fetish creation guide - mind's eye society · 1 fetish creation guide fetishes are a vital and...

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Fetish Creation Guide

Fetishes are a vital and important part of the Forsaken

venue. They can add inspiration, creativity, and fun

to most any game, if created and used well. If used

poorly, however, they can be extremely detrimental.

This guide is intended to alleviate the latter problem.

A Note on Lore of the Forsaken

The aim of this guide is to consolidate, clarify,

and codify Fetish creation and usage information

for the specific needs of the Mind’s Eye Society

chronicle. This guide does not invalidate

Chapter 4 of Lore of the Forsaken in its

entirety. In fact, the rules and information

listed on pages 138 through 145 of that book are

both sanctioned for play and quite useful for

Fetish enthusiasts. It includes further

information on the in-character construction of

Fetishes, expansion of Fetish Rite mechanics, as

well as Fetish identification and communication

rules.

How to Use this Guide The first section of this guide will outline the basic

conceptual steps a player and storyteller should be

going through in order to create a fetish. This will

include the original concept of the fetish, what sorts

of spirits may be workable for that item, appropriate

vessels for the spirit, and potential chiminage as well.

The second section of this guide details the

mechanical aspects of a fetish, to help determine

what level fetish the item is. For the purposes of the

Mind's Eye Society, any deviation from the rules set

forth in this guide defaults the fetish to a truly custom

item, and thus is unavailable in sanctioned play. This

guide is intended to provide players with a certain

degree of autonomy when making their own fetishes

– to account for a “typical” range of fetishes, with

those that are truly exceptional in some way are the

province of the source material published by White

Wolf and its licensees.

The last section of this guide will detail what is

required to go into an application for a fetish when

putting it into the Approvals Database, in a helpful

template format.

Throughout the guide, there will be sidebars that

specifically call out special rules or reminders for

players and storytellers alike.

Fetishes ≠ Spirit Awakened Objects The Rite of Spirit Awakening in W:tF Core and the

custom Call to the Slumbering Spirit can

create/awaken the spirits of inanimate objects (and

animate ones as well). These are NOT the same

thing as fetishes. In fact, these spirits, like any other,

can be bound into fetishes!

Though these spirits are often anchored to the

corresponding physical object they were awakened

from, they are as aware as any other healthy spirit.

Whereas a spirit bound into and empowering a fetish

is in a perpetual state of slumber save for the split

second that the fetish is activated or the Rouse the

Fetish ritual is performed (see Lore of the Forsaken

pp. 142-143).

Specific mechanics pertaining to Awakened Spirits

receive their own treatment in Lore of the Forsaken

(pp. 136-138). The main thing to remember is that

like all unbound spirits these are non-player

characters with their own alien agendas that are under

control of the Storyteller chain. The most

appropriate mechanic to use to represent a positive

relationship with such a spirit (or any other that isn’t

a Totem) is the Allies Merit. Specifics on Uratha

having spirit Allies are detailed in The Rage pp. 102-

103.

Like any other ally, these spirits expect something in

return for their aide. An Uratha that’s constantly

doing favors for a spirit it has no Totemic

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relationship with opens himself up to suspicion from

other Forsaken.

Concept The first step, and arguably the most important, in

making a fetish is to create the concept. In short, what

do you want your fetish to do? Don’t worry about

mechanics at this point – think in abstract and very

basic terms. Do you want your fetish to provide your

character with armor? Allow greater movement,

whether that is a faster swimming speed, or perhaps

more running speed? At this point, it is probably best

to have a sheet of paper to write down your ideas,

scratch out things that are or are not workable.

Once you have the concept sorted out, it’s time to

think of what kind of spirit you want to use in your

spirit. It should be indicative of your fetish’s concept

in some manner – a cheetah-spirit, for instance, is not

a good choice in a fetish whose concept is tied to

unlocking security doors, for instance. Don’t be

afraid, though, to stretch your thinking a little. A

fetish that provides speed

has a number of different spirits that may be able to

provide benefits – spirits of sports cars (or the

aforementioned cheetah!) would be particularly

suitable, but so, too, are spirits of horses, the wind, or

even lightning. Surely you’ve heard the phrase “quick

as lightning”? Don’t keep to typical expressions of

your concept, but put that animistic thinking cap on,

and consider broader spiritual concepts that may be

workable for your fetish idea.

Many fetishes have a quirk or other idiosyncrasy

inherent to them. This is not mandatory, but when

present is almost always tied to either the nature of

the spirit (or its inhabiting spirit), or to the amount of

power the fetish provides to the character. Make a

note of two or three possibilities here – it’s not

imperative to choose one right now, but get some

ideas down. At the very least, they’ll spark with

something later in the process, and guide you to a

perfect quirk for your fetish.

