Difference between revisions of "Bastet Gifts"
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='''Common Bastet Gifts'''= | ='''Common Bastet Gifts'''= | ||
Revision as of 15:34, 12 May 2019
Contents
Common Bastet Gifts
PGttCB 67-68, Bastet 96-101
|
Level 1
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Level 2
Not included: Mental Speech (Touch the Mind) - changed to level 3 in PGttCB |
Level 3
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Level 4
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Level 5
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Rank 1
Banish Sickness - Cats have long been renowned for their healing prowess. With a purr and a lick, a skillful Bastet can cure minor diseases and chase venoms away. Although a Bastet never takes ill herself, this Gift is helpful when a loved one is unwell.
System: Curing a simple illness like the flu requires a Manipulation + Medicine roll (difficulty 6). Severe diseases and venoms demand a Gnosis point and a roll against difficulty 7. Chronic illnesses or really lethal poisons demand two Gnosis points and a difficulty of 8 or higher. Vicious diseases that eat a victim alive, like AIDS, cancer, leprosy, etc. may demand three Gnosis or even remain incurable by magical means.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p96)
Catfeet - As the Rank Three Garou Lupus Gift, but obviously easier for Bastet.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p96)
Command Attention - A werecat can call on his feline presence to draw attention the instant he steps into a room. Everyone in a given space (a rook, a clearing, whatever) will immediately stop what they're doing to notice the Bastet's entrance. Their reaction from that point on will depend on what the character does, and upon their feelings about him; an attractive Homid will get a different reaction than an angry Crinos panther would.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Expression (difficulty 7) to get everyone's attention for one turn. This gift also reduces the difficulty of his next Social roll by 1 for every success he rolls for the Gift. This bonus only applies once, upon entering the space.
(Bastet BB p96)
Dowsing - By pawing or sniffing at the ground, the Bastet tries to locate nearby water sources (underground streams, pipes, etc.). With luck, she'll be able to tell whether or not that water is safe to drink.
System: A roll of Perception + Primal Urge will determine the water's location, if any exists within 100 feet of the Bastet. The difficulty depends on the water's distance and quantity; a muddy puddle beneath debris would be 9, while a pure rushing stream on the other side of a wall would be 5.
(Bastet BB p96)
Lick Wounds - As the Garou Theurge Gift: Mother's Touch, this power heals normal or aggravated wounds (but unlike the Theurge Gift, can be used to heal oneself). This gift may be used as many times as the player wants, but each healing "lick" costs another Gnosis point. Hear in mind that even a cat may be loathe to lick up toxic waste or raw sewage! Some substances, like silver or Wyrm-poison, might damage the healer in proportion to her healing - that is, by one health level per health level healed - if it's still in or on the wound when she licks it.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p96)
Open Seal - As the Garou Ragabash Gift.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p96)
Pathfinder's Pride - Cats have a remarkably good sense of direction. With this Gift, a Bastet may improve that knack to find his way out of most kinds of mazes, deserts or woodlands. Worthy folk may learn this Gift from Bird spirits, but no werecat willingly admits to it in public.
System: Invoking this Gift requires a Perception + Subterfuge roll. The difficulty depends on the area's complexity: a large flat desert or a small forest would be 5 or 6, a vast expanse or complicated maze might be 7 or 8, and a primordial rain forest would be 8 or 9. Magical confusion spells, like the Garou Gift: Trackless Waste, can be undone with difficulties 9 or 10. Pathfinder's Pride does not provide any kind of travel; the werecat merely discovers the way out - getting to the exit is her problem.
(Bastet BB p96)
Razor Claws - As the Garou Ahroun Gift.
(Bastet BB p97)
Sense the Truth - As the Garou Philodox Gift: Truth of Gaia.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p97)
Sense the Unmaker's Hand - As the Garou Metis Gift: Sense Wyrm.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p97)
Silent Stalking - This common trick allows a Bastet to move without making any sound. Even squeaky or shifting surfaces, like wooden floors or piled twigs, can be passed over without noise.
System: The player rolls Dexterity + Stealth, difficulty 5. Failure renders the Gift unusable for the rest of the scene. Note that this Gift doesn't make the werecat himself invisible or silent in any way, nor will it prevent any damage (broken twigs, for instance) in his wake - it stifles the sound of his footsteps, nothing more.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p97)
Spirit's Sight - Although werecats cannot normally travel through the Gauntlet, this Gift allows them to see through it for a short time. Plenty of good secrets can be discovered this way, but the Gift's effects tend to frustrate the hell out of the Bastet who cant get through, like a cat watching a bird on the other side of a window.
System: The player rolls Perception + Awareness (difficulty of the local Gauntlet) and spends one Gnosis point to look into the Penumbra. The Gift lasts one scene and ends if the Bastet is knocked unconscious.
(Bastet BB p97)
Treeclimber - By extending and sharpening his claws, then invoking this Gift, a Bastet may travel up or down any vertical surface, from tree to concrete.
System: Climbing this way requires a Dexterity + Athletics roll. Really hard or slippery surfaces, like ice or steel, are difficulty 8, while easy ones like rock or bark are at difficulty 6. The character traveling this way moves at ten feet a turn or so and may have to make new rolls if the circumstances change (in an avalanche, for example).
(Bastet BB p97)
Rank 2
Call Spirits - By speaking the ancient language of The-World-That-Was, a Bastet may communicate with nearby spirits as if they normally speak her language. This Gift weaves between the Gauntlet and the material world, and carries both ways.
System: The player rolls Gnosis against the local Gauntlet. If she's standing inside the Penumbra already, no roll is necessary. Once she learns this Gift, the werecat understands Spirit-speech for the rest of her life, although some truly alien spirits might be beyond normal comprehension.
(Bastet BB p97)
Cat Sight - As the Rank Three Garou Metis Gift: Eyes of the Cat.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p97)
Eerie Eyes - As the Garou Homid Gift: Staredown.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p97)
First Slash - As the Garou Ahroun Gift: Spirit of the Fray.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p97)
Night Terror - By standing vigil over a sleeping person or animal, the Bastet can evoke the famous cat-fear, causing the target to have nightmares for several nights running.
System: The werecat must sit beside his victim for several minutes while she sleeps, spend one Gnosis point, and roll Wits + Occult or Enigmas (whichever is higher). If he rolls well, she'll have nightmares for one night per success. Five successes or more will cost the victim a temporary point of Willpower until she can sleep normally again. The Gift cannot be reused on the same person until the original nightmares have passed.
(Bastet BB p97)
Night's Passage - By attuning himself to the shadows from which he was born, a Bastet may walk through dim or dark areas while effectively invisible. Others may hear him or spy him with magical sight, but until he makes his move, the werecat remains hidden from view. This Gift even foils sudden lights so long as some shadows still exist to hide in.
System: By spending a Gnosis point and rolling Dexterity + Subterfuge or Occult (difficulty 7), the cat effectively "disappears". Although he'll remain substantial, the darkness will mask his presence for the rest of the scene, or until he attacks someone. At that point, the Gift disperses, and the Bastet is left with his natural hiding talents only. Supernatural beings can use their own magics to detect the cat by rolling Perception + Occult, (difficulty 8). Otherwise, nothing short of total illumination will reveal the skulking werecat.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p97)
Sense of the Prey - As the Garou Ragabash Gift.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p97)
Sense Silver - As the Garou Ahroun Gift.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p97)
Shriek - With an ear-splitting scream, the Bastet deafens everyone nearby. Careless shriekers beware - your allies are not immune!
System: This Gift demands a scream, a Stamina + Expression roll (difficulty 7), and a mean streak. Everyone within 10' will be deafened for one turn per success, and will end up in a world of pain (plus 1 to all difficulties for the duration).
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p97)
Summon Water - By calling upon the ancient affinity between cat-kind and the waters, a Bastet can create a bit of water in some place where none was before, or add to an existing amount of it. This Gift, known by most desert cats, only creates pure water, not any other form of liquid.
System: By spending a Gnosis point and rolling his Manipulation + Survival, the cat creates a pool of water. The difficulty depends on the circumstances: adding to existing water is difficulty 6; conjuring it into a dry place is difficulty 7. Each success brings forth five gallons of fresh, clean water, which lasts until it is consumed. (Bastet BB p97)
Swipe - As the Garou Ragabash Gift: Taking the Forgotten.
(PGttCB p67, Bastet BB p97)
Rank 3
Call the Pride - By moaning or crying out, the Bastet may summon the local cats (domestic, wild or big cats, depending on where she is) to her aid. Although the Gift isn't a life-or-death command, the summoned cats will help the Bastet if they can. Some Bastet can summon other creatures as their "prides"; Bubasti often keep jackals nearby, Qualmi summon birds, and Pumonca have been known to summon hawks, owls, and alligators to their defense.
System: Roll charisma + Animal Ken (difficulty 7). For each success, four normal cats or one large predator (if any are nearby) respond at their own speed. The Gift can reach up to a mile; cats more distant than that won't be much help, anyhow. The Pride remains until it has performed one service, then departs. Variant creatures must be approved by the Storyteller, and work just as cats do (four small or one large per success).
(Bastet BB p97)
Caper - By dancing around, a Bastet can charm bystanders into a semi-trance. This works in any form, so long as the werecat invokes the Gift and dances for at least a turn. Violence breaks the spell, but subtle actions like sneaking away remain unnoticed until the trance ends.
System: A roll of Manipulation + Expression (or Dancing) and a spent Gnosis point set the charm in motion. Anyone watching the werecat dance must roll his Willpower against difficulty 9 or be lulled into a genial daze. Storytellers may simply make a single roll against difficulty 7 to reflect a large group of normal humans. The trance lasts one turn per success, unless someone starts a fight or obviously steals something, in which case it ends immediately.
(Bastet BB p98)
Cat Fear - Garou aren't the only ones who command primal fear. By bristling and spitting, a werecat can scare the holy hell out of everyone nearby. Unfortunates suffering from ailurophobia (fear of cats) often go catatonic with fear when confronted this way.
System: A successful Manipulation + Primal Urge roll (difficulty 7) and a point of Gnosis can send everyone within 10 feet per success into a panic. Supernatural creatures can resist with their Willpower (difficulty 7), but humans and animals flee or fall into shock for one turn per success. Ailurophobes lapse into a coma for one day per success. This Gift cannot be used in Homid or Sokto forms.
(Bastet BB p98)
Cheshire Prank - Why should Lewis Carroll have all the fun? It took a while, but enterprising Bastet finally discovered the secret to dis appearing from plain sight. Today, it remains a valuable but popular trick.
System: By putting on a wide grin, spending a Gnosis point, and rolling Charisma + Subterfuge (difficulty 7), a Bastet may fade from view. The Prank takes three turns to complete. This invisibility lasts for the scene's duration and foils even magical perceptions. The Gift wont dampen sounds, but any werecat who cant move silently by this Rank is in big trouble, anyway. This Gift only works in Feline and Chatro forms, and changing forms ends the invisibility.
(Bastet BB p98)
Command Prey - By chittering slightly, a Bastet may, with this Gift, make her prey come to her. So long as she stands still and chants, the victim will wander slightly dazed until he's close enough to grab. Once the cat moves, the trance is broke. Naturally, this Gift can be used for all kinds of hunting...
System: The Bastet player rolls Manipulation + Primal Urge (difficulty 7) to command her target to approach. Unless he can resist with a Willpower roll (difficulty 8), any human or animal will obey. Supernatural opponents with a mind empowering supernatural ability (if active when the Gift's influence began) or more than five points of Rage resist at difficulty 6. Otherwise, they're attracted as usual. This only works against victims who were unaware of the Bastet's presence beforehand - as far as they know, they want to wander over that way. Once the prey is close, the werecat can move in however she prefers; a leap, a distraction, or an opening line all work equally well once the target's in place. This Gift does not work in combat.
(Bastet BB p98)
Farsight - By concentrating on a reflective surface or summoning a spirit, the Bastet looks into distant places. It helps if he's been there before, but it isn't essential. Once he finds what he's looking for, he may watch it for a while until, slowly, the Farsight fades.
