Rules

See also p. 365-368 for detailed information about spirits when using this simplified guide to creating Banes.

Step One: Nature

Choose a simple negative nature for the Bane. Examples include (but are certainly not limited to): murder, hunger, disease, jealousy, spite, anger, lust, self-loathing, shame, theft, abandonment, humilia­ tion, distrust, fear, and dishonesty.

Step Two: Traits

Divide points between Rage, Gnosis, and Will­ power to represent the Bane’s strengths. For a Gaf­ fling Bane, divide 9 to 18 points between the three categories, depending on how you perceive its relative strength. For a Jaggling Bane, divide 19 to 30 points. Encountering spirits with more than 30 points should be a deadly situation for even the most prepared group of Garou; use caution in matching your players’ char­ acters against such lethal spirits.

If the Bane will be Materializing into the Realm, choose Attributes and Abilities for it using the com­ bined value of Rage, Gnosis and Willpower as the amount for each (12-18 combined Attributes and 12-18 combined Abilities for a Gaffling, etc.).

Step Three: Essence

In general, a Bane’s Essence is roughly equal to the combined value of its Rage, Gnosis, and Willpower; many, however, may have grown significantly more powerful depending on how long and well they’ve been feeding in a certain area (and certain Banes — like Nexus Crawlers — are just unusually powerful). Storytellers may want to double or even triple a Bane’s Essence if it has been feeding in an area without the Garou’s notice for a lengthy period of time.

Step Four: Charms

While Banes may have any Spirit Charm (includ­ ing the special Charms associated with particular Bane Breeds on the following pages), they most often use those specifically suited to their nature (Bane Charms, p. 367). Most have Possession; Corruption is also common.

Step Five: Image

As manifestations of the ideals of negative emo­ tions or actions, Banes’ physical forms reflect their base nature. Create a description which embodies the essence of the emotion your Bane represents. Don’t forget to include auditory and olfactory descriptions; Garou in Hispo or Lupus forms rely on sound and scent as much as or more than they do sight.

start attacking everything in sight again. Bitter Rages are only vulnerable in the Umbra, and are notorious for running away as soon as they are located.

Storytelling Notes: Bitter Rages are the equivalent of a disease, and they seek to cause as much chaos as they can. These Banes prefer to simply cause trouble and leave the Garou they’ve infested to kill everything in sight. Should a Bitter Rage use all of its own power, it can use its host’s own Gnosis to fuel her Rage. Many Galliards tell cautionary tales of encounters with these Banes in order to teach young cubs the dangers of losing control.