Physical Traits measure just how hearty a character is. These characteristics cover not only brute force, but also the werewolf’s general constitution and nimbleness. Many Ahroun and lupus have particularly high marks in these Traits. As werewolves shift forms, their Physical Traits change as well, and space is provided on your character sheet to note these.

The Strength Trait indicates how much weight the character can carry, shove or lift. Strength figures into jumping and leaping, and it also measures the raw damage you can deliver in a fight. The higher your Strength is, the more punishing your blows are. Generally, characters with high Strength are big and brawny, although such is not always the case; the short and wiry types can also pack quite a punch.

* Poor: You can carry or lift 40lbs.

** Average: You can carry or lift 100lbs.

*** Good: You can carry or lift 250lbs.

**** Exceptional: You can carry or lift 400lbs.

***** Outstanding: You can carry or lift 650lbs and turn wild beasts into hamburger.

Specialities: Steely Grip; Lower Body; Strength Reserves.

Dexterity represents a number of physical aptitudes, including agility, speed and manual deftness. Characters with high Dexterity have good hand-eye coordination. Generally, they’re graceful and light on their feet to boot. Dexterity influences accuracy in combat, as well as the ability to do precision work with one’s hands.

* Poor: You trip and stumble just walking across carpet.

** Average: A gymnast you’re not, but you don’t embarrass yourself, either.

*** Good: There’s some grace in your movements and lightness to your step.

**** Exceptional: You’ve got the potential to be a world-class acrobat, dancer or thief.

***** Outstanding: Your agility and control over your movements is possibly the stuff of legends. Every step you take is fluid, graceful and lithe.

Specialities: Lightening Reflexes; Preternatural Grace; Nimble Fingers.

Stamina is a state of both mind and body. It indicates the physical ability to withstand great strain over a long period of time (such as running for hours on end or going without food for days), but it’s also a matter of inner resistance (such as holding up in the face of torture or shrugging off dire wounds to finish a mission). High Stamina allows you to endure an opponent’s blows, so it’s the Trait of choice for representing tough-as-nails werewolves.

* Poor: Your body tires easily, and you prefer sleep to a good jog through the meadow.

** Average: You can take a punch.

*** Good: A day’s hike without food or water isn’t too much for you to bear.

**** Exceptional: Whether it’s a two-day forced march or sneering in the face of your torturers, you’re up to the task.

***** Outstanding: There’s little that can tire you or force you to give up secrets. It’ll take a lot more than torture or threats to weaken your resolve.

Specialities: Unbreakable; Tireless; Resilient.

SOCIAL:

Are you a natural leader? Do you find it easy to make others do your bidding? Does the opposite sex find you irresistible? The Social Traits rank your aptitude in dealing with others, both your good looks and your general personality. Naturally, some penalties apply to these Attributes as the werewolf shifts form. Many Galliards and Philodox find high Social Traits extremely useful.

Charisma isn’t really about good looks; rather, it’s innate charm, personality and power of influence. Even ugly people can have a high Charisma, and many great leaders possess a commanding presence without being beautiful or handsome. Characters with a high Charisma Trait generally serve as inspiration for their fellows, exuding an air of trust and likeability. Others depend on them regularly to provide motivation and encouragement, a great expectation indeed. In contrast, characters with low Charisma have poor social skills, no matter what form they wear. They do and say the wrong things, and they generally end up pissing off people who might otherwise be friends.

* Poor: Making friends is harder for you than most.

** Average: People think you’re kind of friendly and fairly easy to get along with.

*** Good: You generally inspire others to trust you, even in tough circumstances.

**** Exceptional: You draw in admirers like bees to honey. No one’s ever a stranger for long.

***** Outstanding: You’ve got tremendous leadership potential, and your mere presence stirs entire septs to extreme acts of reverence and duty.

Specialities: Air of Confidence; Captivating; Commanding Voice; Infectious Humour.

Manipulation is the art of getting people to do what you want, preferably without them realising how they’re being used. It differs from Charisma in that the person being persuaded doesn’t have to be a friend; a character with a high score in manipulation can even exploit her enemies. This Trait is usually subtle, and it involves some variety of quick talking, bluffing or understated threat, unless an overt action fit’s the story. Botching a Manipulation roll can bring down the wrath of the intended target. Nobody likes to be manipulated. This Attribute is generally easier for homids to master than it is for lupus, although many betas and omegas are no stranger to the idea.

* Poor: You’d have trouble getting a starving wolf to eat a freshly killed rabbit.

** Average: You’re as sly as the next person; sometimes you got it, sometimes you don’t.

*** Good: Haggling and striking a good deal is a snap for you.

**** Exceptional: Folks generally agree with whatever you say, despite their better judgement.

***** Outstanding: You could convince the most devoted pup to turn against his mother, if you wished.

Specialities: Forked Tongue; Unswerving Logic; Doubletalk; Seduction.

