Gauru

See Shapeshifting

The nightmarish might and ferocity of the Gauru form is difficult to reconcile with the Forsaken’s origin stories. The romantic legends about Father Wolf and Mother Luna seem faraway and uncertain in the harsh light cast by the fires of Rage. A werewolf assuming Gauru form gains between two and three feet in height (few werewolves stand taller than 10 feet in this form) and 200 to 250 pounds of muscle mass. The body is covered in fur that shares coloration with the Urhan form, and the head is that of a monstrous wolf, although the Gauru form remains capable of bipedal travel and retains opposable thumbs. The werewolf’s arms elongate and hands end in wicked claws. A Gauru werewolf is capable of biting a man’s arm clean off with its powerful jaws. While not as perceptive as Urhan form, Gauru form benefits from increased olfactory and auditory senses. Players add three bonus dice to all perception rolls in this form. The character may also track by scent (see p. 178).

Gauru form is sometimes called “the war form”, and for good reason. While in Gauru, a werewolf is subject to Rage — a near-frenzied state of mind that both aids and limits him. Not only does a werewolf in Gauru gain incredible Strength and Stamina just from the sheer power of the form, but the Gauru mind and soul are filled with a fury that grants additional force. For the most part, this is a devastating capability and benefit that allows werewolves to lay their foes to waste. Barely any creature could stand up to and survive a combat with an enraged Uratha in Gauru form. Yet the form and state of mind have their price.

Claws and teeth in Gauru inflict lethal damage, unless the werewolf uses the Savage Rending Gift. A Gauru-form werewolf can make a bite attack without first having to grapple the target. A claw attack performed in Gauru adds one bonus die. A bite adds two.

The character causes Lunacy in this form with no modifiers to human onlookers’ Willpower.

In Gauru form, a werewolf ignores wound penalties to dice pools until a wound is marked in his rightmost Health box. Until then, he simply doesn’t register pain. Stamina rolls to remain conscious aren’t made when a bashing wound is marked in a werewolf’s rightmost Health box. He remains conscious automatically, collapsing only when a lethal or aggravated wound is marked in that box (and the character is dying or dead).

Willpower can be spent normally while Rage applies to gain dice-pool bonuses and modifiers to Resistance traits such as Resolve, Composure, Stamina or Defense.

In any turn in which he is in Gauru, a werewolf must attack something (providing an enemy is in reach) or spend the turn traveling to the nearest visible enemy. A werewolf in Gauru may choose to throw an object as an attack (if he can reach the nearest visible enemy with a thrown object) instead of spending the turn traveling. If no enemy is visible, but the werewolf is still in combat (for example, when fighting a mage striking from the cover of an invisibility spell), the werewolf must take out his frustration on something — a parked car, a fallen foe, whatever is convenient. Werewolves in Gauru can still discern friend from foe, or a fallen enemy from one that’s still a threat, and can choose which foe to attack if multiple options are available.

If a werewolf attempts to take some other action besides attacking or moving toward a visible enemy — say, to read a newspaper headline, say a few words to someone or save a child in traffic — the player must make a Resolve + Composure roll as a reflexive action. Success means the werewolf maintains control of himself and may act freely for one turn. Failure means the character enters Death Rage (see p. 173). This rule also applies to the use of Gifts and fetishes. They cannot be resorted to without a successful Resolve + Composure roll, with one exception. A werewolf in Gauru may use a Gift or fetish that requires only a reflexive action to activate and that directly supplements his ability to make an attack. A werewolf in Rage could use the Death Grip Gift, as it’s reflexive and aids an attack, but he couldn’t use Double Back (which is defensive in nature) or Thunderbolt (which requires an instant action).

While in Gauru form, a character cannot attempt Mental or Social tasks (not including Gifts). He can growl a quick threat (with a successful Resolve + Composure roll), open a door or do things that are easy enough not to require a Skill or Attribute task (and that involve attacking or getting to an opponent), but he cannot do anything complicated. He effectively has zero dots in the appropriate Attribute and Skill, so any roll fails automatically. Resolve, Composure and Intimidation-based rolls are the only exception, and aren’t penalized.

Human speech is difficult in Gauru form. A Resolve + Composure roll allows the werewolf to manage a couple of short words (“Fresh meat,” “Die now,” or other intimidating phrases are the most common choices). A werewolf in Gauru can speak First Tongue fluently, but usually has little call to do so. He cannot use complex tools (guns, bows, computers, cars — anything with mechanical or moving parts), not even if a successful Resolve + Composure roll allows an action that doesn’t involve an attack. A bludgeoning weapon such as a chunk of lamppost or a thrown trash can is about as complicated a tool as he can manage in his state of mind. Potentially worst of all, the character is at a –2 penalty to any rolls made to resist Death Rage.

An Uratha cannot stay in Gauru form indefinitely. The strain of Rage is just too powerful. A werewolf can remain in Gauru form for a number of turns equal to his (Hishu) Stamina + Primal Urge. After that time, he can no longer maintain Gauru, and the player must make a shapeshifting roll (Stamina + Survival + Primal Urge) or spend an Essence point to shift to the form of his choice. If the roll fails, or if he chooses not to roll or to spend Essence, the character reverts to Hishu form automatically — which can be dangerous, considering the sudden loss of added Health. A werewolf may also leave Gauru form before he is forced to, shapeshifting as normal, as long as the character isn’t subject to Death Rage. A werewolf’s nearness to Luna grants him additional strength. During a werewolf’s auspice moon, the blessing of Luna is strongest. The player may add his dots in his auspice-affinity Renown (the primary trait based on auspice) to the time limit for remaining in Gauru form. For example, when the moon is full, a Rahu may remain in Gauru for a number of turns equal to Stamina + Primal Urge + Purity. Once a character leaves Gauru form, he cannot voluntarily assume it again for the remainder of the scene. If he is driven into Death Rage later on in the same scene, however, he automatically assumes Gauru form to unleash his berserk wrath.

• Strength +3
• Dexterity +1
• Stamina +2
• Size +2
• Health +4
• Initiative +1
• Speed +4
• Perception +3
• Mass +200-250 lbs
• Height +2-3’
• Full Lunacy
• Armor 1/1
• Claws +1L
• Bite +2L (No grapple required)
• Ignore wound penalties
• No unconsciousness rolls
• -2 penalty to resist Kuruth
• Manipulation = 0, most Social and Mental tasks fail
• Must attack an enemy, travel toward one, or take out frustration. Resolve + Composure (Reflexive) required to do anything else, failure means Kuruth. Gifts and fetishes (Reflexive) excepted.
• Maximum time in Gauru: Stamina (Hishu) + PU (+Auspice renown if under Auspice moon).
• Afterward must revert to Hishu, or make Sta + Survival + PU / spend Essence for alternate form
• May shift out of Gauru voluntarily if not subject to Kuruth
• May not voluntarily assume Gauru again for remainder of scene