Thinking of the physical side – what does your fetish

look like? What might be an acceptable “house” for

your desired spirit? Dependent upon the type of

spirit, your character may be treading dangerously

close to violating the spirit’s Ban in some manner.

Keep this in mind when working on your fetish, and

ensure that the vessel is fitting from a thematic

standpoint.

Storyteller Note: Red Flags There are some things that a player may add to a fetish

that, combined with other things on the sheet, can become unbalancing. There is no creation system out there that can

accurately and reliably counteract this sort of behavior,

either intentional or not. That’s where the Storyteller

comes in. It is –your– responsibility to keep an eye out for those fetishes that, when combined with other powers or

talents, unbalance the game.

There are a number of things to keep an eye out for. These

are:

A fetish that covers up a weakness of some kind –

whether derived from tribe, auspice, lodge, or simply

being a werewolf.

A fetish that is a straight port of a spirit’s Numina.

Spirits trapped within a fetish do not have access to

their Numina normally, and while a fetish’s powers may be similar in theme, they are not identical. Also,

as noted later in this document, this is specifically not

allowed.

A fetish that intrudes upon the role of another faction

within Forsaken society. An Irraka creating a fetish designed to give him prophetic dreams should be

discouraged, for instance, as that intrudes upon the

role of the Cahalith.

Remember, fetishes are not simply “magic items”.

They possess a spirit within them – and that spirit has

its own goals, personality, and may affect how well the fetish performs. See “Rebellious Tools”, p.143 of

Lore of the Forsaken.

Lastly, remember that fetishes are an “add on”, if you

will. They should not replace or overawe the

character’s natural abilities of tooth, claw, and Gift.

Fetishes enhance and aid – they do not overpower.

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Mechanics Basics At this point, it’s time to at least consider the game-

mechanics side of things. Jot down whatever you’d

like the fetish to do as a general concept. Things like

“add armor” or “make me go faster” or even “make

me harder to see” are all worthwhile abilities for a

fetish to have. The exact mechanics of the fetish will

be worked out below – but for now, having a solid

vision of exactly what you want your fetish to do will

keep you on-task and focused, without adding a lot of

unnecessary tweaks to the final product.

Remember – with the exception of fetishes that

utilize the character’s stats to be able to work (hitting

a target with a klaive, for instance, to deliver another

effect) – all relevant pools are based off the fetish,

not the Uratha. It is the fetish’s power that is being

utilized, not necessarily the character. For example, if

a werewolf wanted to make a fetish that duplicated

the effects of the Gift: Primal Anger (which adds the

user’s Primal Urge to combat dice pools for the

duration of a scene), the bonus would be based on the

power level of the fetish, not the user’s Primal Urge.

The following lists enable players to select a number

of powers available to create a suite of abilities for

their fetish. They also allow for some enhancement of

the fetish, as well as adding some mechanical

restrictions to reflect some of the odd quirks of the

fetish, noted above.

It should be noted that any deviation from the powers

listed in this Guide pushes the fetish into the realm of

the un-sanctionable. More unique or special fetishes

are the domain of the White Wolf licensed source

material.

Fetish Gift Duplication Some things should be clarified in regards to fetishes

duplicating Gifts. In no case is this system meant to

truly short-change the requirements of a power.

When utilized in fetish form, the costs of the power

must still be paid, in Essence and/or Willpower. In

addition, if the power in question only lasts for a

number of turns equal to the number of successes, the

fetish is considered to have the “Restricted Duration”

Minor Restriction, without lowering the “cost” of the

fetish.

Or, to put it another way, unless additional

Enhancements or Restrictions – over and beyond

what is required by the power– are placed on the

fetish, the duplicated power works exactly as written,

with no alteration of the fetish’s power level.

However, the activation test pool for any fetish that

duplicates a Gift is equal to the user’s Harmony

minus the fetish’s level (instead of the usual Attribute

+ Skill + Etcetera), as with any other fetish.

In no case can any fetish ever duplicate any Auspice

Gift, nor can a character create a fetish that duplicates

a Gift that the character normally wouldn’t ever be

able to learn (so, a Forsaken werewolf would not be

able to create a fetish that duplicated the powers of

any of the Pure’s Gifts, or of a Gift from the Tainted

Moon, or Wound Gift lists. It is entirely possible for a

Forsaken werewolf to acquire a Pure fetish as a spoil

of war, however.)

Lastly, in no case can a fetish circumvent the

Approval level a Gift. The fetish’s approval level is

always the higher of the two (fetish or Gift).

