ALTERNATIVE RULES FOR CORAX (WERE-RAVENS) By Amy Luther I. Introduction "And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor ... " -- Edgar Allen Poe, "The Raven" IMHO, the were-ravens presented in the Players Guide could be made more attractive to players and GM's with some alternative rules, presented here. II. New Corax Crinos Form In "Crinos," the Corax does not gain "phantom mass," as a Garou would, remaining about the same size as she does in Homid. She may lose mass depending on her Homid weight (see below). Her body is radically reconfigured into a humanoid avian, fully capable of flight. The body is completely feathered, except for the feet, and the Corax sprouts a tail. The arms stretch out into an awesome 20' wingspan (for a 5' humanoid, 20' is a conservative length, but it can be changed if there's any complaint). Three fingers and a thumb are located halfway down the wing, with the little finger extending past the hand to support the rest of the wing. Her breastbone and rib cage extend into a bony keel to support the massive wing-muscles. Her legs become "backward-bending," with a double-jointed knee similar to that of a Garou Crinos, and the feet develop bony talons. Last, her head becomes like that of a giant crow, with a powerful, foreshortened beak and eyes set frontally on the head for binocular vision. A possible name for this form is Ravenna (rah-VEN-na or RAH-ven-na). The Ravenna generally weighs no more than one hundred pounds, and typically less than eighty. She can walk upright and has limited manipulation abilities with her four remaining fingers when her wings are folded. However, her manual dexterity is limited and operating equipment like guns or hand-held weapons is difficult. In this form, all stats are as per those listed in the Players Guide: Strength +1, Stamina +1, Dexterity +1, Perception +3 Appearance -2, Manipulation -2 Clawed hands and feet do Strength +1 damage, which is aggravated. The beak is a formidable weapon, and can do Strength damage, also aggravated. III. Combat Maneuvers "At last the people were so hungry that they sent Raven out to look for dry land. At that time Raven was the most beautiful of all birds. While looking for land, he found the body of a dead animal. Although he had never before eaten anything except berries and willow leaves, he began to feast on the body of his animal brother. As punishment, he was changed into the bird he was today. All the animals and birds hate him, and he must fight them for his food." -- Dogrib myth Three more special maneuvers have been developed to complement the Eye Pluck listed in the Players Guide: Divebombing is an aerial attack in which the Corax swoops down on her opponent from above. With a roll of Dex + Athletics, difficulty 8, the Corax can scream out of the sky, ram her foe for Strength damage, and get back into the air. A failed roll indicates that the Corax has missed. A botch could mean that the Corax has hit the ground (splat) or simply slammed into the target as though she'd rammed a brick wall (ouch). A success indicates that her opponent is hit--the damage is non-aggravated, but the opponent must make a Dex + Athletics roll, diff 8, to stay on his feet. Failure indicates that he has been knocked to the ground and must spend a turn getting back up. The Corax must prepare for this maneuver for a turn before she can roll, since she must get up in the air to make the strike. If she is already in the air, this preparatory time is waived. If her altitude gain is interrupted, she cannot perform the maneuver. The opponent may not Dodge this attack without a successful Wits + Alertness roll, diff 8, and the Storyteller may waive this roll under certain combat conditions. The maneuver can be used in either Ravenna or Corvid forms. Flying Rake (no, it's not a gardening implement) is similar to the Garou Leaping Rake, but, again, is done from the air. The Corax makes a Dex + Athletics roll, diff 3, and looks at the Leaping Chart. Since the attack is from the air, Leap distances are doubled for the purposes of determining how far past the opponent the Corax will go. She rakes with her feet on a Dex + Brawl roll, diff 8, and inflicts Strength +2 aggravated damage. The conditions to make and dodge this attack are the same as for a Divebomb, above, since the Corax must be airborne to perform the maneuver. The Flying Rake can be used with a Claw attack, but will only do Strength +1 damage. It can be used in either Ravenna or Corvid forms, but in Corvid the damage will be non-aggravated. Clawed Kick is a ground-based maneuver. Like a regular kick, it is rolled with Dex + Brawl. Unlike a regular kick, it takes advantage of the Corax's taloned feet and does aggravated damage at Strength +1. Difficulty is 7 