Bastet Tribal Gifts

[Tami]

A Collection of secrets from the elders of their kind,
these Gifts are easy to learn -- if you can find a mentor
who shares your tribal heritage. Otherwise, a cat would be
hard-pressed to uncover the necessary lore. Bastet who
come into their own without the guidance of a tribal kuasha
often learn these secrets later in life (that is, after character
creation), when and if they find a mentor from the same family.

[Tami]

Bagheera

Although the wereleopards range across Africa and Asia,
their most refined Gifts come from the ancient lands of India.
There, the sages of the Folk have melded the disciplines of
Hindu mystics with the ferocity and wisdom of the leopards
themselves. As they wander across the world, most Bagheera
acquire a variety of secrets from the General Gifts. Their
ancestral magics, however, draw a certain flavor from their homeland.


Level One

Humbaba’s Escape

One of the tribe’s first and most valuable tricks, this Gift allows a wereleopard to dislocate her limbs and slide through small openings. Though the Bagheera claim that the wise cat Humbaba invented the trick, the Simba maintain that he originally learned it from Mouse-spirits.

System: The player rolls Dexterity + Athletics to dislocate her cat’s limbs. The harder the attempt, the higher the difficulty becomes. Undoing her wrist to get out handcuffs would be difficulty 6, while dislocating your spine and ribs to get through an air shaft would be 10. While the cat is out of joint, her Stamina rating drops by two. Simple adjustments don’t cost any Gnosis, but large-scale body-shifts cost one point.

Treeclimber

As the Common Gift of the same name. Leopards excel at climbing, and most kuasha teach this secret first.


Level Two

Lawgiver’s Legacy

In the distant past, it is said that the Bagheera were intended to be the arbitrators of the cat-folk. The position never materialized, but this Gift offers an edge to Bagheera trying to exercise this ancient right with minimal force. With it, a panther can raise her voice to drown out all others without actually shouting, and it adds a note of command that makes even Simba take the panther’s words seriously.

System: This Gift works like the Level One Common Gift: Command Attention, but the effects last for an entire scene. Anyone who wants to contest the Bagheera’s authority must win a resisted Willpower roll with the panther (difficulty 7).

Ojas Surge

By channeling ojas, the mystical energy inside us all, a Bagheera can boost his physical and perceptual abilities beyond their normal limits. To do so, he attains a posture and meditates for a moment, then guides the ojas through his body, directing it to whatever his needs might be.

System: To perform the Gift, the panther must meditate first. This usually takes some time, and depends on experience; it usually takes a First Rank Bahgeera five turns (minutes) to center himself, while a Fifth Rank cat can do it in one. As he attains this state, he rolls his Gnosis (difficulty 7). Each success he wins can then be applied as a dot in one or all of the following Attributes; Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Charisma, Perception or Wits. The Surge also brings a rush of ecstasy, a tingling wash that sharpens the senses and lightens the heart. The Attribute bonuses last for one scene, and cannot be “stacked.” The feeling of well-being lasts all day. The Surge can be done as many times as the Bagheera desires, but each additional try after the first raises the difficulty by two and doubles the meditating time. If an attempt to channel the rush fails, the cat gets depressed and cannot try again that day. A botch may provoke a frenzy.


Level Three

Cobra’s Dance

Long ago, a panther named Tola entered into negotiations with King Snake. After weeks of discussion and debate, the two came to an understanding of sorts. No one knows what secrets Tola offered King Snake, but he learned this Gift as part of the exchange. The Dance allows a cat to freeze prey with a glance. Some old Bagheera claim to know other secrets of the serpent folk, but if any other gifts have survived, they’re not well known.

System: To begin the Dance, a panther sways in place; the player rolls Manipulation + Expression and spends a Gnosis point. This requires at least one turn spend dancing, and the effect lasts one turn per success. The roll’s difficulty depends on the target: hypnotizing most animals is easy (5), while freezing a hostile vampire is anything but (10). To break the spell, the target must win a Willpower contest with the cat (difficulty 8).Otherwise, he’s held stunned and helpless until the gift wears off. Once the Dance takes hold, the cat can do whatever she likes – such as leaving, talking or mauling the target.

Traveler’s Tongues

As the Rank three Homid Gift: Babel’s Cure.


Level Four

The Paradox of Time

To most followers of Hinduism, time is not the linear stream Westerners believe it is. Rather, all times are one time, viewed from a perspective that shifts. In other words, it only appears to move because we believe it does. A skilled Bagheera can employ this seeming paradox to utterly confuse an enemy or enlighten a pilgrim. By showing him the relative nature of time, the panther can offer him a glimpse of his folly – or baffle him for minutes on end.

System: While the cat talks to his target in low, hypnotic tones, the player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas against the target’s current Willpower rating. For each success, the subject’s perceptions skew slightly, disorienting him for two turns. Until the Gift wears off, he subtracts three dice from all Dice Pools due to terminal onfusion. Mages who understand the Time Sphere are totally immune to this Gift’s effects.

Potter’s Clay

As the Level Three Homid Gift: Craft of the Maker.


Level Five

Part the Curtain

Like the Level Four Common gift: Walking Between Worlds, this spell allows a leopard to cross into the Near Umbra. This variation, however, lets her bring others across as well. The Mistress of Catkind is said to have brought this Gift to several Bagheera elders during the British occupation of India. Working with allies from the Swara and Khan, these old cats turned several staid English manors into shrieking chaos.

System: All systems resemble the aforementioned Gift, except that the Bagheera can take one additional ally through for every point of Gnosis she possesses.

Shiva’s Might

In one of the most impressive feats of godlike destruction this side of a nuke, a Bagheera may change into a form reminiscent of Shiva the Destroyer or Kali the Dark Mother (depending on the cat’s gender). In a burst of holy light, the Bastet becomes a 12-foot-tall, six armed Crinos-form werepanther wielding flaming weapons. Until the ground is littered with bodies, the engine of feline wrath hacks everything around it – foe and otherwise –
into bloody giblets. Obviously, this is a last resort, but a very effective one.

System: The player invoking this godlike manifestation spends two Rage points and Two Gnosis points, then immediately rolls for frenzy (difficulty 3). If he wins five successes or more, the Bagheera springs into Crinos form, grows three feet taller, and sprouts four more arms, each bearing a flaming weapon. This destroyer form, the Juddho, goes into a sudden killing frenzy which lasts for one turn for every point of Rage in the Bastet’s permanent rating. If he fails, nothing happens; a botch brings on a fox frenzy instead. The stats for Juddho form are:

Strength
+ 6

Dexterity
+ 3

Stamina
+ 6

Appearnace
0

Weapons
Strength + 4 (aggravated)



No one is safe from Shiva’s Might – anyone in sight will be attacked. The Bagheera is totally incapable of any form of rational communication or combat strategy. Until the Juddho form disappears, he knows only how to kill. In his mind, he wanders through the hells of Asura, slashing and biting everything he meets. When the Gift finally fades, the panther drops to 0 Rage, assumes his breed form, and falls asleep for at least four hours.

[Tami]

Balam

It's all too easy to see the werejaguars as raging defenders of their homelands; truthfully, though, many of their Gifts recall the ancestral races from which they came -- two tribes whose ferocity was matched by their perceptions and wisdom. The magics this tribe calls its own meld the secrets of these lost ancestors with the living land and the fury in the Malam's hearts -- a fury most jaguars are all too willing to take out on trespassers.


