Garou Walkthrough :

Building a Garou character in Northern Star is a simple task that takes a few stages to complete.

This page is here to guide you in your decisions when creating your character and some of the choices that you will need to make to flesh out a design or concept to a playable level inside the game. Where this may be slight intimidating if you are new to the Northern Star system, we shall try to guide you to a full understanding of your character and their background before you step into the game itself.

The first thing you will need to do is register on www.puppetprince.com if, you haven't already. Joining is free and only requires an email address.

If you are new to an online roleplaying environment then we have plenty of helpful players and moderators who will be more than happy to help you out, so log into our chat at:

#STAR:OOC

Once you've created your puppetprince account you will need to join our chronicle. You will need to contact one our Storytellers who will send you an invite to our private chronicle. This will be sent to your email.

Now that you've joined us, you'll need to craft your character.

Every player is different in how this process is accomplished. Some like to conceive a character based on an image, some need a name first, some need a background to show them who the character is. Whatever your choice you will need some form of background for your character as the moment you arrive our players will undoubtedly want to know who your character is and where they come from, we are a suspicious bunch after all.

Next will be your character sheet, from the character tab on puppet prince select "Create A Character", on the new screen that appears, enter your character's name and select our genre type: Werewolf: The Apocalypse. You'll be taken to your character sheet to proceed with your build. You'll want to refer to this website to aid you with creation.

Garou characters use the following rules.

Summary

Come up with a concept.
Choose a name and Deedname.
Choose Nature and Demeanor, Breed, Auspice, Tribe, and Rank.
Assign Rage, Gnosis and Willpower according to Breed, Auspice and Tribe.
Choose Physical, Social and Mental Traits: seven in one category, five in another and three in the last.
Choose zero to five Negative Traits.
Choose five Abilities.
Choose five Backgrounds.
Record your Pertinent Tribal Features, if any.
Choose a basic Gift for each of your Tribe, Breed and Auspice.
Choose Merits -- up to seven points' worth.
Choose Flaws -- up to seven points' worth.
Spend five Freebie Traits.
Check your math: your Freebie Traits, Flaws, Negative Traits and Experience must pay for all Merits and additional purchases.
The three-game rule: You can adjust your werewolf between games for your first three games of play (and prior to the fourth).

Consider your Concept

Consider the type of character you want to play. If you're brand-new to role-playing, perhaps you're a person who has just learned they are a werewolf (a"cub"). If you're more familiar with Werewolf: the Apocalypse, maybe you've been a werewolf for a little while already (a "cliath"). What personality will you have? Where did you grow up? Do you have family? Do you hold a job?

Keep in mind that as a werewolf, you've probably never had an entirely normal life, even before you discovered what you are. All your life, ordinary humans have unconsciously sensed the predator inside you, and treated you a bit differently. You've also been haunted all your life by the sense that there is more to the world somehow, something just beyond what you can see; or the sense that something is broken, it makes you angry, and it needs to be fixed. Your rage is a consistant feeling.

You should always discuss your concept early on with the Storytellers, since they must approve every human that enters play.

Choose a Name and Deedname.

Come up with a name. This will probably be a typical human name, or nickname. Of course it is always likely that your character may also have an alias, be sure to note their real name in your character notes at the bottom of the page. However, be sure you click save notes before you move to the next item as the notes do not auto-save.

At the top of the page you will need to note a Deedname for all characters above Cub Rank. As the name hints at, this name is one that was given to you as part of your rank challenges or rites of passage amongst Garou society. For example you may be called "He Who Walks in Shadow" if your character is known to hang around in such dark settings. Or of course this may be simplier such as "Sealegs" for those characters who are able to sail with the best of the breathren of the coast. These names are unique to your character and should be carefully considered before applying them.

Choose a Nature and Demeanor

Your Nature is who you truly are, the essence of your self. Your Demeanor is how you present yourself to others. Read the full descriptions of these archetypes if you like, then choose one to be your Nature and one to be your Demeanor.

