YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD WORK TOGETHER

MORE.WE MAKE A GD TEAM.

IF YOU THINK THIS IS A GD TEAM,

I PITY YOU.

IT IS WRIEN THAT YOU WOULD

BE HERE.WE WI NOT AOW YOU TO

CONTINUE.

EMPLOYS OF YOURS?

YOU STI MAKE JOKES WHEN PEOPLE

WANT YOU DEAD. You don’t change.

stand stil--ag!h

h-rk!

yahgh!

slsh!Sample

file

YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD WORK TOGETHER

MORE.WE MAKE A GD TEAM.

IF YOU THINK THIS IS A GD TEAM,

I PITY YOU.

IT IS WRIEN THAT YOU WOULD

BE HERE.WE WI NOT AOW YOU TO

CONTINUE.

EMPLOYS OF YOURS?

YOU STI MAKE JOKES WHEN PEOPLE

WANT YOU DEAD. You don’t change.

stand stil--ag!h

h-rk!

yahgh!

slsh!

THEY KNOW WE ARE HERE. WE SHOULD HUY.

MR. SURESH. WE WEREN'T INFORMED YOU WOULD

BE WORKING LATE.

A LAST MINUTE CHANGE OF PLANS. MY... COMPANION AND

I WI NOT BE LONG.

COMPANION? REAY?

A SIMPLE LIE FOR A SIMPLE MAN. HE WI

NOT QUESTION IT.

I CAN TRACK THE CONTAINERS FROM

HERE.

how?

WE COMPETE WITH GOLIATH, SO WE SPY ON

THEIR NETWORK

THERE. THE NEXT UNDOCUMENTED

CONTAINER.

and a surprise.

i like the way you think.

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h! fuck!

get back here!

ONE OF THE CHANGERS

KNOWS.no, go

ahead as plaed

she’s nota threat.Sam

ple file

h! fuck!

get back here!

ONE OF THE CHANGERS

KNOWS.no, go

ahead as plaed

she’s nota threat.

THR CONTAINERS THIS TIME?

YEAH, THEY'RE STEING UP PRODUCTION.

I JUST HOPE THESE AIN'T T NOISY.

THEY WON'T BE BANGING FOR LONG.

WHAT DO THEY USE THE DAMN THINGS FOR?

SOMETIMES PEOPLE SNEAK INTO CONTAINERS.

I GUE SOMETIMES WE SEND THEM BACK

THE SAME WAY.

SOME MORON FORGOT TO LOCK THIS

ONE DOWN.

JUST BE GLAD THE CARGO'S TIED

DOWN.

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LET’S S WHATSGOING ON HERE ...

oh crap.

WE SPEND T LONG KIING ONE ANOTHER.

WE ND TO REMEMBER HOW WE WE WORK TOGETHER.

NO ‘I’ IN TEAMWRITER: STEW WILSONARTIST: JOHN BRIDGES

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9TABLE OF CONTENTS

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CHANGING BREEDS10

© 2013 CCP hf. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and one printed copy may be reproduced for personal use only. Werewolf the Apocalypse and Storyteller system are registered trademarks of CCP hf. all rights reserved.

This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters, and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fictional and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised.

Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.comCheck out Onyx Path online at http://www.theonyxpath.com

CreditsAuthors: Jess Hartley, Holden Shearer, John Snead, Stew WilsonAdditional Writing: John Mørke, Leath Sheals, Mark StoneDeveloper: Stew WilsonEditor: Jess HartleyCreative Director: Rich ThomasArt Direction: Michael ChaneyBook Design: Aileen E. MilesCover Art: Steve EllisInterior Art: Chris Bivins, John Bridges, James Denton, Steve

Ellis, Jeff Holt, Mark Nelson, Borja Puig Linares, Efrem Palacios, Jeff Rebner, Doug Stambaugh, Andrew Trabbold, Tomek Tworek, Tyler Windham

Character Sheet Design: Arthur “Torakhan” Dreese, Chris “MrGone” Leland

Special ThanksRich Thomas for giving us the rallying cry to go forth and

fight unto the last.Bill Bridges and Ethan Skemp for making Werewolf what it

is today. When the Wyrm comes calling, we meet it with your name on our lips.

Jess Hartley for giving voice to the Bringers of Rain and Choos-ers of the Slain, and the Editing Pass of Doom.

John Snead for diving into the mists of prehistory to show us the Changing Breeds once thought lost.

