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Changing Breed
Misc Gaming Mechanics Index | Changing Breed Index

Bastet General Gifts

The following Gifts may be learned by any werecat if she finds a teacher. They’re shared freely at taghairms (if one has the proper Rank, of course) and have circulated throughout Bastet society. Naturally, a common Gift is not necessarily easy to uncover if you never meet others of your kind. Although Jamak and other spirits occasionally pass Gifts along, the source of most general Gifts is other Bastet.

Level One

Banish Sickness

Cats have long been renowned for their healing prowess. Which a purr and a lick, a skillful Bastet can cure minor diseases and chase venoms away. Although a Bastet never takes ill herself, this Gift is helpful when a loved one is unwell.

System: Curing a simple illness like the flu requires a Manipulation + Medicine roll (difficulty 6). Severe diseases and venoms demand a Gnosis point and a roll against difficulty 7. Chronic illnesses or really lethal poisons demand two Gnosis points and a difficulty of 8 or higher. Vicious diseases that eat a victim alive, like AIDS, leprosy, etc. may demand three Gnosis, or even remain incurable by magical means.

Catfeet

As the Level Three Lupus Gift, but obviously easier for Bastet.

Command Attention

A werecat can call on his feline presence to draw attention the instant he steps into a room. Everyone in a given space ( a room, a clearing, whatever) will immediately stop what they’re doing to notice the Bastet’s entrance. Their reaction from that point on will depend on what the character does, and upon their feelings about him; an attractive Homid will get a different reaction than an angry Crinos-panther would.

System: The player rolls Manipulation + Expression (difficulty 7) to get everyone’s attention for one turn. This Gift also reduces the difficulty of his next Social roll by 1 for every success he rolls for the Gift. This bonus only applies once, upon entering the space.

Dowsing

By pawing or sniffing at the ground, the Bastet tries to locate nearby water sources (underground streams, pipes, etc.). With luck, she’ll be able to tell whether or not that water is safe to drink.

System: A roll of Perception + Primal-Urge will determine the water’s location, if any exists within 100 feet of the Bastet. The difficulty depends upon the water’s distance and quantity; a muddy puddle beneath debris would be 9, while a pure rushing stream on the other side of a wall would be 5.

Lick Wounds

As the Theurge Gift: Mother’s Touch, this power heals normal or aggravated wounds (but unlike the Theurge Gift, can be used to heal oneself). This Gift may be used as many times as the player wants, but each healing “lick” costs another Gnosis point. Bear in mind that even a cat may be loathe to lick up toxic waste or raw sewage! Some substances, like silver or Wyrm-poison, might damage the healer in proportion to her healing – that is, by one Health Level per Health Level healed – if it’s still in or on the wound when she licks it.

Open Seal

As the Level One Ragabash Gift.

Pathfinder’s Pride

Cats have a remarkably good sense of direction. With this gift, a Bastet may improve that knack to find his way out of most kinds of mazes, deserts or woodlands. Worthy folk may learn this Gift from Bird-spirits, but no werecat willingly admits to it in public.

System: Invoking this Gift requires a Perception + Subterfuge roll. The difficulty depends on the area’s complexity: a large flat desert or small forest would be 5 or 6, a vast expanse or complicated maze might be 7 or 8, and a primordial rain forest would be 8 or 9. Magical confusion spells, like the Garou Gift: Trackless Waste, can be undone with difficulties 9 or 10. Pathfinder’s Pride does not provide any kind of travel; the werecat merely discovers the way out – getting to the exit is her problem.

Razor Claws

As the Ahroun Gift.

Sense the Truth

As the Philodox Gift: Truth of Gaia.

Sense Unmaker’s Hand

As the Metis Gift: Sense Wyrm.

Silent Stalking

This common trick allows a Bastet to move without making any sound. Even squeaky or shifting surfaces, like wooden floors or piled twigs, can be passed over without noise.

System: The player rolls Dexterity + Stealth, difficulty 5. Failure renders the Gift unusable for the rest of the scene. Note that this Gift doesn’t make the werecat himself invisible or silent in any way, nor will it prevent any damage (broken twigs, for instance) in his wake – it stifles the sound of his footsteps, nothing more.

Spirits’ Sight

Although werecats cannot normally travel though the Gauntlet, this Gift allows them to see through it for a short time. Plenty of good secrets can be discovered this way, but the Gift’s effects tend to frustrate the hell out of the Bastet who can’t get through, like a cat watching a bird on the other side of a window.