System: Invoking this Gift requires a Gnosis point, a Perception + Occult roll, and time to concentrate. The roll's difficulty depends on the werecat's knowledge of his target. Although Farsight only spies on places, not people, anyone there can be observed as usual. The cat sees the place as if from a bird's-eye perspective - high enough to see everything nearby, but close enough to discern objects. A Willpower roll (difficulty 6) allows him to "focus" on certain things. The Gift lasts for one turn per success, and extends up to 30 miles distant.
| Difficulty | Location |
|---|---|
| 6 | Intimately familiar (home, girlfriend's place) |
| 7 | Somewhat Familiar (friend's house, vacation spot) |
| 8 | Visited occasionally (old elementary school) |
| 9 | Been there once |
| 10 | Only described or seen in photos |
(Bastet BB p98)
Freyja's Blessing - The old Norse goddess of fertility and love traveled in a chariot drawn by cats. Now she remembers the service by gifting certain cat-folk with a profound fertility, which they may bestow upon others if they wish. Although the Gift doesn't insure that a given mating will sire a Bastet kitten, many within the Folk claim that without the Blessing, their kind might be virtually extinct. System: By rolling Gnosis (difficulty 7) and calling upon Freyja, Gaia, or Nala, the Bastet summons a Fertility spirit into herself. By laying her hands on another's belly, the werecat may pass the spirit into someone else who wants a child. A male may use the gift at +1 difficulty to sire some offspring with his next mating. If the roll succeeds, a child of some kind will result. Whether that child carries the werecat gene depends on Nala's (and the rolls made to staff's) whim.
(Bastet BB p98)
Gift of Rage - By tapping into her inner Beast, the werecat may summon a Berserk frenzy, lashing out at everyone within range until the Gift wears off. Sadly, this is usually a last-ditch tactic; most werecats use this Gift only once.
System: To invoke a frenzy, the cat's player rolls her Rage (difficulty 6). This sends her into a killing state where tactics and mercy are impossible and all health level penalties are suspended. The rage lasts as long as there's danger around, and in this state, anyone present seems dangerous. The Thrall of the Wyrm (Werewolf rulebook) applies to werecats, too.
(Bastet BB p98)
Ignore Pain - By summoning up his inner reserves, the werecat can ignore the effects of his wounds.
System: A successful Stamina + Primal Urge roll (difficulty 8) allows the character to ignore all health level penalties for the Gift's duration. Even those from aggravated damage. Each success lets the Gift last two turns. If the Bastet hasn't healed by then, he'll be in serious pain...
(Bastet BB p98)
Impala's Flight - An essential Gift on the open plains, the Flight doubles the werecat's running speed. As the name implies, the Bastet credit Impala with this wisdom.
System: A successful Stamina + Athletics roll (difficulty 6) boosts the cat's maximum speed to double. It does not confer additional actions in the same turn. The Gift lasts two turns per success, and works in any form.
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p98)
Purr - The ultimate tool of feline seduction: by softly purring near some person or animal, the Bastet instills her with a desire to cuddle, pet and spoil him. So long as he treats his paramour well, she'll want nothing more than to shower him with affection for days at a time. Purr works in any form.
System: To set this charm in motion, the Bastet must purr audibly for at least a minute. The player spends a Willpower point and rolls Charisma + Empathy (difficulty of the target's Willpower). This Gift works on anyone, and unless she has some reason to suspect a trick, the subject will believe her affections are genuine (soon, they may be). Violence or unreasonable demands ("Go kill that vampire for me, sweetheart") wreck the charm beyond repair - it'll never work on her again. The infatuation lingers for one day per success; the results may last a lifetime.
(Bastet BB p99)
Righteous Gaze - By staring into the heart of a liar, the werecat can break through his deception, shaming him badly. Bagheera and Simba excel at this Gift.
System: The werecat must stare into her target's eyes for at least a turn and accuse him of lying. On a successful Perception + Subterfuge or Primal Urge roll (difficulty of the target's Willpower), the target not only confesses any lies he may have told, but also loses one point of temporary Willpower per success and falls to his knees in tears. If the accused is honest, the Gift merely makes him feel uneasy.
(Bastet BB p99)
Touch the Mind - As the Garou Metis Gift: Mental Speech.
(PGttCB p68)
Rank 4
Attunement - Bastet who've set up Den-Realms use this secret to view their holdings from where they stand. By going into a light trance, the werecat in question communes with the spirits in her territory and learns what's going on throughout the Den-Realm. Visitors, intruders or crises can be discovered long before they get too close to the cat herself.
System: The player spends a Gnosis point and rolls Perception + Survival (difficulty 6). The more successes she wins, the more she learns. On a botch, the spirits lie.
(Bastet BB p99)
Clawstorm - Any cat is at his most terrifying when cornered. This Gift allows him to become the proverbial shredding machine. Anyone within reach had better be at peace with their gods!
System: By spending one point each of Rage and Gnosis, the werecat gains three extra attacks on that turn (to a maximum of four, total - he cannot spend Rage for extra actions while using Clawstorm). Only slashing attacks apply - he cant perform elaborate maneuvers, shoot guns or travel more than 10 feet, although he could use edged melee weapons. A Bastet may use Clawstorm as many times in a single combat as he has dots in Stamina.
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p99)
Fortuna - Cats love their friends, and they're famous for their luck. This Gift allows them to share some of that good fortune with others, or even use a bit of it themselves.
System: For every point of Gnosis spent, the Bastet (or her friend) can call for one re-roll of the dice. If she spends three gnosis, she may re-roll the dice three times. Only one re-roll is allowed per task, and only if the first roll was a failure or a botch. This Gift may only be used once per scene, but it lasts until all re-rolling has occurred. This luck works for whomever the werecat cares to give it to. Only one person at a time can receive this Fortuna - it cant be given to a number of people before an adventure begins.
(Bastet BB p99)
Spirit Claws - Another Den-Realm Gift, this one allows a werecat to attack from the Penumbra, or to rip through the Gauntlet at an Umbral opponent, without stepping sideways. Naturally, he must be able to see his opponent before he can hit him...
System: By rolling Gnosis against the local Gauntlet, the Bastet can slash through with normal hand-to-hand attack (+1 difficulty) without exposing himself to danger. Each attack requires a new roll against the Gauntlet. This Gift can only be used within the cat's own Den-Realm.
(Bastet BB p100)
Spitfire - With a wicked hiss, the werecat spits a stream of fire at his opponent. Crude, but effective!
System: The player spends a Gnosis point and rolls Stamina + Athletics to hit a victim (difficulty 7). Each success inflicts one aggravated health level of flame damage, which may ignite flammable items.
(Bastet BB p100)
Walking Between Worlds - Some tales claim that Coyote taught the Bastet to step sideways; others insist the trick was stolen from Garou. In any case, this Gift allows a werecat to walk into the Umbra as Garou do.
System: The talent becomes natural once a werecat learns this Gift. (See Werewolf rulebook).
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p100)
Wolf's Terror - As the Garou Ahroun Gift: Silver Claws.
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p100)
Rank 5
Future Warning - By sensing the whims of Fate-in-Motion, a Bastet may sense some impending disaster. While not exactly precognition, the Gift grants vague insight into coming perils.
System: A good Perception + Primal Urge (difficulty 6) roll wins the character a sort of "danger sense" for one hour per success. This manifests as "bad feelings" whenever something nasty's waiting nearby; it wont tell her about the five dakats waiting around the corner, but she'll certainly feel like she ought top stop before she turns that corner... Conspiracies, natural disasters, ambushes and festering rivalries can all be sensed ahead of time, though the outcome of combat cannot.
(Bastet BB p100)
Jump to the Moon - The greatest of Bastet can return to Seline for short visits. By forming a Moon Bridge from her Den-Realm to the moon, the werecat departs to the court of Luna. While there, she can breathe and move about normally; so long as she's careful, it'll be a glorious stay...
System: Opening the Bridge requires 10 successes with a Wits + Enigmas roll (difficulty 8). Obviously, this demands an extended roll, a bit of time (each roll takes one hour), and some great moonlit ritual. Seline must be invoked and her servants called. The Gift can only be attempted once per night; if dawn comes before 10 successes are accumulated, the ritual has been wasted. If the Bastet succeeds, the Bridge lasts for one night. Lines come down to guide the werecat and her guests to Seline's body. The trip, it is said, is faster than thought - reaching or returning to the moon takes only minutes. If the Bridge closes before the character returns, she must open another one from the moon.
(Bastet BB p100)
Perfect Passage - The ultimate stealth Gift; a werecat who knows this trick can travel over or through any material obstacle without leaving traces. It's said this Gift allowed the Bubasti to rob the tombs of the Pharaohs long before any human could circumvent the traps and blocks.
System: using this Gift costs one Gnosis point per scene (or per hour if it's a long trip), and requires a Wits + Stealth roll (difficulty 5) each time the character encounters a new obstacle. Perfect Passage does not render the cat invisible, but it dampens all sounds and scents, eliminates footprints, opens and closes doors, springs locks, and shuts down security systems long enough for the cat to pass. When necessary, the character may even walk through solid barriers as if they were smoke. Botching any roll during this journey has terrible results - The Bastet may be trapped inside a wall, spotted by a security camera, scented by a guard dog, or worse. Some magical perceptions (Prime magics, Auspex) might betray signs of a Passage, but will not reveal one in progress unless the seeker makes a successful Perception + Occult roll (difficulty is the Bastet's Stealth +5). The Gift applies only to a single Bastet and anything she carries in her hands or jaws.
(Bastet BB p100)
Soothe/Summon Storm - Mighty werecats can call upon the weather spirits to whip up or disperse a storm. The bigger the tempest, the harder it is to call up or put down. Doing so usually requires a long rite in which the cat yowls and capers at the sky. Undoing what you have summoned requires another, harder effort. This Gift is said to be a birthright from Nala herself.
System: Beginning this process requires two Gnosis points and a Manipulation + Survival roll. Once it's in action, stopping it requires another Gnosis point and a roll at 2 difficulty higher. Once a weather patter has begin, it will run its own course. This may take hours. Storms in unlikely locations (a sudden rainstorm in the desert, for instance) require five or more additional successes. Botching during a storm-call can be unpredictable - and disastrous. The Bastet is not immune to the forces she calls upon...
| Storm | Difficulty | Succs Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Drizzle | 6 | 1 |
| Rain Shower | 6 | 3 |
| Thunderstorm | 7 | 5 |
| Severe Thunderstorm | 8 | 10 |
| Severe Windstorm | 9 | 15 |
| Tornado/Waterspout | 9 | 20 |
| Small Hurricane | 10 | 20 |
(Bastet BB p101)
Withering Stare - This Gift lets a werecat kill with a glance, a favorite trick of Simba lords and wandering Pumonca. Using this Gift against other Bastet is considered deeply dishonorable, but it happens.
System: The werecat locks eyes with his target; the player spends a Gnosis point and rolls Rage. The difficulty is the victim's Willpower, and each success inflicts one aggravated health level of damage. Only a Willpower roll (difficulty 8) can soak the Stare, which twists the victim into agonized convulsions either until death or until the werecat grants release.
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p101)
Homid Gifts
PGttCB 68, Bastet 101-102
|
Level 1
|
Level 2
|
Level 3
|
Level 4
|
Level 5
|
Rank 1
Cat Claws - By calling on her heritage, a Bastet in Homid of Sokto form can unsheathe her claws and attack as if she was in beast-form.
System: A simple Stamina+Primal Urge roll (difficulty 7) brings out a cat's claws. They remain out as long as she cares to keep them, but look damned peculiar and hurt to use (+1 to all combat or Dexterity difficulties). Once resheathed, they must be called forth again.
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p101)
Sweet Hunter's Smile - As the Garou Homid Gift: Persuasion.
