Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 7:00:17 PM)
Alright folks, tonight we are hosting a Question and Answer chat with Werewolf: The Forsaken Developer Ethan Skemp. Please welcome Ethan to the chat.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:00:29 PM)
Evening, all.

Sardaukar (Apr 13, 2005 7:00:48 PM)
Thanks for coming, Ethan.

Rawley (Apr 13, 2005 7:00:56 PM)
Howdy howdy Ethan Skemp!

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:00:58 PM)
If I'm just a bit slow tonight, be patient; I'm not on broadband at the moment.

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 7:03:06 PM)
If everyone is ready to get started now, let's start asking your best questions and I'll pick ones to forward to Ethan.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:03:32 PM)
Yeah, I hope everyone read the transcript of the last chat; it'd be a shame to repeat answers that have already been given.

Sardaukar (Apr 13, 2005 7:04:17 PM)
Under the W:tA rules for stepping sideways, the rulebook gives modifiers that make the Gauntlet thicker in urban areas. Is there a reason for this that fits into the game's background, or is it just an atavism from W:tA?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:05:10 PM)
As I recall, the modifiers are based on the modifiers for ghost manifestations from the World of Darkness core rulebook — similar, if not the same.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:06:30 PM)
If you want, go ahead and assign Gauntlet modifiers on a case-by-case basis; the "the more heavily populated, the thicker" is mainly a starting point so there's some basis. Otherwise, it's all just a judgment call..

Shadowlord2 (Apr 13, 2005 7:07:14 PM)
Is there going to be a book just on the Pure Tribes coming out?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:07:54 PM)
Eventually, yeah, that's the plan. We didn't want to slap them into Predators because a single chapter wouldn't do them justice, and we didn't want to present a chapter's worth of material that would eventually be redundant..

DSPaul (Apr 13, 2005 7:08:21 PM)
What can we expect to see in "Lore of the Forsaken?"

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:09:05 PM)
A bit of my own blood... Ah, actually, there's a big chapter on auspices, a chapter on major totems like Luna and the Firstborn, a chapter on Gifts and rites, and a chapter on loci, awakened objects and fetishes.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:10:21 PM)
It's essentially a handbook to the practical aspects of Forsaken spirituality: what you do, why you do it, what are the ramifications. It's emphasis as much on the process as anything else, with some lists of extra goodies as a minor portion of the book..

Liokae (Apr 13, 2005 7:10:36 PM)
If a locus is centered on a portable object, is the locus itself portable, or does it cease to function outside of a certain area?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:11:16 PM)
It generally ceases to function outside of a certain area. Thin spots in the Gauntlet could get really weird — imagine a portable locus in the back of a van going 80 mph down the freeway.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:11:59 PM)
Mobile thin spots, that is. However, as always, if you have a really cool idea for a mobile locus, use that thing. It would be a shame for a general rule to overpower an intriguing exception..

DarkCrisis (Apr 13, 2005 7:12:42 PM)
In the War Form it seems more benficial to bite your target instead of claw. Aside from the rare "toxic" blood monsters why would you choose to claw? I've seen some say for better reach but when would that really be a factor?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:13:26 PM)
Last game I ran, there was an Azlu clinging to the ceiling above a werewolf in an elementary school basement. So, you know, last weekend it was a factor.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:14:18 PM)
There's also just plain more tactical advantage to claws. You can smash your hand through a door like in a horror movie and maul the guy on the other side. The bite is a good way to finish someone off, but the claw is great for some classic werewolf bits..

elricskylark (Apr 13, 2005 7:14:52 PM)
So will we ever see a "Guide to the Pure Ones", with the rules for pc pure ones?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:15:59 PM)
I don't see why such a thing would be necessary. You'll get solid rules for handling the Pure in a book without giving it the whole Werewolf: The Pure treatment.

