Paul Bode's Roleplay Game

Totems of War

 

These totems are spirits of battle, tactics and Rage. Ancestral warriors or predator spirits are the most common war totems. Naturally, warriors are the chief followers of these totems, although scouts and even healers (in the case of Bear) ally themselves with these bloodthirsty spirits. While they don't garner the same sort of respect among Garou as other totems, their assistance is invaluable on the battlefield.

 

Anaconda:  Anaconda is the lurking hunter of the jungle, slithering from the trees above or through the water below to suddenly leap at her prey. She does not use poison to take down her enemies, but instead replies on her constriction and terrible bite. She squeezes her enemies near to death and then sinks her fangs in.

Traits: Characters with this totem gain two dice in Brawl for any grappling or overbearing manoeuvres. They also gain one die of damage in bite attacks. She also gives them Stealth 3 for sneaking up on enemies or hiding from them (so that they can set up for the kill, of course).Anaconda is not popular with Garou, for they believe her tactics are those of the Wyrm. The native Uktena know better.

Ban: Anaconda has few restrictions, but she asks that her children not harm any snakes.

 

Bear:  Great Bear is wise in peace and fierce in war. He is renowned as a master of healing and mystical rites. Garou don't favour this totem because of a mistrust for his true children, the Gurahl werebears.

Traits: Bear's children gain three dots of Medicine. Each pack member's Strength increases by one permanently, and each pack member may use the Gift: Mother's Touch once per day. The pack also gains the ability to hibernate for up to three months at a time without food or water.Garou with this totem are well regarded by werebears as well as certain animistic peoples. Such is not the case with other Garou, however. All pack members lose five points of temporary Honour Renown if they have that many. Furthermore, they must subtract one from any temporary Honour Renown awards they receive. The pack members must work harder to prove that they are honourable.

Ban: Bear asks nothing of his Garou children. Asking for his favour has already cost them much standing among their own people.

 

Boar:  Boar is feared by hunters, and with good reason. He is too angry to pass up a challenge, too fierce to concede a fight and too ornery to die with good grace. Many combative young packs, particularly of the Get of Fenris and Fianna, choose Boar as their totem.

Traits: A hearty scrapper, Boar grants his packs two dots of Brawl; each pack member also receives an additional dot of Stamina.

Ban: Children of Boar must never hunt or eat boars.

 

Bull:  Bull's strength is charging into battle, horns flashing, without any forethought. His children adopt the same brash, devil-may-care attitude; his influence pervades their very tempers. Bull is a force of fertility as well as brute power, and several Garou follow him in hopes of having strong cubs.

Traits: Bull grants his children 1 Glory and +1 Brawl. Each pack member receives an additional dot of Strength.

Ban: As a result of their totem's hotheadedness, Bull's children receive a -1 penalty on frenzy difficulties.

 

Earth-burrowers:  Ancient allies of the Croatan, these totems know the secret pathways within the earth and the Umbral underground. They may manifest as recognisable animals such as moles or prairie dogs, or as more “mythical” beasts, all shadow and claws.

Traits: Earth-burrowers teach the Gifts: Burrow and Underearth. In addition, they can be petitioned to temporarily grant the Gift: Umbral Burrowing if the packs need is great. Their packs also receive two extra dice on Survival rolls.

Ban: None.

 

Fenris:  Over a thousand years ago, the Norse spoke of the ravening Wolf God Fenris, a beast even the other gods feared. He is powerful, bloodthirsty, and he neither gives nor expects quarter. The patron of the Get of Fenris is a warrior's totem who disdains weakness and chooses only packs that soak their blades and claws in the blood of foes frequently.

Traits: Fenris' packs gets an additional point in a Physical Attribute (Dexterity, Strength or Stamina, at the individual's choice), even if it increases the rating over 5. Each pack member gains two points of Glory Renown. Get of Fenris respect the followers of their tribal totem a little more than other "outsiders," and they test them often by inviting them on Wild Hunts and battles against powerful enemies.

Ban: Fenris requires that his followers never pass up an opportunity for a worthy fight.

 

Flea:  Flea delivers hundreds of stinging blows to her foe before he can react. She leaps away from most blows, and her armour protects her from the ones that land. Alas, most Garou see Flea as a coward due to her fighting style. As a result, only Bone Gnawers and Ragabash follow Flea.

Traits: Flea grants her children the Gifts of Luna's Armour and Leap of the Kangaroo. Followers of Flea find it harder than other Garou to earn Glory.

Ban: Flea asks that you leave her people in peace (you can't scratch, you poor mutt).