Level One

Hunter’s Mists

As the Black Furies Gift: Curse of Aeolus


Storm of Pests

By singing a plea to Tzinzie and his kind, a werejaguar can call up a cloud of mosquitoes, gnats, biting flies, or some equally obnoxious bugs. These creatures don’t so much damage as distract their prey, although they might, at the Storyteller option, carry diseases like malaria or yellow fever. By drawing the victim’s attention to the biting pests, the Balam may prepare either an ambush or an escape.

System: The jaguar’s player rolls Manipulation + Survival. In most rainforests or coastal areas, the difficulty is 5. In other places, the difficulty rises to 7, and goes to 9 in areas where bugs are scarce. For each success, an area roughly 10 feet square is filled with flying bugs, reducing all Dice Pools by 2 for one turn per success. After that, the insects desperse. The cat is not immune to bug bites, but usually knows what to expect and can act normally.


Level Two

Ancestral Wings

According to their folklore, the Balam were once two tribes. One of the original families, the Olioiuqui, had wings. By digging into this ancestral past, a werejaguar can invoke their gift and fly for short distances.

System: The player rolls Intelligence + Primal-Urge against difficulty 8 and spends a Gnosis point. If successful, brightly-colored wings burst from the Balam’s shoulders and carry him aloft. While winged, the cat can fly at 15 yards per turn in any form, and may carry up to 200 pounds of additional weight. This Gift lasts for one scene (or one half-hour), after which the wings atrophy and harmlessly drop off.


Smoking Mirror

As the Level Three Common Gift: Farsight.


Level Three

Touch of the Tree-Frog

By touching a victim with her paw, teeth or even spittle, a Balam can paralyze him for minutes on end. Some jaguars take this opportunity to get away, or to deliver a warning; others make more sadistic use of that time. This Gift stems from the Tree-frog-spirits, whose fluids coat the arrows of the ancient folk.

System: the Jaguar spends a Gnosis point to activate the Gift; once done, it lingers in her skin until she brushes against someone. Unless the target makes a Stamina + Awareness or Prima-Urge roll (difficulty 8), he is frozen for one turn per point of the Balam’s current Gnosis (the score she had before she cast the Gift). He may, if he’s lucky, break the paralysis with a Willpower roll (difficulty 9); if not, he remains helpless for the duration.

Wandering Forest

As the Red Talons Gift: Trackless Waste.

Level Four

Vision Cloud

Among the old folk, the jaguars were respected for their insight. Many Olmacs and Maya came to them for visions, and the tribe responded by evoking this ageless Gift. By calling to the spirits of the air and the plants, a modern jaguar can still conjure the Vision Cloud, a swirling fog which wraps itself through the clearing or cave, bringing mystic insights to those who seek them - and to those who do not.

System: By rolling Manipulation + Enigmas and spending a Gnosis point, the Bastet is allowed to call up the Cloud from nothingness. This misty kaleidoscope fills an area up to 50 feet square including the Bastet himself. The hallucinations which ensue are left to the Storyteller’s discretion, but should foreshadow possible future events, reveal lost lore, or offer clues that clever characters can decipher (see “Storytelling” in Werewolf, pages 59-61 for ideas).

Jungle’s Vengeance

By tapping into her ties with the land, a Balam urges the jungle to turn against any invaders. The assault begins innocently enough, with vines that trip and swarms of hungry bugs; if the outsiders don’t get the hint and leave, however, the Vengeance turns nastier. Pools of quicksand, poisonous plants and insects and clouds of noxious gas spring into existence right in the invader’ path. Ultimately, the Gift whittles a determined force of trespassers down into a handful of desperate survivors easy pickings for an angry werejaguar and her friends….
System: the player puts a point of Rage and two points of Gnosis into the Gift, which then swells into a series of scattered but purposeful events. Although the Storyteller has the final say about exactly what happens where and to whom, the land and its pests begin a subtle campaign to drive invaders out. These events escalate from annoyances to fatalities as the Storyteller desires. Although they won’t be powerful enough to destroy a band of supernatural foes, most mortals will be driven to near-madness before the Gift runs its course.

Level Five

Feed the Gods

By reaching out with his hand, a powerful jaguar can rip the heart out of an enemy from a distance, pull it to his palm, and consume it in a burst of fire. This Gift kills the target if it succeeds. Only strong magic can rebuild the ashes of the heart or grow another one in its place.

System: the Balam’s player rolls Gnosis against difficulty 7, and spends two points of Gnosis as well. The cat’s successes must double the target’s Stamina rating; any armor, magical defenses, or dots in Fortitude, Glamour, the Spirit Sphere, Avatar or innate countermagick subtract one success for every dot of protection. Hence, this Gift isn’t a very effective method of sacrificing supernatural beings. Against unarmored humans, however, it’s devastating. The victim keels over and dies, as his heart flares into flame. It takes two turns to burn the heart into ash; by then, the victim is irrevocably dead unless someone has the power to rebuild his heart from powder and return the soul to its body. This Gift is totally useless against those already dead (but not undead - vampires can still be destroyed this way).

Heal the Wounded Land
As the Level Four Metis Gift: Redeem the Waste.

[Tami]

Bubasti

The sinister shadowcats preserve their Gifts in riddles and puzzles. Although they occasionally learn new ones from spirits like Whispers and Old Snapjaw, most tribal Gifts are passed from elder to younger. These Gifts are never
taught to other tribes -- they're hard-won ancestral lore, proudly pretected by a system of taboos and punishments. A Bubasti who instructs an outsider in their ways is hunted down and destroyed (see the Eater of the Dead rite).

Level One

Alms to the Poor

Beggars are an all-too-common feature of the Bubasti homelands. As a kindness (and perhaps as a bribe to the gods), the shadowcats developed this secret, which allows one to conjure up a small bit of food or money to give to a beggar. Naturally, the cat can use the “alms” for himself, but they taste slightly bitter and leave the palm greasy if used for selfish means.

System: The player spends a point of Gnosis and rolls his Gnosis against difficulty 6. Each success creates a handful of food or cheap copper coins (no bills, silver or gold). Most Bubasti disguise this “miracle” by reaching into a sack or box before sharing this wealth.

Scholar’s Friend

A simple yet helpful Gift, this secret allows a Bubasti to read a book, scroll or tablet in any written language. This talent doesn’t teach the cat any new language, nor will it help him understand esoteric concepts or missing bits of text. Even so, the ability to read anything set in front of you is a subtle yet powerful gift.

System: The shadowcat spends a Gnosis point, rolls his Willpower and begins reading. The difficulty of the roll depends not he obscurity of the text:


Language
Difficulty
Modern
5

Scholarly (Latin, Sanskrit)
6

Archaic or dead (Armaic)
7

Common pictorgrams (classic Egyptian)
8

Obscure pictograms/code (Sigils of Mu)
9

Personal codes/lost cuneiform
10


Only one roll is allowed per reading session. The gift lasts for one hour per success, and the cat must rest his eyes for several hours after finishing. A failed roll doesn’t necessarily mean the werecat couldn’t read the text; it may mean that he read it wrong. Storytellers are advised to keep the difficulty of the roll secret, and to base the information given on the success of the roll. One success lets the cat get the general idea, while four successes or more indicate complete understanding.

