Abilities are the Traits that describe what you know and what you’ve learned to do. A character’s Attributes measure her raw potential, her Abilities measure her ability to use that potential. Most actions combine an Attribute and an appropriate Ability to form a dice pool that’s rolled to determine a character’s success and failure.
There are 30 Abilities, divided into 10 Talents, 10 Skills, and 10 Knowledges. Each Ability covers a broad range of aptitudes, but for some that denote a particularly broad area of study (such as Academics, Crafts, Science, and Technology) it’s best to pick a specialty (p. 117) even if the character doesn’t yet have four dots in the Ability — though a character’s good at making things with her hands, she’s likely not equally good at baking and auto repair.
Specialties
When a character has at least four dots in an Attribute or Ability, she’s eligible to choose a specialty in the given Trait. Specialties represent a particular focus and proficiency related to the character’s concept or profession. For example, a sprinter might have the “swift-footed” specialty in Dexterity, while a mechanic could have the “Muscle Cars” specialty in Craft. Several specialty suggestions are given with each Trait. Whenever you roll for an action that falls under your character’s specialty, any die that comes up “10” counts as two successes instead of just one.
Let’s look at an example. Dr. Karel Weilbacher, Get of Fenris Theurge, has the Knowledge Medicine at four dots; his specialty is “emergency medicine.” A Black Spiral Dancer has badly wounded one of his sept’s young Ahroun. Karel’s player Monica rolls Intelligence (three dots) + Medicine (four dots), making her dice pool seven. Monica rolls three 10s, one 6 and three 2s. The roll yields a total of seven successes for Karel, who heals the kid quickly enough for him to get back into the fray.
Players should clear any specialties with the Storyteller, who can veto any specialties that are too broad (such as “guns” for Firearms or “healing” for Medicine) or that focus solely on game mechanics (“dealing damage” for Strength or “soak rolls” for Stamina). The player and Storyteller should work together to express the character’s concept through specialties.
Important Note! Several abilities grant their specialty earlier than Level Four: Expression, Crafts, Performance, Academics, Science, and Technology.
Players also have the option of spending 5 XP for an additional specialty after the first.
Abilities
Talents
While Talents can be trained, they're based on an inborn talent that every character possesses. The only way to improve Talents is through direct practice and experience -- with a very few exceptions, reading a book or watching an online video doesn't provide the same feedback as actually going out and doing it. If your character attempts an action involving a Talent she doesn't possess, your dice pool is the associated Attribute, without penalty. Talents are so intuitive that almost anyone can execute them to some degree.
Alertness
Alertness describes the attention that the character pays to the world around him, whether he's actively looking or not. It measures how attuned the character is to things that he can see, smell, hear, and touch -- and to the less tangible conclusions that come from his senses. In combat, it's often paired with Wits to gauge a character's reaction time and ability to respond; out of combat, it's most usually paired with Perception to gain clues about a character's surroundings.
Specialties: Ambushes, Eavesdropping, Paranoia, Scents, Traps
Possessed By: Bodyguards, Hunters, Security Personnel, Thieves, Wild Animals
Dots Description
1 Novice: You're alert to certain sights and sounds around you.
2 Practiced: You're a habitual eavesdropper.
3 Competent: You notice even subtle changes in your environment without trying.
4 Expert: You're rarely caught off-guard -- are you paranoid, or lupus?
5 Master: You have the best of all your senses in every form. Even when sleeping, you're wary to minute alterations in the world around you.
Athletics
Athletics is the Talent that covers basic athletic ability, along with any formal training in sports or other physical endeavors. Athletics covers all forms of running, jumping, swimming, throwing, and the like. A character with high Athletics might be a trained athlete or a gifted individual who spends a lot of time in some form of exercise. This Talent doesn't cover simple motor actions like lifting weights or athletic feats covered by other Abilities (such as boxing or fencing, covered by Brawl and Melee respectively).
Specialties: Specific sports, Distance Trials, Pentathlon, Rock Climbing, Swimming, Team Play, Tumbling
Possessed By: Athletes, "Extreme" Sports Nuts, Jocks, Kids, Lupus, Outdoors Enthusiasts
Dots Description
1 Novice: You had an active childhood.
2 Practiced: You ran high-school track.
3 Competent: College-level competitor.
4 Expert: Professional athlete.
5 Master: Olympic-class athlete.
Brawl
Brawl is the fine art of injuring other people with only your natural weapons. For humans, this involves punches, kicks, elbows, and the like. For a werewolf, it also covers the powerful teeth and claws of her non-human forms. Brawl reflects the character's experience in actual fights alongside any formal martial arts training. Experienced brawlers need to be ruthless and brutal, willing to fight on through loose teeth and broken bones to make the other guy fall first.
Specialties: Boxing, Dirty Infighting, Kailindo, Weaponless Martial Arts (Judo, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, etc.), Wrestling
Possessed By: Police, Self-Defense Instructors, Soldiers, Thugs, Werewolves
Dots Description
1 Novice: You picked fights in the schoolyard.
2 Practiced: You can hold your own in a bar-room brawl.
3 Competent: You've been in your fair share of fights and have come away on top.
4 Expert: You could be a real contender on the MMA circuit.
5 Master: You are a deadly weapon in your Homid form; in Crinos, you can fight a war and expect to win.
Empathy
Empathy measures a character's ability to identify other people's emotions and feelings. She may use this to take advantage of someone, feign sympathy, or even connect genuinely. A particularly successful Empathy roll might even allow her to tell if someone is lying to her. A highly empathetic character has to watch out, however -- she may get so caught up in the feelings of others that her own emotions are affected, whether she wants to or not.
Specialties: Affairs of the Heart, Emotional States, Hidden Motives, Personality Quirks, Sense Lies
Possessed By: Actors, Con Artists, Counselors, Psychics
Dots Description
1 Novice: You provide the odd shoulder to cry on.
2 Practiced: Sometimes, you feel the same emotions as the person you're talking with.
3 Competent: You can analyze the emotions of people around you with a degree of accuracy.
4 Expert: It takes a real master (or a sociopath) to lie to you.
5 Master: You know what they're going to say before they do.
Expression
Expression is the art of getting your point across to an audience, in any medium. A character with a high Expression Trait sends emails and tweets with the same eloquence and delicate phrasing she demonstrates in her public speaking, and people sit up and take note -- whether she's telling the truth or not. Expression covers the delivery of information using language as a primary form, whether poetry, speeches, or blog posts. Using non-verbal forms to hook the public's imagination is the domain of Performance. You can choose a specialty for Expression even if you have less than four dots.
Specialties: Drama, Inspiriting Speeches, Poetry, Political Doubletalk, Rhetoric, Social Media
Possessed By: Actors, Bloggers, Galliards, Poets, Politicians, Writers
Dots Description
1 Novice: You've sold a poem or two.
2 Practiced: You could lead a college debate team.
3 Competent: You could make a living as a writer or journalist.
4 Expert: Your work gets submitted for international awards.
5 Master: When you speak, everyone around you praises your words.
Intimidation
Intimidation involves applying pressure to make someone else do what you want them to. It can take many forms, from soft, subtle persuasion to outright brute force. Intimidation need not be cruel or callous; a well-placed intimidating conversation might even be called "diplomatic." An intimidating character knows what to do and say depending on the occasion, and is very persuasive when he wants something done.
Specialties: Blackmail, Good Cop/Bad Cop, Physical Threats, Revenge, Veiled Threats
Possessed By: Ahroun, Bullies, Drill Sergeants, Gangsters, Officers, Pack Leaders, Shadow Lords
Dots Description
1 Novice: Your threats are crude, but effective.
2 Practiced: You're a professional thug.
3 Competent: You could be a fine drill sergeant.
4 Expert: Your air of authority can stop fights before they start.
5 Master: Few werewolves stand against you when you put your mind to things.
Intuition (Kinfolk ONLY)
From time to time, you have good hunches. You have learned to trust them. At times, you might not be able to explain why you suddenly know certain things, or how you jump to a startling conclusion based on a confusing or mystifying set of facts. Your instinct tends to serve you very well, except when it doesn’t. Intuition reflects your aptitude in making good guesses and relying on your gut feelings. This is not a psychic ability; rather, it is an innate “sixth sense” that enables the character to sense if someone is lying or whether or not a particular argument holds more persuasive force than another with the target individual. A character with Intuition may be able to string together tiny or otherwise overlooked clues, resolving into the strong feeling that “we need to go to the warehouse now!” or “Mr. X is the person behind this.” Storytellers can use a character’s Intuition to give information to the players or as a handy device to move along a stalled plot when all else fails.
Specialties: Reading Between the Lines, Subtext, Sensing Dynamics, Meditation
Possessed by: Kinfolk, counselors, mothers, trending experts, teachers, intuitive diagnosticians, private detectives
Dots Description
1 Novice: Your instincts help you find the right track.
2 Practiced: You automatically follow your initial guess rather than second-guessing yourself.
3 Competent: You always know when something’s going down.
4 Expert: You know not only what’s wrong, but who’s behind it.
5 Master: Your insights and hunches scare you sometimes!
Leadership
Leadership makes a character the kind of person or wolf that others support and serve. It involves knowing what to say and how to say it so that people fighting with you will do what you need them to. That said, Leadership has less to do with manipulating other people and more to do with portraying yourself as the kind of person they want to follow. Good leaders know when to make suggestions, when to bark orders -- and when to lead by example.