 

Granite:  Granite is one of the crystalline rocks that form the "basement" of the Appalachian mountains. it comprises part of the geological backbone of the area and has weathered eons of slow change. Granite appears hard and unyielding, but he is also a symbol for stability and stoicism.

Traits: Granite grants his Nunnehi and Garou children two points of Strength and Intimidate 2. Granite teaches his Garou children the Gifts: Strength of Purpose and Stone Mask.

Ban: Granite demands that his children never back down from a test of strength or endurance.

 

Griffin:  Griffin mourns those species lost to Extinction, and his rage against humans — so often the killers of entire species — makes him one with his Red Talon children. Always hungry, always hunting, Griffin strikes like lightning and kills without hesitation.

Traits: A swift, watchful hunter, Griffin grants three dice to an Alertness dice pool. In token of Griffin's avian aspect, each pack member can communicate with birds of prey without resorting to a Gift. Each pack member gains two points of Glory. Red Talons respect the followers of Griffin.

Ban: Griffin's children may not associate with humans. Griffin almost never accepts a Homid Garou as his child.

 

I'wai the Crocodile:  I’wai the Crocodile is an old and patient Totem of War. He prefers to lie in wait for his prey rather than exert himself in a chase. I’wai is swift in the kill, holding his prey underwater with his strong jaws until it drowns.I’wai is a friend to Otchout the Barramundi. Although I’wai’s offspring eat Otchout’s schools, humans who fish for barramundi are often taken by crocodiles.

Traits: I’wai has a tough hide, and his Children gain an extra die to their soak Dice Pools for each Rank they hold. I’wai also teaches his Children Primal-Urge 3. Mokolé will always be well disposed toward the Children of I’wai. The Gumagan of Arnhem land, if they exist, reputedly revere I’wai as their totem.

Ban: As well as being forbidden to wear crocodile skin, I’wai’s Children must always help those people seeking revenge against a foe.

 

Jaguar:  Jaguar is the king of the rainforest, the supreme predator of the Amazon. El Tigre, as the Spanish call him, is a powerful and deadly hunter; many defer to him. He is also allied with the Balam tribe of the were cats, who can assume his form.

Traits: Jaguar’s children gain one die in Strength, one die in Dexterity and one die to claw damage.

Ban: Children of Jaguar must kill any who destroy the rainforest. This would seemingly make Jaguar an ally of the Garou, but Jaguar believes the Garou harm the forest: any Garou who allies with Jaguar must fight his own kind.

 

Momentum:  Momentum is a victory-spirit of many names, including “Hot Hands” or “Winning Streak.” She favours the brave and the crazy, giving and withdrawing success almost randomly. Bone Gnawers endlessly seek her favour, but few of them enjoy it for long. The Shadow Lords are much more elaborate and careful in the rites they practice for her, but have no more lucky than the ragged children of Rat do. Momentum has no true set form, but most werewolves report meeting her in the guise of a lovely but capricious woman, often dressed as if attending a high-stakes casino.The victory that Momentum brings can be the centre of many stories: they can be the patron of a mighty pack who suddenly fell into ruin, or the tale of a hapless cliath raised to great Renown by her mysterious forces. She is a temporary totem at best, and is mainly chosen by packs that intend to stay together for a single mission, then separate.

Traits: Momentum grants a dice pool that can be applied by the pack to any dice roll they require (although they must share out the dice as usual). This dice pool starts at zero dice, and increases by one die for every victory the pack shares over a potent foe (such as a group of well-armed fomori at least equal in number to the pack).

Ban: No matter what, Momentum will always abandon the pack at a random point, most often a highly inopportune time. This causes no Renown loss (it’s expected), but is inevitably bad timing from the pack’s perspective. The points spent on Totem can be applied to the characters’ next pack totem without penalty.

 

Nerigal: The Ice Warrior is among the more willing of pack patrons; it pleases him that packs should shed blood in his name. He will lend his favour to virtually any pack brave enough to seek him out and request his guidance.

Traits: Children of Nerigal never enter fox frenzy; they always enter berserk frenzy. The Ice Warrior also grants each pack member an additional die to Brawl and Melee dice pools, and two temporary points of Glory. Finally, each pack member gains an extra die to soak rolls (which cannot be used to soak silver).

Ban: Nerigal’s children are forbidden to show fear. They may not retreat once combat is joined, and are not allowed to avoid obstacles rather than overcoming them.

 

Panthesilea:  It is thought that Panthesilea may once have been the spirit of one of the first Black Furies to ever set foot in the Amazon Basin. In time, the collective spirit of the Amazon has continually reinforced the power of Panthesilea, and she has grown to represent the Amazon’s beauty, mystery, and fierce vitality.

