Rites of the Ratkin are a type of Rite from Werewolf: The Apocalypse. They were first introduced in the Werewolf Players Guide and are exclusive to the Ratkin. Except for the Dedication Rite (Rite of the Totem) and the two Mystic Rites they share with the Bone Gnawers: Rite of the Cardboard Palace and Rite of the Shopping Cart.
Overview[]
Each Ratkin character begins play with one rite, determined by his or her aspect. Wererats are more ritualistic than most other Changing Breeds. They find it even more important that the "appropriate" Ratkin knows specific rites. Most prefer that only a Ratkin of the "proper aspect" perform any given rite. Since the wererats don't have many allies in the physical world, it's even more important not to offend the spirits. Unfortunately, constant exceptions are made. Lone wanderers, for instance, find the Contract Rite essential, and Nests without a Plague Lord have always invoked the Birthing Plague whenever necessary. Thus, the spirits are capricious, and there's never a guarantee that any given ritual work exactly as desired.
Rat packs love to accumulate additional rites. These can be learned from Ratkin mystics, usually as a reward for performing a mystic quest or protecting a werewolf colony. Actually performing a ritual requires five minutes for each level of the rite; some cruel Storytellers may ask their players to mime or imitate how a rite is being performed.
Borrowed Rites[]
Not all of a Ratkin's rites are necessarily those in common use by her Breed; for instance, several Rakin know the Rite of Summoning, and a rare few practice the Rite of the Fetish. However, these are relatively few, as the Ratkin are truly comfortable only with the rites they know best. Oddly enough, there are no known rites of punishment among Ratkin - the Ratkin know a thousand ways to punish their own, but prefer to keep that "among rats" rather than formally invoking spirit witnesses.
Rites of the Ratkin List[]
- Level One[1]
- Contract Rite - This is the first rite a Knife-Skulker learns, although no lone wanderer would take to the road without it. The Contract Rite is a method by which Ratkin can sell his skills to another group of supernatural creatures. A particularly skeptical wererat may even take out a contract with his own rat pack before he joins. Before working with any other group of individuals, a Ratkin always had the right to ask "What's in it for me?" The most common types of compensation include safe passage through a domain, access to a sacred site, supplies, talens and exchanges of favors. When an area is overrun with Ratkin, swarms of wererats hire themselves out to anyone who can meet their demands. Retinues of courtiers and other traditional rat packs insist that their Tunnel Runner should approach a group initially, but their Knife Skulker should negotiate the final Contract Rite. Anarchist rat packs allows wererats of any aspect to perform this rite. There is only one overriding proviso: a rat pack cannot betray other Ratkin as part of a contract. The litany of Survival states that a wererat should betray others before betraying his own kind. Knife-Skulkers enforce this dictum with brutal efficiency. The rite serves as a declaration, with the spirits as witnesses, of what each party in the contract intends to get out of the alliance. With rat packs, this is largely a formality; a wererat who breaks a Contract Rite loses Cunning Renown and damages his reputation, but is still free to make other contracts. A Ratkin dealing with other supernatural creatures, however, takes a big risk when performing this rite. Breaking a contract will result in the wererat being hounded by Rat-spirits until the terms are fulfilled. Wererats may dismiss such obligations as trivial, but other supernatural creatures often seek revenge for betrayal. When other supernatural creatures enter into a Contract Rite with Ratkin, the most common goals involve gathering information, stealing valuables, or assassination. ("If you steal that fetish from the sept leader, I'll burn down the insane asylum and kill the vampire inside it." "Deal!") Ratkin can always sweeten any deal with a few carefully disclosed facts, giving their race a reputation, as one would expect, for "ratting" on former supernatural allies. This is considered sleazy by anyone other than Ratkin, who fully expect such behavior. Two guidelines are essential for any outside species who want to make contacts with wererats: Never turn your back on a Ratkin, and never betray a contract. Other supernatural creatures who try to cheat wererats succumb to a very important clause: the right of a Knife-Skulker to seek redress. Any good contract includes a "punishment clause," and Skulkers love to enforce them.
