PalominoMule (Mar 9, 2005 7:38:28 PM)
What is the reason for Luna to forbid the Uratha from mating with wolves? I can certainly understand why you as a developer would want to have such a rule about, but what's the reasoning within the game?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:39:20 PM)
Well, the reasoning within the game is hard to nail down: Luna's a mad old crone, and nobody knows exactly what she's thinking at any one time.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:39:43 PM)
So, you know, the Forsaken come up with theories.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:41:50 PM)
In part, it's a tricky question, though, because in-character not every werewolf would even question that they aren't meant to breed with wolves. They aren't wolves. Lots of them think of themselves as at least partly human, and that's who they're attracted to.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:43:28 PM)
Should I maybe say that this is all the rationale we see necessary for the core book? I hope it'll do..
Jess_Hartley (Mar 9, 2005 7:43:57 PM)
Ethan: Forsaken gave a couple of examples of how Uratha can "harvest" Essence from spirits, but can you clarify how Uratha gift essence back to them for bribes, chiminage, etc? Is there a ritual, gift, or is it an inherent ability all Uratha have? What might that look like?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:44:53 PM)
It's basically a combination of the werewolf's innate ability to "spend" Essence and a spirit's innate ability to consume Essence.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:45:23 PM)
You focus on releasing some of the spirit-stuff within you, and the spirit latches onto your wrist (so to speak) as it starts to emerge.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:46:19 PM)
What it looks like? I would say that would depend. I would actually hope it looked different as spirits and locations changed. If you're feeding Essence to a murder-spirit, I'd hope it would look a lot different than when you're offering something up to a fire elemental..
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:46:42 PM)
I love the visual symbolism of the spirit world, if you hadn't guessed alreadly..
BlackHat_Matt (Mar 9, 2005 7:47:25 PM)
Do Lunes change Choir with each phase of the moon, or are there actually cresent-moon-spirits, full-moon-spirits, etc?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:48:13 PM)
The latter. Aaannnd maybe also the former, for some Lunes. A mix of both. Luna's no role model of constancy..
ThriceDamnedGorol (Mar 9, 2005 7:49:01 PM)
When Vampires lose their Humanity, they become feral beasts. What happens when Uratha lose their Harmony? And are there political reprecussions in a pack if one werewolf seems to be losing a bit too much Harmony, lately?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:49:43 PM)
When werewolves lose Harmony, things become interesting. They start getting a little less human in more ways than one.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:50:26 PM)
Yes, they might fly into Death Rage more frequently. Yes, they have a harder time with things that call for Harmony rolls (like performing rites). They might even start manifesting weird behavior traits that seem more like a spirit than a physical being.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:50:42 PM)
And if you drop to 0 Harmony? Then you become Zi'ir. That's not good..
BlackHat_Matt (Mar 9, 2005 7:51:18 PM)
What can we expect from the Rockies sourcebook?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:51:45 PM)
In short? Plot seeds.
Rafoil (Mar 9, 2005 7:52:16 PM)
Water twice daily.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:52:41 PM)
Plot seeds tied to various packs. Plot seeds tied to the local geography. Plot seeds tied to the War against Gurdilag. Oh, all these things are rooted in full information and loving detail — you'll find out what the real deal with the Red Knives is, and you'll get a sample story to throw at your group.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:53:34 PM)
But one of our goals with regional sourcebooks is that they're not just a tour guide to a region and the individuals, but that they beg to be used. That every page has the seeds of a story on it. That's what we shot for, Matt..
MisterShade (Mar 9, 2005 7:53:43 PM)
Do we get stats for Gurdilag?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:54:51 PM)
Gurdilag is no longer a going concern, so no. However, the point of critters like Gurdilag (as illustrated by the history of the sourcebook) is that you can't beat them by maxing out your Brawl. The idigam have to be defeated in other ways..
Anatolia (Mar 9, 2005 7:55:38 PM)
Will there be location sourcebooks based on the rest of the world in the near future?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:56:28 PM)
That's the general plan. It depends on whether I can get reliable authors, and the demand, of course — but we didn't come up with the Hunting Grounds: prefix without the intent of using it again..
SHADOW_LUPUS_ZERO (Mar 9, 2005 7:56:50 PM)
How will the series progress down the line since there is no 'metaplot'?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:57:25 PM)
You'll find out more information about the setting, and get more tools for building the ideal chronicle. Story seeds will continue to be presented, and you'll still see a setting that can go any which way.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:57:48 PM)
The only difference is that we won't say "Well, your characters didn't get involved, so here's what some other characters did that changed the setting."
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:58:23 PM)
I've always been a really light-on-metaplot developer. I don't think much about my plans for advancing a line will change much..
skinwraith (Mar 9, 2005 7:58:33 PM)
Are there going to be tribe books and auspices books in the future?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:58:39 PM)
("much much"...erg, redunant much?)
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:58:54 PM)
We're thinking about it.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:59:24 PM)
If we do them, I want them to be big and useful, like the covenant books for Vampire..
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 7:59:52 PM)
And there'll be some auspice material in Lore of the Forsaken..
