Canon Class: Changing Breeds.

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Sections of this guide have been lifted from the White Wolf Wiki.




WHAT ARE FERA?

The Changing Breeds, also known as ferals (or more rarely therians), are shapechangers who possess in them both Animal and Man, united into a single creature. Technically, the Uratha are part of the Changing Breeds but many of the rules that apply to Father Wolf's brood have no bearing on the feral races. As with werewolves, the feral condition is not contagious and ferals are able to adopt different forms, but ferals are limited to three. They are hurt by silver but do not share the other aspects of the Urathas' pact with Luna, especially their tie to the moon's phases. Changing Folk do not experience changes with the moon but instead with the fluctuating harmony between their animal and human selves.

The Nahual (nah-HOO-al) is the animal spirit that rules a feral. It comes from an Aztec word meaning "animal shadow soul" and is sometimes used to refer to the Changing Breeds in general but it more accurately describes the atavistic totem that creates the bond between Animal and Man in a feral. There are two parts to every Nahual: breed and accord.

The Changing Folk have a number of different breeds, and within them various species. The breeds are not like tribes among the Uratha or even like the clans of the vampires, but instead are much looser affiliations of species that are related either in outlook or through their animal kin. Species of the same breed might get along very well with each other, fight bitterly, or even have little or no knowledge of each other depending on the specific histories of that breed.

BREEDS & SPECIES

There are nine Changing Breeds in all:

• Bastet: Werecats of all sizes.
  
• Land Titans: Elephants and elusive rhino-folk.
  
• Laughing Strangers: Foxes, hares, coyotes, raccoons and possum.
  
• The Pack: Wolfkin, dog-folk, hyenas and wolverines.
  
• Royal Apes: Monkeys, gorillas and man-like mysteries.
  
• Spinner-Kin: Spider-people.
  
• Ursara: Werebears.
  
• Wind-Runners: Horses, elk, deer and other lean, fast creatures.
  
• Wing-Folk: Bird- and bat-people.
  

POWERS & ABILITIES

The Changing Breeds are all born with intrinsic gifts (Favors) and individual powers (Aspects). Every character of a species has the same three Favors but they must pick their Aspects to reflect the nature of their Nahual and their role in a community. As a general rule, a werebeast’s Favor traits show what her breed has, and Aspects reflect what that individual can do. With Storyteller permission, a player may choose more Favors in lieu of Aspects, though this must be within reason and make sense according to their species (i.e. no werebears with Aquatic or weresnakes with Extra Limb). Certain "trickster" ferals (werecrows, Sun-Chasers, Celican werecats, and members of the Laughing Strangers breed) gain access to special Bag of Tricks Aspects.

FERAS IN TODAY'S VIGIL

The Changing Breeds were and continue to be as divided with regard to recent events as they are in terms of “racial” differences. Some have chosen to retreat as much as they can from human society, hiding out in the few places that remain untouched by human hands (or the wild places that other suprnaturals have created, in an attempt to rehabilitate the Earth). Some have weaponized their hatred, forming groups of environmental crusaders who believe that sitting around and protesting for Mother Nature isn’t going to work as well as simply shooting offenders will. Others slink around on the fringes of human society, frightened, as they are, both by the prospect of losing themselves to the wild just as much as they are of Deadwalkers. Still others, desperate for acceptance and validation, have thrown themselves out in the open within human settlements, for better or for worse. And there are also those few who believe themselves to be the “next step”, made ultimately better than the chattel of humanity because of they have been blessed by Mother Nature herself.

One thing, of course, continues to unite all Changing Breeds under one standard: their instinctual resentment towards Werewolves. Now, in a world where they’re increasingly forced to interact and try to get along, that hasn’t been very good for them.

NOTABLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WHITE WOLF FERA AND WAKING THE DEAD FERA.

The only thing that sets Fera in this campaign apart from their canon counterparts is the fact that they have an amazingly long lifespan. The average Fera, regardless of Breed or Species, can live up to anywhere between 300-500 years.

GOT QUESTIONS?

This is a canon class of White Wolf. Players who are interested in playing one of the Changing Breeds may refer to the rulebook and other reference links from White Wolf in order to learn more about them.

We will, however, have a guide on how to stat a Fera up soon! For the full document on general character creation, download our guide here.