- Dedication Rite - This is the first rite a Shadow Seer learns, but any wererat can learn it from a Shadow Seer. It temporarily binds a rat pack to their totem and defines the collective goals they want to achieve. The ceremony is performed by a pack of rats gathered in a circle. Each member places an object in the center of the circle that represents his role in the pack. The ritemaster then walks around the gathering and speaks to the heavens, describing the great quest the pack intends to fulfill on the Incarna's behalf. The items then vanish immediately; they do not return to the pack members until the quest is fulfilled or formally abandoned. Once the pack has fulfilled its goal, they also have the option of "renewing the pact" or declaring allegiance to another Incarna. Renewing the rite doesn't require another rituals roll; changing totems, however requires the pack to perform this rite all over again.
- Hazer Tag (Mystic) - The Ratkin have learned time and again that other shapeshifters, especially Garou, will blame them when things go wrong. This would not worry the Ratkin, except that some werewolves are also very good at tracking the rats back to their nests. This rite throws them off the Ratkin's scent.
- Rite of Artifice Dedication - This rite allows a ritualist to bind an object or article of clothing to a fellow Ratkin. By laying paws on any mundane item, the ritualist can ensure that it will remain with the dedicated rodent while he shifts between forms. If the ritualist desires, it may simply vanish when the Ratkin is in a specific form. There is one major difference between this rite and Talisman Dedication: if desired, the size of the artifact can be greatly reduced when a wererat shifts, down to a size that even a ratling pup can use. For instance, a homid Ratkin's favorite battered hat might reform as a very, very tiny hat when the beastie is in Rodens form, or just disappear out of harms way until the traveler is in Homid form again. One word of caution: Any rat in Rodens form who carries tiny items is advised to stay hidden as much as possible. At best, being seen might possibly invoke the Delirium (even if the wererat is not in Crinos); at worst, someone will call the bad men in lab coats to come and take you away.
- Rite of the Birthing Plague (Mystic) - Once a rat has learned to properly serve one of the three major Incarna, they're ready to help bring more lost children into the fold. After the fulfillment of a rat pack's first contract, a Rat Gaffling will seek out the pack and teach them the Rite of the Birthing Plague. He may also immediately tell them where a prospective wererat might be found. Rescuing lost Kinfolk brings great Renown, and the rat pack will no doubt immediately school him on what they've learned so far. Plague Lords typically learn this ritual as their first rite. Performing the ritual summons a Rat Gaffling to bite a prospective Ratkin and determine whether a new wererat can be created. The victim is usually either rat Kinfolk, human Kinfolk or a newly spawned metis wererat. If it is performed on a human, the results are deadly. Once bitten, the subject is ravaged by the disease, which consumes mind, body and spirit alike. If the victim dies, there's one less human or weakling rat in the world. If the victim survives, he slowly transforms into a full-blood Ratkin. Hallucinations from the plague offer revelations of the new wererat's life. Garou, other shapechangers and their Kinfolk are not affected by this rite; they've already found their calling. Humans can be wounded with this rite, but they won't become Ratkin unless they are Ratkin Kinfolk. Ratkin infected a second time with this rite are unaffected by it; they have already pledged to serve their aspect for the rest of their days.
- Rite of the Bolthole - This is the first rite a Tunnel Runner learns. It does more than simply open a bolthole from the physical world to the Umbra; it also provides a short-cut for Ratkin who need to travel long distances. Spirit tunnels are a relatively safe form of travel, since only the smallest and most perceptive spirits can use them. Any Ratkin who holds hands (pr joins paws) with the ritualist and his fellow-travelers can also enter the spirit tunnel, which closes behind the deceit of wererats. After the pack tunnels into the Umbra, the path changes behind them; they cannot turn back, not can they follow the exact route later on. A Ratkin doesn't have to use this rite to step sideways, but if he does, he may find traveling through the Umbra much easier.
- Rite of the Cardboard Palace - This classic is taught by Bone Gnawers (and comes straight out of the Bone Gnawers Tribebook). The ritemaster can transform something as flimsy as a cardboard box into a decent place to sleep. Rodens Ratkin don't need such palatial estates; a milk carton or tissue box provides plenty of room.
- Level Two[2]
- Rite of the Bolthole - (See Above)
- Rite of the Crash Space - While werewolves build elaborate caerns to support entire septs of Garou, wererats can't afford such ostentatious surroundings. If the Rite of the Cardboard Palace isn't enough for you, a ritualist can transform any hidden home where rats can rest, recover and meditate. These hidey holes are often used by rats who are about the give birth, establishing a peaceful site for raising dozens of pups. While Garou can meditate just about anywhere, wererats have to remain someplace relatively safe when meditating to regain Gnosis. The shrine at a Ratkin colony or crash space blessed with this ritual are the two most common choices.