Level Two

Mousemaze

An unsettling spell of confusion, this Gift disorients a target until he blunders around in a panic. Walls shift and close in, shadows lengthen, sounds drift to his ears from all corners, and familiar places seem strange and threatening. Although the magic has no real effect on the person’s surroundings, his terror and confusion send him into a frenzy, making him an easy target for the werecat lurking nearby….

System: The cat’s player rolls Manipulation + Empathy, with the target’s Willpower (or Rage, if higher) as a difficulty. Success scrambles his sense of direction and relationship. The better the roll, the more confused the target becomes. Three successes or more send him into a panic; werewolves and vampires must check for frenzy; mages must make Willpower rolls or go into short Quiet; mere humans just freak out. This disorientation lasts about 15 minutes, then slowly fades.

Spirit Ward

By employing the eldritch enigmas of Egypt, a Bubasti can wall an area off from spirit-traffic. No spirit can move in or out of the warded place without the cat’s permission. Naturally, the stronger chaya can shred this barrier like papyrus; still, the wisest werecats can erect stronger barriers than their youngers can….

System: By spending a Gnosis point and rolling her Willpower against difficulty 8, the Bubasti erects a barrier across an area no larger than 30 feet by 30 feet. Each success the player rolls raises the Gauntlet around the area by 1 (maximum 10), and extends it so that the barrier exists in both the material and Penumbral worlds. This irritates the spirits, and they can often tell who’s to blame. The Ward lasts one day per point of Gnosis in the Cat’s permanent pool, unless some spirit destroys it, which a chaya can do by rolling its Rage against the new Gauntlet rating. Three successes or more will turn the Ward to spirit-dust.

Level Three

Banish Cahlash’s brood

By calling upon the Father of Dark Spirits, a Bubasti may command one of his brood to depart. Of course, powerful spirits or ones bound into fetishes won’t be easily dismissed; doing so may demand great rituals or even a sacrifice. Small independent elementals or Banes, however, may be banished with slight effort. Calling upon Cahlash has a price: Each time the werecat performs this Gift, his fur grows a deeper shade of black and his actions become more … erratic. Garou or Bastet who Sense Wyrm on him will detect the Unmaker’s essence upon him until he purges himself somehow. The more spirits he banishes, the deeper the taint becomes.

System: The cat’s player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas and spends a Willpower point to attempt to dismiss a spirit. The difficulty is the spirit’s Gnosis, or its Rage if the latter is higher. Each success removes 10 points of the Spirit’s Power. Banishing a 30 power spirit, then, requires at least three successes. Getting rid of a powerful spirit might require an extended roll or two; a spirit bound into a fetish, meanwhile, sets the difficulty at 6 plus the fetish’s level (a level 4 fetish would be difficulty 10, as would a level 5). Sacrificing a bit of blood to Cahlash may add to the Gift’s effectiveness; for every Health Level “spent” this way, the Bubasti lowers the difficulty by 1. The spirit isn’t under any obligation to sit still during the process, and may attack the Bastet until either the werecat stops or the spirit disappears. Nala help the werecat who botches this Gift; the Wyrm taint fills him utterly, and he must make a Rage roll, difficulty 6, or frenzy. Atonement isn’t impossible, but ridding one’s self of the dark taint often requires a rigorous quest without Renown.

The Many Tongues of Ptah

As the Level Three Homid Gift: Babel’s Cure.

Level Four

The Scarab’s Flight

By calling together the elements of her soul, a Bubasti can send them out of her body for a while. The body itself enters a deathlike trance until the Scarab return; although it doesn’t decompose, all other signs (magical and otherwise) declare that the cat has died. The flying Scarab resembles an ordinary insect unless inspected with magical sense, in which case it glows brightly.

System: Manifesting a soul into a beetle shape requires a Manipulation + Occult roll (difficulty 8) and a one-Gnosis expenditure. From there, it takes wing from some orifice or crawls away unnoticed (Perception + Alertness, difficulty 9 to spot). The body remains intact for one day per success, during which time the Scarab can reenter and resurrect the cat. After the time limit passes, the body instantly decays, even if it has been preserved somehow.

Shadowplay

As the Theurge Gift of the same name (found in the Players Guide). Unlike the werewolf Gift, the Bubasti does not have to mimic the shadow’s movements; once free, it can go about its business as if it were a perfect duplicate of the Bastet. Also unlike the Garou Gift, some light must be present to cast the shadow in the first place.

Level Five

Deny the Hungry

As the Level Five Homid Gift

Spirit Wall

One of the greatest tricks a Bubasti learns is the area of calling together minor spirits from around the area and forming them into a wailing Umbral wall. Such magics do not endear a cat to the spirits in general, but by the time she achieves this Rank, a Bubasti should have enough sense to use such power wisely – and enough power to protect herself when she uses it at all.

System: The player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas. The difficulty can range from 6 to 10, depending on how many minor spirits are nearby. This takes two turns. To shape the assembled chaya into a wall, she spends two Gnosis points and rolls a contested roll between her Willpower and the spirits (assume a dice Pool of three dice for everyone success the Bubasti scores on the earlier roll). If she succeeds, the resulting wall blocks spirits, imposes a Gauntlet of 10 and lasts for one turn per success on the Willpower roll. If she fails, the spirits remain unbound, unformed and angrier than hell.

Level Six

The Fleeing Scarab

One of the Bubasti’s most obscure tribal secrets, this Gift allows a cat to remove her soul, incarnate it, and send it out of harm’s way while her body dies. The soul, which often takes the form of a flyin scarab beetle, searches out an appropriate new host body, climbs into its mouth while it sleeps, and “lays” the old soul into the new host. The Bubasti who knows this forbidden secret (and less than eight such cats exist) is theoretically immortal, though such longevity is purchased in other
beings’ lives.

System: Collecting the soul for transport requires three Gnosis points and a successful Manipulation + Occult roll (difficulty 8). Failure traps the soul in the body as it dies (although the Gift may be tried up to three times if the cat has enough time to do so). Once freed, the soul wings forth, searching for a host. It has 24 hours to find one before the soul-essence scatters. Once a host is found, the beetle climbs into his mouth and tries to take the body over. This “possession” demands an additional Gnosis point and a roll of the Bubasti’s current Willpower at the time of her death. This roll's difficulty is the host's current Willpower +3 (maximum 10). If successful, the Bastet takes over the body, retaining her old memories and the host's as well. If not, she can make one final try before her soul fades away forever.
To retain command of the host, the cat makes weekly Willpower rolls against the host's original Willpower. Hence, the Bubasti rarely commandeer supernatural creatures or stubborn individuals, at least for long. After a lunar month has passed in one body, the host becomes a Bubasti with five points in the Past Life Background. Although all her previous Gifts are lost in the process, her memories remain intact. Thus, she knows where to learn them again later. A botch at any point in the use of the Gift sends the soul straight into the Oblivion spoken of by the Dead, so this magic is not lightly undertaken.

