Ursine Gifts

Create Element (Level One)
The ursine may create a small amount of one of the four Western classical elements — fire, air, earth, or water. She could make a rock to throw, fill a bathtub with no faucet, light fires without matches, or provide air in an airtight room. She cannot create specialized forms of any element. Precious metals (especially silver), lethal gases, and acid are beyond her reach. Elementals teach this Gift.

System: The player spends one Gnosis point and rolls Gnosis. Each success allows the character to create roughly one cubic foot (.3 cubic meter) of the desired element, to a maximum weight of 100 lbs (45 kg), anywhere she can see within 60 feet (18 m). The element remains in existence until used up (breathed, in the case of air, or burned up, in the case of fire without any fuel to keep it going). The flames created by this Gift inflict one health level of damage per success, to a maximum of three levels of damage.

Heightened Senses (Level One)
This Gift sharpens the werebear’s senses to an incredible degree. She enjoys the olfactory and auditory acuity of a bear whenever she is in Homid and Arthren forms, along with superior night vision. In Crinos, Bjornen and Ursus, her senses become preternaturally potent, allowing sensory feats that border on precognition. Sudden loud noises, bright lights or overwhelming scents can be disorienting, however. Wolf-spirits teach this Gift.

System: The player spends a Gnosis point to activate this Gift for a scene. In Homid and Athren, the werebear’s Perception difficulties decrease by two and she may roll Perception + Primal-Urge to perform uncanny sensory feats such as tracking by scent. In Bjornen, Hispo, and Ursus, Perception difficulties decrease by three (this is not cumulative with the ordinary Lupus-form Perception bonuses) and the werebear gains an extra die to Primal-Urge dice pools.

Voice of Woe (Level One)
The Gurahl sends out a call of distress. A bear-spirit teaches this Gift.

System: The player spends a point of Gnosis and rolls Charisma + Primal-Urge (difficulty 6). All Gaian shapeshifters within (successes x 5) miles hear the call and know precisely what sort of creature is in trouble, how far away he is, and what direction to head in to get there.

Rank Two

Burrow (Level Two)
This Gift grants the ability to burrow through the earth, creating a tunnel roughly the size of the digger’s body, which others can follow through. The werebear must be in a form possessing claws to use this Gift. Mole-spirits teach this Gift.

System: The player rolls Strength + Athletics against a difficulty depending on the substance to be excavated (4 for loose mud, 9 for solid rock). Some metals (such as steel and titanium alloys) and other reinforced structures won’t yield to the werewolf no matter how hard she digs. The character can burrow one yard per turn for each success. After the initial roll, the character does not need to roll again to continue at the same speed.

Weather Watch (Level Two)
The Gurahl can accurately predict the weather without any prior knowledge. A bear-spirit teaches this Gift.

System: The Gurahl permanently gains five extra dice on Survival rolls to predict the weather.

Rank Three

Pull of the Chosen Land (Level Three)
The Gurahl can find the shortest, fastest route to his protectorate, regardless of where he is and how he got there.

System: The player spends a point of Gnosis and rolls Perception + Primal-Urge (difficulty 7).

Shelter of the Earth (Level Three)
The Gurahl uses the local landscape as a secure hiding place. So long as the Gurahl doesn’t move more than a few feet per turn and takes no sudden actions, he remains concealed. This Gift is taught by many prey animal spirits that rely on camouflage.

System: The player spends a Gnosis point and rolls Dexterity + Stealth (difficulty 4). The Gift doesn’t function if no cover is available.

Rank Four

Gnaw (Level Four)
The werebear’s jaws strengthen until she can chew through nearly anything. Her fangs inflict more damage in combat, and only death will break her grip if she clamps her teeth into an opponent. Hyena- and wolf-spirits teach this Gift.

System: The player spends one Willpower point and rolls Stamina + 4 against a variable difficulty (3 for wood, 6 for steel handcuffs, 9 for a train car coupling). The length of time it takes to gnaw through something depends on the number of successes. Additionally, the Gift grants a character’s bite two extra dice of damage for the rest of the scene.

Sweet Swarm of Vengeance (Level Four)
A target the Gurahl touched at some point during the last hour begins to exude a wonderfully sweet aroma, and becomes slightly sticky to the touch. All manner of vermin quickly appear and coat the victim. The resulting coat of gnats, flies, bees and beetles crawls, stings, and generally impairs vision and hearing. Insect-spirits teach this Gift.

System: The player spends one Gnosis point and rolls Wits + Subterfuge (difficulty 7). The target suffers a –1 penalty to all actions for one hour per success; the smell will not wash off during this time.

Rank Five

Bear’s Bounty (Level Five)
Only the Bear totem teaches this Gift.

System: The player spends one Gnosis point and rolls Charisma + Rituals (difficulty 7). The greater the number of successes, the more dramatic the aid provided. One success might cause a minor distraction, whereas 10 successes could produce volcanic eruptions or countysmashing tornadoes.

Call of the Cave Bear (Level Five)
The Gurahl travels to the deep wilderness and lets out a long, mournful roar. One of the Great Beasts of antiquity answers the call, appearing in the Realm near the werewolf — a mighty and savage being that walked the Earth in ages past. Such creatures include the Willawau (giant owl), the Sabertooth Tiger, the great Megalodon sharks that swam the seas eons ago and the mighty Mammoth, who arrives in herds. Who knows what else the Song might call up? The Great Beasts possess power in the physical world to rival that of mighty spirits in the Umbra. Once the ancient creature arrives, the Gurahl may make a request of it, but the Great Beast will fulfill it in its own way, according to its nature. Using this Gift is risky, but the results can be truly spectacular.

System: The player spends two Gnosis points and rolls Charisma + Primal-Urge (difficulty 8). More successes improve the Great Beast’s disposition. Traits are left to the Storyteller’s discretion, but should always be impressive.

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