- Rite of the Purified Body - This rite cleanses another's body of all poisons, whether magical or natural. It can counter the Rite of the Birthing Plague for those who haven't become Ratkin (after the final Stamina roll) or the effects of a Plague Lord Epidemic.
- Level Three[3]
- Ritual of the Shiny Thing - Rat packs disagree all the time. Through confrontation, the members of a pack drive up their Rage, turning their anxiety into raw energy. When an issue desperately needs to get resolved, a Ratkin with this rite may invoke it to settle an issue once and for all. The mystic may use the Ritual of the Shiny Thing to resolve any dispute between wererats in her local nest, or find a temporary leader of a pack, if necessary. Performing the rite relieves angst and prevents pack members from turning on each other like... well, you know. The invocation is very informal, something along the lines of "I demand... The Shiny Thing!" At that moment, all the pack members bolt, looking for the shiniest, most impressive object they can find. The master of the rite waits behind, watching for the first three Ratkin who return from their quest. Only the first three rats who return have a chance of "resolving" the rite. Once the rest of the pack returns, they then vote on which item is the most impressive. That item becomes the Shiny Thing, a relic which must be carried (or displayed) by the new temporary pack leader. The keeper of the Shiny may then pass judgment on how to resolve the most immediate problem. A pack may add additional restrictions on this rite when it's performed. In most packs, the Shiny Thing must not be given freely or stolen; it must be found. The item must be discovered after the rite is declared - no fair hoarding every shiny thing you find for the nest observance! Rat-spirits watch over the Ratkin involved to make sure the proper rules are obeyed. As a side note, wererats may not use the Scrounge Gift to fulfill this ritual. On rare occasions, the ritemaster may demand a specific object. For instance, some Munchmausen claim one of the most famous invocations of this rite occurred during a winter long ago, when a tyrannical Rat King wanted to find an heir to replace him. He promised his throne to the first Ratkin Warrior who could bring him... a shiny new nutcracker! The rest of the story has been told as a Christmas legend ever since, though with a decidedly different ending.
- Rite of the Shopping Cart - This ritual is just as common among Bone Gnawers as it is among Ratkin (and described in more detail in the Bone Gnawers Tribebook). For Ratkin Engineers, it is their first rite. It increases the amount of stuff any cargo-carrying device can hold. Shopping carts are the most commonly-used modes of transport, but some Tunnel Runners take to the road with cardboard boxes or backpacks bulging with unidentifiable possessions.
- Level Varies[4]
- Rite of Warding - Ratkin pride themselves on hiding their nests well; the Rite of Warding makes it difficult for any creature to find where a colony is hidden. This rite is performed every time the population of a Ratkin nest surges. The strength of a Ratkin sacred site depends on the number of wererats who live there, focusing chaos on the spiritual center of the nest. Once the local population has grown enough, the local mystic then performs this rite in tribute to the Rat Incarna. The ritemaster must be of a Rank equal to the new level of the nest. Rat-spirits will then infest the spiritual center of the nest. If the Rat-spirits don't think that the site is a good one, they may demand that a local rat pack undertake an Umbral quest on behalf of the local wererats. Fulfilling this quest may decide the proper name of the nest, the name of a new tribe, or even the title of the next Rat King.
Aspect: Knife Skulkers Rites[]
- Level One[5]
- Contract Rite - (See Above)
- Level Three[6]
- Pact of Vengeance - Level Three - This Knife-Skulker rite is performed when a member of his rat pack has been killed. If the Skulker belongs to a colony, he may also perform it when the local Rat King has been slain. The ritualist calls out to the spirits for justice and learns the identity of the murderer instantly. This rite is one of the reason elders hire out assassination contracts to rats that are "just passing through" their domain.
Aspect: Shadow Seers Rites[]
- Level One[7]
- Dedication Rite - (See Above)
- Level Three[8]
- Rite of Investiture - This Shadow Seer rite marks the ascension of a Rat King, the unquestioned ruler of a Ratkin Nest. Because it is a very formal rite, only a Shadow Seer Mystic - a seer who is at least Rank Three - may invoke it. If a wererat colony doesn't have a high-ranking Shadow Seer, they can either recognize him informally with a great feast, or summon a Mystic who can formally perform the appropriate rites. This rite spiritually binds the Rat King to his domain. Through the eyes of Rat-spirits who inhabit his realm, he may see what transpires there (much like the user of the Garou Rite: Badger's Burrow).