[Tami]

Ceilican

The Gifts of the "lost" Ceilican show their old affinity to the fae. Illusion, enchantment and other trickery inspire the arts of the faerie cats, which mix wonder and terror in equal measure. Some talents have come to the fore in recent decades, but the majority of the tribe's Gifts retain their
link to lost faerieland -- fallen Arcadia, where dreams and reality were one. Despite rumors of their extinction, these cats have no intention of following their allies into oblivion

Level 1

Mother's Blessing/Curse

Folklore holds that a cat had the ability to either bless or curse a pregnant woman. In the case of the Ceilican, this legend is true. A kind Bastet can offer a boon to the mother, while a spiteful one can harm her in some minor but memorable way.

System: This Gift's effects are more psychological than physical, and get an extra boost from the way the Ceilican acts toward the mother whiule offering his wishes. Setting things in motion demands a Gnosis point and a roll of Manipulation + Occult (difficulty 7). While touching the nother's belly, the cat either wishes her well or ill, usually in some poetic rhyme. After that, some good or bad event befalls the woman or her child. Although the event itself is outside the character's control, the number of successes he rolls should reflect the power of the Blessing or Curse. Blessings can include an easy delivery, unusal good looks or great helath. Curses include breech birth, minor disability or poor constitution. Once one event has occurred, the gift is discharged.

Satyr's Wisdom

By calling upon the talents of his tribe's fae allies, a Ceilican can play any musical instrument as if he'd been rered with it in his hands. Although this talent is fleeting, it can make one hell of an impression.

System: With a Manipulation + Occult roll (difficulty 7), the cat gains a few temporary points in Expression, Performance or the optional Singing secondary Skill. For each success, he adds one dot to the chosen Trait. This lasts for as long as the Ceilican plays; afterward, the skill fades from his fingers until he either learns it for good or uses the Gift again.

Level 2

Banish Burning

This Gift became necessary during the Madness, when sorcerers and witch-hunters both tossed cats on the pyre to please demons and God. With it, the Ceilican may protect herself or a companion from normal fire. While the Moon Mother and Mistress of Catkind originated this Gift, Burning Cat is as well.

System: Before the Bastet meets the flames, the player must roll Gnosis (difficulty 7) and spend one Willpower point to protect the Bastet. If she succeeds, no nonmagical fire will hburt the Bastet for the Gift's duration. Magical fires reduce their effects by one Health Level for every success. Banish Burning lasts one scene, and does nothing to protect the cat from smoke inhalation, oxygen deprivation or falling debris.

Sorcerer's Blade

By casting this Gift on a weapon, a cat can enchant a blade so that it harms supernatural beings. A favorite trick of swashbuckling Ceilican who wandered the open roads in bygone eras, this Gift often comes from the King of Cats or Mistress of Catkind.

System: The player spends a point of Gnosis and rolls Manipulation + Occult while the cat cradles the weapon in her hands. The blade then inflicts aggravated damage until the next sunrise. Although this Gift allows the cat to enchant missile weapons, each bullet or arrow must be Gifted separately. Although the arrows may be reused, bullets cannot be.

Level 3

Data Flow

As the Glass Walkers Gift (in the Player's Guide).


Phantasm

Twisting the fibers of illusion, the Ceilican create majestic nonsense to baffle and enterain their comanions -- or horros to torment their enemies. This secret obviously comes from forbidden faerie lore, and can be quiet powerful in the hands of a cat with an active imagination.

System: To cast a Phantasm, the player rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge and spends a Willpower point. The resulting illusion lasts for one scene unless the cat chooses to dismiss itg, and can extend through an area roughly 10 feet square. Simpole illusions are easy; the more complex the trick, the harder it is to perform. Although the illusions have no siloid form, a casual witness might be fooled into believing that a Phantasm was real.

Illusion
Complexity

One success
Minor lights and noises

Two successes
Cherent and recognizalbe images or sounds

Three successes
Complex, interweaving imgaes and sounds

Four successes
Vivid mulisensory hallucinations

Five sucesses
Indistinguishable from the real thing with out examination



Illusion
Difficulty

Single sound or flash of image
6

Complex pattern of light or sound
7

Complex moving pattern
8

Complex active pattern
9

Complex active multi-pattern
10


Monkey's Uncle

As the Level Four Homid Gift of the same name. Small Cousin
Some Ceilican over-steeped in human culture call this Gift Blofeld's Cat after James Bond's nemesis (who, they insist, was the white cat, not the man). This Gift allows a Bastet to physically become a house cat. While this form can be limiting, it's very unobtrusive. Best of all, it doesn't hamper cat magic in any way, and screens out routine mystic senses. Unless the vitime subjects his housecat to a rigrous magical appraisal, the Bastet is free to enter and observe whatever he likes.

System: The Ceilican's player spends a Gnosis point and rolls her Gnosis against difficulty 8; for each success, the Ceilican can retain her feline form for one hour. During this time, her Phsycal Attributes become those of a domestic cat, although her Social and Mental Attributes remain the same. She cannot speak, but can use any Gift that her feline form will allow. Although a person who makes a successful Perception + Awareness roll (difficulty 8) might relaize that "there's something weird about the cat," her true nature remains hidden unless someone penetrates her disguise magically (with Disciplines or True Magick, for instance). Attempts to do so add 3 to their difficulty. It should be noted that few vampires or wizards bother to check every passing cat with magical sight unless they have some compelling reason to be so paraniod (over and above their usual paranoia).

Level 5

Chariot of Lions

This less-then-subtle Gift lets a Ceilican conjure a Chariot drawn by huge cats. Like the craft of the goddess Freyja, this chariot is made of coarse-cut wood and covered with Nordic designs. The two huge cats that pull it run as fast as the average car, and can, in a pinch, carry the Ceilican and one passenger into the air for a few moments. Only the Mistress of Catkind teaches this Gift; learning it without her blessings is a grave insult.

System: The player rolls Gnosis against difficulty j8 and spends three Gnosis points. The chariot appears from think air and lasts for one scene, or for an hour -- long enough to make a quick getaway, but not long enough to use as regular transportation. by spending a Willpower point, the Bastet's player may urge the chariot intgo the air for two turns; each additional turn costs another Willpower point.

The Madness of Crowds

As tales from the with-craze demonstrate, some Ceilican indulge their darker appetites after sundown. The more sadistic of these games involve bystanders whipped into a frenzy by this nasty secret, then set loose. Byh capering around a room or clearing, the Ceilican can stir up the wild side of everyone nearby, causing an orgy or riot unless her "subjects" are unusually stubborn or controlled. The same Gift can tame an angry mob, although it's generally easier to start trouble than to end it.

System: The fae cat's player rolls Manipulation + Empathy to turn the mood of a crowd her way. By adding a Willpower point to the mix, she seizes control of their collective will. The difficulty of the task depends on the size of the mob, and on how inclined it is to follow her suggestion. A packed nightclub is more likely to be led into an orgy than a Baptist congregation (though the results of the latter might be more disturbing...). All targets must be within 700 feet when the cat begins to use the Gift. Circumstances and surroundings may add or subtrract from the overall difficulty; calming a disturbance raises the difficulty by 2. A person caught up in the Gift can attempt to resist with a Willpower roll (difficulty 7). The Madness lasts for one scene, and leaves the werecat's control once in motion.

