Totem Conversions to Mind’s Eye Theatre

By Jason Place

General Conversion Rules:

Trait Bonuses:

Traits are less valuable in MET than difficulty modifiers or dice bonuses are in Tabletop.
This can be seen in the fact that difficulties will generally range from 3-10 (an inclusive
range of 8), and dice pools will generally range from 2-10 (an inclusive range of 9), while
traits in MET will typically range from 3-15 (an inclusive range of 13) and even higher –
150% or more than the inclusive range in tabletop.

Since traits are generally less valuable than difficulty modifiers or dice bonuses, the
following scale will be used to convert those into trait bonuses. Mathematically, it is 1.5
times the dice or difficulty bonus, rounded down.

Tabletop Bonus
(Diff. Reduction or Bonus
dice) Extra traits given in MET

1 1
2 3
3 4
4 6
5 7

Abilities:

Abilities are on the generally the same scale in LARP as they are in tabletop (those games
that allow abilities of 6+ notwithstanding). Therefore, totems that grant abilities or bonus
dice to abilities can be directly translated over. Bonus ability levels from totems can
carry a character over level 5 in an abilitiy.

Rage/Gnosis/Willpower:

For the most part, Rage/Gnosis/Willpower are on the same scale in LARP as they are in
tabletop. Therefore, totems that grant rage/gnosis/willpower can be directly translated
over.

Gifts:

Totems that grant gifts simply grant the same gifts. If the gift does not have MET rules, a
conversion of the gift will have to be made.

Backgrounds:
Backgrounds are on the generally the same scale in LARP as they are in tabletop.
Therefore, totems that grant backgrounds can be directly translated over.

Time Scale:

Since LARPs are generally on a more strict time scale than tabletop games, references to
“story” will be equated to every 3 months.

Damage:

Damage is on a much smaller scale in LARP than in tabletop. For this reason, damage
bonuses should be “halved” and the half removed should be added as a bonus to attack.
For example, a 1 damage bonus to claw attacks would remain unchanged. A 2 damage
bonus to claw attacks would become 1 extra level of damage and an additional trait in
claw attacks. A 3 damage bonus would become 2 extra levels of damage and an
additional trait in claw attacks, and so on.

Specific Totems:
From Player’s Guide to Garou:

Totems of Respect:
Bison:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
+1 temp honor
+1 Animal Ken, +1 Enigmas, +2 Survival
Followers may draw upon three extra willpower points every 3 months.
Ban: As written

Digital Eye:
Cost: 6
Benefits:
Gift – Blur of the Milky Eye
+3 Com.puters, +3 Security
Glasswalkers gain 1 temp. honor, others lose 1 temp honor
Ban: As written

Frog:
Cost: 7
Benefits:
Gift – Elemental Favor
+2 Empathy
 +2 temp honor
Ban: Characters following Frog suffer a one-trait penalty to ALL challenges during the
winter.

Lion:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
+1 temp honor
+3 Animal Ken
Followers may draw upon four extra willpower points every 3 months.
+1 Trait bonus on challenges to impress an elder
Ban: As written

Mammoth:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
+2 Enigmas
Extra traits: Brawny, Stalwart x 2
+2 Rage, +1 Gnosis
Ban: As written

Quetzal:
Cost: 7
Benefits:
+1 temp honor
+1 Etiquette, +1 Melee, +2 Leadership
Extra trait: Elegant OR Gorgeous
Followers may draw upon three extra willpower points every 3 months.
Ban: As written

Sulis:
Cost: 8
Benefits:
+1 Medicine
+1 temp honor
Once per month, followers may purchase two new abilities for one experience
(total). Storytellers should allow access to nearly any ability – the benefit
represents Sulis’ desire for her followers to expand their knowledge in areas
where they are ignorant.
Ban: None listed

Volcano:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
Extra traits: Ferocious, Clever
+2 Primal Urge
 +1 temp honor
Ban: As written

Totems of War:
Aray (Ares):
Cost: 7
Benefits:
If suffering a fatal wound, a follower of Aray may spend 1 willpower per health
level suffered beyond incapacitated. Each wound ignored in this fashion “kills”
the follower for a scene. After the allotted time, they “come to” and may heal
normally at that point. Note that if an enemy simply continues hacking at the
body after the follower has “died,” the follower will eventually run out of
willpower and truly die.
Ban: As written

Adder:
Cost: 8
Benefits:
Gift – Fatal Flaw, Gift – Wither Limb
+2 Stealth
Ban: As written.

