Flaws: Supernatural

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 ] Insane Ancestor   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 484 )*

* Prerequisite: Ancestors Background

An insane ancestor of yours occasionally takes over when you seek help from the spirits of your forebears. Usually, this ancestor appears only under certain common circumstances, such as when Black Spiral Dancers threaten you or whenever a certain common rite is performed in your presence. When the Storyteller deems this circumstance has come about, roll your Ancestors Background, difficulty 6. Any successes indicate that your ancestor takes control of you for the scene, or until someone recognizes what is happening and manages to convince him to relinquish control once more. You should create your ancestor, name him, and describe his madness. You may spend a Willpower point to stifle the ancestor-spirit for the scene.

#### [ 1 ] Slip Sideways   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 484 )*

You find it difficult to control travel between the physical world and the Umbra, sometimes entering the spirit world when you don't intend to. When stressed and near a reflective surface, you must roll Wits + Occult (difficulty 7) to avoid shifting into the Umbra unintentionally. In order to overcome the Gauntlet, you must still roll your Gnosis, but the difficulty is 1 less than usual. If you deliberately try to step sideways, you do so at the normal difficulty.

#### [ 1 - 2 ] Forced Transformation   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 484 )*

Certain circumstances force you to undergo an uncontrollable shift in form. You may resist the change by spending a Willpower point, but once you have made the forced change, you may not change back until the triggering situation has passed. You may use the following examples or design your own circumstances and point costs (with Storyteller approval).

* The full moon forces you to assume your Crinos form. (2 points)
* You automatically change to Crinos when your auspice wanes (2 points)
* Sexual arousal stimulates a forced change (1 point to Glabro; 2 points to Crinos; 2 points to Homid if you are a lupus)

#### [ 1 ] Docile   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 484 )*

Your distance from "the wolf" dampens the fires of Rage within you, hampering your ability to access them in Gaia's service. For every point of Docile you take, your maximum Rage is lowered by 2, and can never be bought above that level. Others may see you as "domesticated" or "more dog than wolf" and react with derision.

#### [ 1 ] Foe From The Past   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 484 )*

* Prerequisite: Ancestors Background

You have inherited an enemy, not because of anything you've done, but because one of your ancestors incurred his wrath. The strength of the enemy determines the point value of the Flaw.

* (1 point) A werewolf hunter whose parents were killed by your forebear.
* (2 points) A mage whose mentor suffered at the hands of one of your ancestors.
* (3 points) A powerful vampire or spirit creature who has sworn a vendetta against your family line.

You should work with the Storyteller to come up with a logical backstory surrounding your ancestor's enemy, since encounters with your foe may provide an ongoing story arc for your chronicle.

#### [ 1 - 5 ] Cursed   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 483 )*

You have fallen afoul of someone with supernatural abilities that has cursed you with a specific effect. This curse may have been laid during your prelude, or perhaps even at your birth; it may even be inherited from your ancestors. Your curse is very specific and difficult to dispel without undertaking some major quest or atoning for whatever offense you have committed. Some examples include:

* (1 point) If you pass on a secret you were entrusted with, your betrayal will come back to harm you in some way.
* (2 points) Things you value for sentimental or functional reasons tend to disappear -- mementos, minor fetishes, or significant utilitarian items like the keys to your car or your favorite knife.
* (3 points) Tools break or malfunction when you try to use them, always to your own detriment or inconvenience.
* (4 points) Relationships seem to go wrong as soon as you begin to care for someone. This might keep you from establishing good relations with the members of your sept, your kinfolk, or the rest of your pack.
* (5 points) At critical moments, you tend to experience catastrophic failures. A Fetish doesn't work when you need it most, your gun misfires or jams during combat, or you get stuck while crossing the Gauntlet in an emergency situation. As a significant Flaw, Storytellers should feel free to put you into peril on a frequent basis with this level of Curse.

