Allies:

Allies represent specific human friends, colleagues, and partners who don't necessarily know about your supernatural secret life, but who will help you out in a pinch. Each dot in Allies represents one person with particular expertise, such as researchers, lawyers, craftsmen, and thugs. Each dot in Allies also represents the maximum number of Ability Traits each person can bring to bear on a problem.

 

Work with the Storytellers to define these Allies, and then mention them in your Downtimes to have them perform tasks for you. Each dot of Allies you expend in your Downtime brings one level of an ally's Ability to bear on a task.

 

For example, three dots of allies might represent Mary, Mark and Luke, who are a scientist, a spy and a smith, respectively. In your Downtimes you could spend three points of Allies to have Mark shadow a target with Stealth x3. Or you could have him shadow a target with Stealth x2, while Mary does research with Science x1.

 

• Restrictions: Shadow Lord characters may not possess the Allies Background.

 

Ancestors

Many Characters have a spiritual connection to the heroes who came before them, the great ancestors of their Tribes or families. Often these are blood relatives, but sometimes they're just helpful spirits who have taken an interest in you. They don't materialize or talk to you, but they look out for you, and on occasion they will share their skills when you're in a tight spot.

 

To tap into this trove of ancestral knowledge, mark off a level of Ancestors and make a Rock-Paper-Scissors challenge with a Storyteller. If you lose, your ancestors cannot help you with the task at hand. If you win or tie, they share their wisdom, and you gain one Trait in an Ability your ancestor would have had. This Ability Trait remains for the rest of the scene or until you spend it on some other effect (such as, most commonly, a retest or a cancel).

 

If you fail the Ancestors test, make two more tests with the Storyteller. Fail them both and you will be possessed by your Ancestor for the scene.

 

• Restrictions: Bone Gnawer, Glass Walker and Silent Strider characters may not possess the Ancestors Background.

 

Arcane: (Hunters Only)

Part of a your talent for magic includes the ability to slip quietly past common notice. This Background is not synonymous with invisibility. Rather, it causes people to not pay attention to you or to forget you after you have left the area. For each Trait in this Background, your opponent must bid one additional Trait on any attempts to detect or remember you. This includes pesky reporters, government agents and the werewolf you annoyed last week. Unfortunately, it also includes the friend who needs your help, the bank you used to have an account at and the person at the dry cleaners who seems to have misplaced your clothes. A character with

Arcane may not also have the Background: Prestige, nor may you take the Flaw: Surreal Quality.

 

Artifact: (Hunters Only)

This Background grants you access to some form of magic item. This may have been created using the art of Enchantment or perhaps it is an item of True Faith. This Background could even represent a Garou fetish or chimerical treasure. You must describe the abilities and functions of the Artifact, at which point the Storyteller will assign a cost for the item. For anything other than a minor (1-2 Trait) item, you must also detail the origin of this prize in your character history. The Storyteller has aright to limit the kind of Artifacts you may possess.

 

Contacts

You maintain a number of informal connections with people in many walks of life. You can work these connections to gain information about activities going on in the city. In your Downtimes, tell the Storytellers what information you want to dig up, and the number of Traits in Contacts you will use to dig. You'll get information as if you had that number of Traits in an Influence appropriate to your inquiry.

 

• Restrictions: Get of Fenris and Wendigo characters may not possess the Contacts Background.

 

Fame

Your reputation precedes you. You are so well-known within your circles of influence that your name alone can often get things done, no matter where you happen to be.

 

Fame is an unusual background, mechanically. If you're a member of this chronicle playing this chronicle, Fame doesn't give any particular mechanical benefits. If you're a member of this chronicle playing another chronicle in TGN, you are subject to their rules for Fame -- which might be similar to these, or might not. It's when you are a visiting player from another chronicle playing here that these rules for Fame kick in: Each Trait of Fame you possess allows you to perform a single Influence action in the Twin Cities.

 

Familiar:  (Hunters Only)

You are not alone on your journey of discovery. This Background describes a mystical companion, some spirit incarnate who is willing to aid you in your endeavors. Such relationships are a two-way street, however, as the familiar also requires things in return. The type and nature of your company varies depending upon your magical heritage, from the traditional witch’s black cat to the hawk-spirit of the Native American shaman. Each Trait provides five freebie Traits, which are used to build your familiar. Attributes, Abilities, Willpower, Backgrounds, Merits and Flaws cost the same as for mortal characters. If you have access to Laws of the Wild, familiars may even purchase any of the Charms listed in that book. In addition, this spirit has as many Corpus Levels as you have Traits in this

Background. These function as Health Levels, though the familiar does not suffer any wound penalties due to accumulated damage.

