Shifting Forms & Bonuses

Source Material: Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition

Werewolves heal much faster than normal humans, and as half-spirit beasts designed for battle, they’re exceptionally hard to kill. Most werewolves are theoretically capable of reaching the hundred-year mark or even beyond. It is a rare occurrence, however, that a werewolf has the luxury of dying from old age.

They are pack animals with a complex tribal social structures. Werewolves are expected to embark on quests and missions to help the sept and tribe, guard caerns from attack, lead and look after those lower in station — as their Litany requires.

SHIFTING FORMS

For a better visualization of what each of the Garou Forms looks like in roleplay, CLICK HERE.

Garou are powerful shapeshifters who can shift into one of these five forms. These forms can be selected in the Garou's Character Sheet, which automatically adds in the appropriate statistics/bonus adjustments. Characters who take the following forms must physically represent their Avatar to appear as the chosen form. 

1. HOMID: Human Form

   This form is indistinguishable from normal humans. in this form, the werewolf can travel through cities and crowds without being discovered.
   1. Statistics Adjustment: None
   2. Size: 5’–6 ½’ tall, 100–250 lbs.
      
      

2. GLABRO: Near-Human Form

   This is a cross-over transformation where the form is still somewhat human, though larger, more muscular, and displays aspects of the wolf. While the Garou can still pass for human – somewhat – they can also draw on a portion of the werewolf's true power. Stronger, faster and more resilient than Homid, the Glabro form is still just a shadow of the werewolf's true killing power.
   1. Statistics Adjustment: 
      1. Strength: +10 Mod to all Strength-related rolls 
      2. Physical Attack: +5 Mod
      3. Physical Damage: +5 Mod
      4. Physical Defense: +5 Mod
      5. Athletics/Reflexes: +5
      6. Initiative: +5
      7. Persuasion/Intimidation: +5 Mod 
      8. Speed: Run slightly faster than the fastest human 
   2. Size: 5 ½’–7 ½’ tall, 200–400 lbs.
      
      

3. CRINOS: War Wolf Form

   This is the living embodiment of Rage and combines the most terrible elements of both man and wolf. The Garou's battle form is a powerful war machine that inspires nothing short of terror in humans. The Crinos form is the true battle form of the Garou, the form they take when no solution save violence will do. 
   
   A hybrid of human and wolf, infused with the superhuman strength of this warrior race, the Crinos Garou is one of the most efficient killing machines in the world. Humans suffer such terrifying ancestral memories when witnessing an angry Crinos that they often break down into hysterics, forcing themselves to forget that such a monster exists.
   
   The Crinos monster features a wolf-like head, gigantic fangs and horrific flesh-rending claws; long, powerful arms; thick skin and bones; heavy fur; and a large wolf-tail for balance and body language. Its awful mouth can barely speak human words, though it can bay and howl with deafening eloquence. Though a Crinos werewolf can speak the Garou tongue, its surging Rage reduces most sentiments to kill, Kill, and KILL!
   
   Crinos is not a form for casual contact and is the form that Frenzy takes. Even the Metis, who are born in this shape, bristle with murderous fury when this war-wolf manifests.
   1. Statistics Adjustment: 
      1. Strength: +20 Mod to all Strength-related rolls 
      2. Physical Attack: +20 Mod
      3. Physical Damage: +20 HP
      4. Physical Defense: +20 Mod
      5. Physical Skill: +10 Mod
      6. Athletics/Reflexes: +15
      7. Initiative: +10 Mod
      8. Persuasion/Intimidation: +20 Mod 
      9. Speed: The Crinos Garou can instantly move with preternatural speed up to 20 meters without using an action or turn. 
   2. Size: 8’–10’ tall, 400–850 lbs.
      
      

4. HISPO - Dire Wolf Form

   This is the Garou's Dire Wolf form that manifests as a giant wolf the size of ponies. This gigantic wolf of nightmares is a throwback to prehistoric days when the dire wolves were of massive proportions. It is a form designed to hunt – and to kill.
   1. Statistics Adjustment: 
      1. Strength: +15 Mod to all Strength-related rolls 
      2. Physical Attack: +15 Mod
      3. Physical Damage: +15
      4. Physical Defense: +15 Mod
      5. Athletics/Reflexes: +15
      6. Initiative: +15 Mod
      7. Persuasion/Intimidation: +15 Mod 
      8. Speed: The Hispo Garou can instantly move with preternatural speed up to 30 meters without using an action or turn. 
   2. Size: 4’–6’ at the shoulder, 350–800 lbs.
      
