THE WOLF

Primal, deadly, and awesome. There is little in the world that can match the werewolf’s relentlessness or brute force. Those cursed by the wolf’s bite or born into their bloodline carry a great fury within them. But fury, like all emotion, can be tempered… eventually.



LOOK: (pick as many as apply)
• Ambiguous, Female, Male, Neither
• Human, Dwarf, Elf, Half-Elf, Halfling, Gnome, Half-Orc (half-humanoid killer whale)
• Baggy Clothing, Concealing Clothing, Dark Clothing, Dirty Clothing


DEMEANOR (pick one): Aggressive, Excitable, Feral, Violent

CHARACTER STATS: (Add 1 to one of these)
--Blood 1
--Heart -1
--Mind 0
--Spirit 1

STARTING FACTIONS (Add 1 to one of these):
--Mortality 0
--Night 1
--Power -1
--Wild 1

INTRO QUESTIONS
• Who are you?
• How long have you been in the city?
• What is the best part of the change?
• Who is the most important person in your territory?
• What do you desperately need?

GEAR:
• A duffel bag with your personal belongings, a scratched and dim pocket crystal ball
• 2 practical weapons:
----Throwing Knife (2-harm, close, concealable)
----Crossbow (2-harm close/far reload)
----Combat knife (2-harm hand concealable)
----Dagger (2-harm hand concealable)
----Club (2-harm hand)



THE TRANSFORMATION:
By default, you change into your wolf form when the full moon rises; you gain natural weaponry (2-harm) and 1 armor; you can resist the change, but it’s not easy; and you can only change back at sunrise.

Choose 2:
• You inflict +1 harm while transformed
• You gain armor +1 while transformed
• The harm you do while transformed ignores armor (piercing)
• You transform every night, not just during the full moon
• Gain +1 ongoing to escape while transformed
• When battling groups, you get a +1 to all your combat rolls
• You are all but immune to magical attacks while transformed

Choose 2:
• Silver weapons ignore your armor
• Sometimes you lose control while transformed
• When you transform, you keep your cool or declare a hunt
• You can’t resist the change when it comes
• The transformation takes a while and causes you a lot of pain

YOUR TERRITORY
You’ve claimed an area of the city as your own. By default, your territory covers a city block or two and has the trouble: +crime.

Choose 2:
• Your territory spans several city blocks (add blessing: +influence)
• People here work hard to keep the streets safe (remove +crime)
• You are widely accepted as this place’s protector (add blessing: +supported)
• Your territory includes grounds for you to roam and hunt (add blessing: +hunting ground)
• You’ve made a deal with someone, or something, to protect your territory when you’re not around (add blessing: +guardian)

Choose 2:
• Your territory owes fealty to someone more powerful than you (add trouble: +obligations)
• Someone more powerful wants your territory and is working to get it (add trouble: +encroachment)
• Mortals in the area are actively trying to revitalize local businesses and infrastructure (add trouble: +upheaval)
• Your territory is plagued by a mystical or supernatural presence (add trouble: +haunted)
• You have offered protection within your territory to someone, and now their problems are yours (add trouble: +fealty)


DEBTS
• Someone is hiding you from someone, or something, powerful. You owe them a Debt.
• Someone hired you for a job and you fucked it up. You owe them 2 Debts.
• Someone lives in your territory, benefiting from your protection. They owe you a Debt.


WOLF MOVES
You start with these two:

--Comes with the Territory: If you’re actively patrolling your territory at the start of the session, roll with Blood. On a 10+, your territory is secure and trouble is at a minimum; take +1 ongoing to hitting the streets in your territory. On a 7-9, one of your troubles surfaces (your choice), but things are mostly stable. On a miss, or if you aren’t attending to your territory, things go south and your troubles are fast and furious.

--Bloodhound: When you hunt someone, roll with Blood. On a hit, you know exactly where to find them and can follow their scent until you do. On a 10+, take +1 forward against them. On a miss, someone unpleasant finds you first.



And choose one more:

--Regeneration: When you let it out, add this option to the list:
• Your wounds close; heal 1-harm

--Alpha Dog: When you persuade an NPC in your territory, roll with Blood instead of Heart.

--From the Brink: You can exit your wolf form at will. When you do, roll with Spirit. On a hit, you change back. On a 7-9, take 1-harm or mark corruption. On a miss, you change, but the transformation is incomplete, lengthy, or painful.

--Reckless: If you jump right into danger without hedging your bets, you get armor +1. If you’re leading a group, it gets armor +1 also.


DRAMA MOVES:
»Wolf Corruption Move
When you begin a hunt for someone, mark corruption.


»Intimacy Move:
When you share a moment of emotional intimacy with another person, you create a primal bond with them; you always know where to find them and when they’re in trouble. This bond lasts until the end of the next session.

»End Move:
When you die or retire your character, anyone in the scene you wish to protect escapes and reaches safety, no matter the odds.


