Minor Rites

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Rituals by Name

Rituals by Type

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Minor Rites

Minor rites are the rituals that the Garou incorporate into daily living. Almost all Garou know and use at least a few such Minor Rites.

An almost infinite variety of Minor Rites is available to the Garou. The following rites are but a small sampling. Many Garou develop their own unique Minor Rites to help them reaffirm their connection to Gaia, their totem spirit, or each other.

System: Players may purchase Minor Rites at one-half the normal Background cost (two for one). Similarly, minor rites may be learned in half the time it takes to learn other rites. Minor rites take only two to five minutes to enact, much less time than other rites require. Werewolves who perform a minor rite regularly find it easier to achieve certain goals. The Storyteller should occasionally require players to roleplay the invocation of these rites occasionally, to emphasize that a character is performing them regularly.

General Rites

Appease the Prey-Spirit Bone Rhythms Bone Rhythms

Greet the Lady of Justice Greet the Moon Greet the Sun

Hunting Prayer Prayer for the Prey

Appease the Prey-Spirit

Source: WW3811 Book of the City p. 118

Description: This is a version of the Prayer for the Prey that acknowledges that not all Garou live by hunting and killing animals. Bone Gnawers most often perform this rite, but many Glass Walkers perform it also. While wilderness Garou laugh at the thought of "praying to a soda machine," the Gnawers know that finding food in the urban jungle isn't always easy.

The Garou thanks the spirit that has fed him, this may be a plant-spirit, a machine-spirit (if the food was machine-made) or the Bone Gnawer's favorite spirit, the Garbage Heap.

System: The Garou gives thanks when eating, and then steps sideways to thank the spirit "in person." If he does so each time he obtains a meal this way (snacks do not mandate this rite), his difficulty for dealing with such spirits will drop by one.

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Bone Rhythms

Source: WW3801 Werewolf: the Apocalypse Revised p. 166

Description: A werewolf performs this rite in homage to the her totem spirit. Each spirit has a different rhythm connected to it, and the Garou taps out her spirit's rhythm with special drumsticks to honor her totem. Such "sticks" are traditionally made of bone, but can be fashioned from any material.

System: Any werewolf who performs this rite three times per day for at least three consecutive days gains an additional die to any one roll while in the Umbra. Once this die is used, the Garou must rebuild the energies for an additional three days before regaining the extra die.

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Breath of Gaia

Source: WW3801 Werewolf: the Apocalypse Revised p. 166

Description: During this rite the werewolf breathes deeply of Gaia's breath - that is, clean air - 13 times. While so breathing, she clears her mind of all things save her love of Gaia.

System: The character must perform this rite at least once per day for one full cycle of the moon. So doing enables the Garou to lower the difficulty level of any one healing or detection roll by two.

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Greet the Lady of Justice

Source: WW3811 Book of the City p. 118

Description: This rite thanks and praises the spirit of Justice, often neglected by both humans and Garou, but a powerful ally. In some cities, this in embodied in a sacred place or caern, or Justice can be found inhabiting a civil rights memorial or the site of a strike. The Garou must offer praises (in song, in prayer, in dance, etc) to Justice whenever she feels the presence of "the Lady."

System: The Garou must act out her thanks. If she does so faithfully, she gets 1 extra die to all Mental rolls when seeking true justice. The effects last for one week.

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Greet the Moon

Source: WW3801 Werewolf: the Apocalypse Revised p. 166

Description: This rite is an exuberant paean to Luna. During this rite, the Garou howls an elaborate greeting to the moon. This greeting varies with the phase of the moon.

System: Performing this rite each night at moonrise for a full phase of the moon enables the Garou to add one die to all social interactions with Garou of that phase's auspice the next time the moon reaches the phase in question.

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Greet the Sun

Source: WW3801 Werewolf: the Apocalypse Revised p. 166

Description: Certain Children of Gaia and a few Uktena and Wendigo practice this rite. It's similar to Green the Moon but is performed at sunrise.

System: The Garou must sing Helios' praises for nine consecutive days. If the Garou does so, Helios grants his devotee an additional die when attempting to sense Wyrm creatures or Wyrm-taint, provided the Garou continues to sing his praises daily. If the Garou misses even one day, he must begin this rite anew to reap its benefits.

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Hunting Prayer

Source: WW3801 Werewolf: the Apocalypse Revised p. 166

Description: This common rite takes many forms, but it always involves pausing before the start of a hunt to praise Gaia and all her creatures. In addition, the Garou chooses some item to hold her prayers. This item can range from an old belt to a tooth, but the werewolf must have it with her when she hunts. If she loses the item, she must choose another item and start her prayers anew.

System: If a Garou performs this rite before every hunt for three turnings of the moon, she receives an additional die to all tracking rolls so long as she continues her pre-hunt prayers. If she hunts even once without praying, she must renew her prayers for another three months before again receiving the bonus.

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Prayer for the Prey

Source: WW3801 Werewolf: the Apocalypse Revised p. 167

Description: A specific form of the Rite of Contrition, this rite involves the werewolf stepping sideways into the Umbra just after making a kill, subsequently thanking the spirit of the prey for giving its own life that the Garou might survive. Performing this rite is a sign of respect to Gaia, her children, and life itself.

