Ratkin is a supplement for Werewolf: The Apocalypse concerning the titular Ratkin, the were-rats of the World of Darkness. It is the fifth of the breedbook series, focusing on various Fera.
Summary[]
From the White Wolf catalog:
- A Plague of Rats
- For ages, they've waited in the shadows, beady eyes and high chittering the only signs of their presence. They seethe with ancient hatreds and poorly healed wounds. Now the time comes for them to boil up out of the sewers, to exact their revenge upon the world. The Ratkin are coming. Woe to anyone they catch.
- The Infestation Begins!
- With the release of the fifth Changing Breed Book, the Ratkin take their rightful place among the werebeasts. These crazed, paranoid saboteurs and assassins have a number of old debts to pay, and they have plenty of tricks ready. Whether you're a player who's been waiting to get your hands really dirty or a Storyteller who wants to put the fear of Rat in your group, this is the book for you.
From the Back of the Book:
- Memory is in my blood
- the purity of the Wyld surges through me
- I remember the names of my brethren
- kept to the rhythm of my beating heart
- I hear the screams of my ancestors
- distant echoes from the War of Rage
- I smell the exotic scents of the spirit world
- memories of paradise... and exile
- My skin shivers at the thought of our betrayal
- the lies and falsehoods of the Age of Man
- My nerves twitch, sensing the fury of the swarm
- we breed an army to seek our revenge
- What my ancestors have sensed, I can recall
- from ancient gods, I heat the call to battle
- For memory is in my blood.
- - Gregor Flames-and-Shadows, Ratkin Twitcher
- Ratkin includes:
- A long look at frenetic Ratkin society, from their earliest legends to their current social conventions
- Details on the Ratkin aspects, as well as the four Freak aspects that push the bounds of reality
- Complete character creation rules - aspects, Gifts, rites, fetishes, forms, Metis & Flaws, sample characters and more
Chapters[]
A Gorged Throat Full of Murder[]
Comic by Steve Prescott.
Introduction: The Shadow of the Rat[]
Chapter One: Ratkin Legends[]
History as the wererats tell it.
Chapter Two: Infesting the World[]
A look at Ratkin society
- Spirits
- Rat-spirits (Kangaroo Rat-spirits, Packrat-spirits, Mole rat-spirits)
- Pain-spirits and Disease-spirits
- Charms: Agony and Infection
- The Freakachu
Chapter Three: Crunchy Bits and Shiny Things[]
Ratkin Character Creation
- New Background:
- Colony
- Freak Factor
- Unhinged
- Unstable
- Unearthly
- Unbalanced
- Unnatural
- Unhinged
- Plague
- The Rat Race (North American Ratkin)
- Gamine (European Ratkin)
- Borrachon Wererats (South American Ratkin)
- Rattus Typhus (African Ratkin)
- Nezumi (Japanese Ratkin)
- Thuggees (East Asian Ratkin)
- The Horde (Eurasian Ratkin)
- De La Poer's Disciples (Antarctic Ratkin)
- Ratkin Ronin (The High Seas)
- Rites and Rituals
- Contract Rite - Level One
- Dedication Rite - Level One
- Rite of Artifice Dedication - Level One
- Rite of the Birthing Plague - Level One
- Rite of the Bolthole - Level One
- Rite of the Cardboard Palace - Level One
- Rite of the Pain Dagger - Level One
- Rite of the Crash Space - Level Two
- Rite of Investiture - Level Three
- Rite of the Purified Body - Level Two
- Pact of Vengeance - Level Three
- Rite of the Shopping Cart - Level Three
- Ritual of the Shiny Thing - Level Three
- Rite of the Swarm - Level Four
- Rite of Warding - Level Varies
- Shiny Things and Other Fetishes
- Pipes of the Swarm - Level 1, Gnosis 4
- Circular Saw Launcher - Level 2, Gnosis 5
- Rat Mask - Level 3, Gnosis 6
- Nezumi Kite - Level 4, Gnosis 7
- Mystery Machine - Level 5, Gnosis 8
- Merits and Flaws
- Cagebound (3 point Merit)
- Caged Folk (3 point Merit)
- Amnesia (1 point Flaw)
- Adrenaline Addict (2 point Flaw)
- Rat Fink (2 point Flaw)
- Technological Delusions (2 point Flaw)
- Kleptomaniac/Pack Rat (2-3 point Flaw)
- Pack Instinct (3 point Flaw)
- Incoherent (4 point Flaw)
Chapter Four: Aspects and Renown[]
Ratkin "auspices" and Rank
- Freaks
- Ratkin Engineers
- Plague Lords
- Munchmausen, "Arcadian Ratkin," "Moon Mice"
- Twitchers
Chapter Five: Systems and Storytelling[]
Optional guidelines for intensifying the Ratkin experience.