Specialties: Combat Readiness, Compelling, Military, Motivation, Open
Possessed By: Executives, Military Officers, Pack Alphas, Philodox, Politicians
Dots Description
1 Novice: Captain of your high-school football team.
2 Practiced: When you talk, others listen.
3 Competent: You could be a good manager or CEO.
4 Expert: You're a natural alpha of any pack you join, and others accept your authority with little effort.
5 Master: You could lead the whole Garou Nation against the Wyrm.
Primal-Urge (Garou ONLY)
This Talent describes a character's connection to her bestial nature, and her level of gut feelings in her various non-human forms. A character with high Primal-Urge relies not just on her heightened instincts, but a whole range of sensory information that humans don't fully understand. Her understanding of her feral nature gives her an easier time when changing form, and can let her instinctively notice signs of supernatural activity -- though this rarely goes beyond the level of a chill down the spine or the hairs on her neck standing on end.
Specialties: Hunches, Hunting, Reacting, Shifting Forms
Possessed By: Lupus, Predators, Wild Animals
Dots Description
1 Novice: Merely a pup. The urge is there, but hasn't been honed.
2 Practiced: Your instincts put you on a safe path through danger.
3 Competent: You know when something weird is going on, and have an easy time taking the right shape to deal with it.
4 Expert: The wolf within drives you to act, and its guidance is never wrong.
5 Master: You have an innate understanding of what it means to be Garou: a synthesis of man, wolf, and spirit created to be Gaia's warrior.
Streetwise
A character with this Talent is at home on the streets. He can fit in with rough crowds, knows who to ask for information, understands slang, and can buy and sell whatever people want to trade. The network of criminals, junkies, and lowlifes who live on the streets will turn on an outsider, but if he's careful, a streetwise werewolf can get his hands on almost anything.
Specialties: Fencing, Gangs, Illegal Drugs, Illegal Guns, Unsecured Wifi
Possessed By: Beat Cops, Bone Gnawers, Criminals, Detectives, Gang Members, Homeless People
Dots Description
1 Novice: You know who's holding.
2 Practiced: You get a measure of respect on the street.
3 Competent: You could head up your own gang.
4 Expert: You have connections throughout the criminal underworld.
5 Master: If you haven't heard it, it hasn't been said.
Subterfuge
Subterfuge involves hiding your motives and projecting something else on top of that. If you can figure out what someone else wants, you can twist that to your best advantage. This Trait defines your talent for intrigue, double-dealing, con artistry, and just plain lying to people. Characters with high Subterfuge are masters of finding people who want something for nothing and giving them nothing for something, knowing precisely what to say to further their own goals.
Specialties: Feigned Innocence, Long Con, Seduction, White Lies
Possessed By: Con Artists, Lawyers, Politicians, Uktena, Vampires
Dots Description
1 Novice: You can pass a white lie as the truth.
2 Practiced: You could be a pickup artist.
3 Competent: You can get hardened criminals declared "Not Guilty."
4 Expert: You could be a very successful grifter or double-agent.
5 Master: They'll never know it was you.
Alertness
Alertness describes the attention that the character pays to the world around him, whether he's actively looking or not. It measures how attuned the character is to things that he can see, smell, hear, and touch -- and to the less tangible conclusions that come from his senses. In combat, it's often paired with Wits to gauge a character's reaction time and ability to respond; out of combat, it's most usually paired with Perception to gain clues about a character's surroundings.
Specialties: Ambushes, Eavesdropping, Paranoia, Scents, Traps
Possessed By: Bodyguards, Hunters, Security Personnel, Thieves, Wild Animals
Dots Description
1 Novice: You're alert to certain sights and sounds around you.
2 Practiced: You're a habitual eavesdropper.
3 Competent: You notice even subtle changes in your environment without trying.
4 Expert: You're rarely caught off-guard -- are you paranoid, or lupus?
5 Master: You have the best of all your senses in every form. Even when sleeping, you're wary to minute alterations in the world around you.
Athletics
Athletics is the Talent that covers basic athletic ability, along with any formal training in sports or other physical endeavors. Athletics covers all forms of running, jumping, swimming, throwing, and the like. A character with high Athletics might be a trained athlete or a gifted individual who spends a lot of time in some form of exercise. This Talent doesn't cover simple motor actions like lifting weights or athletic feats covered by other Abilities (such as boxing or fencing, covered by Brawl and Melee respectively).
Specialties: Specific sports, Distance Trials, Pentathlon, Rock Climbing, Swimming, Team Play, Tumbling
Possessed By: Athletes, "Extreme" Sports Nuts, Jocks, Kids, Lupus, Outdoors Enthusiasts
Dots Description
1 Novice: You had an active childhood.
2 Practiced: You ran high-school track.
3 Competent: College-level competitor.
4 Expert: Professional athlete.
5 Master: Olympic-class athlete.
Brawl
Brawl is the fine art of injuring other people with only your natural weapons. For humans, this involves punches, kicks, elbows, and the like. For a werewolf, it also covers the powerful teeth and claws of her non-human forms. Brawl reflects the character's experience in actual fights alongside any formal martial arts training. Experienced brawlers need to be ruthless and brutal, willing to fight on through loose teeth and broken bones to make the other guy fall first.
Specialties: Boxing, Dirty Infighting, Kailindo, Weaponless Martial Arts (Judo, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, etc.), Wrestling
Possessed By: Police, Self-Defense Instructors, Soldiers, Thugs, Werewolves
Dots Description
1 Novice: You picked fights in the schoolyard.
2 Practiced: You can hold your own in a bar-room brawl.
3 Competent: You've been in your fair share of fights and have come away on top.
4 Expert: You could be a real contender on the MMA circuit.
5 Master: You are a deadly weapon in your Homid form; in Crinos, you can fight a war and expect to win.
Empathy
Empathy measures a character's ability to identify other people's emotions and feelings. She may use this to take advantage of someone, feign sympathy, or even connect genuinely. A particularly successful Empathy roll might even allow her to tell if someone is lying to her. A highly empathetic character has to watch out, however -- she may get so caught up in the feelings of others that her own emotions are affected, whether she wants to or not.
Specialties: Affairs of the Heart, Emotional States, Hidden Motives, Personality Quirks, Sense Lies
Possessed By: Actors, Con Artists, Counselors, Psychics
Dots Description
1 Novice: You provide the odd shoulder to cry on.
2 Practiced: Sometimes, you feel the same emotions as the person you're talking with.
3 Competent: You can analyze the emotions of people around you with a degree of accuracy.
4 Expert: It takes a real master (or a sociopath) to lie to you.
5 Master: You know what they're going to say before they do.
Expression
Expression is the art of getting your point across to an audience, in any medium. A character with a high Expression Trait sends emails and tweets with the same eloquence and delicate phrasing she demonstrates in her public speaking, and people sit up and take note -- whether she's telling the truth or not. Expression covers the delivery of information using language as a primary form, whether poetry, speeches, or blog posts. Using non-verbal forms to hook the public's imagination is the domain of Performance. You can choose a specialty for Expression even if you have less than four dots.
Specialties: Drama, Inspiriting Speeches, Poetry, Political Doubletalk, Rhetoric, Social Media
Possessed By: Actors, Bloggers, Galliards, Poets, Politicians, Writers
Dots Description
1 Novice: You've sold a poem or two.
2 Practiced: You could lead a college debate team.
3 Competent: You could make a living as a writer or journalist.
4 Expert: Your work gets submitted for international awards.
5 Master: When you speak, everyone around you praises your words.
Intimidation
Intimidation involves applying pressure to make someone else do what you want them to. It can take many forms, from soft, subtle persuasion to outright brute force. Intimidation need not be cruel or callous; a well-placed intimidating conversation might even be called "diplomatic." An intimidating character knows what to do and say depending on the occasion, and is very persuasive when he wants something done.
Specialties: Blackmail, Good Cop/Bad Cop, Physical Threats, Revenge, Veiled Threats
Possessed By: Ahroun, Bullies, Drill Sergeants, Gangsters, Officers, Pack Leaders, Shadow Lords
Dots Description
1 Novice: Your threats are crude, but effective.
2 Practiced: You're a professional thug.
3 Competent: You could be a fine drill sergeant.
4 Expert: Your air of authority can stop fights before they start.
5 Master: Few werewolves stand against you when you put your mind to things.
Intuition (Kinfolk ONLY)
From time to time, you have good hunches. You have learned to trust them. At times, you might not be able to explain why you suddenly know certain things, or how you jump to a startling conclusion based on a confusing or mystifying set of facts. Your instinct tends to serve you very well, except when it doesn’t. Intuition reflects your aptitude in making good guesses and relying on your gut feelings. This is not a psychic ability; rather, it is an innate “sixth sense” that enables the character to sense if someone is lying or whether or not a particular argument holds more persuasive force than another with the target individual. A character with Intuition may be able to string together tiny or otherwise overlooked clues, resolving into the strong feeling that “we need to go to the warehouse now!” or “Mr. X is the person behind this.” Storytellers can use a character’s Intuition to give information to the players or as a handy device to move along a stalled plot when all else fails.
