Advice for a WoD Neophyte: What things are crucial or fun to

[Judging__Eagle]

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.

[Naar]

in any case... my family's clan are supporters of the IRA

As an actual Irish person I can only advise against this sort of thing; it makes you look like you learned everything you know about Ireland by watching Lucky Charms commercials.

Anyway, if you want to do things in the most efficient way possible, take advantage of the asymmetric costs when you buy things with freebie points and XP.

[Brobdingnagian]

Also, I'm kinda wondering...

Essentially, I have a thousand dollars a day to throw at people or otherwise have fun with. The fourth player also has this kind of money. So...

What do we do with that? Seriously? Should I have someone chauffeur me around while I throw PS3's at people or what?

Also, I've got five Major Contacts and one Ally who is Extremely Influential (Political Leader of a Country, General of an Army, Leader of a Religion, etc). I'm really not sure what to make these people. Ideas?

[Judging__Eagle]

Well, it should be noted that the IRA as an named organization is recent and risings against the british have long been an occurance.

On the other hand, many people hate the extremists of their own culture, regardless of what the culure is, be it the american right (who, is actually quite in favour of abortion and social liberties; while the evangeical extremists prtray everyone who remotely supports them as one of their own), Islamic fundamentalists, or outright terrorist groups like God's Liberation Army (operating in and around north-eastern africa; they're an honest to goodness 'extremist christian' bunch that uses press-ganged child soldiers as troops), the Provos (Provocationalists, extremists among even whom the IRA and Sinn Fein aren't always on good terms with).

I didn't say he was your typical Irish Garou; I don't know if there's even such a thing.

Just that his clan's Garou have been pissed at the English; and when you are say... about 90 years old, and you're great-great-grandfather was still alive until you were 30 and he could tell you about how the British drove him and his kinfolk off of their when he was a boy land b/c the Brits had took over; you tend to take a different look on things.

If 700 years is 163 Human generations (30 years each), but is only 3 Garou generations (let's assume 200 years); who do you think will remember something painful easier?

Of course, this is assuming what little I heard was accurate at all. The above statement is assuming Garou live for 400 years or so.

So, having a good 30 to 90 years behind you, and possibly taking part in more than one Rising over the last said 90 years is all a distinct possibility.


Also, checking Wikipedia, I made the assumption that Garou are somewhat spread out; not 1,200-700 and as low as 500 members per Garou tribes. So, I don't think I was expecting as few as 10,200 Garou worldwide.

With an average of 850 members pre tribe and 12 tribes. Wait, that means there's more kinsfolk among those tribes though, right? So, say an other 20,000 kinfolk?

Even 30,000 people seems really small if you spread them worldwide.

I was somehow expeting as much as twice to ten times that, but they're predator animals, so it makes a bit more sense to me now.

Then again, stuff like that could have been changed upwards or downwards as well as sideways in the game that we're playing.

Yeah, that's why I took as many things at 4 or 5 ranks as possible with my creation points. Then left a pile of things that I will be increasing at very low values in order to be able to pump them up to decent levels early on (either my social abilities, or my str).

I burned my freebie points on Backgrounds, since I'm pretty much sure that you can't develop more backgrounds than what you start with.

[Naar]

the Provos (Provocationalists, extremists among even whom the IRA and Sinn Fein aren't always on good terms with).

You've got to be joking with this, Americans can't be this clueless.

As I recall, there were no rules for buying backgrounds with XP before the Aeonverse line of books; there they cost 2 xp for the first dot and rating x 2 for each subsequent, which isn't a bad house rule. You do have to have a roleplaying justification for increasing them etc. etc.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

1174417185[/unixtime]]You've got to be joking with this, Americans can't be this clueless.

Dude, we're the nation that RE-elected Bush. I'd say that's proof Americans in general are dumber than a whole sack full of assholes.

[Brobdingnagian]

Well, now it's you have to have RP Justification for increasing anything, and only two backgrounds (totem, rites) can be increased after character creation.

[Judging__Eagle]

I put the Provos along side groups like the GLA, an other terrorist group (although it opperates as more of a terrorist rebel army, but I'd put them as being wirse than the IRA since the GLA doesn't even have a method or a non-nebulous goal).

Which shows you weren't reading what I wrote. Seriously, I'm lumping the Provos in with a group that commits war crimes. Although I'm sure your own vast understanding of political entities worldwide would have realized what kind of group the GLA is, after you know, I described what they do.

Since that's what I've read about them as being. Terrorist groups.

I'm not American either, which only shows your own prejudices and narrow-mindedness. You'll fit right into the internet.


Of course, the nature of terrorism is that it's almost impossible to determine by whom or by which group any one event is enacted.

Since most people that instigate such events are tied to not only their own extremist faction members, but will also have non-militant extremist contacts as well as non-extremeist sympathizers; all of which either feed, provide info, aquire and/or deliversupplies, provide shelter and arrange transport.

I know that among most Irish extremists aren't extremely popular, and much of their initial political power in the early 1910's with the first elections came from a sliding scale of bullying from threatening calls to hold guns to people calling out the results of vote counts.



Anyway, back to the non-political elements of this thread:

Well, Will, Rage and Background I think are all 1 for 1 with Freebie points, so putting points there is probably for the best.