Appendix One: Ratkin Gifts[]
- Ratkin Gifts
- Cloak of Shadows - Level One
- Darksight - Level One
- Resist Toxin - Level One
- Shadow Throw - Level One
- Smell Poison - Level One
- Stash Cache - Level One
- Crawling Chaos - Level Two
- Deep Pockets - Level Two
- Snitch - Level Two
- Backbite - Level Three
- Bolt! - Level Three
- Squeeze - Level Three
- Attunement - Level Four
- Gnaw - Level Four
- Mind of the Tunnels - Level Four
- Perfect Poison - Level Five
- Plague Bite - Level Five
- Riot - Level Five
- Survivor - Level Five
- Breed Gifts
- Homid Gifts
- Cooking - Level One
- Eau de Rat - Level One
- Persuasion - Level One
- Instinct - Level Two
- Sticky Fingers - Level Two
- Reshape Object - Level Three
- Of Rat and Man - Level Three
- Attunement - Level Four
- Body Wrack - Level Four
- Ugly Truth - Level Five
- Metis Gifts
- Cloak of Shadows - Level One
- Rat Mother's Touch - Level One
- Sense Wyrm - Level One
- Spirit of the Spiny Rat - Level Two
- Stink - Level Two
- Rat Thing - Level Three
- Silver Tooth - Level Three
- Ratkin Lullaby - Level Four
- Whelp Body - Level Four
- War of Vengeance - Level Five
- Rodens Gifts
- Absolute Balance - Level One
- Leap of the Kangaroo Rat - Level One
- Survival - Level One
- Devour the Dead - Level Two
- Scamper - Level Two
- Itchy - Level Three
- Silver Tooth - Level Three
- Command Metis - Level Four
- Mind of the Swarm - Level Four
- Furtive Gathering - Level Five
- Homid Gifts
- Aspect Gifts
- Tunnel Runner Gifts
- Danger Sense - Level One
- Scent of the True Form - Level One
- Silent Running - Level One
- Hotwire - Level Two
- Sigil - Level Two
- Urban Camouflage - Level Two
- Evasion - Level Three
- Second Sight - Level Three
- Speak in Tongues - Level Four
- Tunnel Echoes - Level Four
- Cheese It! - Level Five
- Shadow Seer Gifts
- Rat Mother's Touch - Level One
- Sense Weaver - Level One
- Sense Wyrm - Level One
- Name the Spirit - Level Two
- Summon Engling - Level Two
- Touch the Spirits - Level Two
- Protect the Swarm - Level Two
- Command Spirit - Level Three
- Exorcism - Level Three
- Pulse of the Invisible - Level Three
- Discarded Dreams - Level Four
- Feast of the Dead - Level Four
- Elegy - Level Five
- Knife-Skulker Gifts
- Death Mark - Level One
- Sticky Paws - Level One
- Truth of Gaia - Level One
- Chitter - Level Two
- Mother's Truth - Level Two
- Stalk - Level Two
- Doppelganger - Level Three
- Paralyzing Stare - Level Three
- Open Wounds - Level Four
- Wither Limb - Level Four
- Geas - Level Five
- Warrior Gifts
- Resist Pain - Level One
- Slicing Teeth - Level One
- Sticky Paws - Level One
- Curse of Hated - Level Two
- Rat's Teeth - Level Two
- Spirit of the Fray - Level Two
- Bolt! - Level Three
- Improvisation - Level Three
- Persecution Complex - Level Four
- Treppelganer - Level Four
- Pack Attack - Level Five
- Tunnel Runner Gifts
- Freak Aspect Gifts
- Ratkin Engineer Gifts
- Control Simple Machine - Level One
- Open Seal - Level One
- Scrounge - Level One
- Hotwire - Level Two
- Mousetrap - Level Two
- Summon Electricity - Level Three
- Control Complex Machine - Level Three
- Battery - Level Four
- Death Ray - Level Five
- Plague Lord Gifts
- Poison Food - Level One
- Sniffle - Level One
- Virulent Curse of Hatred - Level One
- Blur of the Weeping Eyes - Level Two
- Dredge the Spirit World - Level Two
- Catgut - Level Three
- Lesions - Level Three
- Inflict Pain - Level Four
- Epidemic Contagion - Level Five
- Munchmausen Gifts
- Persuasion - Level One
- Spirit Speech - Level One
- Tale Spinning - Level One
- Name the Spirit - Level Two
- Rapier Wit - Level Two
- Adversity - Level Three
- Taste of Madness - Level Three
- Whispered Dreams - Level Four
- Hyperattenuation - Level Five
- Twitcher Gifts
- Firebug - Level One
- Sense Angst - Level One
- Sense Weaver - Level One
- Holdout - Level Two
- Self-Destruct - Level Two
- Pyrotechnics - Level Three
- Sanctify - Level Three
- Keening of Swarm Panic - Level Four