Specialties: Reading Between the Lines, Subtext, Sensing Dynamics, Meditation
Possessed by: Kinfolk, counselors, mothers, trending experts, teachers, intuitive diagnosticians, private detectives
Dots Description
1 Novice: Your instincts help you find the right track.
2 Practiced: You automatically follow your initial guess rather than second-guessing yourself.
3 Competent: You always know when something’s going down.
4 Expert: You know not only what’s wrong, but who’s behind it.
5 Master: Your insights and hunches scare you sometimes!
Leadership
Leadership makes a character the kind of person or wolf that others support and serve. It involves knowing what to say and how to say it so that people fighting with you will do what you need them to. That said, Leadership has less to do with manipulating other people and more to do with portraying yourself as the kind of person they want to follow. Good leaders know when to make suggestions, when to bark orders -- and when to lead by example.
Specialties: Combat Readiness, Compelling, Military, Motivation, Open
Possessed By: Executives, Military Officers, Pack Alphas, Philodox, Politicians
Dots Description
1 Novice: Captain of your high-school football team.
2 Practiced: When you talk, others listen.
3 Competent: You could be a good manager or CEO.
4 Expert: You're a natural alpha of any pack you join, and others accept your authority with little effort.
5 Master: You could lead the whole Garou Nation against the Wyrm.
Primal-Urge (Garou ONLY)
This Talent describes a character's connection to her bestial nature, and her level of gut feelings in her various non-human forms. A character with high Primal-Urge relies not just on her heightened instincts, but a whole range of sensory information that humans don't fully understand. Her understanding of her feral nature gives her an easier time when changing form, and can let her instinctively notice signs of supernatural activity -- though this rarely goes beyond the level of a chill down the spine or the hairs on her neck standing on end.
Specialties: Hunches, Hunting, Reacting, Shifting Forms
Possessed By: Lupus, Predators, Wild Animals
Dots Description
1 Novice: Merely a pup. The urge is there, but hasn't been honed.
2 Practiced: Your instincts put you on a safe path through danger.
3 Competent: You know when something weird is going on, and have an easy time taking the right shape to deal with it.
4 Expert: The wolf within drives you to act, and its guidance is never wrong.
5 Master: You have an innate understanding of what it means to be Garou: a synthesis of man, wolf, and spirit created to be Gaia's warrior.
Streetwise
A character with this Talent is at home on the streets. He can fit in with rough crowds, knows who to ask for information, understands slang, and can buy and sell whatever people want to trade. The network of criminals, junkies, and lowlifes who live on the streets will turn on an outsider, but if he's careful, a streetwise werewolf can get his hands on almost anything.
Specialties: Fencing, Gangs, Illegal Drugs, Illegal Guns, Unsecured Wifi
Possessed By: Beat Cops, Bone Gnawers, Criminals, Detectives, Gang Members, Homeless People
Dots Description
1 Novice: You know who's holding.
2 Practiced: You get a measure of respect on the street.
3 Competent: You could head up your own gang.
4 Expert: You have connections throughout the criminal underworld.
5 Master: If you haven't heard it, it hasn't been said.
Subterfuge
Subterfuge involves hiding your motives and projecting something else on top of that. If you can figure out what someone else wants, you can twist that to your best advantage. This Trait defines your talent for intrigue, double-dealing, con artistry, and just plain lying to people. Characters with high Subterfuge are masters of finding people who want something for nothing and giving them nothing for something, knowing precisely what to say to further their own goals.
Specialties: Feigned Innocence, Long Con, Seduction, White Lies
Possessed By: Con Artists, Lawyers, Politicians, Uktena, Vampires
Dots Description
1 Novice: You can pass a white lie as the truth.
2 Practiced: You could be a pickup artist.
3 Competent: You can get hardened criminals declared "Not Guilty."
4 Expert: You could be a very successful grifter or double-agent.
5 Master: They'll never know it was you.
Skills
Skills are Abilities learned as a direct result of training and instruction. No one wakes up one day knowing how to drive a car, for example; every driver needs some practice before hitting the interstate. If you try to perform an action involving a Skill in which you have no rating, your difficulty is increased by one. It's a lot harder to swing a sword than it looks on TV.
Animal Ken
Humans think and behave far differently to other animals. It takes a special touch to deal with other creatures, especially if they're hurt or frightened. A person (or werewolf) with Animal Ken knows how to speak and move in such a way to gain an animal's trust. Without it, even homid werewolves have a hard time dealing with animals that can sense their Rage. Animal Ken is also necessary for training animals and for working closely with animals (such as leading a mule train).
Specialties: Attack Training, Big Cats, Dogs, Falconry, Farm Animals, Feral Animals, Horses
Possessed By: Animal Trainers, Farmers, Pet Owners, Veterinarians
Dots Description
1 Novice: You know how to behave around tame animals.
2 Practiced: You've housebroken puppies and performed basic obedience training.
3 Competent: You can train animals for specialized work, like herding or sniffing out drugs.
4 Expert: You can teach most animals complex tricks and routines.
5 Master: You can train wild animals to perform very complex tasks.
Crafts
The Crafts Skill covers a character's ability to make or fix things with her hands. Crafts allows her to work in fields including carpentry, leather-working, weaving, or even areas requiring mechanical expertise such as car repair. Crafts is especially useful for werewolves who hope to make fetishes. It's easier to convince a spirit to enter a vessel that's made well, after all. A player must always choose a specialty in Crafts, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.
Specialties: Auto Repair, Carving, Drawing/Painting, Metalworking, Sculpture, Weaving, Woodwork
Possessed By: Artists, Designers, Hand-crafters, Inventors, Theurges, Weaponsmiths
Dots Description
1 Novice: You can produce something basic, but not attractive or functional.
2 Practiced: You're developing your own style.
3 Competent: You can reliably sell your creations for a tidy profit.
4 Expert: You write books on your field of expertise.
5 Master: You are among the greatest crafters in your chosen field.
Drive
The Drive Skill covers familiarity with cars and related vehicles. The difficulty of a given Drive roll might increase or decrease depending on the terrain and the character's familiarity with the vehicle. Having taken her pack on a road trip in her station wagon isn't much use when she's chasing the horizon at 150 in a new Porsche, and neither is of much use when the only getaway vehicle is a motorcycle.
Specialties: Heavy Traffic, High Speed, Motorcycles, Off-road
Possessed By: Automobile Show Hosts, Cabbies, Race Car Drivers, Truckers
Dots Description
1 Novice: You can drive an automatic transmission.
2 Practiced: You prefer to drive stick, and a V6 is your best friend.
3 Competent: You can drive 18-wheelers on long hauls.
4 Expert: You're good enough to be a NASCAR driver, or you can make a tank do what you want.
5 Master: If it's got an engine, you can make it sing.
Etiquette
Etiquette is the ability to be nice to people, whatever you think of them. Part of that is good manners and social niceties, but it's also useful for the subtler side of diplomacy, knowing when to haggle, and what to do when a place setting has more knives than a serial killer's basement. While a character understands the culture in which he was raised, the Storyteller may raise the difficulty should he be faced with traditions and mores that are not his own.
Specialties: Big Business, High Society, Moots, Tribal
Possessed By: Diplomats, Executives, Silver Fangs, Socialites
Dots Description
1 Novice: You know when to speak, and when to shut up and listen.
2 Practiced: You've been to black-tie and white-tie events.
3 Competent: You don't blink when faced with an oyster fork at a formal dinner.
4 Expert: You'd fit right in when dining with royalty.
5 Master: With the right people at a dinner, you can end wars -- or start them.
Firearms
A character with the Firearms Skill knows how to kill things with guns. Sticking a klaive in the back of a Wyrm-tainted CEO is a gilt-edged invitation to the police, but blowing him away at an ATM can look like just another mugging gone wrong. This Skill represents a broad knowledge and familiarity with all kinds of guns, from a kid's BB pistol to a heavy machine gun. The character can clean, repair, recognize, and accurately fire pretty much any kind of small arms he comes across -- though it doesn't extend to artillery or tank cannons (themselves covered by a specialized Professional Skill).
Specialties: Gunsmithing, Marksmanship, Pistols, Rifles, Submachine Guns, Trick Shots
Possessed By: Criminals, Hunters, Police, Soldiers, Survivalists
Dots Description
1 Novice: You have your hunting permit.
2 Practiced: You leave the gun range happy most of the time.
3 Competent: You've been in a firefight, and know how to handle a lot of guns.
4 Expert: Chances are, you've been in a lot of gun battles, and could work as a hitman.
5 Master: As soon as you smell Wyrmspawn, you reach for your gun before remembering your claws.
Larceny
The Larceny Skill entails familiarity with the tools and techniques of the professional criminal. You can pick locks, forge documents by hand, crack safes, hot-wire cars, break into places, and run a mean game of three-card monte. Larceny doesn't just cover breaking systems and picking pockets -- it's also used to set up "unbreakable" security, notice pickpockets, and deduce where thieves broke in. The Skill doesn't extend to computer forgery, or to advanced security systems like video surveillance and alarm systems -- those fall under the auspices of the Computer and Technology Knowledges, respectively.
Specialties: Hot-wiring, Lock picking, Misdirection, Pickpocketing, Safe cracking
Possessed By: Burglars, Con Artists, Policemen, Ragabash, Security Consultants, Street Magicians
Dots Description
1 Novice: You can pick a padlock.
2 Practiced: You can make a living running a shell game (until the cops get wise).
3 Competent: You can break into most safes, given enough time.
4 Expert: You can "retool" a passport or ID card.
5 Master: You're waiting for the day they realize you left them with the fake Crown Jewels.
Melee
The counterpart to Firearms and Brawl, the Melee Skill involves fighting up close and personal with a weapon. A master of Melee can use a sword, spear, staff, or a wooden stake with equal ease. Werewolves use this Skill to fight with klaives -- silver fetish blades. This Skill covers weapons from around the world, such as tonfa, kukri, and shotels. While modern weaponry and the Garou's natural weapons can leave Melee feeling outdated, knives don't run out of ammo, and a heavy club doesn't inspire the Delirium.