Holden Shearer for finding new Gifts and Rites, and unearthing some that were hidden in the strangest places.

Garron “Beer Snob” Lewis, for taking the time away from algorithms to join us in plumbing the depths of the Umbra.

Ryan “Camazotz” Owens, who will get his chance at Demon: The Fallen one day — but not before the spirit world’s work is done.

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11TABLE OF CONTENTS

ContentsIntroduction: Beasts of the Wild 16

Other Skins 17Playing Changing Breeds 17

The Beast Within 18Research 19

Integration 19Changing Breed Games 20

Mixed Messages 20Single Breed 20

Ajaba 20Ananasi 20Bastet 20Corax 20Gurahl 21Kitsune 21Mokolé 21Nagah 21Nuwisha 21Ratkin 21Rokea 21

Chapter One: The Changing World 22History 23

The War of Rage 24After the War 24

Changing Breeds around the World 26North America 26

The American Southwest 27The American Northwest & Canada 27Mexico 27

The Arctic 27Central & South America 27Africa 28

The Reign of the Ajaba 28Black Tooth and the Endless Storm 28

Kisasi and the Ahadi 29West Africa 30

Australia 31Western Europe 33Eastern Europe & Russia 33The Middle East 34South Asia 34

Pakistan 34Afghanistan 35

East and Southeast Asia 35Japan 35

The Beast Courts 35History 35Organization 36

The Mandates 37The Modern Era 38

Chapter Two: The Changing Breeds 40Ajaba 42

Legend 42Organization 44

Modern Nights 44Running in the Dark 45Matriarchy 45Kisasi and the Ahadi 45

The Diaspora 46West Africa 46North Africa and Middle East 46Europe 47India 47Asia — Beast Courts 47North and South America 47

Culture and Kinfolk 48Appearance 48

Traits 49Willpower 49Renown 49

Breeds 49Aspects 49Forms 51

Form Statistics 51Gifts 51

General Ajaba Gifts 51Dawn Gifts 52Midnight Gifts 52Dusk Gifts 54

Rites 55Song of Home 55

Fetishes 55Guidebook 55Vanity Mirror 55

Ananasi 56History 56Beginnings 57

Umbral Instruction 58Organization 58

Traits 59Blood 60Healing 60Vulnerability 60Physical Peculiarities 60Venom 61Webs 61Rage, Shapeshifting, and Frenzy 61Entering the Umbra 61Renown 62Backgrounds and Abilities 62

Breeds 62Aspects 62

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Factions 64Forms 64

Form Statistics 65Gifts 65

General Ananasi Gifts 65Tenere Gifts 66Hatar Gifts 66Kumoti Gifts 67Myrmidon Gifts 67Viskr Gifts 67Wyrsta Gifts 68

Rites 68Rite of Spinning 68The Master’s Needs 68

Fetishes 69Tracking Web 69

Bastet 70History 70

Threatened on All Sides 70Organization 72Yava 73

Tribes 73Bagheera 73

Organization 73Distribution and Kin 73Appearance 74Form Statistics 74The Yava of the Bagheera 74

Balam 74Organization 74Balam Magic 75Distribution 75Kin and Appearance 75Form Statistics 75The Yava of the Balam 75

Bubasti 75Organization 76Distribution 76Kin and Appearance 76Form Statistics 77The Yava of the Bubasti 77

Ceilican 77Organization 77Distribution and Kin 77Form Statistics 78Appearance 78The Yava of the Ceilican 78

Khan 78Organization 79Distribution 79Kin and Appearance 79Form Statistics 80The Yava of the Khan 80

Pumonca 80Organization 80Distribution 80Kin and Appearance 80Form Statistics 80The Yava of the Pumonca 80

Qualmi 80Organization 81Distribution 81Kin and Appearance 81Form Statistics 81The Yava of the Qualmi 81

Simba 81Organization 81Distribution 82Kin and Appearance 82Form Statistics 82The Yava of the Simba 82

Swara 83Organization 83Distribution 83Kin and Appearance 83Form Statistics 83The Yava of the Swara 83

Traits 83Renown 84

Breeds 84Pryio 85Forms 85Gifts 85

General Bastet Gifts 85Homid Gifts 86Metis Gifts 87Feline Gifts 87Bagheera Gifts 87Balam Gifts 88Bubasti Gifts 88Ceilican Gifts 88Khan Gifts 88Pumonca Gifts 89Qualmi Gifts 89Simba Gifts 90Swara Gifts 90

