Kinfolk Gifts

It is possible for Kinfolk to possess and use Garou Gifts, but a number of restrictions apply. Players of Kinfolk characters cannot purchase Gifts during character creation.

In order to learn a Gift, a Kinfolk must be taught by either a spirit or a Garou. Learning from spirits often requires petitioning a Theurge to summon a spirit, as well as to act as translator and intermediary.

In rare instances — perhaps the Kin has performed a task that pleased a spirit or served it in some manner — that spirit may contact Kinfolk without being summoned, and offer to teach her a Gift as a reward. Learning a Gift from a spirit takes Kinfolk several hours.

It is also possible for a Garou to teach a Kin a Gift. This process is much less efficient than learning from spirits, and it often takes Kin months to learn a Gift in this fashion.

A Kinfolk who has earned Renown may have an easier time finding a teacher for Gifts. He may recite his deeds as part of the price for teaching or in making a case to a Theurge. Any negative Renown will certainly be held against a Kin hoping to earn a Gift.

Regardless of Renown, Kinfolk are unlikely to find a teacher for Gifts outside of their breed or tribe. Both spirits and Garou tend to stand firm on this practice.

Most Kinfolk don’t have Gnosis, meaning they can only learn Gifts which do not require spending it. The rare Kin who does possess Gnosis has the potential to learn any Level One Gifts, except for those that require Rage. That said, because Kinfolk may not have rank (regardless of how much Renown they possess), they may not learn any Gift higher than Level One.

After long sessions of bargaining with Garou and spirits, hours or months of practice, and suitable bribes and pleas, if the character still wants to acquire a Gift, she may spend experience points to do so.

Having useful and powerful Kinfolk reflects well on a tribe. Many encourage their Kin who are capable of learning Gifts, and even have helped create unique Kinfolk Gifts. These Gifts automatically count as being within any Kinfolk’s breed or tribe for purposes of spending experience. Garou can learn these gifts, as well, but they are generally seen as inferior to typical Garou Gifts.

## General Kinfolk Gifts

### Dona Nobis Pacem

The Kinfolk is able to maintain an aura of peace over herself and anyone she touches.

System: The Kinfolk can use this Gift only once per scene, and must expend one Willpower point for the effect to manifest. Humans in her immediate vicinity must make a Willpower roll, difficulty 8, to begin or continue any sort of argument or violence for the remainder of the scene. Garou so touched are at +2 difficulty to frenzy for the remainder of the scene. A unicorn-spirit or dove-spirit teaches this Gift.

### Echoes

A Kinfolk uses this Gift to hear the “echoes” of earlier conversation in an empty room.

System: At least five minutes must have passed since the end of the conversation before the Kin can invoke the Gift. He rolls Perception + Empathy (difficulty 7) to “hear” what words have been spoken. With one success, he can hear conversations that occurred within the past hour; with two successes, he can hear the past day’s chatter. With three or more successes, he can tune in to a conversation up to a week old. Conversations take place in real time, however, so listening to an hour long conversation takes a full hour, and eavesdropping on an afternoon of chatter takes several hours. A dog-spirit or wolf-spirit teaches this Gift.

### Eve’s Touch

This Gift allows the Kinfolk to soothe the wounds of others through his touch.

System: The Kin must roll Intelligence + Medicine, difficulty 6, and touch the wound with his hands. The wound can’t be from any source that would normally be considered aggravated; the only aggravated wounds it can heal are those that have been converted from an excess of lethal wounds. The target’s injuries heal one Health Level per two successes. The Kinfolk may attempt this healing only once per person per day; the Gift is taught by a Pelican-spirit.

## Tribal Gifts

The Gifts presented here are, in most cases, slightly altered versions of the Garou Gifts of the same name. Kinfolk versions may have a shorter duration, require expenditure of either Gnosis or Willpower, or must make an additional effort to make an effect permanent. This list does not include all the possible Gifts, but stands as a sampling of what Gifts are possible. The Storyteller and players may add or subtract to this list or create unique Gifts.

Learning Gifts from other tribes is possible, but only under certain circumstances.

