The Northern Star
Role Play of the Seas
Gifts
Gurahl legends state that the Children of Bear learned their Gifts originally from Gaia before She relegated that task to spirits of the Umbra. As the oldest of the Changing Breeds (at least by their account), Gurahl have their own names for many Gifts they share with the Garou. Unlike Garou, however, Gurahl do not have tribe-specific Gifts, having a variety of “general Gifts”
instead. Gurahl learn Gifts in the same fashion as Garou, as described in the Garou gifts section of this website. Gifts may retest with Occult, if another Ability is not specified. Breed gifts can be found on this page, please see the buttons below to take you to the Auspice and Gurahl gifts.
Breed Gifts
Homid
Basic Gifts
Climate Control
- The Gurahl may use this Gift to alter the temperature in her immediate vicinity from five to 25 degrees in either
direction. She can create a circle of coolness in the desert or warmth in the middle of winter that covers an area large enough to encompass up to five human-sized individuals. Thus she can protect those around her from heatstroke, frostbite or other effects of overexposure. This Gift lasts for 24 hours, although the Gurahl may end voluntarily end it. The Gurahl must win a Social Challenge (retest with Primal-Urge) to invoke this Gift.
Dolorous Countenance
- Similar to the Garou Homid Gift: Paralyzing Stare, this Gift enables the Gurahl to project acountenance so baleful that an opponent backs away, either out of shame or in submission to an obvious superior - sometimes leaving the vicinity entirely. The Gurahl must make eye contact with the intended target, spend a Rage Trait and win a Social Challenge (retest with Empathy). With success, the target must retreat five feet from the Gurahl, and will do his best to avoid her. By spending a second Rage Trait during the initial challenge, the Gurahl can force her target to leave the area altogether; he will not return until she leaves.
Persuasion
- As the Garou Homid Gift.
Ursa’s Light
- This Gift allows the Gurahl to draw down the light of the stars as a directional beacon or to illuminate an area. The Gurahl appears to reach upward toward the stars in supplication as he invokes the Gift. If the Gurahl wins a Simple Test, his outstretched hand fills with a soft white illumination that can either illuminate 100 square feet or cast a penetrating ray of light for 100 yards. (If the Gurahl invokes this Gift when Ursa Major or Ursa Minor happen to be visible in the night sky, the effect is doubled. This Gift only functions at night). Gurahl may use this Gift to counteract either naturally or supernaturally caused darkness and assist friends or companions who have trouble seeing in the dark. This Gift lasts for one scene.
Intermediate Gifts
Sense Need
- By means of this Gift, the Gurahl can open her mind to the world around her and sense avoiced or even unspoken cry for help from someone in need of assistance or succor from up to five miles away. The Gurahl concentrates and wins or ties a Static Mental Challenge against seven Traits (retest with Emputhy ) to detect the presence of someone inneed. Spend one Mental Trait to raise the radius by 10 miles. Sense Need will also determine if anyone in the area is in fact in need. This Gift lasts for one scene.
Shape Matter
- As the Garou Homid Gift: Reshape Object.
Spirit Shield
- As the Garou Homid Gift: Spirit Ward, with the following modification: The “shield” distinguishes between friendly (or neutral) and unfriendly spirits, having little or no effect on the former and actively discouraging the latter from intruding on the Gurahl.
Ursa’s Coat
- This Gift surrounds the Gurahl with a heavy coat of protective fur colored like a starry night. The Gurahl spends a Gnosis Trait
and concentrates for one turn. Once invoked, this Gift effectively halves all damage the character takes: An opponent must inflict two health levels of damage to cause one health level. The Gift lasts one scene, but the Gurahl may extend the duration of the Gift by spending an extra Gnosis Trait. The Gift must be invoked immediately prior to a combat; a Gurahl may not activate this Gift as a “contingency.” The Gurahl may move, but at a three- Trait penalty. The Gurahl may defend herself normally.
Advanced Gifts
Charismatic Presence
-This Gift bestows upon the Gurahl a compelling aura of attraction to humans. In ancient times, werebears often used this
Gift to place themselves in positions of leadership or influence among early human tribes, sometimes serving as the spiritual center of bear cults. The Gurahl must win a Social Challenge (retest with Empathy) against the targets he wishes to affect (within 20 paces). Those who lose the challenge feel a great awe and respect for the Gurahl and willingly listen to and often follow his directions (though they do not become mindless slaves). Those who successfully resist may experience an active resentment against the Gurahl who tried to influence their minds. This Gift lasts for a single scene, although individuals affected by the Gift
may retain some positive feelings toward the Gurahl depending on the strength of the werebear’s arguments or the force of his natural personality. Hostile actions will negate the Gift‘s effects.