System: The player rolls Perception + Awareness (difficulty of the local Gauntlet) and spends one Gnosis point to look into the Penumbra. The Gift lasts one scene and ends if the Bastet is knocked unconscious.

Treeclimber

By extending and sharpening his claws, then invoking this Gift, a Bastet may travel up or down any vertical surface, from tree bark to concrete.

System: Climbing this way requires a Dexterity + Athletics roll. Really hard or slippery surfaces, like ice or steel, are difficulty 8, while easy ones like rock or bark are at difficulty 6. A character traveling this way moves at 10 feet a turn or so, and may have to make new rolls if the circumstances change (in an avalanche, for example).

Level Two

Call Spirits

By speaking the ancient language of The-World-That-Was, a Bastet may communicate with nearby spirits as if they normally speak her language. This Gift weaves between the Gauntlet and the material world, and carries words both ways.

System: The player rolls Gnosis against the local Gauntlet. If she’s standing inside the Penumbra already, no roll is necessary. Once she learns this Gift, the werecat understands spirit-speech for the rest of her life, although some truly alien spirits might be beyond normal comprehension.

Cat Sight

As the Level Three Metis Gift: Eyes of the Cat

Eerie Eyes

As the Garou Homid Gift: Staredown

First Slash

As the Level Two Ahroun Gift: Spirit of the Frey

Night Terror

By standing vigil over a sleeping person or animal, the Bastet can evoke the famous cat-fear, causing his target to have nightmares for several nights running.

System: The werecat must sit beside his victim for several minutes while she sleeps, spend one Gnosis point, and roll Wits + Occult or Enigmas (whichever is higher). If he rolls well, she’ll have nightmares for one night per success. Five successes or more will cost the victim a temporary point of Willpower until she can sleep normally again. The Gift cannot be reused on the same person until the original nightmares have passed.

Night’s Passage

By attuning himself to the shadows from which he was born, a Bastet may walk through dim or dark areas while effectively invisible. Others may hear him or spy him with magical sight, but until he makes his move, the werecat remains hidden from view. This Gift even fills sudden lights, so long as some shadows still exist to hide in.

System: By spending a Gnosis point and rolling Dexterity + Subterfuge or Occult (difficulty 7), the cat effectively “disappears.” Although he’ll remain substantial, the darkness will mask his presence for the rest of the scene, or until he attacks someone. At that point, the Gift disperses, and the Bastet is left with his natural hiding talents only. Supernatural beings can use their own magics to detect the cat by rolling perception + Occult, difficulty 8. Otherwise, nothing short of total illumination will reveal the skulking werecat.

Sense of the Prey

As the Level Two Ragabash Gift.

Sense Silver

As the Ahroun Gift.

Shriek

With an ear-splitting scream, the Bastet deafens everyone nearby. Careless shriekers beware – your allies are not immune!

System: This Gift demands a scream, a Stamina + Expression roll (difficulty 7), and a mean streak. Everyone within 10’ will be defeated for one turn per success, and will end up in a world of pain (plus 1 to all difficulties for the duration).

Summon Water

By calling upon the ancient affinity between catkind and the waters, a Bastet can create a bit of water in some place where none was before, or add to an existing amount of it. This Gift, known by most desert cats, only creates pure water, not any other form of liquid.

System: By spending a Gnosis point and rolling his Manipulation + Survival, the cat creates a pool of water. The difficulty depends on the circumstances: adding to existing water is difficulty 6; conjuring it into a dry place is difficulty 7. Each success brings forth five gallons of fresh, clean water, which lasts until it is consumed.

Swipe

As the Level Two Ragabash Gift: Taking the Forgotten.

Touch the Mind

As the Garou Metis Gift: Mental Speech.

Level Three

Call the Pride

By moaning or crying out, the Bastet may summon the local cats (domestic, wild or big cats, depending on where she is) to her aid. Although the Gift isn’t a life-or-death command, the summoned cats will help the Bastet if they can. Some Bastet can summon other creatures as their “prides;” Bubasti often keep jackals nearby, Qualmi summon birds, and Pumonca have been known to summon hawks, owls and alligators to their defense.

System: Roll Charisma + Animal Ken (difficulty 7). For each success, four normal cats or one large predator (if any are nearby) respond at their own speed. The Gift can reach up to a mile; cats more distant than that won’t be much help, anyhow. The Pride remains until it has performed one service, then departs. Variant creatures must be approved by the Storyteller, and work just as cats do (four small or one large per success).

