Primal Urge

A werewolf is born supernatural, with the soul of an ancient predator. Her own preternaturally primal nature grants her an inherent bond with the mystical that only absolute neglect and self-indulgence can suppress. The power of the werewolf’s spirit half is called Primal Urge, and it compels werewolves in all aspects of their existence. Gaining dots in this advantage indicates a character’s rising potency among her own kind and spirits, and it increases the power she can bring to bear through Gifts and rites. She also becomes a formidable warrior, better able to fuse the strengths of spirit and flesh within her own form.

Newly created characters start with one dot of Primal Urge, though more dots can be purchased at character creation for three Merit dots each. After play begins, Primal Urge can be increased only by spending experience points. The purchase of additional dots at character creation needs to be rationalized before play begins. Perhaps the character undergoes a First Change of such ferocity that he has an unusually primal heart for his years. Perhaps he’s recognized for particular wisdom or potential. Perhaps he belongs to an esteemed lineage. Or maybe some time has passed between the character’s First Change and the beginning of the chronicle, and he has already parleyed with the otherworld.

As a character’s Primal Urge rises, she has more power at her disposal and is able to perform more supernatural feats at the same time or in quick succession. That is, the total number of Essence points that she can have at any given time increases, and the number of Essence points she can spend in a turn rises, allowing her to use more effective Gifts.

The higher a character’s Primal Urge is, the higher her Attribute and Skill dots can go as well. Experience points must be spent to increase Attribute and Skill dots. Note, however, that Primal Urge does not limit a character’s possible Attribute dots when she’s in forms other than Hishu. When she’s in Dalu, Gauru, Urshul or Urhan, her modified Attributes can rise above the cap normally applied by Primal Urge. The limitation applies only to trait dots when a character is in Hishu form.

Furthermore, a character’s ability to take on the Gauru form depends on her Primal Urge dots (Stamina in Hishu form + Primal Urge in turns). Therefore, a werewolf with Stamina 3 in Hishu form and Primal Urge 4 who assumes Gauru form can remain in it up to seven turns. (Chapter Three fully explains Gauru form, starting on p. 171.)

Finally, Primal Urge is paramount to a werewolf’s capacity to resist the effects of some Gifts and strange powers. The more dots she has, the more dice her player gets to make contested rolls against these tricks. See the Gifts listed later in this chapter for examples, and the "Supernatural Conflict” sidebar on p. 103 for more information.

The Dangers of Primal Urge

All werewolves have some difficulty relating with ordinary humans; their innate predatory nature disturbs and unsettles humans around them. As a werewolf draws on more of her primal nature by increasing her Primal Urge, this unsettling predatory aura increases in strength. All werewolves suffer a penalty to Social rolls made to sway humans without the Wolf-Blooded Merit, as shown on the accompanying chart. The only exception to this penalty is Intimidation rolls: the frightening presence of the werewolf makes it difficult to coerce or soothe a human, but doesn’t hurt attempts to bully or frighten any. This Social penalty does not apply to other supernatural creatures; however, it does apply to Gifts that rely on Social rolls other than Intimidation.

In addition, as a werewolf’s Primal Urge increases, the power of her spirit half begins to exceed the heritage of flesh. A character with Primal Urge of 6 or more becomes subject to Essence bleed in the physical world. After the character has spent the stated amount of time in the physical world, she loses a point of Essence. A character who loses all her Essence in such a fashion falls into a deep sleep and cannot wake until she gains another point of Essence. If taken to a locus, a comatose character with zero Essence will regain a point of Essence after twenty-four hours of rest in its area of influence, at which point she wakes and may regain Essence in the usual fashion.