rather than 6 since the claws are involved. It can be used in Ravenna or Corvid form, but in Corvid the damage will be non-aggravated. IV. Breed Notes The Corax do not have any particular Breed Gifts because their reproductive practices are more mystical than physical; there is nothing which differentiates a human-born Corax from a bird-born Corax, since they all undergo the same Birthing Rite and end up with the same abilities. While there are separate origins (human or bird), there are no real breeds -- everybody's just a Corax. V. Auspices There are four Corax auspices, each corresponding to an equinox or a solstice, and thereby to one of the traditional four winds. Corax born after a given date fall under that auspice, but are not as rigidly bound to them as the Garou are, for the Corax recognize that the winds are fickle. Corax will ask each other, "What Wind do you fly on?" or, more simply, "What Wind are you?" Regardless of auspice, Corax start with a Rage of 1. Auspice merely indicates a Corax's stereotyped personality and available Gifts. However, some GMs may opt to have North Winds start with a rage of 2 or more, reflecting their warlike nature (see below). A Corax can change her auspice at any point in her lifetime, and many do. There is no Rite of Renunciation involved, nor is there any loss of Rank or Renown, but there are certain conditions which must be fulfilled. She must deny her auspice for at least a season before making the transition, and must enter into the new auspice during its own season. This can be a brief wait (one season) or a wait of up to a year (if changing from North Wind to West Wind, for instance). During this time she is said to be Grounded and can learn no new auspice Gifts, nor can she gain any Rank or Renown. After her time of Grounding is up, she must be accepted into her new auspice by at least four Corax of a higher rank than herself. The acceptance need not be formal and no real rites are involved, but getting four agreeable elders together in the first place can be tough, since the Corax don't group together very often and Gathers and Parliaments are hard to come by. This can mean a time of searching for a group of elders, or a long wait for the next impromptu Gather. While Corax are generally solitary, they are still birds of a feather, and the approval of at least a small group of their kind is required to change auspices. A Corax who has successfully changed auspices retains her old Rank and Renown, but must go through the usual progression of learning Gifts -- a Rank Five South Wind who becomes a North Wind cannot go off and immediately learn how to Crack the Egg. She must learn Level One Gifts first, then Level Two, and so forth, and her progress is dictated by how much the other North Winds are willing to teach her. She may learn the Rank One Gifts much faster than a young North Wind would, or she may have trouble with the new concepts and never learn much at all. Note that an auspice, once denied, can not be reclaimed without undergoing the same process of review and acceptance. A Corax denying her South Wind status cannot drop back into her old auspice if the wait becomes too long, or the search too difficult. If she wants to return to the South Wind, she has to contact her old auspice's elders (and probably do some fast talking). Certain Corax are auspiceless, either because they could find no auspice which suited them, got tired of waiting for the go-ahead of the elders, were refused admission into the auspice they desired, or were refused admission into all auspices. It is said that a Corax who is truly suited to an auspice and is refused admission into it may be initiated into the auspice by Raven himself, and that the elders who scorned her will lose a huge amount of Wisdom. Storyteller discretion is advised. Corax who don't merit the attention of Raven are stuck without an auspice. They are permanently Grounded and cannot advance in Rank or gain Renown. In rare circumstances, they can learn non-auspice Gifts from other Groundlings, or steal auspice Gifts from the unwary, but their position is one of stagnation. A Corax Grounded for a great length of time is on the bottom of the pecking order, for the Corax say that still air supports no one. Finally, while denying an auspice can be done at the player's discretion, being accepted into a new auspice is under the total control of the Storyteller. Players should not be allowed to leapfrog between auspices in order to minimax their Gifts. (A) Auspice Descriptions East Wind This is associated with the Spring Equinox, which occurs around March 21. It is the auspice of growth, fertility and new life, and symbolizes rebirth, since the East Wind springs from the rising of the Sun. Corax born under this