Caper

By dancing around, a Bastet can charm bystanders into a semi-trance. This works in any form, so long as the werecat invokes the Gift and dances for at least a turn. Violence breaks the spell, but subtle actions like sneaking away remain unnoticed until the trance ends.

System: A roll of Manipulation + Expression (or Dancing) and a spent Gnosis point set the charm in motion. Anyone watching the werecat dance must roll his Willpower against difficulty 9 or be lulled into the genial daze. Storytellers may simply make a single roll against difficulty 7 to reflect a large group of normal humans. The trance lasts one turn per success, unless someone states a fight or obviously steals something, in which case it ends immediately.

Cat Fear

Garou aren’t the only ones who command primal fear. By bristling and spitting, a werecat can scare holy hell out of everyone nearby. Unfortunates suffering from ailurophobia (fear of cats) often go catatonic with fear when confronted this way.

System: A successful Manipulation + Primal-Urge roll (difficulty 7) and a point of Gnosis can send everyone within 10 feet per success into a panic. Supernatural creatures can resist with their Willpower (difficulty 7), but humans and animals flee or fall into shock for one turn per success. Ailurophobes lapse into a coma for one day per success. This Gift cannot be used in Homid or Sokto forms.

Cheshire Prank

Why should Lewis Carroll have all the fun? It took a while, but enterprising Bastet finally discovered the secret to disappearing from plain sight. Today, it remains a valuable but popular trick.

System: By putting on a wide grin, spending a Gnosis point, and rolling Charisma + Subterfuge (difficulty 7), a Bastet bay fade from view. The prank takes three turns to complete. This invisibility lasts for the scene’s duration and foils even magical perceptions. The Gift won’t dampen sounds, but any werecat who can’t move silently by this rank is in big trouble, anyway. This Gift only works in Feline and Chapter forms, and changing forms ends the invisibility.

Command the Prey

By chittering slightly, a Bastet, may, with this Gift, make her prey come to her. So long as she stands still and chants, the victim will wander slightly dazed until he’s close enough to grab. Once the cat moves, the trance is broken. Naturally, this Gift can be used for all kinds of hunting....

System: The Bastet player rolls Manipulation + Primal Urge (difficulty 7) to command her target to approach. Unless he can resist with a Willpower roll (difficulty 8), any human or animal will obey. Supernatural opponents with a mind-empowering supernatural ability (if active when the Gift’s influence began) or more than five points of Rage resist at difficulty 6. Otherwise, they’re attracted as usual. This only works against victims who were unaware of the Bastet’s presence beforehand – as far as they know, they want to wander over that way. Once the prey is close, the werecat can move in however she prefers; a leap, a distraction or an opening line all work equally well once the target’s in place. This Gift does not work in combat.

Farsight

By concentrating on a reflective surface or summoning a spirit, the Bastet looks into distant places. It helps if he’s been there before, but it isn’t essential. Once he finds what he’s looking for, he may watch it for a while until, slowly, the Farsight fades.

System: Involving this Gift requires a Gnosis point, a Perception + Occult roll, and time to concentrate. The roll’s difficulty depends on the werecat’s knowledge of his target. Although Farsight only spies on places, not people, anyone there can be observed as usual. The cat sees the place as if from a bird’s-eye perspective – high enough to see everything nearby, but close enough to discern objects. A Willpower roll (difficulty 6) allows him to “focus” on certain things. The Gift lasts for one turn per success, and extends up to 30 miles distant.
Familiarity Difficulty
Intimately Familiar 6
Somewhat Familiar 7
Visited Occasionally 8
Been there once 9
Only described 10

Freyja’s Blessing

The old Norse goddess of fertility and love traveled in a chariot drawn by cats. Now she remembers the service by gifting certain cat-folk with a profound fertility, which they may bestow upon others if they wish. Although the Gift doesn’t insure that a given mating will sire a Bastet kitten, many within the Folk claim that without the Blessing, their kind might be virtually extinct.

System: By rolling Gnosis (difficulty 7) and calling upon Freyja, Gaia or Nala, the Bastet summons a Fertility-spirit into herself. By laying her hands on another’s belly, the werecat may pass the spirit into someone else who wants a child. A male may use the Gift +1 difficulty to sire some offspring with his next mating. If the roll succeeds, a child of some kind will result. Wether that child carries the werecat gene depends on Nala’s (and the Storyteller’s) whim.

Gift of Rage

By tapping into here inner Beast, the werecat may summon a Berserk frenzy, lashing out at everyone within range until the Gift wears off. Sadly, this is usually a last-ditch tactic; most werecats use the Gift only once.