Size of Group
Difficulty

Small group (2-20 people)
6

Medium Group (20-50 people)
7

Crowd (50-100 people)
8

Mob (100-300 people)
9

Riot (300-500 people)
10

[Tami]

Khan

The weretigers' warlike nature is balanced by their cultural discipline. Their tribal Gifts tap into both violence and serenity, tempering personal strength with refined skill. traditional servants of the Maker, these fierce cats can invoke devastating powers against the Asura and all their kind.

Level 1

Rhino's Favor

By calling on the spirit of the rhino, a Khan may grow a temporary horn on her skull. Although the protrusion is a bit unsightly, it allows the tiger to head-butt an opponent for considerable damage.

System: The Khan rolls Gnosis to grow the horn. This protrusion lasts for one scene, and allows her to gore opponents for Strength + 2 (aggravated damage, difficulty 7). Tiger skulls aren't built for ramming, however; botching such an attack inflicts normal Strength damage back on the Khan.

Skin of Jade

Willing himself solid, a Khan might turn his skin to the hardness of jade. It's said that the spirit of the rock itself taught this Gift to Yu Kwan, a warrior in the service of the alchemist Ko Hung.

System: By spending a Willpower point and rolling Gnosis (difficulty 7), the tiger gains an additional two dice to his soak rolls. This Gift l asts one scene.

Level 2

Heart of Fury

As the Ahroun Gift.

Ricepaper Walk

By attuning his inner energies, a Khan can walk cross a light or fragile surface without disturbing it, regardless of his form or weight. A 900- pound Crinos weretiger weighs no more than a wisp of paper so long as he concentrates on this feat. Once his attention shifts, the Khan's full weight returns.

System: The player makes a Gnosis roll to activate the Gift. Once he does, the Khan must move immediately at half his normal walking speed across whatever surface he wants to cross, and cannot stop. Any distractions force the tiger to make a Willpower roll to keep his concentration; the louder the disruption, the higher the difficulty. The tiger can't carry any other living weight, although he may bear a significant amount of inanimate baggage.

Level 3

Maker's Charm

Like the Level Three Homid Gift: Craft of the Maker.

Paws of the Raging Spirit Tiger

By channeling his chi energy through this Gift, a Khan may wreath his paws or hands in crackling spirit power. Thus fortified, the tiger can rip through enemies in the spirit world without stepping sideways to do it, so long as he can see them. Obviously, no spirit will teach a Bastet such a damaging Gift; he'll have to learn it from another Khan (and considering this Gifts' nature, the learning can be very dangerous!).

System: The Khan spends a Gnosis point and concentrates. The next turn, his paws or hands begin to smolder in blue-white light. This light burns from blue to green to yellow to red. When it attains a pinkish hue, the Gift dissipates. This takes roughly six
turns.

Level 4

Asura's Bane

As the Level Three Bubasti Gift: Banish Cahlash's Brood, except that using it turns the tiger's pelt white instead of black. Unlike the shadowcats, tigers channel Rahjah to banish corruption.

Dragonroar

Bellowing like a thunderclap, the Khan vomits a ball of Fire on his foes. This burning exhalation continues to blaze until either it or its target is consumed.

System: This Gift costs one Gnosis point to perform and blasts out a fireball worth one Health Level for each point of the Khan's current (not permanent) Gnosis. A successful Dexterity + Brawl roll puts the fireball where the tiger wants it. Anyone within 10 feet of the blast is burned unless he makes a Dexterity + Dodge roll (difficulty 8). If the target has already acted this turn, the Dragonroar inflicts its full damage. Next turn, it will burn for half that damage, igniting anything flammable in its range. On the third turn, the Gift's fire burns for one additional Health Level, then dies. A fire begun by the Gift will burn like any normal blaze (see Werewolf, page 197).

Level 5

Call to Battle

As the Ahroun Gift: Strength of Will

Thousand-Thunder Strike

By slamming his paws together and invoking Rahjah or one of his manifestations (Shiva, Pan Gu, etc.), an angry tiger cause a shockwave that can level buildings or disrupt unclean spirits. The King of Cats, in his more regal guises, teaches this Gift to worthy Khan.

System: The player spends two points of Gnosis and rolls Willpower (difficulty 7). Each success inflicts three points of Power damage against Asura or other Banes, whichever side of the Gauntlet they might inhabit. This wave also shakes structures in a 200-foot radius. The severity of the damage depends on Khan's successes: one breaks windows, two crack plaster, three snap wood, four shatter concrete and five bend metal. The wave lasts only a moment, but can be felt for a mile or more.

[Tami]

Pumonca

Simple, rugged folk as a rule, the sturdy Pumonca draw their magics from their connection to the land they wander. Unlike many other nature-bound cultures, the solitary cougars pass lightly across the land, rather than living bound tightly to it. This fleeting contact, and the hazards they encounter on their quests, have given rise to a collection of eclectic, timeless Gifts.

Level 1

Mockingbird's Mirror

According to legend, an early Pumonca known as Three Spiders Climb mastered the art of mimicry and ventriloquism, and passed the secret on to his friends. This secret lets a cougar imitate whomever he wishes - birds, animals, humans, even machines - and allows him to throw his new voice for some distance. As the name suggests, a Mockingbird-spirit often passes the secret along, usually in return for food.

System: The player rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge to imitate sounds within the normal human vocal range. So long as he's successful, his mimicry is flawless. If he tries to mirror sounds outside the normal range - subsonic vibrations, explosions, high-frequency whines, etc. - the cat must spent and a Gnosis point and the difficulty is 7. This gift lasts roughly a scene, and sounds can be "thrown" up to 100 feet away from where the werecat stands.

Wanderer's Boon

Travel is hard, especially given the Spartan ways of the Pumonca. This Gift allows a cougar to adapt to changing climates quickly or to ignore the pangs of hunger or thirst for some time. Bird and Bear-spirits pass this Gift along.

System: By rolling Stamina + Survival and spending a Willpower point, the player allows he werecat to do one of the following things; ignore the worst effects of normal heat and cold for a week; go one day without water; or go three days without food. The difficulty for the roll is 6, although harsh conditions (blizzards, droughts, heat waves, etc.) can raise it by two or more. The Gift can be repeated, but the difficulty rises by one each time it's performed in succession.

Level 2

Raincalling

The spirits of wind and weather are the best friends and the worst enemies a Pumonca can have. This Gift, which cam from a pact between Old Stone Face and the East Wind, allows a cougar to call forth rain. The shower is more a drizzle than a thunderstorm, but it can cool a hot day, water crops or dampen an empty creek bed in minutes.

System: The cougar's player rolls Manipulation + Survival and spends a Gnosis point to call forth rain. The difficulty depends on the conditions: humid, overcast skies are difficulty 6, while dry, clear skies raise it to 10. If there aren't any clouds in sight, the Gift could take some time to manifest. The intensity and length of the shower depends on the successes rolled; one success might get a brief drizzle, while five successes would make it rain fairly hard for an hour or so. This Gift inflicts no damage and cannot flood most areas.

Stonework

As the Level Three Homid Gift: Craft of the Maker, except that it only affects stone, dirt, clay and glass, employs a Manipulation + Survival roll, and reshapes the object permanently.

