                                 SKINWALKER



   By Robert Kelly (3 Mar 93)

  SKIN WALKERS



   Shapeshifting, Bodystealing Vampires with Gnosis!

   Skinwalkers are Native American vampires located in southwestern U.S.
   They operate like normal vampires -- possessing generation,
   thaumaturgic-like rituals and able to make strong Wyrm fetishes.

   As the Uktena and Wendigo purified the American contenents, they
   encountered the Skinwalkers: very clever and resourceful Wyrm spirits
   that would move across the plains, from pueblo to pueblo and slowly,
   systematically consume all of the people.

   Because of their unique abilities to assume the shapes of those they
   kill, the American tribes more often than not assumed that the Garou
   and the Skinwalkers were one in the same-and not without little cause
   for the Garou continually prevented tribes and pueblos from getting
   too large.

   Skinwalkers are believed to be completely destroyed: the truth is that
   the few which are left have clandestinely merged into the Camarilla
   and the Sabbat, assuming high positions within each group and totally
   hiding from others.

   Creation (Minimum)

   Attributes 8/6/4* (mental primary)

   Abilities 15/11/7 (knowledges primary)

   Backgrounds 8

   Disciplines 4

   Gnosis 7

   Willpower 5

   Blood: 15 pt pool

   Freebie 21

   Disciplines

   Skinwalkers must have a Thaumaturgy 2, many are much, much more
   campable at Thaumaturgy, equal to the elder Tremeres -- some are even
   masquerading elder Tremeres. Many also possess high levels of Auspex
   and Obtenebration. Abilities

   Skinwalkers are naturally able to talk to spirits: some wise shamans
   and Uktena even believe that they are actually malevolent spirits
   inhabiting physical bodies. No one knows for sure.

   Skinwalkers are able to step sideways as Garou and can learn rituals
   and gifts as do Garou. In the Umbra, however, they appear as horrible
   and malignant creatures, with long talons and spindly bodies.

   For Disciplines, Rituals and Gifts, Skinwalkers can use either Blood
   or Gnosis.

    Wyrmskins

   Wyrmskins are fetishes made from the skins of the victims the vampire
   has killed. At any time, a skinwalker can assume the visage of another
   person or creature (even if the creature is an animal). The number of
   creatures's forms a wyrmskin can retain is equal to the Skinwalker's
   Gnosis -- thus a Skinwalker with Gnosis 4 can memorize four "skins."

   When Skinwalkers consume a victim's blood, they can assume that
   victim's identity -- aura perception, sense wyrm and smell will not be
   able to tell the identities different unless five successes are
   rolled. If they kill a victim via blood drinking, until the next moon
   rise they will be able venture into the sunlight, provided that victim
   wasn't a vampire.

   Some extremely capable Skinwalkers can assume other peoples' forms
   without killing them. To do so requires five successes on a Stamina +
   Subterfuge vs. their Willpower. A botch means the Skinwalker can never
   assume that creatures form. Limitations

   Skinwalkers are thoroughly inhuman and the GM should not allow players
   to create Skinwalkers as characters.

   Skinwalkers are unlimited at improving their attributes to any level,
   and retain their physical attributes except Appearance. They cannot
   pump their physical attributes the way other vampries can, but can use
   it to heal themselves from non-aggravated damage. Their natural form
   is akin to Nosferatu with an Appearance of zero.

   Skinwalkers take aggravated damage from sunlight, fire and silver.

   Once every hundred years a Skinwalkers must return to their homeland
   in the Southwest and kill ten creatures, preferably human, in a ritual
   to prolong their life. Should they not do this, every year past one
   hundred they lose an extra blood per evening. If they do not do this,
   they will enter topor. Sources:

   Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko

   Mad Love and War, poems of Joy Harjo

   Navajo Mythos

   Tony Hillerman (GAK)
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