Level One (Middling) Fetish Powers (+10 pts)

At this level, a fetish is no more useful than a good

piece of technology. The benefits provided at this

level are relatively minor, and certainly not game-

breaking. The storyteller should still utilize caution

for characters that possess a number of “smaller”

fetishes.

This power acts as a ±2 modifier to a draw based

on a single Attribute or Skill. Thus, fetish

providing a +2 to Computer draws qualifies here,

but a fetish providing a +2 to Intelligence draws

–and– Computer draws does not. This power

may not be selected more than once on the same

fetish.

This ability adds up to a ±1 modifier to a

derivative trait, such as Defense, Speed, Initiative

or Health (Health levels can only be added to and

the rule for Temporary Health Dots on MET pp.

238-239 apply).

The power creates light, equal to that of a high-

powered flashlight.

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The power permits short-lived levitation (no

more than a few turns usually).

The power duplicates the effect of a 1-dot Gift.

The power provides 1/1 Armor.

The fetish changes Bashing damage to Lethal.

The power repairs small, simple objects with few

moving parts.

The power initiates communication with spirits,

but does not provide a means to do so.

The power duplicates one particular ability of a

mundane object (make a call, unlock a lock,

deliver a poison), noted specifically in the

description of the fetish.

The power ignites a flame with a combined size

and intensity adding up to 1 (see MET p. 247).

Ignition lasts one turn per activation success.

This power can be taken up to five times on the

same fetish adding to the flame’s combined size

and intensity each time.

Level Two (Extraordinary) Fetish Powers (+20 pts)

The powers bestowed at this level of ability are

useful, and are likely to be used during any individual

game session.

This ability adds up to a ±2 modifier to a task

draw, but modifies a single trait category

(Mental, Physical, Social) or use groups (Power,

Finesse, Resistance).

This ability provides a ±4 bonus to a task draw

utilizing a single Attribute or Skill. This power

may not be selected more than once on the same

fetish.



or Health (Health levels can only be added to).

This ability adds ±1 dot to an Attribute or Size

with the appropriate modifications to derivative

traits (Health levels can only be added to and the

rule for Temporary Health Dots on MET pp.

238-239 apply).


The fetish permits communication across the

Gauntlet.

The fetish provides a minor healing effect, such

as clearing infection. Healing damage is not

possible at this level.

The fetish duplicates the effects of a 2-dot Gift.

The fetish is a minor klaive with a base damage

rating of 1 or 2. See Appendix I.

The fetish may create illusions that may fool

most senses, but may not do damage.

The fetish is usable by a wolf-blooded character.

The power can cause the Knockdown effect on

another character. This effect can't be combined

with doing damage.

The power produces a Minor electrical discharge

(see MET p. 244). Electrical powers cannot have

their damage class intensified (i.e. Bashing to

Lethal) or be taken multiple times on the same

fetish.

Level Three (Exceptional) Fetish Powers (+30 pts)

The powers available to a fetish at this level begin to

border on the exceptionally powerful. Fetishes at this

level are expected to be used often, so Storytellers

should plan for this eventuality.

This ability adds up to a ±4 modifer to task

draws utilizing either a single trait category

(Mental, Physical, Social), or use group (Power,

Finesse, Resistance).





238-239 apply).

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The fetish is a greater klaive, with a base damage

rating of 3 or 4. See Appendix I.

This ability duplicates the effects of a 3-dot Gift.

The power ends or modifies Death Rage or

otherwise modifies Rage.

The fetish permits a new mode of travel for the

character: swimming, burrowing, or flying.

The ability heals Bashing damage.

The fetish provides good luck to its owner,

allowing her to benefit from the 9-again rule for

the duration of the power. This power can be

taken up to twice to provide 8-again.


The Fetish allows one specific non-combat task

to be performed as a Rote Action.

The power produces a Major electrical discharge

(see MET p. 244). Electrical powers can not have



fetish.

Level Four (Potent) Fetish Powers (+40 pts)

At this level of power, fetishes are called upon often,

and provide for their wielder a large degree of power.

The fetish conceals the user from magical

scrying.





238-239 apply).

The ability alters the local Gauntlet rating, plus

or minus two.

The fetish provides direct control over spirits

while in the Shadow – forcing them to become

visible, for example. This ability cannot deal

damage to the spirit or make it utilize its

Numina.

The fetish duplicates the effects of a 4-dot Gift.

The fetish allows the character to perform a

specific task as an Advanced Action (MET

p.182) for the duration of the power.

This fetish can hex an opponent applying the

Double Trouble rule (MET p.182) for the

duration of the power. Activation is resisted by

the opponent’s Power Stat or Spirit Rank,

whichever is higher.

The power reduces travel time in the Shadow up

to half.