Level 3

Bayou Shambler

Deserts and mountains aren't the only places Pumonca roam. So-called "swampcats" know the Southern wetlands well. By crooning to the spirits of the bayous and calling upon any favors owed, a Pumonca can call forth a swamp elemental, dripping with plants and ooze, to assist her. While the creature retains its own free will, a Shambler is disposed o be friendly to the cat and hostile toward anyone in her way.

System: The player spends two points each of Rage and Gnosis to animate the Shambler, and rolls Willpower against difficulty 7. The resulting creature is semi-intelligent at best, smells terrible, and lasts for three turns per success.
Suggested Shambler Traits are: Attributes:
Strength 4, Dexterity 2, Stamina 5, Wits 1

Abilities:
Alertness 1, Brawl 3, Stealth 3

Health Levels:
Two per success, and no penalties apply. Once its

Health Levels are gone, the Shambler falls apart.


Thunderbolt

A pact with the spirits of the storm allows some Pumonca to call down a thunderbolt. So long as at least one cloud hangs in the air, the cougar can call down lightning. Most cougars learn this mighty spell from Thunderbird himself.

System: The cougar's player spends a point of Rage to summon a bolt of lightning, and rolls Dexterity + Survival to hit the target. Under normal conditions (partly cloudy skies, human-sized target), the roll's difficulty is 8, large targets or stormy skies can decrease it to 7 or 6, while dry conditions or unusually small targets can raise the difficulty to 9 or even 10. The bolt inflicts two Health Levels worth of fire damage for every point of the werecat's Gnosis. Even if the Thunderbolt misses its victim, it's still a terrifying experience to be on the receiving end of a lightning strike. Would-be victims to roll their Willpower against difficulty 8 to avoid running in fear.

Level 4

Element-Folk Favor

Old Stone Face made many allies among the elemental spirits, and performed many favors for their kind before passing on. The ageless spirits remember his good deeds by aiding those who invoke their ancient ancestor. A Pumonca who performs this Gift can call up an elemental spirit (see Werewolf, pages 266-267) for help. Once it arrives, the spirit will do what it can to assist the cat; after it finishes one task, the spirit departs.

System: The player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas and spends a Gnosis point to summon the elemental. The roll's difficulty is that of the local Gauntlet. The spirit, if it appears, will be friendly toward the cat, so long as she reminds him of her blood-link to Old Stone Face. No other tribe warrants the same kindness; in fact, Bubasti who have tried to swipe this Gift have been destroyed by the angry elemental spirits they called up. When the first service named has been finished, or when one hour has elapsed, the elemental departs peacefully.

The Hungry Earth

The Mother is not at peace. Some Pumonca know how to rouse her enough to show her displeasure. When this Gift is employed, the ground shakes, opens or given, way, covering tracks, sealing passages or burying the cat's opponents alive.

System: Depending on the cat's environment, this Gift takes many different forms: among hills or mountains, it causes an avalanche; in the swamps, it begets quicksand; in deserts and plains, it causes the ground to peon up beneath a target. To invoke these disasters, the cat's player rolls Manipulation + Survival, with the difficulty being the area's Gauntlet +2 (maximum 10) and spends a Rage point. The exact effects are up to the Storyteller, but often affect a 100-foot radius for each success rolled. If the attack causes damage assume that the victim takes two or three normal Health Levels for each success. Some attacks, like falling rocks, are more deadly, but may allow the target a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty 6-8) to get clear.

Level 5

Earthspeaking

By sifting dirt and calling on the spirits within the ground, a puma receives visions of things that have happened in the area. These insights can help her follow trails, "witness" past events, or learn where things came from or went. Bird-spirits often pass this Gift along, but some worm and elemental chaya do they part too, especially if the Bastet's questions serve the spirits' ends.

System: The Pumonca concentrates while chanting a single question and a plea. While she does, the player rolls perception + Enigmas to see into the past. Success reveals the answer. The more distant the even, the higher the difficulty, unless it left impressions so vivid that they never fade (like the Trail of Tears), which might reduce the difficulty by one or two. Events that occurred more than a year ago require a Gnosis point to "see". The vision comes from the perspective of the ground nearby, which might make details hard to read (imagine a worm's-eye view of a murder); some dreams pass emotional impressions, too, leaving moods that can last for hours.

Time Elapsed
Difficulty

A week
4

A month
5

Six months
6

A year
7

10 years
8

50 years
9

100 years +
10


Thunderbird's Cry

As the Level Five Metis Gift: Wrath of Nala, except that the storm may last for up to an hour if the player's roll exceeds five successes.

Level 6

Earthquake

An old and desperate secret known only to a handful of living cats, this pact allows a Pumonca to shake the earth Herself, wrecking roads and crumbling buildings. Although the epicenter of the quake is fairly small, the tremors can be felt for miles.

System: As the Gift: The Hungry Earth, except that an Earthquake requires two Gnosis points and two Rage points, affects one mile, and causes damage proportionate to the cat's successes (one success can break windows; two would crack plaster; three crumble asphalt, four shatter concrete, and vie buckle metal).

[Tami]

Qualmi

Insight and enigma. Perception and misdirection. The Qualmi may be a small tribe in both stature and numbers, but they make up for their size with the strength of their riddling magics. Most Qualmi Gifts and rites involve riddles and guessing games. In many cases, the best defense a target has is to figure out what the werelynx is doing and counter it with another riddle before the enigma takes shape. As a rule, Qualmi respect anyone who can out-guess them; the best way to make friends with a lynx is to beat her in a riddling contest. The names given to Qualmi Gifts reflect their foundness for metaphor; a trick rarely does what its name implies.

Level 1

Breakfast of Stones

As the Level One Pumonca Gift: Wanderer's Boon

Turned Fur

As the Wendigo gift: Camouflage, save that the cat must discard any clothing and gear before the Gift takes effect - the lynx is the only thing that changes color.

Level 2

No Hidden Thing

By reading the riddles of the world as mystic patterns, a Qualmi can discover answers that aren't immediately obvious to mortals. It's hard to hid things from a lynx.

System: This Gift combines the Level One Common Gifts: Spirits' Sight, Dowsing, Pathfinder's Pride, Sense the Truth, Sense Unmaker's Hand and Cat Sight. The roll is Perception + Enigmas, and the difficulty ranges from 5 to 9, depending on what the lynx is looking for and how well it's hidden. The Qualmi must spend one Gnosis, but retains the use of this Gift for the entire scene.

Wind from the West

Words can be as ephemeral as the Pacific fog; by making them dance and shimmer, a Qualmi can lead a less-clever opponent into a mental maze, then leave him there to puzzle his own way out. This takes the form of a series of high-speed riddles designed to tie folks' minds into knots. Most Qualmi are especially pleased to find someone clever enough to avoid this mental snare.

System: As the Level Two Bubasti Gift: Mousemaze, except that the roll is Manipulation + Enigmas, and does not cost a Gnosis point. To counter the confusion effect, the target might try to figure out the puzzle (Wits + Enigmas) before it takes effect, Oddly enough, it pleases most Qualmi when a victim can hink for himself; this often leads to a ridding contest, with the loser becoming confused by the magic. To simulate this exchange, see "Gamecraft" in Werewolf (page 223), and raise the difficulty by one after each turn. When it reaches 10, check the final result: if someone wins and another loses, the loser suffers magical confusion; if both lose, they're both confused; if both win, neither is confused. Most Qualmi take defeat well under these circumstances, and can be very generous losers.

