‍Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition is a storytelling game of environmental and spiritual horror published by Renegade Game Studios. Set in the World of Darkness, this game focuses on the exploits of the Garou, a species of shapeshifting champions also known as werewolves. The Garou strive to protect the Earth, or Gaia as they call her, from the spiritual excesses of a corrupted entity known as the Wyrm. While contending with pollution, corruption, and excess from outside, the Garou must also struggle with internal strife within the shattered remnants of the Garou Nation, as many Garou have differing opinions on how they should conduct their war against the Wyrm. 

Werewolf uses the 5th edition of the Storyteller system, which allows for fast and evocative play that helps bring a Garou’s Rage to the forefront. Character creation is relatively simple. This guide is designed to help you get your Werewolf character ready in no time! 

Concept

First, you’ll need to come up with your character’s Concept. Concept is a single phrase or sentence that describes the core of your character. This can be something like “animalistic animal rights activist”, “neighborhood watch dog”, or “speaker with spirits.” The Concept should be brief but evocative, providing a place for you to refer back to throughout character creation to ensure you’re keeping your character consistent with your vision. 

Auspice And Tribe

Next, you’ll select your character’s Auspice and Tribe. Auspice refers to the phase of the moon your Garou is associated with. This helps determine the role the character fills in a pack as well as in Garou society as a whole. Auspice also helps determine which Gifts a Garou can learn. There are five Auspices:

• Ragabash, or new moon, are tricksters.
• Theurge, or crescent moon, are associated with spirits, magic, and rituals.
• Philodox, or half moon, are lawgivers and judges among Garou society.
• Galliards, associated with the gibbous moon, are storytellers and messengers.
• Ahroun, tied to the full moon, are warriors and leaders on the battlefield. 

There are ten Tribes of Garou introduced in Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition offering a wide variety of options and play styles to choose from. Where Auspice is a supernatural element of the character, Tribe is a social element. Tribes provide societies of like-minded individuals who share interests and common approaches to dealing with the issues the Garou face. Some Tribes get along well with each other, while others carry bitter rivalries. Not all members of a player group, or pack in game terms, need to be from the same Tribe; in fact, they’re often from a wide array of Tribes.

This encourages a diverse selection of approaches and opinions and can set the stage for interesting drama as pack members struggle to settle on a common approach for the obstacles and enemies they face. Tribes also have a supernatural element, offering an additional selection of Gifts. Your Tribe also dictates your starting Renown. Renown is a set of virtues that Garou measure when determining and maintaining their social hierarchies. Renown is divided into Glory, Honor, and Wisdom, with each type of Renown being gained or lost through gameplay based on the Garou’s deeds.

Attributes

Once Tribe is determined and Renown is assigned, you must purchase Attributes. Werewolf uses nine Attributes, divided into three categories of Physical, Social, and Mental. Physical Attributes are Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina. Social Attributes are Charisma, Manipulation, and Composure. Mental Attributes are Intelligence, Wits, and Resolve. Unlike earlier iterations of the Storyteller system, you needn’t prioritize these Attributes by category. Instead you receive a breakdown of points you can allocate, setting each Attribute to one of the following values: 4, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, and 1. 

After these are allocated you can calculate your Garou’s Health and Willpower. Health is equal to the Garou’s Stamina plus 3 while Willpower is the sum of the character’s Composure + Resolve. These traits determine how much physical damage and mental strain your character can endure. 

Skills

Next up you assign dots to Skills. There are a total of 27 Skills in Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition, with each Skill focused on an area of expertise. You must choose a Skill distribution method which determines how many dots you have to spend among the Skills. The options for allocations are: Specialist which offers 10 different Skills with one Skill at 4, three Skills at 3, three Skills at 2, and three Skills at 1; Balanced which offers 15 different Skills including three Skills at 3, five Skills at 2, and seven Skills at 1; or Jack of all trades with 19 different Skills including one Skill at 3, eight skills at 2, and ten Skills at 1. The full list of Skills and what they cover are available in the Werewolf: The Apocalypse core rulebook.

Advantages And Flaws

After allocating Skills, you’ll need to select Advantages and Flaws. Advantages are Merits that offer some special trait to your character and Backgrounds that grant access to various people, places, or items that support them in their stories. Flaws are quirks, hindrances, or other traits that make life harder for your Garou. You have 7 points to spend on Advantages and must take 2 points in Flaws. During this phase you also allocate your Renown dots, adding the 2 dots of Renown provided by your Tribe and one dot of Renown that you can place wherever you like. 

Gifts, Rites, And Touchstones

Next you’ll select your Gifts. You get one Native Gift, one Auspice Gift, and one Tribe Gift. You must meet the prerequisites and Renown scores for your Gifts, and lists of eah type of Gift available to you are provided in the book.

Garou also know Rites, which are mystical rituals taught by spirits to aid the Garou in several ways or to perform various social functions. You begin play knowing one Rite, though you may acquire more in gameplay. 

Once you’ve settled on your Rite, you must select one to three Touchstones. These are humans or, in some cases with Storyteller permission, wolves, who your Garou values deeply and who help keep the character grounded in the face of their harrowing and often violent existence. Once you’ve selected Touchstones, you’re ready to dive into your Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition game!  

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Travis Legge is a writer, developer, and streamer working with Onyx Path Publishing, Aegis Studios, and more.