Spirits

Spirits were once one with all physical things; every mountain, tree and insect had power and sentience. But something happened long ago, before even the werewolves remember, to create an invisible wall called the Gauntlet between the spiritual and the physical worlds. On their side of the Gauntlet, in the Umbra, the spirits live on. They are as diverse, wondrous, and nightmarish a class of being as any can imagine -- ranging from tiny harmless Gafflings like motes of dust in moonlight, to Celestines as vast as planets, to whom the Garou are like dust-Gafflings themselves.

Spirit Rules Caveat

Spirits vary as much as one can imagine. Storytellers, therefore, must claim wide discretion to interpret spirit rules and create spirit powers as best fits the need of the scene. The rules below, therefore, are only mostly accurate: don't be surprised if a Storyteller deviates far from these rules when they feel it's necessary.

Unlike Garou, a Spirit's ratings in Rage, Gnosis, or Willpower is not capped at 10. Trait ratings found within canon sources for spirits are to be considered "Average" spirits of that type. Weaker versions and stronger versions can be found, based upon where the player looks for them, and ST Discretion.

Spirit Classification

In an attempts to comprehend the incomprensible, werewolves of the Theurge Auspice have over generations developed common categories with which they can broadly speak of the Umbra's denizens. These categories are:

Gafflings: The weakest of spirits, Gafflings have only an illusion of sentience. They serve Jagglings, deployed to perform common, simple tasks.
Jagglings: A broad classification of spirits ranging from humble dove-spirits to vast and terrible Nexus Crawlers, Jagglings are those spirits Garou interact with most often. They can be staunch allies, dangerous rivals, or demanding gods.
- Totem Avatars: Totem spirits themselves, being great Incarnae, usually don't interact directly with Garou: instead, they delegate the task to Totem Avatars. Totem Avatars are Jagglings that speak on behalf of the Totems they serve. They reflect some aspect of the Totem's personality, and share in its awareness and existence. When a group of Garou form a pack, it is a Totem Avatar that keeps the pack company, serving and being served on the Pack Totem's behalf.
Incarnae: The Incarnae (singular, Incarna) are mighty spirits that encompass the most potent concepts within reality itself. War, Laughter, Night, Sharks -- an Incarna embodies each of these as a fundamental element of Gaia's creation. Incarnae serve Celestines, and some aspire to become Celestines themselves.
- Tribal Totems: The patron spirits of the Garou tribes are celebrated among the werewolves for their guidance and gifts -- but as Incarnae go, Tribal Totems are not even close to the top tier of powerful Incarnae.
Celestines: Beings of incomprehensible cosmic power, the Celestines are the spirits of heavenly bodies. Two of the greatest are Luna, the moon, and Helios, the sun. The Celestine of Earth is an aspect of Gaia, but is not all of Gaia. The motivations and designs of the Celestines are alien to the Garou, but from what little the werewolves have learned through the Celestines' Incarnae servants, they are engaged in Gaia's struggles in their own unknowable ways.
The Triat and Gaia: It is an ancient disagreement among Theurges as to which are greater, the Triat or Gaia: but it may be a philosophical question at best, since no Garou can claim to have interacted with these forces directly. Gaia is the spirit of all things; the Garou associate her especially with Earth, but the entire Umbra resonates with her power. The Triat are three elemental forces -- the Wyld, chaos and creation; the Weaver, form and order; and the Wyrm, who was destruction, but is now corruption -- whose imbalance threatens Gaia herself.

Spirits are classified in other ways as well:

Banes: Any spirit that serves the Wyrm is called a Bane.
Brood: A family of spirits who together give fealty to a single Incarna is called the Brood of that Incarna. A brood may include lesser Incarnae. Snake, for example, is a lesser Incarna who serves Uktena, a Tribal Totem. Snake-spirits are therefore often considered members of Uktena's brood. Yet even this is a broad generalization: individual spirits sometimes take their own path, and so an individual snake-spirit may serve Wendigo, Stag, or even a Wyrm Incarna like Green Dragon.

Spirit Traits

Spirits have four simple Traits, rather than detailed lists of Physical, Social and Mental Tratis. Like Garou (half-spirit themselves), spirits have Rage, Gnosis and Willpower, although they use these Traits differently than Garou do. They also have a Trait called Essence, which is both a spirit's health and its power.

Rage: Spirits use their Rage Trait in strength-related Physical Challenges. They risks no Traits, but triple their current Rage Traits in comparisons on ties and overbids. A spirit's unarmed brawling attack does damage equal to a third of its Rage (rounded down, minimum one).
Gnosis: Spirits uses their Gnosis in Mental and Social Challenges. They risk no Traits, but doubles their current Gnosis Traits in comparisons on ties and overbids.
Willpower: Spirits use Willpower in dexterity- and stamina-related Physical Challenges. They risk no Traits, but triple their current Willpower Traits in comparisons on ties and overbids.
Essence: Spirits spend Essence to fuel special powers called Charms, and they can expend an Essence trait for a free retest in any challenge. Essence also serves as a spirit's Health Levels: each wound taken reduces Essence by three points. When a Spirit runs out of Essence, it "dies" -- disappearing into a slumber from which it may take years to awaken, without help.

