W20 - Changing Breeds.pdf

awareness that allowed them to pluck stories out of theminds of their community drove them insane. The delusionalMunchmousen, they say, may be all that is left ofthe brilliant Ratkin Bards.Bards possess the following Strengths and Weaknesses:The Red Thread: All Bards receive three dots of Empathyfor free. This does not count against their startingallotment of abilities, though going higher than Empathy3 at character creation still requires freebie points.The Right Tale: Once a day, the Bard can weave astory that encourages and uplifts everyone who takespart. Roll Charisma + Empathy, difficulty 7. Everyonewho participates in the story regains one point of Rage,Willpower, or Gnosis per success. The participant mustchoose which trait she wants to regain before the roll ismade; any points over her maximum are lost.Spiritual Sensitivity: When a Ratkin Bard is in anarea that emanates spiritual energy — such as a Caernor in the presence of a powerful spirit — she increasesthe difficulty of all actions that are not in tune withher surroundings by +2. The penalty would apply whentrying to intimidate someone in the presence of a spiritof contemplation, or trying to kill someone in a Caernof Healing. In an area corrupted by the Wyrm or theWeaver, this sensitivity leads to blinding headaches and+2 difficulty to all rolls.Initial Rage: 4Starting Gifts: The Right Joke, MindspeakBard Gifts• The Right Joke (Level One) — As the RagabashGift: Infectious Laughter• Persuasion (Level One) — As the homid Gift.• Mindspeak (Level One) — As the Galliard Gift.• Shaddup! (Level Two) — As the Philodox Gift:Command the Gathering• Speech of the World (Level Two) — As thehomid Gift• Lucky Bastard (Level Three) — As the FiannaGift: Fair Fortune• Whispered Dreams (Level Four) — As the FiannaGift: Phantasm.• Legendary Form (Level Five) — The Bard tells astory about one of the strange legendary creatures said toinhabit his area: the albino alligators of New York’s sewersor the Chupacabra of Mexican folklore. Wisps of fogenvelop the Bard, transforming him into that legendarycreature. Mythic spirits and City Fathers teach this gift.System: The player spends one Rage point and rollsManipulation + Performance (difficulty 8). The urbanlegend’s traits are based on the Bard’s Crinos form. Theplayer can ‘spend’ a success to add 1 to a physical attribute,or to gain a strange physical modification (per the ArchidTraits available to Mokolé, see p. 147). Some Ratkin maycome to prefer a single urban legend form, but othersinvent a new shape every time they use this Gift.CHAPTER FOUR: THE OTHERSLOST BREEDS251