Specialties: Improvised Weaponry, Klaives, Spears, Swords
Possessed By: Ahroun, Gang Members, Martial Artists, , Police, Thugs
Dots Description
1 Novice: You can hold a knife with confidence.
2 Practiced: You've been in street fights and survived.
3 Competent: You could make a college fencing team.
4 Expert: In your hands, anything is a deadly weapon.
5 Master: You have a widespread reputation as an extremely dangerous opponent with any weapon.
Performance
The Performance Skill covers a character's ability with performance arts, including singing, dancing, acting, and music. She knows about the history of her art, and has a broad repertoire of pieces that she can perform from a variety of time periods. This Skill combines technical aptitude with the ability to hook an audience and keep them enraptured with your show. A player must always choose a specialty in Performance, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.
Specialties: Acting, Dancing, Guitar Solos, Howling, Opera, Rock and Roll, Singing
Possessed By: Actors, Dancers, Galliards, Musicians, Singers
Dots Description
1 Novice: You sing in a church choir, or you're a regular at jam sessions
2 Practiced: You're a regular on the club circuit, and your online videos have a huge following.
3 Competent: You can get a gig most nights, and you've been approached for a movie or record contract.
4 Expert: You're a regional celebrity who could easily go national.
5 Master: People will talk about your genius long after your death.
Stealth
Stealth allows a character to avoid being seen or heard, whether moving through cover and shadows, hiding in a crowd, or shadowing someone on his route home. Most uses of Stealth are contested by someone else's Perception + Alertness, with whoever rolls the most successes thwarting the other. The Storyteller should keep in mind that staying hidden in a forest is very different to hiding out in an urban alleyway. Stealth is also used for hiding items, either on one's person when being searched or in the environment.
Specialties: Crowds, Hiding Objects, Shadowing, Taking Point, Urban
Possessed By: Assassins, Cat Burglars, Hunters, Ragabash, Snipers
Dots Description
1 Novice: You can hide in full darkness.
2 Practiced: You know how to stick to the shadows when moving.
3 Competent: You have little difficulty following your prey without being spotted.
4 Expert: Dry leaves and twigs don't give away your position.
5 Master: If you don't want to be seen, you're as good as invisible.
Survival
Characters skilled in Survival can live off the land without a ready supply of food, water, or shelter. This Skill covers finding all of those essentials, along with tracking, starting fires, navigating through dangerous territory, and determining which foods are safe and which are deadly poisons. Lupus have an edge on other Garou with this Skill, as it covers many of the tasks necessary to survive in a wolf pack. The Storyteller should note that characters in the wilderness can't roll more dice in Stealth than they have in Survival.
Specialties: Specific Environments (Arctic, Desert, etc.), Foraging, Tracking, Trapping
Possessed By: Explorers, Hunters, Lupus, Outdoor Enthusiasts, Rangers, Scouts
Dots Description
1 Novice: You made it through scout camp.
2 Practiced: You can identify edible berries and mushrooms.
3 Competent: You can follow animal trails and navigate with improvised tools.
4 Expert: You're happy living for months at a time in the wilderness.
5 Master: You could be dropped naked in the Antarctic and still thrive.
Animal Ken
Humans think and behave far differently to other animals. It takes a special touch to deal with other creatures, especially if they're hurt or frightened. A person (or werewolf) with Animal Ken knows how to speak and move in such a way to gain an animal's trust. Without it, even homid werewolves have a hard time dealing with animals that can sense their Rage. Animal Ken is also necessary for training animals and for working closely with animals (such as leading a mule train).
Specialties: Attack Training, Big Cats, Dogs, Falconry, Farm Animals, Feral Animals, Horses
Possessed By: Animal Trainers, Farmers, Pet Owners, Veterinarians
Dots Description
1 Novice: You know how to behave around tame animals.
2 Practiced: You've housebroken puppies and performed basic obedience training.
3 Competent: You can train animals for specialized work, like herding or sniffing out drugs.
4 Expert: You can teach most animals complex tricks and routines.
5 Master: You can train wild animals to perform very complex tasks.
Crafts
The Crafts Skill covers a character's ability to make or fix things with her hands. Crafts allows her to work in fields including carpentry, leather-working, weaving, or even areas requiring mechanical expertise such as car repair. Crafts is especially useful for werewolves who hope to make fetishes. It's easier to convince a spirit to enter a vessel that's made well, after all. A player must always choose a specialty in Crafts, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.
Specialties: Auto Repair, Carving, Drawing/Painting, Metalworking, Sculpture, Weaving, Woodwork
Possessed By: Artists, Designers, Hand-crafters, Inventors, Theurges, Weaponsmiths
Dots Description
1 Novice: You can produce something basic, but not attractive or functional.
2 Practiced: You're developing your own style.
3 Competent: You can reliably sell your creations for a tidy profit.
4 Expert: You write books on your field of expertise.
5 Master: You are among the greatest crafters in your chosen field.
Drive
The Drive Skill covers familiarity with cars and related vehicles. The difficulty of a given Drive roll might increase or decrease depending on the terrain and the character's familiarity with the vehicle. Having taken her pack on a road trip in her station wagon isn't much use when she's chasing the horizon at 150 in a new Porsche, and neither is of much use when the only getaway vehicle is a motorcycle.
Specialties: Heavy Traffic, High Speed, Motorcycles, Off-road
Possessed By: Automobile Show Hosts, Cabbies, Race Car Drivers, Truckers
Dots Description
1 Novice: You can drive an automatic transmission.
2 Practiced: You prefer to drive stick, and a V6 is your best friend.
3 Competent: You can drive 18-wheelers on long hauls.
4 Expert: You're good enough to be a NASCAR driver, or you can make a tank do what you want.
5 Master: If it's got an engine, you can make it sing.
Etiquette
Etiquette is the ability to be nice to people, whatever you think of them. Part of that is good manners and social niceties, but it's also useful for the subtler side of diplomacy, knowing when to haggle, and what to do when a place setting has more knives than a serial killer's basement. While a character understands the culture in which he was raised, the Storyteller may raise the difficulty should he be faced with traditions and mores that are not his own.
Specialties: Big Business, High Society, Moots, Tribal
Possessed By: Diplomats, Executives, Silver Fangs, Socialites
Dots Description
1 Novice: You know when to speak, and when to shut up and listen.
2 Practiced: You've been to black-tie and white-tie events.
3 Competent: You don't blink when faced with an oyster fork at a formal dinner.
4 Expert: You'd fit right in when dining with royalty.
5 Master: With the right people at a dinner, you can end wars -- or start them.
Firearms
A character with the Firearms Skill knows how to kill things with guns. Sticking a klaive in the back of a Wyrm-tainted CEO is a gilt-edged invitation to the police, but blowing him away at an ATM can look like just another mugging gone wrong. This Skill represents a broad knowledge and familiarity with all kinds of guns, from a kid's BB pistol to a heavy machine gun. The character can clean, repair, recognize, and accurately fire pretty much any kind of small arms he comes across -- though it doesn't extend to artillery or tank cannons (themselves covered by a specialized Professional Skill).
Specialties: Gunsmithing, Marksmanship, Pistols, Rifles, Submachine Guns, Trick Shots
Possessed By: Criminals, Hunters, Police, Soldiers, Survivalists
Dots Description
1 Novice: You have your hunting permit.
2 Practiced: You leave the gun range happy most of the time.
3 Competent: You've been in a firefight, and know how to handle a lot of guns.
4 Expert: Chances are, you've been in a lot of gun battles, and could work as a hitman.
5 Master: As soon as you smell Wyrmspawn, you reach for your gun before remembering your claws.
Larceny
The Larceny Skill entails familiarity with the tools and techniques of the professional criminal. You can pick locks, forge documents by hand, crack safes, hot-wire cars, break into places, and run a mean game of three-card monte. Larceny doesn't just cover breaking systems and picking pockets -- it's also used to set up "unbreakable" security, notice pickpockets, and deduce where thieves broke in. The Skill doesn't extend to computer forgery, or to advanced security systems like video surveillance and alarm systems -- those fall under the auspices of the Computer and Technology Knowledges, respectively.
Specialties: Hot-wiring, Lock picking, Misdirection, Pickpocketing, Safe cracking
Possessed By: Burglars, Con Artists, Policemen, Ragabash, Security Consultants, Street Magicians
Dots Description
1 Novice: You can pick a padlock.
2 Practiced: You can make a living running a shell game (until the cops get wise).
3 Competent: You can break into most safes, given enough time.
4 Expert: You can "retool" a passport or ID card.
5 Master: You're waiting for the day they realize you left them with the fake Crown Jewels.
Melee
The counterpart to Firearms and Brawl, the Melee Skill involves fighting up close and personal with a weapon. A master of Melee can use a sword, spear, staff, or a wooden stake with equal ease. Werewolves use this Skill to fight with klaives -- silver fetish blades. This Skill covers weapons from around the world, such as tonfa, kukri, and shotels. While modern weaponry and the Garou's natural weapons can leave Melee feeling outdated, knives don't run out of ammo, and a heavy club doesn't inspire the Delirium.