Bull:
Cost: 8
Benefits:
Extra trait: Brawny
+3 Brawl
Followers may draw upon four extra rage points every 3 months.
Ban: Bull’s followers are at a 3 trait penalty to resist frenzy.

Earthquake:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
+1 Brawl
Extra traits: Brawny x2, Ferocious x2
+1 temp glory
Ban: As written.

Flea:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
Gift – Hare’s Leap, Gift – Luna’s Armor
-1 temp Glory, -1 temp glory from all Glory awards
Ban: As written
The People:
Cost: 8
Benefits:
Gift - Assimilation, Gift – Speed of Thought
+1 Brawl OR +1 Melee OR +1 Firearms (Each character can choose one, but the
choice is permanent once made)
Ban: As written

Rhino:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
Extra trait: Brawny
+1 Willpower
Followers of Rhino receive a free retest with Brawl or Melee that may be used in
the first round of any combat (either as a retest or as a cancellation).
Ban: As written

Shark:
Cost: 6
Benefits:
+1 bite Damage, +1 trait bonus to bite attacks
+1 temp Glory
Extra trait: Ferocious
+2 Stealth
Ban: As written

Weasel:
Cost: 7
Benefits:
+1 bite damage
+1 Dodge
Extra trait: Nimble
Ban: As written

Wolverine:
Cost: 6
Benefits:
Extra trait: Rugged
+1 Rage, which CANNOT be lost (thus the Garou cannot lose the wolf)
Ban: As written

Totems of Wisdom:
Bacchus:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
+3 Occult, +2 Enigmas
Extra trait: Robust
Followers may draw upon three extra rage points every 3 months.
Ban: If a follower has a chance to indulge a strongly felt desire, they must succeed in a
willpower challenge (against their own rage) to do otherwise.

Chameleon:
Cost: 4
Benefits:
Gift – Blur of the Milky Eye
Extra traits: Attentive x2, Observant x2
Ban: As written

City Father/Mother:
Cost: 7
Benefits:
Gift – Attunement (when within the appropriate city)
+3 Area Knowledge (appropriate city)
Lucky coincidences & bits of information will occur when in the appropriate city
Glass Walkers - +1 temp wisdom, All others except Bone Gnawers - -1 Honor
Ban: As written

Fog (Aeolus)
Cost: 5
Benefits:
+1 Subterfuge, +1 Stealth
+1 Trait bonus on Occult or Enigmas challenges
Gift – Curse of Aeolus
Ban: As written

Salmon:
Cost: 7
Benefits:
+2 Rituals
+2 Rites background (Two free levels of rites, essentially)
+1 trait to step sideways
Ban: As written

Sphinx:
Cost: 7
Benefits:
Extra trait: Clever
+2 temp Wisdom
+3 Enigmas
Gift – Fatal Flaw
Ban: Sphinx’s children may never refuse a riddle contest. Sphinx also never takes a pack
that will harbor a member with less than 4 mental traits in one category (wits related,
intelligence related, or perception related). This limitation is imposed after she grants her
extra trait, therefore, she will accept someone with 3 wits-related mental traits.

The Spirit without Name:

Cost: 7
Benefits:
+2 Primal Urge
If a follower has a total of 6 Primal Urge, he receives a 1 trait bonus to dodge. If
a follower has a total of 7 Primal Urge, he receives a 3 trait bonus to dodge.

The pack gains a 1 trait bonus on performing pack tactics

By spending a gnosis point and making a mental challenge against 8 traits (retest
with Primal Urge), a follower may sense all events around her for one minute.
This ability has a base range of 20’, and the follower may spend mental traits to
increase the range up to 100’, each mental trait extending the range another 20’.

Ban: As written

Twister:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
+1 Enigmas, +2 Primal Urge
Extra traits: Ferocious, Quick
Ban: As written

Wind Incarnae:
Cost: 5

Benefits (East Wind):

Followers may draw upon three extra gnosis points every 3 months.
Followers are up one trait to resist frenzy.

Benefits (South Wind):

Extra trait: Tireless
By making a mental challenge against 8 traits, followers may see clearly up to a
mile away (the need for line of sight still applies).