STANDARD ADVANCES:
Advances available at beginning of play:
• +1 Blood (max +3)
• +1 Mind (max +3)
• +1 Spirit (max +3)
• A new Wolf move
• A new Wolf move
• Add 2 qualities to your transformation
• A move from another playbook
• Change your Faction
• Join or lead a wolf pack




»The Wolf: Wolf Pack
Holding territory as a lone wolf is tough; most werewolves seek out a full
pack to keep their territory secure. A wolf pack is a group of werewolves
large enough to be considered a full pack—at least five werewolves—that has
chosen to defend a particular territory.
b Join or lead a wolf pack
By default, your pack is collection of 5-10 ferocious werewolves (3-harm
small group 1-armor savage urge: to hunt) who live in your existing territory.
So long as you’re alpha of the pack, you get Pack Alpha. When you select
this advancement, choose 1:
b Your pack is trained in efficient and effective pack tactics. Remove savage
b Your pack constructs makeshift armor for their wolf forms. +1 armor
b Your pack has a number of seers or mystics. It gets +traditional
b Your pack is fiercely territorial and coordinated. Urge: to protect
And choose 2:
b Your pack is young and inexperienced, and a bit clumsy in a fight. -1
harm
b Your pack eats what it kills, even when it hunts humans. Urge: to
consume
b Your pack is loose-knit, members coming and going as they please.
Urge: to wander
b Your pack serves a spirit or guardian of your territory. Urge: to serve
b Your pack owns you more than you own them. Add +zealous
b Pack Alpha: When you try to impose your will on your wolf pack, roll with
Night. On a 10+, get all 3. On a 7–9, choose 1:
• They do what you want
• They don’t fight back about it
• You don’t have to make an example of one of them
On a miss, someone in your pack makes a dedicated bid to replace you
for alpha.
You don’t need to make this move every time you ask your pack to follow
your lead; you’re the pack alpha, so they should take orders from you no
fucking problem. But if you want them to do something against their instincts
or exceptionally dangerous, you might need to flex some muscle. Note the
combinations here on a 7-9:
• They do what you want, but they fight with you about it and you
have to make an example of one of them.
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URBAN SHADOWS
• They don’t do what you want, but you avoid a fight by making an
example of one of them.
• They don’t do what you want, but you avoid making an example
out of one by getting in a fight.
If you get in a fight, it means that some portion of your pack actually gets in
a scrap with you that causes harm; making an example of someone means
putting them all the way to the ground, dominance and all. On a miss, someone’s going to challenge your position as alpha, but it might take them some
time to build up the courage to make a move. It’s not like they’re going to be
stupid about it, though; they won’t endanger the pack to get what they want.
If you’re not alpha, then the pack alpha runs things. We hope you two
get along






After 5 advances you may select:
• +1 to any stat (max +3)
• +1 any Faction (max +3)
• Erase a scar
• Resolve a trouble
• Erase a corruption advance
• Erase a corruption advance
• Advance 3 basic moves
• Advance 3 basic moves
• Retire your character to safety
• Change to a new playbook


CORRUPTION ADVANCES
• Take a corruption move
• Take a corruption move
• Take a corruption move
• Take a corruption move from another playbook
• Retire your character. They may return as a Threat


CORRUPTION MOVES:
• One with the Beast: Mark corruption to add 2 more qualities to your transformation until the end of the chapter.
• Force of Nature: You get +1 Blood (max +4). Whenever you roll with Blood and roll a 12+, mark corruption.
• Sun and Moon: Mark corruption to transform into your wolf form at will.
• Familiar Territory: Mark corruption to know the source of the greatest danger to your territory, even if it has concealed itself with magic or misdirection.


PLAYING THE WOLF:
Primal, unstoppable, brutal, unlucky. The Wolf is capable of transforming into a deadly werebeast when the full moon rises into the sky. Little stands in their way, but they often find more trouble than they bargained for when they prowl the city’s streets.

You might be a wild and uncontrollable beast, but your territory grounds you. You know the people who live there-- their habits and problems, their lies and misdeeds-- even if they don’t regard you as their official protector. Generally, other supernaturals acknowledge your territory, unless they’re making an explicit play to take it from you.

While other playbooks might be wrestling with their position in society or the knowledge they bear, you’re wrestling with yourself. The transformation feels real and true, the fucking rush you get from letting your true self run these streets. But will you find a way back from the unkillable monster? Will you manage to have some sort of life beyond the streets?


»Notes on Your Moves:

You don’t have to transform to use moves like Bloodhound, Regeneration, or Reckless. Your werewolf nature is with you no matter what form you take. Your wolf form is powerful, but barely within your control. If you try to resist the change, your GM might ask you to keep your cool one or more times. To transform into your wolf form at will without Sun and Moon, you can try to let it out to “take definite hold of something vulnerable or exposed” --your weak, human body—but your transformation may leave your vulnerable or cause you to lose control.

Your territory’s blessings are known and present: let your GM know if you want to call upon one of them during a session. Troubles show up less frequently, usually when you roll a 7-9 or miss on Comes with the Territory at the start of the session. A trouble might flare up in the middle of a session, but only if something demands that the GM bring it to bear.
You can have multiple primal bonds with other characters, provided you have multiple moments of emotional intimacy.

You can use One with the Beast multiple times in a session-- adding two more qualities each time—provided you mark corruption each time. Force of Nature gives you +1 Blood and raises your max Blood to +4. If this move doesn’t bring you to Blood +4, you can use standard advances to raise your Blood to +4 at a later time.