 

Fetish (Garou and Shifters Only)

Garou lore is rife with items of mystical power and legendary histories, and many tribes pass such artifacts down to their younger members as a tangible  means of handing down tradition, provided the young ones seem worthy. If you are chosen to carry one of these items, you have received a great honor and should take your responsibility very seriously. A Garou entrusted to carry one of these items may draw upon its powers. The Storyteller assigns  a fetish appropriate to the level of Background taken; picking your own fetishis not allowed, although you may attempt to persuade the Storyteller with an excellent story as to why your character would have a particular item, but in the end her decision is final.

 

Influences: 

You have pull in one or more areas of mundane society. Perhaps you hold some position of power, it comes with your mundane job, or you simply have an ear to the ground. For each Influence, you must specify the nature and origin of this connection in your character history. Please see the Influences section of this website for full choices of what Northern Star has to offer in these traits. 

 

Kinfolk (Garou and Shifters Only)

You are in contact with certain humans or wolves who, while descended from the Garou, did not receive the “changing blood,” and so for all practical purposes are normal members of their respective species. They are immune to the Delirium, however, and know your origin; they are willing to help you however they can, though most are not in positions of power. Groups of Kinfolk can be invaluable for Garou who wish to deal with the human world but cannot risk frenzy. In the close-knit family groups of the Savage West, this Trait is actually quite common; the West is a lonely place without folks to share your troubles and triumphs with, and often Kinfolk are the only people this side of a fellow changer who can really understand you. For each level of this Background, you may call upon a Kinfolk with aspecific Ability, Numina or Influence that is desired. A Simple Test must be won for each level of special talent needed. Each Trait of this Background may only be utilized once per session; a character with five levels of Kinfolk may only test five times to find a Kinfolk with Medicine Ability, as each success equals one level of Medicine Ability present. Storytellers may require more than one success for each level of particularly rare Abilities, Numina or Influences sought, and may decide that multiple Kinfolk are available for more common Abilities - three Kinfolk with one level in Melee rather than one Kinfolk with three levels. Once a Kinfolk has been accessed, he may only be found again if you win  the same number of tests. Otherwise, that particular individual is not available or has moved away the next time you call. Kinfolk can only become permanent fixtures in a game if you have enough experience to buy them as a Kinfolk Influence, the number of Influences required to do so being determined by the Storyteller.

 

Mana Pool:  (Hunters Only)

You have an additional set of Traits that you may use to power your magic. Your rating in this Background creates a pool with permanent and temporary Traits similar in function to Willpower. Rather than forfeiting an Attribute or other Trait to cast a particular spell, you may instead spend temporary Traits from this pool. The decision to substitute Mum Traits is made when the path is first learned. Each Trait spent on Mum Pool grants two Traits in the pool for use with sorcery. You must specify the nature of this reserve in your character history, as well as the conditions under which it is refreshed. For example, you may have learned the art of Chi Kung during your studies in Asia, and you recover Traits by meditating.

 

Mentor: 

Most receive their initial training at the hands of an older. You were wise or lucky enough to continue this relationship even after striking out on your own. This Background represents the relative power level and availability of your teacher. A mentor is not a protector and will not solve all of your problems. However, he might be available between games for instruction or other assistance.

 

Pack Tactics (Garou and Shifters Only)

Your life experience includes special training working as one mind with a pack. You can anticipate your packmates, acting in deadly concert. When a packmate fails a challenge, you may spend one dot of Pack Tactics, forfeit your next action, and describe a plausible way you can assist your packmate. If you do, your packmate gets a retest on the action they failed. This retest may even follow "final" retests like Might. You may not do this again for anyone until the scene has moved past the point of the action you forfeited.

 

For example, say your packmate has just failed a challenge to dodge a bolt of Balefire. You can mark off a dot of Pack Tactics, forfeit your next action, and describe how you shoulder her out of the way. She gets another retest to attempt the dodge. The next action you gave up could be a Rage action (if you have Rage to spend, and haven't used Gnosis) or it can be your Normal action next round -- but until the scene moves past that point, you can't act again.

 

Pure Breed (Garou Only)

Garou take great pride in their family lineage. Possession of this Background means your character is directly descended from one or more great Garou heroes, a birthright which is becoming all the more rare as tribal bloodlines mix and Kinfolk families spread apart, and your character receives an extra degree of praise and attention because of it. Pure Breed is not a matter of documents and claims, but an innate distinction all Garou instinctively sense and recognize. A character with Pure Breed gains a retest on Social Challenges against Garou and Kinfolk, one for each level of the Background she possesses. However, those “of the blood” are expected (demanded might be a better term) to live up to the high ideals and examples  of their ancestors, which can be very trying on even the stoutest Garou; at
the Narrator’s option, the benefits of this Background may be suspended for a character who isn’t acting in accordance with her birthright and what Garou consider noble, at least until she gains more Honor Renown and thus “proves herself‘ again.