Appearance describes your physical features and related qualities, such as voice and bone structure. A high score in this Attribute denotes a character who is physically attractive or who has some mysterious allure that others find enticing. A low score means that he’s unattractive or lacking physical features that most folks find pleasing. Appearance is important for first encounters and impressions. Charisma can go a long way after acquaintances are made, but Appearance certainly influences initial gut reactions.

* Poor: Not pretty. Young ones howl when you come too close.

** Average: Your looks and features don’t set you apart, which can be an asset.

*** Good: You’ve heard all the pickup lines at the local pub, good and bad.

**** Exceptional: You could make a living as a model, and photographers are always bugging you to pose for them.

***** Outstanding: It’s a bit of everything: your body, hair, face and voice make you exquisite to behold.

Specialities: Genial; Exotic; Alluring; Noble Bearing.

Thinking, reasoning and sharp observation are all in the realm of Mental traits. These Attributes help determine, among other things, reaction time and awareness of what’s going on around you. Werewolves who want to be known for their cleverness would do well to have high mental Traits.

Perception is a combination of watching your surroundings actively while also relying on instincts and certain feelings. It may or may not involve intense concentration; it’s more like having a certain awareness or sensitivity to what’s going on in the immediate vicinity. Perception comes in handy when characters search for clues, maintain alertness for ambushes or seek hidden knowledge. Characters who are too cocky or sceptical probably don’t rely on their Perception as much as they should if they want to live a bit longer.

* Poor: Oblivious. You won’t have a clue when the Apocalypse comes.

** Average: You get the general idea when trouble brews, as long as there’s some racket.

*** Good: You’re usually alert to changes in your environment, enough not to be surprised easily.

**** Exceptional: You notice just about everything, even when one of your sense is dulled.

***** Outstanding: Nothing escapes your notice, not even that click beetle painted with the Magadon logo, living in the neighbour’s potted plant.

Specialities: Eyes in the Back of your Head; Farsighted; Uncanny Instincts; Detail-Oriented.

Intelligence includes raw reasoning ability, problem-solving and memory. It’s not just your IQ score; instead, Intelligence involves how well a character can make sense of seemingly random facts and data, organising them into usable and constructive patterns. Many Knowledge Traits work with Intelligence to reflect working through dilemmas and conundrums. Lateral thinking and leaps of intuition are also part of Intelligence, as is logic, both deductive and inductive. Having a low Intelligence doesn’t necessarily imply stupidity; it’s just that the character probably thinks in simple patterns, with no shades of grey. And by the same token, a high Intelligence doesn’t make a character Stephen Hawking. Instead, the character is just a whiz at remembering facts and pulling them out when they’re needed most.

* Poor: Slow on the uptake, you don’t comprehend anything but the here and now (IQ 80).

** Average: You finish parts of the daily crossword (IQ 100).

*** Good: Puzzles and trivia games are a snap. You see patterns in given data easily, if you’ve got the time to spare (IQ 120).

**** Exceptional: Sorting and classifying even complex information is a breeze. Also, you have excellent recall, although your memory isn’t quite eidetic (IQ 140).

***** Outstanding: You’re a true genius who can figure out just about any problem, no matter how complex, with the time and resources (IQ 160+).

Specialities: Lateral Problem Solver; Creative Logic; Probability Calculation; Trivia.

The Wits Trait encompasses planning, quick thinking and cleverness. It affects a character’s reaction time in combat and his adaptability to new stimuli. If she has a low Wits score, she’s probably more gullible and not particularly fast on the uptake; jokes slip right past her, even if she’s the victim. On the other hand, a high Wits Trait indicates an ability to keep cool in stressful circumstances and respond to unforeseen events with precision and aplomb. This Attribute comes in handy both in lively conversation and during the heat of a fight.

* Poor: The local Ragabash loves to torment you.

** Average: You know enough to duck when punches or bullets start flying.

*** Good: You can handle a fast-paced debate and make a good showing of yourself.

**** Exceptional: You’re infamous for your quick retorts; it’s difficult to catch you off balance.

***** Outstanding: Almost nothing takes you by surprise, whether a stab in the back or a fiery remark at a moot.

Specialities: Snappy Retorts; Ambushes; Cool-Headed; Cunning.

Some characters are especially good at particular applications of their Traits. For example, a painter might be particularly good at portraits, a baseball player might be adept at catching fly balls, and a brawler might be infamous for his low blows. To represent this, characters with scores of 4 or higher in Attributes or Abilities may choose Specialities for those Traits.

A Speciality is a particular subcategory of an Attribute or and Ability - thus, a character with Strength 5 might choose to be specially adept in “deadlifting”, while a character with Investigation 4 might be a whiz at “ballistics”. Whenever a player makes a die roll involving an activity in which her character has specialised, she may take any die that comes up “10”, tally the success normally, then reroll that die in an attempt to accumulate extra successes. If the rerolled die also comes up “10”, she may continue to reroll for still further successes. This process continues until no further “10s” are rolled.