Werewolf Balance

"My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
-Cherokee quote

This old Cherokee fable is more than just metaphor for werewolves, although the struggle for them is not between two wolves, but between Wolf and Man.

Werewolves replace the Integrity trait with a trait called Balance. It is presented as a scale, with a single marker in the center that represents true balance, and five markers to either side of that for each side representing the facets of Man and Wolf

The Facet of Man

• Werewolf-as-Man.
• This is the side of civilized thought, of concepts associated with humanity, of civilization and culture.
• Individual over pack, physical over spiritual, orderly over wild, thinking over feeling, peaceful over violent.

Mechanics

Leashed Wolf (Persistent)

Your wolf has suffered under your care, and your psyche favors your humanity. While this means a greater deal of control, it also means you lose some of your supernatural ability. When you are in your human form, you lose your Wolf Senses and Animal Magnetism abilities. Additionally, you can only ever spend 1 Essence per turn while in your human form. Possible Sources: You gain Balance: Man •••• or higher. Resolution: Your Balance: Man drop to ••• or fewer. Beats: You are forced to hide being a werewolf, or must abrogate your human responsibilities because of werewolf responsibilities or instincts.

• For each dot into the Facet of Man, you gain a bonus die to your Feral Tests.
• For each dot into the Facet of Man, you lose one die for shapeshifting tests.
• Upon gaining a fourth dot in the Facet of Man, you gain the Leashed Wolf Condition.
• A werewolf with a full Balance in the scale of Man reduces his Rage by 1 every sunrise.

Breaking Points against the Man

Breaking Points against the Man cause a werewolf to move further toward the Wolf. These are actions that violate one's human nature in some way. Constant Breaking Points will always do so, regardless of the werewolf's Balance, but Man-Faceted Breaking Points only do so if the werewolf is balanced toward the Man.

• Personal Breaking Points: Each character should also create one Constant and one Man-Faceted Breaking Point that are unique to their character's personality and background - one that emphasizes their revulsion of their wolf-side, and strengthens their bonds of humanity.

Constant Breaking Points

• Eating human flesh. (-3 to -5)
• Killing someone. (-1 to -5)
• Injuring someone as a wolf.

Man-Faceted Breaking Points

These only apply when a werewolf's Balance is faceted toward Man.

• Revealing your werewolf nature to someone ignorant of the supernatural.
• Living away from civilization for a week or more.
• Going Feral.

Breaking Point (vs Man) Tests

• Roll: Resolve + Composure + Harmony
  • Exceptional Success: Your Balance remains. You also gain the Steadfast Condition.
  • Success: Your Balance remains.
  • Failure: Your Balance is pushed one dot toward the Facet of Wolf. You must also choose one of the following Conditions: Nightmares, Shaken.
  • Dramatic Failure: Your Balance is pushed one dot toward the Facet of Wolf. You must also choose one of the following Conditions: Frightened, Fugue.

The Facet of Wolf

• Werewolf-as-Wolf
• This is the side of instinctual thought, of concepts associated with animal-kind, of wildness and nature.
• Pack over individual, spiritual over physical, wild over orderly, feeling over thinking, violent over peaceful.

Mechanics

Untamed (Persistent)

Your wolf has prospered and become strong under your care. While this means a greater proficiency with your werewolf abilities, it means that you are more frightening and fearful to humans and animals. You gain a -2 die penalty to all Social rolls that are not based in Animal Magnetism. Most animals are wary or hostile to you, perceiving you as a threat to them, just as they might treat a wolf. Possible Sources: You gain Balance: Wolf •••• or higher. Resolution: Your Balance: Wolf drop to ••• or fewer. Beats: You fail a Social test because of the penalty above, or an animal's fearful reaction causes difficulty for you.

• For each dot into the Facet of Wolf, you gain a -1 penalty against Breaking Points toward the Wolf. The more attuned to the wolf you are, the easier it is to strengthen it.
• For each dot into the Facet of Wolf, you gain one bonus die on shapeshifting tests.
• For each dot into the Face of Wolf, you lose a die on your Feral Tests.
• A werewolf with a full Balance in the scale of Wolf can shapeshift without a test or action.

Breaking Points against the Wolf

Breaking Points against the Wolf cause a werewolf to move further toward the Man. These are actions that violate one's wolf nature in some way. Constant Breaking Points will always do so, regardless of the werewolf's Balance, but Wolf-Faceted Breaking Points only do so if the werewolf is balanced toward the Wolf.

• Archetype Breaking Points: Each Feral Wolf Archetype has two additional Breaking Points: one Constant and one Wolf-Faceted. These are added to each character's list of Breaking Points.

Constant Breaking Points

• Injuring or killing a packmate. (-1 to -5)
• Contributing to natural devastation (-1 to -3)
• Betraying your pack.

Wolf-Faceted Breaking Points

These only apply when a werewolf's Balance is faceted toward Wolf.

• Refusing to participate in a Full Moon Run with the pack.
• Refusing to defend territory or a packmate.
• Using a bane against another werewolf.

Archetype Breaking Points

Additionally, each werewolf gains another Wolf-Faceted Breaking Point determined by his Feral Wolf Archetype.

• Aspiring Alpha: Taking orders from anyone.
• Big Bad Wolf: Alleviating someone's fear.
• Bloody Savage: Preventing destruction through peaceful means.
• Lone Wolf: Involving others in your affairs.
• Moon Howler: Creating peace or preventing strife.
• Sickly Omega: Facing danger when you could flee.
• Pack Wolf: Stepping out of hierarchical line or flaunt the chain of command.
• Monkey Howler: Ignoring strange or odd behaviors or mysteries.

Breaking Point (vs Wolf) Tests

• Roll: Resolve + Composure + Primal Urge
  • Exceptional Success: Your Balance remains. You also gain the Inspired Condition.
  • Success: Your Balance remains.
  • Failure: Your Balance is pushed one dot toward the Facet of Man. You must also choose one of the following Conditions: Guilty, Nightmares.
  • Dramatic Failure: Your Balance is pushed one dot toward the Facet of Man. You must also choose one of the following Conditions: Broken, Madness.

The Balanced Facet

Balanced (Persistent)

You have achieved an ideal balance between Wolf and Man, mastered by neither, but instead master of both. You can spend 1 more point of Essence per turn than you normally can, and you gain 9-Agains on Social rolls with spirits and other shifters, all of whom can sense the serenity within you. You may also spend 1 Willpower to ignore the effects of any Mental Conditions for a single scene. Possible Sources: You gain Balance with dots in neither Wolf nor Man. Resolution: You gain a dot of Balance toward either Wolf or Man. Beats: You are forced to make a Breaking Point roll.

For those who practice the spiritual discipline of Balance, this is the goal: a place in the center, astride both Man and Wolf, part of both, yet controlled by neither. Neither of the Facet-based Breaking Points apply while in this fragile state.