 

Past Life (Garou and Shifters Only)

All Garou honor those gone before them, but you’re a living link to the past, and have the ability to converse with ancestors long gone as if they were standing next to you. You may even call on their knowledge in times of need. Once per session per level of Past Life you possess, you may try to use an Ability you do not have or have already expended. To do so, you must roleplay out the process of contacting your ancestor for aid, and win or tie a Simple Test. Note that this Background does not confer any ability to see or converse with any other types of spirits or wraiths unless you also have the appropriate Gifts or Merits to do so.

 

Resources: 

Your Character can get their hands on money in a variety of ways: research funding, lottery winnings, transforming lead into gold or perhaps even a real job. This Background represents the amount of money and equipment you have available or could get your hands on in a pinch. However, if no source for these funds is apparent, you may begin to attract unwanted attention. For each Resources Trait, you have 10 silver coins available each month after expenses. In addition, your rating in this Background indicates the relative extent and luxury of your home and property. 

 

Rites (Garou, Kinfolk and Shifters Only)

The Garou have many mysteries, rites and celebrations, and with this Background you know some of them intimately. You are versed in the traditions and order of these rites, and can identify the ones that you know about by drawing upon your knowledge of them (the player must win or tie a Simple Test to do so). Furthermore, you may have been taught how to perform a few of these rites. 

 

 - One Trait: Has knowledge of Basic Rites and can perform one Basic Rite.
 - Two Traits: Has knowledge of Basic Rites and can perform two Basic Rites.
 - Three Traits: Has knowledge of Basic and Intermediate Rites, and can perform three Basic Rites or one Basic and one Intermediate Rite.
 - Four Traits: Has knowledge of Basic and Intermediate Rites, and can perform four Basic Rites or two Basic and one Intermediate Rites.
 - Five Traits: Has knowledge of Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Rites, and can perform five Basic Rites or three Basic Rites and an Intermediate Rite.

 

Individual rites may be learned by any Garou who can find a willing teacher and is willing to pay the appropriate experience cost. Teachers often ask would-be students for hefty favors or require difficult quests before passing on their guarded knowledge. In these troubled days, however, the truly wise realize the importance of making sure the ancient rites are remembered and passed on.
Rites later learned by a character do not count against this Background; they simply reflect the character’s growing knowledge. Instead, this Background simply indicates that the character begins play with certain Rites. 

 

Sanctuary: (Hunters and Merfolk Only)

This is a general term for a Character’s haven. These locations vary greatly according to your heritage. Sanctuaries may also contain many of the bulkier ritual components that you might use, such as alchemical ovens, cauldrons or permanent circles, or if you are a shifter they may hold Ritual equipment or some of your personal holdings. Each Trait in this Background suggests the level of wealth and space available to you. You may be working out of a backroom, have a single room in a group house, or even your own house.

 

Spirit Heritage (Garou and Shifters Only)

Similar to Pure Breed in a sense, Spirit Heritage is a measure of your spirit's noble lineage. It represents your passages through the cycle, and the things your spirit has done before. Visible only in the umbra, your form resembles that of a particular Spirit: Someone who shares a visage with Grandfather Thunder may have eyes of thunder, while a Unicorn related Garou may appear more unicorn like. Spirits recognize this power innately, and cannot help but be impressed by it. Each level of Spirit Heritage you possess provides a bonus to your Social Traits in Social Challenges with Spirits who favor your lineage.

 

Spirits whom you are attuned to will see you as more than just another Garou, they will also view you as one of their own. If you act against such spirits or ignore their plights, you may be seen as betraying them.

• Restrictions: This Background is available only by Storyteller approval.

 

Spirit Network (Garou Only)

This Background is the spiritual equivalent of Contacts. You maintain good relationships with small spirits in the region, who gladly feed you information about goings-on in the local Penumbra. Sometimes they notice things that physical observers on Earth just wouldn't catch. This Background contributes to the generally creepy reputation of the Theurge Auspice, giving them access to information they would have no real way of knowing.

 

This background is most often employed in Downtimes or by role-playing with a Storyteller. The level of the Background corresponds to the extent of knowledge the Spirit Network can discover.

• Restrictions: Only Theurge characters may take the Spirit Network Background.

 

Totem (Garou and Shifters Only)

The Totem background measures your devotion to one or more spirit patrons. You maintain a respectful relationship with your Totems, giving regular homage at their shrines, obeying their Bans, and living out their precepts.

 

Totem connects you to a particular spirit, recorded as "Totem: Stag" or "Totem: Coyote". You can move your levels in Totem around from one spirit to another, or leave them completely unassigned. You may possess as many levels in the Totem background as you like.

 

By taking this Background and undergoing a special rite, you can form a Pack with other Garou following the same Totem. You can also devote yourself to another spirit as your own Personal Totem. These practices earn you particular bonuses. Taking this Background with respect to any spirits other than your Pack and Personal Totems will not earn you any special benefits beyond good favor with the spirits in question.