Spirits may have Abilities just as Garou do. Most spirits have a number of Abilities equal to their Gnosis rating.

Spirits may gain additional actions in combat by expending three of their essence. These actions occur at the same time as Rage Actions.

Bans

The behavior of a spirit is confined by its nature. A specific act a spirit will not do is called its Ban.

Spirits often have many Bans, and learning what those are can be a way for wily Theurges to gain power over them. A coyote-spirit, for example, may have a Ban to never speak the truth: maneuver that coyote into a position where it has no choice but to speak the truth, and it will likely do anything if you will allow it an escape.

Totem spirits require Garou who follow them to obey a Ban, as an ongoing gesture of fealty. Breaking this Ban results in an angry patron, who withdraws all its spiritual blessings.

Chiminage

Chiminage is a gift given to a spirit: to honor them, thank them, or pay them for services rendered.

Offerings that reflect a spirit's nature make the most welcome chiminages. Offering polished stones to a mountain-spirit, cheese to a mouse-spirit, or fine weapons to a war-spirit are all fitting gifts. Chiminage may come in the form of a service or performance: an ancestor may appreciate tales of her Glory being sung throughout the Sept, or a river-spirit may value a pack of Garou who clean the litter from its shores. Taking on a spirit's Ban is a form of Chiminage, or going on a quest in their name.

Spirit Notoriety

If a werewolf should offend a spirit ally, the spirit will gossip about that Garou, giving the Garou a bad reputation. That bad reputation is called Spirit Notoriety. Spirit Notoriety tarnishes a Garou in the eyes of all spirits within a particular brood -- and in some unfortunate, rare occasions, among all Gaian spirits.

You gain Traits in Spirit Notoriety by the decision of the Storytellers, and you rid yourself of it the same way. Rites of Contrition, generous chiminages and quests of great service are good ways to try clearing your name in the eyes of the spirits.

At the very least, each Trait of Spirit Notoriety you possess imposes a one-Trait penalty to summon spirits of the offended brood, and a one-Trait penalty on Social Challenges with them.

Charms

The strange powers of the spirits are called Charms. Any Gift a Garou can learn was once a Charm, entirely the province of the spirits. But there are also a number of Charms that the spirits seem interested in keeping to themselves, listed below.

Common Charms

Airt Sense: Paths left by fellow spirits, called "airts", are visible to this spirit. Making a Gnosis challenge allows the spirit to navigate by them, finding a specific person or place in the Umbra. (If this test fails, make two simple tests; failing both means that the airts lead the spirit into great danger.)
Materialize: If the spirit's Gnosis is higher than the local Gauntlet rating, it can assume physical form in the Earth realm. Its appearance on Earth matches what it looks like in the Umbra. The spirit uses Gnosis for its Social and Mental Challenges, and Willpower for its Physical Challenges. It has seven Health Levels, adjusted by the Storyteller for its size. If it "dies," it returns to the Umbra and enters Slumber.
Realm Sense: The spirit is generally attuned to all goings-on in its native domain, on both sides of the Gauntlet. By making a Gnosis Challenge against the Gauntlet rating, the spirit can gain more information about a specific intuition it feels. Nature spirits and Realm-specific spirits almost all have this charm, while spirits focused on broader tasks or concepts would not.
Reform: The spirit can escape trouble by dissolving its form, then re-forming elsewhere in the spirit world. The spirit must take a full turn to focus, then make a Gnosis Challenge against six Traits -- modified for how friendly or unfriendly their destination is to them.