Specialties: Improvised Weaponry, Klaives, Spears, Swords
Possessed By: Ahroun, Gang Members, Martial Artists, , Police, Thugs
Dots Description
1 Novice: You can hold a knife with confidence.
2 Practiced: You've been in street fights and survived.
3 Competent: You could make a college fencing team.
4 Expert: In your hands, anything is a deadly weapon.
5 Master: You have a widespread reputation as an extremely dangerous opponent with any weapon.
Performance
The Performance Skill covers a character's ability with performance arts, including singing, dancing, acting, and music. She knows about the history of her art, and has a broad repertoire of pieces that she can perform from a variety of time periods. This Skill combines technical aptitude with the ability to hook an audience and keep them enraptured with your show. A player must always choose a specialty in Performance, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.
Specialties: Acting, Dancing, Guitar Solos, Howling, Opera, Rock and Roll, Singing
Possessed By: Actors, Dancers, Galliards, Musicians, Singers
Dots Description
1 Novice: You sing in a church choir, or you're a regular at jam sessions
2 Practiced: You're a regular on the club circuit, and your online videos have a huge following.
3 Competent: You can get a gig most nights, and you've been approached for a movie or record contract.
4 Expert: You're a regional celebrity who could easily go national.
5 Master: People will talk about your genius long after your death.
Stealth
Stealth allows a character to avoid being seen or heard, whether moving through cover and shadows, hiding in a crowd, or shadowing someone on his route home. Most uses of Stealth are contested by someone else's Perception + Alertness, with whoever rolls the most successes thwarting the other. The Storyteller should keep in mind that staying hidden in a forest is very different to hiding out in an urban alleyway. Stealth is also used for hiding items, either on one's person when being searched or in the environment.
Specialties: Crowds, Hiding Objects, Shadowing, Taking Point, Urban
Possessed By: Assassins, Cat Burglars, Hunters, Ragabash, Snipers
Dots Description
1 Novice: You can hide in full darkness.
2 Practiced: You know how to stick to the shadows when moving.
3 Competent: You have little difficulty following your prey without being spotted.
4 Expert: Dry leaves and twigs don't give away your position.
5 Master: If you don't want to be seen, you're as good as invisible.
Survival
Characters skilled in Survival can live off the land without a ready supply of food, water, or shelter. This Skill covers finding all of those essentials, along with tracking, starting fires, navigating through dangerous territory, and determining which foods are safe and which are deadly poisons. Lupus have an edge on other Garou with this Skill, as it covers many of the tasks necessary to survive in a wolf pack. The Storyteller should note that characters in the wilderness can't roll more dice in Stealth than they have in Survival.
Specialties: Specific Environments (Arctic, Desert, etc.), Foraging, Tracking, Trapping
Possessed By: Explorers, Hunters, Lupus, Outdoor Enthusiasts, Rangers, Scouts
Dots Description
1 Novice: You made it through scout camp.
2 Practiced: You can identify edible berries and mushrooms.
3 Competent: You can follow animal trails and navigate with improvised tools.
4 Expert: You're happy living for months at a time in the wilderness.
5 Master: You could be dropped naked in the Antarctic and still thrive.
Knowledges
Knowledge Abilities develop from time spent in classroom learning, private tutoring, or rigorous independent study. Because they focus more on what you character knows rather than what he does, Knowledges normally involve the use of Mental Attributes. Lupus often have fewer Knowledges than homid characters — not because they’re unintelligent, but because they are less likely to have had several years of compulsory schooling. If a character doesn’t have any dots in a Knowledge Ability, she can’t make a roll for it. While this may seem odd, most of what’s considered “common knowledge” doesn’t require a roll in the first place, much as someone with the Drive Skill doesn’t need to roll to drive to the store.
Academics
The Academics Knowledge represents the character's education in the humanities: Literature, history, art, philosophy, linguistics, and other subjects normally encompassed under the banner of "liberal arts." A high Academics rating indicates a well-rounded knowledge in many of these fields, along with expertise in one in particular. A player must always choose a specialty in Academics, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.
Specialties: Color Theory, Ethics, Linguistics, Metaphysics, Post-structuralism, Sumeria
Possessed By: Arts Students, Historians, Literati, Professors, Topical Bloggers
Dots Description
1 Student: You know Henry VIII sure liked the ladies.
2 College: You can quote from the classics of literature, identify major cultural movements, and understand the shift of languages over time.
3 Masters: You could get a paper published on your area of expertise.
4 Doctorate: When they say you wrote the book on the subject, it isn't a metaphor.
5 Scholar: In your field, you are one of the ultimate voices of authority.
Computer
Computer defines the character's ability to operate and program computers, from traditional desktops and laptops to cellphones and tablets. A character with this Knowledge is also assumed to have a general familiarity with the Internet, including the use of search engines and online research resources. At higher levels, you can write software and create convincing fake websites, and even use system vulnerabilities to break in to secure networks.
Specialties: Internet research, Video Editing, Photo Manipulation, Programming, Computer Languages
Possessed By: Students, Office Workers, Programmers, Tech Journalists, Tech Support
Dots Description
1 Student: You're at home with a smart phone or a traditional point-and-click interface.
2 College: You're familiar with most major operating systems and applications, and don't get scared at a command prompt.
3 Masters: You can develop websites, write custom software, and provide tech support to the rest of your pack.
4 Doctorate: You can make a very comfortable living as a consultant.
5 Scholar: You're well on your way to making the next big thing to rival Android or the iPhone.
Enigmas
The Enigmas Knowledge describes a character's ability to solve logic problems, puzzles, and mysteries. Characters with this Knowledge link information, trivia, and hunches to solve conundrums of all varieties -- especially useful when dealing with spirits who do not share a werewolf's frame of reference. High Enigmas can lead a character to apply lateral thinking to all manner of problems, from setting up codes and signals among his pack so they can talk in secret, to matching wits against a devious villain.
Specialties: Ancient Mysteries, Lateral Thinking, Logic Problems, Things Werewolves Were Not Meant to Know
Possessed By: Mystery Fans, Mystics, Quiz Teams, Theurges, Wise Elders
Dots Description
1 Student: You solve the New York Times crossword every day.
2 College: You can work out whodunit several chapters before the ending.
3 Masters: You are your pack's resident riddler, used to talking to wily spirits.
4 Doctorate: You recognize when your starting point is wrong, then reason your way to the right conclusion.
5 Scholar: Deep philosophical mysteries and issues pose you little difficulty.
Investigation
Investigation ties physical evidence, witness statements, and lucky finds together into a coherent narrative that tells the character what actually happened. A character with high Investigation can distinguish murder from accident, and follow up on leads to solve thefts and kidnappings. This Knowledge also covers general forensic procedures, such as lifting fingerprints, tracing bullet paths, and approximating time of death. Note that Investigation is rooted entirely in evidence and witness statements, the feats of induction common to TV detectives fall to Enigmas.
Specialties: Ballistics, Evidence, Fingerprints, Forensics, Internet Research, Searches
Possessed By: Detectives, Mystery Buffs, Policemen, Reporters, Special Agents, Stalkers
Dots Description
1 Student: You know how to construct a web search that will find what you want.
2 College: You can tear holes in a rookie cop's case.
3 Masters: You could make a living as a detective.
4 Doctorate: The FBI wants you to work for them.
5 Scholar: No scrap of evidence escapes your attention.
Law
The Law Knowledge covers a character's familiarity with law enforcement systems and legal codes, both in human jurisdictions and among the Garou. When a character's in trouble with the police, he needs this Knowledge to get out of legal tangles, and when a pack stands accused of breaching the Litany, their Philodox needs to know how his sept is likely to react. More than that, many Philodox learn the codes that have grown up around the Litany, and the appropriate punishments for crimes against the Garou Nation.
Specialties: Fitting Punishments, Litany Breaches, Human Field (Criminal, Liability, etc.)
Possessed By: Philodox, Lawyers, Judges, Detectives, Crime Writers
Dots Description
1 Student: You know the basis of the legal system, and can quote the Litany in your sleep.
2 College: You could pass the bar exam, or punish werewolves for minor Litany breaches.
3 Masters: You're a much-sought counselor, or a local expert on Garou law.
4 Doctorate: You could be a judge or your sept's Truth-catcher.
5 Scholar: When you pass judgment, the law changes to match your intent.
Medicine
Medicine is the study of how the human body works, and how to fix it when it goes wrong. This Knowledge encompasses fields including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and emergency aid. Characters with this Knowledge can diagnose and treat diseases and injuries, and can also care for wolves and other animals -- though their expertise will not be as specific as that of a veterinarian unless they choose a veterinary specialty. Medicine's knowledge of pharmaceuticals covers both legal and illicit substances that can be used to help or harm.
Specialties: Emergency Medicine, Forensic Pathology, Neurology, Pharmacology, Poison Treatments, Garou Physiology
Possessed By: MDs, Med Students, Nurses, Paramedics, Theurges
Dots Description
1 Student: You know CPR, and handle first aid in your office.
2 College: You're a pre-med, or a paramedic.
3 Masters: You could be a general practitioner, with the right papers.
4 Doctorate: Yes, you are a brain surgeon.
5 Scholar: You're one of the greatest healers of your generation.
Occult
The character has a working knowledge of the vast area of the occult. He knows something about (but not limited to) psychic phenomena, tarot, various systems of magic, and general mysticism. This Knowledge doesn't confer hard facts, as the pool of information that it works from is based in human folklore and tales. A character with high Occult likely knows more about vampires than a teenager who has read a Twilight novel, but he won't know anything about the leeches' actual secrets -- though he may be able to work out what's actively false.
