Advice for a WoD Neophyte: What things are crucial or fun to
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 12:20 am
Advice for a WoD Neophyte or "I'm a Garou who spent all of his freebie points on Backgrounds (Pure Breed, Rites, Fetish and I already have near maxed Past Lives)"
This sunday our gaming group decided that we'd start our... 'storytelling' GM, whose had a pile of experience with WoD stuff in the past, to bring in the Werewolf: The Apocalypse (1st edition, I think) book.
The guy who hosts printed off character sheets and we started writing up characters.
We've got a Homnid .... I forget his lunar phase, Glasswalker with utterly jacked social attributes (then physical and then mental) whose other notable selectins include abilities that help him wit interacting with other people.
His backgrounds include a maxed out resources (serously, we could pretend that we all can afford anything we want since he's got the cash end covered); and a pile in allies, contacts and kinfolk.
Brodingagin play the above character, he's also the guy who played the changeling rogue in our eberron game.
His younger brother is playing a physical powerhouse; Lupus, Ragabashe (sp?), Get of Fenris.
Razor claws and heightened senses are obvious gifts; pumpimg his primal urge, bralw and melee are all done as well.
He spend his freebie points increasing his physical attributes so that he's got 4's in str, dex and stamina (so, base 7 + 3 more from freebies).
I'm playing a a Lupus, Theurge, Fianna character.
[I don't have my char sheet, so I'm going based off what I remember from yesterday]
I prioritized mental:
(5 int (Pragmatic, Knowledgeable), 3 wits, 2 preception),
then physical:
(1 str, 3 dex, 4 Stam (Tenacious))
and finally social
(1 charisma, 1 manipulation, 4 appearance (Imposing))
I put his abilities into Skills, Knowledges and Talents.
Picking up:
Stealth, survival and firearms in skills
Rituals (maxed) enimgas and occult in knowedges
and Athletics, Primal Urge and I forget what else.
For his Backgrounds I dumped my 15 freebie points to get more effective and more backgrounds (I've got some comments for each one):
Pure Breed (Maxed)
Other than being able to convince almost all of other garou that you're cool enough to walk through their territory; what else does this do?
Does it mean that even Black Talons (that's what the nearly only female garou group is called, right?) would think I'm all right, even if I'm a male?
Fetish (Maxed)
I described this as an item that one of my great-granda's had comissioned on his deathbed since I reminded him of one of his granda's; so it could be anything from a ring or a weapon to a belt; the GM will decide what it is; this is a definate symbol of my connection with my clan and pack that's across the 'pond'.
Rites (4 (Should I max it? I know that I can pump it up later, unlike almost any other background)). I'm willing to take a point from Past Lives and put it here, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea.
Past Lives (maxed)
I'm not really sure how this works, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that this might alow me to open cans of whoop-ass every now and again. I didn't read this in too much detail since 5 people were passing the one book around constantly.
Resources 1
(Getting a stipend for my work in the Canada's from my clan in Ireland is how I explain this, also, I want some degree of financial independance from the Glasswalker PC. Getting him to give/buy me white phosphorous-filled .38 rounds and a disposable 38 revolver to go kill Dark Spiralers or Wyrmspawn I'm cool with. Having to ask him for cash to get a steak is just gonna make me lose face.)
(an other player who showed up later that day also chose to max Pure Breed, he's also playing a Fianna character, he's prolly going Scottish, since that's what he is, I'm going Irish since I've got an Irish great-great-grandmother, although I've got move of a spanish/italian-irish look myself, whatever)
I wrote up his background etc. today while waiting to present something, my muse smote me and I got a few pages of handwritten stuff that I'll type up, edit and e-mail to the DM)
Our fourth man showed up and he's also making a Lupus/...I forget what phase he chose/Fianna Garou.
He's physical/mental/social in order of power highest to lowest.
With skills/talents and knowledges from in order of power highest to lowest.
He decided to max his Pure Breed, Resources and I think Fetish as well.
So, I've got a pretty good character idea and story for my own character, that allows for the other characters to show up in our local area of play.