(PGttCB p68)
Rank 2
Jam Technology - As the Garou Homid Gift of the same name. Garou sensing for the Wyrm at this time will notice a slight shimmer coming from the werecat who uses this Gift, as the Bastet version invokes the power of Cahlash.
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p101)
Eavesdropper's Ear - By listening carefully, a Bastet may hear things outside the nirmal human range, or understand something spoken some distance away. This is said to be a Gift from Whispers.
System: A simple Perception + Enigmas roll (difficulty 6) boosts the cat's hearing into the high and low sonic spectrums, and adds two to her Perception dice pool for hearing rolls only. The Gift lasts one scene, and makes the Bastet susceptible to sudden loud noises (which might inflict one to three health levels of normal damage in extreme cases like explosions or high-frequency alarms).
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p101)
Rank 3
Craft of the Maker - As the Garou Homid Gift: Reshape Object.
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p101)
Babel's Cure - By flexing Rahjah's powers, a Bastet can translate any human language in her vicinity. Invoking the Unmaker will turn everything into gibberish.
System: To render languages either clear or unintelligible, the player rolls her Manipulation + Linguistics (difficulty 6). this Gift works on spoken words, writing, and even body language. Everyone within 50 feet will understand all communications for the duration. Cahlash's inversion of the Gift scrambles everything the same way. Either version lasts for one turn (or minute) per success, and each can cancel the other out.
(Bastet BB p101)
Rank 4
What's the Password? - By communicating with the odd spirits inside computers, a werecat can call up the passwords to files, accounts, or encryptions. Although few nature-bound Bastet know this trick, many of their city cousins have at least heard of it. Most of those who do know charge hefty favors for the teaching...
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas, spends a Gnosis point, and hopes the Net-Spiders will be generous. These encounters should be played out - computer spirits can be pretty weird, and may want a bribe. The difficulty depends on the target's value. A successful Computer or Hacking roll can reduce this difficulty by 1 for every two successes.
| Difficulty | Information |
|---|---|
| 5 | Checking accounts |
| 6 | Corporate records |
| 7 | Important documents, designer viruses |
| 8 | Secure accounts |
| 9 | Corporate Secrets |
| 10 | Government Secrets |
(Bastet BB p101)
Monkey's Uncle - As the Garou Glass Walker Gift: Doppelgänger, although the Bastet can only take the forms of humans, great cats, or Bastet.
(PGttCB p68)
Rank 5
Black Friday - This dreaded Gift, the bane of the Information Age, allows a Bastet to crash a computer network in seconds. By communing with net Spiders (see the Gift: What's the Password?) and promising a few favors, a lucky werecat can wreak system havoc without even touching a keyboard. It's rarely done because of its tendency to backfire (wiping out one's own computer files!), but causes untold headaches for the programmers of Pentex.
System: The player rolls his Manipulation + Enigmas to convince the Spiders to do his dirty work. Obviously, he has to have some way of reaching them first, such as a Gift, a short visit to the Penumbra, or a message typed into the doomed system. Once the deal is set in motion, the Spiders eat the system's data; a skillful data retriever can undo the damage, but it'll take days or weeks to fix. The Gift's difficulty depends on the size and complexity of the system in question. Protected networks add 1 to the amount of successes needed; magical system include Trinary computers or Technomagical networks (see Mage: The Ascension). A botch causes the Spiders to wreck your own data instead. Note that this kind of tampering immediately sets of alarms on guarded systems; a would-be saboteur would be wise to amscray ontopray!
| Network | Difficulty | Succs Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Small office | 6 | 1-2 |
| Large office | 6 | 3-4 |
| Small Corporate | 7 | 4-5 |
| Large corporate | 8 | 4-5 |
| International/Government | 9 | 5-10 |
| Secret Government/Magical | 10 | 5-15 |
(Bastet BB p102)
Deny the Hungry - With a gesture or spray, a spiteful werecat can destroy crops and fertile land, spoil food or toxify drinking water. Legend lays this Gift at the feet of the Bubasti, who were said to punish disrespectful communities with famine and drought. Some Simba use it for the same reasons. Sadly, it's easier to destroy than to create; undoing this damage requires a different Gift altogether.
System: The player spends a permanent Rage point and rolls Wits + Primal Urge (difficulty 7). Each success whithers one mile of crops, spols a waterhole or lake, or renders one ton of food or drink unusable. Only the Redeem the Waste Gift, a Rite of Cleansing, or powerful Life and Prime magics (see Mage) can undo the destruction. Cropland will remain infertile for a year, water will be poisoned for the same time. Spoiled food is rotten forever, and those who eat it will grow ill. These effects, and the casting of the Gift, clearly come from the Unmaker, and may be detected by appropriate Gifts.
(Bastet BB p102)
Madness - As the Garou Metis Gift.
(PGttCB p68)
Metis Gifts
PGttCB 68-69, Bastet 102-104
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Level 1
|
Level 2
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Level 3
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Level 4
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Level 5
|
Rank 1
Create Element - As the Garou Metis Gift. Most Bastet favor the five Oriental elements (fire, wood, metal, earth and water) but those born in the Western Hemisphere often know them as earth, air, fire and water. An Eastern Bastet may create raw ore and wood but cannot conjure air. Neither version can create precious metals, refined ores, gasses or poison.
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p102)
Sense Primal Nature - As attuned as they are to the Jamaa, metis Bastet can easily sense whether one of those entities has a strong influence on a person, place or thing.
System: This Gift works like the Rank One common Bastet Gift: Sense Unmaker's Hand, except that it detects a strong affinity for Rahjah, Nala or Cahlash (Weaver, Wyld or Wyrm). Examples include Banes (Cahlash), Technomagi (Rahjah) and some Garou (Nala, though some may tend toward the other two). However, the difficulty is one higher than Sense the Unmaker's Hand.
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p102)
Rank 2
Blinding Moonbeam Gaze - By calling upon Mother Seline, the werecat shoots bright beams of moonlight from her eyes. These don't inflict real damage, but can blind or distract an opponent, and provide illumination as well. Superstitious people often run away when confronted with a giant moon-eyed cat.
System: The player rolls Gnosis (difficulty 7). The light blasts forth on the next turn, and lasts for one turn per success. The moonlight offers the illumination of a high-powered flashlight and can blind an opponent during his next turn if he's surprised and hit in the eyes with the light (Dexterity + Brawl, difficulty 8).
(Bastet BB p102)
Whisker Sight - By attuning herself to her surroundings, a Metis Bastet can get a sense of her surroundings. Anything within reach - even if it's behind her, or invisible - is plain to all her senses.
System: Roll Perception + Primal Urge (difficulty 6). Success grants the character total sensory perceptions within a 10 foot radius. This doesn't automatically reveal hidden or invisible objects, but it allows her to try a normal Perception roll to notice things that would normally be beyond her sight. The Gift lasts one scene.
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p102)
Rank 3
Fist of Cahlash - By channeling in raw destructive power, an angry Bastet can destroy any material thing with a snarl. Although the Gift isn't terribly effective against living (or undead) creatures, its potency can be avowed by a multitude of puzzled technicians and drivers in various rainforest-clearing projects.
System: The werecat's player spends a Rage point and rolls her Rage against difficulty 6 (for inanimate objects) or 8 (for living or undead beings). Each success either destroys 10 pounds (or ten cubic feet) of matter, or inflicts one aggravated health level. The latter damage can only be soaked by a Gnosis or Glamour roll (difficulty 6), Spirit or Prime countermagic, or vampiric Fortitude. Affected targets literally burst or fly apart. The Fist cannot affect spirit-matter of any kind; even Materialized spirits or ghosts are immune. New attacks require new rolls and expenditures.
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p102)
Spirit-Touch - This Gift functions like the Rank Four common Bastet Gift: Spirit Claws, except that it works anywhere.
(Bastet BB p102)
Rank 4
Moon's Gateway - By calling upon a Lune for help, the Bastet opens a Moon Bridge between Caerns or Den-Realms. Such travel only occurs at night. The Gateway forms a glowing fog, which slowly swirls into the shape of the cat's intended destination. Anyone who wants to use the Bridge must enter before the summoner. When she passes through, the Gateway disperses.
System: The player spends one Gnosis point per 100 miles and rolls Intelligence + Alertness. The Gateway's difficulty depends on the werecat's familiarity with her destination, from 5 for very familiar places, to 10 for an unknown location or an Otherworldly Realm. the two travel points must involve either a Den-Realm or some other mystical location (a Caern, a Node or Chantry, a Horizon Realm, etc.). A botch lands the traveler(s) in some strange or dangerous place. Traveling out of material reality is always tricky; those lost on such trips are often lost forever...
(PGttCB p68, Bastet BB p103)
Redeem the Waste - Part of a Metis' roll is the salvation of despoiled wilderness. To do so, he'll often sniff around, paw at the earth, rub his scent around and urinate in various places, essentially claiming the place as his own. While this isn't a true Rite of Claiming, it resembles it in many ways. By dedicating himself to this land, he can summon forth a healing power to save it from toxins and other desecrations.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Survival (difficulty 7) and spends a Gnosis point. Each success makes one square half-mile of damaged, cursed or barren land fertile again; uprooted trees wont re-plant themselves, but new trees and plants will rapidly grow. This healing is permanent until someone takes the time to despoil the land again.
(Bastet BB p103)
Rank 5
Moon Sense - By meditating upon a pool of moonlit water, a Bastet may see anything that transpires beneath Seline's glow. Although it's difficult to see distant or hidden locations, a rigorous search can see anywhere on Earth.
System: The player rolls Perception + Enigmas and spends a Gnosis point. The Bastet must be staring into outside water. Any place touched by moonlight (even near windows, in-doors, and within the Penumbra) may be sensed with all six senses, as if the Bastet were standing in the moonlight itself. The water's surface must be calm; raging waves will reveal nothing. The search's difficulty depends on the distance scanned and the Bastet's familiarity with it. If she observes for more than a minute (or requires more than three rolls) another Gnosis point must be spent. A person with mystical senses might realize he's being spied upon with a successful Perception + Occult or Enigmas roll (difficulty 6). He would, if he discovered this, see a giant moonlit cat slowly fading away. Naturally, discovery terminates the Gift.
| Subject | Difficulty | Succs Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Near and familiar | 6 | 2 |
| Distant and familiar | 7 | 3 |
| Unfamiliar | 8 | 3 |
| Seen Pictures | 8 | 5 |
| Never Been | 9 | 5 |
| Distant and Alien | 10 | 5 |
(Bastet BB p103)
Wrath of Nala - This Gift whips up a wild storm that devastates the werecat's vicinity. This tempest springs up out of nowhere and lasts for five minutes or less, then calms and disperses. Nala herself teaches this Gift in dreams.
System: The werecat spends two Gnosis points and rolls Manipulation + Survival (difficulty 8). If he rolls five or more successes, he summons a severe thunderstorm that lasts only a few minutes and remains beyond the werecat's power once it's in motion.
(PGttCB p69, Bastet BB p103)
Feline Gifts
PGttCB 69, Bastet 104-105
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Level 1
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Level 2
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Level 3
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Level 4
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Level 5
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Rank 1
Heightened Senses - As the Garou Lupus Gift.
(PGttCB p69)
Kitten's Cry - Also called "Pathetamew" for its pitiful sound, this Gift imbues the werecat's voice with a tone so pathetic that anyone who hears it goes out of his way to comfort her. This compulsion extends to attackers, who break off hostilities unless they're attacked in return. Most Bastet consider this a dirty but useful trick.
System: The Bastet's player rolls her Manipulation + Expression; the difficulty depends on the circumstances and the target. If the roll succeeds, the target immediately stops whatever he's doing and offers sympathy for the werecat's pain. Some folks, of course, have no pity in their hearts. The Gift inspires hard-souled enemies to torment the Bastet even more than they normally would.
| Relationship | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Lover/relative | 4 |
| Friend | 5 |
| Passerby | 6 |
| Total Stranger | 7 |
| Rival | 8 |
| Enemy | 9 |
| Foe in combat | 10 |
(Bastet BB p104)
Pounce - As the Garou Lupus Gift: Hare's Leap.