The power drains Essence from an opponent with

an Essence Pool equal to activation successes.

Activation is resisted by the opponent’s Power

Stat or Spirit Rank, whichever is higher.

The power provides up to a +4 bonus when

dealing with hazards in the Shadow.


The fetish permits mind reading. Utilize the rules

for Telepathy in MET: Requiem, pgs. 164‐ 165.

The fetish creates illusions that may inflict

Bashing or Lethal damage, using the fetishes

level as the relevant draw pool for attacks.

The power may heal Lethal damage.

The power produces a Severe electrical discharge

(see MET p. 244). Electrical powers can not have



fetish.

Level Five (Penultimate) Fetish Powers (+55 pts)

The strongest set of abilities a fetish can possess,

these powers are the pinnacle of achievement. Only

the most powerful spirits that can be housed in a

fetish power these abilities, and characters should be

very careful in making deals with these entities, lest

they come out on the short end of the stick.

This power destroys a single man-made object

per use.

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The fetish may command obedience from one

or more targets without a reflexive action to

resist its effects.

The fetish is a weapon that inflicts aggravated

damage.

The fetish is unbreakable, or unmovable.

This power duplicates the effect of a 5-dot

Gift.

The fetish adds +5 or more to a draw.

This ability allows for a fetish to affect the

spirit that is within a host or a shell (Such as a

spirit using the Claim Numen)

This ability adds up to a ±5 or greater

modifier to a derivative trait, such as Defense,

Speed, Initiative or Health (Health levels can

only be added to and the rule for Temporary

Health Dots on MET pp. 238-239 apply).

The power siphons Essence from an opponent

with an Essence Pool to the user’s essence

pool equal to activation successes. Activation

is resisted by the opponent’s Power Stat or

Spirit Rank, whichever is higher.

This power may heal Aggravated damage.


The power produces a Fatal electrical

discharge (see MET p. 244). Electrical powers

cannot have their damage class intensified

(i.e. Bashing to Lethal) or be taken multiple

times on the same fetish.

Enhancements and Restrictions

Once the core powers of the fetish are created, they may

be modified somewhat by utilizing enhancements and restrictions. These typically adjust things like the duration

of the fetish’s powers, their range, or what costs the fetish

requires to utilizes its abilities.

[Adapted from Lore of the Forsaken, pgs 148-149, with modifications]

Enhancements

Minor Enhancements: (+5)

Automatic: A minor power that works automatically, but only under limited circumstances. This does not mean

automatic activation of the fetish.

Immunity: The character cannot be affected by the fetish’

own power. For example, the power is some kind of

explosion or emanation that does not affect the wielder.

Range: The power doubles the range of weapons or

thrown objects.

Time: Changes a fetish’s power duration from a number

of turns equal to the successes on the activation draw (the

default) to a minute per success on the activation draw. Spending a point of Essence instead of making an

activation draw is counted as drawing one success.

Major Enhancements: (+10)

Extra Uses: The fetish has one extra use (talens only).

Fast Activation: Activating the fetish is a reflexive

action, rather than an instant action. Almost all combat oriented fetishes have this enhancement, otherwise an

Uratha would have to activate it and then use the fetish on

the following turn. The activation action may only be used once per turn on the same target.

Range: The power quadruples the range of weapons or thrown objects.

Tattoo: A fetish that exists as a tattoo (this may be a normal tattoo, a scar or a brand). To destroy the tattoo

fetish, the Uratha must suffer a number of aggravated

points of damage equal to the rank of the fetish, delivered

to the general area of the tattoo (remember to employ called shot penalties).

Time: This changes a fetish’s power duration from a number of turns equal to the successes on the activation

draw (the default) to an hour per success on the activation

draw. Spending a point of Essence instead of making an

activation draw is counted as drawing one success.

Restrictions

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Minor (-5 points each)

Restricted Targets: This power only affects certain, specific targets: duguthim, Azlu, males or whatever.

Restricted Locations: This power can only function in forests, in the Shadow, in the ocean and so on. These are

usually places where Uratha often find themselves.

Extra Cost: Using the fetish costs a point of Essence.

Minor Chiminage: The spirit must be offered some fairly easily obtainable offering to use the fetish again. Needs to

recharge in the sun, under flowing water, in a basin filled

with 16-year-old, single malt scotch or whatever seems

appropriate (Cost ●+). Or some sort of task that uses up one downtime action.

Minor Consequences: Activating the fetish levies a -2 penalty on another draw, lasting one scene or less.

Restricted Duration: Power that normally lasts a scene only lasts for one round per success.

Restricted Number of Uses: Power can only be activated three or fewer times a day.