Traits: Panthesilea is perhaps one of the most difficult of the Amazonian totems to contact, and she rarely chooses an entire pack. When she does manifest, she tends to focus on one member of her chosen pack and totally possess that person, speaking to the pack directly and taking a hand in the business she feels needs to be done. That pack member immediately develops an effective Pure Breed score of 5 for the duration of his possession. This Incarna’s commands are exceedingly hard to ignore. This possession, unfortunately, causes madness in all but the most strong-willed of Garou: make a Willpower roll, difficulty 9; unless three successes are scored, lose one point of Willpower per possession. Her consciousness is vast and complicated, reflecting the diversity and wilderness that is the Amazon.The possessed pack member has a Leadership of 7, a Melee skill of 5, and a Brawl talent of 7. Panthesilea often directs the activities of the pack with her talents, organising them into an elite fighting force.The rest of the pack gains the Silent Strider Gift of Attunement. Also, any animal native to the Amazon will never harm one of Panthesilea’s children. Those packs she chooses gain instant alliance with all of the native Uktena, Bastet and Mokolé in the area: they all instinctively know someone touched by the Jungle Warrior.Panthesilea is concerned with the longevity and vivacity of both the spiritual and physical life of the Amazon: currently she is involved with trying to stop the mass-production of fetishes and talens. This production results in many of the Amazonian nature spirits being sucked away.

Ban: Panthesilea will often give her children missions to undertake. If they do not follow her orders in such things, she leaves them. The nature of the missions are usually to right the balance of the ecosystem.

 

Piggi-Billa the Echidna:  A totem of stubbornness and self-defence, spiny, ant-eating Piggi-Billa is particularly loved by metis Garou, who admire his self-sufficient character.

Traits: Piggi-Billa teaches his Children the metis Gifts of Burrow and Spines of the Echidna (as Gift of the Porcupine). Metis Garou who suffer the disfigurement of Weak Claws will, upon sacrificing a point of permanent Gnosis to Piggi-Billa, find their claws strong and healthy.

Ban: Non-metis followers of Echidna must never ridicule or ostracise metis Garou. Metis Children of Piggi-Billa have no ban.

 

Rat:  Silent and quick, flat is adept at hit-and-run warfare. Rat fights to weaken, cripple and finally overwhelm, but he can be as vicious as any other when cornered.

Traits: Rat's children can call upon five Willpower points per story. Rat teaches how to bite to best advantage, subtracting one from the difficulty of all biting rolls. The pack also subtracts one from the difficulties of all rolls involving stealth or quiet. Bone Gnawers respect Rat's children and will aid them (although not at the risk of their own lives). Ratkin will be more tolerant of the pack than of most Garou.

Ban: Rat's children mist never kill vermin.

 

Rorg:  Rorg won’t act as a pack totem to any group without at least one Red Talon, and he refuses to patronise packs he considers “lenient.” Even so, his patronage can be useful, as his children can draw on a portion of his scattered yet unified power.

Traits: Whenever Rorg’s children act as a pack to accomplish a goal; whether teaming up against a single opponent in combat or pooling their knowledge to devise a plan, they gain -1 to all difficulties relevant to the task. (In the instance of combat, this would include, initiative, attack and damage rolls, but not soak rolls - the goal would be to defeat the enemy, not to survive his attacks.) Furthermore, Rorg grants his children an additional three dice in Primal-Urge and teaches them the Galliard Gift: Mindspeak.

Ban: Children of Rorg are not allowed to forgive until any crimes committed against them or their loved ones have been justly punished.

 

Shark:  Swift, silent, deadly: Shark moves easily through the lightless depths, killing without emotion. Shark is the most lethal hunter anywhere. Once he finds his prey, he does not stop until that prey is dead.

Traits: Shark offers his packs one point of Strength, +2 Stealth and two additional dice of bite damage. Children of Shark can swim for prodigious distances without getting tired.

Ban: Shark's children may never take pleasure or sadness at killing.

 

Tanawha:  This great bird spirit is the totem spirit of Grandfather Mountain. He symbolises the pride of the predator in pursuit of his prey. In addition, like most birds, he represents the connection between earth and sky. Although Tanawha dwells in the Umbra near his physical home, he will accept the homage of an individual Garou or a pack willing to abide by his strictures.

Traits: Packs chosen by Tanawha add an extra two dice to any Perception rolls made under the open sky. In addition, each pack member gains the Gift: Spirit of the Bird.

Ban: Tanawha's children must protect all predator birds and must avenge any deliberately caused deaths of eagles, hawks and falcons that come to their attention.