(PGttCB p69)
Mark as Mine - By spraying a given area or object with urine and musk, a Bastet stakes a claim on it. Any shapeshifter will know that a werecat has marked the place, and any other mystically-inclined being (a mage, vampire, etc.) will recognize the sign as a "Keep Out" warning. This usually lasts until someone else removes the Gift with some other magic, or until the Bastet sees fit to destroy the Mark himself (not likely!).
System: This costs a temporary Gnosis point for each object or area treated. Anyone making a successful Perception + Empathy roll will feel distinctly uneasy when coming within 10 feet of the Mark, as if they were trespassing in someone else's house or stealing someone else's valuables. Through sensory magics, an intruder may actually see the Mark, even after the spray dries, and may remove it through appropriate use of magical powers. The Bastet may remove the Gift himself my spraying it a second time. This Gift does work on live creatures, but does not harm them in any way.
(Bastet BB p104)
Rank 2
Killer's Leap - As the Garou Lupus Gift: Leap of the Kangaroo.
(Bastet BB p104)
Perfect Cover - Cats must excel at covering up their tracks and lairs, especially in these dangerous times. To help them, the spirits have passed this Gift on to the wild members of the race. By scratching around the place, trail or object to be hidden, the Bastet obscures it from normal and magical view.
System: After the Bastet "buries" all traces of the hidden thing, the player rolls Perception + Survival and spends a Gnosis point. From that point on, the place or object is safe from any form of mortal perception until it moves or is moved. Any magical senses (including Awareness) scanning the area add 1 to their difficulty to notice the hiding place for every success the Bastet rolls. The difficulty of the roll depends on the size of the object and the surroundings: hiding small objects in areas with thick cover would be 5, while hiding larger objects in areas with light cover would be 9. The Gift cannot conceal obvious objects, like the car on the side of the street, nor does it make objects invisible. Rather, it uses surrounding cover, like shadows and underbrush, to make the hidden spot seem more overgrown. A letter on a table covered with paper could be hidden, but a jewelry box on a bare mantle could not. A Bastet may use this Gift to conceal himself, and many do.
(PGttCB p69, Bastet BB p104)
Whisker Sight - As the Bastet Metis Gift.
(PGttCB p69, Bastet BB p102)
Rank 3
Underbelly - By sizing up a foe or obstacle, a feral Bastet can get a feeling for its weakest point. Once that's spotted, he can rip through most things with a good swipe.
System: By rolling Perception + Primal Urge, the Bastet can find a weak spot on the living (or once-living) beings. Picking a weakness on a technological object object requires Perception + Repair, while noticing a flaw in a natural one takes Perception + Survival. Either way, the difficulty depends on the target's toughness:
| Subject | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Typical (man, computer, wall) | 6 |
| Sturdy (athlete, car, desk) | 7 |
| Powerful (vampire, heavy machine, boulder) | 8 |
| Reinforced (armored man, combat vehicle, bank vault) | 9 |
Each success adds one to the Bastet's damage dice pool against that target for the scene. Spotting a weakness in a magical object or mystical protection requires a Gnosis point in addition to the roll. This Gift doesn't work against spirits of any kind.
(PGttCB p69, Bastet BB p105)
Rank 4
Beast Life - As the Garou Lupus Gift.
(PGttCB p69)
Ghosts at Play - By spraying around an area, the werecat can expose all nearby spirits. Although the Gauntlet remains intact, any active spirit becomes visible, as if everyone in the vicinity had used the Rank One common Bastet Gift: Spirit's Sight.
System: The Bastet's player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas against a difficulty of the Gauntlet. Success reveals all spirits in the area. The range of the Gift extends 10 feet for every success the player rolls; the vision itself lasts for one turn per success.
(Bastet BB p105)
Hand of Will - By willing things to move, the Bastet can lift objects or open barriers merely by staring at them. A strong-willed Bastet can move even trucks and construction vehicles with her mind alone! King-of-Beasts and Hatti favor this Gift, especially given the devastation brought about by human traffic.
System: Invoking the power of the will requires a Gnosis point and a Willpower roll (difficulty 7). Each success gives the Bastet three points worth of Strength at range (see "Feats of Strength" in the Werewolf rulebook). This power can only move things, not punch or crush them, and the cat's degree of control is limited. A typewriter can be shoved aside, but not used. It's possible to employ a bit of fine manipulation by raising the difficulty to 9, but this requires total concentration. For each extra turn the object remains in motion, the werecat has to spend a point of Willpower to keep it going. Once he sets it aside, the Gift ends.
(Bastet BB p105)
Rank 5
Judgement of Pestilence - In many ancestral lands, epidemics ravage both human and animal populations. The Mistress of Catkind bequeaths this Gift to her feline children in an effort to channel the disease. Communities who respect the cats' Kinfolk and the land find pestilence banished from their homes; those who exploit nature or hunt the great cats receive the disease in return. Nature's balance must be maintained.
System: This Gift doesn't create a plague; instead, it moves it from one place to another. To do this, a cat spends two gnosis points and rolls Manipulation + Primal Urge to absorb the sickness without harming herself. From there, she carries it to a place she dislikes, then releases it by breathing into the night air. Once in motion, the disease runs its course in the new location. Every survivor in the original community mysteriously recovers. A werecat who botches her roll quickly dies, overwhelmed by the toxins in her blood.
(Bastet BB p105)
Revolt of the Land - As the Red Talon Gift: Gaia's Vengence.
(PGttCB p69, Bastet BB p105)
Bagheera Gifts
PGttCB 69-70, Bastet 105-106
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Level 1
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Level 2
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Level 3
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Level 4
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Level 5
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Rank 1
Humbaba's Escape - One of the tribe's first and most valuable tricks, this Gift allows a wereleopard to dislocate her limbs and slide through small openings. Though the Bagheera claim that the wise cat Humbaba invented the trick, the Simba maintain that he originally learned it from Mouse spirits.
System: The player rolls her Dexterity + Athletics to dislocate her limbs. The harder the attempt, the higher the difficulty becomes. Undoing your wrist to get out of handcuffs would be difficulty 6, while dislocating your spine and ribs to get through an air shaft would be 10. While the cat is out of joint, her Stamina rating drops by two. Simple adjustments don't cost any Gnosis, but large-scale body-shifts cost one point
(PGttCB p69, Bastet BB p105)
Treeclimber - As the common Bastet Gift. Leopards excel at climbing, and most Kuasha teach this secret first.
(PGttCB p69, Bastet BB p105)
Rank 2
Lawgiver's Legacy - In the distant past, it is said that the Bagheera were intended to be the arbitrators of the cat-folk. The position never materialized, but this Gift offers an edge to the Bagheera trying to exercise this ancient right with minimal force. With it, a panther can raise her voice to drown out all others without actually shouting, and it adds a note of command that makes even Simba take the panther's words seriously.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Expression (difficulty 7) to get everyone's attention for one scene. The Gift also reduces the difficulty of her next social roll by 1 for every success she rolls. Anyone who wants to contest to Bagheera's authority must will a resisted Willpower roll with the panther (difficulty 7).
(PGttCB p69, Bastet BB p105)
Ojas Surge - By channeling ojas, the mystical energy inside us all, a Bagheera can boost his physical and perceptual abilities beyond their normal limits. To do so, he attains a posture and meditates for a moment, then guides the ojas through his body, directing it to whatever his need might be.
System: To perform the Gift, the panther must first meditate for five minutes. He may reduce this time by one minute for every rank he's achieved beyond first (to a minimum of one minute). After he's centered himself, he rolls Gnosis (difficulty 7). Each success can be used to boost one of the following attributes by one dot: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Charisma, Perception, or Wits. The successes can be distribited in any way the Bagheera wishes, and the effects last for one scene. Multiple uses of the Gift are not cumulative. The Bagheera may use the Gift as often as he wishes, but each use beyond the first in a given day raises the difficult by two and doubles the meditation time. A failed attempt to initiate the surge leaves the Bagheera depressed, and the Gift cannot be used again that day.
(PGttCB p69, Bastet BB p106)
Rank 3
Cobra's Dance - Long ago, a panther named Tola entered into negotiations with King Snake. After weeks of discussion and debate, the two came to an understanding of sorts. No one knows what secrets Tola offered King Snake, but he learned this Gift as part of the exchange. The Dance allows a cat to freeze prey with a glance. Some old Bagheera claim to know other secrets of the serpent folk, but if any other Gifts have survived, they're not well known.
System: To begin the Dance, a panther sways in place; the player rolls Manipulation + Expression and spends a Gnosis point. This requires at least one turn spent dancing, and the effect lasts one turn per success. The rolls difficulty depends on the target: hypnotizing most animals is easy (5), while freezing a hostile vampire is anything but (10). to break the spell, the target must win a Willpower contest with the cat (difficulty 8). Otherwise, he's held stunned and helpless until the Gift wears off. Once the Dance takes hold, the cat can do whatever he likes - such as leave, talking or mauling the target.
(Bastet BB p106)
Eye of the Cobra - As the Garou Galliard Gift.
(PGttCB p70)
Traveler's Tongues - As the Bastet Homid Gift: Babel's Cure.
(Bastet BB p101)
Rank 4
The Paradox of Time - To most followers of Hinduism, time is not the linear stream Westerners believe it is. Rather, all times are one time, viewed from a perspective that shifts. In other words, it only appears to move because we believe it does. A skilled Bagheera can employ this seeming paradox to utterly confuse an enemy or enlighten a pilgrim. By showing him the relative nature of time, the panther can offer him a glimpse of his folly - or baffle him for minutes on end.
System: While the cat talks to his target in a low, hypnotic tones, the player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas against the target's Willpower rating. For each success, the subjects perceptions skew slightly, disorientating him for two turns. Until the Gift wears off, he subtracts three dice from all dice pools due to terminal confusion. Mages who understand the Time Sphere are totally immune to this Gift's effects.
(Bastet BB p106)
Potter's Clay - As the Rank Three Bastet Homid Gift: Craft of the Maker (As the Garou Homid Gift: Reshape Object.)
(PGttCB p70, Bastet BB p101)
Rank 5
Part the Curtain - Like the Rank Four common Bastet Gift: Walking Between Worlds, this spell allows a leopard to cross into the Near Umbra. This variation, however, lets her bring others across as well. the Mistress of Cat-kind is said to have brought this Gift to several Bagheera elders during the British occupation of India. Working with allies from the Swara and Khan, these old cats turned several staid English manors into shrieking chaos.
System: All systems resemble the aforementioned Gift, except that the Bagheera can take one additional ally through for every point of Gnosis she possesses.
(Bastet BB p106)
Shiva's Might - One of the most impressive feats of godlike destruction this side of a nuke, a Bagheera may change into a form reminiscent of Shiva the Destroyer or Kali the Dark Mother (depending on the cat's gender). In a burst of holy light, the Bastet becomes a 12 foot tall, six armed Crinos form werepanther wielding flaming weapons. Until the ground is littered with bodies, this engine of reline wrath hacks everything around it - foe and otherwise - into bloody giblets. Obviously, this is a last resort, but a very effective one.
System: The player invoking this godlike manifestation spends two Rage points and two Gnosis points, then immediately rolls for frenzy (difficulty 3). If he wins five successes or more, the Bagheera springs into Crinos form, grows three feet taller, and sprouts four more arms, each bearing a flaming weapon. This destroyer form, the Juddho, goes into a sudden killing frenzy which lasts for one turn for every point of Rage in the Bastet's permanent rating. If he fails, nothing happens; a botch brings on a fox frenzy instead. The stats for the Judho form are:
Strength: +6, Dexterity: +3, Stamina: +6, Appearance: 0, Weapons: Strength +4 (Aggravated)
No one is safe from Shiva's Might - anyone in sight will be attacked. The Bagheera is totally incapable of any form of rational communication or combat strategy. Until the Juddho form disappears, he knows only how to kill. In his mind, he wanders through the hells of the Asura, slashing and hitting everything he meets. When the gift finally fades, the panther drops to 0 rage, assumes his breed form, and falls asleep for at least four hours.