#### [ 1 - 6 ] Banned Transformation   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 483 )*

Some circumstance, event, or situation inhibits your ability to change forms, except to return to your breed form. To overcome the restricting factor requires the expenditure of a Willpower point and a successful Willpower roll (difficulty 8). Some examples of triggers and their relative point costs include:

* Relaxing music (1 point)
* In the vicinity of wolfsbane (2 points)
* Unless you spend a Rage point (3 points)
* When around silver (4 points)
* During the day or during the night (5 points)
* When the moon is not visible (6 points)

#### [ 2 ] Ghost Kin   *( Tribebook: White Howlers 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 71 )*

* **Prerequisite:** White Howler

There is something about you that ghosts find compelling. When making Social rolls to deal with ghosts (not spirits or ancestors) your difficulty is reduced by 2. This Merit does not give you the ability to sense ghosts.

#### [ 2 ] Mark Of the Predator   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 484 )*

* Prerequisite: Cannot posses the Animal Ken Skill

You give off emanations of a predatory nature. Herbivores shy away from you, while carnivores see you as a potential threat and may offer challenge.

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

* **Prerequisite:** White Howler

The veil between worlds is thin for you, and you are sometimes afforded glimpses of what the future may hold. These visions are, however, shrouded in mystery and symbolism. Once per game session, you receive a vision that may pertain to the near or distant future. The Storyteller makes an Intelligence + Enigmas (or Occult) roll on your behalf (difficulty based on the import of the information being conveyed). Your successes determine how clear the vision is. Rolling no successes indicates that the visions provide dangerously erroneous information.

#### [ 2 ] Sign Of The Wolf   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 484 )*

The folklore of werewolves holds true as far as you're concerned. Like the shapechangers of myth and legend, you possess eyebrows that meet in the middle of your forehead, hair grows on the palms of your hands, and the second and third fingers of your hands are the same length. You may even manifest a pentagram on your palm before and during your auspice's phase of the moon. While most people may simply wonder at these bizarre physical manifestations, werewolf hunters who notice these signs suspect your true nature.

#### [ 3 ] Pierced Veil   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 484 )*

Unlike most Garou, your Crinos form does not trigger the Delirium in mortals. This makes you particularly vulnerable to werewolf hunters, who may find it less difficult to pursue you back to your caern, putting the members of your sept in considerable danger.

#### [ 4 ] Harano Prone   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 484 )*

Characters suffering from this Flaw are prone to bouts of deep depression, indolence, and mood swings. You must make a Willpower roll every scene in which you suffer some form of setback. If the roll fails, you fall into a bout of temporary Harano. You may become morose and inactive, or suddenly spring into self-destructive activity. Your perceptions go awry, causing you to lose a die from every dice pool. If you botch the Willpower roll, you also acquire a temporary derangement. You may delay the Harano attack for a single scene by spending a Willpower point.

#### [ 5 ] Dark Fate   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 485 )*

You labor under some future doom, marked by Fate for a horrible end. All you strive for will amount to nothing. From time to time, you receive flashes of visions regarding your destined fate, causing you to suffer prematurely. You can overcome your morbid moods by spending Willpower, but this only works temporarily. Sooner or later, you will meet your fate (when is left up to your Storyteller, but it will happen during the course of the chronicle -- otherwise, this Flaw would be worth no points). In the meantime, however, you can still attempt to achieve something worthwhile. You may do so with a sense of freedom and abandon, since you know that unless a situation leads directly to your ultimate doom, you stand a good chance of surviving and succeeding. This Flaw works well in conjunction with the Fate Background, which allows you to survive lesser potential bad ends so that you can meet the true doom laid on you.

#### [ 7 ] Taint Of Corruption   *( Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition -- Page 485 )*

Somehow, the Wyrm has touched you and left its taint upon your spirit. When other Garou invoke the Gift: Sense Wyrm, you register as strongly Wyrm-tainted. The taint is innate, and cannot be removed by a Rite of Cleansing (which serves only to make you ill and sore). Minions of the Wyrm trouble your sleep, attempting to lure you fully into the service of the Destroyer. You are at +2 difficulty on any rolls made to resist the powers of "fellow" Wyrmspawn -- fomori powers, Black Spiral Dancer Gifts, Bane Charms, vampiric Disciplines, or the like. Only your pack can keep you from succumbing to the Wyrm, provided they give you their support and assistance. Ridding yourself of this Flaw requires a major quest and can provide the heart of a character-driven chronicle.