice to 5 votes, and held close until Wolf-Booded broke 20. In the end, it was 46–23. So let’s rock this.

The Wolf-Blooded exist in a strange place for Werewolf. They’re blood relatives of a werewolf, but the only advantage you get for your four Merit dots are Unseen Sense, a bit better chance of resiisting Lunacy, and a Specialty. That doesn’t say much about the Wolf-Blooded’s place in the world.

We’re changing that. The Wolf-Blooded have both a place and a purpose. Plenty of Wolf-Blooded never know what they are. Many do have the blood of werewolves running through their veins – some are the children of one or two werewolves, while many have Uratha further up the family tree – but that’s not the only way that a character can become Wolf-Blooded. A few people catch the eye of the mad moon god/dess in the throes of Lunacy. Others happen in response to spirit activity. It’s weird. Those werewolves who cling to the idea that Wolf-Blooded all share some scrap of werewolf ancestry claim that these individuals discover their heritage, but by their own measure pretty much the entire human population of the world should be Wolf-Blooded.

Whatever the case, each Wolf-Blooded has a Tell – something that sets him apart from normal people. This Tell gives him a purpose, how he should fit in to a pack. Though they have a spark of the power born of Wolf and Moon, the Wolf-Blooded do not have the same spiritual imperative to hunt that the Uratha do. Of course, in a few packs that’s not an option: the Wolf-Blooded have to hunt, or the whole pack dies. In very rare cases, the Wolf-Blooded want to prove themselves the equal of the Uratha, and see the Hunt as their chance to do so. And some embrace an entirely different Hunt – one that maintains a Vigil against all the monsters in the world, not just the Uratha.

A Wolf-Blooded’s Tell is a minor supernatural ability that replaces the generic “Unseen Sense” of the original Wolf-Blooded Merit. Some reflect the werewolf’s changing nature, while others provide a direct link to the Shadow. Each comes with a weakness as well as a benefit; being Wolf-Blooded is a curse as much as a blessing.

We’ve got about eight Tells worked out, though we’re still firming up the mechanics. Some evoke classic werewolf stories and moves — one can take Urhan form, but must shapeshift when the full moon rises. Another can take Dalu, but runs the risk of kuruth. One regenerates, but suffers penalties from silver like the Uratha.

Others give a Wolf-Blooded closer links to the Shadow — one can act as a 1-dot Locus to allow Reaching, though doing so leaves her Open. Another can allow a spirit to speak through her, though she suffers the spirit’s ban for doing so. Another can Reach and bring others with her, but acts like a beacon for spirits when she does.

By doing this, we’re cementing Wolf-Blooded as both facilitators to the hunt and buffers between werewolves and humans – they can protect human packmates while the Uratha are away, or patrol the pack’s hunting grounds, or deal with local spirits and let the Uratha know what needs hunted. We’re also giving Wolf-Blooded players a choice of which part of Werwolf they most want to engage with.

And with that, I’ll head off probably the main comment: “What do you mean, Wolf-Blooded & humans as part of packs?” I can’t explain that yet without explaining packs, and that’s a whole different topic. Yes, that sucks. Here, have some Wolf-Blooded themed CHVRCHΞS. It’ll make you feel better.

This week’s question is a choice between two big parts of Werewolf. Do you want to know more about Packs or Auspices?