(PGttCB p70, Bastet BB p106)
Balam Gifts
PGttCB 70, Bastet 106-108
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Level 1
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Level 2
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Level 3
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Level 4
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Level 5
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Rank 1
Hunter's Mists - As the Garou Black Furies Gift: Curse of Aeolus.
(PGttCB p70, Bastet BB p106)
Storm of Pests - By singing a plea to Tzinzie the Fly Lord and his kind, a werejaguar can call up a cloud of mosquitoes, gnats, biting flies, or some equally obnoxious bugs. These creatures don't so much damage as distract their prey, although they might at the Storyteller's option, carry diseases like malaria or yellow fever. By drawing the victim's attention to the biting pests, the Balam may prepare either an ambush or an escape.
System: The jaguar's player rolls Manipulation + Survival. In most rain forests or coastal areas, the difficulty is 5. In other places, the difficulty rises to 7, and goes to 9 in areas where bugs are scarce. For each success, an area roughly 10 feet square is filled with flying bugs, reducing all dice pool by 2 for one turn per success. After that, the insects disperse. The cat is not immune to bug bites, but usually knows what to expect and can act normally.
(PGttCB p70, Bastet BB p106)
Rank 2
Ancestral Wings - According to their folklore, the Balam were once two tribes. One of the original families, the Olioiuqui, had wings. By diffing into this ancestral past, a werejaguar can invoke their gift and fly for short distances.
System: The player rolls Intelligence + Primal Urge against difficulty 8 and spends a Gnosis point. If successful, brightly colored wings burst from the Balam's shoulders and carry him aloft. While winged, the cat can fly at 15 yards per turn in any form, and may carry up to 200 pounds of addition weight. This Gift lasts for one scene (or one half-hour), after which the wings atrophy and harmlessly drop off.
(Bastet BB p107)
Perfect Cover - As the Bastet Feline Gift.
(PGttCB p70, Bastet BB p104)
Smoking Mirror - As the Rank Three common Bastet Gift: Farsight.
(PGttCB p70, Bastet BB p98)
Terrors - As the Garou Ahroun Gift: True Fear.
(PGttCB p70)
Rank 3
Touch of the Tree Frog - By touching a victim with her paw, teeth, or even spittle, a Balaam can paralyze him for minutes on end. Some jaguars take this opportunity to get away, or to deliver a warning; others make more sadistic use of that time. This Gift stems from the Tree-Frog spirits, whose fluids coat the arrows of the ancient folk.
System: the jaguar spends a Gnosis point to activate the Gift; once done it lingers in her skin until she brushes against someone. Unless the target makes a Stamina + Awareness or Primal Urge roll (difficulty 8), he is frozen for one turn per point of the Balam's current Gnosis (the score she had before she cast the Gift). He may, if he's lucky, break the paralysis with a Willpower roll (difficulty 9); if not, he remains helpless for the duration.
(Bastet BB p107)
Wandering Forest - As the Garou Red Talon Gift: Trackless Waste.
(PGttCB p70, Bastet BB p107)
Rank 4
Vision Cloud - Among the old folk, the jaguars were respected for their insight. Many Olmacs and Maya came to them for visions, and the tribe responded by evoking this ageless Gift. By calling to the spirits of the air and the plants, a modern jaguar can still conjure the Vision Cloud, a swirling fog which wraps itself through the clearing or cave, bringing mystic insights to those who seek them - and to those who do not.
System: By rolling Manipulation + Enigmas (difficulty 5) and spending a Gnosis point, the Bastet can fill an area up to 50 feet square qith a misty cloud that affects everyone without breathing gear or magical protection - including the Balam herself. The visions seen are left to the Storyteller's discretion, but should foreshadow possible future events, reveal lost lore, or offer clues that clever characters can decipher.
(PGttCB p70, Bastet BB p107)
Jungle's Vengeance - By tapping into her ties with the land, a Balam urges the jungle to turn against any invaders. The assault begins innocently enough, with vines that trip and swarms of hungry bugs; if the outsiders don't get the hint and leave, however, the Vengeance turns nastier. Pool's of quicksand, poisonous plants and insects and clouds of noxious gas spring into existence right in the invader's path. Ultimately, the Gift whittles a determined force of trespassers down to a handful of desperate survivors - easy pickings for an angry werejaguar and her friends...
System: The player spends a point of Rage and two points of Gnosis, and sets in motion a purposeful series of events designed to drive invaders away from the werejaguar's domain. Although the Storyteller has the final say about what happens and to whom, the one constant with the Gift is the fact that it gets more and more dangerous as time goes by. It wont be enough to harm supernaturals (much), but it will drive humans to the brink of madness and beyond (and might significantly interfere with Garou operations, should they be unlucky enough to rub the Balam the wrong way...).
(PGttCB p70, Bastet BB p107)
Rank 5
Feed the Gods - By reaching out with his hand, a powerful jaguar can rip the heart out of an enemy from a distance, pull it to his palm, and consume it in a burst of fire. This Gift kills the target if it succeeds. Only strong magic can rebuild the ashes of the heart or grow another one in its place.
System: The player rolls Gnosis (difficulty 7) and spends two Gnosis points. If the werejaguar's successes amount to twice the target's dots in Stamina or more, the victim dies. Supernatural defenses (vampiric fortitude, Gifts, etc.) subtract one success for every dot or level of protection. Hence, this Gift isn't useful for killing supernatural foes, but it's devastating against normal humans.
(PGttCB p70, Bastet BB p108)
Heal the Wounded Land - As the Rank Four Bastet Metis Gift: Redeem the Waste.
(PGttCB p70, Bastet BB p103)
Bubasti Gifts
PGttCB 70-72, Bastet 108-110
|
Level 1
|
Level 2
|
Level 3
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Level 4
|
Level 5
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Rank 1
Alms to the Poor - Beggars are an all-too-common feature of the Bubasti homelands. As a kindness (and perhaps as a bribe to the gods), the shadowcats developed this secret, which allows one to conjur up a small bit of food or money to give to a beggar. Naturally, the cat can use the "alms" for himself, but they taste slightly bitter and leave the palm greasy if used for selfish means.
System: The player spends a point of Gnosis and rolls his Gnosis against difficulty 6. Each success creates a handful of food or cheap copper coins (no bills, silver or gold). Most Bubasti disguise this "miracle" by reaching into a sack or box before sharing this wealth.
(PGttCB p70, Bastet BB p108)
Scholar's Friend - A simple yet helpful Gift, this secret allows a Bubasti to read a book, scroll or tablet in any written language. This talent doesn't teach the cat any new language, nor will it help him understand esoteric concepts or missing bits of text. Even so, the ability to read anything set in front of you is a subtle yet powerful gift.
System: The shadowcat spends a Gnosis point, rolls his Willpower and begins reading. The difficulty of the roll depends on the obscurity of the text.
| Language | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Modern | 5 |
| Scholarly (Latin, Sanskrit) | 6 |
| Archaic or dead (Aramaic) | 7 |
| Common pictograms (classic Egyptian) | 8 |
| Obscure pictograms (Sigils of Mu) | 9 |
| Personal codes/lost cuneiform | 10 |
Only one roll is allowed per reading session. The Gift lasts for one hour per success, and the cat must rest his eyes for several hours after finishing. A failed roll doesn't necessarily mean the werecat couldn't read the text; it may mean that he read it wrong. Storytellers are advised to keep the difficulty of the roll a secret, and to base the information given on the success of the roll. One success lets the cat get the general idea, while four successes or more indicate complete understanding.
(PGttCB p71, Bastet BB p108)
Rank 2
Dreamspeak - As the Garou Galliard Gift.
(PGttCB p71)
Mousemaze - An unsettling spell of confusion, this Gift disorients a target until he blunders around in a panic. Walls shift and close in, shadows lengthen, sounds drift to his ears from all corners, and familiar places seem strange and threatening. Although the magic has no real effect on the person's surroundings, his terror and confusion send him into a frenzy, making him an easy target for the werecat lurking nearby...
System: The cat's player rolls Manipulation + Empathy, with the target's Willpower (or Rage, if higher) as a difficulty. Success scrambles his sense of direction and relationship. The better the roll, the more confused the target becomes. Three success or more send him into a panic; werewolves and vampires must check for frenzy; mages must make Willpower rolls or go into short Quiet; mere humans just freak out. This disorientation lasts about 15 minutes, then slowly fades.
(Bastet BB p109)
Spirit Ward - Called 'Spirit Barrier' in Player's Guide to the Changing Breeds - By employing the eldritch enigmas of Egypt, a Bubasti can wall an area off from spirit-traffic. No spirit can move in or out of the warded place without the cat's permission. Naturally, the stronger chaya can shred this barrier like papyrus; still, the wisest werecats can erect stronger barriers than their youngers can...
System: By spending a Gnosis point and rolling her Willpower against difficulty 8, the Bubasti erects a barrier across an area no larger than 30 by 30 feet. Each success the player rolls raises the Gauntlet around the area by 1 (maximum 10) and extends it so that the barrier exists in both the material and Penumbral worlds. This irritates the spirits, and they can often tell who's to blame. The Ward lasts one day ber point of Gnosis in the Cat's permanent pool, unless some spirit destroys it, which a chaya can do by rolling its Rage against the new Gauntlet rating. Three successes or more will turn the Ward to spirit dust.
(PGttCB p71, Bastet BB p109)
Rank 3
Banish Cahlash's Brood - By calling upon the Father of Dark Spirits, a Bubasti may command one of his brood to depart. Of course, powerful spirits or ones bound into fetishes wont be easily dismissed; doing so may demand great rituals or even a sacrifice. Small independent elementals or banes, however, may be banished with slight effort. Calling upon Cahlash has a price: each time the werecat performs this Gift, his fur grows a deeper shade of black and his actions become more... erratic. Garou or Bastet who Sense Wyrm on him will detect the Unmaker's essence upon him until he purges himself somehow. The more spirits he banishes, the deeper the taint becomes.
System: The cat's player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas and spends a Willpower point to attempt to dismiss a spirit. The difficulty is the spirit's Gnosis, or its Rage, if the latter is higher. Each success removes 3 points of the spirits Power/Essence. Getting rid of a powerful spirit might require an extended roll or two (of course, the spirit wont sit still in the meantime...). For fetishes, the difficulty is 6 + the level of the fetish, to a maximum of 10 (a level 4 fetish would be difficulty 10, as would a level 5). Sacrificing a bit of blood to Cahlash may add to the Gift's effectiveness. For every health level "spent" this way, the Bubasti lowers his difficulty by 1. The spirit isn't under any obligation to sit still during the process, and may attack the Bastet until either the werecat stops or the spirit disappears. Nala help the werecat who botches this Gift; doing so requires a frenzy check against a difficulty of 6, and failure fills the cat with Wyrm taint. Atonement isn't impossible, but ridding one's self of the dark taint often requires rigorous quests without Renown.
(PGttCB p71, Bastet BB p109)
The Many Tongues of Ptah - As the Homid Gift: Babel's Cure.
(Bastet BB p101)
Rank 4
The Scarab's Flight - By calling together the elements of her soul, a Bubasti can send them out of her body for a while. The body itself enters a deathlike trance until the Scarab returns; although it doesn't decompose, all other signs (magical and otherwise) declare that the cat has died. The flying Scarab resembles an ordinary insect unless inspected with magical senses, in which case it glows brightly.
System: Manifesting a soul into the beetle shape requires a Manipulation + Occult roll (difficulty 8) and a one-Gnosis expenditure. From there, it takes wing from some orifice or crawls away unnoticed (Perception + Alertness, difficulty 9, to spot). The body remains intact for one day per success, during which time the Scarab can reenter and resurrect the cat. After the time limit passes, the body instantly decays, even if it has been preserved some how.
