Flaws: Mental

Merits and Flaws can be selected only during character creation and are purchased using freebie points (although existing Merits and Flaws can be removed or new ones added by the Storyteller during the course of the chronicle). Each Merit has its own point cost, while each Flaw has a point value which adds to the amount of freebie points a player can spend during the creation process. A character may take as many Merits as the player can afford, but no character may have more than seven points' worth of Flaws. The seven possible freebie points earned through taking Flaws (when combined with the 15 freebie points from character creation) can give a character a total of up to 22 freebie points to spend in other areas.

#### [ 1 ] Compulsion   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 476 )*

You feel compelled to take certain actions at certain times or under specific circumstances. This psychological quirk sometimes takes a highly ritualized form (constant hand-washing or grooming) or else manifests in trigger situations (compulsive gambling, swearing, talking, stealing). This Flaw not only causes problems for you, but for your packmates as well. You may spend a Willpower point to avoid your compulsion temporarily. Check with your Storyteller to find out how long you can resist before you must spend another Willpower point or succumb to your compulsion.

#### [ 1 ] Impatient   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 477 )*

You have no patience for standing around and waiting. Now is the time for action. Make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) any time you try to wait rather than act immediately. Failure means you're off to tackle what's got to be done, on your own if necessary.

#### [ 1 ] Intolerance   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 477 )*

You have an irrational dislike of a certain thing: An animal, class of person, situation, or object. You gain a +2 difficulty on all dice rolls involving the focus of your intolerance. The Storyteller is the final arbiter of what you can choose to have an Intolerance of: Some dislikes may be too trivial to count (doughnuts or mechanical pencils) while disliking "the Wyrm" is already a common mindset for Garou and hardly counts as a Flaw.

#### [ 1 ] Nightmares   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 477 )*

You experience horrendous nightmares every time you sleep, and memories of them haunt you during your waking hours. Upon awakening, you must succeed on a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) or lose a die on all actions for that day.

#### [ 1 ] Overconfident   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 477 )*

You can do anything -- or so you think. No challenge is too big for you to tackle, regardless of whether you actually have the skill to succeed. Never refuse to attempt something due to being out-gunned, outclassed, or outnumbered. If you fail, you will find someone or something else to blame; it couldn't have been any lack on your part, of course.

#### [ 1 ] Shy   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 477 )*

You dislike being the center of attention and feel uncomfortable in crowds. Difficulties for all rolls involving social interaction with strangers are increased by two. If you are the focus of the situation, even amongst those you know, the difficulty increases by three.

#### [ 1 ] Soft-Hearted   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 477 )*

Whether because of an abundance of empathy and compassion, or simply a weak stomach, you cannot stand to watch others suffer. You must avoid or leave any situation that involves someone in physical or emotional pain, unless you succeed on a Willpower roll (difficulty 8).

#### [ 1 ] Speech Impediment   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 477 )*

You have a stammer, lisp, or other speech impediment that interferes with verbal communication. This impediment affects not only your human voice but also carries over into the Garou tongue, marring your howls and snarls so that they are difficult to understand. The difficulties of all die rolls involving verbal communication are increased by two. This Flaw must be RolePlayed whenever possible.

#### [ 2 ] Amnesia   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 477 )*

You have no memory of your past before your First Change. You don't know if you still have a family, or if someone is out to get you, much less where you were born or anything about your education (although you do remember what you've learned). Your past, however, may catch up with you, revealing many surprising facts about your former life. You may take up to five more points in Flaws that remain unknown to you. Your Storyteller picks them for you and brings them into play (to your surprise) during the course of your chronicle.

#### [ 2 ] Curiosity   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 477 )*

You find mysteries of any sort irresistible. Whether it's a closed drawer, a whispered conversation, or a mysterious light just beyond the trees, you have to know what is going on at all times. Anytime you are presented with the unknown, make a Wits roll or else you must go investigate. The difficulty varies with the roll involved: 5 for simple things ("What is in that storage unit?") and up to 9 for intense circumstances ("I wonder what those fomori are planning. I'd better go listen in. What could possibly go wrong?")

#### [ 2 ] Foul Temper   *( Tribebook: White Howlers 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 70 )*

**Prerequisite:** White Howler

You suffer from perpetual anger, and this shows in your words and actions. You are quick to snap at packmates and lose your temper easily. Because you are so angry so often, you find it more difficult to accumulate Rage as anger is your normal state of being, and it's hard to focus your wrath into something more potent. Whenever you encounter a situation that would normally result in your gaining a point of Rage, you must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) to do so.

#### [ 2 ] Pack Mentality   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 477 )*

You are lost without your pack. Their presence not only supports you, it helps define you. When you are with at least one member of your pack, you have -1 difficulty on all rolls involving group activities or strategies; when you are not, your difficulty increases by 2 on any task. You sometimes have trouble making decision without your pack to help you, even if you are the pack leader. In stressful situations, you may need to make a Willpower roll to act on your own.

