OD 11.11.2003 [5:06 p.m.]

here y'all go.

-damon

Guide to the Garou Totems

[will be abbreviating and paraphrasing somewhat. and peppered with my own commentary. heh. some of the new totems are pretty damn stupid.]

==RESPECT==

BISON - no change.

DIGITAL EYE (6pts)

Some call him "the god in the machine," others more derisively, "Big Brother," but he has always preferred to be known as Digital Eye. A powerful spirit that no one has seen personally, DE may well have existed as long as the earliest computers, it is only in the modern age of wide-area networks that he has grown in power enough to sponsor packs. DE believes in total equality via total honesty; secrets hold power and only by obliterating that power can any sort of level playing field be established. As such, DE is still seen as something of a maverick totem, even among the GWs, many of whom object to him on privacy grounds. Others, however, feel that the strength he brings to bear outweights such concerns.

Traits: Everyone gets Gift: Blur of the Milky Eye, +3 Computers, +3 Security. GWs get +1 temp honor; everyone else lose 1 temp honor.

Ban: DE only communicates through computers, either visually on screens or aurally through speakers. So you gotta carry at least a palmpilot around. Also, you can't hold back any secrets from anyone not of the Wyrm, except in the case of the Veil.

FROG (7pts)

[yeah, no shit, FROG, the respected totem.]

Though small, Frog carries a repect among the Garou that belies her meager size, esp. among the Uktena and Wendigo [...IDIOTS]. Like Gaia's chosen, Frog is a shapeshifter spirit and a predator [of BUGS, dude...]. As a spirit of change, bound by the changing water levels brought by tides and temperature, Frog is associated with the seasonal cycle, as well as with both Luna and Helios. If asked properly, Frog will guard her children's lands well and make them prosper, and her many years of guarding caerns have made her a highly honored totem.

[wtf were they smoking?]

Traits: Everyone gets Elemental Favor gift, with which they can summon rain as long as there are some clouds in the sky. Everyone gets +2 temp honor. +2 Empathy to pack.

Ban: +1 diff to all rolls in the winter cuz you're a dumb FROG and you're frozen.

LION - no change.

MAMMOTH (5pts)

[I like this one, heh.]

Mammoth watched his true children die close to 4000 yrs ago, and has been dying ever since. Had Griffin not sheltered him, he'd no doubt have perished altogether by now, but even Griffin can't stop his slow death. Mammoth, even in his last years, teaches his adopted children to exercise their might wisely and conservatively. Even when punishment is justified, for example, Mammoth frowns upon any more (or less) punishment than necessary. He is most popular among the GoF, CoG and especially the Red Talons.

Traits: Everyone gets +2 Enigmas; pack gets +2 str. Once they had the power to summon a Mammoth from the Umbra, but if there are any left, they do not respond to Garou calls now. However, as the dark eye of the Apocalypse sets its gaze on Mammoth, those Garou who follow him sense his panic and despair, gaining 2 Rage and 1 Gnosis. [I'm not sure if they mean permanent or temporary per story, or even if it's everyone or just one of the pack at a time.]

Ban: Mammoth now asks his charges for one thing only: Attmempt to save his descent into destruction by any means necessary.

QUETZAL - no change.

[okay, gonna start massively paraphrasing. taking too long.]

SULIS (8pts)

Aka Minerva, aka Brighid. Apparently they lumped all three goddesses together into a goddess of ...thermal springs, healing, sun, water, and fire. Don't ask me.

Traits: Everyone gets +1 Medicine. Also, when you're spending XP to raise your lowest trait in some category (i.e. Talents, Physical Attributes, etc), you only spend half the XP. I don't think this applies to Gifts. Finally, everyone gets +1 Honor.

VOLCANO (5pts)

Brother to Earthquake and Twister. Demands all to respect the power and honor of the Wyld. Easily angered and difficult to reason with, but supports idea that honor is found in change and righteousness. This bit is confusing so I'm quoting direct: Volcano teaches one to become whatever is needed at any time, but when you have adopted your new form, announce it, and stand by it with resolve. Never back down from your ideals even if they too must change if you do.

Traits: Everyone gets +1 Expression, +1 Honor. Pack gets +1 Str, +1 Wits, +2 Primal Urge.

Ban: You can't attack anyone without warning. Also, you have to burn an offering to him every lunar month.

==WAR==

ARAY (7pts)

Aka Ares. God of war. Dies and rises again. Popular among CoG, Lords, Fangs.

Traits: If you get "killed," you can spend a point of WP per wound level past death to stay alive. I.e. if you take 9 damage, you can spend 2 WP to bring yourself back to 7. You spend the rest of the scene "dead," but then you get up and keep going. Obviously when you run out of WP you're dead, regardless.

Ban: At the start of each seaon, the pack has to find an item that perfectly embodies the season and burn it as an offering. I.e., a flower for spring; a frozen-dead animal for winter.

ADDER (8pts)

The only poisonous snake in Britain - favored by Fianna, though not Irish Fianna. A sly totem of war. Teaches slow and steady wins the war.

Traits: Everyone gets Fatal Flaw, Wither Limb, and +2 stealth.

Ban: If you're outside the British Isles, you have to do difficult rituals for him to remain powerful. In effect this strips one member of the pack of Resources permanently. Also, you can't go to Ireland.

BULL (8pts) <--note, changed!

Bull's pretty much the same pissed off headstrong guy, but he's a lot stronger now because a lot of people like to pick him. He's popular among all tribes, but esp. the GoF and the Fianna. Red Talons also like him because he appears as a fiery aurochs, which is an extinct species, and thus connected to Griffin.