- All Hell - Level Five
- Ratkin Engineer Gifts
Appendix Two: Rat Bastards[]
- Templates
- Drifter - Homid Ratkin, Tunnel Runner
- Idealistic Street Rat - Metis Ratkin, Shadow Seer
- Ecoterrorist - Homid Ratkin, Knife Skulker
- Militia Man - Homid Ratkin, The Rat Race, Warrior
- Monkeywrenching Temp - Homid Ratkin, Tunnel Runner
- Bad Girl - Rodens Ratkin, Warrior
- Lab Rat Activist - Rodens Ratkin, Engineer
Appendix Three: The Real World[]
- Bibliography
- Non-Fiction
- Rats: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual by Himsel
- Rats by Susan Fox
- Rats, Lice and History by Zinsser
- Fiction
- Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by O'Brien
- Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
- The Swords of Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber
- "The Rats in the Walls" and "Dreams in the Witch House," by H.P. Lovecraft
- Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
- Inspirational Films and Television Programs
- Charlotte's Web
- Ben and Willard
- The Abyss
- Serendipitous Inspiration
- Gremlins
- The People Under the Stairs
- The Baron Munchausen Roleplaying Game
- Feng Shui and Pendragon
- Bunnies and Burrows
- Watership Down
- Non-Fiction
Background Information[]
Memorable Quotes[]
"So everyone still keeps on loving us because weer the best. Hooray Rat!" - Scumdangle Elfbiter
Characters[]
- Refallon Dwells-in-Dumps - Bone Gnawer, Comic
- Weil Yellow-Tooth - Rarkin, Died, Comic
- Yersinia - Ratkin, Comic
- Chagas Cruzi
- Gregor Flames-and-Shadows, Ratkin Twitcher
- Julia Claws-in-the-Dark - Ratkin
- Joe Lock-and-Load - Ratkin, Knife Skulker
- Ariel - Ratkin
- Johnnie McMuffin - Ratkin, Twitcher
- Madame DeFarge - Ratkin, Great-Grandmere of Europe, Paris
- Ishira Nezumi - Nezumi, Matriarch of the clan, Hokkaido
- Lord Ebola - Ratkin, Plague Lord, Zaire
- Howard Phillip Gollomo
- Typhus of Buboe - Ratkin
- Chitter-Tooth, Charioteer of the Coliseum - Ratkin
- Johnny Three-Paws, the Carney-of-Carnivale - Ratkin
- Frankie Super-Size - Ratkin, Tunnel Runner
- Johnny - Ratkin
- Johann von Typhus - Plague Lord, Ratkin
- Shadow Blade - Ratkin, Knife Skulker
- Fights-with-Flame - Ratkin, Warlord of the Horde
- Duke Wades-in-Blood - Ratkin, Warrior
- Susan Whispers-in-Dust - Ratkin, Shadow Seer
- Scumdangle Elfbiter - Ratkin
- Notable Ratkin
- The Giant Rat of Sumatra
- Johnny Y2K
- Lisa Trash-80 - Ratkin Engineer, Johnny's Mother
- Momma Rat
- Danny "Diz" Walton
Terminology[]
Aspects: Knife-Skulkers, Shadow Seers, Tunnel Runners, Warriors; Big Shiny Place (Engineer Myth), Birthing Plague, Blood Memory, Boltholes, Breed: Homid, Metis, Rodens; Colonies, Concord, Council, Deceit, Eastern Concordiat, Elders (Rat Mother, Scout, Warlord, Mystic), Field of Nettles, Forms: Crinos, Homid, Rodens; Freak Aspects: Munchmausen, Plague Lords, Ratkin Engineers, Twitchers; High Court, High War, Impergium, Ingenious Device (Engineers), Kinfolk, Litany of Survival, Low Court, Low War, Monkeywrenchers, Nests (Burrows, Crash Space, Infestations, Middens), O'Tolley's, Paradise Realms: Buboe, Carnivale, Coliseum, Copse of a Thousand Teeth; Queequeg's (Coffee Company), Rank: Rakka (1), Voto (2), Tava (3), Teppen (4), Rrrr't (5); Rapture, Rat (Rat God, Mama Rat), Rat Alleys, Ratkin, Rat King/Queen, Ratkin Bards, Rat Kingdoms/Plague: Borrachon Wererats (Drunken Rats), De La Poer's Disciples, Gamine, The Horde, Nezumi, Rat Race, Ratkin Ronin (Wave Rats), Rattus Typhus, Thuggees; Rat Packs (Consorts, Courtiers, Gangs, High Packs, Low Packs, Ramblers, Retinues, Straggler/Runt), Renown: Cunning, Infamy, Obligation; Rite of Naming, Rural Kingdoms: Desert Rats, Ghost Rats, Mountain Rats, Swamp Rats; Sentai, Spirit Kinfolk, Stairway Realms, Swarms, Tech Duel (Engineer Showdown), The Television Zone, Tribe (Blossoming Flower Tribe, Circle K Tribe, The Mark), Unearthly Ratkin, War of Rage, War Revels, Western Concordiat, Wyld,
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