#### [ 2 ] Short Fuse   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 478 )*

You are closer to the Wyrm than most Garou; your Rage burns hotter within you than most. Your difficulty for Rage rolls is decreased by two, and you fall more readily into the "thrall of the Wyrm." Be careful when choosing this Flaw; it can bring worlds of trouble down upon you and your pack.

#### [ 2 ] Territorial   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 478 )*

You have the wolf's territorial nature. You dislike leaving your home turf or having people you don't know infringe upon your claimed space. Before play starts, work with your Storyteller to define your territory. You must roll to avoid frenzying whenever strangers enter your territory without your permission, and are reluctant to leave there except under desperate circumstances.

#### [ 2 ] Vengeful   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 478 )*

You have a score to settle; perhaps Black Spiral Dancers murdered your family or a Pentex First Team destroyed your original pack. Taking revenge on the individual or group responsible is your overriding priority in any situation where you encounter them, or have the opportunity to come closer to your revenge. You may temporarily resist your need for vengeance by spending a Willpower point.

#### [ 2 OR 3 ] Phobia   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 477 )*

You have an overwhelming fear of something. Spiders, snakes, crowds, and heights are examples of common phobias. If you have a mild phobia (2 points), you must make a Willpower roll every time you encounter the object of your fear. The difficulty of the roll is determined by the Storyteller and based on the circumstances of the encounter. You must make at last three successes in order to approach the object of your fear or deal with the fearful situation. If you fail the roll, you must run away. The three-point version of this Flaw requires that you make a frenzy check to resist fox frenzy when you are faced with what you fear. Your Storyteller must approve your choice of phobia.

#### [ 3 ] Absent-Minded   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 478 )*

You forget things: important things like names, phone numbers, and which route to take to the caern. You often forget tasks you've been assigned, what day or time certain happenings are taking place, or even when you last ate. Although you don't forget Skills, Talents, or Knowledges, in order to remember specific details about anything more significant than your own name, you need to make an Intelligence roll (difficulty is set by the Storyteller).

#### [ 3 ] Deranged   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 478 )*

You suffer from a permanent form of insanity, either due to a congenital defect or some past trauma. Pick a derangement. Willpower may allow you to overcome your insanity temporarily, but it always returns.

#### [ 3 ] Driving Goal   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 478 )*

You are driven by a personal goal that compels you in sometimes startling ways. The goal is always unachievable: Reform the Black Spiral Dancers, balance the Triat, make amends for your ancestors' crimes in the War of Rage. But while many Garou may empathize with your objectives, few are as consumed by the singular nature of your focus. You must work toward your goal throughout the chronicle (though you can avoid it for short periods by spending Willpower), and your one-track mind continually gets you into trouble with those who do not share the intensity of your vision. Choose your goal carefully, as it will be the focus of everything your character does.

#### [ 3 ] Hatred   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 478 )*

Certain types of people or situations arouse an uncontrollable and irrational hatred in you, causing you to make a frenzy roll whenever you confront the object or objects of your hatred. Furthermore, you actively look for opportunities to wreak destruction on your chosen targets. You should choose your nemesis carefully, since the Flaw can affect your relationship with your pack or sept, and can get in the way of your duties as a Garou. Hatred of the Wyrm is assumed and doesn't count as a suitable object for this Flaw.

#### [ 3 ] Weak-Willed   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 478 )*

You have little resistance to attempts to dominate or intimidate you. Domination-focused Gifts such as Staredown, Roll Over, etc. automatically succeed against you. Your difficulties to resist Social Talents such as Intimidation or Leadership, as well as mind-altering spells or magic, are increased by two. Your Willpower may never rise above 4.

#### [ 5 ] Ability Deficit   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 478 )*

Whether due to poor education, lack of opportunity, or simple laziness, you've fallen short of your potential. You have five fewer points to distribute in one of your Ability categories: Talents, Skills, or Knowledges. Therefore, the most you could initially take in that category would be eight points, and the least would be zero. Of course, you can still spend freebie points to take Abilities in the affected category. However, you cannot have any Ability in that category at three dots or higher at the start of the game. This Flaw is particularly appropriate to lupus characters that have yet to learn much about life as Garou.

#### [ 6 ] Flashbacks   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 478 )*

You managed to make it through your First Change, but not wholly intact. The most insignificant thing can throw you into a different mood or state of mind, and as such your behavior is extremely unpredictable. Because of your precarious emotional state, your Willpower fluctuates. At the beginning of each story, make a Willpower roll (you may not spend Willpower for an automatic success). If you succeed, you may participate in the story as normal. If you fail, however, your Willpower score is considered to be 1 for the duration of that session, and you have only one Willpower point to spend. You may roll again at the beginning of the next session to see if your Willpower for that session works as normal.