Traits: Everyone gets +1 str, +3 brawl. No shit. The pack gets 4 rage per story. Finally, everyone gets +1 glory.

Ban: -2 diff on Rage rules, and also gets pissed and withdraws his support temporarily if his packs beat around the bush and use indirect solutions to problems too much.

EARTHQUAKE (5pts)

Messenger of Wyld's Glory, brother to Volcano and Twister. He's pretty much a bullheaded, brutish guy who likes to crush and kill.

Traits: +1 brawl to each. +3 str to pack. +1 glory to each.

Ban: may never travel by air. I'm not sure if this includes stuff like Moonbridges, Aetherial Realm...

Flea - no change except that she only costs 5pts now.

THE PEOPLE (8pts)

As in, "the spirit of The People shall never be crushed!" and any number of other civil-rights movement type moments. The spirit never appears twice with the same face, and it's from every ethnicity, gender, age, and social status, defending any who have reason to defend themselves. BGs and CoGs like them. BFs, Fianna, Striders, Lords, Uktena and Wendigo have had dealings with it when defending their people, and the only tribe that refuses to deal with it is the GWs, who hate The People.

Traits: Everyone gets +1 brawl, melee OR firearms; Assimilation and Speed of Thought gifts.

Ban: Help oppressed humans; will never accept a GW as its child.

RHINO (5pts)

Slow, careful, humble, thoughtful, wordly, ancient, and a great defender of his own. Popular among CoG, Red Talons, Silent Striders, and some BGs and Fangs.

Traits: Everyone gets +1 str, +1 WP. Packs get +1 brawl or melee for first strike in combat.

Ban: Must actively attempt to save rhinos. Must have at least 1 permanent wisdom.

SHARK - unchanged, awesome as ever.

WEASEL - unchanged.

WOLVERINE - unchanged.

==WISDOM==

BACCHUS (5pts)

Obviously, a spirit of fertility, intoxication, and sex. But also a pretty dark spirit (think Bacchantes) of death, incoherent frenzies, rage, and excess as the path to wisdom.

Traits: +3 occult, +2 enigmas to pack. +1 stamina to all. +3 rage/story to pack.

Ban: If a char has a chance to indulge a strongly felt desire, they must succeed in a WP roll vs. own rage or succumb to it.

CHAMELEON - unchanged.

CITY FATHER/MOTHER - unchanged, except now there are city fathers for Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, London, Melbourne, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Toronto and Goa. They left out San Francisco! Bastards.

FOG - unchanged.

SALMON (7pts)

Fionn Mac Cumhaill, salmon of wisdom, blahblah, you know the schtick. If you don't it's a dumb story anyway - heh!

Traits: +2 rituals +2 rites to all; -1 diff to step sideways.

Ban: Salmon asks his children to accomplish a single specific task every year ("Place a single copper coin on the edge of the Thames at exact dawn on the twenty-third of March.") which seems trivial, but usually ends up serving some much larger purpose.

SPHINX (7pts) - note changes from the 2nd ed. totem of respect!

So the ideal is basically the same, except now she's a totem of wisdom and a little more badass.

Traits: Everyone gets +1 Wits, +2 Wisdom, and Fatal Flaw. The pack gets +3 Enigmas.

Ban: Everyone in the pack must have at least one mental trait at 4 AFTER the wits boon. Also, may never refuse a riddle contest.

THE SPIRIT WITHOUT A NAME (7pts)

Actually, it does have a name. It's just not a name humans can speak, or even understand. It can only be conveyed by scent, body motion and instinct. Humans don't get it; wolves can't miss it. And a whole bunch of voodoo BS, but I guess all in all it's a pretty cool totem. Heh. Obviously, Talons like it.

Traits: +2 Primal Urge to all. If this takes you over 5, you get -1/-2 diff on dodge depending on whether you have PU 6 or 7. Also all pack tactics are -1 diff, and if you spend 1 gnosis and roll percep+primal urge (diff 8), you can sense all events in a 100' radius for a full minute.

Ban: All members must have Primal Urge 3 or above. No member can be Homid. The spirit's blessings don't work in the city.

TWISTER - unchanged.

WIND INCARNAE - unchanged.

==CUNNING==

BUTTERFLY (5pts)

So apparently, when butterflies hatch, they're caterpillars, which are pretty defenseless. So they release a sticky, sugary substance that ants like. So ants come, and ants carry it off as food. Then if someone tries to attack the ants' sugar daddy, the ants get all pissed off and swarm. Because ants are incredibly stupid, this keeps happening even after the caterpillar becomes a pupa, and then when the pupa comes open the butterfly flies off and the ants are like WTF just happened here? The Totem pretty much teaches the same values, so Lords like him.

Traits: Everyone gets Tagalong, but instead of begging for it, you give your dupe a gift. Also, the pack gets +2 subterfuge, +1 athletics, and when you're pretending to be someone else, these trait bonuses are doubled.

Ban: Never aid someone weaker w/o promise of quid pro quo. Also, -1 to all glory awards.

FOX - unchanged.

GOAT - unchanged.

TEZCATLIPOCA (5pts)

Tez tests Garou by offering them illicit powers and pleasures and seeing which ones succumb. The offers are never sincere, though, and if you take him up on it he'll lead you into situations where you'll get caught and punished. GWs, BGs, Lords and Uktenas like him.

Traits: Everyone gets +1 manipulation, +1 subterfuge. Packs know the culture of temptation at any time, getting +3 streetwise, +1 occult.

Ban: Children of Tez may NOT indulge in displays of casual hedonism. No one-night stands, no drunkenness, etc.