Major (-10 points each)

Difficult Activation: Using the fetish takes an Extended

Action.

Unreliable: The target of the power gets a reflexive roll to

avoid its effect.

Major Consequences: Upon activation levies a -4 penalty

on a another draw, lasting one scene or less, or levies a -2 penalty for a minimum of a day.

Actions: This power can only be called upon in a few, specific cases, such as defense of a locus, during a ungin,

while fighting a specific foe and so on. Only in highly

specific circumstances does the nature of the power

suggest broader uses.

Extra Cost: Using the fetish costs a point of Willpower.

Restricted Number of Uses: Power can only be activated

once a month.

Major Chiminage: As above with Minor Chiminage, but

the spirit’s chiminage is difficult to obtain: the blood of a

vampire, uncut diamonds (Cost ●●●+). Or some sort of

task equal to half the fetish’s dot rating (round up) in downtime actions to a minimum of two downtime actions.

Talen: The fetish is a talen.

Restricted Duration: A power that normally lasts a scene

may only last for one round.

Ghost-Touched Object or Cursed Item: See Appendix

II. Cursed items always include a Major Consequence

with no additional cost mitigation.

No matter how many restrictions are placed on a fetish,

the fetish level cannot be reduced by more than one level.

So, a fetish that has 60 points invested into it (thus, a 5-dot fetish) cannot be lowered to a 3-dots or lower due to

restrictions. Players are encouraged to place whatever

restrictions that make sense on the fetish from a thematic point of view, however. Once you’ve selected Powers,

Enhancements, and Restrictions, consult the following

table (taken from p. 146 of Lore of the Forsaken) to

determine the level of your fetish.

Fetish Level

Points Level

≤ 10 1

11 - 20 2

21 - 30 3

31 - 40 4

41+ 5

≤ 30 Talen

Talens Talens often serve as informal currency amongst the cagey Uratha. Tossing in a Talen or three is usually enough to sweeten up the deal and make even the most taciturn Alpha more likely to hear you out. The reason is simple: Talens are powerful. Despite the fact that they’re only good for one or two uses, often that’s all it takes to give its user the upper hand. Because

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of this they serve handily as “chiminage for Uratha” in much the same way that Essence does for spirits.

Talens are much easier to convince spirits to inhabit peacefully, after all they’re not stuck in there forever. Usually ritualists only binds a talen’s spirit inside for a season to a year at most. Often savvy ritemasters will build up a harem of spirits amenable to be being used in talens. After all once the talen is used the spirit will find itself in a new and sometimes interesting place, many times on the fleshy side of the Gauntlet.

Some guidelines concerning these minor fetishes:

Talens can only be used once (twice with the appropriate

Enhancement), afterwards they turn into spiritually inert mundane objects.

Talens are created with the Fetish Rite. Bone Shadows

can also use the Create Talen ritual (see Tribes of the Moon pp. 72-73).

Talens are equivalent to “0 dot” Fetishes for the purposes of activation, thus there is no automatic draw penalty

equal to the level of the fetish.

A character can have as many Talens attuned to them as

they have dots of Harmony.

Once a Talen is used up its inhabiting spirit will be

released into whichever locale and layer of reality the

Talen was in during activation. Spirits released in the

physical world will be in Twilight unless they choose to use the Materialize Numen.

In all other respects Talens function as Fetishes do.

Gut Check The Gut Check step is the most important one. The

storyteller should take a look at the fetish, compare it to

other powers and fetishes the character has, and look for any particularly unbalancing combinations. The storyteller

should also compare the incoming fetish to published

fetishes of the same level. If at any point the storyteller is not satisfied, or otherwise feels as though the fetish

doesn’t work well with other elements within the scope of

their authority, they should either go to the player with their concerns or, if this is not workable, deny the fetish.

Obviously, in some cases, the final approval storyteller may not be local to the player. Therefore, this Gut Check

step will happen via the Approvals Database – so it’s very

important to be very clear and concise when writing up

your fetish!

Putting It All Together Once you have the concept and style and mechanics to

your fetish complete, now is when you put it into the Approvals Database. There are a number of things to

include in your application for it to be considered

complete.

This section will provide a template for use when putting

the fetish application in the Approvals Database, and some

helpful advice.

Every single fetish application needs to have the following

information, for the storyteller chain to make informed decisions about your fetish. It should further be noted that

each fetish requires its own application – multiple fetishes

should not be in one “lump sum” application. This makes

reading and evaluating fetishes much easier on your storytelling staff!

Fetish Name: What is it called?

Fetish Level: How many dots is it?

Physical Description: What does your fetish look like?

Does it always come in one form, or could this be crafted

some other way?