 

Tsetse Fly:  Cruel and sinister, Tsetse Fly is the implacable mistress of vengeance. Once angered, she will not rest until her foe is slain. Her bite is virtually impossible to defend against, and she prefers to strike when a foe least suspects. Striders following Tsetse Fly are relentless foes, nurturing thousands of years of frustration and anger into a simmering stew of Rage, then lashing out from the shadows.

Traits: Garou following Tsetse Fly gain Medicine 2 and can put the “mojo” on their enemies. They must truly hate the enemy (i.e., must spend at least five Rage points against him), must have a piece of his body or a personal effect, and must make a Manipulation + Intimidation roll (difficulty of the opponent’s Willpower). Success inflicts the mojo curse on the foe; all the foe’d Dice Pools are halved for a duration of one night per success scored. A botch turns the mojo against the caster for a night. A mojo may only be cast on a given foe once per year (Tsetse Fly expects her followers to take advantage of a weakened enemy!)

Ban: Followers of Tsetse Fly must always gain revenge against their enemies. Additionally, because Tsetse Fly is seen as an unclean totem, followers of Tsetse Fly subtract one point from any temporary Honour rewards they gain.

 

Typhon:  Typhon is a raging storm-spirit, the dragon that spits thunder and lightning. He is one of the more violent aspects of Grandfather Thunder, and his children reflect his tendency toward violence. They are aggressive and furious, just like their totem. Most Garou look on Typhon as a mixed blessing; he grants prodigious ability in battle, but he also makes his children thoughtless and tempermental.

Traits: Packs dedicated to Typhon may share three additional points of Brawl. Each pack member also receives three temporary Rage points per story. Typhon’s children gain two temporary Glory but lose two temporary Wisdom.

Ban: Typhon demands that his children never pass up a fight with a worthy foe. He also expects his children to spend time communing with storms.

 

Walrus:  Walrus befriended the Three Brothers during the Great Migration, and has been a friend to Wendigo in particular even into the modern era. He is a mighty totem, renowned as much for his strength as for his majestic tusks.

Traits: Walrus grants his packs two extra dice on that can be used on any Strength or Stamina roll, though only one member can benefit at any given time. All pack members receive two temporary Glory, and each pack member gains two dice to soak damage resulting from cold.

Ban: Walrus asks that his packs not hunt his animal children for their ivory, and to punish anyone who slaughters an animal for vanity. Walrus’ packs are deadly enemies of professional fur trappers, although they forgive those who take an animal’s fur out of need.

Weasel:  Weasel is a cunning, swift and relentless warrior. She carefully dodges her foe's attacks until she can bite him neatly in the jugular. She also believes she can beat anything that comes her way, and this overconfidence is reflected in her children.

Traits: Weasel grants one point of Dexterity to each of her children. Her packs also receive +1 Dodge and an additional die of bite damage.

Ban: Weasel requires that her children never show fear.

 

Wendigo:  Cloaked in ice, roaring like the wind, eating the hearts of foes — that is Wendigo, cannibal spirit of the frozen north. He teaches the Garou to be as relentless as the storm, harnessing the cold bitterness of their hearts and converting it to a lethal rage.

Traits: Each pack member gains five Rage points per story, regardless of his actual Rage rating. Each pack member also gains two points of Glory Renown. While the Wendigo tribe respects Weridigo's children, they don't trust them easily, for Wendigo is unpredictable.

Ban: Wendigo's children must always aid animistic peoples in need.

 

Wolverine:  Wolverine is tireless and merciless, and his affinity to War is unquestionable. He draws on a bottomless fount of anger and battles on after all others have fallen to injury or exhaustion. This mindless viciousness makes him devoid of compassion or mercy, something that doesn't sit well with many Garou.

Traits: Wolverine teaches combat and power. He grants each of his children an extra point of Stamina so they won't fall in battle. What's more, he shows them the heart of his fury by sending them a vision of the depths of Malfeas, in the heart of the Wyrm itself. After viewing this atrocity, his children gain an extra point of Rage (not to exceed 10). Although they might spend all their Rage, children of Wolverine can never permanently lose this point, and thus they never lose the Wolf or run out of Rage.

Ban: Wolverine requires that his children always use Rage in combat and never show mercy to a foe.

 

Yongar the Kangaroo:  Yongar is an athletic totem, valuing physical prowess and speed. He is alert and intimidating. Children of Yongar are energetic and brave, protecting those weaker than themselves.

Traits: Yongar teaches his Children Leap of the Kangaroo (as the lupus Gift). Children also learn Survival 3 and Intimidation 4.

Ban: Yongar’s Children must always protect pups and elders from any threat