(Bastet BB p109)
Shadowplay - As the Theurge Gift. Unlike the werewolf Gift, the Bubasti does not have to mimic the shadow's movements; once free, it can go about its business as if it were a perfect duplicate of the Bastet. Also unlike the Garou Gift, some light must be present to cast the shadow in the first place.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p109)
Rank 5
Deny the Hungry - As the Bastet Homid Gift.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p102)
Shadow Brethren - As the Garou Shadow Lord Gift: Shadow Pack.
(PGttCB p72)
Spirit Wall - One of the greatest tricks a Bubasti learns is the art of calling together minor spirits from around the area and forming them into a wailing Umbral wall. Such magics do not endear a cat to the spirits in general, but by the time she achieves this Rank, a Bubasti should have enough sense to use such a power wisely - and enough power to protect herself when she uses it at all.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas. The difficulty can range from 6 to 10, depending on how many minor spirits are nearby. This takes two turns. To shape the assembled chaya into a wall, she spends two Gnosis points and rolls a contested roll between her Willpower and the spirits' (assume a dice pool of three dice for every success the Bubasti scores on her earlier roll). If she succeeds, the resulting wall blocks spirits, imposes a Gauntlet of 10 and lasts for one turn per success on the Willpower roll. If she fails, the spirits remain unbound, unformed, and angrier than hell.
(Bastet BB p109)
Celican Gifts
Bastet 110-111
|
Level 1
|
Level 2
|
Level 3
|
Level 4
|
Level 5
|
Rank 1
Mother's Blessing/Curse - Folklore hods that a cat had the ability to either bless or curse a pregnant woman. In the case of the Ceilican, this legend is true. A kind Bastet can offer a boon to a mother, while a spiteful one can harm her in some minor but memorable way.
System: This Gift's effects are more psychological that physical, and get an extra boost from the way the Ceilican acts towards the mother while offering his wishes. Setting things in motion demands a Gnosis point and a roll of Manipulation + Occult (difficulty 7). While touching the mother's belly, the cat either wishes her well or ill, usually in some poetic rhyme. After that, some good or bad event befalls the woman or her child. Although the event itself is outside the character's control, the number of successes he rolls should reflect the power of the Blessing or Curse. Blessings can include an easy delivery, unusual good looks or great health. Curses include breech birth, minor disability or poor constitution. Once the event has occurred, the Gift is discharged.
(Bastet BB p110)
Satyr's Wisdom - By calling upon the talents of his tribe's fae allies, a Ceilican can play any musical instrument as if he'd been reared with it in his hands. Although this talent is fleeting, it can make one hell of an impression.
System: With a Manipulation + Occult roll (difficulty 7), the cat gains a few temporary points in Expression, Performance, or the optional Singing secondary Skill. For each success, he adds one dot to the chosen trait. This lasts for as long as the Ceilican plays; afterward, the skill fades from his fingers until he either learns it for good or uses the Gift again.
(Bastet BB p110)
Rank 2
Banish Burning - This Gift became necessary during the Madness, when sorcerers and witch-hunters both tossed cats on the pyre to please demons and God. With it, the Ceilican may protect herself or a companion from normal fire. While the Moon Mother and Mistress of Catkind originated this Gift, Burning Cat teaches it as well.
System: Before the Bastet meets the flames, the player must roll Gnosis (difficulty 7) and spend one Willpower point to protect the Bastet. If she succeeds, no non-magical fire will burn the Bastet for the Gift's duration. Magical fires can reduce their effects by one health level for every success. Banish Burning lasts one scene, and does nothing to protect the cat from smoke inhalation, oxygen deprivation or falling debris.
(Bastet BB p110)
Sorcerer's Blade - By casting this Gift on a weapon, a cat can enchant a blade so that it harms supernatural beings. A favorite trick of swashbuckling Ceilican who wandered the open roads in bygon eras, this Gift often comes from the King of Cats, or Mistress of Catkind.
System: The player spends a point of Gnosis and rolls Manipulation + Occult while the cat cradles the weapon in her hands. The blade then inflicts aggravated damage until the next sunrise. Although this Gift allows the cat to enchant missile weapons, each bullet or arrow must be Gifted separately. Although the arrows may be reused, bullets cannot be.
(Bastet BB p110)
Rank 3
Data Flow - As the Garou Glass Walkers Gift.
(Bastet BB p110)
Phantasm - Twisting the fibers of illusion, the Ceilican creates majestic nonsense the baffle and entertain their companions - or horrors to torment their enemies. This secret obviously comes from forbidden faerie Lore, and can be quite powerful in the hands of a cat with an active imagination.
System: To cast a Phantasm, the player rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge and spends a Willpower point. The resulting illusion lasts for one scene unless the cat chooses to dismiss it, and can extend through an area roughly 10 feet square. Simple illusions are easy; the more complex the trick, the harder it is to perform. Although the illusions have no solid form, a casual witness might be fooled into believing that a Phantasm was real.
|
|
(Bastet BB p110)
Rank 4
Monkey's Uncle - As the Bastet Homid Gift.
(Bastet BB p102)
Small Cousin - Some Ceilican over-steeped in human culture call this Gift Blofeld's Cat after James Bond's nemesis (who, they insist, was the white cat, not the man). This Gift allows a Bastet to physically become a house cat. While this form can be limiting, it's very unobtrusive. Best of all, it doesn't hamper cat magic in any way, and screens out routine mystic senses. Unless the victim subjects his house cat to a rigorous magical appraisal, the Bastet is free to enter and observe whatever he likes.
System: The Ceilican's player spends a Gnosis point and rolls her Gnosis against difficulty 8; for each success, the Ceilican can retain her feline form for one hour. During this time, her Physical Attributes become those of a domestic cat, though her Social and Mental Attributes remain the same. She cannot speak, but can use any Gift that her feline form will allow. Although a person who makes a successful Perception + Awareness roll (difficulty 8) might realize that "there's something weird about the cat", her true nature remains hidden unless someone penetrates her disguise magically (with Disciplines or True Magic, for instance. Attempts to do so add 3 to their difficulty. It should be noted that few vampires or wizards bother to check ever passing cat with magical sight unless they have some compelling reason to be so paranoid (over and above their usual paranoia).
(Bastet BB p110)
Rank 5
Chariot of Lions - This less than subtle Gift lets a Ceilican conjure a chariot drawn by huge cats. Like the craft of the goddess Freyja, this chariot is made of coarse-cut wood and covered in Nordic designs. The two huge cats that pull it run as fast as the average car and can, in a pinch, carry the Ceilican and one passenger into the air for a few moments. Only the Mistress of Catkind teaches this Gift, learning it without her blessing is a grave insult.
System: the player rolls Gnosis against difficulty 8 and spends three Gnosis points. The chariot appears from thin air and lasts for one scene, or for an hour - long enough to make a quick getaway, but not long enough to use as regular transportation. By spending a Willpower point, the Bastet's player may urge the chariot into the air for two turns; each additional turn costs another Willpower point.
(Bastet BB p111)
The Madness of Crowds - As tales from the witch-craze demonstrate, some Ceilican indulge their darker appetites after sundown. The more sadistic of these games involve bystanders whipped into a frenzy by this nasty secret, then set loose. By capering around a room or clearing, the Ceilican can stir up the wild side of everyone nearby, causing an orgy or riot unless her "subjects" are unusually stubborn or controlled. The same Gift can take an angry mob, although it's generally easier to start trouble than to end it.
System: The fae cat's player rolls Manipulation + Empathy to turn the mood of a crowd her way. By adding a Willpower point to the mix, she seizes control of their collective will. The difficulty of the task depends on the size of the mob, and on how inclined it is to follow her suggestion. A packed nightclub is more likely to be led into an orgy than a Baptist congregation (though the results of the latter might be more disturbing...). All targets must be within 700 feet when the cat begins to use the Gift. Circumstances and surroundings may add or subtract from the overall difficulty; calming a disturbance raises that difficulty by 2. A person caught up in the Gift can attempt to resist with a Willpower roll (difficulty 7). The Madness lasts for one scene, and leaves the werecat's control once in motion.
| Difficulty | Group size |
|---|---|
| 6 | Small group (2-20 people) |
| 7 | Medium group (20-50 people) |
| 8 | Crowd (50-100 people) |
| 9 | Mob (100-300 people) |
| 10 | Riot (300-500 people) |
(Bastet BB p111)
Khan Gifts
PGttCB 72, Bastet 112-113
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Level 1
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Level 2
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Level 3
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Level 4
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Level 5
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Rank 1
Razor Claws - As the Garou Ahroun Gift.
(PGttCB p72)
Rhino's Favor - By calling on the spirit of the rhino, a Khan may grow a temporary horn on her skull. Although this protrusion is a bit unsightly, it allows the tiger to head-butt an opponent for considerable damage.
System: The Khan rolls Gnosis to grow the horn. This protrusion lasts for one scene, and allows her to gore opponents for Strength +2 (aggravated damage, difficulty 7). Tiger skulls aren't built for ramming, however; botching such an attack inflicts normal Strength damage back on the Khan.
(Bastet BB p112)
Skin of Jade - Willing himself solid, a Khan might turn his skin to the hardness of jade. It's said that the spirit of the rock itself taught this Gift to Yu Kwan, a warrior in the service of the alchemist Ko Hung.
System: By spending a Willpower point and rolling Gnosis (difficulty 7), the tiger gains an additional two dice to his soak rolls. THis Gift lasts one scene.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p112)
Rank 2
Heart of Fury - As the Garou Ahroun Gift.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p112)
Ricepaper Walk - By attuning his inner energies, a Khan can walk across a light or fragile surface without disturbing it, regardless of his form or weight. A 900-pound Crinos weretiger weighs no more than a wisp of paper so long as he concentrates on his feat. Once his attention shifts, the Khan's full weight returns.
System: The player makes a Gnosis roll to activate the Gift. Once he does, the Khan must move immediately at half his normal walking speed across whatever surface he wants to cross, and cannot stop. Any distractions force the tiger to make w Willpower roll to keep his concentration; the louder the disruption, the higher the difficulty. The tiger cant carry any other living weight, although he may bear a significant amount of inanimate baggage.
(Bastet BB p112)
Snarl of the Predator - As the Garou Get of Fenris Gift.
(PGttCB p72)
Rank 3
Maker's Charm - As the Bastet Homid Gift: Craft of the Maker. (As the Garou Homid Gift: Reshape Object.)
(Bastet BB p101)
Paws of the Raging Spirit Tiger - By channeling his chi energy through this Gift, a Khan may wreath his paws or hands in crackling spirit power. Thus fortified, the tiger can rip through enemies in the spirit world without stepping sideways to do it, so long as he can see them. Obviously no spirit will teach a Bastet such a damaging Gift; he'll have to learn it from another Khan (and considering the Gift's nature, learning can be very dangerous!
System: The Khan spends a Gnosis point and concentrates. The next turn, his paws or hands begin to smolder in blue-white light. This light burns from blue to green to yellow to red. When it attains a pinkish hue, the Gift dissipates. This takes roughly six turns.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p112)
Rank 4
Asura's Bane - As the Rank Three Bubasti Gift: Banish Cahlash's Brood, except that using it turns the tiger's pelt white instead of black. Unlike the shadowcats, tigers channel Rahjah to banish corruption.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p112)
Dragonroar - Bellowing like a thunderclap, the Khan vomits a ball of fire on his foes. This burning exhalation continues to blaze until either it or its target is consumed.
System: This Gift costs one Gnosis point to perform and blasts out a fireball worth one health level for each point of the Khan's current (not permanent) Gnosis. A successful Dexterity + Brawl roll puts the fireball where the tiger wants it. Anyone within 10 feet of the blast is burned unless he makes a Dexterity + Dodge roll (difficulty 8). If the target has already acted on this turn, the Dragonroar inflicts its full damage. Next turn, it will burn for half that damage, igniting anything flammable in its range. On the third turn, the Gift's fire burns for one additional health level, then dies. A fire begun by the Gift will burn like any normal blaze (see Werewolf rulebook).
