Lycanthropis

By JansGryman@aol.com for the Lycanthropians bloodline.

Description

The arts of Lycanthropis center around the abilities of the Garou. From the ultimate combatant force, to Shapechanging. The Lycanthropians are even closer to the Garou than the Gangrel are. In fact, they are so close that Lycanthropians are scorned as Abominations.

* The Tapered Talon

Lycanthropians may employ the use of this power in order to make their claws sharper, and more deadly.

System: No roll need be made. Simply increase damage on Claw attacks from Strength + 2, to Strength + 3. This power isn't activated, it's always on. Of course, a Lycanthropian can only grow talons with Protean 2 (wolf claws), Protean 4 (lupus), or Shifting into Hispo or Crinos, with Lycanthropis. (described later)

** Berserker

Any Lycanthropian who uses this power gains the strength of his beast into his body, allowing him greater accuracy in combat, and more outright brute strength. Vampires under the influence of Beserker also seem to be able to ignore wounds.

System: The Vampire who wishes to become a Beserker needs to spend 1 Blood Point at the start of the turn to activate it. While under the influence of Beserker, the Lycanthropian gains a +2 die bonus to all hand-to-hand attacks, and +1 die to Damage. As long as she spends the blood, however, she cannot dodge, parry, or otherwise try to avoid damage. Also, anyone who activates Beserker effectively falls into a frenzy, thereby ignoring wound die penalties.

*** Rage

With this level, the Lycanthropian can add power to his physical attacks. This power lasts for one turn. System: This power requires the use of 1 Bloodpoint. The player also rolls Strength + Occult, difficulty = 7. Treat the number of successes gained as an automatic success which can be spent on any roll taken that turn, and in any amount including damage and soak rolls (anger hurts, and anger can heal). This power cancels itself when all of the successes for that turn are used up, or the turn ends, even with successes still left. A failure means the Lycanthropian couldn't summon the anger to give him enough willpower to achieve the successes, and a Botch usually means that the Lycanthropian got carried away, making him fall instantly into a frenzy.

**** Body of the Glabro^*

The first of the Shapechanging abilities. Body of the Glabro allows the Lycanthropian to change his shape into a brutish-looking Mortal.

System: No roll is required per se, but the transformation does require the expenditure of 3 Blood Points. The Transformation is instant, requiring only one turn to transform. The Lycanthropian gains +2 Str, +2 Stamina. His Human Speech is a bit more slurred, and he'd look like a neanderthol, -1 Manipulation (not for Initimdating), -1 Appearance. The cost to reform back to Homid is again 3 Blood Points. The change to Glabro is permanent unless the Lycanthropian wishes to turn back to Homid.

***** The Howl of Diabolus

By lifting his head to the moon, and by force of will, the Lycanthropian can let loose a deafining howl, attracting the attention of others, but more often used to "summon" someone.

System: The Lycanthropian needs to make a wits + linguistics roll (difficulty 6) and expend a point of Willpower to force himself to howl (if in Lupus, Crinos, or Hispo form, the WP doesn't need to be spent) Each success gained on the roll is equal to 1 square mile from the Lycanthropian's current position. (in other words, how far away it can be heard). This power can be used to summon others to one's position. It should be noted, though that unlike Presence level 4 (summon), the Target person is under not obligation to come to the Lycanthropian.

This Discipline can prove problematic in most Chronicles, where the Chapters are based over whole Countries, or sometimes, even Continents. For the most part, this Discipline Level can be used in city-Based Games, like Boston by Night, Miami by Night, New York by Night, or Canterbury by Night, but don't expect it to work too well in, say, Realm USA or Egypt.

****** Form of the Dire Wolf^*

Lycanthropian vampires who practice the arts of Lycanthropis to this degree are often rewarded. It is rumored that some of the most powerful of the Lycanthropian have actually uncovered the secrets of the Shapechangers. With such knowledge, it was only a matter of time for them to come up with different powers with the same effects. Form of the Dire Wolf is one such power. It turns the Lycanthropian into the Hispo form, normally reserved for the Garou.