Level 3

Drop of Sea

Qualmi are renowned shapeshifters; this Gift, which allows them to take a variety of forms, demonstrates why.

System: This Gift combines the powers of the Level Four Homid Gift: Monkey's Uncle and Level Five Swara Gift: All the Beasts Under the Sun, with the following differences: The roll is Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty 7); the animal shapes run from hard-sized to bear-sized; and an observer who makes a perception + Enigmas roll (difficulty 9) may see the werecat for what she is. If he wants to undo the magic, he may ask the transformed werecat a riddle (see "Gamecraft"); if she can't answer it, she changes back to her old form immediately.

Nighttime Web

As the Level Three Common Gift: Cheshire Prank, except that the roll is Intelligence + Enigmas.

Level 4

Dancing on Air

As the Level Four Metis Gift: Moon's Gateway, except that the roll is Intelligence + Enigmas.

Still Breeze Blowing

Like the Lupus Gift: Elemental Gift, this magic allows a Qualmi to conjure a spirit to shift members of this tribe favor air and ice elementals over fire or earth.

Level 5

Call Down the Stars

Sometimes the best answer to a riddle is force. This Gift recalls the days of Strange Owl Woman, when the white men dragged iron monsters across the open lands. By confusing the spirits inside machinery with a staggering combustion to explode. This tend to fix most problems for good.

System: The player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas (difficulty 7) and spends a Willpower point to drive the riddle home. If she succeeds, the power source - be it gas, coal, wood, electricity, kerosene, whatever - ignites. The exact effect are left to the Storyteller, small fires may flare for one or two Health Levels per success, while car gas tanks or steam train furnaces might blow for four Health Levels per success. Some combustion must be involved - a canister of gasoline will not explode on its own. No Qualmi has dared to find out what would happen if the spirits of nuclear power plants were confused; the result might poison the entire land.

Water's Vision

Water sees everything. By learning to see as the water does, a Qualmi can look through barriers to see what lies beyond them. Walls, vault, the Gauntlet - nothing stops a Qualmi who wants to see around them.

System: Seeing through barriers requires a Perception + Primal-Urge roll against the Gauntlet rating. For each success, the lynx can see 100 feet without obstruction. Every object, from stone walls to living bodies to the Gauntlet, appears translucent and immaterial. Unfortunately, it's often hard to pick on thing out from among the series of see- through patterns; it often requires a Perception + Alertness roll to notice details. This vision stops at ground level, although the cat can see into basements or cellars if her sight extends far enough. This power lasts one turn per success.

[Tami]

Simba

Ferocious and inspiring the magic of the lion-folk drives inferior creatures to their knees -- literally. Although there are a few benevolent tricks in a Simba's bag, most of them are geared toward mastery, not subtlety. Fast, impressive and loud, many of these magics rely on imposing his will on others. The Simba who cannot master such an easy task is not long for this world.

Level 1

Majesty

The first trick a good kings learns it to how to impress his subjects. By employing the ancient right of command, any Simba may demand espect and expect to get it.

System: Like the Level One Common Gift: Command Attention, except that it lasts a whole scene and involves Manipulation + Intimidation. Other Simba are immune to its effects.

Submit

The second trick in a ruler's arsenal is the ability to make his subjects obey whether they want to or not. By mastering their bodies, a Simba can force others to fall to their knees or roll over on their backs in submission. They can say whatever they like, but their reactions betray their cowardice!

System: Like the Philodox Gift: Roll Over, although Simba of Ranks One or Two will have to spend two Gnosis to use it. The Gift won't change a target's mind, but it will master his body if the player rolls at least three successes in a resisted Willpower roll (difficulty 7). This lasts one turn per success. Simba are immune to this Gift if it is used by one of their kind.

Level 2

Armor of Kings

As the Children of Gaia Gift: Luna's Armor.

Rallying Challenge

By sending her inner power outward, a Simba may rally herself to accomplish things normally outside her range. With a shattering cry, she raises her physical strength or force of personality to unusual heights.

System: Like the Level Two Bagheera Gift: Ojas Surge, except that it only boosts Strength, Stamina or Charisma, takes one turn (and a thunderous roar) to achieve, and can only be done once per scene.

Level 3

Fireroar

As the Level Three Khan Gift: Dragonroar.

Shadow the Moon's Light

There is a time for everything, even for stealth. As nocturnal hunters, the catkings have perfected a secret which allows them to dim the light as they approach. While it can't actually extinguish the moon, this Gift stifles natural, magical and technological lights equally well.

Sytem: To dim the local lights, the werecat's player rolls Manipulation + Stealth. The dimness lasts for one turn per success.

Light Source
Difficulty

Weak (torches, lamps)
6

Bright (fires, moonlight)
7

Harsh illumination (headlights)
8

Powerful lamps (halogen bulbs, yard lights)
9

Overwhelming (spotlight, sunlight)
10

Level 4

The Bountiful Dominion

A ruler must be prepared to provide for his subjects. By laying this Gift upon the land, a Simba can make the local crops grow quickly, the soil turn fertile and the waters run clear. This Gift comes from the hand of Manu T'Chaa, who ended a famine with his wisdom and passed the secret to his descendants.

System: As the Level Four Metis Gift: Redeem the Waste, except that the magic doubles crop growth and health, purifies water immediately, and costs one Gnosis per success.
King of Beasts
As the Philodox Gift: King of the Beasts, except that it affects all animals within 300 feet.

Command the Multitude

Like the Level One Gift: Submit, except that it affects everyone in a 200-foot radius and requires a Gnosis point. To make things easy, the Storyteller may simply have the player roll three successes with Willpower (difficulty 9) to dominate a strong-willed crowd. Lesser foes, like normal humans or animals, reduce the difficulty to 6.

Level 5

Rising Sun

It is said that the lion carries the sun in his heart; the saying may contain more truth than poetry. Some powerful Simba can cause the land around them to blaze with sunlight, even at night. According to tribal caliah, Taa Mlimba used this magic to drive the vampires from his lands ages ago. Although it's not as effective against the undead as true sunlight, this Gift is certainly potent.

System: Conjuring sunlight requires two Gnosis points and a Charisma + Primal Urge roll (difficulty 7). Once this is done, the surrounding rock and earth begin to glow. Each turn, the light grows brighter, until the rocks blaze like the sun; after six turns, it fades away. This light, blinding as it is, doesn't hurt most living things, and leaves the rocks stone cold; against vampires and other things that fear the sun, however, the Gift inflicts one dditional cumulative aggravated Health Level for every turn after the first (one during the second turn, two during the third, etc.). Thus, at its height, the light causes five Health Levels of damage. While this damage may be soaked with Fortitude, most Kindred will remember such an encounter ....

Royal Privilege

This deeply despised trickery allows an ancient and powerful lion to steal another werecat's Gifts, even those which traditionally belong only to that tribe or breed. Black Tooth has gathered a lot of his power through this deadly secret. Those who've met him claim he invokes his "privilege" by killing other Bastet, then taking their secrets from their spirits as they die. While there may be other Bastet who know the Gift, they don't have many friends.