Aspect: Tunnel Runners Rite[]
- Level One[9]
- Rite of the Bolthole - (See Above)
Aspect: Warriors Rites[]
- Level One[10]
- Rite of the Pain-Dagger - This is the first rite a Warrior learns, and only Warriors may perform this rite, regardless of whom they serve. The ritual creates a sacred dagger similar to a Garou klaive. A Ratkin cannot join the Warrior aspect until she has successfully performed this rite. The ritual binds a War-spirit, Pain-spirit, Rat-spirit or Disease-spirit inside a ceremonial blade. The dagger can be created out of any material, but it must have special spiritual significance to the creator. A Warrior cannot own more than one Pain Dagger at a time; if the weapon is destroyed, he loses Renown, but he can create a replacement. The Pain Dagger is a sacred blade, an expression of the purity of a Ratkin's devotion. The blade is used ceremoniously in battle; once it is drawn, the Warrior's pride is at stake. If the Warrior uses his Pain Dagger irreverently (duct taping it to his boots, mounting it on the hood of his car or using it to pry open cans of food, for instance), he will bring shame upon himself. The spirit inside the blade must be treated with respect; if a Warrior doesn't do this, the spirit will protest, and the wererat will lose at least a point or two of Obligation Renown.
- Level Four[11]
- Rite of the Swarm - This maddening call may only be invoked by a Ratkin of the Warrior aspect. Breeding armies of rates is a sacred duty; every rat Kinfolk in a colony dreams of spawning more soldiers for the Army of the Apocalypse. The Rite of the Swarm must be justified before the spirits will allow it. The Warrior must give a brief tirade about the victim who is to be overwhelmed by the swarm. This may include a call for justice, a statement of his crimes, or simply a series of insults about the crimes of his race.
Freak Aspect: Engineers Rite[]
- Level Three[12]
- Rite of the Shopping Cart - (See Above)
Freak Aspect: Plague Lords Rite[]
- Level One[13]
- Rite of the Birthing Plague - (See Above)
Freak Aspect: Twitchers Rite[]
- Rite of Naming[14] - "Twitchers have this thing called the Rite of Naming, and honestly I'm kinda jealous. They find a trashcan or garbage bin and toss out a bag of garbage on the ground. Then they grab a piece of garbage at random with words on it, like a wrapper or a can or something. Whatever that trash says, that becomes part of their spirit name. Neat, huh?"
Nezumi Rite[]
Nezumi are highly ritualistic, and treat their mystic practices with a reverence that can be startling to those who don't know the ragged, sinister wererats very well. They honor their spirit allies highly, and in turn their favored spirits (often embodiments of less popular faces of the Mother, such as disease and fear) treat the Nezumi with great respect. They know most rites in the Werewolf rulebook, and have several other nasty tricks; the following is only one example.
- Level Four[15]
- Rite of Plague Genesis (Mystic) - Seers are the keepers of ancient wisdom, but also receive revelations to aid them in solving problems, If kept in isolation for at least a week, the Seers of a nest can join together to create a new disease to spread across the nearest site of human population. Succumbing to the disease usually just incapacitates a human for a week or so. If it's the right human, however, the Rite is an excellent way to prepare him for his assassination or abduction.