System: To invoke a frenzy, the cat’s player rolls her Rage (difficulty 6). This sends her into a killing state where tactics and mercy are impossible and all Health Level penalties are suspended. This rage lasts as long as there’s danger around, and in this state, anyone present seems dangerous. The Thrall of the Wyrm (Werewolf, page 201) applies to werecats, too.

Ignore Pain

By summoning up his inner reserves, the werecat can ignore the effects of his wounds.

System: A successful Stamina + Primal-Urge roll (difficulty 8) allows the character to ignore all Health Level penalties for the Gift’s duration, even those from aggravated damage. Each success lets the Gift last two turns. If the Bastet hasn’t healed by then, he’ll be in serious pain....

Impala’s Flight

An essential Gift on open plains, the Flight doubles the werecat’s running speed. As the name implies, Bastet credit Impala with this wisdom.

System: A successful Stamina + Athletics roll (difficulty 6) boosts the cat’s maximum speed to double. It does not confer additional actions in the same turn. The Gift lasts two turns per success, and works in any form.

Purr

The ultimate tool of feline seduction: by softly purring near some person or animal, the Bastet instills her with a desire to cuddle, pet and spoil him. So long as he treats his paramour well, she’ll want nothing more than to shower him with affection for days at a time. Purr works in any form.

System: To set this charm in motion, the Bastet must purr audibly for at least a minute. The player spends a Willpower point and rolls Charisma + Empathy (difficulty of the target’s Willpower). This Gift works on anyone, and unless she has some reason to suspect a trick, the subject will believe her affections are genuine (soon, they may be). Violence or unreasonable demands (“Go kill that vampire for me, sweetheart”) wreck the charm beyond repair – it’ll never work on her again. The infatuation lingers for one day per success; the results may last a lifetime.

Righteous Gaze

By staring into the heart of a liar, the werecat can break through his deception, shaming him badly. Bagheera and Simba excel at this Gift.

System: The werecat must stare into her target’s eyes for at least a turn and accuse him of lying. On a successful Perception + Subterfuge or Primal-Urge roll (difficulty of the target’s Willpower), the target not only confesses any lies he may have told, but also loses one point of temporary Willpower per success and falls to his knees in tears. If the accused is honest, the Gift merely makes him uneasy.

Level Four

Attunement

Bastet who’ve set up Den-Realms use this secret to view their holding from where they stand. By going into a light trance, the werecat in question communes with the spirits in her territory and learns what’s going on throughout the Den-Realm. Visitors, intruders or crises can be discovered long before they get too close to the cat herself.

System: The player spends a Gnosis point and rolls Perception + Survival (difficulty 6). The more successes she wins, the more she learns. On a botch the spirits lie.

Clawstorm

Any cat is at his most terrifying when cornered. This Gift allows him to become the proverbial shredding machine. Anyone within reach had better be at peace with their gods!

System: By spending one point each of Rage and Gnosis, the werecat gains three extra attacks that turn (to a maximum of four, total – he cannot spend Rage for extra actions while using Clawstorm). Only slashing attacks apply – he can’t perform elaborate maneuvers, shoot guns or travel more than 10 feet, although he could use edged melee weapons. A Bastet may use Clawstorm as many times in a single combat as he has dots in Stamina.

Fortuna

Cats love their friends, and they’re famous for their luck. This Gift allows them to share some of that good fortune with others, or even to use a bit of it themselves.

System: For every point of Gnosis spent, the Bastet (or her friend) can call for one re-roll of the dice. If she spends three Gnosis, she may re-roll the dice three times. Only one re-roll is allowed per task, and only if the first roll was a failure or a botch. This Gift may only be used once per scene, but it lasts until all re-rolling has occurred. This luck works for whomever the werecat cares to give it to. Only one person at a time can receive this Fortuna – it can’t be given to a number of people before an adventure begins.

Spirit Claws

Another Den-Realm Gift, this one allows a werecat to attack from the Penumbra, or to rip through the Gauntlet at an Umbral opponent, without stepping sideways. Naturally, he must be able to see his opponent before he can hit him ....

System: By rolling Gnosis against the local Gauntlet, the Bastet can slash through with a normal hand-to-hand attack (+1 difficulty) without exposing himself to danger. Each attack requires a new roll against the Gauntlet. This Gift can only be used within the cat’s own Den-Realm.

Spitfire

With a wicked hiss, the werecat spits a stream of fire at his opponent. Crude, but effective!

System: The player spends a Gnosis point and rolls Stamina + Athletics to hit a victim (difficulty 7). Each success inflicts one aggravated Health Level of flame damage, which may ignite flammable items.