Empowering Spirit: What spirit is housed within the

fetish?

The Deal: What sort of chiminage was provided to the

spirit to get it to agree to reside within the fetish? Or did

your character lock the spirit in a binding circle and force it into the fetish?

Descriptive Paragraph: Technically, this is optional, but

highly recommended, as this describes how everything fits

together.

Point Breakdown: Each Power, Enhancement, and

Restriction needs listed out, with its associated number of

points alongside it.

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Durability: Described on p.187‐ 188 in the MET core

book, Durability is the measure of the fetish’s hardness.

Use the chart on p.188 of the MET book to determine your

fetish’s Durability. Many fetishes will be rated at a one or a two – however, remember that Durability is enhanced by

the rating of the fetish. Therefore, a 2‐ dot fetish with a

“natural” Durability of 2 has a reinforced Durability of 4. List this as the natural Durability, followed by the

reinforced figure in parenthesis. For instance, the example

above would read “Durability 2 (reinforced 4)”.

Size: Use the chart below to determine the Size of your

fetish, and list it.

Structure: This is the sum of the (reinforced) Durability, and Size of the fetish. So, if the example fetish above is a

Size 1 item (say, a skull of some sort), its Structure is 5

Damage: If applicable, list the Damage rating of the

fetish, followed by the damage type abbreviated in parenthesis afterwards. By way of an example, a fetish

greatsword would be listed “Damage: 4 (L)”.

Fetish Size Chart

Size Example Fetish Items

0 Jewelry, tooth, stone, bracelet, brass knuckles, gloves

1 Knife, pistol, skull

2 Cane, club, sword

3 Rifle, large axe

4 Greatsword, spear

5 Door, wheelbarrow

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Appendix I: Klaives and Weapon Fetishes

Klaives

For many werewolves, teeth and claws are the only weapons they ever need. But the Uratha also have a long history of forging weapons and binding spirits into them to increase their power. These fetish weapons are called klaives.

A klaive is a hand-to-hand weapon — a sword, dagger, spear, axe, hammer or other implement of destruction. A werewolf in the throes of Rage isn’t capable of using such delicate, finesse weapons, and klaives are made for the sort of life-and-death situations in which Rage is quick to rise.

Werewolves of all tribes use klaives. The Blood Talons favor klaives that emphasize strength, such as heavy axes and hammers. The Bone Shadows and Storm Lords prefer klaives that can be used with a bit more finesse, such as daggers and swords. The Hunters in Darkness favor spears and daggers for their utility outside of combat. The Iron Masters sometimes make fetish weapons that other werewolves refuse to call “klaives” — sharpened jags of metal torn from steel pipes, clubs made from “found objects,” and other variations on urban brutality.

Activating a klaive is normally a reflexive action that invokes the weapon’s power for the remainder of a scene. Even without being activated, a klaive is still a solidly made weapon of its type.

- Werewolf the Forsaken, p205

Fetish Weapons ≠ Klaives Although a brutal instrument such as a lead pipe could have a spirit bound within, it wouldn’t be a klaive. A klaive is a weapon forged by Uratha, imbued with minor powers of war. They are often sized such that they can be used most effectively in Dalu form, yet also useful in Gauru. Ownership of a klaive is a clear mark of status for the Uratha; it indicates a werewolf of combat discipline and strong connections.

- Lore of the Forsaken, p 149

All Klaives are fetish weapons, but not all fetish weapons are Klaives. For our purposes, and to promote a uniform

understanding of what a Klaive is, and is not, here are

some guidelines:

Klaives...

Are made items, forged by Uratha.

Are most effective in Dalu and Gauru forms.

Do not require a successful Resolve + Composure

check to be usable in Gauru form.

Are NOT weapons bought from a store, online, or

made for human use.

Are never firearms or archery tackle.

Are not delicate, and do not require finesse in

order to use (e.g. use Strength not Dexterity).

Conversely, Fetish Weapons...

Can be any weapon with a spirit bound to it.

Can be a mundane weapon, from any source.

Should impose a Resolve + Composure draw in

order to be usable in Gauru, provided it is a

weapon that can be used in Gauru in the first place

(example: NOT a Firearm)

Overall When creating Klaives and Fetished weapons, itʹs important to keep in mind that most spirits will be fairly

particular about what manner of item they inhabit. If the

item is too small for the power level of the desired Fetish, the spirits will be insulted, and most certainly bear a

grudge. If the item is too large for the relevant power of

the Fetish, they will be suitably flattered, but in the end,

the task they are being asked may well be too daunting for them to take on.