Benefits (North Wind):

+3 Occult, +2 Enigmas

Benefits (West Wind):

+2 Leadership
Followers may draw upon three extra willpower points every 3 months
Benefits (Umbral Wind):
Followers gain 3 bonus traits to step sideways.

Ban: As written.

Totems of Cunning:
Butterfly:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
Gift – Tagalong
+2 Subterfuge, +1 Athletics
An ADDITIONAL +2 Subterfuge, +1 Athletics when impersonating someone
else
Ban: As written

Fox:
Cost: 7
Benefits:
+2 Stealth, +3 Subterfuge, +2 Streetwise
Extra Trait: Beguiling
Ban: As written

Goat:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
+2 Subterfuge, +2 Survival
+1 bonus trait on Willpower challenges
Ban: As written

Tezcatlipoca:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
Extra trait: Beguiling
+1 Subterfuge, +3 Streetwise, +1 Occult
Ban: As written

From Rage Across the Heavens:

Sohkta/Phoebe:
Cost: 7
Benefits:
+3 Enigmas, +2 Primal-Urge
Gift - Open Moon Bridge
Ban: As written

Hyperion/Helios:
Cost: 10
Benefits:
Gift - Kiss of Helios
Followers may draw upon five extra willpower points every 3 months.
Ban: As written

Mitanu:
Cost: 7
Benefits:
+3 Subterfuge, +3 Streetwise
Gift – Blur of the Milky Eye
Any Ragabash gifts cost one less experience point to learn.
Ban: As written

Hakahe:
Cost: 7
Benefits:
+3 Crafts, +3 Repair
+3 traits on Occult challenges.
Gift - Reshape Object
Ban: As written

Tambiyah:
Cost: 8
Benefits:
Extra Trait: Gorgeous
+3 Empathy, +3 Medicine
Odds of non-metis followers breeding true increase to 20%
Ban: As written

Nerigal:
Cost: 8
Benefits:
Children of Nerigal always enter berserk rather than fox frenzy
+1 Brawl, +1Melee
+1 Health level
+2 temp Glory
Ban: As written

Rorg:
Cost: 10
Benefits:
+1 trait to all Challenges when acting as a pack to accomplish a single goal
 (if trying to defeat an opponent, the bonus would apply to attacking him,
but not defending, as the goal is to defeat him and not survive his attacks)
+3 Primal-Urge
Gift – Mindspeak
Ban: As written

Zarok:
Cost: 9
Benefits:
+1 Pure Breed
+4 Leadership, +2 Intimidation
+1 Willpower for the purposes of resisting external domination, mind control, or
intimidation
Followers may draw upon five extra willpower points every 3 months.
Ban: As written

Lu-Bat:
Cost: 10
Benefits:
+3 Traits on all Enigmas, Empathy, and Occult challenges
Extra Trait: Insightful
+2 temp Wisdom
Ban: As written

Shantar:
Cost: 8
Benefits:
+2 Repair, +2 Crafts, +2 Computers
+1 Trait to swimming or navigating the Weaver’s Webs
Glass Walker gifts cost 1 experience less to learn
Ban: As written

Meros:
Cost: 7
Benefits:
+1 Trait to any challenges dealing with the land of the dead or its inhabitants
Children of Meros can never lose their way, and can find their way to any
destination given time (although the route is not necessarily the shortest or
safest).
+3 Enigmas, +3 Occult
+2 temp Wisdom
Ban: As written

From Ways of the Wolf:

Glooscap:
Cost: 4
Benefits:
+1 Survival
+1 Trait to hunting
+1 temp Widsom
Ban: As written

From Rage Across Australia:

Note: As Ngalyod and Bunyip are lost totems, conversion are not provided.