Rites 91Cat Calls 91

Fetishes 91False Protection 91

Corax 92History 92Organization 93

Cyber Spying 94Traits 94

Breeds 95Tribes 96

Chasers 96Leshy 96Hermetic Order of Swift Light 96The Gulls of Battle 96The Morrigan 97Murder’s Daughters 97The Sun-Lost 97Tulugaq 98

Forms 98Form Statistics 99

General Corax Gifts 99Rites 101

Eyes of the Flock 101Rite of the Sun’s Bright Ray 101Rite of the Fetish Egg 101Rite of Memory Theft 102

Fetishes 102uPhone 102

Gurahl 103History 103Organization 104

Gallivant and Buri-Jaan 106Gatherings 106

Traits 107Rage and Frenzy 107Renown 108Advantages and Vulnerabilities 108Backgrounds and Abilities 108

Tribes 108Forest Walkers 109

Home Territories 110Kinfolk 110Tribal Culture 110Appearance 110

Ice Stalkers 110Home Territories 110Kinfolk 110Tribal Culture 110Appearance 111

Mountain Guardians 111Home Territories 111Kinfolk 111Tribal Culture 111Appearance 111

River Keepers 111Home Territories 112Kinfolk 112Tribal Culture 112Appearance 112

Breeds 112Auspices 113

Auspice Gifts 113Forms 113

Form Statistics 114Gifts 114

General Gurahl Gifts 114Homid Gifts 116Ursine Gifts 116Arcas Gifts 116Uzmati Gifts 117Kojubat Gifts 117Kieh Gifts 118Rishi Gifts 118

Rites 119Dreams of Winter 119Rite of Rending the Gauntlet 119Rite of Replenishment 119Rite of the River-Portent 119Rite of True Mating 119Rite of Fighting the Death Bear 120

Fetishes 120Rattle-trap 120

Kitsune 122History 122

Present Day 125Kitsune and the Emerald Courts 125Organization 125

Traits 126Healing and Combat 126Tails of Longevity 126Renown 126Backgrounds and Abilities 126

Breeds 127Paths 128Forms 129

Form Statistics 130Gifts 130

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General Kitsune Gifts 130Kojin Gifts 131Roko Gifts 131Shinju Gifts 132Doshi Gifts 132Eji Gifts 133Gukutsushi Gifts 134Kataribe Gifts 134Ju-Fu 135

Rites 135Proprieties of Conduct 135Rite of the Crossroads 136

Fetishes 136Plenipotentiary 136

Mokolé 137History 137

The Age of Kings 138The Age of Sleep 138The Age of Beasts 139The Age of Man 139The Mokolé Today 139

Organization 141Streams 141Wallows 141Clutches 141

Traits 142Renown 143

Breeds 143Auspices 143

Solar Auspices 143Seasonal Auspices 145

Forms 146Archid Characteristics 147

Gifts 148General Mokolé Gifts 148Rising Sun Gifts 148Noonday Sun Gifts 149Setting Sun Gifts 149Midnight Sun Gifts 149Shrouded Sun Gifts 150Decorated Sun Gifts 150Eclipsed Sun Gifts 151

Rites 151Burning the Library 151Silence of the Oracles 151Rock Art 151

Nagah 153History 153

Kinfolk Cults 153Paranoia 154Organization 155The Hunt 156

Traits 156Rage 157Umbra and Totems 157Venom 157

Renown 157Breeds 157Auspices 158Forms 158

Form Statistics 159Gifts 159

General Nagah Gifts 160Balaram Gifts 160Ahi Gifts 161

Vasuki Gifts 161Kamakshi (Spring) Gifts 162Kartikeya (Summer) Gifts 163Kamsa (Autumn) Gifts 163Kali (Winter) Gifts 163

Samskara: Nagah Rites 164Serpent’s Tongue 164Rite of Bearing 164Naming the Target 164Votive for the Dead 164

Fetishes 165Poisoned Chalice 165

Nuwisha 166History 166Tricksters & Teachers 166

Umbral Lessons 167Organization 167

Festival 167Hiding in Plain Sight 168The Umbral Dansers 168Self-Centered Heroes 168

Traits 169Totems 169

Chung Kuel 169Kishijoten 169Kokopelli 169Loki 169Oghma 169Ptah 170Raven 170Ti Malice 170Xochipilli 170