auspice are traditionally healers and bards, celebrating and renewing life. South Wind This is the auspice of the Summer Solstice, occurring around June 22. It is the auspice of the Sun at noon, representing full adulthood and responsibility. From the South Wind comes scorching desert fire and withering jungle heat. Corax born under this auspice seek the truth under the all-seeing eye of Sun and traditionally lead in Corax Parliaments. West Wind The Fall Equinox occurs around September 23 and marks the auspice of the setting Sun. It is the auspice of dying, decay, and of the wisdom that comes with age. Corax born under this auspice are mystics and searchers, great travelers in the Umbra, and frequently become the elder voices of wisdom. North Wind The Winter Solstice marks the North Wind auspice and occurs around December 22. This is the auspice of the Night, when the Sun is dead or greatly weakened. This wind penetrates to the bones. It is the auspice of war and death and starvation-induced madness, but it is also the auspice of hibernation and the promise of new life. Corax born under this auspice are known as Stormcrows (no connection to Grandfather Thunder), and are warriors and carrion crows, touched with a bit of madness and trickery. VI. Gifts "Raven seized the sun, which was just then setting, and the fire-stick that was used in kindling fires. When he reached his kingdom, he gave his people the sun, and showed them how to make fire. Ever since, the earth has had light and heat, from the sun and from fire." -- Haida creation myth Beginning Corax get one Corax Gift and two Auspice Gifts, for a total of three Level One Gifts. Unmarked Gifts are taken straight from Werewolf. These and the Gifts marked with a cross (+, see below) may be dropped as I think up new Gifts to replace them. Gifts marked with a cross (+) are variations on Werewolf Gifts, modified to fit the Corax's outlook and society. The Corax can use some Garou Gifts at a lower level, like Clarity or Cutting Wind. The reduced-level Gifts are taught by Raven, by Stormcrow spirits, or by Wind spirits, all of which would logically have an affinity for the Corax. While the Garou get 2 Breed Gifts per level, the Corax get 3 at each level for their single "breed." [This may seem to favor the Corax, but the Garou have over 250 Gifts available (3 breeds, 13 tribes, and 5 auspices, even counting Gifts used more than once, like Sense Wyrm). Since the Corax have neither breeds nor tribes, they're limited to 60 Gifts, 15 for being a Corax and 45 from their 4 auspices, and many are doubles of Garou Gifts anyway. Dropping a few Garou Gifts a level or two will equalize this gap.] Gifts marked with a single asterisk (*) are unique to the Corax. Gifts marked with a double asterisk (**) are original Gifts, designed by the author for the Corax. A) Gifts Listed by Species and Auspice Corax Gifts Level One Voice of the Mimic*, Enemy Ways*, Split Tongue** Level Two Omens and Signs*, Tongues, Taking the Forgotten Level Three Dark Truths+, Hear the Corpse Whisper*, Odin's Wisdom** Level Four Airt Sense*, Gauntlet Runner*, Assimilation Level Five Thieving Talons of the Magpie, Portents*, Invoke the Spirits of the Storm East Wind Gifts: (healers, bards) Level One Raven's Touch+, Babble, Ease Pain** Level Two Speech of the Fool**, Fledgling's Promise**, Raven's Tongue** Level Three Screech+, Message Glance, Merciful Blow Level Four Solace** Level Five [none yet] South Wind Gifts: (judges, leaders) Level One Persuasion, Candling+, Paralyzing Stare+ Level Two Staredown+, Truthtell**, Strength of One** Level Three Scold**, Righteous Anger** Level Four Take the True Form Level Five Voice of Command** West Wind Gifts: (mystics, elders) Level One Ill Omens**, Spirit Speech, Sense the Unnatural+ Level Two Command the Spirit, Pulse of the Invisible, Clarity+ Level Three Mind Speech+, Raven's Eye+ Level Four Grasp the Beyond Level Five The Malleable Spirit North Wind/Stormcrow Gifts: (warriors, tricksters) Level One Find the Fray**, Resist Pain, Cutting Wind+ Level Two Shadow of War**, Distractions, Molt** Level Three Gaze of Corruption**, Blind**,Vital Strike** Level Four Gloom+, Battle Frenzy+, Indomitable Will** Level Five Madness, Crack the Egg**, The Thousand Forms B) Gifts (Long Descriptions) Gifts with no descriptions come straight out of Werewolf: The Apocalypse and the Players Guide. Most of the Gifts marked "Corax" are taken verbatim from Players Guide to save you the cross-referencing. Gifts that begin, "Similar to ..." indicate that the Gift has been altered slightly from its original form -- renamed, different skill system, or whatever. They are listed alphabetically, by level, and the Aupsice they go with is given last. Babble (Level One) Similar to the