### Black Furies

#### Owl’s Speech

Black Furies and their Kinfolk may draw on the connection between Athena and her sacred owls by means of this Gift. This Gift combines the effects of the Galliard Beast’s Speech Gift and the Philodox King of the Beasts Gift, though it only works on owls. The Moon-Daughters often share this Gift with Kinfolk, particularly those with Gnosis.

System: If a Kinfolk possesses Gnosis, this Gift is permanent and may be used at any time. If a Kinfolk does not possess Gnosis, she may learn this Gift, but must spend a point of Willpower to invoke it each time. It lasts for 8 hours.

### Bone Gnawers

#### Chain Talk

This Gift enables a human Kinfolk to participate in the Bone Gnawer’s Barking Chain for a brief time. Because they cannot change shape, Kin do not have the ability to shape lupine noises. For the duration of this Gift, the human Kinfolk’s normal voice can mimic to that of a wolf’s. The human speaks normally, but the sounds that he produces mimic the language of the Barking Chain.

System: The Kinfolk spends either a point of Gnosis or Willpower to evoke this Gift. With Willpower, the Gift lasts for the length of one series of conversations (usually one scene). A Kinfolk who possesses the Gnosis Merit may use Gnosis instead of Willpower to extend the duration to 24 hours. A wolf- or dog-spirit teaches this gift.

#### Trash Hound

This Gift resembles the Bone Gnawer Level One Cooking Gift except that Kinfolk without Gnosis can learn it. A Kinfolk uses a special cooking pot, such as a cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, or other all-purpose vessel and fills it with some sort of liquid and any food or food-related items that happen to be nearby. The food need not be still edible. Items can include wrappers from fast food to gourmet deli-paper, cereal box-tops, coffee filters, and similar goodies. The result is a meaty stew, a hearty casserole, mac and cheese, or spaghetti and meatballs — enough to feed a family for a main meal.

System: The Kinfolk combines the ingredients while concentrating on the desired meal, spends a point of Willpower, and waits 15 minutes. At the end of this time period, the food is piping hot and ready to eat. The meal must be consumed before the next morning or it will disappear. If a Kinfolk possesses Gnosis, spending one point of Gnosis instead of Willpower also erases tiredness and ensures a good night’s sleep for all partakers. This Gift is taught by a fire-spirit.

### Children of Gaia

#### Water-Conning

A Child of Gaia Kinfolk can evoke this Gift to purify any but the most tainted water by putting her hand into the water or touching her forehead to the surface. An avatar of Unicorn teaches this Gift after the Kinfolk performs an appropriate service for Unicorn.

System: The player spends a point of Gnosis (or Willpower) and rolls Perception + Intuition. Water polluted by feces or parasites has a 6 difficulty. Water fouled by chemical wastes or other man-made toxins has an 8 difficulty. Wyrm-taint may be cleansed only by a Garou possessing this Gift. Each success purifies enough water for one person for one day.

### Get of Fenris

#### Safe Haven

This Gift allows a Fenrir Kinfolk to put a supernatural watch on her house or territory so that she instantly knows when anyone tainted by the Wyrm trespasses. Kinfolk who live within the bawn of a sept find this a useful Gift to know. An Owl-spirit teaches this Gift.

System: The player spends a point of Gnosis (or two points of Willpower) to activate this Gift. Afterward, one point of Willpower (or Gnosis) per day maintains it. When anyone possessing Wyrm taint enters the designated area, the player may roll Perception + Occult (difficulty 7) to detect the intrusion. More successes enable the character to pindown the type and strength of the intruder. Kinfolk may only protect an area they can lay claim to, whether within the bawn (excluding the actual caern) or in the outside world.

### Glass Walkers

#### Control Simple Machine

Similar to the Glass Walker Garou Gift, this Gift allows Kinfolk to command the spirits of simple machines, cause switches to flip, operate levers, push buttons, etc. A technological spirit teaches this Gift.

System: The player spends a Willpower point and rolls Manipulation + Crafts (difficulty 7). The Gift lasts for one scene.