MyriaK (Apr 13, 2005 7:16:30 PM)
There is given information for how Wolf Blooded sense Uratha, and how Uratha sense Uratha, but there's nothing stated system-wise for Uratha sensing Wolf Blooded. Is that an ST judgment call, or should it be Wits + Primal Urge (or just Wits, since they're not sensing other Uratha)?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:17:13 PM)
My feeling is that it shouldn't be easy, because that makes life easier for the werewolves.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:18:34 PM)
Ordinarily, that's the sort of thing I would say is left up to keeping good records, keeping your ear to the ground, and maybe the occasional Gift or rite. It helps explain why all wolf-blooded aren't "spoken for" in a given area, which in turn frees you up to do a wider amount of things with them..

meestho (Apr 13, 2005 7:19:19 PM)
What is the origins of the different terms of werewolf the forsaken like the auspices names, urathat, hsil etc. What language are they coming from

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:19:34 PM)
The First Tongue, of course!

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:20:19 PM)
As for how we built the First Tongue... well, I don't know if I want to give that away just yet. Nobody's yet guessed, and I'd like someone to "crack the code" if they can before we reveal the secret. Just for fun..

Elwing (Apr 13, 2005 7:21:15 PM)
The Ordo Dracul got 'Rites of the Dragon,' the Garou of old got the 'Silver Record'... will the Uratha get a cool book about their origins?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:21:43 PM)
No plans for one yet, but it might be cool. As a big lore book with several different origin stories, maybe.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:22:14 PM)
The trick with werewolves, though, is that they really don't lend themselves as well to "artifact books," the sort of books that might exist in the setting. Werewolves don't self-publish very often..

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 7:23:09 PM)
Please keep your good questions coming folks.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:23:25 PM)
(I mean, I picture scrolls of human skin, and I'd hate to see the printer's quote on that...)

ReverseCausality (Apr 13, 2005 7:24:44 PM)
The moon has a 28-day cycle. How do we know which auspice is what since they don't divide up evenly into 5 numbers?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:25:59 PM)
This is partly one of those judgment call things, because it's tricky to say when a half moon is still half and not crescent — it doesn't *look* like half, but the Elodoth need more than the one night of perfect half-moon.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:27:09 PM)
I tend to say that new moon and full moon last for about three days each for purposes of auspice-hood, and half moon roughly the same length. But the moon doesn't even hold perfectly to 28-day cycles.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:27:29 PM)
Eh. I just eyeball it. I'm kind of freeform that way..

Odin (Apr 13, 2005 7:28:34 PM)
Bits and pieces of the Chicago book have been hinted at, such as the reference to Chicago as the "mega-setting". What role do the forsaken play in the book and what kind of interaction can we expect to see with the other "residents"?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:29:36 PM)
The Chicago book is where you're really going to see the "feudal-scale" setting at its height — most things playing out on a pack/coterie/cabal level. Werewolves don't play "an role" as a rule — but certain packs might.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:30:54 PM)
Chicago's one of those settings where the three factions are all pretty strong. It's designed so you can do gang wars or truces or romantic subplots or whatever the heck you want; we didn't want to showcase a major crossover book with one single guideline like "the werewolves are at war with the vampires." That would be kind of a step backwards..

WhiteOakDragon (Apr 13, 2005 7:31:30 PM)
Do Bale Hounds have auspices, or do they lose them when they make their pacts?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:32:21 PM)
Bale Hounds still have auspices. If Luna has an active hand in dishing out auspices (and she might not), she doesn't revoke them if you "turn evil."

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:32:39 PM)
An auspice is an affinity that you have to work to get rid of, like with a Pure initiation rite..

meestho (Apr 13, 2005 7:33:50 PM)
Does the pure ones still uphold the duty of father wolf even though they don't respect luna?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:35:39 PM)
The Pure (not the Pure Ones, those were different guys) don't care as much about the idea of keeping the spirit world in check. The spirit world is where they get their share of power from. If the Forsaken are blessed by Luna, the Pure draw on more powerful and primal totems precisely because they aren't trying to tell the spirit world what to do..

WhiteOakDragon (Apr 13, 2005 7:36:35 PM)
Can Uratha gain essence by devouring spirits without the aid of any gifts or rites?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:37:58 PM)
Not as currently written. It was part of the initial brainstorming, but it was seen as too easy.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:38:11 PM)
If you can eat spirits, there's less temptation to, say, eat people..

SHADOW_LUPUS_ZERO (Apr 13, 2005 7:38:29 PM)
Will Gurdilag's allies make an appearance in Hunting Ground: The Rockies?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:39:18 PM)
Idigam don't really have "allies." Some of his victims are still roaming around, though..

