Different types of Werewolves?

Has anyone ever thought of creating a different type of werewolf game? Skinchangers was pretty close, but when I think about Werewolves, I kind of think of The Wolf Man, where a person was cursed into becoming a werewolf on the full moon(or every night, or whatever) and what comes from that. Or did Skinchangers already have that? I don't remember it...

Anyone have any thoughts on how something would work in a game? Or if anything like that is even playable?

Have you ever read the Kitty novels by Carrie Vaughn?   The werewolves in that book have their supernatural state passed on through a bite, and are forced to shift on the nights of a full moon.   I made up a game that was inspired by that book, mixing rules from Forsaken and Changing Breeds, but I've not a chance to play it.

Oh it's definitely possible.

When I first read through Forsaken it didn't really do it for me. So I house ruled my game with the kind of stuff that you're asking about.

They have to change on the full moon. They can resist it for a little while but unless they knock themselves out or medicate the ever loving crap out of themselves and losing themselves to the wild feral throes of Primal Urge.

Werewolves aren't born their bitten. At least the Forsaken are. Pure are born and it's the reason why the Pure (who are much, much smaller in number than the Forsaken) hunt their cousins because they have the ability to replicate out of control. Skin Changes and I suppose Changing Breeds are another type. Skin Changers I figure would be like an aberration type that neither Forsaken, Pure or Feral really appreciate. Changing Breeds (not yet included in my Werewolf setting) would be a little more on the mystic end of the spectrum.

Basically when I put together my werewolf setting I wanted a more biological or logical explanation for their lycanthropy rather than the half spirit, superhero kind of a vibe they saturated the Forsaken Core with.

But because there's Forsaken and Pure doesn't mean there can't be other types like a "Wolf man" that only has access to his Galabro form. I haven't included them in my game but I have thought about including something like that. I've left the door wide open.

It's definitely playable. Not much changes really.

GhostSong:

Basically when I put together my werewolf setting I wanted a more biological or logical explanation for their lycanthropy rather than the half spirit, superhero kind of a vibe they saturated the Forsaken Core with.

Yea, thats what I was wanting to. Its not that Forsaken is a bad game, its just not what I wanted.

I love the werewolf stories where some poor sucker was bitten and is now curse to change into a werewolf. Sounds like what you did is right up my alley. I likes.

Glad I'm not the only one who wanted something along those lines..

Blunt Vorpal:

Have you ever read the Kitty novels by Carrie Vaughn?   The werewolves in that book have their supernatural state passed on through a bite, and are forced to shift on the nights of a full moon.   I made up a game that was inspired by that book, mixing rules from Forsaken and Changing Breeds, but I've not a chance to play it.

I haven't. I may have to check em out tho...thanks.

Mr Gone:

I kind of think of The Wolf Man

Mr Gone:

Yea, thats what I was wanting to. Its not that Forsaken is a bad game, its just not what I wanted.

Precisely. Forsaken is a great game but it's a little too close to Werewolf the Apocalypse for me.

Another thing that I didn't necessarily dig about Forsaken is how much emphasis there was on the whole spirit angle. I though there was a wasted opportunity to tell some real gritty, primal gangland warfare stories. Sure it's in the game but it seems to be buried under a lot of talk of werewolves fighting against the nefarious spirits. Which always suffered from what I've called, Superhero Syndrome.

I also wished that Forsaken would have ditched the "rage" bit in the the Uratha's primal urge. It's kind of myopic to think that primal urge equates to rage and it's anger that allows these things to change shape. That's not a thing in my game. Rage is certainly part of it but so is passion and joy and fear. It's emotion cranked up to 11, without the restraint and filter of human civility.

GhostSong:

Superhero Syndrome

Anton Sugar:

You might actually like my Game.  I just have to finish the darn thing!

I'm a huge fan of the Werewolf mythology, I'm sure I would like it.

I've asked on a couple of occasions how receptive fans would be if White Wolf released Werewolf the "Something else". Which is just like a supernatural core book just it's own entity. I haven't had a lot support probably because the Toolbox style of gaming that White Wolf is founded on is often times over looked. But I would love for there to be multiple Werewolf, Vampire, and Mage settings that you can pick and choose from to fine tune your supernatural world. 

GhostSong:

I also wished that Forsaken would have ditched the "rage" bit in the the Uratha's primal urge. It's kind of myopic to think that primal urge equates to rage and it's anger that allows these things to change shape. That's not a thing in my game. Rage is certainly part of it but so is passion and joy and fear. It's emotion cranked up to 11, without the restraint and filter of human civility.

It's part of the Scandinavian mythos attached to berserks. They were considered shape strong (rather implies that they were strong enough to overcome a fixed form) and thus able to transform. It's debated how literal that was meant, but supposedly, some members of their bloodlines were werewolves. (Kveldulf, father of Skallagrim and grandfather to the titular Egil, was thought to be a werewolf. Egil and Skallagrim were both berserks.) The berserk transformation is described as the shape (or form) of rage. The distinction between the werewolf-esque characters and the berserks was subtle as all heck. I don't think they were considered different, just extents of the same thing.

(All this is roughly translated and from old memories. Egil's Saga has some of the information, if you want a reference in a family saga. I can't think of an example in a heroic saga off the top o' my noodle. Maybe someone else can hook us up with one.)

My point is,  they actually didn't pull the connection out of their collective rump. That's not a big reason to keep it, of course, so if you've got a different vision for 'em,  change away. Just figured I'd point it out.

Edit:
Oh, as to alternate nWoD versions of Mage and Werewolf? I'd definitely be down with that.

