Each ritual cast affirms the bond Garou share with spirits and results in strengthening of the spiritual half of the Garou. These rituals come in many variations depending on the Garou performing it, as well as on the type of rite.
The rituals employed by the Garou are broken down into five primary types: Caern Rites, Mystic Rites, Punishment Rites, Renown Rites, and Seasonal Rites. While there are other minor rites Garou often perform, such as thanking spirits of prey that were killed for food or howling in greeting to the sun or moon, these five primary ritual types are the most commonly taught and accepted.
Rituals are empowered by the spirits. They are handed down from a Master of the Rite to her students in an unbroken chain dating back to when the original spirit pacts were formed. While the actual details of the rituals can vary depending on the tribe, sept, or perceptions of the participants, the belief of the caster and those participating in the rite is a ritual’s most important component.
In order to successfully cast a ritual, the caster must have learned the Ritual either at character creation or during game. Assisting participants need not have knowledge of how to cast a rite in order to be involved.
System:
Performing a ritual requires that the caster (also known as the ritemaster) possess the Rituals Ability and has knowledge of the specific Rite they want to cast.
Casting a rite requires the ritemaster to make a static challenge with a difficulty rating of 6 + double the level of the ritual. For each additional participant who has the Rituals Ability and the same Rite, the difficulty lowers by 1. Characters who do not meet this requirement may still participate in the rite, but do not lower the difficulty to cast it.
| Type of Rite | Challenge Pool |
|---|---|
| Rites of Accord | Charisma + Rituals |
| Caern Rites | Varies (max. Gnosis) |
| Rites of Death | Charisma + Rituals |
| Mystic Rites | Wits + Rituals |
| Punishment Rites | Charisma + Rituals |
| Rites of Renown | Charisma + Rituals |
| Seasonal Rites | Stamina + Rituals |
| Minor Rites | No test |
Normally, a player casting a ritual can choose to have their character cast the ritual and not act out any part of it, keeping it an entirely out-of-character action. In this case, the ritual takes 10 minutes per level of ritual, during which the player(s) sits out of character, assumed to be casting this away from others. At the conclusion of this, the player will need to throw the regular rite static challenge.
However, we offer two options that players may take to change the ritual experience. Players may pick one or both of the following options:
- Instead of sitting out of character while performing a ritual, the player of the ritemaster can choose to act out the ritual along with any other players assisting them IN CHARACTER. This typically involves chanting, dancing, scribing sigils, or any other creative elements. The purpose of this is to draw other players into the act of the ritual, bringing it to life within the game. When a ritual is done in this fashion, the amount of time required for the ritual is 5 minutes per level of ritual.
- Instead of having to make a Static Challenge at the conclusion of the ritual, the ritemaster's player can choose to instead test using the Rite Circle. This entails the player casting the ritual and/or any other number of ritual participant players of their choice pulling tiles from the Rite Circle Jenga Tower. The number of tiles necessary to successfully cast the rite is dependent on the level of the ritual. If the tower collapses, it is rebuilt and another attempt must be made. The Rite Circle Jenga Tower can only be rebuilt a number of times equal to the number of participants in the ritual, to a maximum number of times equal to the Rituals ability of ritemaster. The blocks pulled are then arranged into a Spell Circle, making a complete image. Upon the success of this task, there is no need to throw a test for the ritual. It is successful.