Fearless Unveiling
- As the Garou Homid Gift: Part the Veil in Laws of the Wild. Once the need for the Gift has passed, the Gurahl must perform
the Rite of the Bun to remove any “unpleasant” or “incredible” memories from the minds of the affected individuals. This Gift lasts for one scene.
Ursine
Basic Gifts
Burrow
- As the Metis Gift.
Heightened Senses
-As the Lupus Gift.
Voice of Woe
-This Gift allows the Gurahl to use her voice as an early warning system, sending out a call that alerts all creatures (regardless of their
species) within five miles of the presence of an active danger. The sound mimics that of a bear cub in distress, so other Gurahl or bears (or Kinfolk) might actually come to the assistance of the calling Gurahl. The Gurahl must spend a Gnosis Trait to invoke this Gift. This Gift lasts for one scene.
Weather Watch
- This Gift enables the Gurahl to make accurate predictions concerning the weather, such as approaching storms, changes in
weather patterns or other significant climatic occurrences. The Gurahl need have no knowledge of weather or meteorology, but simply studies the skies with her sight, scent and taste. The Gurahl spends a Gnosis Trait and wins a Static Mental Challenge versus six Traits (retest with Primal-Urge) to gain information from the Storyteller as to important changes in the weather for the next 48 hours. This Gift can also determine, if appropriate, the approximate length of a dry spell or the likelihood of a tornado approaching the immediate vicinity. This Gift lasts for one scene, though the Gurahl may learn of significant weather conditions that extend beyond the duration of the Gift.
Intermediate Gifts
Gnaw
-As the Lupus Gift.
Pull of the Chosen Land
- The Gurahl uses this Gift to find the quickest route to his protectorate, regardless of his current location. Even if he has been forcibly relocated to an unknown place, the Gurahl may follow an internal compass that guides him unerringly to familiar territory. The Gurahl spends a Gnosis Trait and wins a Mental Challenge (retest with Primal-Urge) to invoke this Gift. Once invoked, the Gift remains in effect
until the Gurahl reaches his destination, though the Storyteller may require additional challenges if the werebear needs to stop to rest or sleep or gets distracted by another pressing matter (such as an attack by hunters). This Gift works in the Umbra as well as the real world.
Shelter of the Earth
- The Gurahl, through the use of this Gift,“disappears” amid the local environment, making use of tall grasses, concealing trees, rockfalls or whatever terrain features are around her. While slow movement is possible without breaking cover, rapid motion, such as jogging
or running, ends the Gift’s effects. The Gurahl spends a Gnosis Trait and makes a Physical Challenge (retest with Stealth) to invoke this Gift. The effects last for one scene or until the Gurahl breaks cover by moving too quickly. If someone wishes to hunt for the Gurahl, she makes a Static Mental Challenge against the Gurahl’s Physical Traits.
Sweet Swarm of Vengeance
- The Gurahl can summon a swarm of angry bees which surround an enemy, harrying and stinging the targeted individual. Depending on his environment, the Gurahl may call forth as few as a dozen or as many as a thousand wasps, hornets, honeybees or other indigenous bees. The swarm obeys the Gurahl’s directions, attacking the target indicated by the summoner. Depending on the victim’s reactions and
sue, this attack may serve as anuisance and distraction or may cause death due to anaphylactic shock. The Gurahl must spend a Gnosis Trait and win a static Social Challenge against seven Traits (retest with Animal Ken) in order to locate a swarm of bees. Depending on the nature of the target, the Storyteller may need to adjudicate further challenges with the victim to determine the result of the bees’ attack.
Advanced Gifts
Bear’s Bounty
- As the Metis Gift: Totem Gift, except that the Gurahl addresses her petition of desperation to one of the three aspects of Bear. The Storyteller should decide the nature of the assistance the Gurahl receives, in keeping with the nature of the aspect of Bear invoked. For example, Ursa Major might provide a means of escape or an unexpected place of shelter while Mangi the Death Bear might grant the Gurahl the ability to fell an opponent with a single blow.
Call the Cave Bear
- This Gift enables the Gurahl to summon her prehistoric cave bear ancestor from the Umbra to assist her for one task. The task may have several parts, but must consist of achieving one distinct goal, such as defeating a particular monster or finding some ancient burial ground or lost sacred place. The cave bear returns to its place of origin once its task is completed. The Gurahl spends a Gnosis Trait and wins a Social Challenge (retest with Primal-Urge).
The cave bear should be considered to have the maximum Traits of a Gurahl in Bjornen form. This Gift lasts for one scene or until the creature completes the task for which it was summoned. Such a legendary spirit will not be pleased to answer frivolous summons, and may discipline its wayward descendant.