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Below are some sample fetishes that Bone Shadows might create. Many of the tribe's fetishes help to overcome the disadvantages that werewolves face when dealing with spirits.

Bone Shadow Fetishes[]

Footsteps of the Dead (Talen)[1]: Bone Shadows first developed this talen, and it has since been very useful to Uratha having to deal with vampires and other walking dead. When activated and sprinkled on a surface, it adheres to the footprints of any undead who've passed through the area in the past 24 hours. The contents of the bag remain active for one minute once activated. This bag of dust is made from the grave earth from any human and is powered by a death-spirit. It can cover an area up to 20 square feet.
Durability 1, Size 0, Structure 1

Ghost Salt (Talen)[2]: Ghost Salt is a special mixture of herbs, crushed bones and (of course) salt for those Hirfathra Hissu who don't make use of Death Gifts. Sprinkled around an area suspected of harboring an unquiet shade and activated, the salt begins to glow slightly if a ghost is indeed present. The salt can also be used to detect a ghost's anchors in the same manner - a pinch or two sprinkled on the object (or person), and if a ghost has a connection to it, the salt becomes faintly luminous. Bone Shadows usually use cat-spirits to empower Ghost Salt.
Action: Instant

Obituary (Talen)[3]: A useful investigate tool, especially when dealing with ghosts, the Obituary takes the form of a single, thin piece of paper. The werewolf writes the name of a deceased person down on the paper and activates the talen, and seconds later, an obituary appears there. It states the deceased's age at the time of death, the cause of death and any surviving family that he had (though not their locations). Once used, the paper retains the data permanently. The spirit of any loud, "talkative " bird can be used to create an obituary.
Action: Instant

Menu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Protective Charm[4]: This fetish goes by many names - gris-gris, ward, talisman, luck charm, etc. The form varies, but it is always something that the werewolf can wear, usually on a necklace. Protective charms are common among the Bone Shadows, and fetish-crafters often use such charms as currency with other tribes, since they aren't complicated to make. Upon activation, a protective charm can do one of the following:

  • Add 3 to the character's Initiative
  • Ass 1 to the character's Defense for a number of turns equal to the successes on the activation roll (if the player spends a point of Essence to activate the fetish, the effect persists for a number of turns equal to the character's Primal Urge)
  • Add 1 to a Social dice pool for dealing with a spirit
  • Grant 9-again on a single roll (this requires the expenditure of one point of Essence)

A given charm has only one of these effects; the player can't choose a different effect each time the charm is used.
A wide variety of spirits can be used to power protective charms. Cat-spirits and wolf-spirits are common choices.
Action: Reflexive

Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Shadow Tarot[5]: As discussed earlier in this chapter, the Bone Shadows in many areas make frequent use of divination tools. A Shadow Tarot deck is one such tool, specially empowered to give insight and information to the tribe. The user activates the deck and performs some kind of reading, anything from the circle and cross to a single-card draw, depending on how much time the character has what he wants to know. The images on the cards of the deck loosely match the traditional Tarot deck, but when the deck is activated, the character can see a crude representation of himself moving from card to card, in sequence, and encountering the challenges therein. In game terms, the reading gives the character an oblique hint as to what is happening, couched in the symbolism of the Tarot (the Storyteller might give the user's player an Intelligence + Occult roll for some help in interpreting what the character sees). At some point in the future, if the character recognizes an element from the reading (and the player specifically calls attention to it), he can regain a point of Willpower or apply a +3 modifier to a relevant roll. A raven-spirit is usually used to create a Shadow Tarot deck.
Action: Instant (though performing the reading might take as much as 10 minutes)

Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Death Wolf's Howl[6]: Some Bone Shadows carry small, glass jars. sealed with wax and marked with the tribal glyph. Werewolves that have heard of the Death Wolf's Howl often give some measure of deference to such werewolves, for fear of the Howl's release.
Creating this fetish requires a wolf-spirit that has consumed at least a bit of Essence tainted with death, either directly from another spirit or from an appropriately tinged locus. The ideal candidate would be a magath made from a wolf-spirit eating death-spirits, but obviously those aren't easily found. The spirit empowers the jar with a long, eerie howl, and then the werewolf seals the jar. When the seal is broken (and the fetish activated), the Howl is released. Everyone who hears it must roll Stamina + Composure minus the user's Wisdom + Primal Urge (the roll for spirits is Resistance minus the user's Wisdom + Primal Urge). The roll resilts below are for the victim's Stamina + Composure roll, not for the activation of the fetish.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The user suffers aggravated damage equal to the fetish user's Wisdom (but no other loss) as the Howl pierces his heart and freezes the blood in his veins.
Failure: The victim loses Willpower, Essence or Health i any combination equal to the fetish user's successes. Health lost in this way is considered lethal damage.
Success: The Howl inflicts no damage, but the victim suffers a -3 penalty to all rolls involving hearing for the rest of the scene.
Exceptional Success: The Death Wolf's Howl has no effect.
Once used, the fetish has to be recharged. The user must open the jar and howl to Death Wolf (the player rolls Presence + Expression), and then let the jar sit in darkness for three nights. At that point, the Howl returns and the werewolf can seal the jar again.
Action: Instant

Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Ghost Stake[7]: Bone Shadows created this fetish to give them some respite when entering the places of the dead. This iron spike, when activated and driven into the ground, makes it very difficult for ghosts or spirits flavored with the resonance of death to enter the area (1 yard radius per success on the activation roll). Spirits wishing to approach must make a Resistance check, with a -2 modifier. The user can increase this modifier by up to three (to -5) by sacrificing more Essence during the activation, -1 per point of Essence spent (beyond any used to activate the fetish). A Helion empowers this fetish.
Durability 3 (reinforced to 5), Size 1, Structure 6, Damage 1
Action: Reflexive

Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bullet Spirit Anchor[8]: Spirits are notoriously hard to destroy. Attacking with claws and fangs typically discorporates them, and that's a temporary fix at best. The Spirit Anchor, a fetish taking the form of a square piece of fabric about two feet on a side with metal weights affixed to the corners, prevents a spirit from discorporating for any reason. The spirit can flee using whatever means of locomotion are available (a spirit resembling a bird can fly, a spirit with legs can run, while an abstract spirit with no real form usually just falls to the ground and remains there), but the spirit's Speed is greatly impaired.
To use this fetish, the werewolf must throw it on top of the spirit, after successfully activating the fetish. Throwing it onto a spirit requires the player to roll Dexterity + Athletics minus the spirit's Defense (armor does not apply). If this roll succeeds, the spirit rolls Resistance, contested by the werewolf's Presence + primal Urge. If the spirit wins, it shakes off the anchor. If the spirit loses, its form solidifies. The spirit cannot discorporate, even if reduced to zero Corpus (any further damage comes of the spirit's Essence, which of course can destroy it - see p. 275 of Werewolf: The Forsaken). Furthermore, the spirit's Speed is reduced by half (if it has any visible means of movement) or reduced to 5 (if it does not have legs, wings, etc.).
When the Spirit Anchor is in place, a werewolf attacking the spirit must take care not to damage the fetish. The werewolf's player can take a -2 modifier (above and beyond Defense) to avoid hitting the Spirit Anchor, unless the spirit is Size 7 or larger, in which case the werewolf is assumed to have ample space to avoid the fetish. If the player does not take this modifier, the Storyteller rolls a die every time the spirit is successfully attacked. On a roll of '1,' the Anchor is damaged, and the effects end. The Anchor can be repaired (extended Dexterity + Crafts, 10 successes necessary; each roll takes one day).
The spirit of any large, heavy animal can empower this fetish.
Action: Reflexive

Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Tooth of the Death Wolf (Grand Klaive)[9]: A Tooth of the Death Wolf is a fetish weapon created employing a death-spirit. These weapons vary in form, but sickles, scythes and other curved blades are common. Upon activation, a Tooth of the Death Wolf imposes an aura of ghostly menace over the wielder. The Bone Shadow becomes Death Incarnate - fury disappears, emotion disappears and all that remains is inevitability. In game terms, the Bone Shadow's player receives three extra dice on all Intimidation rolls (including Gifts that use the Skill), and receives a +2 modifier to avoid Death Rage.
A Tooth of the Death Wolf inflicts aggravated damage once activated, and lethal damage otherwise. Using an activated Tooth of the Death Wolf against another werewolf causes a roll to avoid degeneration at Harmony 4 (roll three dice).
Action: Instant

References[]

Werewolf: The Forsaken Fetishes and Talens
First Edition
General Arrathudum · General Fetishes and Talens · Gazhdum · Indian Talens · Islamic Fetishes · Klaives · Protectorate Fetishes · United Kingdom Fetishes · Urban Fetishes · War-Fetishes · Wolf-Blooded Fetishes
Auspice Fetishes Cahalith · Elodoth · Irraka · Ithaeur · Rahu
Tribal Fetishes Bale Hounds · Blood Talons · Bone Shadows · Ghost Wolves · Hunters in Darkness · Iron Masters · Pure Tribes · Storm Lords
Lodge Fetishes Armèe Sauvage Fetishes · Bad Penny · Biografia Perfeita · Blessed String · Blood Rosary · City Compass · Condor Idol · Cuchillo de Hueso · Cult of Bones Fetishes · Death Howl Stone · Eyepiece · Eyes of the Unproven · Fire Hammer · The Gift of Madness · Guksu's Headdress · Kshatriyas Fetishes · Lightning Chain · Lodge of the Crossroads Fetishes · Lodge of Death Fetishes · Lodge of Echoes Fetishes · Lodge of Garm Fetishes · Lodge of Harbingers Fetishes · Lodge of Lightning Fetishes · Lodge of the Maelstrom Fetishes · Lodge of the Red Sands Fetishes · Lodge of Scavengers Fetishes · Lodge of Seasons Fetishes · Lodge of Swords Fetishes · Lodge of Thunder Fetishes · Lodge of the Willow Branch Fetishes · Luna’s Mercy · Map of the Pact · Poisoner’s Pen · Prophecy Bone · Purity Jewel · The Rose Among Thorns · Spirit's Dream · Standard of Station · Tears of Luna · Timbre Rattle · Truth-Catcher · Turndagger · Wraith-Claws
Unique Fetishes Billy Pine’s Cudgel · Blood Letter · Brick of the Ziggurat · Catamount’s Teeth · Dane’s Necklace · Hate and Pain · Lionel’s Promise · Moon Klaives · Stolen Fetishes · The Timesaver · Thunder Bird Staff
Second Edition
General Sample Fetishes and Talens
Lodge Fetishes Glorious Lyre · Thousand Steel Teeth Fetishes
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