Kanau the Wedge-Tailed Eagle:

Cost: 4
Benefits:
+3 Alertness
Gift – Sense the Unnatural
Ban: As written

I’wai the Crocodile:

Cost: 5
Benefits:
+1 Health level for every two ranks held (round up)
+3 Primal Urge
Ban: As written

Pigii-Billa the Echidna:

Cost: 6
Benefits:
Gift – Gift of the Porcupine
Metis who suffer Weak teeth & claws may sacrifice a permanent Gnosis to make
their claws strong and healthy as long as they follow Piggi-Billa.
Ban: As written

Yongar the Kangaroo:

Cost: 7
Benefits:
Gift – Leap of the Kangaroo (as Leap of the Hare)
+3 Survival, +4 Intimidation
Ban: As written

Boobook the Owl:

Cost: 4
Benefits:
+3 Stealth
+2 to any ability for a scene, once per 3 months
Ban: As written
Bougoodoogahdah the Lyrebird:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
+2 Expression, +2 Subterfuge
Followers may mimic almost any sound by making a social challenge against
a variable number of traits – 6 for another voice, 9 for a car engine, etc.
This can be retested by learning and using the Ability “Mimicry.”
Ban: As written

Moodai the Possum:

Cost: 4
Benefits:
+3 Stealth, +3 Survival
+4 Traits to all climbing challenges
Ban: As written

Tulu the Kookaburra:

Cost: 7
Benefits:
Can never suffer from Harano
+3 Subterfuge
Gift – Gift of Laughter
Laughter (Intermediate Gift): The user spends one Gnosis and makes a
social challenge against the target’s willpower. Success means the target is struck
by how funny the current situation is (no matter what the situation is) and breaks
into peals of laughter. Any attack made by the laughing target is at -4 Traits.
Ban: As written

From Rage Across Appalachia:

The Grandfather:
Cost: 7
Benefits:
+5 Traits per 3 months (which can be divided) to be used on any social challenges
Extra Traits: Brawny, Brutal when fighting on solid ground, on a mountain, or
inside a mountain
+2 Athletics which apply only to mountain/rock climbing
Ban: As written

Loon:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
+2 Athletics, an additional +2 Athletics which apply only to swimming
Gift – Surface Attunement
Followers who thank Loon before searching for food in lakes and rivers will
 never go away empty handed.
Loon enhances the effects of all Garou howls (+1 trait if applicable)
Followers learn the Cry of Awakening, an eerie howl which stirs ancient
memories (any Garou who has ancestors may use one level for “free” for
the purposes of seeking information after hearing the Cry. Any given
Garou can benefit from this only once per session)
Ban: As written

Opossum:
Cost: 4
Benefits:
+3 Stealth
Gift - Resist Toxin
Followers gain automatic initiative when cornered or forced into combat. This
preempts all other abilities and supernatural powers.
Ban: As written

Red-cockaded Woodpecker:
Cost: 4
Benefits:
+2 Athletics, +2 Survival
Followers have a much easier time of foraging for food in the wilderness,
particularly vegetation. Unless unusual circumstances apply, they will
always find enough food to survive.
Gift – Spirit of the Bird
Followers are not hindered by moving through sticky substances such as tar,
quicksand, pine resin, glue, etc.
Ban: As written

Salamander:
Cost: 4
Benefits:
+2 Stealth
Gift - Blissful Ignorance
Followers can survive for one scene per 3 months without need of air.
Ban: As written

Tanawha:
Cost: 6
Benefits:
+3 traits to all perception related challenges made under the open sky
Gift – Spirit of the Bird
Ban: As written

Fir:
Cost: 3
Benefits:
+2 Survival and a specialty in Alpine climate
Extra trait: Rugged
Gift - Whisper
Whisper (Basic Gift): In the presence of a stand of trees, the Garou may
send whispered messages over long distances, as if her words were traveling from
tree to tree. The Garou spends one Gnosis per 25 words of his message. No
challenge is necessary.

Granite:
Cost: 5
Benefits:
Extra traits: Brawny x3
+2 Intimidation
Gift – Strength of Purpose
Gift – Stone Mask
Stone Mask (Basic Gift): The Garou makes a static social challenge
against six traits. Success prevents anyone from reading his mind or determining
his true nature for a scene.
Ban: As written

Whitewater:
Cost: 2
Benefits:
+3 Athletics which applies to swimming, +2 Professional Ability: Boating
Extra Trait: Agile (applies only when in/on rapidly moving water)
Gift: Mother’s Touch
Gift: Wisdom of the River
Wisdom of the River (Basic Gift): By immersing at least his feet in a river
and making a mental challenge against 6 traits, the Garou can sense what is
happening up to two miles upstream. The Garou can extend this range by one
mile per point of Gnosis spent.
Ban: As written