Specialties: Tarot, Witchcraft, Curses, Ghosts, Psychometry, Garou Lore
Possessed By: Theurges, Occultists, New Agers, the Superstitious, Fortune-Tellers
Dots Description
1 Student: You write a blog about Fortean phenomena, and read tarot cards on weekends.
2 College: You've pieced together some truths, and have gleaned some insights into the world of spirits.
3 Masters: You can make educated guesses about the veracity of any new information.
4 Doctorate: You can pick credible stories out of the tabloids.
5 Scholar: You know truths that would cripple a weaker mind.
Rituals
Rituals are an important part of werewolf life. Ritual behavior helps a werewolf control the Rage within. This Knowledge lets the character know about the traditions, mysteries, and ceremonies of the Garou, including how to participate in common rites and how to behave properly towards elders and leaders. Some werewolf rituals are more than formalized behavior: They call upon ancient spirit magics to powerful effect. A character cannot learn a rite of higher level than his Rituals rating.
Specialties: Accord, Caern, Death, Minor, Mystic, Punishment, Renown, Seasonal
Possessed By: Changing Breeds, Garou, a few Kinfolk
Dots Description
1 Student: Student: You've watched a number of rites closely.
2 College: You know how to carry yourself at tribal moots.
3 Masters: Other tribes invite you to attend their moots.
4 Doctorate: Even Black Spiral Dancers know and respect your knowledge.
5 Scholar: You've quested into the Umbra to develop new rites.
Science
At its most basic, Science involves developing hypotheses and testing them through the scientific method. This Knowledge covers the "hard sciences" and related fields -- from biology and chemistry to more abstract fields like mathematics. It allows the character to develop theories and test them through experimentation and to apply what she knows to everyday problems. A player must always choose a specialty in Science, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.
Specialties: Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Experiments, Mathematics, Physics, Theory
Possessed By: Researchers, Engineers, Inventors, Technicians, Students, Pilots
Dots Description
1 Student: You understand the basic theories and laws in your area.
2 College: You comprehend your area well enough to apply it to your life.
3 Masters: You could teach high-school science.
4 Doctorate: You're actively researching and advancing the knowledge in your field.
5 Scholar: The Nobel Prize committee is on line two for you.
Technology
The Technology Knowledge represents a character's broad aptitude with electronics, computer hardware, and anything that needs an understanding of modern electronics to work with -- mechanical devices fall under the Crafts Skill. If it has a processor, some transistors, or an integrated circuit -- if it's electronic rather than electrical -- manipulating it falls under Technology. A character can use Technology to build a computer, crack a security system, repair a cellphone, or hack together a shortwave radio. A player must always choose a specialty in Technology, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.
Specialties: Communications, Computers, Industrial Espionage, Jury-Rigging, Security, Telecoms
Possessed By: Defense Contractors, Engineers, Glass Walkers, Scientists, the Cable Guy
Dots Description
1 Student: You can perform simple repairs and modifications.
2 College: You can make a living in computer repair.
3 Masters: You can design new equipment to achieve a specific objective.
4 Doctorate: Given a penknife and a soldering iron, the world's your oyster.
5 Scholar: You're going to revolutionize the world with one of your inventions -- or you already have.
Academics
The Academics Knowledge represents the character's education in the humanities: Literature, history, art, philosophy, linguistics, and other subjects normally encompassed under the banner of "liberal arts." A high Academics rating indicates a well-rounded knowledge in many of these fields, along with expertise in one in particular. A player must always choose a specialty in Academics, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.
Specialties: Color Theory, Ethics, Linguistics, Metaphysics, Post-structuralism, Sumeria
Possessed By: Arts Students, Historians, Literati, Professors, Topical Bloggers
Dots Description
1 Student: You know Henry VIII sure liked the ladies.
2 College: You can quote from the classics of literature, identify major cultural movements, and understand the shift of languages over time.
3 Masters: You could get a paper published on your area of expertise.
4 Doctorate: When they say you wrote the book on the subject, it isn't a metaphor.
5 Scholar: In your field, you are one of the ultimate voices of authority.
Computer
Computer defines the character's ability to operate and program computers, from traditional desktops and laptops to cellphones and tablets. A character with this Knowledge is also assumed to have a general familiarity with the Internet, including the use of search engines and online research resources. At higher levels, you can write software and create convincing fake websites, and even use system vulnerabilities to break in to secure networks.
Specialties: Internet research, Video Editing, Photo Manipulation, Programming, Computer Languages
Possessed By: Students, Office Workers, Programmers, Tech Journalists, Tech Support
Dots Description
1 Student: You're at home with a smart phone or a traditional point-and-click interface.
2 College: You're familiar with most major operating systems and applications, and don't get scared at a command prompt.
3 Masters: You can develop websites, write custom software, and provide tech support to the rest of your pack.
4 Doctorate: You can make a very comfortable living as a consultant.
5 Scholar: You're well on your way to making the next big thing to rival Android or the iPhone.
Enigmas
The Enigmas Knowledge describes a character's ability to solve logic problems, puzzles, and mysteries. Characters with this Knowledge link information, trivia, and hunches to solve conundrums of all varieties -- especially useful when dealing with spirits who do not share a werewolf's frame of reference. High Enigmas can lead a character to apply lateral thinking to all manner of problems, from setting up codes and signals among his pack so they can talk in secret, to matching wits against a devious villain.
Specialties: Ancient Mysteries, Lateral Thinking, Logic Problems, Things Werewolves Were Not Meant to Know
Possessed By: Mystery Fans, Mystics, Quiz Teams, Theurges, Wise Elders
Dots Description
1 Student: You solve the New York Times crossword every day.
2 College: You can work out whodunit several chapters before the ending.
3 Masters: You are your pack's resident riddler, used to talking to wily spirits.
4 Doctorate: You recognize when your starting point is wrong, then reason your way to the right conclusion.
5 Scholar: Deep philosophical mysteries and issues pose you little difficulty.
Investigation
Investigation ties physical evidence, witness statements, and lucky finds together into a coherent narrative that tells the character what actually happened. A character with high Investigation can distinguish murder from accident, and follow up on leads to solve thefts and kidnappings. This Knowledge also covers general forensic procedures, such as lifting fingerprints, tracing bullet paths, and approximating time of death. Note that Investigation is rooted entirely in evidence and witness statements, the feats of induction common to TV detectives fall to Enigmas.
Specialties: Ballistics, Evidence, Fingerprints, Forensics, Internet Research, Searches
Possessed By: Detectives, Mystery Buffs, Policemen, Reporters, Special Agents, Stalkers
Dots Description
1 Student: You know how to construct a web search that will find what you want.
2 College: You can tear holes in a rookie cop's case.
3 Masters: You could make a living as a detective.
4 Doctorate: The FBI wants you to work for them.
5 Scholar: No scrap of evidence escapes your attention.
Law
The Law Knowledge covers a character's familiarity with law enforcement systems and legal codes, both in human jurisdictions and among the Garou. When a character's in trouble with the police, he needs this Knowledge to get out of legal tangles, and when a pack stands accused of breaching the Litany, their Philodox needs to know how his sept is likely to react. More than that, many Philodox learn the codes that have grown up around the Litany, and the appropriate punishments for crimes against the Garou Nation.
Specialties: Fitting Punishments, Litany Breaches, Human Field (Criminal, Liability, etc.)
Possessed By: Philodox, Lawyers, Judges, Detectives, Crime Writers
Dots Description
1 Student: You know the basis of the legal system, and can quote the Litany in your sleep.
2 College: You could pass the bar exam, or punish werewolves for minor Litany breaches.
3 Masters: You're a much-sought counselor, or a local expert on Garou law.
4 Doctorate: You could be a judge or your sept's Truth-catcher.
5 Scholar: When you pass judgment, the law changes to match your intent.
Medicine
Medicine is the study of how the human body works, and how to fix it when it goes wrong. This Knowledge encompasses fields including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and emergency aid. Characters with this Knowledge can diagnose and treat diseases and injuries, and can also care for wolves and other animals -- though their expertise will not be as specific as that of a veterinarian unless they choose a veterinary specialty. Medicine's knowledge of pharmaceuticals covers both legal and illicit substances that can be used to help or harm.
Specialties: Emergency Medicine, Forensic Pathology, Neurology, Pharmacology, Poison Treatments, Garou Physiology
Possessed By: MDs, Med Students, Nurses, Paramedics, Theurges
Dots Description
1 Student: You know CPR, and handle first aid in your office.
2 College: You're a pre-med, or a paramedic.
3 Masters: You could be a general practitioner, with the right papers.
4 Doctorate: Yes, you are a brain surgeon.
5 Scholar: You're one of the greatest healers of your generation.
Occult
The character has a working knowledge of the vast area of the occult. He knows something about (but not limited to) psychic phenomena, tarot, various systems of magic, and general mysticism. This Knowledge doesn't confer hard facts, as the pool of information that it works from is based in human folklore and tales. A character with high Occult likely knows more about vampires than a teenager who has read a Twilight novel, but he won't know anything about the leeches' actual secrets -- though he may be able to work out what's actively false.
