Werewolf: The Forsaken
Werewolf: The Forsaken is a tabletop role-playing game set in the Chronicles of Darkness created by White Wolf Game Studio. It is the successor to "", the "game of savage horror" from the old World of Darkness line of games, but has moved to a more personal sort of horror, reflecting the "dark mystery" theme of the Chronicles of Darkness. Characters. Players portray the Forsaken, werewolves, known as Uratha, who are sworn to a duty to maintain a balance and prevent ingress between the spirit worlds and the material world. Any human who may unknowingly possess a  werewolf heritage could undergo a First Change at some time in their life, though what triggers the metamorphosis is unknown. It is known that it almost never happens before puberty or after the age of 60. Following this Change, each character develops an , defined by what phase the moon was at during their First Change, and most join a or become a tribe-less werewolf known as a Ghost Wolf. Unlike traditional fictional werewolves, Uratha may change at any time into various forms between man and wolf, though they do find this easier when the phase of the moon matches  their Auspice. Uratha are fierce territorial predators who feel the compulsion to hunt. Many have trouble containing their aggression, hindering their ability to live normal human lives. Additionally, humans feel this aggression and are repelled by this feeling. Also, every werewolf is in danger of entering a violent Death Rage (Kuruth in the First Tongue). In this frenzied state the werewolf is a threat to everything, no matter whether friend or foe. Uratha also possess an instinctive understanding of the First Tongue, the language spoken by their ancestors and spirits. Although initially rudimentary, many Uratha can eventually learn to speak  the First Tongue fluently. In the broader context of published setting material, the Uratha are a specialized form of were-beast in the Chronicles of Darkness setting, and belong to the so-called Changing Breeds (beings part human, part animal and part spirit). Among these beings, the Uratha are not the only shapeshifters, but are one of the breeds with the deepest spiritual connection. There are also other differences to the other Changing Breeds. However, the Uratha don't have much contact with the other Changing Breeds and those Breeds mostly avoid the Uratha. Society. Uratha can, theoretically, come from  any part of human society, however following the werewolf's First Change some may choose to abandon human society completely. Instead, most Uratha form packs of at least three other Uratha in order to hunt more efficiently and better protect their territory. Every pack is adopted by a totem (a spirit who bonds with the pack). Each Forsaken werewolf who belongs to a Tribe must swear the Oath of the Moon, which acts as a moral guide for the Uratha (represented in a game system called Harmony). The tenets of the Oath are: Auspices. Each Uratha has an Auspice, a  traditional role in Uratha society, tied to one of five phases of the moon. Luna decides each Uratha's Auspice, based on their personality and abilities; accordingly, a Uratha will go through the First Change during the corresponding moon phase. The five Auspices have the following names in the First Tongue. Each Auspice is broken down into further subdivisions called Aspects. These aspects emphasize strengths (in the form of bonuses or free purchases) of the Auspice but also introduce weaknesses to the character (in the form of flaws or penalties). Tribes. The Forsaken have five Tribes. These Tribes consist of  Uratha who choose to follow one of five ancient and powerful wolf-spirits, called the Firstborn. These Firstborn are the first born children of Father Wolf (but not of Mother Luna) and have allied with the Forsaken. Every one of the Firstborn demands that the Uratha who belong to his Tribe act in accordance to a certain ban. In second edition, each Tribe also has one sort of prey it is specialized toward hunting. These Five Tribes are: Next to these five Tribes, there are the Ghost Wolves among the Forsaken who either never joined a tribe or left them  behind. Therefore, they neither have a tribal ban nor a tribal patron. Some follow the Oath of the Moon and others do not; the only thing that all Ghost Wolves have in common is that they don't belong to the Uratha society in the traditional sense. Biology. The Uratha are physical and spiritual creatures, who can use the energy of the spirits (called Essence) to activate certain supernatural powers (called gifts), supernatural tools (called fetishes), change form or accelerate their healing. Unlike humans, Uratha heal very fast (sometimes in a matter of seconds) and can theoretically regrow limbs and  organs (which is accompanied with a great deal of effort). An exception to this rule are wounds caused by silver. These wounds have a resemblance to burns and only heal very slowly and with difficulty. The Uratha are immune against normal diseases and most foreign particles are expelled from their bodies very quickly. The metabolism of a Uratha is faster than that of a human and so they have to eat more. What they can eat depends on their personal taste and the form they assume at the moment. Most prefer meat, but a vegetarian diet is also possible (but  very difficult). Uratha can reproduce with humans, but the chance that the child will be a Uratha is very small. Reproduction with wolves is not possible and, in first edition, a mating between two Uratha could result in the birth of a Spirit monster called Unihar (mating with other Uratha was considered as a serious sin). In second edition, the taboo of Uratha mating and the Unihar were removed. Forms. Every Uratha may metamorphose at will into five distinct forms, each with its own benefits and drawbacks (physical abilities, digestive traits, reaction to certain drugs, instincts). The three hybrid forms  between human and wolf (just like the usage of