System: This Gift comes from the Unmaker, and may be restricted to one or two corrupt old lions in the Storyteller's domain. Using it is simple, yet difficult: To learn a new Gift, the werecat who knows it must be killed. As the victim dies, the Simba invokes this terrible power, ripping the secrets from the dying flesh. This requires two Gnosis and a Manipulation + Occult roll. The difficulty is the dying cat's Rank +5. For each success, the lion may learn one Gift he didn't know before, providing the slain Bastet knew it instead. To "keep" these Gifts, the Simba must pay experience points for them, a stolen Gift that remains "free" can be used once, then forgotten. Only Simba know this trick - some Bubasti have tried to acquire it, but have died in the process.

[Tami]

Swara

It's easy to underestimate the Swara. Most people do. They're not particularly strong, and their Gifts concentrate on misdirection and speed. Although they're faster than any other creature on land, the Swara's general skittishness and shy behavior lead other werecats to underestimate their equally quick and subtle minds. As rovers, Swara tend to pick up many general Gifts, and learn secrets from many other tribes --including the Garou. Unbeknownst to most Bastet, the children of Damaa walk the space beneath the world. In the Umbra, they traffic with the spirits and learn many of the ancestral Gifts usually reserved for the dogs. These Gifts, too numerous to mention, place them close to the werewolves when it comes to spirit-savvy. Most Theurge Gifts can be considered ribal secrets of equal rank, in addition to the ones offered below. This wisdom is not common knowledge among catkind; for the rambling cheetahs, it's helpful, even essential, to remain underestimated.

Level 1

Diamond Claws

As the Level One Common Gift: Razor Claws. This magic is especially helpful for the Swara, who wear their claws down through daily use.

Impala's Flight

As the Level Three Common Gift. This results in a truly impressive speed.

Level 2

Walking Between Worlds

As the Level Four Common Gift of the same name. That this talent is so common among the Swara is a closely-guarded secret.

Weight of the Heart

As the Swara know, the weight of emotions comes from the weight of the heart. Making the heart swell creates euphoria, while shrinking it generates terror and despair. By working the weight of another being's heart, a Swara can induce crazy mood swings from a distance. Nothing diffuses a fight faster than making the aggressor walk away in near-suicidal depression. Tales credit this Gift to Hatti, who knows the ways of the heart better than most people do.

System: A Manipulation + Empathy roll changes the target's mood. The more radical the shift (from joy to sudden weeping), the higher the difficulty. Even so, this is an easy Gift to use - its difficulties range from 4 to 8. The victim - if even aware that something has changed his mood from the outside - can resist the Gift with a Willpower roll at difficulty 8. Otherwise, the Gift lasts one scene, and inflicts no damage.

Level 3

Clearwater Passage

By turning herself into liquid, a Swara can pass through barriers without fully passing into the Umbra. Like water, she trickles through cracks, seeps around obstacles and soaks through materials. Once she reaches the other side, the cheetah reforms into a solid shape and continues on her way. It's said that Shi'a the Water Ghost taught this Gift to the Swara elder Nyolo in return for a kiss. He nearly drowned, but survived her embrace long enough to pass the Gift to his friends before joining his love beneath the waves.

System: The player spends a Gnosis point and rolls Stamina + Enigmas (difficulty 7) to turn her Bastet into water, and the cat remains in that state for two turns per success. While liquid, she cannot be harmed by any physical attack except fire (from which she takes the usual aggravated damage). She may reform at any time, but must use the Gift again to turn into liquid again. If she's been "absorbed" while in a watery state, the Swara bursts out of the material when she turns back into solid form.

Dance of the Chaya

One of the greatest favors a Bastet can offer a spirit is the chance to ride in his skin for a while. Although most cats would never consider such a "loan," many Swara see voluntary possession as a service, not a chore. This Gift, which begins with a frenzied dance, allows a chaya to enter the werecat and "take control" for a while. The spirit gets a body to ride, and the werecat gets certain... benefits. The Dance is seen more as an act of love or affection than a servitude - a sentiment few Bastet would ever understand.

System: A smart cheetah performs a spirit calling before he starts the Gift, and scans the Umbra to see who responds before opening himself to the possession. More often than not, the cat will be familiar with ghost or spirit before he offers it a ride. Once the Dance has begun, the player rolls Charisma + Enigmas, difficulty 7. The Gift lasts about two turns per success, and allows the Swara to do things that would usually be impossible - wild contortions, great feats of strength, flight, etc. The exact effects of the Dance will depend on the spirit, the Bastet their circumstances, and the relationship between the three, but should emphasize drama over game systems.

Level 4

Ghost Caress

This secret, called the "Ghost Caress" because most people blame ghost s for its effects, recalls the time when all things were still one. By tapping the spirits that bond objects together, the Swara can send sensations across a distance. To use the Gift, a Cheetah must hold something that contains the essence of the person she wants to affect; locks of hair, prized possessions, or items of clothing are good examples. Focusing her intention on the item, she does whatever she wants done to the item, not the target. A sympathetic pulse passes between the two objects and, if the cat has been successful, transfers a feeling from the item to the target. Although the magic can't physically harm someone, it can drive him nearly crazy as phantom pains or pleasures was over him without noticeable cause.

System: To reach across space, the Swara's player spends a Willpower point and rolls Gnosis. The difficulty depends on the distance between the Bastet and her target. Whatever she does to her focus from that point passes the sensation on to the person on the receiving end. Each success gives her one action to perform. When those actions are done, the spell ends. This Gift passes sensations only, not damage; it can send the feeling of being slapped, but it will not do harm. Likewise, it cannot move the target at all; a Swara who simply lifts a handkerchief cannot lift the person who owned it.

Distance
Difficulty

Nearby (one mile)
7

A ways off (two to five miles)
8

Distant (six to 10 miles)
9

Really distant (10 to 50 miles)
10



Judgment of Pestilence

As the Level Five Feline Gift of the same name.

Level 5

All Beasts Under the Sun

As the Black Fury: The Thousand Forms.

River of Blood

The soil of Africa has been bathed in the blood of its inhabitants for millions of years. A Swara can call that spilled blood together through the soil and give it form, creating a pool, a river, a mass of tentacles, or a variety of other things. This bond to blood seems to be limited to African soil; if a Swara has ever used this Gift outside his native land, no tales of the event survive.

System: It costs a Rage point to pull a large amount of blood together. A successful Manipulation + Primal-Urge roll is also required. The roll's difficulty depends on location; a place that's seen a lot of bloodshed (a watering hole, the site of a massacre, etc.) is only7, while a remote mountain peak would be 10. It takes several turns for the blood to coalesce into solid form; once it does, the cheetah can work it into any of the following shapes: a wall, a column, a shower, a geyser, a pool, a river, a rope, a bridge, or a mass of "arms" which wrap the target in a liquid embrace. All forms have Strength or Health Levels based on the cat's successes. For each success, the blood attains two dots of Strength or two Health Levels. Although it remains liquid, the River of Blood can be as solid as thick sand or as fluid as water. This Gift lasts for one scene, then the blood drains back into the earth. The Swara who performs the Gift will be sad for hours afterward; the blood of immeasurable death has passed through his hands.