Cheshire_cat (Apr 13, 2005 7:39:59 PM)
Requiem's got its Bloodlines what similar books will Forsaken get? Lodges book?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:41:01 PM)
Yep. We've got Lodges: The Faithful in the works; it should be an interesting read. Considering the sort of things you can do with lodges — regional variants of werewolf, sub-tribes, cults — there's a lot of room to provide neat tools and options for a chronicle..

Liokae (Apr 13, 2005 7:41:45 PM)
So tell us, if you can: What sort of books are in the pipelines that we probably *aren't* already expecting to see?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:42:44 PM)
There's a book called "Blasphemies" that's been contracted of late. It's not, as you might think, an antagonists book — it fills that function to some degree, but has tools of a different nature in it as well.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:43:39 PM)
I've tried running some really freaky ideas past management, but they don't seem to bite at the stuff that would *really* surprise you, though, at least for the first year or two of the game. They are probably wise in this respect..

WalksAboveTheStars (Apr 13, 2005 7:46:25 PM)
Where's the Ivory Claws' tribal ban? Been unable to find it.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:47:14 PM)
The basic ban is the one on breeding — but that one hasn't provided quite as many story hooks as we'd like, so it may see some adjustments down the road..

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:48:22 PM)
((I feel a little weird that the banner overhead cycles Werewolf and Pimp. Not sure how I feel about that logical leap.))

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:49:16 PM)
((Maybe it's in honor of me being here pimping Werewolf...))

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 7:50:40 PM)
Alright, Ethan's probably only got another 10 or 15 minutes here, so let's roll out your best questions folks.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:51:17 PM)
Yeah, quit spamming Conrad with questions about what happens when a cyborg weredolphin mates with a zombie Klingon.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:51:27 PM)
(joke! joke!)

Lodaren (Apr 13, 2005 7:52:38 PM)
Are there any plans for a general book on the most common spirits the Forsaken deal with or any ideas on creating such spirits?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:53:06 PM)
We didn't want to get too specialized at first, which is why there's a massive chapter on spirits in Predators but not an all-spirit book.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:54:25 PM)
The tools for creating spirits provided in the core are pretty robust, particularly when you let them use Gifts as Charms. It's my hope that Storytellers have a lot of fun using them. If we eventually get around to a massive spirit bestiary, sure, it'd be fun to work on, but hopefully you'll have enough to work with between Werewolf and Predators..

DSPaul (Apr 13, 2005 7:55:05 PM)
So what's with all the rumors about a fourth nWoD game, anyway?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:55:51 PM)
Not so much rumors as confirmed. We've already been in meetings about it. We have a rude skeleton, and are beginning to flesh it out, somewhat like a game designer version of "The Colossus of Ylourgne."..

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:56:26 PM)
And no, the fourth game isn't Colossus: The Ylourgne.

ReverseCausality (Apr 13, 2005 7:56:37 PM)
Please tell us something about Mage: the Awakening

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 7:56:42 PM)
It releases August 2005

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 7:57:02 PM)
We will be releasing more information about Mage: The Awakening soon.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:57:07 PM)
It's pretty different from its predecessor, despite sharing an acronym..

Korrissias (Apr 13, 2005 7:57:48 PM)
Why does a low harmony Uratha gain ban-like compulsion since h'es essentially severing his link to the spirit world?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:58:10 PM)
He's not so much severing his link to the spirit world as he is losing control over it.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:58:48 PM)
Rites become harder to do because you're out of balance. In some ways a low-Harmony werewolf becomes more of a beast, but in some ways he also becomes more of a spirit.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 7:59:46 PM)
The practical upshot is that low-Harmony werewolves are more like movie werewolves — less animistic powers, less forethought, more weird "it don't think like a man!" mentality. Well, like good movie werewolves. Not like cruddy ones that are just people with superpowers..

JaydedA (Apr 13, 2005 8:00:23 PM)
What about MET, do you see Forsaken transfering easily to a LARP system?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:00:27 PM)
(stupid Teen Wolf, bane of my career...)

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:01:02 PM)
Disclaimer: I've never been a heavy LARPer. So take my words with a grain of salt.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:06:26 PM)
(pardon the wait, I think I missed a question...)