Red Talon Gift. The Corax can spend a Gnosis point and roll Manipulation + Occult, diff 7, to make another lose the ability to read, write, or speak any language. The victim can resist with an Intelligence + Linguistics roll, difficulty seven. The effect lasts for one scene. East Wind. Candling (Level One) Similar to the Philodox Gift: Scent of the True Form. The Corax can tell when someone is a supernatural being. She can automatically detect shapeshifters, can detect vampires and faeries with a Perception + Alertness roll of difficulty 8, and can detect mages on a roll against difficulty 9. This is a visual sense, not an olfactory one, and the Corax compare it to the practice of candling an egg to see what is inside. South Wind. Cutting Wind (Level One) Similar to the Level Two Wendigo Gift. With a Willpower point, the Corax can summon a bitter blast of wind, which she may direct at her foes. To direct the wind in combat, the Corax must roll Dexterity + Occult, diff 6. Anyone hit by the wind loses two dice from all actions taken that turn, and has one fewer die on all actions for the next turn. The wind lasts for the scene, and the range is calculated according to the modifiers for firearms; the medium range is 20 yards, with difficulty increased by one at maximum range (40 yards) and "point-blank" range (1 yard or less) is at difficulty 4. The Corax can use this wind to her own advantage with the same roll, adding +1 to the damage and increasing the range for special maneuvers like divebombing and flying rakes; however, the difficulty for successfully pulling off these maneuvers is increased by one due to the intensity of the wind. North Wind. Ease Pain (Level One) This Gift allows the Corax to confer the effects of the Gift: Resist Pain on another person. She must spend a Willpower point to accomplish this, and must touch the victim. This Gift can only be used once per person per scene. East Wind. Enemy Ways (Level One) This is a danger sense. The Corax, rolling Perception + Stealth, can know about enemies in the vicinity, and get an idea of where they are and what they are doing based on the number of successes. Corax. Find the Fray (Level One) With a roll of Perception + Alertness, diff 6, the Corax can seek out battles with unerring precision, learning the location, intensity, and participants of any conflicts within a 10 mile radius. A roll against difficulty 8 allows the Corax to pinpoint the site of a past battle, and overcoming a 10 difficulty may allow the Corax knowledge of conflicts yet to come. The more successes gained, the more the Corax learns about the fight. North Wind. Ill Omens (Level One) The raven is traditionally considered to be a harbinger of evil. Ill Omens is similar to the Ahroun Gift Inspiration, but has the opposite effect: by spending a Gnosis point every turn, the Corax can nullify one success on all her opponents' Willpower and Rage rolls. Note that this can result in botches for her foes. West Wind. Paralyzing Stare (Level One) Similar to the Level Three Shadow Lord Gift. The Corax can direct a terrifying gaze at a target, causing him to freeze in place. The Corax must concentrate for one turn, spend a Gnosis point, and roll Charisma + Intimidation, difficulty of the target's Willpower. Each success freezes the target in place for one turn. The target is free to defend himself if attacked, but otherwise can perform no action. The Corax must maintain eye contact to keep the target under the effects of this Gift. South Wind. Persuasion (Level One) As the Homid Gift. South Wind. Raven's Touch (Level One) As the Theurge Gift: Mother's Touch. East Wind. Resist Pain (Level One) As the Philodox Gift. North Wind. Sense the Unnatural (Level One)+ Similar to the Lupus Gift. The Corax can sense any unnatural presence and determine its appropriate strength and type. This detects wraiths, vampires, minions of the Wyrm, etc. The roll is Perception + Enigmas, difficulty 8. The more successes, the more information detected. West Wind. Spirit Speech (Level One) As the Theurge Gift. West Wind. Split Tongue (Level One) This Gift allows the Corax to speak intelligibly in all forms. By spending a Willpower Point, she can speak and understand any one language for the duration of a scene. This language must be decided upon before the Willpower Point is spent. Switching to another language requires the expenditure of another point of WP. If the Corax is totally unfamiliar with a given language, she must either make a successful Intelligence + Linguistics roll (difficulty varies according to the obscurity of the language) or listen to a conversation in that language for a turn before activating her Gift. For example, if she wants to use the Mokole tongue, but has never been exposed to