Hibernation

Rank 4 Lupus Gift

As the time of the Apocalypse draws near, some Garou turn their thoughts to preserving their greatest heroes for the final battle. This Gift is rare, for only Bear himself or one of his avatars can teach it, and he’s reluctant to share his secret. The few werewolves who have impressed him enough to learn it can assume a dormancy that not only staves off the needs of the body, but stops the lupus from aging. Normally, the latter never comes into play, but in desperate times the Garou do what they must.

System: The werewolf must find a quiet, dark spot to sleep and remain undisturbed for at least eight hours while her body enters a state of metabolic suppression. The player rolls Stamina + Survival (difficulty 7) and spends at least one point of both Gnosis and Willpower, which don’t recover during hibernation. A botch on this roll sends the Garou into immediate frenzy, as her body rejects the process. After the first eight hours have passed, the lupus sinks into a state of deep sleep. She needs no food or water, all bodily functions cease, and she doesn’t age. This hibernation lasts one week per success on the roll, though each pair of Gnosis and Willpower points spend in excess of the first increases the internal from weeks into months, years or even decades. No more than three Gnosis and Willpower can be spent to increase the interval, although Galliard tales abound of ancient Garou sleeping under mountains or in the frozen north, waiting for the call to rouse and take up arms against the Wyrm again. The werewolf can be woken prematurely if she takes enough damage to become Wounded or worse, if her player succeeds at a Willpower roll (difficulty 8) or if the rite Call to Arms is performed (Changing Ways p. 157). She can attempt a Willpower roll to wake once per day. As soon as she wakes, whether prematurely or after the full hibernation period has passed, she must roll Rage at -1 difficulty to see if she frenzies, or -2 difficulty if her injuries woke her.

Source: Changing Ways W20

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