References[]
- WTA: Werewolf Players Guide, p. 164
- WTA: Werewolf Players Guide Second Edition, p. 180
- WTA: Ratkin, p. 36, 68-73
- WTA/cMET: Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3, p. 107, 191-195
- WTA: Players Guide to the Changing Breeds, p. 146-147, 194
- WTA: Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East, p. 88
- WTA/cMET: Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts, p. 87-88
- W20: Changing Breeds, p. 191
^ Level 0
Twitchers: Rite of Naming | Ratkin | Pg. 36 |
Twitchers: Rite of Naming | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 107 |
Rite of Warding | Ratkin | Pg. 73 |
Rite of Warding | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 195 |
^ Level 1
Knife Skulkers and Ratkin: Contact Rite | Ratkin | Pg. 68 |
Knife Skulkers and Ratkin: Contact Rite | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 191-192 |
Shadow Seers and Ratkin: Dedication Rite | Ratkin | Pg. 69 |
Shadow Seers and Ratkin: Dedication Rite | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 192 |
Shadow Seers and Ratkin: Dedication Rite | Players Guide to the Changing Breeds | Pg. 146-147 |
Mystic: Hazer Tag | Changing Breeds | Pg. 191 |
Rite of Artifice Dedication | Ratkin | Pg. 69 |
Rite of Artifice Dedication | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 192 |
Rite of the Birthing Plague | Werewolf Players Guide | Pg. 164 |
Rite of the Birthing Plague | Werewolf Players Guide Second Edition | Pg. 180 |
Plague Lords and Ratkin: Rite of the Birthing Plague | Ratkin | Pg. 69-70 |
Plague Lords and Ratkin: Rite of the Birthing Plague | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 192-193 |
Rite of the Birthing Plague | Players Guide to the Changing Breeds | Pg. 147 |
Mystic: Rite of the Birthing Plague | Changing Breeds | Pg. 191 |
Tunnel Runners: Rite of the Bolthole | Ratkin | Pg. 70 |
Tunnel Runners: Rite of the Bolthole | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 193 |
Rite of the Cardboard Palace | Ratkin | Pg. 70 |
Rite of the Cardboard Palace | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 193 |
Rite of the Pain-Dagger | Werewolf Players Guide | Pg. 164 |
Rite of the Pain-Dagger | Werewolf Players Guide Second Edition | Pg. 180 |
Warriors: Rite of the Pain-Dagger | Ratkin | Pg. 70-71 |
Warriors: Rite of the Pain-Dagger | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 193 |
^ Level 2
Rite of the Bolthole | Werewolf Players Guide | Pg. 164 |
Rite of the Bolthole | Werewolf Players Guide Second Edition | Pg. 180 |
Rite of the Crash Space | Ratkin | Pg. 71 |
Rite of Crash Space | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 192 |
Rite of the Purified Body | Werewolf Players Guide | Pg. 164 |
Rite of the Purified Body | Werewolf Players Guide Second Edition | Pg. 180 |
Rite of the Purified Body | Ratkin | Pg. 72 |
Rite of the Purified Body | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 194 |
^ Level 3
Knife Skulkers: Pact of Vengeance | Ratkin | Pg. 72 |
Knife Skulkers: Pact of Vengeance | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 194 |
Shadow Seers: Rite of Investiture | Ratkin | Pg. 72 |
Shadow Seers: Rite of Investiture | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 194 |
Engineers and Rakin: Rite of the Shopping Cart | Ratkin | Pg. 72 |
Engineers and Rakin: Rite of the Shopping Cart | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 195 |
Ritual of the Shiny Thing | Ratkin | Pg. 72-73 |
Ritual of the Shiny Thing | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 194 |
^ Level 4
Nezumi: Rite of Plague Genesis | Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East | Pg. 88 |
Mystic, Nezumi: Rite of Plague Genesis | Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts | Pg. 87-88 |
Warriors: Rite of the Swarm | Ratkin | Pg. 73 |
Warriors: Rite of the Swarm | Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 | Pg. 195 |
Werewolf: The Apocalypse Rites | |
---|---|
Garou and Fera Rites | Accord · Age Role · Ahadi · Astrological · Caern · Dark Umbra · Death · Frontier · Hengeyokai · Minor · Mystic · Punishment · Pure Ones · Renown · Seasonal · Wyld |
Fifth Edition Garou Rites | Common · Legendary · Social |
Kinfolk Rites | Accord · Caern · Homestead · Milestones · Minor · Punishment · Renown · Ritual of Sacred Rebirth |
Unique Fera Rites | Ajaba - Ananasi: First · Triumvirate · Viskr - Bastet: Kuasha · Moon · Need · Taghairm - Corax - Gurahl - Kitsune - Mokolé - Nagah - Nuwisha - Ratkin - Rokea |
Rites of the Lost Breeds | Apis - Camazotz - Grondr |
Wyrm-Corrupted Fera Rites | Blood Rituals · Defiler Kings · Buzzards · Histpah |
Miscellaneous Rites | 7th Generation - Fomori - Miscellaneous Rites |