Character Creation

With a completed background, characters who are homids start with 30 bonus XP. Metis and lupus start with 20 bonus XP. As an ideal ratio, the game should be mostly homid, and lupus and metis approximately equal in low numbers, lupus being slightly more prevalent than metis.

All characters start as a Cliath. Alternatively, a player may choose to be a Cub as desired, though there are no bonuses for being a Cub, it is an opportunity for role-play.

In addition to the 5 Freebie points all characters have at creation, you may do the following for bonus points. Please note that you are free to pick more negatives at creation, but do not get points beyond what is listed below:
-Up to 5 Negative Traits for 1 XP each
-Up to 7 Points of Flaws gaining XP at a one for one basis for each point.
-Up to one Derangement for 2 XP.
Therefore, if you take as many penalties as you can, you can start with 19 Freebie Points, plus 20 if lupus or meits, or 30 if homid.

While bonus XP can be taken at creation, it is highly preferred a background story is submitted with it. Backgrounds should be thorough, but there are no particular length requirements. If, however, three months have passed since character submission and the background still has not been received, the bonus XP will be docked from the sheet until received by the STs.

Characters must have at least two aspects (tribe, breed, auspice) different in consecutive characters, and cannot repeat an aspect more than once. For example, a player can play a Bone Gnawer--Metis--Ahroun, then a Bone Gnawer--Homid--Galliard, but his next character could not be a Bone Gnawer--Lupus--Theurge. Kinfolk PCs are an acceptable alternative (they are considered dissimilar enough from Garou for the sake of satisfying differences). A player may not play two Kinfolk in a row.

Starting Influence is capped at 2 in any one category, though Glass Walkers may begin game with one category at 3 as per their Tribe Advantage (Glass Walkers gain one free Influence trait).

Otherwise, follow Laws of the Wild, revised, for Character Creation Rules.

New sheets and backgrounds should be sent to fallingwatersts@gmail.com

The rules above are for Garou characters. Kinfolk characters use the following rules (mostly taken from Laws of the Wild, revised):

With a completed background, characters who are kinfolk start with 30 bonus XP. PC Kinfolk are required to be humans; the intellect of wolf kinfolk is too simple to make a PC. PC Kinfolk are also assumed to have awareness of the Garou existence, and likely have a dot or two of Garou Lore, but this is not required. While Kinfolk can never speak the language of the Garou, they can learn to understand and read it by purchasing a dot of Linguistics (Garou). Kinfolk may purchase the background Pure Breed. It works the same way, however if a Kinfolk does purchase Pure Breed, Garou possessing it gain the social bonus against Kinfolk in addition to working on Garou.

Kinfolk start at 6/4/3 Traits and cap at 9 Traits.

Kinfolk start with:

• 1 Willpower
  
• 5 Abilities
  
• 5 Backgrounds
  
• 14 Freebie Points
  

In addition to the 14 Freebie points all characters have at creation, you may do the following for bonus points. Please note that you are free to pick more negatives at creation, but do not get points beyond what is listed below:
-Up to 5 Negative Traits for 1 XP each
-Up to 7 Points of Flaws gaining XP at a one for one basis for each point.
-Up to one Derangement for 2 XP.
Therefore, if you take as many penalties as you can, you can start with 28 Freebie Points, plus 30.

While bonus XP can be taken at creation, it is highly preferred a background story is submitted with it. Backgrounds should be thorough, but there are no particularly length requirements. If, however, three months have passed since character submission and the background still has not been received, the bonus XP will be docked from the sheet until received by the STs.

Starting Influences are capped at 2 in a singly category (you may have as much Influence as you have points for, but none may begin game above two).

Otherwise, follow Laws of the Wild, revised, for Character Creation Rules.

Kinfolk, by Laws of the Wild, revised, can purchase basic rites and basic homid gifts that don't require Rage or Gnosis. If the kinfolk has purchased Pure Breed, they may have basic Tribal gifts as well (that don't require Rage or Gnosis), but can never learn more than one per dot of Pure Breed they have. They can never learn "out of breed/tribe gifts" under any circumstances. They also can never learn Auspice gifts. Gifts must still be learned from a Spirit.

In addition to this, Kinfolk may take the merit in Laws of the Hunt, revised, Gnosis (5-7), dictating how much Gnosis they have at creation. This merit cannot, under any circumstances, be purchased after creation, and works as dictated in Laws of the Hunt, revised. If kinfolk possess the merit Gnosis, they may purchase gifts and rites that require Gnosis. This merit is extremely restricted, and requires a good explanation as to why your character has it. Kinfolk with the Gnosis merit may not have Numinae. Remember that the Gnosis merit does not allow kinfolk to step sideways: the only way they can enter the Umbra is through the use of Grasp the Beyond (intermediate Theurge gift), or under very special circumstances when the Gauntlet is incredibly thin (2 or lower) and even then it will require an expenditure of Gnosis.

Kinfolk purchase and use Influence as though they were Glass Walkers.

Kinfolk may have Numinae and other powers from Laws of the Hunt, revised, at ST Discretion and with complete writeup at time of submission.

Reminder: kinfolk with Numinae, etc., but NOT in-genre powers (gifts, rites, gnosis), require coord approval.

A player may not play two Kinfolk in a row.

New sheets and backgrounds should be sent to fallingwatersts@gmail.com

All abilities cap at five.

There have been several discussions of this at session and on the OOC boards, but it wasn't posted here as an oversight.  So let me fix that real quick.

We do not allow Personal Totems, either as a background, nor as a merit.