clearly supernatural powers) create a certain defense mechanism in normal humans called the Lunacy. Due to the effects of Lunacy, humans will forget or bury their memories in their minds and mechanical means of observation (e.g. cameras) will malfunction. Only humans who are supernatural themselves or have an extremely strong will are immune to this effect. The forms, named in the First Tongue, are: Supernatural abilities. Besides the physical abilities, which all Uratha possess, they can also have access to a wide range of individual powers called Gifts. These Gifts are n't inherited and cannot be learned from other Uratha, but are bestowed by spirits as part of a deal. Some Gifts are easier to learn than others, depending on Tribe, Lodge, or Auspice. Others are only open to specific Uratha. The effects of these Gifts are variable, some enhance physical abilities, while others change the form, bestow powers of divination, control the elements etc. The more powerful the Gift, the higher the rank of the Uratha in question among the spirits must be to learn the Gift. Furthermore, the Uratha can, with the help of certain rituals, bind spirits  into objects and even tattoos and bestow these objects with supernatural power. These objects are called fetishes and can be used once or multiple times. The power of the fetish depends on the power of the bound spirit. Backstory. According to the legend of the Forsaken, the world was once a perfect place called Pangaea—although it is not apparent whether the term refers to a certain place or time. In this world, the barrier between the spirit world and the material world was thin and it was easy to travel from one world into the other. The spirit who  watched over the balance between both was Father Wolf, the mightiest warrior of his time. Father Wolf patrolled the barrier between the two worlds and allowed spirits to remain in the spirit world and even form cults around them. But only so long as they did not become as humans are and flesh and spirit remained separated. Many of the powerful spirit lords saw the wisdom in that and followed the rules. However, those who threatened the balance between the worlds were either chased back to their world or were killed outright. Over time Luna, the spirit of the moon , began to travel the world in a body of flesh. She had many suitors but only chose Father Wolf as a mate, due to his strength and power. With him she sired the First Pack (children part human, part wolf, and part spirit), who were the ancestors of all Uratha and assisted their father in his duties. Over time Father Wolf grew weak and was no longer able to fulfill his duties. When his children saw his weakness, they began to rebel against their father and succeeded in killing him and taking his place. As Father Wolf died, the barrier  between the worlds became so strong that traveling from one to another was only possible in special places for most beings. The pain over the death of her lover caused Mother Luna to curse all children she had ever borne, so that silver (her sacred metal) is able to kill them. Those Uratha who killed Father Wolf, later swore the Oath of the Moon and promised to fulfill the duties of their father. To those Uratha, Luna gave her Auspices and lifted the curse partly. The Forsaken sought out the Firstborn and later founded the five Tribes of the Forsaken . Besides this main legend, there are other legends in the published material (e.g. Father Wolf had not become weak in general but had been weakened due to the fight with an enemy. Therefore, it would not have been necessary to kill Father Wolf). The above story is only the most widespread version, as several modifications only have the basics in common. As the spirits who could attest to the stories mostly don't communicate with the Uratha, at least not directly, the "truth" is unclear and many myths concerning the origin of the Uratha exist. The published book "Blasphemies" deals  with several possible origins of the Uratha as well as the Uratha who believe in them and provides rules to create myths of origin. Antagonists. In the Chronicles of Darkness, there are many dangers for the Uratha. But these rivalries rarely result in open combat, since most supernatural beings in the setting prefer to be hidden. The main threats to the Forsaken are: Comparisons with the previous game. "Werewolf: The Forsaken", while thematically similar to the prior game, "", is different in both mechanics and setting details, although there are strong similarities between the two games and their settings beyond the  thematic ones. Werewolves in both games struggle to interact with humanity while maintaining their spiritual and animalistic sides for example, defending their territory. Conflict with other Werewolves of different ideologies was present in "Apocalypse". The Pure in "Forsaken" are far more prevalent, numerous and morally ambiguous than the diabolical Black Spiral Dancers of the prior game, and more roughly parallel the cultural divide between the Native American Tribes (Wendigo, Uktena and the extinct Croatan) and the "European" Tribes (all the others). The primary difference in the conflict is that Werewolves in "Forsaken" are not set to defend the planetary ecosystem  and its spirit (Gaia) from the depredations of human civilization and technology. Furthermore, the decision to behave in a moral fashion is enforced by rules that are foremost and dire: a werewolf could become consumed with depravity and immorality should they become murderers. In "Apocalypse", any werewolf who could claim just cause could kill someone—and many were those who might be slain freely outside conscience. Other design changes have been made with regard to the spirit world; werewolves now have a much more hostile relationship with spirits than they did in the prior game. Uratha cannot be born  from wolves, and the war-form can only be held for a very short time. Books. <nowiki>*</nowiki> Storytelling Adventure System