Breeds 170Auspices 170Forms 170

Form Statistics 171Gifts 171Rites 175

Rite of Dansing 175Sing Back the Dead 175

Fetishes 176Bad Medicine Bag 176Portable Door 176

Ratkin 177History 177An Urge to Violence 178

Kith and Kin 178Disease Experts 178

Urban Survivors 179The Birthing Madness 179Organization 180

Nests 180Rat Kings & Courts 181Rat Packs 181

Traits 181Renown 182

Breeds 182Aspects 183

Freak Aspects 184Forms 185

Form Statistics 185Gifts 186

General Ratkin Gifts 186Homid Gifts 186

Metis Gifts 187Rodens Gifts 187Tunnel Runner Gifts 188Shadow Seer Gifts 188Knife Skulker Gifts 188Blade Slave Gifts 189Ratkin Engineer Gifts 189Plague Lord Gifts 189Munchmausen Gifts 190Twitcher Gifts 190

Rites 191Hazer Tag 191Rite of the Birthing Plague 191

Fetishes 191Standard Issue Sunglasses 191Pain Dagger 191

Rokea 193History 193

The Betweener War 195Rokea on Land 197

Betweeners 197The Same-Bito 197

Fighting Qyrl 198Piracy 198

The First Change 198Organization 198

Traits 198Gnosis and Spirits 199Rage, Frenzy, and Willpower 199Regeneration 199Renown 199

Breeds 199Auspices 199Forms 200

Form Statistics 201Gifts 201

General Rokea Gifts 202Brightwater Gifts 202Dimwater Gifts 203Darkwater Gifts 203

Rites 204Rite of Passing the Net 204Sea’s Distant Voice 205Lure of Sea 205

Chapter Three: Building the Beast 206Merits and Flaws 207

Merits 207Constant Sending 207Manshape 207Double Draught 207Gauntlet Runner 208Good-Looking 208Spitting Cobra 208Umbral Affinity 208Free of the Yava 208Early Maturation 208Venomous 208Infared Vision 208Sex Appeal 208Swim Sideways 208Feral Near-Man 208Gender Morph 208Cat/Fox Magic 208Step Sideways 209

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Flaws 209Shark Teeth 209Can’t Eat Solid Foods 209Unsure Footing 209

Backgrounds 209Ajaba 209Ananasi 209Bastet 210

Den Realm 210Corax 210Gurahl 210

Umbral Glade 210Kitsune 210Mokolé 210

Mnesis 210Wallow 211

Nagah 211Ananta 211

Nuwisha 211Ratkin 211Rokea 211Shared Backgrounds 212

Secrets 212Umbral Maps 212Totem 212

Combat Maneuvers 213Ananasi 213Bastet 213Corax 214Mokolé 214Nagah 214Rokea 214

Pack Tactics 215New Pack Tactics 216

Changing Breed Quick List 216Frenzy 216Regeneration 216Vulnerabilities 216Stepping Sideways 216

The Delirium 217The Veil’s Effect 217

Renown 217Types of Renown 217

Ajaba 217Ananasi 217Bastet 217Corax 218Gurahl 218Kitsune 218Mokolé 218Nagah 218Nuwisha 218Ratkin 219Rokea 219

Sample Renown Awards 219Cunning 219Ferocity 219Glory 220Honor 220Humor 220Infamy 220Innovation 221Obligation 221

Succor 221Valor 221Wisdom 222

Renown Chart 222Ajaba 222Ananasi 222

Tenere 222Hatar 222Kumoti 222

Bastet 222Corax 222Gurahl 222Kitsune 223

Doshi 223Eji 223Gukutsushi 223Kataribe 223

Mokolé 223Striking and Warding 223Unshading and Crowning 223Concealing and Gathering 223Shining 223

Nagah 223Nuwisha 223Ratkin 223Rokea 223

Brightwater 223Dimwater 224Darkwater 224

Changing Breed Abominations 224

Chapter Four: The Lost Breeds 226Extinction 227The Lost Breeds in Modern Day 228

Apis 230History 230

Minotaurs and Time 232Breeds 233Auspices 233Traits 233Forms 233General Apis Gifts 233Rites 235