      

5. LUPUS - True Wolf Form

   Lupus is the true-wolf form, indistinguishable from normal wolves. With perhaps the exception of a higher intelligence reflected in its eyes. This form allows werewolves to hunt and live among wolf packs, or to call on the speed and superior senses of the wolf. Many a hunter has come to a horrible end after wounding a werewolf that he mistook for an ordinary animal – or the mate of a Garou who has chosen to live as a wolf for a time.
   1. Statistics Adjustment: 
      1. Physical Attack: +10 Mod
      2. Physical Damage: +5
      3. Physical Defense: +5 Mod
      4. Athletics/Reflexes: +5
      5. Initiative: +5 Mod
      6. Persuasion/Intimidation: +10 Mod 
      7. Speed: The Lupus Garou has the speed of a normal wolf
   2. Size: 2’–3’ at the shoulder, 60–150 lbs.

The White Wolf Wiki site has an excellent page that goes over each of these forms. For more information, CLICK HERE.

SHIFTING FORMS IN ROLEPLAY 

Rage points are required for shifting. It requires one point of Rage to shift from one form to the very next form. For example, four Rage points are needed to shift from Human to Lupus and will take four turns. This rage, or anger, is required to make this transformation. It is also a way to release a Garou's rage by expending these points via shifting. 

RULES FOR SHIFTING:

• Only one attempt to shift is allowed per turn. 
• One Rage Point is used per each form. 
• While shifting, the Garou can neither attack nor defend until their following turn when the shift into the form is complete.
• Clothing: Unless the Garou has either a Shifting Fetish necklace or a tattooed Rune of Shifting somewhere on their bodies, clothes tend to be shredded and possessions, discarded in the course of transformation. A Glabro or Crinos werewolf can certainly hang onto hand-held items as she/he/they shifts, but jewelry, wallets, and so forth have a nasty habit of getting left behind.

Shifting, while natural for all Garou, does not come without some difficulties and focus. In Dominions of Darkness, a Garou does NOT need to "Roll" to shift from his/her/their current form, nor do they need to expend any energy to change to their "next" form. All that is required is that the Player's Garou Character has available Rage points to spend on shifting.

HOW TO SHIFT
All that is required is declaring the action at the beginning of your turn, and expending a point of Rage from the Player's Rage Meter. This must be done manually using the separate Rage Meter above your Avatar. Shifting is your character's action. At the end of their turn, the character will have shifted to their next form. For example, a Garou in Homid form will take a full turn to shift to Glabro. A Garou in Glabro, will take a full turn to shift to Crinos, and so on.

If a Garou wishes to shift to a third, fourth or fifth form, it will take them a full turn for each form. For example, a Garou in Homid form wants to shift to Lupus. While it does not require a roll or expending Gnosis/Energy, this process will take them four full turns and four points of Rage to complete. 

There are two exceptions to Shifting:

• EXCEPTION 1: A human-born Garou may always shift back to human form from any of the other four forms in a single turn. Much like memory foam is always able to return to it's natural state, so too can a Garou return to his/her/their birth form with ease. This still takes a full turn to complete. Likewise, a lupus-born Garou may shift back to their natural wolf from in the exact same way. In either case, shifting to a new form always requires a full turn to perform and is completed at the end of the Player's turn.
  
  
• Exception 2: "Instant Shifting" is a Garou General Skill that can be purchased by any Garou. It requires a roll for success, in addition to Rage and Energy Points. With special training, a Garou has mastered the ability to direct their Rage into whichever form they choose. Mastering skills in Primal Urge and Occult will help the Garou hone this skill and make an Instant Shift easier to do. (This also appears in the Garou General Skills category.) Specific tribes, such as the Fianna, can also learn "Form Mastery" to change into whichever of their forms they desire.

SHIFT/ROLL PROGRESSION IN COMBAT

Shifting while engaged in combat is dangerous and risky. A Garou is open to attack and cannot defend during the turn they are Shifting. Using "Instant Shift" is even riskier during combat. Attempts to roll and shift must be declared in Chat (and take place) at the start of the Garou's combat turn, based on the player's Initiative roll. If a Garou is attacked before their combat turn, they MAY "choose" to defend, but then CANNOT attempt to shift that turn.