Gift of Carrion (Werewolf: the Forsaken)
Today's post is going to be something I've been tinkering with for a while now! Some time ago I asked Werewolf writer Chris Allen on his Patreon (link here!) about what the Eaters of the Dead might look like as a full Tribe. He suggested they might get a new signature Gift, something to the tune of Carrion. As the co-president of the Eaters of the Dead fanclub, I took that and ran with it. This is my second or third pass at it and has been...lightly playtested, so hopefully this is fairly workable!
Shed (Cunning)
Cost: 1 Essence Dice Pool: n/a Duration: 1 scene Action Type: Reflexive
This Gift may only be used when inflicted with Arm Wrack, Leg Wrack, or Blinded Tilts, or when put in an arm or leg lock maneuver while grappling. The damage is downgraded by one level from aggravated to lethal or lethal to bashing and the afflicted body part merely sloughs off harmlessly and then rapidly decays. However, the limb or eye can still move and perform some crude functions with a penalty of (5-Cunning.) A detached arm can still crawl on the ground, a detached eye can still see and so on. The body part remains animate for one scene before it crumbles into nothing.
This Gift may still be used if the damage is self-inflicted.
Putrefaction (Glory)
Cost: 2 Essence Dice Pool: Presence+Science+Glory Duration: n/a Action Type: Instant
Dramatic Failure: The werewolf suffers the moderate Poisoned Tilt as their own body begins to putrefy.
Success: This Gift affects all corpses and formerly living organic matter within a radius equal to the werewolf's Glory Renown x100 yards. That matter begins to rapidly decay and putrefact. This will not damage living dead beings, but it will make their true nature immediately clear to all observers. Those who have partaken of anything that has turned to rot, whether before its turning or after, gain the Sick Condition as the meat turns rancid in their guts.
Exceptional Success: The Uratha adds their Glory Renown to tracking rolls against anyone who took the Sick Condition.
Incorruptible Flesh (Honor)
Cost: Permanent/1 Essence Dice Pool: n/a Duration: variable (see below) Action Type: Reflexive
As a permanent effect, anyone who tries to eat the werewolf's flesh or drink their blood reduces the Essence, Vitae, or other similar benefits they would have gained by the werewolf's Honor Renown. This portion will persist after death. Secondly, if the werewolf is the victim of a bite attack, then they may pay 1 Essence in order to cause painful boils to erupt onto the mouth of whoever bit them. These cause eating or biting to become excruciatingly painful, and the afflicted must spend a point of Willpower to even try to do either. This effect upon the target lasts until sunrise.
Hidden Killer (Purity)
Cost: 1 Essence (+1 Essence) Dice Pool: Wits+Investigation+Purity Duration: n/a Action Type: Extended (5 successes, 1 min intervals)
Dramatic Failure: Anyone investigating the remains will have a success on the investigation roll upgraded to an exceptional success.
Success: The werewolf must be able to touch a corpse that is not an animate being to use this Gift, or part of the deceased's remains. After accumulating successes, the werewolf entirely confounds forensic attempts to determine the cause of death or forensic evidence that might connect the werewolf or their pack back to the death. DNA unthreads, bite marks distort, fibers rot, scent spoors degrade, and so on. This includes evidence not directly on the corpse, such as hair left behind at the scene. Scrying powers to discover a cause of death force a Clash of Wills.
The werewolf may spend a second point of Essence in order to instead have evidence point to a specific party they name, and whose blood they must have tasted within the past lunar month.
Exceptional Success: Clashes of Wills to determine the cause of death or culprit will suffer the werewolf's Purity as a penalty.
Carrion Clothes (Wisdom)
Cost: 1 Essence Dice Pool: Intelligence+Medicine+Wisdom Duration: 1 scene Action Type: Instant
The werewolf must consume a small amount of a non-animate corpse that still possesses most of its flesh and connective tissue before using this Gift.
Dramatic Failure: The werewolf gains the Ban Condition. They must wear a part of the corpse's skin or bones on their person.
Success: The werewolf may possess the corpse in a similar manner to other possession Gifts. The corpse will be animated by the werewolf as their own body lies insensate, with both their senses and voice being projected through the corpse. Any dice rolls for the corpse are made using the werewolf's Wisdom+Primal Urge. However, the animated corpse's movements are clearly unnatural and all social rolls to interact with other beings fail bar Intimidate, which will receive an exceptional success on three rather than five successes.
Exceptional Success: The werewolf remains aware of the state of their body.