In mechanics terms, use the natural damage rating of the weapon (see Armory: Reforged) as a general guide for an

appropriate level for the Fetish, for example: A standard

Dagger (a Small Blade) has a damage rating of 1. Any spirits who would willingly meld with the item to create a

Fetish will be very small and weak (Rank 1 or Rank 2, at

most), keeping the level of the Fetish to one or two dots in

power.

A Large Axe (a Long Blade) carries a damage rating of 3.

This could potentially house multiple smaller spirits (three Rank 1, one Rank 1 and one Rank 2), or one median sized

11

spirit (one rank 3). Combined, the Spirits would amount to

an item up to 2-3 dots in the Fetish Merit.

A Great Axe (a Heavy Blade), with itʹs hefty damage of 4,

can house the larger spirits (Rank 4 or Rank 5), with a Fetish rating of up to 4 or 5 dots.

Deviations from the above guidelines are allowable, and

should be made with the following considerations in mind:

What is the quality of the item? A normal dagger,

bought at a cutlery shop or Army/Navy surplus

store wonʹt attract more potent spirits. However, a dagger hand crafted by a blacksmith or master

knife maker (Crafts 4 or higher), or one with a

significant amount of effort put into the quality of the item (6+ Successes on the draw to create the

item) certainly would. The description of the item

should reflect the quality of the weapon.

What is the weapons personal history? A brand

new, out of the box Mossberg 590 12 gauge,

bought from an online auction, wonʹt catch the eye

of a greater Spirit. A Thompson M1928 used by a US Army Ranger to assault German machine gun

nests on D-Day would stand a better chance. The

sidearm of a county sheriff, carried day in, day out, cleaned daily, used with a good deal of

reverence and seriousness in the line of duty for

over 30 years (thus establishing a behavior pattern

of care and ritual-like treatment) would also please a more potent spirit. The Weapons history

should be included in the write up of the Fetish, as

well as the Application for the item.

Did the PC bribe the spirit in a suitable fashion? Is

the PC creator or PC user making it ʹworth their

whileʹ to give up freedom for this type of service? This could be reflected as a certain form of

Chiminage (in the form of a restriction on the

item) or other restriction that in a very real way

make the PC have to go out of their way on a regular basis (in rare circumstances, on a daily

basis; more commonly weekly; and monthly for

less powerful items). The Chiminage should be noted in the Fetish Write Up, as well as the

Application for the item.

Damage: Above and Beyond… Weapons are built with limited capacity to cause damage.

Size, shape, and type of weapon all affect it ability to deal

damage. Asking a spirit to imbue the item with a greater

ability to harm itʹs target requires extra coercion,

convincing, or perhaps even some bribery.

Fetish Weapons and Klaives has the same damage rating

as the weapon carries in its normal, inert state at no extra cost. To increase the damage rating of a Fetish beyond

those limits, apply the following as individual Fetish

Powers during creation:

+1 damage past base (10 point power)




Note, Klaives and Fetish weaponry created from ordinary

items cannot have a damage rating greater than 5. Example: A Longsword has a base damage of +3. You

could spend 10 points to raise that to +4, or 20 to raise it

to +5, but not 30 to bring it to +6.

Be mindful that any extra damage modifier added this way

counts towards the ±10 maximum as per the Universal Addendum [Section VII.C.1.d.i].

Upping the Ante Construction, method of use, and materials determine the

type damage a weapon can dish out. Clubs, cudgels,

nightsticks cause blunt force trauma, bashing damage.

Blades, knives, swords, axes cause lacerations and cuts, hacking away at flesh and slicing bone, dealing lethal

damage to itʹs target. Likewise, Fetish Weaponry and

Klaives deal the same type of Damage that the natural, mundane item would deal in itʹs base state, this is at no

cost to the player. If the player wishes to upgrade from

bashing to lethal, apply the following cost as a power during creation:

The fetish changes Bashing damage to Lethal. (10 point

power)

Specific materials can cause aggravated damage to

different targets. However, Uratha frown upon Silver weaponry, and shaping fire and other elements into a

permanent weapon is not possible. No mundane melee

weapon, and only a few firearms and ammunition types, have the ability to inflict aggravated damage. If a player

wishes the Fetish to deal aggravated damage, they must

add the following as a power during creation of the fetish:

The fetish is a weapon that inflicts aggravated damage. (55 point power)

12

Appendix II: Variations on a Theme: Ghost-Touched Objects and Cursed Items

The Rage introduces new categories of magic items for

Werewolf: the Forsaken. Cursed Items which are objects that have been present at an event of great tragedy or evil

and have retained some of the dark power of those

happenings. As well as Ghost-Touched Objects which are

empowered by a human Ghost that has become anchored to it.