We'll be playing in the region that we live in (the Golden Horseshoe of Canada that streches from Montreal in Quebec to Niagara Falls Ontario; with possbely a foray into London Ontario (since it's this whole hidden massive population nearby that many Ontarioans ignore).
I think that the Get will be playing as an Austrian (and, since he can do a very solid Arnold impression, that'll work).
The Glasswalker will play a local who lives in either Toronto or has a plot of land out in the woods or farmlands that tend to be only an hour or two from anywhere in southern Ontario.
I'm playing an Irish Garou whose clan ...
An aside here: I'm assuming that Garou are divided into the followng groups:
1. All protector of Gaia Species (except Manbearpig...Franks comment on this was hilarious)
2. Garou (as a protector of Gaia Species)
3. The Tribes (Get of Fenris, Bone Gnawers, Fianna etc.)
4. Clans (family groups within the tribes) <- this isn't ever mentioned, but I'm guessing from my own knowledge of germanic and celtic tribes that 'clans' fit in there somewhere, but in WW:tA they're not mentioned since they're not a mechanical element of the system; right?
5. Pack (the crew of Garou that you are hanging out with right now)
in any case... my family's clan are supporters of the IRA, so Garou members also help at times as well.
I'm guessing that the Scottish Fianna garou has either bankers or something as family, since he's as fvcking loaded as the Glasswalker is.
In anycase, we have a bit of overlap (2 maxed pure breed PCs and 2 maxed resources PCs).
However we also have some really focused characters: Diplomacy (glasswalker), Sneaking (my guy), Physical Combat (the Scottish Fianna and the Austrian Get of Fenris should fit the bill nicely) and Smarts (my guy).
Any advice for things we should look out for?
Things we should get, or always have?
Gifts or abilities that are really cool (I picked up Leap of the kangaroo since the Get had heightened senses; the Scots Fianna also has this), Sense Wyrm and Resist Toxin myself)?
In anycase, thanks for any comments or concerns as well as advice.
[Edit]
Also, I'm a clumsy idiot. I pressed the "close" checkbox and didnt' realize until I hit submit, creating a thread that's locked upon creation.
This sunday our gaming group decided that we'd start our... 'storytelling' GM, whose had a pile of experience with WoD stuff in the past, to bring in the Werewolf: The Apocalypse (1st edition, I think) book.
The guy who hosts printed off character sheets and we started writing up characters.
We've got a Homnid .... I forget his lunar phase, Glasswalker with utterly jacked social attributes (then physical and then mental) whose other notable selectins include abilities that help him wit interacting with other people.
His backgrounds include a maxed out resources (serously, we could pretend that we all can afford anything we want since he's got the cash end covered); and a pile in allies, contacts and kinfolk.
Brodingagin play the above character, he's also the guy who played the changeling rogue in our eberron game.
His younger brother is playing a physical powerhouse; Lupus, Ragabashe (sp?), Get of Fenris.
Razor claws and heightened senses are obvious gifts; pumpimg his primal urge, bralw and melee are all done as well.
He spend his freebie points increasing his physical attributes so that he's got 4's in str, dex and stamina (so, base 7 + 3 more from freebies).
I'm playing a a Lupus, Theurge, Fianna character.
[I don't have my char sheet, so I'm going based off what I remember from yesterday]
I prioritized mental:
(5 int (Pragmatic, Knowledgeable), 3 wits, 2 preception),
then physical:
(1 str, 3 dex, 4 Stam (Tenacious))
and finally social
(1 charisma, 1 manipulation, 4 appearance (Imposing))
I put his abilities into Skills, Knowledges and Talents.
Picking up:
Stealth, survival and firearms in skills
Rituals (maxed) enimgas and occult in knowedges
and Athletics, Primal Urge and I forget what else.
For his Backgrounds I dumped my 15 freebie points to get more effective and more backgrounds (I've got some comments for each one):
Pure Breed (Maxed)
Other than being able to convince almost all of other garou that you're cool enough to walk through their territory; what else does this do?