Walking Between Worlds

Some tales claim that Coyote taught Bastet to step sideways; others insist the trick was stolen from Garou. In any case, this Gift allows a werecat to walk into the Umbra as Garou do.

System: See Werewolf, page 170, 175-176. The talent becomes natural once a werecat learns this Gift.

Wolf’s Terror

As the Ahroun Gift: Silver Gifts.

Level Five

Future Warning

By sensing the whims of Fate-In-Motion, a Bastet may sense some impending disaster. While not exactly precognition, the Gift grants vague insight into coming perils.

System: A good Perception + Primal-Urge (difficulty 6) roll wins the character a sort of “danger sense” for one hour per success. This manifests as “bad feelings” whenever something nasty’s waiting nearby; it won’t tell her about the five dakats waiting around the corner, but she’ll certainly feel like she ought to stop before he turns that corner .... Conspiracies, natural disasters, ambushes and festering rivalries can all be sensed ahead of time, though the outcome of combat cannot.

Jump to the Moon

The greatest of Bastet can return to Seline for short visits. By forming a Moon Bridge from her Den-Realm to the moon, the werecat departs to the court of Luna. While there, she can breathe and move about normally; so long as she’s careful, it’ll be a glorious stay.

System: Opening the Bridge requires 10 successes with a Wits + Enigmas roll (difficulty 8). Obviously, this demands and extended roll, a bit of time (each roll takes one hour), and some great moonlit ritual. Seline must be invoked and her servants called. The Gift can only be attempted once per night; if dawn comes before 10 successes are accumulated, the ritual has been wasted. If the Bastet succeeds, the Bridge lasts for one night. Lunes come down to guide the werecat and her guests to Seline’s body. The trip, it is said, is faster than thought – reaching or returning to the moon takes only minutes. If the Bridge closes before the character returns, she must open another one from the moon.

Perfect Passage

The ultimate stealth Gift; a werecat who knows this trick can travel over or though any material obstacle without leaving traces. It’s said this Gift allowed the Bubasti to rob the tombs of the Pharaohs long before any human could circumvent the traps and blocks.

System: Using this Gift costs one Gnosis point per scene (or per hour if it’s a long trip), and requires a Wits + Stealth roll (difficulty 5) each time the character encounters a new obstacle. Perfect Passage does not render the cat invisible, but it dampens all sounds and scents, eliminates footprints, opens and closes doors, springs locks, and shuts down security systems long enough for the cat to pass. When necessary, the character may even walk through solid barriers as if they were smoke. Botching any roll during t his journey has terrible results – the Bastet may be trapped inside a wall, spotted by a security camera, scented by a guard dog, or worse. Some magical perceptions (Prime magics, Auspex) might betray signs of a Passage, but will not reveal one in progress unless the seeker makes a successful Perception + Occult roll (difficulty is Bastet’s Stealth + 5). The Gift applies only to a single Bastet and anything she carries in her hands or jaws.

Soothe/Summon Storm

Mighty werecats can call upon the weather spirits to whip up or disperse a storm. The bigger the tempest, the harder it is to call up or put down. Doing so usually requires a long rite in which the cat yowls and capers at the sky. Undoing what you have summoned requires another, harder effort. This Gift is said to be a birthright from Nala herself.

System: Beginning this process requires two Gnosis points and a Manipulation + Survival roll. Once it’s in action, stopping it requires another Gnosis point and a roll at 2 difficulty higher. Once a weather pattern as begun, it will run its own course. This may take hours, Storms in unlikely locations (a sudden rainstorm in the desert, for instance) require five or more additional successes. Botching during a storm-call can be unpredictable – and disastrous. The Bastet is not immune to the forces she calls upon....
Storm Difficulty Successes Needed
Drizzle 6 One
Rain Shower 6 Three
Thunderstorm 7 Five
Severe thunderstorm 8 10
Severe Windstorm 9 15
Tornado/waterspout 9 20
Small hurricane 10 20

Withering Stare

This Gift lets a werecat kill with a glance, a favorite trick of Simba lords and wandering Pumonca. Using this Gift against other Bastet is considered deeply dishonorable but it happens.

System: The werecat locks eyes with his target; the player spends a Gnosis point and rolls Rage. The difficulty is the victim’s Willpower, and each success inflicts one aggravated Health Level of damage. Only a Willpower roll (difficulty 8) can soak the Stare, which twists the victim into agonized convulsions until death or until the werecat grants release.
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