Rite of the Earth’s Womb 235Camazotz 236

History 236Traits 238Forms 239Merits 239

Microchiroptera 240General Camazotz Gifts 240Fetishes 241

Shadow-Curse Doll 241Grondr 242

History 242After the End 244

Breeds 245Traits 245Forms 246

General Grondr Gifts 246Rites 247

Rite of the Hungry Soul 247The Others 248Khara 248

Organization 248Distribution and Kin 248Appearance 248

Form Statistics 248Gifts 248

Okuma 249Home Territories 249Kinfolk 249Tribal Culture 249Appearance 249Gifts 249

Ao — The Turtle Varna 249Ratkin Bards 250

Bard Gifts 251

Appendix One: The Ahadi 252Looking to the Future 252

The Rise of Black Tooth 252Might of the Tyrant Simba 253

Formation of the Ahadi 254Black Tooth Defeated 256

Organization 257The Senior Council 257Body of the Ahadi 257Power of the Ahadi 257Reactions 258

Ajaba 258Ananasi 259Bastet 259Corax 260Garou 260Mokolé 260Nagah 260Ratkin 261Rokea 262Others? 262

Code of the Ahadi 262Remember Our Mother’s 262

Wisdom in Appointing Each His Place

Trust Your Brother’s Strength, 263 and Make It Your Own

Many Roads Stretch Beneath 263 One Sky

We Share One Mother, 263 and One Enemy.

Divided, We Have Fallen. 263 United, We Will Rise.

All Are Welcome at the Fire 263Threats to the Ahadi 264

Henrik Lamar 264Ahmadou 264Nomfazwe 265Ramla 265

Ahadi Mechanics 265Making an Ahadi Character 266

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Rites 266The Dawning Ritual 266Rite of the Joined Circle 266Rite of One Blood 266

Gifts of the Ahadi 267

Appendix Two: Hengeyokai 270Using the Beast Courts 270The Way of Emerald Virtue 271

Renown 271Glory 271Virtue 271Wisdom 271

Rank 272The Breeds 272

Hakken 272Organization 273Hakken Traits and Gifts 273

Khan 273Organization 274Khan Traits 274

Kumo 274Organization 274Kumo Traits and Gifts 274

Nagah 275Organization 276Nagah Traits and Gifts 276

Nezumi 276Organization 276Nezumi Traits and Gifts 276

Same-Bito 277Organization 278Same-Bito Traits and Gifts 278

Tengu 278Organization 278Tengu Gifts and Traits 279

Zhong Lung 279Organization 279Zhong Lung Traits and Gifts 280

Asian Places 280Indonesia 281Los Angeles 281Malaysia 281Myanmar 282Vietnam 282

Creating Beast Court Characters 284Hengeyokai Gifts 284Auspice Gifts 284

Lantern 284Fist 285Mirror 285Leaf 286Pillar 286Courtier 286

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16

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INTRODUCTION 17

Other SkinsThe Garou do not prowl the World of Darkness

alone. Gaia also made the Fera, Her other shapeshifting children, and tasked them with their own duties: ravens and cats to unearth secrets, bears and boars to root out taint, lizards to remember, and sharks to survive. And for millennia, the Changing Breeds worked together to protect Gaia and serve Her will.

Then something terrible happened. The Garou called it a war — The War of Rage. The other Changing Breeds call it slaughter.

The werewolves drove at least two of the Changing Breeds to extinction, killing enough of the Apis and Grondr that those Breeds could never recover. The other Changing Breeds hid: some among humans, some in places that the Garou did not go, and some in concealed realms of the Umbra. Each feared that their return would bring retaliation from the Garou.

In time, the War of Rage became first a memory and then a legend, a story of how the Garou fell from their place and broke the order of the world. For the Fera, it was a cautionary tale, a warning of what the werewolves could do with power unchecked.

But the past would not remain buried. When the old world met the new, the European Garou clashed with the

Changing Breeds of the Americas. Violent encounters with the Balam and Camazotz escalated Garou and other shapeshifters once again into war. By the time the dust had settled, the Garou had destroyed the werebats, just as they had done to the Grondr and Apis long before.

And the chasm between Garou and the other Chang-ing Breeds deepened.

Now, the Apocalypse draws near, and even the ego-tistical Garou cannot hope to defeat the Wyrm alone. For there to be even a hope of victory, the Changing Breeds must emerge from the shadows and join their long-estranged cousins once more. But what price will they pay to do so?