I like the new Werewolf, but I've been toying with the idea of both a bite curse and dropping harmony for a dual track scheme. (Wolf (instinct and spirit) and Man (logic and self control)) None of it is really ready for prime time, though. However, since asked, I'll give what I recall without searching for my notes. Basically, I was thinking of the bite granting the Wolf, which is a 0-10 point rating with temporary and permanent rating. When it hits a threshold: First Change. Every New Moon, temporary Wolf drops by one. Under a Full Moon, Wolf gains a bonus of one or two, which reverts when over. Eventually, a really dedicated person could resist the curse, but most are going to fall to it in days, as Wolf represent the primal urges the curse brings. Any actions that the Wolf likes grant temporary points. Only performing acts contrary can lower it. Composure is your friend.

TheNate:

It's part of the Scandinavian mythos attached to berserks. They were considered shape strong (rather implies that they were strong enough to overcome a fixed form) and thus able to transform. It's debated how literal that was meant, but supposedly, some members of their bloodlines were werewolves. (Kveldulf, father of Skallagrim and grandfather to the titular Egil, was thought to be a werewolf. Egil and Skallagrim were both berserks.) The berserk transformation is described as the shape (or form) of rage. The distinction between the werewolf-esque characters and the berserks was subtle as all heck. I don't think they were considered different, just extents of the same thing.

Ahh that's cool. I wasn't aware of that myth. That's good stuff though. Yeah I thought Rage was just a hold over from Apocalypse. I could see me creating a Lodge around that myth. That'd be cool...

Heh, I created a legacy based on berserks and their connection to Oðin for Mage. That's over in the mage "Custom Legacy" thread. (Here) Made the big guy an Exarch, 'cause that really fits him better than anything like an Oracle. He's Glad of War because war distracts and otherwise confuses or kills the mages.

I can definitely see a Scandinavian lodge or two based on the berserk families.

Many families of the Berserks told Harold to stuff it, and moved to Iceland when he won, so the lodge could be centered in either area, or both, with subtle differences/rivalries having cropped up in centuries since. (I wanna say that was around 300 AD) Those in Iceland, for example, should have the more scholarly and poetic side of the berserks nailed, as they were also renown for skalds. Thems what stayed in Norway would probably been a bit more pissed, since they were hunted down. In Iceland, they "Christianized" essentially willingly, and even won the right to have married priests as a consequence, so more of them survived.

Trying to think of what this could look like as a lodge. Perhaps the Icelander lodge has a bonus to Glory to represent their renown for storytelling, but also require a higher skill in Academics and Performance(storytelling) as requirements. The others may have been clever about hiding their kin, and have a bonus to merits involving Wolf-blooded or Subterfuge. Otherwise, the benefits should be similar, I'd think. If you're making them for a werewolf variant that's removed the rage, well, there is something obvious to add.

Slip in a merit that 5 dot Wolf-Blooded can take that makes them berserks, granting several bonuses that stack nicely with those from Wolf-Blooded. (Spitballing: Convert lethal from blades or fire to bashing, lose 10 again and 1's subtract successes when resisting anger, when enraged, improve all physicals by two each, immune to Delerium.)

That's a hybrid of historical and legendary. What piques your fancy?
I rather like the notion of werewolves having every primal impulse magnified, not simply rage. Hence the rules for Wolf/Man. They aren't incompatible, it's just that Wolf will overpower Man from time to time.

TheNate:

It's part of the Scandinavian mythos attached to berserks. They were considered shape strong (rather implies that they were strong enough to overcome a fixed form) and thus able to transform. It's debated how literal that was meant, but supposedly, some members of their bloodlines were werewolves. (Kveldulf, father of Skallagrim and grandfather to the titular Egil, was thought to be a werewolf. Egil and Skallagrim were both berserks.) The berserk transformation is described as the shape (or form) of rage. The distinction between the werewolf-esque characters and the berserks was subtle as all heck. I don't think they were considered different, just extents of the same thing.

  Which would make something awesome for the Blood Talons, with their relation to Fenrir and perchance for battle.   Not for werewolves as a whole.

Blunt Vorpal:

TheNate:

It's part of the Scandinavian mythos attached to berserks. They were considered shape strong (rather implies that they were strong enough to overcome a fixed form) and thus able to transform. It's debated how literal that was meant, but supposedly, some members of their bloodlines were werewolves. (Kveldulf, father of Skallagrim and grandfather to the titular Egil, was thought to be a werewolf. Egil and Skallagrim were both berserks.) The berserk transformation is described as the shape (or form) of rage. The distinction between the werewolf-esque characters and the berserks was subtle as all heck. I don't think they were considered different, just extents of the same thing.

  Which would make something awesome for the Blood Talons, with their relation to Fenrir and perchance for battle.   Not for werewolves as a whole.

Whyever not?

Anton Sugar:

Mr Gone:

I kind of think of The Wolf Man

Well, I'm putting my own homebrew together using the Mechanics from Forsaken.  It is nothing like the W:tF, for instance Werewolves have almost nothing to do with spirits, but I'm not sure it is what you are looking for either.  It is a game of Primal Fears.

What it going to be about?


Anyway, for the types of werewolves I love, I always liked the stories were someone was bitten by a werewolf and then became one, or someone was cursed and became a werewolf. I haven't been a big fan of the way they are presented in Forsaken.

Tho I did like the stuff from Skinchangers..

GhostSong:

Precisely. Forsaken is a great game but it's a little too close to Werewolf the Apocalypse for me.

Another thing that I didn't necessarily dig about Forsaken is how much emphasis there was on the whole spirit angle. I though there was a wasted opportunity to tell some real gritty, primal gangland warfare stories. Sure it's in the game but it seems to be buried under a lot of talk of werewolves fighting against the nefarious spirits. Which always suffered from what I've called, Superhero Syndrome.

I agree. I used to joke(and yes I do mean joke, so don't get too mad) about Apocalypse being like Captain Planet.