I've got a feeling that we're not going to be acting very much "WoD Garou" and more "Powerful Heroes who are also Werewolves" characters. Seriously, I'm contemplating packing a revolver with willie-pete filled rounds for shooting things instead of brawling with them.

I'm gonna leave brawling to the Fenrir. Also, I only found out today don't have the best relationship with the Fianna. So much for our storytelling DM. Storytellers have to remember the stories that they read to be any good at it. I know that I wouldn't be a member of my national storytelling assosciation if I couldn't remember something as basic as a long-running conflict based on historical events (the Get are Germano-Nordic; and invaded the British isles well before the Normans ever got there, the celtic groups from which the Fianna arise and the Fenrir have a rivalry established over that fact).

If the Fenrir are still able to hold a grudge, I'm sure that the Fianna that live in affected regions are no different. I'm even betting that there are Welsh, Basque and maybe even a few Lombardian Garou who have grudges for various other things that have happened in the past.

That's my take on their relations of course. I'm sure that there's a poorly written WoD book that supports this, while an other poorly written WoD book debases this.


Oh, the 'story' behind this game taking place where it does is simple:

Agents of the Wyrm have been stalking, ambushing and slaughtering any young pure breed Garou that they can. Weakening the pack by removing those with abiliy to unite tribes or who will have equally potent offspring.

Two characters already have maxed pure breed backgrounds; so we've been shipped out to Toronto. The Get of Fenris is investigating something (or he's been sent away for something he did or needs to do).

The Glasswalker has this sanctum he's set up in the city for local and passing through Garou; an old warehouse converted into lofts in the old brewery district near the waterside, and a few massive lots of a hundred to two hunddred acres each; some of which conceal Caerns.

What the pure-breeds get: safe place to stay, hunt and rest,interact with local Garou and get attacked by agents of the Wyrm.

What the fenrir gets: people to test himself against, lots of hunting ground, the potential for combat

What the glass-walker gets: potential allies in the future, definate bodygaurds for now; and since he supplies weapons and can heal wounds (with his mother's touch gift; the scots Fianna is a surgeon, he maxed his medical ability) we all bring something to this temporary pack.

Solid normal and supernatural sensing (Fenrir: Heightened Senses, Irish Fianna: Sense Wyrm)

Combat (Ranged (everyone but the Fenrir) and Melee (the Fenrir; my Fetish and/or my past lives may completely mitigate this however)

Supernatural Aid (maxed Rituals & Rites and more than one person has at least a ranks in either, so we should be able to enact any rite or ritual we might want to)

Hunting/Stalking/Chasing (survival and stealth is had by more than one, high stamina and leap of the kangaroo are also in the group twice or more times)

Interacting with Garou: (2 pure breeds; an obviously powerful Get of Fenris and a silver-tongued Glasswalker)

Interacting with humans/animals: Scots Fianna (maxed Animal Ken): Glasswalker (maxed social and lots of points in the 3 contacts backgrounds (allies, kinfolk, contacts)); I have to rely on my imposing appearence, since I have no charisma or manipulation. So I'm a member of the Colin Farrel school of picking up girls.

[Naar]

Protip: Provo is short for Provisional, as in Provisional IRA.

[Judging__Eagle]

Haha, oh that's hilarious.

I've always been mistaking their name for their actions. The whole 'provisional' aspect of them is completely false, since they've been around how long?

Really, they're just exremists who think that the old IRA went soft. The young turning their backs on a now comfortable old.

I guess no one would want to have their name mean essentially: "shit distruber"

[Naar]

I think it behooves you to do enough research to avoid elementary mistakes like that if you're going to deal with an issue as complex and emotive as sectarian violence, even as some throwaway background point. Try reading the Wikipedia article at least.

[Judging__Eagle]

Actually, I have known about the Provos and what they did and do for the last... dozen or so years, when I read about them in high school.

I've actually been confusing their name and actions almost ever since then. I just forgot that I had until you pointed it out. :/

[Brobdingnagian]

I really don't know a thing about terrorism and what-not and I honestly coudn't give a flying leap at the moment. We're supposed to be talking about werewolves here.

So, essentially, I have a werewolf doing the same thing my Malkavian did in Vampire, except without screwing with people's heads. I figure for my Extremely Influential Ally I'm gonna get the Prime Minister or someone like him. Maybe the General.

More importantly, I still need contacts. I'm thinking a big media contact for one, a secretary to the Prime Minister/General (whichever I don't pick for my ally) for the second, maybe a government agency official of some sort, and I'm still thinking for the other two. A religious figure?

[Judging__Eagle]

There's more than one general in a a nation's army.

Personally, I say to pick members of the canadian Senate, they're influential and stick around for decades.

That or maintain contacts with a political party or the Department of Defense.

I'd always be wary of putting all of my eggs in one basket.

[Brobdingnagian]

Unfortunately, it does have to be a specific person. And as far as I know, there is supposed to be one General on top of the others.

[Judging__Eagle]

Meh, never pick the one at the top.

Pick one of the guys who he works with most. A second in command or a civilian advisor who's been there for years and years.

They'll know more and getting them to advise the busy guy at the top is easier.