Aptitudes Merits and Flaws

These Merits and Flaws establish special capacities and abilities for your character, or they can modify the
effects and powers of your character’s other abilities.

Merit Cost Location Page

Acute Senses 1/3 World of Darkness: Bygone Bestiary 107
Ambidextrous 1 Werewolf Players Guide 20
Ambidextrous 2 Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 14
Animal Magnetism 1 Werewolf Players Guide 20
Animal Magnetism 1 Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 13
Computer Aptitude 1 Werewolf Players Guide 20
Computer Aptitude 1 Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 13
Crack Driver 1 Werewolf Players Guide 20
Daredevil 3 Vampire Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 12
Daredevil 3 Werewolf Players Guide 20
Daredevil 3 Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 14
Expert Driver 1 Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 13
Fast Learner 3 Werewolf Players Guide 20
Homing Instinct 2/4 World of Darkness: Bygone Bestiary 107
Jack-Of-All-Trades 5 Werewolf Players Guide 21
Jack-Of-All-Trades 5 Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 14
Long-Distance Runner 3 Silent Striders Tribebook 47
Mechanical Aptitude 1 Werewolf Players Guide 21
Mechanical Aptitude 1 Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 13
Natural Linguist 2 Werewolf Players Guide 21
Natural Linguist 2 Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 14
Perfect Balance 3 Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 14
Perfect Balance 3 World of Darkness: Bygone Bestiary 108
Pitiable 1 Werewolf Players Guide 21
Poison Resistance 1 Book of The Shadow, The 35
Stunt Rider 1 Wild West Companion 63
Supporter 2 Children of Gaia Tribebook 54

Flaw Bonus Location Page

Age 1 Book of Shadows, The 35
Inept 5 Werewolf Players Guide 21
Inept 5 Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 14
Uneducated 5 Werewolf Players Guide 21
Uneducated 5 Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 14
Unskilled 5 Werewolf Players Guide 21
Unskilled 5 Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. 14

Acute Senses: (1 or 3 pt Merit) The eyes of the eagle, the nose of the hound, the hearing of the rabbit...
common speech and poetry alike celebrate these gifts. Either your kind possesses such gifts, or you are
exemplary within your species. For one point, reduce the difficulty of any feat involving one sense by three (-3
difficulty); for three points, do the same for rolls involving all physical senses.
 The downside of this Merit is sensitivity: Sudden, violent stimuli can run your senses amok. Depending on
what happens, you might be temporarily deprived of the affected sense, or driven away in pain or disgust.

Age: (1 pt Flaw) You had your first change either very early in your life or very late. Maybe you were not ready
to experience it, until you had already passed the usual age of most cubs, but for whatever reason, your now
either a very young cub, or an established adult, dealing with being a Garou. This age difference will cause
people to react to you differently. If you are older than the norm, they may either think that you are more skilled
than you actually are (which could get you in over your head quickly) or think that you're a joke. If you're
young, the older Garou may resent you or not take you seriously. ("You've got to be kidding. He's just a kid!")
Increase the difficulty of your Social rolls by I to 3 depending on the circumstances of your situation or the
individual you are confronting.

Ambidextrous: (2 pt Merit) You have a high degree of secondary-hand dexterity and can perform tasks with
the "wrong" hand at no penalty. The normal penalty for using both hands at once to perform different tasks
(such as fighting with a weapon in each hand) is +1 difficulty for the "right" hand and +3 difficulty for the other
hand; with this Merit, the penalty is at +1 for each hand.

Animal Magnetism: (1 pt Merit) You are especially attractive to others of your breed. You receive a -2
difficulty on seduction, subterfuge or animal attraction rolls (which may inspire some jealousy in others of your
own gender, who will view you as "competition").

Computer Aptitude: (1 pt Merit) You have a natural affinity for computers; the difficulties of all rolls to
repair, construct or operate them are reduced by 2.

Crack Driver: (1 pt Merit) You have a natural affinity with driving motorized wheeled vehicles, such as cars,
18-wheelers and even tractors. The difficulties of all rolls requiring risky or especially difficult driving
maneuvers are reduced by two.

Daredevil: (3 pt Merit) You are good at taking risks and even better at surviving them. All difficulties are at -2
whenever you try something exceptionally dangerous, and you can ignore a single "one" on such rolls (as if you
had an extra success).

Expert Driver: 1 pt Merit) You have a knack for driving wheeled motor vehicles, such as cars, 18-wheelers and
even tractors. The difficulties of all rolls requiring risky or especially difficult driving maneuvers are reduced by
2.

Fast Learner: (3 pt Merit) You learn very quickly, and pick up on new things faster than most do. You gain
one extra experience point at the conclusion of each storyline (not every day/week). The Storyteller has final
say over this, on if it is allowed.