Choose a Breed

Your Breed describes your origins as a werewolf.

Homid: You were born human and lived a human childhood. New players must choose this breed.
Lupus: You were born a wolf. This breed is restricted as rare. Check with the Storytellers first.
Metis: You were born of a forbidden pairing between two werewolves. Outcast and deformed, you've always been Garou.
- If you are Metis, choose the deformity you've endured all your life.

Choose an Auspice

Your Auspice determines what role you will play in Garou society.

Ragabash: Born beneath the new moon, you are a trickster, a scout and a spy.
Theurge: Born beneath the crescent moon, you are a shaman, a bridge between spirit and flesh.
Philodox: Born beneath the half-moon, you are a thinker, a judge between good and evil.
Galliard: Born beneath the gibbous moon, you are a storyteller, a musician, a lorekeeper.
Ahroun: Born beneath the full moon, you are a mighty warrior, destined to lead.

If this is not your first werewolf in our game, the Auspice you choose must differ from that of your prior one.

Choose a Tribe

If you're a "cub" who has just discovered you're a werewolf, you don't have a Tribe yet. Otherwise, you belong to one of the approved tribes below. Please note that not all the tribes are available for play:

Black Furies: All-female defenders of sacred places.
Bone Gnawers: Homeless scrappers, just trying to get by.
Children of Gaia: A peace-loving tribe who believe in unity.
Fianna: Passionate Celtic bards and brawlers.
Get of Fenris: Nordic warriors to whom strength is the highest virtue.
Shadow Lords: Political power-brokers and assassins.
Silent Striders: Nomadic messengers and explorers of the Middle East.
Silver Fangs: Royalty among Garou, the noblest of leaders.
Uktena: Mystics tied to indiginous peoples around the world.
Wendigo: A fierce, traditionalist Native American tribe.

If this werewolf is not your first in our game, the Tribe you choose must be differ from that of your prior one.

Record your Willpower

Willpower is your drive to accomplish your goals. Garou will have a starting willpower based on the tribe they belong to. You may find these totals in the page linked below that describes each of the approved tribes for the Northern Star systems.

Record your Rage, Gnosis and Willpower

Rage is your supernatural capacity for violence. It is determined by the Auspice you chose.

Ragabash get one Rage.
Theurge get two Rage.
Philodox get three Rage.
Galliard get four Rage.
Ahroun get five Rage.

Gnosis is your spiritual connection to Gaia, the Mother Earth. It is determined by your Breed.

Homids get one Gnosis.
Metis get three Gnosis.
Lupus get five Gnosis.

Choose your Rank

Your Rank is your standing within the Garou Nation, according to the notable deeds you have done. Higher ranks than these two may only be earned in play.

Cub: You have recently Changed. You have a lot to learn. This Rank is helpful to new players who don't know the setting well.
Cliath: You're a young adult in the Garou Nation. You know the basics of your job but you have yet to make a name for yourself. This is the standard starting Rank.

Choose Physical, Social and Mental Traits

Physical, Social, and Mental are three categories of Traits that describe your human.

Choose one of these categories to be Primary -- your best area. You will choose seven Traits in that category.
Choose another to be Secondary. That category gets five Traits.
The last category is Tertiary, your worst area. That category gets three Traits.

The categories of Traits are these (examples) :

Physical Traits: Quick, Strong, and Tough.
Social Traits: Charismatic, Impressive and Manipulative.
Mental Traits: Intelligent, Perceptive and Wily.

(So if you choose to make your Social Traits primary, for example, you'd take seven Traits from the three listed above: Charismatic x3, Impressive x2 andManipulative x1, or some other mix.)

You may choose alternate synonyms for these Traits, but these rules use the above names as the standard.

Choose Negative Traits

This is an optional step. You may choose up to five Negative Traits, each in the Physical, Social, or Mental categories. These traits can be used against you in Challenges, but they also earn you more points to spend on your human in the beginning.

You may choose to have multiples of any given Negative Trait: taking Callous means you're insensitive to others' feelings, while taking Callous x2 indicates you're a sociopath.

