XP Spends

XP Spends

The following is meant to supplement and augment the information in NEWS XP and NEWS EXPERIENCE.

As you will notice, a lot of this is information generally geared toward the Garou. For changing breeds who have different ways of learning certain things (e.g., those who can "swipe" other race's Gifts), we will follow the process described in the various specific breed books.

Learning Gifts There are two essential ways in which Gifts can be learned by Garou. Here's a brief summary of each. Learning Gifts from Spirits: Gifts are usually taught by spirits. A Garou must either petition a particular spirit personally or ask an elder to do so on their behalf. To find a suitable spirit, the Garou must either travel to a caern equal in power to the Gift's level, or ask a Theurge to summon the particular spirit. If neither option is available, the Garou must quest through the Umbra in search of the particular spirit and convince it to teach the Gift. To learn a Gift from a Spirit, you should put in a +job request with the following information: The Gift you are trying to learn (is it a Breed/Auspice/Tribal gift?). The Spirit (or kind of Spirit) you are trying to contact. How will you attempt to contact the Spirit? Are you going to a caern/seeking the help of a Theurge/questing through the Umbra? Any proposed chiminage. Staff will get together with you to run a Gift-learning scene. Learning Gifts from Other Garou: Sometimes, a Garou may teach another a Gift. Unlike learning from a spirit, which only takes about an hour, this way of learning a Gift takes a month of intensive training (and costs 1 more XP). The Gift must be practiced by the student before it is mastered. To learn a Gift from another Garou, you should put in a +job request with the following information: The Gift you are trying to learn (is it a Breed/Auspice/Tribal gift?). The Garou who is teaching you. When you started to learn/when you expect to finish. At the end of the IC month, you can spend the XP and acquire the Gift. Gift-learning scenes: Learning a gift from a Spirit is meant to be a fun experience. After all, "spirits encountered while learning a Gift are meant to be roleplaying opportunities, allowing a character to interact with another being and learn its ways." Upon receiving the request, staff will do our best to run the Gift learning scene for you in a timely fashion! However, in the event that schedules do not mesh, you may have to provide some additional information via the job. Staff will then let you know the final chiminage requested by the spirit & you will be able to spend the XP and acquire the Gift. Communicating with Spirits: Generally, spirits allied to the Garou may speak the tongue of the Garou if they so desire. Likewise, many other spirits also know human or Garou tongue. That doesn't always mean that they will do so. It is possible that a spirit might be feeling cranky and refuse to speak with a Garou. In such a case, the aid of a Theurge (or someone else with the gift Spirit Speech) will be required. :) XP Spends: Costs & Time XP Spends -- Time: The following is a general rule of thumb on "how long does it take" to raise Abilities. In actuality, this will vary somewhat depending on how hard it is to "learn" something, and how much you have RPed learning it. However, the WOD stats system is exponential, so it can take quite a while to go from being a "novice" to being an "expert," especially in a knowledge. Buying a new ability: 1 month Level 2: 2-3 months Level 3: 6-12 months Level 4: 12-16 months Level 5: 16+ months Sphere-Specific XP Costs (see also NEWS XP): Gnosis = current rating x 2 Rage = current rating To raise Gnosis to 7 or higher, double the cost again. For example, to raise Gnosis to level 7, it would cost 6 (current rating) x 2 x 2=24 XP. To raise Rage to 6 or higher, double the cost again. For example, to raise Rage to level 6, it would cost 5 (current rating) x 2=10 XP. Gift = level of Gift x 3 Gift outside breed/tribe/auspice = level of Gift x 5 Gift learned from Garou = +1 XP of base cost Rite = cannot be raised with XP

Learning Rites Reminder to all: Rites cannot be raised with XP spending. New Rites can only be learned through RP. You can only learn one rite at a time. Learning a rite is an extended action. A Garou must have a Rituals Knowledge at least equal to the level of the rite she wishes to learn; a character with Rituals 3 cannot master a Level Four rite. She must also spend time — at least one week per level of the rite she wishes to learn (three days for minor rites) — with the elder who knows the rite. The player must roll Intelligence + Rituals (difficulty of 10 minus Intelligence). The number of successes required equals the level of the rite. The student may make one roll per period of teaching (one week for a Level One rite, three weeks for a Level Three rite, etc.). If the student fails a roll, she must spend a Willpower point to continue her studies. If she botches a roll, she is not yet ready to learn the knowledge she seeks. The character must wait at least three turnings of the moon, or until she has more life experience, to try again. Although Rites are traditionally taught by elders, on the game you can learn Rites from your fellow Garou. And you can even gain renown from teaching Rites! Woo hoo! To begin the learning process from another character or a NPC, the student should put in the +job request regarding learning the Rite. I will not require RP logs of any "teaching" scenes from players, but occasionally a NPC may meet with the student in a scene to RP some teaching. Raising Gnosis & Rage Gnosis: Gnosis represents your link with Gaia and the spirit world. Therefore, an increase in Gnosis represents a growth in your level of understanding of the natural balance, and a closer link to the spiritual side of things. Those with a high Gnosis score may find that the boundary between the worlds of spirit and matter blurs, making it difficult to tell what is of the spirit world and what is not. Thus, Gnosis requests should stress what you have been doing to get closer to your spiritual side. Example of a "bad" request: "I need more Gnosis because I keep botching when I try to +step." Example of a "good" request: "I've been spending a lot of time meditating at the caern, pondering the mysteries of Gaia and our dual nature in order to gain a better understanding of the spirits." Rage: Rage represents your link with the primal "Beast" within yourself, the part of you which is instinct, passion, the "soul of nature." Rage is "a measure of a character's capacity for all-consuming madness as well as determination" — it is also what allows a Garou to shapeshift. An increase in Rage represents a growth in your link with this primordial "madness" and increases the risk of Frenzy. Rage requests should stress what you have been doing or experiencing to allow you to expand your Rage. Example of a "bad" request: "I want to raise my Rage because I want more Rage actions when I fight! I'm all angry and stuff, grrr argh!!" Example of a "good" request: "During my recent battles with Wyrmspawn, I have called on my inner resources, tapping deeply into the inner Beast. I have attempted to channel my darkest impulses into forceful, constructive action." Raising Willpower Willpower: Willpower measures the capability of a character to resist "temptation." For shifter characters especially, having a higher willpower means greater control over their Rage. An increase in willpower represents a bolstering of a character's self-confidence and resolve. Willpower requests should stress what has actually happened to develop this new-found confidence. Example of a "bad" request: "I want more willpower because I've been acting really tough and strong. Also, I keep +expending it all and I need a bigger pool." Example of a "good" request: "Recently, I have found myself sorely tested to keep my Rage in check as Bob the Kinfolk seems intent on getting me to lose my temper. I have drawn on my inner resolve and have resisted the temptation to rip his head off. In addition, despite a lot of opposition from other Septmates regarding a ruling I made recently as Truthcatcher, I have remained firm and not buckled to pressure. Because of this, I have grown more self-assured."