Homing Instinct: (2 or 4 pt Merit) Like the fabled hound who follows his lost mistress across a kingdom, you
have an innate sense of direction when the destination involves home or a loved one. Even when vast distances
separate you from your home or friend, you can, with time, find your way there.
This Merit is not a supernatural power, nor is it a medium for transportation — you must cover all distances
and surmount all obstacles yourself. Assuming you can do that, the Homing Instinct will lead you to your
destination, despite hundreds of miles, bitter weather, even imprisonment. In game terms, you might have to
make a Perception + Awareness roll when some major setback or obstacle (a mountain range, a blizzard, a long
delay, etc.) blocks your path. The roll's difficulty depends on the obstacle's severity:

Difficulty Circumstances
6 Normal circumstances
7 Harsh weather or terrain, Major obstacles/Erased trail
 9 Vast distances (500+ miles)/Supernatural obstacles
+1 Per month of separation

When you choose the Instinct, select one "target," either a location or a character that you've forged a bond
with. Such bonds take time and affection to make — they cannot be "set" and "reset" with a simple decision.
For two points, this Merit allows you to track your subject anywhere in the mortal world; for four points, you
can follow it anywhere, even into the Otherworlds, as long as you have some way to travel there.

Inept: (5 pt Flaw) You are not attuned to your natural aptitudes and, therefore, have 5 fewer points to spend on
your Talents (so the most you could take on your talents would be 8, and the least would be 0). Of course, you
can still spend freebie points to take Talents. However, you cannot, at the start of the game, have any Talent at
level 3 or higher.

Jack-Of-All-Trades: (5 pt Merit) You can draw upon a large pool of skills and knowledge, obtained through
your extensive travels, the jobs you've held or just all-around know-how. You automatically have one dot in all
Skill and Knowledge Dice Pools. This is an illusory level, used only to simulate a wide range of abilities. If you
train or spend experience in the Skill or Knowledge, you must pay the point cost for the first level a "second
time" before raising the Skill or Knowledge to 2 dots. Lupus characters cannot take this Merit.

Long-Distance Runner: (3 pt Merit) You must have a minimum Stamina of 4 to purchase this Merit. When
running, you may double your normal speed for one hour per point of Stamina. Gifts improving movement are
calculated from the new speed. Thus, possession of this Merit and movement-improving Gifts allows you to
travel at amazing velocity.

Mechanical Aptitude: (1 pt Merit) You are naturally adept with all kinds of mechanical devices (note that this
aptitude does not extend to electronic devices, such as computers). The difficulties of all dice rolls to
understand, repair or operate any kind of mechanical device are reduced by 2. However, this Merit doesn't help
you drive any sort of vehicle.

Natural Linguist: (2 pt Merit) You have a flair for languages. This Merit does not allow you to learn more
languages than are permitted by your Linguistics score, but you may add three dice to any roll involving
languages (both written and spoken).

Perfect Balance: (3 pt Merit) Your sense of balance is acute thanks to constant training or inherited traits. It's
very unlikely that you'll ever fall during your life. You may trip, but you always catch yourself before you fully
lose your footing or handhold. This Merit aids such actions as tightrope walking, crossing ice and climbing
mountains; all such feats are at -3 difficulty.

Pitiable: (1 pt Merit) There is something about you which others pity. This causes them to care for you as if you
were a child (see the Archetypes section). Some Natures will not be affected by this Merit (Deviant, Alpha,
Fanatic), and some Demeanors may pretend they are not. You need to decide what it is about you that attracts
such pity, and how much (or how little) you like it.

Poison Resistance: (1 pt Merit) You have, for some reason or another, become resistant to poisons. It could be
that you are somehow naturally resistant or that you have spent years building up your resistance against all
known types of poisons. Any time you need to make a soak roll against the effects of a poison or toxin, reduce
your difficulty by 3. The Storyteller has final say over which poisons, are allowed in a chronicle.

Stunt Rider: (1 pt Merit) You have a natural way with horses and other four-legged modes of transport. The
difficulties of all rolls requiring risky or especially difficulty riding maneuvers are reduced by two.
Supporter: (2 pt Merit) You are quietly inspirational to all those around you. People seek you out because your
every word inspires them. People are eager to believe you, and hear your words. All your Social rolls have a -2
difficulty.

Uneducated: (5 pt Flaw) Because you have never been to school, you have 5 fewer points to spend on your
Knowledge abilities (so the most you could take would be 8, and the least would be 0). Of course, you can still
spend freebie points to take Knowledges. However, you cannot, at the start of the game, have any Knowledge at
level 3 or higher. Lupus cannot take this Flaw, and the Storyteller should allow it only in games that have the
characters interact often with human society.

Unskilled: (5 pt Flaw) You have never trained extensively in any skill or craft and, therefore, have 5 fewer
points to spend on your Skills (so the most you could take on your Skills would be 8, and the least would be 0).
Of course, you can still spend freebie points to take Skills. However, you cannot, at the start of the game, have
any Skills at level 3 or higher.