WhiteOakDragon (Apr 13, 2005 8:07:16 PM)
Can the Hosts communicate and make deals with the Forsaken, or is it always kill on site? Could the Uratha bully Hosts into doing what they want them to?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:08:08 PM)
There's always the potential for negotiation. But that in itself is pretty dangerous. Hosts don't think like werewolves — or really like anything born human — and they aren't as predictable as spirits.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:08:46 PM)
They have the kind of inhuman mentality a spirit does, but they can learn human knowledge and sort of emulate it with their brain/heart-eating ways.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:10:03 PM)
It would be possible. It might be Cunning, and it might be very far from Wise. You might not want other Uratha to find out, and you might not want to trust that Host any farther than you can spit a rat. But all sorts of things can happen..

Korrissias (Apr 13, 2005 8:10:31 PM)
Is a conceptual spirit more compelled to follow the human who birthed it or to stay on the place it birthed? From wich one would it gain essence? Could it be possible for a murderer to be followed by a cohort of negative spirit in the shadow world?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:11:24 PM)
Conceptuals don't have an attachment to a person or place so much as to their concept. If the person is going out to murder again, the spirit might follow him; if the place has become infamous with the local humans, it might stay there.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:11:50 PM)
For a cohort of spirits to follow a murderer, that SOB must have done in a lot of people in really harsh ways..

DSPaul (Apr 13, 2005 8:12:21 PM)
There were rumors about a "Book of Spirits" for the main WoD line at one point -- has that been called off?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:12:39 PM)
It hasn't been called off so much as delayed until Mage is done.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:13:07 PM)
Once we have the Big Three out and done, we can make sure that it's compatible with all of them and what we've been doing with WoD supplements to boot..

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 8:13:32 PM)
Alright, folks, just one or two more questions. Let's make them good ones!

Clik (Apr 13, 2005 8:14:45 PM)
Given the ability of the Hishu and Urhan forms to confuse various forms of detection, is the Wolf Blooded's Unseen Sense ability (which is "focused on werewolf and spirit activity") meant to activate around those forms, even when they're not doing anything supernatural?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:15:36 PM)
It can activate, but it would be at the usual penalty for detection.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:16:45 PM)
It is one of those areas where I, as a Storyteller, would be tempted to fudge for the sake of drama..

Kupo (Apr 13, 2005 8:17:07 PM)
Are there any other animal shifters in the works at the moment?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:17:21 PM)
Nope.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:17:58 PM)
Right now, the only real reason we can think of to do them is cosmetic. That's not a good enough reason..

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 8:19:04 PM)
Well, I guess it's about time for Ethan to retire for the evening.

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 8:19:42 PM)
As promised, we want to do another whacky trivia contest.

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 8:20:45 PM)
The first person to post the correct answer in the box below wins a copy of Hunting Ground: The Rockies, shipped out to you ASAP.

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 8:20:54 PM)
Ethan, you got the question?

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:21:01 PM)
Sure thing. Okay, here we go:

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:22:00 PM)
In the Rockies Appendix of Werewolf: The Forsaken, one of the packs is, to put it bluntly, young and stupid. They pick fights with people they shouldn't and are convinced they're super-cool for doing so. The question is: What's the name of the pack totem that binds these jokers together?

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 8:22:23 PM)
Alright, we have a winner already!

Sardaukar (Apr 13, 2005 8:22:28 PM)
Feasting shark

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:22:31 PM)
BMX rulez!

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:22:43 PM)
Congratulations, Sardaukar.

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 8:22:59 PM)
Imperial soldiers winning everywhere these days, it seems.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:23:23 PM)
(...geek cred eroding... doesn't get reference...)

Sardaukar (Apr 13, 2005 8:23:40 PM)
Until the Fremen take over, anyways

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:23:52 PM)
Okay, now I get it.

Ethan Skemp (Apr 13, 2005 8:24:54 PM)
That's it for me, then. Evening, all; see you on the forums or thereabouts.

Conrad Hubbard (Apr 13, 2005 8:24:57 PM)
Alright, folks, I am going to open up an auxiliary room that you can all chat to each other in... and Ethan's probably heading out. Feel free to hang out and talk to each other though.

Have you checked out the Werewolf: The Forsaken demo yet? It is a great way to explore the game before you buy: Download Free Demo.

We also offer online chats where people from around the world play Werewolf: The Forsaken 24 hours a day. Check out our RPG Chats.