it, she must succeed on an Int + Linguistics roll (probably a diff of 10) or overhear a couple of were-alligators gossiping in the swamps. The Gift does not grant the user the ability to read or write in the specified language, and any information she gains from the Gift will be remembered and reiterated in her native language. Corax. Voice of the Mimic (Level One) This Gift allows the Corax to imitate any sound or voice she has heard. It requires a Perception + Expression roll, difficulty based on the complexity of the sound. When combined with the Eidetic Memory merit, whole conversations can be replayed with eerie exactness. Corax. Clarity (Level Two) Similar to the Level Three Stargazer Gift. The Corax can see through fog, pitch blackness, and even recognize illusions or invisibility with a Perception + Enigmas roll (difficulty 7). To penetrate illusions, the Corax must match or beat the illusionist's number of successes. West Wind. Distractions (Level Two) Similar to the Galliard Gift. The Corax can make annoying squawks, screeches, and beak-rattlings to divert the attention of his opponent. He must roll Wits + Performance against a difficulty of the victim's Willpower. Each success subtracts one from the target's Dice Pool for the next turn. North Wind. Fledgling's Promise (Level Two) By spending a point of the appropriate type and rolling Intelligence + Occult, difficulty 7, the Corax can restore lost Willpower, Gnosis, or Rage points to a target. For every two successes the target regains one point of the appropriate ability. The Corax must touch the target, and this Gift can only be used once on each target per scene. East Wind. Molt (Level Two) The Corax can spend a Willpower point and symbolically "shed" a level of damage. The Gift can only be used once per scene, but any number of Willpower points can be used, with one Health Level healed per point spent. This gift works against Aggravated damage only, and only works once per scene. North Wind. Omens and Signs (Level Two) Corax can find symbols and portents in their surroundings. The location of a particular object or animal in relation to a place or time of day can tell the Corax something about a momentous occurrence. A Storyteller can be very imaginative in describing the omen. The Corax must roll Wits + Occult. Corax. Pulse of the Invisible (Level Two) As the Level Three Theurge Gift. West Wind. Raven's Tongue (Level Two) The Corax can tell undetectable lies. With a roll of Manipulation + Subterfuge, difficulty equal to the Perception of the listeners, the Corax can fool even the sharpest of ears. Any rolls made by the listeners to detect whether the Corax is lying will probably fail, as the number of successes made by the Corax adds to the difficulty to detect the lie (normally 6). With a resisted roll, this Gift can overcome the Level One Philodox Gift: Truth of Gaia. East Wind. Screech (Level Two) Similar to the Bastet Gift: Shriek. With a Stamina + Expression roll, difficulty 7, the Corax can emit a piercing, grating screech which deafens those within 10 feet for one turn per level of success. Corax are fond of getting together in a murder and using this Gift on an unwary foe. Each additional Corax joining in the Screech reduces the difficulty of their collective rolls by one, down to a minimum of 2. East Wind. Shadow of War (Level Two) By flying over a battlefield, the Corax drops all damage difficulties for all combatants by -2. This applies to everyone on the ground, whether friend or foe, and lasts for the duration of the scene. It does not affect the Corax, nor does it affect anyone who enters the fray after the Corax has done her flyby. The Corax must spend a Gnosis point and circle the battlefield at least once for this Gift to take effect. If she is interrupted in her flight, the Gift does not work and the Gnosis point is lost. It is rumored that multiple Corax can provide cumulative effects, but such gatherings would be rare, given their solitary nature, and would only provide a -1 for each additional Corax present, with damage difficulty never dropping below 2. North Wind. Speech of the Fool (Level Two) The Corax can empower herself and her chosen companions with the ability to speak a secret language, incomprehensible to others. With a roll of Subterfuge + Linguistics, difficulty 6, the Corax can give a number of others equal to the number of her successes the power to speak this unrecognizable, untranslatable language. It is a spoken language only, and written messages between characters are not affected. The effects last for one scene. This Gift can overcome Linguistic Gifts, like Split Tongue, with a resisted roll. East Wind. Staredown (Level Two) Similar to the Homid Gift. By staring into the eyes of a target, the