Anurana

It’s difficult to say quite what drove the creation of the werefrogs. Officially, they were supposed to shore up a critical deficiency in Pentex maritime security, acting as a counterbalance to the Rokea; they might have also been deployed in the sewers to flush out Bone Gnawer packs, or to patrol heavily polluted rivers, lakes, and estuaries around Pentex factories. Privately, the Pentex Board of Directors suspects that personnel from the disastrous Freakfeet fomor project (see p. 132), reassigned from Project Iliad to Project Lycaon, simply wanted another shot at doing things right.

In the end, they screwed up again. The Anurana are the result of a mixture of repurposed NDL technologies based on those that created the War Wolves and improved techniques from the Freakfeet project. The aim was to create a breed of true shapeshifters under Pentex control, codenamed the Anurana (aportmanteau of order: Anura, genus: rana, presumably because “werefrog” didn’t sound sufficiently intimidating). The project was a limited success, but the Anurana proved entirely uncontrollable. Hypnotic, mystical, and Bane-implant conditioning all failed utterly, and the first generation of test subjects, sent out on a scouting mission to investigate Rokea activity off the coast of New England, never returned.

They survived, though, and now thrive in the wild. The Anurana have a strange, lingering connection to Pentex, and stalk its facilities and personnel to this day, preferring to dwell and breed in the pollution-rich waters near the Wyrm-corporation’s factories. This does not make them allies of the Garou, however; the Anurana are terrible things, designed to thrive in the polluted waters of the Apocalyptic world, and fiercely attack any who attempt to cleanse the tainted places the Anurana call home. They have a kind of understanding with the Balefire Sharks who also patrol those horrific waters.

Traits
Anurana vary as much as any other “shapeshifter,” though they have a distinct tendency toward low Intelligence and Appearance ratings, and toward high Brawl, Primal-Urge, Athletics, and Willpower. Their particular features are as follows:

Breeds
Anurana have only two Breeds, homid and metis, as they are entirely incapable of reproduction with any kind of earthly amphibian. Homid Anurana begin with Rage 3, Gnosis 1, Willpower 5; the more powerful, monstrous Metis Anurana begin with Rage 5, Gnosis 2, Willpower 3.

Forms
Anurana have three forms: Homid, Anuran (roughly equivalent to Glabro), and Dagon (roughly equivalent to Crinos). The trait modifiers for Anuran are Strength +1, Dexterity +1, Stamina +1, Appearance –2. The character can swim at his full movement speed as though he were on land. The character can hold his breath for up to (Stamina) hours.

Dagon form modifiers are Strength +2, Dexterity +2, Stamina +2, Appearance 0. The character gains claw and bite attacks as a Garou, can swim at twice his normal movement speed, and triples his leaping distances. The character can operate underwater indefinitely. Witnessing a character in Dagon form induces the Delirium in humans.Forms

Powers
Anurana can step sideways by submerging themselves in polluted waters, or emerging from the same. They regenerate damage at the same rate as Garou, but do not suffer any vulnerability to silver or any other substance. They are immune to the Delirium.

The Anurana are not part of the Pact with the spirit world, and no spirits will consent to teach them Gifts.

Even Banes look down on these pretend-shapeshifters. Instead, Anurana have a number of innate, fomor-like powers in Dagon form. These include: Eyes of the Wyrm, Frog Tongue, Maw of the Wyrm and Nimbleness.