Post by Da Boss on Jul 31, 2020 2:06:34 GMT -5
This is less of a House Rule, and more of a clarification that really does need to be gone over because I have seen (and have myself) played this little ritual wrong so many times that things get a little ridiculous. The ritual itself is rather simple to perform and binds one (or one group of similar) item to the garou so that they can keep it with them, even if they're shifting forms. We've all seen and played in countless games where we get our dedicated clothing and off we go like we're going to take on the world. However, there are a number of things that really need to be stressed here, and this seems like the best place to do it.
1) It takes a Gnosis spent per item that is being dedicated. Pause there for a moment, and then consider our Gnosis regaining rules. We'll wait... ... ... Back? Good. That's a steep price to pay, and we're not changing that. So, consider if you really need those items dedicated, or if it might be better to just buy new ones later.
2) Only similar items may be dedicated as "one thing." That's a top, a bottom, and something on your feet for one item. Your backpack, purse, canteen, cigarettes, booze, etc. all require their own rite of dedication. You want a backpack full of rations? Each meal requires its own dedication and so does the backpack. A purse or satchel that goes with that outfit? That requires a separate dedication than just the clothes.
3) You may only have a number of dedicated items equal to your Gnosis. This is a big one! Sure, we've all played in those games where players decide that they aren't wearing their dedicated clothes, so now they're naked because they shifted. We all have a laugh at the awkward situations that ensue. But, there's a flip side to that as well; if you only have one set of dedicated clothing, it is going to start to smell terrible, get stains all over it, look worn out because it has been washed so many times, etc. It isn't going to look new for long, and there is no dry cleaner that's going to be able to pull bane-brain-matter out. Garou/Fera/Bete tend to look like blue collar people at best when they're working, because even the nicest suit worn by a high resources character is going to start looking like shit after it has been in combat for the fiftieth time.
4) Have you ever noticed that there's nothing in the rules about "undedicating" something? Go ahead and take a look. We'll wait... ... ... Back? Wasn't there, was it? This is where the dreaded House Rule is going to come into play. If you try to dedicate something, and you don't have the Gnosis to add another item, your oldest dedicated item will become no longer dedicated to you. This may not seem that important, until you realize that eventually, grabbing a new set of dedicated clothing is going to require you to dedicate the new clothes, and your backpack again. Now it is 2 Gnosis to get a single dedicated item, unless you're giving up on the backpack.
The books talk about how the garou/fera/bete look like psychopathic serial killers to people wandering around. This is a part of the reason that's the case. You're not going to be a clothes horse with a hundred different outfits dedicated to you. You're probably going to want to dedicate as few things as possible, just so you aren't spending all of your time trying to regain Gnosis. Which means, not only are you a rage beast walking down the street, you're also probably someone that's wearing dirty, stained, worn out clothing. You look like Charles Manson.
1) It takes a Gnosis spent per item that is being dedicated. Pause there for a moment, and then consider our Gnosis regaining rules. We'll wait... ... ... Back? Good. That's a steep price to pay, and we're not changing that. So, consider if you really need those items dedicated, or if it might be better to just buy new ones later.
2) Only similar items may be dedicated as "one thing." That's a top, a bottom, and something on your feet for one item. Your backpack, purse, canteen, cigarettes, booze, etc. all require their own rite of dedication. You want a backpack full of rations? Each meal requires its own dedication and so does the backpack. A purse or satchel that goes with that outfit? That requires a separate dedication than just the clothes.
3) You may only have a number of dedicated items equal to your Gnosis. This is a big one! Sure, we've all played in those games where players decide that they aren't wearing their dedicated clothes, so now they're naked because they shifted. We all have a laugh at the awkward situations that ensue. But, there's a flip side to that as well; if you only have one set of dedicated clothing, it is going to start to smell terrible, get stains all over it, look worn out because it has been washed so many times, etc. It isn't going to look new for long, and there is no dry cleaner that's going to be able to pull bane-brain-matter out. Garou/Fera/Bete tend to look like blue collar people at best when they're working, because even the nicest suit worn by a high resources character is going to start looking like shit after it has been in combat for the fiftieth time.
4) Have you ever noticed that there's nothing in the rules about "undedicating" something? Go ahead and take a look. We'll wait... ... ... Back? Wasn't there, was it? This is where the dreaded House Rule is going to come into play. If you try to dedicate something, and you don't have the Gnosis to add another item, your oldest dedicated item will become no longer dedicated to you. This may not seem that important, until you realize that eventually, grabbing a new set of dedicated clothing is going to require you to dedicate the new clothes, and your backpack again. Now it is 2 Gnosis to get a single dedicated item, unless you're giving up on the backpack.
The books talk about how the garou/fera/bete look like psychopathic serial killers to people wandering around. This is a part of the reason that's the case. You're not going to be a clothes horse with a hundred different outfits dedicated to you. You're probably going to want to dedicate as few things as possible, just so you aren't spending all of your time trying to regain Gnosis. Which means, not only are you a rage beast walking down the street, you're also probably someone that's wearing dirty, stained, worn out clothing. You look like Charles Manson.