(Bastet BB p112)
Rank 5
Call the Battle - As the Garou Ahroun Gift: Strength of Will.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p113)
Thousand-Thunder Strike - By slamming his paws together and invoking Rahjah or one of his manifestations (Shiva, Pan Gu, etc.), an angry tiger causes a shock wave that can level buildings or disrupt unclean spirits. The King of Cats, in his more regal guises, teaches this Gift to worthy Khan.
System: The player spends two points of Gnosis and rolls Willpower (difficulty 7). Each success inflicts three points of Power against Asura or other Banes, whichever side of the Gauntlet they might inhabit. This wave also shakes structures in a 200-foot radius. The severity of the damage depends on the Khan's successes: One breaks windows, two cracks plaster, three snaps wppd, four shatters concrete and five bends metal. The wave lasts only a moment, but can be felt for a mile or more.
(Bastet BB p113)
Pumonca Gifts
PGttCB 72, Bastet 113-114
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Level 1
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Level 2
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Level 3
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Level 4
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Level 5
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Rank 1
Mockingbird's Mirror - According to legend, an early Pumonca known as Three Spiders Climb mastered the art of mimicry and ventriloquism, and passed the secret on to his friends. This secret lets a cougar imitate whomever he wishes - birds, animals, humans, even machines - and allows him to throw his new voice for some distance. As the name suggests, a Mockingbird spirit often passes the secret along, usually in return for food.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge to imitate sounds within the normal human vocal range. So long as he's successful, his mimicry is flawless. If he tries to mirror sounds outside the normal range - subsonic vibrations, explosions, high frequency whines, etc. - the cat must spend a Gnosis point and the difficulty is 7. This Gift lasts roughly a scene, and sounds can be "thrown" up to 100 feet away from where the werecat stands.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p113)
Wanderer's Boon - Travel is hard, especially given the Spartan ways of the Pumonca. This Gift allows a cougar to adapt to changing climates quickly, or to ignore the pangs of hunger or thirst for some time. Bird and Bear spirits pass this Gift along.
System: By rolling Stamina + Survival and spending a Willpower point, the player allows her werecat to do one of the following things: ignore the worst effects of normal heat and cold for a week; go one day without water; or go three days without food. The difficulty for the roll is 6, although harsh conditions (blizzards, droughts, heat waves, etc.) can raise it by two or more. The Gift can be repeated, but the difficulty rises by one each time it's performed in succession.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p113)
Rank 2
Raincalling - The spirits of wind and weather are the best friends and worst enemies a Pumonca can have. This Gift, which came from a pact between Old Stone Face and the East Wind, allows a cougar to call forth rain. The shower is more a drizzle than a thunderstorm, but it can cool a hot day, water crops or dampen an empty creed bed in minutes.
System: The cougar's player rolls Manipulation + Survival and spends a Gnosis point to call forth rain. The difficulty depends on the conditions: humid, overcast skies are difficulty 6, while dry, clear skies raise it to 10. If there aren't any clouds in sight, the Gift could take some time to manifest. The intensity and length of the shower depends on the successes rolled; one success might get a brief drizzle, while five successes would make it rain fairly hard for an hour or so. This Gift inflicts no damage and cannot flood most areas.
(Bastet BB p113)
Speak with Wind Spirits - As the Garou Wendigo Gift.
(PGttCB p72)
Spirit of the Fish - As the Garou Uktena Gift.
(PGttCB p72)
Stonework - As the Rank Three Homid Gift: Craft of the Maker, (As the Garou Homid Gift: Reshape Object), except that it only affects stone, dirt, clay and glass, employs a Manipulation + Survival roll, and reshapes the object permanently.
(Bastet BB p113)
Rank 3
Bayou Slumber - Deserts and mountains aren't the only places Pumonca roam. So-called "swamp cats" know the Southern wetlands well. By crooning to the spirits of the bayous and calling upon any favors owed, a Pumonca can call forth a swamp elemental, dropping with plants and ooze, to assist her. While the creature retains its own free will, a Shambler is disposed to be friendly to the cat and hostile towards anyone in her way.
System: The player spends two points each of Rage and Gnosis to animate the Shambler, and rolls Willpower against difficulty 7. The resulting creature is semi-intelligent at best, but smells terrible, and lasts for three turns per success. Suggested Shambler traits are:
Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 2, Stamina 5, Wits 1
Abilities: Alertness 1, Brawl 3, Stealth 3
Health Levels: Two per success, and no penalties apply. Once its health levels are gone, the Shambler falls apart.
(Bastet BB p113)
Thunderbolt - A pact with the spirits of the storm allows some Pumonca to call down a thunderbolt. So long as at least one cloud hangs in the air, the cougar can call down lightning. Most cougars learn this mighty spell from Thunderbird himself.
System: The cougar's player spends a point of Rage to summon a bolt of lightning, and rolls Dexterity + Survival to hit the target. Under normal conditions (partly cloudy skies, human-sized target), the roll's difficulty is 8; large targets or stormy skies can decrease it to 7 or 6, while dry conditions or unusually small targets can raise the difficulty to 9 or even 10. The bolt inflicts two health levels worth of fire damage for every point of the werecat's Gnosis. Even if the Thunderbolt misses its victim, it's still a terrifying experience to be on the receiving end of a lightning strike. Wound-be victims roll their Willpower against a difficulty 8 to avoid running in fear.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p113)
Rank 4
Call Elemental - As the Garou Uktena Gift.
(PGttCB p72)
Element-Folk Favor - Old Stone Face made many allies among the elemental spirits, and performed many favors for their kind before passing on. The ageless spirits remember his good deeds by aiding those who invoke their ancient ancestor. A Pumonca who performs this Gift can call up an elemental spirit for help. Once it arrives, the spirit will do what it can to assist the cat; after it finishes one task, the spirit departs.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas and spends a Gnosis point to summon the elemental. The roll's difficulty is that of the local Gauntlet. The spirit, if it appears, will be friendly toward the cat, so long as she reminds him of her blood-link to Old Stone Face. No other tribe warrants the same kindness; in fact, Bubasti who have tried to swipe this Gift have been destroyed by the angry elemental spirits they called up. When the first service named has been finished or when one hour has elapsed, the elemental departs peacefully.
(Bastet BB p113)
The Hungry Earth - The Mother is not at peace. Some Pumonca know how to rouse her enough to show her displeasure. When this Gift is employed, the ground shakes, opens or gives way, covering tracks, sealing passages or burying the cat's opponents alive.
System: Depending on the cat's environment, this Gift takes many different forms; among hills or mountains, it causes an avalanche; in the swamps it begets quicksand; in deserts and plains, it causes the ground to open up beneath a target. To invoke these disasters, the cat's player rolls Manipulation + Survival, with the difficulty being the area's Gauntlet +2 (maximum 10) and spends a Rage point. The exact effects are up to the Storyteller, but often affect a 100 foot radius for each success rolled. If the attack causes damage, assume that the victim takes two or three normal health levels for each success. Some attacks, like falling rocks, are more deadly, but may allow the target a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty 6 - 8) to get clear.
(Bastet BB p114)
Rank 5
Earthspeaking - By sifting dirt and calling on the spirits within the ground, a puma receives visions of things that have happened in the area. These insights can help her follow trails, "witness" past events, or learn where things came from or went. Bird spirits often pass this Gift along, but some worm and elemental chaya do their part too, especially if the Bastet's questions serve the spirit's ends.
System: The Pumonca concentrates while chanting a single question and a plea. While she does, the player rolls Perception + Enigmas to see into the past. Success reveals the answer. The more distant the event, the higher the difficulty, unless it left impressions so vivid that they never fade (like the Trail of Tears), which might reduce the difficulty by one or two. Events that occurred more than a year ago require a Gnosis point to "see". The vision comes from the perspective of the ground nearby, whichc might make details hard to read (imagine a worm's-eye view of a murder); some dreams pass emotional impressions, too, leaving moods that can last for hours.
| Time Elapsed | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| A week | 4 |
| A month | 5 |
| Six months | 6 |
| A year | 7 |
| 10 years | 8 |
| 50 years | 9 |
| 100+ years | 10 |
(Bastet BB p114)
Thunderbird's Cry - As the Bastet Metis Gift: Wrath of Nala, except that the storm may last for up to an hour if the player's roll is five or more successes. This Gift is taught by Thunderbird himself.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p114)
Qualmi Gifts
PGttCB 72-73, Bastet 114-115
|
Level 1
|
Level 2
|
Level 3
|
Level 4
|
Level 5
|
Rank 1
Breakfast of Stones - As the Pumonca Gift: Wanderer's Boon.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p113)
Turned Fur - As the Wendigo Gift: Camouflage, save that the cat must discard any clothing and gear before the Gift takes effect - the lynx is the only thing that changes color.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p114)
Rank 2
No Hidden Thing - By reading the riddles of the world as mystic patterns, a Qualmi can discover answers that aren't immediately obvious to mortals. It's hard to hide things from a lynx!
System: This Gift combines the Rank One common Bastet Gifts: Spirit's Sight, Dowsing, Pathfinder's Pride, Sense the Truth, Sense Unmaker's Hand, and Cat Sight. The roll is Perception + Enigmas, and the difficulty ranges from 5 to 9, depending on what the lynx is looking for and how well it's hidden. The Qualmi must spend one Gnosis, but retains the use of this Gift for the entire scene.
(Bastet BB p114)
Wind from the West - This Gift takes the form of a series of high-speed riddles designed to tie a victim's mind into knots. Most Qualmi are rather pleased if this Gift fails; it's not often they find someone clever enough to keep up with them.
System: As the Bubasti Gift: Mousemaze, except that the roll is Manipulation + Enigmas, and does not cost a Gnosis point. To counter the confusion effect, the target might try to figure out the puzzle (Wits + Enigmas) before it takes effect. Oddly enough, it pleases most Qualmi when a victim can think for himself; this often leads to a riddling contest with the loser becoming confused by the magic. To simulate this exchange, see "Gamecraft" in the Werewolf rulebook, and raise the difficulty by one after each turn. When it reaches 10, check the final result: if someone wins and another loses, the loser suffers magical confusion; if both loose, they're both confused; if both win, neither is confused. Most Qualmi take defeat well under these circumstances, and can be very generous losers.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p114)
Rank 3
Drop of Sea - Qualmi are renowned shapeshifters; this Gift, which allows them to take a veriety of forms, demonstrates why.
System: This Gift combines the powers of the Rank Four Homid Gift: Monkey's Uncle and the Rank Five Swara Gift: All the Beasts Under the Sun, with the following differences: The roll is Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty 7); the animal shapes run from hare-sized to bear-sized, and an observer who makes a Perception + Enigmas roll (difficulty 9) may see the werecat for what she is. If he wants to undo the magic, he may ask the transformed werecat a riddle (see "Gamecraft"); if she cant answer it, she changes back to her old form immediately.
(Bastet BB p114)
Nighttime Web - As the common Bastet Gift: Cheshire Prank, except that it works in all forms, and does not require a grin.
(Bastet BB p115)
Wisdom of the Ancient Ways - As the Garou Philodox Gift.
(PGttCB p73)
Rank 4
Chill of Early Frost - As the Garou Wendigo Gift.
(PGttCB p73)
Dancing on Air - As the Bastet Metis Gift: Moon's Gateway, except that the roll is Intelligence + Enigmas.' (Bastet BB p115)
Still Breeze Blowing - Like the Lupus Gift: Elemental Gift, this magic allows a Qualmi to conjure a spirit to shift the elements to her advantage. Dwelling in the North as they do, most members of this tribe favor air and ice elemental over fire or earth.
(Bastet BB p115)
Rank 5
Call Down the Stars - Sometimes the best answer to a riddle is force. This Gift recalls the days of Strange Owl Woman, when the white men dragged iron monsters across the open lands. By confusing the spirits inside machinery with a staggering riddle, the lynx causes fires, and power generators and other sources of combustion to explode. This tends to fix most problems for good.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas (difficulty 7) and spends a Willpower point to drive the riddle home. If she succeeds, the power source - be it gas, coal, wood, electricity, kerosene, whatever - ignites. The exact effects are left to the Storyteller; small fires may flare for one or two health levels per success, while car gas tanks or steam train furnaces might blow for four health levels per success. Some combustion must be involved - a canister of gasoline will not explode on its own. No Qualmi has dared to find out what would happen if the spirits of nuclear power plants were confused; the results might poison the entire land.