Specialty Charms

Armor: For one Essense Trait, the spirit may gain a number of Armor Levels equal to half their Gnosis (round down).
Blast: The spirit spends one Essence to automatically inflict half its Rage total (round up) in levels of Aggravated Damage against a target. This blast takes whatever form is appropriate to the spirit -- a tongue of flame, a bolt of lightning, a barrage of shuriken, whatever.
Cleanse the Blight: The spirit removes spiritual corruption as in the Rite of Cleansing. Most spirits have limited access to this Charm, being able to use it under certain conditions, such as beneath a full moon or within a fairy ring. Cleansing requires a static Gnosis Challenge versus a variable difficulty: three Traits for minor corruption, six Traits for well-established taint, and nine Traits or more for old, pervasive evils.
Control Electrical System: The spirit takes control of an electrical device by making a static Gnosis Challenge versus a number of Traits representing the device's complexity, ranging from three (a lightswitch) to nine (a supercomputer). The spirit may then perform any task with the machine a normal operator could.
Create Fire: The spirit summons a gout of flame if it can make a static Gnosis Challenge: against three Traits for a candleflame, six for a hearthflame, nine for a conflagration. Unless ignited on a combustible fuel source, this fire will quickly die out.
Create Wind: The spirit makes a static Gnosis Challenge to control the local winds. A challenge against one Trait is enough for a brief gust; against ten Traits, the spirit summons a tornado.
Flood: The spirit spends one essense to raise the waters of a nearby river, stream or lake to its flood level. The power of the spirit controls how much water they can effect.
Freeze: By spending Rage Traits, the spirit turns drops the air temperature to antarctic levels. Everyone nearby takes one level of Aggravated damage per Rage Trait spent, as the cold bites into their bones. Some spirits of fire have a similar charm to produce the opposite effect, but with heat.
Healing: The spirit can heal wounds by making an extended static Gnosis Challenge. The difficulty is eight Traits to heal Aggravated wounds, or six otherwise. The spirit's Gnosis is its upper limit for the number of wounds it can heal, and it can only use this Charm on a target once per scene.
Open Moon Bridge: The spirit opens a Moon Bridge up to a thousand miles in length. Its endpoint can be anywhere, not just a Caern.
Peek: The spirit has the innate power to peek through the Gauntlet, from the Umbra into Earth.
Shapeshift: The spirit can alter its shape, size, and appearance. It doesn't gain any special powers a new form would have: a coyote-spirit changing into a dragon doesn't get to breathe fire. If the spirit is attempting a disguise, anyone who knows the person they're imitating my attempt a Mental Challenge to see through the disguise.
Shatter Glass: A static Gnosis Challenge versus six Traits results in the spirit's power shattering all glass nearby. The higher the spirit's Rage, the more glass this affects. Secondary damage from the glass is up to the Storyteller.
Short Out: A less versatile Control Electrical System, this charm lets a spirit simply short out the power to a system -- if it can make a static Gnosis Challenge against six Traits.
Swift Flight: Spirits that can fly have their speed tripled, up to a maximum of three times their Willpower plus sixty yards per turn.
Tracking: The spirit may spend one Essence to track its prey for the remainder of the scene.
Umbraquake: The spirit shakes the very fabric of the Umbrascape, dealing bashing damage equal to half its Rage, rounded up.
Updraft: By spending a point of Willpower, the spirit summons a column of wind to lift a human-sized target in the air, keeping it trapped for one turn per current Gnosis.

Bane (Wyrm) Charms

Blighted Touch: The bane amplifies a target's negative characteristics. They must touch their target and make a Willpower Challenge; if successful, their target's Negative Traits are doubled for the rest of the session.
Corruption: By making a Gnosis challenge against the target's Willpower, the bane implants a single evil suggestion that their target must act on before the session is through. The bane may use this Gift across the Gauntlet.
Incite Frenzy: If the bane can win a challenge of its Rage against a target Garou's Willpower, the bane forces that Garou into Frenzy.
Possession: The spirit can control and manipulate a living being or inanimate object, given enough time. The spirit settles in a dark place and concentrates, taking no other action. How quickly the possession occurs is governed by an extended static Gnosis Challenge against the target’s Willpower: One success allows the possession to happen in six hours; two successes, in three hours; three successes, in one hour; four successes, in 15 minutes; five successes, in five minutes; and six or more successes, instantly. If the spirit is interrupted before this time passes, its attempt fails, and it has to start again.

Weaver Charms

Calcify: The weaver-spirit entangles the target in the pattern web by making an extended challenge of its Willpower against the target’s Rage. Each success removes a Physical Trait or Essence Trait from the target, as it becomes partly bound. The target becomes fully bound if it reaches zero Traits this way; it can only be freed by packmates, Wyld energy, or some other force capable of tearing the pattern web. The Traits lost return as soon as the Target is free.
Solidify Reality: The weaver-spirit reinforces the Pattern in the target, making it difficult to damage. For each success in an extended Willpower Challenge against six Traits, the target gains one Health Level or Essence Trait. The effects last one day, Multiple uses of this charm are not cumulative.
Spirit Static: With an act of will, the spirit raises the local Gauntlet rating by one, fortifying the defenses between worlds. Multiple spirits with this charm can work in concert, raising the Gauntlet by a maximum of three. A spirit using this charm must stay nearby and concentrate, suffering a two-Trait penalty to all challenges.

Wyld Charms

Break Reality: The wyld-spirit wreaks havoc with the local reality of its target, transforming it by degrees. If it suceeds in a static Gnosis Challenge against six Traits, it canmake minor changes: turning liquids into gases, changing the electrical resistance of a metal, or making a strong substance brittle. Then by spending an additional Gnosis Trait, the spirit can make major changes: giving life to an inanimate object, sealing off all the doors to a room, or shrinking a Garou to the size of a mouse, for example. But if the challenge fails, the spirit loses one Essence; it must then attempt two Simple Tests. If both of those fail, the spirit also loses one Gnosis.
Disorient: The wyld-spirit harmlessly rearranges the local geography, making it difficult to know where you're going or where you've been. To do so, the spirit must make a static Gnosis Challenge against six Traits or the local Gauntlet rating, whichever is higher.

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