Specialties: Tarot, Witchcraft, Curses, Ghosts, Psychometry, Garou Lore
Possessed By: Theurges, Occultists, New Agers, the Superstitious, Fortune-Tellers
Dots Description
1 Student: You write a blog about Fortean phenomena, and read tarot cards on weekends.
2 College: You've pieced together some truths, and have gleaned some insights into the world of spirits.
3 Masters: You can make educated guesses about the veracity of any new information.
4 Doctorate: You can pick credible stories out of the tabloids.
5 Scholar: You know truths that would cripple a weaker mind.
Rituals
Rituals are an important part of werewolf life. Ritual behavior helps a werewolf control the Rage within. This Knowledge lets the character know about the traditions, mysteries, and ceremonies of the Garou, including how to participate in common rites and how to behave properly towards elders and leaders. Some werewolf rituals are more than formalized behavior: They call upon ancient spirit magics to powerful effect. A character cannot learn a rite of higher level than his Rituals rating.
Specialties: Accord, Caern, Death, Minor, Mystic, Punishment, Renown, Seasonal
Possessed By: Changing Breeds, Garou, a few Kinfolk
Dots Description
1 Student: Student: You've watched a number of rites closely.
2 College: You know how to carry yourself at tribal moots.
3 Masters: Other tribes invite you to attend their moots.
4 Doctorate: Even Black Spiral Dancers know and respect your knowledge.
5 Scholar: You've quested into the Umbra to develop new rites.
Science
At its most basic, Science involves developing hypotheses and testing them through the scientific method. This Knowledge covers the "hard sciences" and related fields -- from biology and chemistry to more abstract fields like mathematics. It allows the character to develop theories and test them through experimentation and to apply what she knows to everyday problems. A player must always choose a specialty in Science, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.
Specialties: Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Experiments, Mathematics, Physics, Theory
Possessed By: Researchers, Engineers, Inventors, Technicians, Students, Pilots
Dots Description
1 Student: You understand the basic theories and laws in your area.
2 College: You comprehend your area well enough to apply it to your life.
3 Masters: You could teach high-school science.
4 Doctorate: You're actively researching and advancing the knowledge in your field.
5 Scholar: The Nobel Prize committee is on line two for you.
Technology
The Technology Knowledge represents a character's broad aptitude with electronics, computer hardware, and anything that needs an understanding of modern electronics to work with -- mechanical devices fall under the Crafts Skill. If it has a processor, some transistors, or an integrated circuit -- if it's electronic rather than electrical -- manipulating it falls under Technology. A character can use Technology to build a computer, crack a security system, repair a cellphone, or hack together a shortwave radio. A player must always choose a specialty in Technology, even when her character has less than four dots in the Skill.
Specialties: Communications, Computers, Industrial Espionage, Jury-Rigging, Security, Telecoms
Possessed By: Defense Contractors, Engineers, Glass Walkers, Scientists, the Cable Guy
Dots Description
1 Student: You can perform simple repairs and modifications.
2 College: You can make a living in computer repair.
3 Masters: You can design new equipment to achieve a specific objective.
4 Doctorate: Given a penknife and a soldering iron, the world's your oyster.
5 Scholar: You're going to revolutionize the world with one of your inventions -- or you already have.
Kinfolk Abilities
New Talent
Intuition
From time to time, you have good hunches. You have learned to trust them. At times, you might not be able to explain why you suddenly know certain things, or how you jump to a startling conclusion based on a confusing or mystifying set of facts. Your instinct tends to serve you very well,
except when it doesn’t. Intuition reflects your aptitude in making good guesses and relying on your gut feelings. This is not a psychic ability; rather, it is an innate “sixth sense” that enables the character to sense if someone is lying or whether or not a particular argument holds more persuasive force than another with the target individual. A character with Intuition may be able to string together tiny or otherwise overlooked clues, resolving into the strong feeling that “we need to go to the warehouse now!” or “Mr. X is the person behind this.” Storytellers can use a character’s Intuition to give information to the players or as a handy device to move along a stalled plot when all else fails.
Possessed by: Kinfolk, counselors, mothers, trending experts, teachers, intuitive diagnosticians, private detectives
Specialties: Reading Between the Lines, Subtext, Sensing Dynamics, Meditation
• Novice: Your instincts help you find the right track.
•• Practiced: You automatically follow your initial guess rather than second-guessing yourself.
••• Competent: You always know when something’s going down.
•••• Expert: You know not only what’s wrong, but who’s behind it.
••••• Master: Your insights and hunches scare you sometimes!
New Knowledge
Bureaucracy
You understand the world of human organizations and have learned to weave your way through the strands of red tape that permeate most government agencies, and private or public businesses. This Ability allows you to find the quickest way to accomplish something through the usual channels, getting speedy answers and bypassing many of the snags waiting to trap the unwary. You slice through red tape as if it were strips of paper. You know who to talk to and which strings to pull to get what you (or your Garou kin) need. For you, it’s a game rather than a chore. Combined with the Contacts Background, you can make a lot of inroads that allow you to help both Kinfolk and werewolves. Whether or not the Garou appreciate your efforts, you are effective and take pride in your expertise.
Possessed by: Kinfolk, politicians, lobbyists, government employees, PACs, bureaucrats
Specialties: Facilitation, Loopholes, Rights Protection (civil, animal, children’s, etc.), Red Tape Cutting
• Student: Although you have just embarked on your trek through the red tape jungle, you are able to plan well, and you can locate local government offices using either the Internet or the old-fashioned phone book.
•• College: Your knowledge is growing, and you are an accomplished amateur. In times of trouble, you know the best people to contact.
••• Masters: You have honed your organizational skills to a fine pitch. Some Glass Walkers might envy your command of “the system” and your information network. You may even have a degree in management, business, or marketing.
•••• Doctorate: You wend your way with confidence through all but the highest levels of bureaucracy. Red tape melts when you appear. Only the highest officials put you on hold. Shadow Lords take notice of your expertise. You could lecture on the subject of bureaucracy if you wanted to.
••••• Scholar: You can arrange meetings with almost anyone. You possess the skills to run a multinational corporation, complete with subsidiaries. Other bureaucrats who know about you look to you for advice.
Herbalism
You have studied plants with an eye to using healing herbs as well as cooking herbs. You believe that herbs are far and away better than pharmaceuticals, since they are purer and less likely to be tampered with. In fact, you tend to distrust anything made by Big Pharma, even to the extent of making your own aspirin from scratch whenever possible. You enjoy using herbs in food preparation as well and are known for your particularly tasty dishes. Perhaps you even “spike” your soufflés and casseroles with certain herbs that provide extra nutrients or enhance immune systems. You know how to grow herbs, harvest and prepare them, and may even have your own herbal business. You know how to make soaps, dyes, lotions, and other products using natural products.
The systems use of herbs is in the hands of the Storyteller. Suggestions include: slightly improved healing times (with regular administrations of poultices and/or teas and elixirs), calming and soothing, stimulant effects, etc. Herbs, when used properly, can help heal wounds and illnesses and mitigate symptoms without the adverse side effects and addictions that often come with the use of modern pharmaceuticals. Kinfolk far removed from urban areas and without health insurance find Herbalism to be a vital means for maintaining a healthy community.
Possessed by: Kinfolk, Children of Gaia, holistic healers, herbologists, grandmothers
Specialties: Medicinal Herbs, Growth and Preservation, Herbal Healing, Potions, Household Products, Poisons
• Student: You are able to make some basic herbal mixtures and can identify most standard herbs.
•• College: You can identify, plant, grow and harvest just about any herb, with the exception of extremely exotic or rare herbs. You can make most herbal concoctions and treat some wounds and illnesses.
••• Master: You are a doctor of herbs. You may have an advanced degree in botany or in herbal studies, or you may have acquired your knowledge through an apprenticeship and years of study. You can diagnose many types of illnesses and prescribe herbal cures for them, and treat most wounds with herbal poultices and such.
•••• Doctor: You may have a doctorate in botany, herbal medicine, or some other advanced study relating to herbs, or you may have outstripped your own teacher and are now passing your knowledge along to students. You can make complex herbal cures and treat any wound with confidence. You also make a mean ratatouille!
••••• Scholar: You could put your herbal knowledge into a book; perhaps you’ve already done so. If you wanted to, you could teach at a university level. You may have lectured on herbs or even acted as a consultant to several medical boards or herbal institutions. “Herb” might as well be your first name.
Veterinary Medicine
Your interest in medicine drew you to veterinary school rather than medical school. You find it not only satisfying but useful and important to look after the health of Gaia’s non-speaking creatures. You take pride in your ability to diagnose patients who can’t verbalize their problems. You have also found it useful to treat wolf Kin and lupus Garou instead of relying on human medicine to take care of them. You are respected among other Kinfolk and among the Garou as well.
Possessed by: Veterinarians, scientists, researchers, animal activists, Kinfolk
Specialties: Holistic, Surgery, Exotic Animals, Small Animals, Wild Animals, Wolves
• Student: You are still learning how to treat animals medically, but you can perform many kinds of first aid and emergency treatment on animals and Garou.
•• College: You have the basic veterinary knowledge, but you need experience in the field to gain confidence in everyday healthcare for animals and your Garou kin.
••• Master: You can add the title “Dr.” to your name, or the letters D.V.M. after it. You know how to care for everything from gerbils to elephants. There still may be some types of animals you have not yet mastered, but not many. The Garou find you useful for medical problems that can’t be dealt with by Gifts.
•••• Doctor: You have an established reputation in the veterinary community at large as well as among Kinfolk and Garou. You can do everything from treating minor wounds to performing major surgery under difficult conditions. You feel certain you can take care of most of the Fera, as well, if necessary.