(Bastet BB p115)
Water's Vision - Water sees everything. By learning to see as the water does, a Qualmi can look through barriers to see what lies beyond them. Walls, vaults, the Gauntlet - nothing stops a Qualmi who wants to see around them.
System: Seeing through barriers requires a Perception + Primal Urge roll against the Gauntlet rating. For each success, the lynx can see 100 feet without obstruction. Every object, from stone walls to living bodies, appears translucent and immaterial. Unfortunately, it's often hard to pick one thing out from among the series of see-through patterns; it often requires a Perception + Alertness roll to notice details. This vision stops at ground level, although the cat can see into basements or cellars if her sight extends far enough. This power lasts one turn per success.
(PGttCB p73, Bastet BB p115)
Simba Gifts
PGttCB 73-74, Bastet 115-117
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Level 1
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Level 2
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Level 3
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Level 4
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Level 5
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Rank 1
Majesty - The first trick a good king learns is how to impress his subjects. By employing the ancient right of command, any Simba may demand respect and expect to get it.
System: As the Rank Two Bagheera Gift: Lawgiver's Legacy, except it involves Manipulation + Intimidation. Other Simba are immune to its effects.
(PGttCB p73, Bastet BB p105)
Submit - The second trick in a ruler's arsenal is the ability to make his sunjects obey whether they want to or not. By mastering their bodies, a Simba can force others to fall to their knees or roll over on their backs in submission. They can say whatever they like, but their reactions betray their cowardice!
System: Like the Garou Philodox Gift: Roll Over, although Simba must spend a point of Gnosis for every Rank he is short of Rank Four (thus a Rank One Simba must spend three Gnosis to use this Gift). The Gift cant change a target's mind, but it can master his body if the Simba earns at least three successes in a resisted Willpower roll (difficulty 7). This Gift lasts for one turn per success. Simba are immune to this Gift if it comes from one of their kind.
(PGttCB p73, Bastet BB p115)
Rank 2
Armor of Kings - As the Garou Children of Gaia Gift: Luna's Armor.
(PGttCB p73, Bastet BB p116)
Rallying Challenge - By sending her inner power outward, a Simba may rally herself to accomplish things normally outside her range. With a shattering cry, she raises her physical strength or force of personality to unusual heights.
System: Like the Bagheera Gift: Ojas Surge, except that it only boosts Strength, Stamina or Charisma, takes one turn (and a thunderous roar) to achieve, and can only be done once per scene.
(Bastet BB p116)
Rank 3
Fireroar - As the Khan Gift: Dragonroar.
(PGttCB p73, Bastet BB p112)
Shadow the Moon's Light - There is a time for everything, even for stealth. As nocturnal hunters, the cat kings have perfected a secret which allows them to dim the light as they approach. While it cant actually extinguish the moon, this Gift stifles natural, magical, and technological lights equally well.
System: To dim the local lights, the werecat's player rolls Manipulation + Stealth. The dimness lasts for one turn per success.
| Light Source | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Weak (torches, lamps) | 6 |
| Bright (fires, moonlight) | 7 |
| Harsh Illumination (headlights) | 8 |
| Powerful lamps (halogen bulbs, yard lights) | 9 |
| Overwhelming (spotlights, the sun) | 10 |
(Bastet BB p116)
Rank 4
The Bountiful Dominion - A ruler must be prepared to provide for his subjects. By laying this Gift upon the land, a Simba can make the local crops grow quickly, the soil turn fertile and the waters run clear. This Gift comes from the land of Manu T'Chaa, who ended a famine with his wisdom and passed the secret to his descendants.
System: As the Metis Gift: Redeem the Waste, except that the magic doubles crop growth, and health, purifies water immediately, and costs one Gnosis per success.
(Bastet BB p116)
King of Beasts - As the Garou Philodox Gift: King of the Beasts, except that it affects all animals within 300 feet.
(PGttCB p74, Bastet BB p116)
Rank 5
Command the Multitude - Like the Rank One Gift: Submit, except that it affects everyone in a 200 foot radius and requires a Gnosis point. To make things easy, the Storyteller may simply have the player roll three successes with Willpower (difficulty 9) to dominate a strong-willed crowd. Lesser foes, like normal humans or animals, reduce the difficulty to 6.
(Bastet BB p116)
Obedience - As the Garou Shadow Lord Gift.
(PGttCB p74)
Rising Sun - It is said that the lion carries the sun in his heart; the saying may contain more truth than poetry. Some powerful Simba can cause the land around them to blaze with sunlight, even at night. According to tribal caliah, Taa Mlimba used this magic to drive the vampires from his lands ages ago. Although it's not as effective against the undead as true sunlight, this Gift is certainly potent.
System: Conjuring sunlight requires two Gnosis points and a Charisma + Primal Urge roll (difficulty 7). Once this is done, the surrounding rock and earth begin to glow. Each turn, the light grows brighter, until the rocks blaze like the sun; after six turns, it fades away. The light, blinding as it is, doesn't hurt most living things, and leaves the rocks stone cold; against vampires and other things that fear the sun, however, the Gift inflicts one additional cumulative aggravated health level for every turn after the first (one during the second turn, two during the third, etc.). Thus, at its height, the light causes five health levels of damage. While this damage may be soaked with Fortitude, most Kindred will remember such an encounter...
(Bastet BB p116)
Swara Gifts
PGttCB 74, Bastet 117-118
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Level 1
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Level 2
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Level 3
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Level 4
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Level 5
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Rank 1
Diamond Claws - As the Garou Ahroun Gift: Razor Claws. This magic is especially helpful for the Swara, who wear their claws down through daily use.
(PGttCB p74, Bastet BB p117)
Impala's Flight - As the Rank Three common Bastet Gift, but obviously easier for Swara.
(PGttCB p74, Bastet BB p100)
Rank 2
Sense the Unnatural - As the Garou Lupus Gift.
(PGttCB p74)
Walking Between Worlds - As the Rank Four common Bastet Gift. That this talent is so common among the Swara is a closely guarded secret.
(PGttCB p74, Bastet BB p117)
Weight of a Heart - As the Swara know, the weight of emotions comes from the weight of the heart. Making the heart swell creates euphoria, while shrinking it generates terror or despair. By working the weight of another being's heart, a Swara can induce crazy mood swings from a distance. Nothing diffuses a fight faster than making the aggressor walk away in near suicidal depression. Tales credit this Gift to Hatti, who knows the ways of the heart better than most people do.
System: A Manipulation + Empathy roll changes the target's mood. The more radical the shift (from joy to sudden weeping), the higher the difficulty. Even so, this is an easy Gift to use - its difficulties range from 4 to 8. The victim - if even aware that something has changed his mood from the outside - can resist the Gift with a Willpower roll at difficulty 8. Otherwise, the Gift lasts one scene, and inflicts no damage.
(Bastet BB p117)
Rank 3
Clearwater Passage - By turning herself into liquid, a Swara can pass through barriers without fully passing into the Umbra. Like water, she trickles through cracks, seeps around obstacles and soaks through materials. Once she reaches the other side, the cheetah reforms into a solid shape and continues on her way. It's said that Shi'a the Water Ghost taught this Gift to the Swara elder Nyolo in return for a kiss. He nearly drowned, but survived her embrace long enough to pass the Gift to his friends before joining his love beneath the waves.
System: The player spends a Gnosis point and rolls Stamina + Enigmas (difficulty 7) to turn her Bastet into water, and the cat remains in that state for two turns per success. While liquid, she cannot be harmed by any physical attack except fore (from which she takes the usual aggravated damage). She may reform at any time, but must use the Gift again to turn liquid again. If she's been "absorbed" while in a watery state, the Swara bursts out of the material when she turns back into solid form.
(Bastet BB p117)
Dance of the Chaya - One of the greatest favors a Bastet can offer a spirit is the chance to ride in his skin for a while. Although most cats would never consider such a "loan", many Swara see voluntary possession as a service, not a chore. This Gift, which begins with a frenzied dance, allows a chaya to enter the werecat and "take control" for a while. The spirit gets a body to ride, and the werecat gets certain... benefits. The dance is seen more as an act of love or affection than of servitude - a sentiment few bastet would ever understand.
System: A smart cheetah performs a spirit calling before he starts the Gift, and scans the Umbra to see who responds before opening himself to the possession. More often than not, the cat will be familiar with the ghost or spirit before he offers it a ride. Once the Dance has begun, the player rolls Charisma + Enigmas, difficulty 7. The Gift lasts about two turns per success, and allows the Swara to do things that would usually be impossible - wild contortions, great feats of strength, flight, etc. The exact effects of the Dance will depend on the spirit, the Bastet, their circumstances, and the relationship between the three, but should emphasize drama over game systems.
(PGttCB p74, Bastet BB p117)
Rank 4
Ghost Caress - This secret, called the "Ghost Caress" because most people blame ghosts for its effects, recalls the time when all things were still one. By tapping the spirits that bond objects together, the Swara can send sensations across a distance. To use the Gift, a cheetah must hold something that contains the essence of the person she wants to affect; locks of hair, prized possessions, or items of clothing are good examples. Focusing her intentions on the item, she does whatever she wants done to the item, not the target. A sympathetic pulse passes between the two objects and, if the cat has been successful, transfers a feeling from the item to the target. Although the magic cant physically harm someone, it can drive them nearly crazy as phantom pains or pleasures wash over him without noticeable cause.
System: To reach across space, the Swara's player spends a Willpower point and rolls Gnosis. The difficulty depends on the distance between the Bastet and her target. Whatever she does to her focus from that point passes the sensation on to the person on the receiving end. Each success gives her one action to perform. When those actions are done, the spell ends. this Gift passes sensations only, not damage; it can send the feeling of being slapped, but it will not do harm. Likewise, it cannot move the target at all. A Swara who simply lifts a handkerchief cannot lift the person who owned it.
| Distance | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Near by (1 mile) | 7 |
| A ways off (2-5 miles) | 8 |
| Distant (6-10 miles) | 9 |
| Really distant (10-50 miles) | 10 |
(PGttCB p74, Bastet BB p117)
Speed Beyond Thought - As the Rank 4 Garou Silent Strider Gift.
(PGttCB p74)
Judgement of Pestilence - As the Rank Five Bastet Feline Gift.
(Bastet BB p105)
Rank 5
All Beasts Under the Sun - As the Garou Black Fury Gift: The Thousand Forms.
(Bastet BB p118)
River of Blood - The soil of Africa has been bathed in the blood of its inhabitants for millions of years. A Swara can call that spilled blood together through the soil and give it form, creating a pool, a river, a mass of tentacles, or a variety of other things. This bond to blood seems to be limited to African soil; if a Swara has ever used this Gift outside his native land, no tales of the event survive.
System: It costs a Rage point to pull a large amount of blood together. A successful Manipulation + Primal Urge roll is also required. The roll's difficulty depends on location; a place that's seen a lot of bloodshed (a watering hole, the site of a massacre, etc.) is only 7, while a remote mountain peak would be 10. It takes several turns for the blood to coalesce into solid form; once it does, the cheetah can work it into any of the following shapes: a wall, a column, a shower, a geyser, a pool, a roger, a rope, a bridge, or a mass of "arms" which wrap the target in a liquid embrace. All forms have Strength or health levels based on the cat's successes. For each success, the blood attains two dots of Strength or two health levels. Although it remains liquid, the River of Blood can be as solid as thick sand or as fluid as water. This Gift lasts for one scene, then the blood drains back into the earth. The Swara who performs the Gift will be sad for hours afterward; the blood of immeasurable death has passed through his hands.
(PGttCB p74, Bastet BB p118)