#### Diagnostics

As with the Glass Walker Garou Gift, this Gift enables a Kinfolk to tell just by looking what is wrong with a machine. She may then enlist the machine’s spirit to aid in repair. Any technological spirit teaches this Gift.

System: The player must spend a point of Willpower to enable the Kinfolk character to correctly diagnose the problem. By spending a point of Gnosis (or two points of Willpower), the Kinfolk may convince the spirit to aid in the repair process. The player rolls Dexterity + Repair (difficulty 6). The repair time is halved as well as the number of successes needed for a successful repair.

#### Well-Oiled Running

This Gift enables Kinfolk to keep their fighting equipment in the best possible condition, free from dust, damp, or other environmental factors. It is taught by a dust, war, or water spirit.

System: The player spends one point of Willpower and rolls Stamina + Crafts (difficulty 7). Each success allows the Kinfolk to protect one piece of machinery from environmental damage for one day. Direct hits or physical attacks still affect it.

### Shadow Lords

#### Aura of Confidence

This Gift enables the individual Kinfolk to project an aura of superiority toward other humans, preventing anyone from detecting his flaws or read his aura. An ancestor-spirit teaches this Gift.

System: Kinfolk must spend a point of Willpower to enact the Gift, which has a duration of one week.

#### Whisper Catching

This Gift allows a Kinfolk to supernaturally overhear conversations, giving her a chance to get a heads up on any potential plots against the Garou or their Kin. A crow-spirit teaches this Gift. S

ystem: The player spends a Willpower point and can hear whispered conversations within earshot as if the speakers were next to her. If obstacles or distance could impede ordinary conversations, the player may need to make a Perception roll to succeed.

### SIlent Striders

#### Heaven’s Guidance

A Kinfolk with this Gift can always find her way when there are stars visible in the sky. This Gift is taught by a spirit servant of the North Star.

System: The Kinfolk must spend a point of Gnosis to learn the Gift, but after that, it always operates from twilight to dawn. The user of the Gift is never lost so long as she can see a single star; she always knows where north is and the path she took to get to her present location.

#### Silence

The Kinfolk can muffle any sound he makes. This Gift enables Kinfolk to assist his Strider Kin when necessary. An owl spirit teaches this Gift.

System: The player spends a point of Willpower and gains +2 dice to all Dexterity + Stealth rolls. This Gift lasts for one scene.

### Silver Fangs

#### Osprey’s Eye

This Gift enables a Kinfolk to spot objects or people through water, ignoring any distortion or discoloring of the water that might otherwise impede sight. It enables the user of the Gift to see someone who is underwater as clearly as if they were on dry land. An osprey- or salmon-spirit teaches this Gift.

System: The player spends a point of Gnosis (or two points of Willpower). The Gift lasts for one scene and cannot be used again for 12 hours. When the user is underwater, the difficulty of Perception rolls is at a -2 difficulty for seeing objects or people.

### Uktena

#### Sense Magic

The Kinfolk can detect the pulses of magic and mystical energies, whether the spiritual Gifts of the Garou or the blatant power of wizards or the more harmonious magics of healers, shamans, and other tribal practitioners. They can also sense the darker energies that emanate from vampires or those who practice infernal magic. A spirit-servant of Uktena teaches this Gift.

System: The player rolls Perception + Enigmas, with a difficulty that varies according to the nature and strength of the magic being sensed. One or two successes merely suggests that some spiritual energy is present. Three or more successes provide additional information. For example, the user can tell if the magic relates to dreamcraft, herbal magic, blood magic, or demoncraft. The radius is 20 feet per success.

### Wendigo

#### Call the Breeze

The Kinfolk can conjure up a strong, cold wind (20 mph) that chills anyone not prepared for it. The wind can redirect or disperse clouds of vapor or airborne toxins such as tear gas. It can also deflect swarms of insects. An air elemental teaches this gift.

System: The Kinfolk spends a point of Gnosis (or two points of Willpower) and whistles or hums to summon the wind. She can direct it by thought. Anyone caught in it loses one die from Perception rolls for the duration of the wind and, unless dressed appropriately for such a wind, suffers a -1 penalty to all actions after one minute of exposure.