Does it mean that even Black Talons (that's what the nearly only female garou group is called, right?) would think I'm all right, even if I'm a male?
Fetish (Maxed)
I described this as an item that one of my great-granda's had comissioned on his deathbed since I reminded him of one of his granda's; so it could be anything from a ring or a weapon to a belt; the GM will decide what it is; this is a definate symbol of my connection with my clan and pack that's across the 'pond'.
Rites (4 (Should I max it? I know that I can pump it up later, unlike almost any other background)). I'm willing to take a point from Past Lives and put it here, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea.
Past Lives (maxed)
I'm not really sure how this works, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that this might alow me to open cans of whoop-ass every now and again. I didn't read this in too much detail since 5 people were passing the one book around constantly.
Resources 1
(Getting a stipend for my work in the Canada's from my clan in Ireland is how I explain this, also, I want some degree of financial independance from the Glasswalker PC. Getting him to give/buy me white phosphorous-filled .38 rounds and a disposable 38 revolver to go kill Dark Spiralers or Wyrmspawn I'm cool with. Having to ask him for cash to get a steak is just gonna make me lose face.)
(an other player who showed up later that day also chose to max Pure Breed, he's also playing a Fianna character, he's prolly going Scottish, since that's what he is, I'm going Irish since I've got an Irish great-great-grandmother, although I've got move of a spanish/italian-irish look myself, whatever)
I wrote up his background etc. today while waiting to present something, my muse smote me and I got a few pages of handwritten stuff that I'll type up, edit and e-mail to the DM)
Our fourth man showed up and he's also making a Lupus/...I forget what phase he chose/Fianna Garou.
He's physical/mental/social in order of power highest to lowest.
With skills/talents and knowledges from in order of power highest to lowest.
He decided to max his Pure Breed, Resources and I think Fetish as well.
So, I've got a pretty good character idea and story for my own character, that allows for the other characters to show up in our local area of play.
We'll be playing in the region that we live in (the Golden Horseshoe of Canada that streches from Montreal in Quebec to Niagara Falls Ontario; with possbely a foray into London Ontario (since it's this whole hidden massive population nearby that many Ontarioans ignore).
I think that the Get will be playing as an Austrian (and, since he can do a very solid Arnold impression, that'll work).
The Glasswalker will play a local who lives in either Toronto or has a plot of land out in the woods or farmlands that tend to be only an hour or two from anywhere in southern Ontario.
I'm playing an Irish Garou whose clan ...
An aside here: I'm assuming that Garou are divided into the followng groups:
1. All protector of Gaia Species (except Manbearpig...Franks comment on this was hilarious)
2. Garou (as a protector of Gaia Species)
3. The Tribes (Get of Fenris, Bone Gnawers, Fianna etc.)
4. Clans (family groups within the tribes) <- this isn't ever mentioned, but I'm guessing from my own knowledge of germanic and celtic tribes that 'clans' fit in there somewhere, but in WW:tA they're not mentioned since they're not a mechanical element of the system; right?
5. Pack (the crew of Garou that you are hanging out with right now)
in any case... my family's clan are supporters of the IRA, so Garou members also help at times as well.
I'm guessing that the Scottish Fianna garou has either bankers or something as family, since he's as fvcking loaded as the Glasswalker is.
In anycase, we have a bit of overlap (2 maxed pure breed PCs and 2 maxed resources PCs).
However we also have some really focused characters: Diplomacy (glasswalker), Sneaking (my guy), Physical Combat (the Scottish Fianna and the Austrian Get of Fenris should fit the bill nicely) and Smarts (my guy).
Any advice for things we should look out for?
Things we should get, or always have?
Gifts or abilities that are really cool (I picked up Leap of the kangaroo since the Get had heightened senses; the Scots Fianna also has this), Sense Wyrm and Resist Toxin myself)?
In anycase, thanks for any comments or concerns as well as advice.
[Edit]
Also, I'm a clumsy idiot. I pressed the "close" checkbox and didnt' realize until I hit submit, creating a thread that's locked upon creation.