Playing Changing BreedsThe other Changing Breeds as a whole share many

traits with the Garou. They are shapeshifters, spiritual and physical combinations of human and animals. Most know that they are Gaia’s children — though the Ana-nasi were born of the Weaver’s daughter-sister, and the Rokea swim at Sea’s command. And, like their lupine cousins, the other Changing Breeds are embodiments of a greater purpose, created for a specific cause.

Introduction: Beasts

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But each of the Changing Breeds is also unique. Each has its own mythology and its own perception of itself, its history, and its place in the universe. The Bastet, Corax, and Kitsune, for example, each claim that they are Gaia’s youngest children, created to counteract the mistakes of their older Kin. The Rokea and Mokolé, on the other hand, both claim to be the oldest Breed, though whether Gaia’s memory or the survivors of the Sea truly came first is a truth lost to the mists of time.

Tensions still run high between the Garou and the other Changing Breeds. Most acknowledge the Garou as Gaia’s warriors, but also as aggressive bullies, drunk on their own pride. Some will never forgive their wol-ven kin for the War of Rage, even if their grudge costs them the Final Battles. However, the Fera do not hate the werewolves in a unified block — the Corax remain as close to the Garou Nation as they are to the other Breeds, and the Ajaba welcome ronin Garou (or even Black Spiral Dancers) in their makeshift packs.

Relations between the different Changing Breeds can be just as diverse. In Africa, the Simba wage open war on the Ajaba, while the Swara who once supported it now fear the werelion’s path will lead to a leonine War of Rage. Nagah ply their assassin’s trade without regard for Breed, and Kitsune rarely encounter shapeshifters who are not part of the Beast Courts.

The Beast WithinAny game of Werewolf can benefit from the players

getting to know something about the non-human side of their characters, and that goes double for the varied Changing Breeds. At a pinch, players can fall back on depictions of werewolves in movies and books, but that’s not an option for weresharks — unless your player hap-pens to already know the Polynesian legends that give rise to the Rokea.

Changing Breeds are found throughout the world, and any cultures’ folklore can be used as research for them. The Nuwisha are up to their eyeballs in the trickster mythology of Coyote to begin with, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a new perspective by reading up on other trickster gods, from Eris to Loki to Maui — every Nuwisha brings her own interpretation to the role of trickster, and one using a golden apple as a calling card would indicate a lot about her philosophy.

Likewise, werehyena legends from Asia or the Middle East could give additional depth and flavor to an Ajaba character, and provide a compliment to the African mythology surrounding the hyena-shifters.

Digging deeper into the natural side of your shape-shifter can really pay off as well. Even a little research on the appropriate animal can make a Changing Breed character feel a lot more real. If all you know about bears is that they’re slow and lumbering, you might decide that your Gurahl character should have a low Dexterity. A few internet videos of bears chasing hikers, however, will reveal that they are a hell of a lot quicker when they’re on all four legs, and they can climb like nothing else. Between stories from unlucky campers and five minutes reading a couple of web pages on your character’s chosen breed of bear, you’ve got plenty of information that shreds some of the more common misconceptions about bears.

If you really want to bring across the character of a Changing Breed beyond their attitudes and philosophy, look into how you can portray aspects of the animal that lie under the surface. Think about how animals move and act, and how you can reflect that in your character. A Bastet might slink rather than walking, tense every muscle for a jump, dig his claws in the dirt and then spring out, every muscle taut as he hurtles towards his prey. Use these sorts of descriptors to explain how your character moves and acts — it can convey the feel of a werecat far better than just saying, “I jump him.” Read up on the mannerisms of the great cat that your character has within her, how they differ from both domestic felines and from other kinds of great cat. Use these nonverbal cues sparingly and you can make your character memorable for what she is — just be careful not to go overboard with your descriptions to the point that you bore the other players.

This kind of attention to detail isn’t limited to the Bastet. An Ananasi related to web-spinning stock would likely be patient and precise, with a range of early-warning systems and many means of gathering information. A hunting-spider Ananasi instead skitters and scurries everywhere, always moving even when sitting in one place, with her eyes on the exits and a creepy emotionless detachment. Knowing about the odd head movements

HOW TO USE THIS BOOKThe meat of this book is material for playing

Changing Breed characters, whether that’s a slew of Rokea weresharks or a wereraven who tags along with a pack of Garou. To that end, the traits for each Breed may vary from those given in W20. That book presented a cut-down version of the Fera suitable for inclusion as Storyteller characters in a chronicle focused around the Garou. W20: Changing Breeds focuses on making Changing Breed characters who are the stars of a chronicle themselves.

