By Charles W. Plemons III (nosferatu@premiernet.net)
The fluid is taken from a gland in the brain. This can be extracted forcefully or a werewolf can extract it himself. To do this, he must insert a syringe into his temple. This requires a Willpower roll to succeed. Only two syringes full of the fluid may be extracted per day. It can, however, be stored. To create a lycanthrope, a human must be injected with the fluid. Once taken, some changes begin to take effect. The human begins developing heightened senses, increased physical traits, and physical changes.
The transformation is agonizing and takes only a few minutes. However, the results are astounding. At the end of the process, all wounds the human has suffered are healed. In the film, people who were mortally wounded were saved in this manner.
After the transformation, an injection must be taken every week, or all abilities begin to fade. Taking more than one dose per week is possible, but it is dangerous. Each dose after the first adds 1 to the lycanthrope's Rage pool and increases the difficulty of resisting all Frenzy rolls by 2. These Frenzies are always Berserker Frenzies, never Fox. When a lycanthrope Frenzies, he instantly begins the transformation into glabro form if not there already.
Rage Pool: The lycanthrope, like his Garou parent, has a Rage pool. This is handled just like the Rage for a werewolf. Also, this means the lycanthrope is susceptible to Frenzy. This is handled as per a werewolf as well.
Physical Changes: The blessing and the curse of the lycanthrope condition, the physical alterations. Lycanthropes have two forms: human and glabro. However, unlike the true Garou, the lycanthrope has very limited control over his changes. Emotional and high stress situations cause the change from human to glabro. To keep from changing, the lycanthrope must succeed on a Rage roll (just like a roll for Frenzy). Note that this is not a Frenzy. However, many of the situations that cause transformations can also cause Frenzies. In such situations, the lycanthrope must roll for both change and Frenzy. Of course, the lycanthrope can choose not to resist. Examples: lycanthropes will change in combat situations, when scared, and during sexual intercourse (as seen in the film). A lycanthrope can attempt to change to glabro form at a difficulty of 7 (Stamina + Primal Urge). Changing back requires a similar roll with a difficulty of 6.
The glabro form of the lycanthrope is somewhat different than that of a true garou. Fangs and claws are prominent and may be used in combat. The statistical adjustments for the glabro form are: Strength +2, Stamina +2, Appearance -1, Manipulation -1. In glabro form, a lycanthrope can be bite for Strength +1 damage and rake with his claws for Brawl +2 damage.
Gifts: Lycanthropes can be taught Gifts, however, as they have no Gnosis pools, they are limited in what they can use. Also, most spirits will not teach the lycanthropes. They must find a Garou, spirit, Bane, or Black Spiral Dancer willing to teach him. No lycanthrope knows any Gifts when first "born."
Regeneration and Damage: The lycanthropes regenerate like Garou while in glabro form. Human form heals like normal. Silver inflicts aggravated wounds, as does fire and the attacks of other supernatural beings.
The drug strips the human glands, replacing them with the new Garou traits. Without a weekly dose of the drug, these traits begin to fail. After missing the dose for one week, the lycanthrope loses the advanced healing ability in glabro form. After two weeks, the lycanthrope can only transform into glabro form under stress, never by will. After three weeks, all special abilities and powers are lost (including Heightened Senses and Gifts learned). By the time a lycanthrope has missed four injections, he has deteriorated into a pathetic being. His appearance has been permanently reduced by 2 and he has residual fangs in homid form (no combat value).
After four missed injections, there is nothing that can be done for the poor fool. He can never again become a lycanthrope. However, any time up until that point, resuming the injections will bring back all powers and abilities.
Lycanthropes were not ever meant to be, they are a corruption of the warriors of Gaia. Thus, all lycanthropes reek with the stench of the Wyrm. Most Garou will try to destroy these monstrosities on sight.
No one in Heaven or Hell can help the poor sot who becomes a lycanthrope from a Black Spiral Dancer. No one in his right mind would inject something from a member of the Lost Tribe's brain into his body. For some reason, the transformation takes twice as long and is much more painful. The result is the same. Those made by the Dancers are forced to dance the Black Spiral. A permanent derangement is the result, and if that isn't bad enough, life with a Black Spiral Dancer pack is not to be envied.
Changing Breeds: The majority of the Garou nation has intense hatred for the lycanthropes. The Skin Dancers and Black Spiral Dancers do make lycanthropes on a regular basis, however. Usually, a lycanthrope is made and used for a specific reason and then either killed or abandoned. A garou taking the injection has no effect.
