Rules and Setting World of Darkness: Attrition - Rules for World of Darkness: Attrition

[Vivi OOC]

This document will be updated by the Moderators when necessary, to reflect additions, edits, or retractions made during the course of play. Recent alterations (<3 months) will be colored blue for ease of recognition.

[Vivi OOC]

The World

Setting and Mechanics: NWoD. The time is present-day, and the place is Los Angeles, California. There is an ongoing supernatural war being waged over the state, resulting in an upsurge of paranormal activity. There is no central leadership in Los Angeles - no Prince, no Hierarch, no seasonal King - as the city is, along with the state, in effective chaos. Suggested starting location: UCLA campus.

The Chat Room: It's just part of a typical local message board called "CalNet." There are no special invites, and everyone isn't automatically assumed to be supernatural. Anyone can log on. Anyone wishing to make in-character posts to the CalNet forum (for advertisements, asking questions, holding a get-together, discussing local gossip, etc.) should start their thread in the Attrition: Fiction area, including [CalNet] in the title and labelling it IC with the optional tags by clicking the appropriate button.

Rating: NC-17. This is the World of Darkness. Sex, drugs, and murder are the least of your worries.

[Vivi OOC]

The Character Types

Mage: Mages are allowed. Everything functions as per NWoD rules. Seers of the Throne, Nephandi, etc. are not options for player characters. (More on this later.)

Vampire: Vampires are allowed. The possibility exists that cults have risen, but no concrete information regarding the true origin of vampirism (if there is only one origin) will be available. (Special note: Humanity will function as Morality, discussed later. The hierarchy of sins is not a list of hard and fast rules, but a set of guidelines, and feeding from a mortal or defending your territory against hunters is not likely to result in your character needing to roll for a derangement.) Membership in Belial's Brood, VII, etc. is not available to player characters. Vampires, due to their somewhat unique perception of time, may have been Embraced within the last 5 years. We've decided this is roughly equivalent to the experiences of the other supernaturals, while also pointing to the fact that time affects them differently.

Werewolf: Werewolves are allowed. Pure and Balehounds are not available as player characters. Applications for Changing Breed characters will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Changeling: Changelings are allowed. There is no change from the core NWoD ruleset for the Lost. As with the other supernaturals, being part of an antagonistic group (True Fae, for example) is not possible for PCs. We are also willing to extend a bit of leeway to Changelings in terms of time since they were taken, and for similar reasons as the blood-drinkers. You have the same range that Vampires do: five years or less. Because of the nature of time in Arcadia, we are giving Changelings an extra 20 years over Vampires, allowing them up to 25 years since they were taken. Note, however, that no experience is accrued until such time as they escape their Keeper and return to the world, so there is no mechanical advantage to a long stay. (Vivi/Dave/OTN- 05/08/13)

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Mortals: Mortals are, of course, allowed. After all, almost every sentient denizen of the World of Darkness was once human. Mortals may even play "hunters" of supernatural beings. Do not confuse this with those originating in "Hunter: the Reckoning," however. Mortal ghoul-hunters are still just mortals. They are not blessed by God Almighty. If you are playing a Mortal, you have the option of beginning play with the "Sleepwalker" Merit (4pts, Mage: the Awakening core book) for free. This will be sacrificed voluntarily upon the addition of a supernatural template to your character, without compensation for its loss.

Hunters: Hunters are permitted in Attrition. They do not, however, gain bonus experience for slaying supernaturals, because this could too easily become excessive in comparison to the experience gained by other characters in this format.

Geist: We are tentatively allowing Sin-Eaters. Approval will be on a case-by-case basis.

What about Wraith/Risen/Mummy? Currently, the task of revising each of these groups to fit the NWoD is beyond the scope of our ability or interest. They may exist as plot devices from time to time, but none will be common in the setting.

Why can't I play a Nephandi/Balehound/Member of VII? Because, simply, every player character is considered a protagonist in terms of the stories being told, and the games being played. This does not mean that all PCs must cooperate, like each other, or even resist to the urge to stab each other in the back, but they cannot be part of a canon "villain" group. If your character concept/build supports it, these groups may be used to create personal rivals or enemies. Please remember, however, that Moderators may use these against you at any time.