Operator (Mar 9, 2005 7:59:53 PM)
When a vampire uses Protean 4 to change into a Wolf, could an Uratha who witnessed the transformation mistake the vampire for a werewolf or do their transformation processes look different enough to make it obvious the vampire is not a werewolf?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:00:41 PM)
That sounds like the point where a Storyteller asks for a roll, don't you think? Wits + Composure, maybe. Maybe Occult..
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:01:24 PM)
Alright folks, just a little longer now. Let's see your best questions!
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:06:19 PM)
Not as such; Gifts are something that come from an external source, while vampiric powers are manifested from within. Now, you could have every reason for a player or Storyteller to devise a new Gift list, but in-character werewolves don't have that much control over powers of that nature.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:06:47 PM)
Rites, maybe. It'd be nice to do a system for building your own rites, but that's not in the core..
Operator (Mar 9, 2005 8:06:56 PM)
Do pack totems have to be animals? Will there be a book for Pack Totems with more player options?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:07:22 PM)
Pack totems don't have to be animals, no. We use animals in the examples because they're accessible, but you could do the second coming of Grandfather Thunder if you wanted to.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:07:42 PM)
There will be some more ideas for customizing pack totems in the future as well..
Cheshire_cat (Mar 9, 2005 8:08:06 PM)
Are we going to see Player's and Storyteller's Handbooks or only sourcebooks on specific topic?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:08:54 PM)
No immediate plans for them; we don't want to fall into the trap of churning out generic books just yet..
Trevor_della_Porta (Mar 9, 2005 8:09:15 PM)
Are we going to see a book based on pack dynamics, sorta like Coteries?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:09:19 PM)
Not that such books couldn't be awesome, but there's a danger of thinking "Oh, I know how to do these..."
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:09:31 PM)
Pack dynamics? Maybe.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:10:03 PM)
It's not on the list for something that gets a book to itself yet, but you never know.
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:10:40 PM)
Okay folks just one or two more questions. Let's make them good.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:10:46 PM)
Man, where does the time go?
Mike Stands (Mar 9, 2005 8:11:35 PM)
Are you going to do another chat , after the book is out?
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:11:39 PM)
yes
ThriceDamnedGorol (Mar 9, 2005 8:11:44 PM)
What roll, if any, will the Fera play in the nWoD?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:11:44 PM)
There you have it.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:12:26 PM)
There are no "Fera" as you think of them, and we don't want to go that route again, for a number of reasons.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:12:56 PM)
However, that doesn't mean that things based on the folklore of other animal-human-shifter-things won't appear in the future.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:14:27 PM)
They just won't be the accursed and spat-upon half-flesh offspring of Mother Luna and Father Some Random Animal..
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:14:54 PM)
(And I don't mean that they'll be half-flesh offspring that is beloved of the spirit world, either!)
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:15:27 PM)
One more?
KMagefyre (Mar 9, 2005 8:16:51 PM)
What can you tell us about the Gauru form?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:18:01 PM)
It's the cinematic werewolf form. It's a form of last resort, and one that grants advantages no other form will. Clever packs will use it in cycles, with one Gauru fighting until he can't hold it any more, and then another one stepping in.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:18:09 PM)
And it just plain looks cool. What more do you need?
m8trxspydr (Mar 9, 2005 8:18:34 PM)
The book
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:18:41 PM)
Monday!
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:19:00 PM)
Okay, folks, I think Ethan's got to get dinner or something.
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:19:10 PM)
Let's see, am I forgetting anything?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:19:18 PM)
Trivia question, dude.
Odin (Mar 9, 2005 8:19:28 PM)
Free STuffffffff!!!!!!!
Operator (Mar 9, 2005 8:19:35 PM)
GIMME FREE STUFF!
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:19:42 PM)
You gotta earn it.
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:19:52 PM)
Well, okay, I think we have a trivia question tonight.
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:20:45 PM)
Here's the rules folks. Ethan is going to ask a question, and the first person to post the right answer wins a free copy of Werewolf, shipped to you ASAP, provided it's legal in your home town, that is......
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:21:04 PM)
(and if you already have a copy, then share the love!!!!)
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:21:17 PM)
Alright. In Black Furies Tribebook, the first one, one of the notable Furies was by definition not the stereotypical man-hating female. What was this guy's name?
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:22:05 PM)
Wow. I think you stumped them Ethan. That's the longest it has ever taken.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:22:08 PM)
Too obscurely worded? I'm asking for a male Fury here.
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:22:11 PM)
Ah, okay, and our winner is........
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:22:16 PM)
Palomino Mule.
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:22:24 PM)
Congratulations!
PalominoMule (Mar 9, 2005 8:22:25 PM)
Teiresias...?
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:22:42 PM)
That was him.
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:23:02 PM)
I'm going to Private message you to get your shipping info, Pal, and meanwhile, everybody, wish Ethan a good dinner....
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:23:24 PM)
we'll have another shot at him after the book releases.....
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:23:38 PM)
(...actually, gotta catch up with the wife... that's more important than eating, some would say...)
Ethan Skemp (Mar 9, 2005 8:24:02 PM)
G'night, all. We'll do this again once the Beast is in people's hands.
Conrad Hubbard (Mar 9, 2005 8:24:23 PM)
I am going to create a side room for folks who want to stick around and just gab with each other.....