For the purposes of the In-Character world it is important to note that neither of these sort power-objects can be

deliberately created by player characters. For our Out-of-

Character purposes it’s important to note that these items function mechanically as Fetishes do with some specific

variations unique to themselves. We are including rules

for these items here for the use of players and storytellers

to create unique objects tied to specific story-lines. Indeed, the dark consequences inherent to these items tend

to generate stories all their own.

Gazhdum: (Ghost-Touched Objects) [Excerpted from The Rage pp. 138-139]

Ghosts stain the world around them with their presence.

The residue of death-given-consciousness leaves behind

an imperceptible taint, an invisible veneer of rot and decay. Sometimes, a specter is given over to such intense,

single-minded emotion or powerful insanity that the very

physical world around the ghost grows dark with the stain of the ghost’s power. Other times, the ghost literally

imbues a part of the world with some or all of himself,

either linking himself to an object (making it his anchor)

or possessing it outright.

Werewolves call objects specifically possessed by ghosts

gazhdum, or “ghost-touched.” Some believe the use of such objects as fetishes is justified, harnessing them for

the werewolf’s own needs. Others believe the use of such

objects is blasphemous, and using a human soul — one theoretically trapped — is a gross misdeed against one’s

own Harmony.

Ghost-touched objects subscribe to the following rules:

A player can purchase these objects with the

Fetish Merit.

Every ghost-touched object is tied somehow to the

ghost that inhabits it; the possession isn’t random.

A ghost of a man who murdered his family with a

fire axe may dwell in that very axe. The specter of that man’s wife may possess her wedding ring, her

wedding dress or even a lock of her dead

daughter’s hair.

Ghost-touched objects smell strongly of scents

associated with death — anything from rotten

flowers to grave-dirt to roadkill to formaldehyde.

This smell lingers for a scene. A character tracking a ghost-touched object or its user by nose

gets a +2 to the draw.

The effects of gazhdum are always negative, and

often associated with death. Such an object will

not grant a werewolf hope or provide positive

feelings; even the effects are marked by the provenance of the grave.

Gazhdum cannot be created using the Fetish Rite.

Activating a ghost-touched object requires the expenditure of one Willpower point. The object is

insidious, and demands that the owner devote his

will toward appeasing the specter within.

A werewolf cannot spend Essence instead of

Willpower, as no Shadow-native spirit resides

within to “bribe.”

Werewolves are not the only creatures capable of

using ghost-touched objects, although they

(particularly Bone Shadows) are often among the

most capable of identifying such items (add a Bone Shadow’s Wisdom dots to an Intelligence +

Occult draw to identify the item as gazhdum).

Due to how “wrong” the use of such items can be

storytellers are encouraged to work in the interactions described on Page 60 of Book of the

Dead in relation to werewolves, the underworld,

and ghostly things.

Arrathudum: (Cursed Items)

[Excerpted from The Rage p. 141]

Some objects are cursed. Powerful emotion, as noted, leaves a resonance. This residue can feed the spirits of an

area or even create a locus. The residue can also, at times,

mark an object in the physical world with a strongly negative spiritual resonance. Only scenes of great horror

and atrocity can change an object in such a way. The

Forsaken call such objects the arrathudum, or the “accursed icons.”

13

Accursed objects work according to the following rules:

Every arrathudum has both a power and a

drawback. These both occur at the time of

activation.

Because the object serves as a link to the Shadow,

like a pinprick between worlds, the object can

help a werewolf cross the Gauntlet. When

stepping sideways at a locus, a werewolf with one of these objects in her possession gains a +1 to the

roll to enter the spirit world.

A player can purchase these objects with points in

the Fetish Merit.

Activating a cursed object follows the same basic

rules found on p. 204 of Werewolf: The Forsaken, with a few exceptions.

Any entity with a Morality Trait can roll that Trait

to activate the object; vampires roll Humanity,

werewolves Harmony and so on. Cursed objects seem to react more strongly to souls that seem

“stronger” in some way. Given their slight

corruptive influence, this is not necessarily a good thing.

A point of Essence spent will not obviate the need

for a roll; as the object has no spirit, Essence cannot “bribe” the spirit.

Failure to activate the object still earns the owner

the item’s drawback, but not its power.

Dramatic failure requires a roll to resist Death

Rage or Frenzy as appropriate

This guide was adapted from material written for the Mind’s Eye

Society Werewolf: the Forsaken Chronicle and works by White Wolf

Publishing. Edited and Revised by Tyler Brooks (US2002022858) and

Andrew Adams (US2007070332); Styled by Kyle Solberg

(US2013010058) using Mr. Gone’s WoD Graphics and WoD font

guides found at http://mrgone.rocksolidshells.com/.

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