Additionally, if your character ever willingly becomes part of one of these groups as a result of player choices, they will immediately become an NPC and be placed permanently under Moderator control. If your character ends up being railroaded into such an organization for dramatic purposes under Moderator direction, they will obviously be given ample opportunity to redeem themselves.

Note: Exceptions may be granted for players with exceptional story ideas involving their corruption (or near-corruption) and redemption. These will be approved on a case-by-case basis, and must be thoroughly discussed with the Moderators before they are implemented. Failure to do so will result in the loss of the character.

[Vivi OOC]

Making a Monster

Submission Format: Character submissions should be sent via PM to the following accounts: Vivi OOC, Dave ST, and Owns-The-Night. These are the forum Moderators. When submitting your character, please include both their history/background and the completed character sheet, along with a list of Bonus Point and XP allocations. The preferred format for the subject line is as follows: [Attrition] Character Name. This will help us keep the submissions organized.

Note: Players whose characters have already been approved for play are asked to please re-send their approved sheet and background using this format, and we apologize for the confusion and inconvenience. If your character has been submitted but not yet approved, it is not necessary to re-send the information until after gaining approval. (Vivi, 03/17/10)

Character Creation: Standard (see below for Simple Merit Rule). Characters must be created using official White Wolf NWoD publications only. (OWoD storylines and NPCs may be used for the character concept, background, etc.) No home-brews. You may currently have 2 active characters, and one of those PCs must die or be permanently relegated to the ranks of NPC-dom before you may make another. If your PC has contacts, allies, etc., they must be described individually as NPCs when your character is submitted. The Moderators will want to know who they are, what they're capable of, and what history they have with your character. Each dot must be accounted for with the requisite PCs or NPCs. (Dave's Note: Please don't expect that a character thrown together in a few minutes will be accepted. This is World of Darkness, and we'd prefer a little more depth.)

Per the NWoD rules, players may sacrifice up to 2 dots of Morality/Humanity/Harmony/Wisdom/Clarity for 5XP per dot sacrificed. This will be considered a voluntary degeneration, and a Moderator will roll to determine whether or not a Derangement is gained. (This roll will be PM'd to you.)

Bonuses: Characters may, if they so desire, spend up to 50XP to signify that they’re a bit more worldly-wise. Obviously, this isn’t required, and anyone who wishes to play a completely green initiate into the mysteries of the really-real world is more than welcome to do so.

Min-maxing: Don't overdo it. Some of you prefer characters who are heavily skilled in specific areas and weak in areas they consider nonessential- "one trick ponies," if you will. We realize this. Attempts to game the system in excess (to be determined by the Moderators) will find the character removed from play, either permanently or until such time as the Moderators are satisfied that sufficient alterations have been made by the player.

Concepts and Point Allocations: Must be approved by a Moderator before the character may begin posting. If they don't match up (Your character is a kick-ass martial artist who spends all of his time reading comic books and trolling AOL chatrooms for girls?), be prepared to defend your position. You may be asked to revise the character.

No character may enter play with a Blood Potency, Primal Urge, Gnosis, or Wyrd (or similar trait) at a rating higher than 3.

If you wish to play a character who is particularly popular or famous, or has some measure of status within an organization or group, please take the relevant Fame or Status Merit. Drew's English professor, for example, takes one dot in Status (Educators) in addition to good mental attributes and abilities to show that he is at least a tenured member of the faculty with some measure of respect. The captain of the basketball team, on the other hand, might have a dot or so of Fame (UCLA) in addition to good physical scores since he'd be well-known on campus, but it wouldn't actually merit him any particular privileges or authority. This is part of making your concept and your expenditures mesh.

Modified Simple Merit Rule: In an effort to help your XP go a little farther, WoD:A is adopting the popular "Simple Merit" system.

Under this system, there are two kinds of Merits: Graduated and Simple.

Graduated Merits are those that give a range, like "0 to 00000". Resources and Fighting Style: Boxing are examples of Graduated Merits. You need to buy each dot you have of a Graduated Merit.
Example: Resources 4 would cost 20XP.