Corax can cause the target to flee in terror. The Corax rolls Manipulation + Intimidation, difficulty of the victim's Willpower. If the Corax overcomes the target's Willpower, the target flees in fear for one turn per success. The eerieness of the Corax's gaze will cause even Garou to flee. South Wind. Strength of One (Level Two) This Gift can be used in two ways, both of which require the expenditure of a Gnosis point. First, it can grant the Corax with a Strength equal to that of the strongest creature in the area with a successful Stamina + Primal-Urge roll, difficulty 8. The opponent loses no Strength dice. Second, it can give her companions one extra, temporary Strength die at the cost of one of her own Strength dice. This does not require a roll, but the Corax must spend a Gnosis point per companion she wishes to gift with her Strength. The effects last for one scene. The number of Strength dice she donates can be increased to the limits of her Strength, but she must spend another Gnosis point per each extra die. South Wind. Taking the Forgotten (Level Two) As the Ragabash Gift. Corax. Tongues (Level Two) As the Homid Gift. Corax. Truthtell (Level Two) The Corax can force a target to truthfully answer a question. The Corax rolls Charisma + Intimidation, difficulty of the victim's Willpower, and the number of successes indicates the number of questions the target must answer truthfully during the course of the next scene. If the Corax fails to ask the allotted number of questions before the end of the scene, the effect of the Gift ends and the victim is free to speak as he pleases. The victim can make a Willpower roll, difficulty equal to the number of the successes the Corax rolled +2, to refuse to answer a given question. South Wind. Blind (Level Three) The Corax can spend a point of Gnosis and negate her opponent's senses. The roll is Manipulation + Occult, difficulty of the opponent's Stamina +2. For each success, the Corax can negate one sense. One success is sufficient to blind an opponent, who loses at least three dice on all his actions. The exact effects are up to the Storyteller, but it should be obvious that many successes will completely incapacitate her opponent. North Wind. Dark Truths (Level Three) This is in the Players Guide, but is very similar to the Uktena Gift: Secrets. Corax. Gaze of Corruption (Level Three) The Corax can negate an opponent's natural healing for the duration of one scene. To activate the gift, the Corax spends a Gnosis point and rolls Manipulation + Occult, difficulty equal to the target's unmodified Stamina. On creatures with accelerated healing abilities, like Garou, each of the Corax's successes negates the ability to regenerate one level of health damage. Targets who are uninjured will fail to regenerate whatever damage they take later on in the remainder of the scene. This Gift can only be used once per scene on any given opponent. If the Gift is used on creatures who do not regenerate (normal humans, for instance), each success increases the target's healing time to the next level of damage. For example, if it's used on a human who is Hurt, and the Corax scores three successes, the Storyteller counts three Health Levels down from Hurt and determines that the human won't heal fully until three months have passed). The target must be held in the Corax's sight for one full turn before this Gift can be activated. North Wind. Hear the Corpse Whisper (Level Three) Corax. Merciful Blow (Level Three) As the Stargazer Gift. East Wind. Message Glance (Level Three) As the Silent Strider Gift. East Wind. Mind Speech (Level Three) Similar to the Metis Gift. The Corax can mentally communicate with another being over great distances. The Corax cannot read minds, but can use Social Abilities, such as Intimidation, from a distance, and must know the person with whom she is attempting to communicate. The Roll is Manipulation + Empathy (diff 8). The Corax can transmit a maximum of 10 miles per success. West Wind. Odin's Wisdom (Level Three) The Corax spends a Gnosis and rolls Perception + Enigmas, difficulty 6. Each success gives her an extra die on subsequent attempts to figure out any puzzle or riddle during the remainder of the scene. It is recommended that the Storyteller use this Gift as an opportunity to dispense enigmatic clues, which the players must still unravel. This Gift can work on anything from untying difficult knots to opening combination locks to solving spoken riddles. Corax. Raven's Eye (Level Three) As the Level Four Philodox Gift: Scent of Beyond. The Corax can bring all her senses to bear on one spot (even an Umbral site) with which she is familiar, no matter how far away that spot is. She must roll Perception + Enigmas, difficulty 8. If the spot is