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INTRODUCTION: BEASTS OF THE WILD 19

that ravens use can help you portray an effective Corax, while knowing how the spotted hyena hunts can give you insight into the Ajaba.

ResearchThis material isn’t hard to track down. Between

Wikipedia and your search engine of choice, the Internet has a wealth of information. The web also has archives of nature documentaries, many of which are also avail-able on video-on-demand services — invaluable to ob-serve movement and sound in action. Most bookstores and libraries will carry books for the layman on all the animals the Changing Breeds descend from. Look up dietary habits and weaknesses, whether the species is omnivorous or an obligate carnivore, and whether any common substance is poisonous or offensive to them — it’s a rare Bastet who likes chocolate, for example. Read up on hunting practices, and also on how the creatures grow, learn, and amuse themselves. Anything that sticks out to you as a bit unusual is something you can use as a quirk for your character to make her more memorable.

That said, these quirks shouldn’t develop into full-blown Flaws without good reason. You’re not just play-ing an animal wearing human skin but a supernatural hybrid of beast and man, with all the resources of both creatures — and the spiritual power of an agent of Gaia. It can be fun to highlight the thought processes of an animal-born character, but remember that every Chang-ing Breed has a capacity to express themselves in terms beyond those that animals normally manage. You can use that to really play up the animal side of your character, articulating the why and how of your actions in a way that animals cannot.

IntegrationSay your Werewolf game features a Glass Walker, a

Red Talon, a Silver Fang, and a Shadow Lord, and you want to throw a Corax in the mix. It can be challenging enough for diverse werewolves to find some common ground with each other, but now we’re talking about adding something that isn’t even Garou to the group. That can take a bit of work from both the players and the Storyteller but the resulting story can be well worth the effort.

The other Changing Breeds have different outlooks and different capabilities than the Garou. Often, they can complement one another. Other times, characters strike up a rivalry based on the history between their Breeds, especially if they focus on the bad blood left over from the Wars of Rage These tensions can be interesting to roleplay — if the Storyteller and players are interested in exploring those themes. If not, it can lead to dissen-

sion and distractions at the game table, and bad feelings between players.

Because of this, it’s best to discuss integrating Chang-ing Breed characters into a predominantly Garou game out-of-character before attempting to make it work in-character. Discuss the challenges that might come up, what benefits adding another Changing Breed to the game might offer, and how to proceed if the mixed-Breed game takes a turn for the worse. If all of the players and Storyteller can get behind the idea, then proceed to dealing with the in-character challenges.

The Garou don’t have an in-built reason to trust the Fera, and many will arrogantly deny that they have any reason to work with the other Changing Breeds. Expect that the early sessions will involve your character building trust with the werewolves, and that she will probably feel like an outsider until she has proved herself repeatedly.

By the same token, much of Garou life revolves around packs who work together, sharing a bond that’s closer than family, in glorious battle against the Wyrm. If your Fera character has no interest in fighting the Wyrm, or in working as part of a team, then it’s on you as a player to come up with reasons for your character to be part of the action. It’s often best to consider your character’s reasons for being a part of the story before the game starts — if you have ties with the other characters in your character’s background, it’s more believable for her to stick around.

Choosing which kind of Changing Breed to incor-porate into a particular game can go a long ways towards successful integration. If you can find some way that your character is compatible with the rest of the pack, you stand a much greater chance of fitting in. A Nuwisha may pass as a scrawny Ragabash, or else fit in with a pack dedicated to a totem of trickery. A pack that discovers one of the reclusive Gurahl may have found a powerful ally but they also face a dangerous reminder of the Garou’s shame. The chatter of the Corax can drive many were-wolves into frenzy, but some see the value in an ally who drags secrets into the light. Members of the Beast Courts, though from a culture very different to many Garou, are naturally inclined to work with other Changing Breeds, and so may fit in well with all manner of packs.

And remember — the other Changing Breeds (even those that might run with a werewolf pack) aren’t just Garou in different animal suits. Even when they’re working towards a common goal, they may well be doing so for different reasons, or by different methods than a werewolf would. Don’t feel compelled to follow every stereotype of the Breed (especially if it gets in the way of a cohesive game). But likewise don’t throw everything that makes a Rokea a Rokea away, just to play a werewolf who happens to change into a shark.

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