••••• Scholar: You have published papers and books on aspects of veterinary medicine and you are qualified to teach in veterinary colleges nationwide. You don’t necessarily have a public practice, but you could do so if you wish. The Garou and Kinfolk keep you busy enough with their problems and consider themselves fortunate to have you.
Rituals
Garou learn this Knowledge in order to participate in the spiritual life of sept, tribe, and Garou existence in general. Kinfolk have their own version of Rituals that likewise enables them to add a spiritual and communal element to their existence as blood relations of the Garou.
This Knowledge conveys some general knowledge of the Garou rites and mysteries (such as the names and intents of most Garou rites and a simplified version of Garou traditions). In addition, Kinfolk who possess this Knowledge can participate in rites specifically created for Kinfolk. While many Kinfolk rites involve the formalized behavior common to most ceremonial events and serve to provide
closer bond among Kinfolk, or between Kinfolk and their Garou Kin. Other rites provide limited access to the spirit world, though any power gained from such rites in no way rivals the potency of Garou rites. A character cannot learn a rite of a level higher than her Rituals rating.
Possessed by: Garou Kinfolk, Fera Kinfolk, some hedge mages
Specialties: Individual Rites, Group Rites, Accord, Mystic, Seasonal, Minor
• Student: You’ve closely watched as other Kinfolk perform rites.
•• College: You’ve successfully participated in rites performed by others.
••• Masters: You teach rites to other Kinfolk.
•••• Doctorate: Garou watch you to pick up pointers.
••••• Scholar: You can create your own rites and could write a book on the subject.
Intuition
From time to time, you have good hunches. You have learned to trust them. At times, you might not be able to explain why you suddenly know certain things, or how you jump to a startling conclusion based on a confusing or mystifying set of facts. Your instinct tends to serve you very well,
except when it doesn’t. Intuition reflects your aptitude in making good guesses and relying on your gut feelings. This is not a psychic ability; rather, it is an innate “sixth sense” that enables the character to sense if someone is lying or whether or not a particular argument holds more persuasive force than another with the target individual. A character with Intuition may be able to string together tiny or otherwise overlooked clues, resolving into the strong feeling that “we need to go to the warehouse now!” or “Mr. X is the person behind this.” Storytellers can use a character’s Intuition to give information to the players or as a handy device to move along a stalled plot when all else fails.
Possessed by: Kinfolk, counselors, mothers, trending experts, teachers, intuitive diagnosticians, private detectives
Specialties: Reading Between the Lines, Subtext, Sensing Dynamics, Meditation
• Novice: Your instincts help you find the right track.
•• Practiced: You automatically follow your initial guess rather than second-guessing yourself.
••• Competent: You always know when something’s going down.
•••• Expert: You know not only what’s wrong, but who’s behind it.
••••• Master: Your insights and hunches scare you sometimes!
New Knowledge
Bureaucracy
You understand the world of human organizations and have learned to weave your way through the strands of red tape that permeate most government agencies, and private or public businesses. This Ability allows you to find the quickest way to accomplish something through the usual channels, getting speedy answers and bypassing many of the snags waiting to trap the unwary. You slice through red tape as if it were strips of paper. You know who to talk to and which strings to pull to get what you (or your Garou kin) need. For you, it’s a game rather than a chore. Combined with the Contacts Background, you can make a lot of inroads that allow you to help both Kinfolk and werewolves. Whether or not the Garou appreciate your efforts, you are effective and take pride in your expertise.
Possessed by: Kinfolk, politicians, lobbyists, government employees, PACs, bureaucrats
Specialties: Facilitation, Loopholes, Rights Protection (civil, animal, children’s, etc.), Red Tape Cutting
• Student: Although you have just embarked on your trek through the red tape jungle, you are able to plan well, and you can locate local government offices using either the Internet or the old-fashioned phone book.
•• College: Your knowledge is growing, and you are an accomplished amateur. In times of trouble, you know the best people to contact.
••• Masters: You have honed your organizational skills to a fine pitch. Some Glass Walkers might envy your command of “the system” and your information network. You may even have a degree in management, business, or marketing.
•••• Doctorate: You wend your way with confidence through all but the highest levels of bureaucracy. Red tape melts when you appear. Only the highest officials put you on hold. Shadow Lords take notice of your expertise. You could lecture on the subject of bureaucracy if you wanted to.
••••• Scholar: You can arrange meetings with almost anyone. You possess the skills to run a multinational corporation, complete with subsidiaries. Other bureaucrats who know about you look to you for advice.
Herbalism
You have studied plants with an eye to using healing herbs as well as cooking herbs. You believe that herbs are far and away better than pharmaceuticals, since they are purer and less likely to be tampered with. In fact, you tend to distrust anything made by Big Pharma, even to the extent of making your own aspirin from scratch whenever possible. You enjoy using herbs in food preparation as well and are known for your particularly tasty dishes. Perhaps you even “spike” your soufflés and casseroles with certain herbs that provide extra nutrients or enhance immune systems. You know how to grow herbs, harvest and prepare them, and may even have your own herbal business. You know how to make soaps, dyes, lotions, and other products using natural products.
The systems use of herbs is in the hands of the Storyteller. Suggestions include: slightly improved healing times (with regular administrations of poultices and/or teas and elixirs), calming and soothing, stimulant effects, etc. Herbs, when used properly, can help heal wounds and illnesses and mitigate symptoms without the adverse side effects and addictions that often come with the use of modern pharmaceuticals. Kinfolk far removed from urban areas and without health insurance find Herbalism to be a vital means for maintaining a healthy community.
Possessed by: Kinfolk, Children of Gaia, holistic healers, herbologists, grandmothers
Specialties: Medicinal Herbs, Growth and Preservation, Herbal Healing, Potions, Household Products, Poisons
• Student: You are able to make some basic herbal mixtures and can identify most standard herbs.
•• College: You can identify, plant, grow and harvest just about any herb, with the exception of extremely exotic or rare herbs. You can make most herbal concoctions and treat some wounds and illnesses.
••• Master: You are a doctor of herbs. You may have an advanced degree in botany or in herbal studies, or you may have acquired your knowledge through an apprenticeship and years of study. You can diagnose many types of illnesses and prescribe herbal cures for them, and treat most wounds with herbal poultices and such.
•••• Doctor: You may have a doctorate in botany, herbal medicine, or some other advanced study relating to herbs, or you may have outstripped your own teacher and are now passing your knowledge along to students. You can make complex herbal cures and treat any wound with confidence. You also make a mean ratatouille!
••••• Scholar: You could put your herbal knowledge into a book; perhaps you’ve already done so. If you wanted to, you could teach at a university level. You may have lectured on herbs or even acted as a consultant to several medical boards or herbal institutions. “Herb” might as well be your first name.
Veterinary Medicine
Your interest in medicine drew you to veterinary school rather than medical school. You find it not only satisfying but useful and important to look after the health of Gaia’s non-speaking creatures. You take pride in your ability to diagnose patients who can’t verbalize their problems. You have also found it useful to treat wolf Kin and lupus Garou instead of relying on human medicine to take care of them. You are respected among other Kinfolk and among the Garou as well.
Possessed by: Veterinarians, scientists, researchers, animal activists, Kinfolk
Specialties: Holistic, Surgery, Exotic Animals, Small Animals, Wild Animals, Wolves
• Student: You are still learning how to treat animals medically, but you can perform many kinds of first aid and emergency treatment on animals and Garou.
•• College: You have the basic veterinary knowledge, but you need experience in the field to gain confidence in everyday healthcare for animals and your Garou kin.
••• Master: You can add the title “Dr.” to your name, or the letters D.V.M. after it. You know how to care for everything from gerbils to elephants. There still may be some types of animals you have not yet mastered, but not many. The Garou find you useful for medical problems that can’t be dealt with by Gifts.
•••• Doctor: You have an established reputation in the veterinary community at large as well as among Kinfolk and Garou. You can do everything from treating minor wounds to performing major surgery under difficult conditions. You feel certain you can take care of most of the Fera, as well, if necessary.
••••• Scholar: You have published papers and books on aspects of veterinary medicine and you are qualified to teach in veterinary colleges nationwide. You don’t necessarily have a public practice, but you could do so if you wish. The Garou and Kinfolk keep you busy enough with their problems and consider themselves fortunate to have you.
Rituals
Garou learn this Knowledge in order to participate in the spiritual life of sept, tribe, and Garou existence in general. Kinfolk have their own version of Rituals that likewise enables them to add a spiritual and communal element to their existence as blood relations of the Garou.
This Knowledge conveys some general knowledge of the Garou rites and mysteries (such as the names and intents of most Garou rites and a simplified version of Garou traditions). In addition, Kinfolk who possess this Knowledge can participate in rites specifically created for Kinfolk. While many Kinfolk rites involve the formalized behavior common to most ceremonial events and serve to provide
closer bond among Kinfolk, or between Kinfolk and their Garou Kin. Other rites provide limited access to the spirit world, though any power gained from such rites in no way rivals the potency of Garou rites. A character cannot learn a rite of a level higher than her Rituals rating.
Possessed by: Garou Kinfolk, Fera Kinfolk, some hedge mages
Specialties: Individual Rites, Group Rites, Accord, Mystic, Seasonal, Minor
• Student: You’ve closely watched as other Kinfolk perform rites.
•• College: You’ve successfully participated in rites performed by others.
••• Masters: You teach rites to other Kinfolk.
•••• Doctorate: Garou watch you to pick up pointers.
••••• Scholar: You can create your own rites and could write a book on the subject.