in the Umbra, the difficulty is either the Gauntlet rating or is set at 8, whichever is higher. West Wind. Righteous Anger (Level Three) By spending a Willpower point, and making a roll of Charisma + Intimidation, difficulty 8, the Corax can increase the damage she does in hand-to-hand combat by one die for each success. If the Gift is used in Ravenna form, it will increase aggravated damage in the same fashion. The effect lasts for the duration of the scene, and can only be used once per scene. South Wind. Scold (Level Three) The Corax can give the target a tongue-lashing he will never forget. With a roll of Charisma + Intimidation, difficulty of the target's Willpower, she can not only overwhelm the target with feelings of guilt and remorse, but can also encourage any listeners to take her side and believe the accusations she has made. Listeners can resist the roll with a Perception + Empathy roll, with the difficulty equal to the number of successes the Corax made. The target is reduced to an apologetic, groveling whelp for a number of turns equal to the number of the Corax's successes. He can take no aggressive action toward his accuser and is largely incapacitated. He can a Willpower roll to recover (diff equalling the Corax's Charisma + Intimidation) after at least one turn has elapsed. Note that the successful use of this gift can cause the victim to lose Honor. South Wind. Vital Strike (Level Three) By spending a Gnosis and rolling against her Willpower (difficulty 7), the Corax can intensify her hand-to-hand damage. If she makes a successful strike after using this Gift, the victim cannot soak the damage from the blow. North Wind. Airt Sense (Level Four) The Corax can spend one Gnosis point and roll Perception + Occult to gain an understanding of the ways of the Umbra, halving travel time through the spirit world. The difficulty is 6. Corax. Assimilation (Level Four) As the Level Five Homid Gift. Corax. Battle Frenzy (Level Four) This is somewhat similar to the Level Three Metis Gift: Awaken Beast. By observing a battlefield, the Corax can induce a battle madness in the combatants. A chosen target can be made to Frenzy by spending a Gnosis point and rolling Manipulation + Primal-Urge, difficulty of the victim's Willpower. If the Corax succeeds, the target immediately goes into a Berserk Frenzy. This Gift can only be used on one target per scene, and the effects last for an entire scene. It is best done from the air. North Wind. Gauntlet Runner (Level Four) A roll of Wits + Enigmas (difficulty 8) will reduce the Gauntlet in a certain area by one for every two successes. The Corax must still step sideways as normal. Corax. Gloom+ (Level Four) Similar to the Level Four Theurge Gift: Spirit Drain. The Corax can drain Willpower from an opponent and use it to feed her own resolve. If the Corax succeeds in a resisted Willpower vs. Willpower roll, the opponent loses one Willpower point per success for the rest of the scene. For every two points drained, the Corax gains a temporary Willpower point. Any temporary points which exceed her Willpower maximum are lost at the end of the scene. North Wind. Grasp the Beyond (Level Four) As the Theurge Gift. West Wind. Indomitable Will (Level Four) By spending a Willpower point, the Corax makes herself immune to all Gifts which affect the mind through fear, intimidation, madness, or confusion. This includes, but is not limited to, the Gifts listed under Solace, and also applies to vampiric Dominations. The Corax must spend a Willpower point each time an opponent makes an attempt to use such a Gift on her, but her immunity is total. North Wind. Solace (Level Four) With a touch and a Willpower point, the Corax can soothe and provide comfort to a target, negating the effects of Gifts which affect the mind, like Staredown (Level Two Homid), Disquiet (Level Two Homid), Roll Over (Level Four Philodox), True Fear (Level Two Ahroun), Snarl of the Predator (Level Two Get of Fenris), Icy Chill of Despair (Level Three Shadow Lord), or Paralyzing Stare (Level Three Shadow Lord). As a general rule, this Gift works against Gifts which cause fear, depression, anger, or despair. Targets who have been aided by Solace are protected by it for the duration of the scene, and get an extra die to defend against the Gift which cowed them, or any similar Gifts. This Gift can also stop a Fox Frenzy with a successful Charisma + Empathy roll, difficulty of the target's Willpower. It has no effect when the target is Berserk. East Wind. Take the True Form (Level Four) As the Philodox Gift. South Wind. Crack the Egg (Level Five) By spending a Gnosis point, the Corax can crush an opponent's bones within his living body. A roll of Strength + Occult, difficulty of the opponent's Stamina, is