System: The character must perform this rite upon every beast of Gaia (not including Wyrm-spawn) he slays for one full turning of the moon. Should this be done, all of her difficulty numbers drop by one when dealing with Nature-spirits. This bonus lasts until she kills without taking time to thank the creature's spirit.

Tribe Rites

Below are Minor Rites for each tribe. Tribe Rites are only available to learn within your own tribe. Click to expand for details on the boxes. By clicking on the name of the tribe, you can view all of their Tribe Rites.

Children of Gaia

Details

Rite of the Teachers (Minor) Source: WW3853 - Children of Gaia Revised p. 70 Description: This rite involves using the teacher plants of Gaia (hallucinogenic plants) which have had their spirits Awakened (using the Rite of Spirit Awakening). The ritemaster must prepare the plants carefully and then use them in the appropriate manner (such as smoking jimson weed or eating sacred mushrooms). Note that the use of the plants is forbidden in some cases by human law. System: For each level of bashing damage that the Garou takes from exposure to the drugs in question, the Gauntlet is effectively lowered by one for the purposes of using Gifts or rites or stepping sideways. The reduced difficulty lasts for five minutees after the completion of this rite. The Bowels of the Mother (Minor) Source: WW3853 - Children of Gaia Revised p. 70 Description: This simple rite enables other rites to be performed in less than ideal circumstances. The Ragabash Soldier-of-Paradise developed it while serving in the US military. Rites requiring Gaia's physical presence (that is, that natural eart, air, water, or fire be present) are difficult to perform while the ritemaster is in a setting where they don't exist, such as a ship at sea. The clever No-Moon reasoned that "there's wind in your lungs, water in your veins, fire in your heart, and soil in your bowels." System: When a ritemaster performs this rite, she may substitute the body of any living creature for the required earth, wind, etc. for a rite that immediately follows. For example, when a rite requires the ritemaster to touch earth, she may hold another's hand instead; a fetish may be held over the heart instead of over fire. No roll is necessary, although the difficulty of the rite for which the substitution is made is increased by one. It has sadly been shown that event the rite of Gaia's Vengeful Teeth can be cast this way. Soldier-of-Paradise wasn't successful in his attempts to perform the Rite of Spirit Awakening on his intestinal bacteria, but perseveres nonetheless.

Fianna

Details

Twilight Song (Minor) Source: WW3854 - Fianna Revised p. 77 Description: The period between day and night is considered a magical time by the Fianna, a transitory time when the world grows still and the hidden dances almost within vision. System: The Fianna must howl or play a mournful tun just before sunrise and just after sunset every day for nine days. The Garou then gains an extra trait for crossing or seeing through the gauntlet. The bonus lasts until the Fianna fails to perform the ritual; she must then perform it for nine more days before regaining the benefits.

Silent Striders

Details

Rite of Meeting and Parting (Minor) Source: WW3859 - Silent Striders Revised p. 79 Description: Two Striders meeting on the road is a rare occurrence, but often a pleasant one. Even if one or both are traveling on missions of desperate importance or even certain doom, at least for a short time neither has to travel alone. Each traveler greets the other with a traditional salutation in his or her native tongue. If time permits they share food and water, and exchange news of their travels. On parting, they exchange blessings in the Garou tongue; the most common is "Gaia soft beneath your feet, Luna's light on your path." Even in emergencies, two Striders who recognize each other will howl out as much of the greeting and farewell as they can as they pass each other at a full sprint. This rite is not usually performed on arrival at a caern, but Silent Strider caerns often have their own rituals to welcome travelers.

Stargazers

Details

Ancestor Veneration (Minor) Source: WW3861 - Stargazers Revised p. 80 Description: As has been stated, Stargazers are often closer to their forebears and spiritual ancestors than most other Garou. They tend to erect and maintain sometimes simple, other times elaborate shrines to their antecedents, hoping to gain favor from them and elevate them above their once-living stations. Many Stargazers sit at these constructed shrines and pray in an effort to venerate their ancestors, partially to honor them, and partially to gain a greater connection to them. System: The Stargazer's shrine must be composed of items appropriate to their ancestors - ancestral items, pictures, writings, or anything else that elicits an honorable and wise memory of them. If the Stargazer worships and prays at the shrine for at least an hour, every day, for a month, he may re-roll one die on any Ancestors roll (the second results stands, however) provided he makes an effort to continue venerating their ancestors daily. Tea Ceremony (Minor) Source: WW3861 - Stargazers Revised p. 80 Description: The Stargazer tea ceremony is both a social occasion and a meditation practice. It allows a Stargazer to center herself, both through uncomplicated conversation and through the calming simplicity of drinking hot tea. System: The Stargazer must engage in the tea ceremony with at least one other person (they need not be a Garou) once a day for an entire lunar cycle. Should the Stargazer do so, she gains an extra die on all rolls involving understanding the motivations and desires of others. If the Garou misses even a single day's ceremony, she must start anew during the next lunar cycle.