Negative Physical Traits: Clumsy, Cowardly, Decrepit, Delicate, Docile, Flabby, Lame, Lethargic, Puny, Sickly
Negative Social Traits: Bestial, Callous, Condescending, Dull, Feral, Naïve, Obnoxious, Repugnant, Shy, Tactless, Untrustworthy
Negative Mental Traits: Forgetful, Gullible, Ignorant, Impatient, Oblivious, Predictable, Submissive, Violent, Witless

Choose Abilities

Ability traits describe your skills. You may choose up to 5 points in Abilities. The list is provided from the link below (see bottom of this page. Ability traits describe your skills. Choose five from the complete list. You may have multiple levels in an Ability, depending on your level of skill in each ability.

Choose Backgrounds

Backgrounds describe advantages your human has as they come into play. Choose five. You may have multiple levels in a Background. Think about which of these you would like for your human character carefully. They will come into play more than you think.

Record Tribe Features

All Tribes provide different bonuses and flaws to the werewolf; these are explained in the full descriptions of the Tribes. Some of these affect your sheet. Record them now:

Children of Gaia should award themselves two bonus Social Traits of their choice. These can go above normal Social Trait maximums.
Fianna get two free Abilities to choose from this list: Brawl, Expression, Melee and/or Performance.
Get of Fenris gain an additional "Healthy" Health Level. They also have a tribal intolerance against some kind of weakness -- record that weakness now.
Silver Fangs start with a "quirk." Choose one from the list of Derangements.
Wendigo have different bonuses (and drawbacks) according to the season. Don't record these yet. The Storytellers will place them on your sheet for you.

Choose Basic Gifts

Unless you are a cub, choose three basic Gifts: one for your Breed, one for your Auspice, and one for your Tribe. Basic Gifts are too numerous to list in this summary, so choose from the master list of Gifts.

If you are a cub, you don't start with any Gifts. Once you have entered play and you been taught about Gifts, you can learn a basic Breed Gift and Auspice gift for free. You will not have access to Tribe gifts until you succeed at a Rite of Passage, but once you do, you can learn one basic Tribe gift for free as well.

Choose Rites

For each level of the Rites Background you took, choose two Basic Rites you know from the master list of Rites. You may also substitute two Minor Rites for one Basic.

Choose Merits

Choose up to seven points' worth of Merits. You will have to account for the cost of these Merits with Freebie Points, Negative Traits and Flaws at the "Spend Freebie Points" step, below. Think very carefully when buying merits and merits as these will need to be role played at all times.

Choose Flaws

Choose up to seven points' worth of Flaws. Technically, you can choose more than seven points' worth, but that's all you'll get credit for. Think very carefully when buying flaws and merits as these will need to be role played at all times.

Spend Freebie Points

You have fifteen Freebie Points to spend. You also gain one Freebie Point from each Negative Trait you took (up to five). You also get Freebie Points equal to the value of the Flaws you took (up to seven).

You have five Freebie Points to spend. You also gain one Freebie Point from each Negative Trait you took (up to five). You also get Freebie Points equal to the value of the Flaws you took (up to seven).

You may purchase the following with Freebie Points:

Merits -- you must account for the costs of any any Merits you took, above, out of your Freebie Point total now.
More Renown costs 1 Freebie Point each. Check with the Storytellers before you do this.
More Physical, Social and Mental Traits cost 1 Freebie Point each. Your total in each category is limited by your Rank: 10 for cubs, 11 for Cliath.
More Rage and Willpower Traits cost 2 Freebie Point each. Your total is limited by your Rank: 5 for cubs and Cliath.
More Gnosis Traits cost 2 Freebie Points each. Your total is limited by your Rank: 5 for cubs and Cliath,.
More Ability Traits and Backgrounds cost 1 Freebie Point each. You may not have more than 5 in any Ability or Background.
Ability Specializations can be purchased for any Ability in which you have at least four levels. These cost 2 Freebie point each.