When will you Rage? Learn to play Werewolf 5th Edition!

How to prepare

I will be using two primarily platforms for this Werewolf game, discord for voice chat and foundry vtt for rolling dice and keeping track of character sheets. Players do not need to own the Werewolf the Apocalypse 5th Edition book as I own a copy. No knowledge of lore or previous editions thereof are required for this game. Equipment-wise players are expected to bring a desktop computer or laptop with a stable internet connection and a working microphone. Voice chat and the majority of text messages will be done through a discord server, I will provide the invitation link to the server when players after join the game. It is preferred that players have a noise free environment or set push to talk when there is much background noise. Players will need an account for Foundry VTT and a PC that can meet the requirements to run the software. Players are not expected to bring rulebooks to sessions but they can be useful for clarifying certain rules during a break. Lastly, a working familiarity with the premise of Werewolf the Apocalypse is highly encouraged but not essential. I prefer running more serious games that have a heavier focus on on roleplaying as opposed to roll-playing. This means I not only encourage but expect all my players to be speaking in character, engaging in dialogue with both STCs and other players alike, and trying to move the story forward through active. I have the most fun during these games when I get to watch the story come to life as the players take the spotlight over the chronicle. However, I have learned from experiences with my last chronicle that this can not be entirely on my end! I might be the storyteller but each of you are the essential parts that breathe life into the chronicle.

What I provide

Hello, my name is James Tate, I have been game mastering for the better part of a decade as well as an entire year being a professional game master for this website. I have always had a fascination and love for the entirety of the world of darkness lines of games but up to this point have only ran various editions of Vampire the Masquerade (20th,5th) Vampire the Requiem. Werewolf the Apocalypse appeals to me because of how different it is in lore and feel to other WoD. With that being said this will be the first proper Werewolf game that I get the pleasure of running . I reasoned that this would make the newest 5th edition of the game the best place to start. And if you are a brand new player then it will make a great opportunity to learn the rules. I use foundry vtt for keeping track of character sheets and dice rolls but I also use the platform to display images of characters and locations. In addition, the platform is great for keeping track of in-game notes ,journals and character profiles. While most world of darkness games are theater of the mind by default, I prefer using maps and tokens whenever I can in games. These maps are especially necessary for combat scenes where there is less abstraction between where everyone is in relation to each other.

Gameplay details

Within every gaming session I like to have at least one short break towards the middle and some time after the game to discuss what players liked and want to see more of. What shape the content of the chronicle will take is hard to quantify because it is so highly determined by the trope. However, what I envision is a coming of age story about new werewolves struggling to find purpose and meaning in a divided and decaying world. Most, typically the type of games that I run are ones in which combat is more uncommon , players need to rely more upon exploration or roleplaying. Werewolf is a bit unique in that unlike many World of Darkness games, physicality/combat is a more central element to the game’s identity. Within the game’s metaplot, Gaia’s time of dying serves as a universal inciting incident on a global and a historic scale, encouraging every Werewolf character to act now! Because of this, there is always something for the characters to do and more often than not, there’s something for the characters to fight. The paradox is that this tendency towards aggression has historically been the Garou's greatest downfall.

Content warnings

Safety tools used

How will character creation work

All characters will be created prior to the player's first session. Players are free to create any member of any of the tribes listed within the core rulebook with the exception of the Cult of Fenris. For this beginner's chronicle I am making the assumption that all the players are taking the role of brand new werewolves who only recently went through their first changes. Now you are still struggling to find their way. The players will quickly need to learn to work together in a new and dangerous wilderness found within the urban decay. Games set in the World of Darkness such as Werewolf place much emphasis on fully fleshed out characters with motivations and goals. Before session one I plan a meeting to discuss specifics about integrating your concepts into the setting to help bring your character to life. After the character is completed , I will do something of a miniature one-on-one session to immediately start. After all the players are created I will schedule a session zero where we go over lines/veils ,establish three Chronicle Tenements, and discuss the content of the chronicle.

Combat / Tactics

High

Roleplay

Medium

Puzzles

Low

Experience level

Beginner