required. For each success the Corax inflicts one level of Aggravated damage to her opponent. This damage can be soaked. This Gift is commonly accompanied by the Corax making a crushing motion with her fist, but the gesture is not required. It can be used against spirits, but the difficulty becomes the spirit's Gnosis, and any damage inflicted subtracts from the spirit's power. North Wind. Portents (Level Five) By spending two Gnosis points and rolling Intelligence + Enigmas, the Corax can see a future event with clarity. Difficulty will vary according to the Storyteller's ruling. Though the future is mutable, the Corax will see the most likely event, at the discretion of the Storyteller. Corax. Thieving Talons of the Magpie (Level Five) As the Ragabash Gift. Corax. Invoke the Spirits of the Storm (Level Five) As the Wendigo Gift. Corax. Madness (Level Five) As the Metis Gift. North Wind. The Malleable Spirit (Level Five) As the Theurge Gift. West Wind. Voice of Command (Level Five) By making a Willpower roll, difficulty of the opponent's Willpower, the Corax can command a victim to perform any one action. This command must be simple, clear, and direct, and it must be an action that the victim is capable of performing (you can't command a Garou to fly if he has no wings, for instance). The victim must also be able to hear and understand the command, although it could be transmitted through a mental Gift or translated through a Gift like Split Tongue. Once the action is performed, the victim is free. Commands which would require more than one action, like, "Pull out your klaive and attack your friend," would fail--the victim would pull his klaive, but then be free to use it on whomever he pleased (the Corax, for instance). The number of successes determines exactly what the Corax can command. This Gift can only be used once on each opponent per scene, and its exact effects are up to the discretion of the Storyteller. South Wind. VII. Rites Knowledge Rites Weatherwise (Level One) In folklore, the appearance of crows heralds rain, storms, or fair weather, depending on their number and behavior. The Corax can reliably predict the weather with a roll of Perception + Survival, difficulty 6. She can also predict the exact times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moon-set, and all other applicable weather conditions over a 24-hour period. As the Crow Flies (Level One) With a roll of Perception + Streetwise (or Survival), the Corax learns the shortest and safest route to her chosen destination. It effectively halves her travel time to that destination, provided no unexpected obstacles arise and the route is not changed drastically while she travels (via shifting walls, earthquakes, rivers rising, etc). Even if she has no familiarity with the destination, this Rite provides knowledge of how to get there. It can also lead her out of mazes, forests, and other confusing locations. Rite of Memory Theft (Level Four) Mystic Rites Rite of the Fledgling (Level One) The Corax becomes mystically tied to one person, and can keep mental tabs on that person's location. She is instantly alerted if that person is in danger, regardless of the distance between them. The person must carry one of the Corax's feathers, and if the feather is lost, so is the connection. The Corax use a variation on this Rite to keep track of an unborn Corax; in this case, the Corax carries a lock of hair or a feather from the Corax-to-be with her wherever she goes. This is not the same lock or feather donated by the potential parent in the Rite of the Fetish Egg; those are consumed in the making of the Egg. VIII. Fetishes and Talens "Who saw him die? I, said the Magpie, With my little eye, I saw him die." -- Who Killed Cock Robin? Children's Rhyme Magpie Bag Level: 2 Gnosis: 8 This fetish is a small leather bag adorned with two magpie feathers. It is a "bottomless bag," and can hold a total of 10 cubic feet (a cube 5' x 5' x 5') of material. It can contain a maximum of 100 pounds of material, bringing the weight of the bag to a single pound. Sharp objects and/or acids, etc. do not damage the bag itself, but may injure the other objects inside, or hurt the Corax when she reaches inside (Storyteller's discretion). The Corax can retrieve any object inside the bag by spending a Gnosis point. If the bag is ever ripped or punctured from the outside, all the objects inside will instantly burst through the hole, surrounding the Corax in a shower of items. The bag has no special resistance to attacks; from the outside, it's as tough as a normal leather bag, and can easily be damaged. The maximum size of a held object is limited to the size of the bag's mouth, typically about 5" in diameter. Living creatures will suffocate if placed inside.