System: The transformation into Hispo is instant for Lycanthropian's with the expenditure of 3 Blood Points and 1 Willpower Point. In Hispo form, the vampire gains +3 Strength, +3 Stamina, +2 Dex with -1 Difficulty on all Perception rolls. -3 Manipulation (Does not count for Intimidation) The Hispo is a huge, hulking, wolf-like beast, resembling the prehistoric Dire Wolf. The head and jaws are massive, and the bite of a Hispo causes one additional die of damage. In emergencies, the Hispo can stand on its hind legs, but it mostly stays on all fours. It weighs almost as much as the Crinos, but its wolf-like legs enable it to run at one and one-half times normal speed. Perception roll difficulties in this form are reduced by one, but the Hispo has no hands and may not hold objects with its jaws. To return to Homid form, the expediture of 1 Bloodpoint is called for, and it takes 3 turns to complete the transformation back. The change to Hispo is permanent unless the Lycanthropian wishes to turn back to Homid.

******* True Crinos^*

It is rumored that some of the most powerful of the Lycanthropian have actually uncovered the secrets of the Shapechangers. With such knowledge, it was only a matter of time for them to come up with different powers with the same effects. True Crinos is one such power. It turns the Lycanthropian into the huge half-man/half-wolf form, normally reserved for the Garou.

System: The transformation into Crinos is instant for Lycanthropian's with the expenditure of 3 Blood Points and 2 Willpower Points. In Crinos form, the Lycanthropian gains +4 Strength, +3 Stamina, +1 Dexterity, -3 Manipulation (does not count for Intimidation), and 0 Appearance. Also, Lycanthropians in Crinos form incite the Delirium in mortals (excluding mages). The Lycanthropian grows to a full 10 feet in height, his muscle mass surges and his body becomes more lithe, more powerful. Fur spreads from his skin and covers his body. Huge talons extend from the fingers of the Lycanthropian. These claws do Strength + 2 aggravated wounds. For all the world, he looks like a Garou in Crinos form, except that his Canines are a it larger. The transformation lasts until the Lycanthropian wishes to become Homid again. This 2nd Transformation costs 3 blood points. Also, it should be noted, that due to the fact that, despite the form, the Vampire in Crinos still doesn't breathe. The sigil of no respiration is greater in this form than in Homid, thus differenshiating Vampire Crinos from Garou Crinos. The change to Crinos is permanent unless the Lycanthropian wishes to turn back to Homid.

******** Access to the Secrets of Gaia

A Lycanthropian who employs the power of Lycanthropis 8, may actually learn some of the gifts of the Garou.

System: Once this level of Lycanthropis is learned, the Lycanthropian may learn Rank 1 Garou gifts, at XP expenditure. For the gifts involving Gnosis, substitute Humanity, but so long as the Humanity is 7 or higher. No Lycanthropian can learn any gift where Gnosis expenditure is required. If the Humanity of the Lycanthropian falls below 7, he becomes wyrm-tainted and loses all of his Gifts. For gifts that involve the expenditure of Rage, use 2 BP's as the substitue. Rank 2 gifts may be learned, but come at a high price -- a derangment is earned for every Rank 2 Gift learned. The manner of the derangment is at the ST's discretion.

********* Reach

Lycanthropians who reach level 9 of Lycanthropis may actually enter into the Penumbra.

System: Just as it is for Garou, except, as above, substitute Humanity for Gnosis. Roll Humanity, difficulty dependent upon the amount of Weaver taint, normally 7.


^* The stats gained from taking these forms allows the Vampire to go higher than his Generation-dictated Traits. So a 9th Generation Vampire with Strength 5, who shifts to Glabro would then have Strength 7. However, stats cannot go above 10, even with Shapechanging.