Mages: In general, mages have no quarrel with the lycanthropes. An occasional mage will try to experiment with a lycanthrope, especially the Technocracy. In fact, many lycanthropes are made by the Progenitors.
Wraiths: The dead have few interactions with the lycanthropes.
Changelings: Many of the fae see the lycanthropes as tragic and noble beings, especially the pooka and satyr kiths. If a changeling attempts to become a lycanthrope, she can, but with the same effects as becoming fomori.
Mummies: No lycanthrope has received the Spell of Life, and a mummy cannot become a lycanthrope. The two species have no formal interactions.
Gypsies: The change causes the lycanthropes to become nomadic beings to hide their bestial natures. Thus, they have a number of run-ins with the gypsies. As long as the lycanthropes behave, the gypsies have no quarrel with them.
Fomori: The fomori are very often encountered along with the Black Spiral born lycanthropes. It is very common for a lycanthrope to be one of the bane-ridden themselves. Thus, they have the powers and limitations of both.
Immortals: An immortal cannot become a lycanthrope. Other than that, there are no formal relations.
A vampiric garou (an Abomination) cannot create a lycanthrope as their brains do not produce the living enzymes necessary to bring about the change. An Abomination is more likely to accept a lycanthrope than a normal garou, as they are an outcast as well.
Ananasi (Werespider): The lycanthropes of the werespiders are the most bizarre of all. When a human is injected with the fluid, vast physiological changes sweep through the body. They lose the ability to consume solid food, instead being forced to live on blood as a true Ananasi would. Instead of Rage, they have a Blood Pool. This pool can reach a maximum of 10. They expend one blood point per day to live. The new creature has to feed on blood and take the weekly injections from its parent. The second form is a hideous cross between man and spider. The eyes become large and segmented and the skin is dark and chitinous. Course hair sprouts from the body and the mouth develops mandibles making their speech very hard to comprehend. Sharp claws extend from the fingers and limbs become double-jointed. Physical stats are Strength +1, Dexterity +2, Stamina +2, Appearance 0, Manipulation 0. Ananasi lycanthropes do not take aggravated damage from silver, instead taking such damage from pesticides.
Bastet (Werecat): The second most common type of lycanthrope is this breed. However, there are numerous variations within this group. One for each of the existing tribes. Like their parent species, the lycanthropes are generally more level-headed. All except those created from the Khan and Balam have their difficulty to Frenzy increased by one. Their sokto form statistics are as follows:
Corax (Wereraven): The Corax cannot produce lycanthropes.
Gurahl (Werebear): The lycanthropes of the Gurahl are among the rarest of the breeds. Finding a Gurahl to get the fluid from is next to impossible. Finding enough of the fluid to maintain the lycanthrope state is a major undertaking. If such a being did exist, it would have a larger glabro form (Strength +3, Stamina +3, Appearance -2, Manipulation -1; Difficulty 7). Also, like a true Gurahl, these lycanthropes cannot gain extra actions with Rage. Instead, they gain extra Strength.
Mokole (Werealligator): The lycanthropes of this breed look much like reptile men. They grow claws and teeth and fine green scales on their bodies. As the mokole have no glabro form, there is no other creature that they resemble. Their second form is larger and more powerful than the human (Strength +3, Stamina +2, Dexterity -1, Appearance -1, Manipulation -1; Difficulty 7).
Nuwisha (Werecoyote) The lycanthropes of this breed have no Rage pool. They cannot Frenzy naturally. Like a true Nuwisha, they can be forced to Frenzy by Gifts and the like. Like a garou lycanthrope, they do have to roll for changes in stress situations. They use their Willpower instead of Rage. Also, silver does not inflict aggravated damage. They do not have a glabro form; it is instead the tsitsu form (Strength +1, Stamina +2, Dexterity +1, Manipulation -1; Difficulty 7).
Ratkin (Wererats): The wererats are created by a disease, not being born naturally. If any of their brain fluids are injected into a human, death is the result. There are no ratkin lycanthropes.
Rokea (Weresharks): The hideous lycanthropes of this tribe are much to be feared. They gain the mass of a shark while maintaining human shape. They do not have any claws or fins, but they do have a wicked bite that can inflict Strength +2 damage. These lycanthropes also grow gills in this second form, so they may swim and breathe underwater. Their new statistics are Strength +3, Stamina +3, Appearance 0, Manipulation 0.