Simple Merits have a basic cost, like "000". Ambidextrous is an example of a Simple Merit. You only have to pay for the highest dot of a Simple Merit.
Example: Ambidextrous (a 3-dot Merit) would cost 6XP.

Some Simple Merits have more than one available rating, such as "00 or 0000". Striking Looks is an example of such a Merit. In cases such as this, you must pay for all preceding ratings as well as your selected rating.
Example: Striking Looks 4 would cost 12XP (4XP for 2, then 8XP for 4).

Experience: Will be awarded at a flat rate of 3pts per month. There may be additional bonuses for completed fictions, IC (moderated) chats, or especially productive/entertaining forum threads.

A character may not gain more than 8XP for completed fictions, moderated chats, and forum threads during the course of a given month. A maximum of 4 of those XP may be gained from IC chats. This means that a player may earn up to 11XP in any given month between activity awards and those for their writing and participation. Experience may be awarded for other reasons by the Moderators, though such gains will be rare. These caps are to permit those who are more active to progress appropriately, without completely outpacing the rest of the field. This isn't a competition, after all.

In the case of cooperative fictions, "cameo" appearances by a PC will generally not count as sufficient participation to merit a bonus. Moderators have the final say on whether or not a fiction, chat conversation, or forum thread provides additional experience for the participants. Experience will be tracked and awarded in the character’s profile within a specific code-box edited in by a Moderator. The player is responsible for tracking his or her expenditures, and these running tallies will be periodically audited by the Moderator responsible for their maintenance. Please do not award your own experience, as this may cause errors in which people receive credit more than once.

Humanity/Morality: As stated previously, the listed hierarchies of sins will be considered guidelines, rather than strict rules. Whether or not your character is in violation of his or her ethical standards will depend on how the victim or aggressor is categorized: as an Innocent, or a Combatant. A Moderator will determine whether or not the roll is necessary.

Example: Vaughan, the Ventrue Viscount (isn't alliteration fun?) awakens to find a group of mortals breaking into his haven. They've breached his security systems, and when he confronts them, they open fire. If Vaughan elects to kill them, or their deaths result from his efforts to defend himself, he does not suffer any detrimental effects, save for the possibility of being temporarily hacked off about ruining his imported carpet, or the waste of vitae. Why? The mortals were Combatants. There is, in our opinion, nothing morally destitute about a predatory creature of the night defending itself from interlopers.

Alternatively, Butch the Brujah Bully decides to start a fight at the local brewery. He provokes a group of drunk frat boys, and summarily tears them all apart. There wasn't even a hint of a threat. The mortals were Innocents. Butch will have to make the check, and potentially suffer a Derangement as a result.

To summarize: Fending off violence against your person, fine. Defending your territory/packmates, fine. Removing a known Marauder from existence, fine. Cutting the throat of the campus librarian because you think she might've known too much about your occult studies, not fine. Draining local strippers dry because you consider them the dregs of society, not fine. Rampaging through a crowd to get to your intended target is, again, not fine. I hope the difference is fairly clear. If a situation arises in which it isn't clear, the players may call upon a Moderator to make the distinction.

Additional Note: If a player wishes to utilize an alternate form of Humanity/Morality/what-have-you from a previous WoD source (Paths in V:tM spring to mind), they will be approved on a case-by-case basis. Please understand that those philosophies taught by antagonistic groups (like the Sabbat, in the case of vampires) will likely not be approved, or at least not without significant alteration, and that anyone using one of these variant systems of ethics will be observed rather closely by the Moderators.

Spending Willpower: Any expenditures of Willpower made during a fiction should be noted in a "code" box within the context of the post in which the point was spent.

Example:

Code:

Spent 1pt of Willpower to gain 3 extra dice on Seduction roll. (6/7)

How much information you include is up to you, but the fact that a point was spent must be noted.

Regaining Willpower: Willpower is regained at the rate of 1 point per RL week. For the sake of simplicity, we will assume that this happens on Sunday. Indulging in the character's Vice or Virtue when there is the potential for some risk to the character will still function as normal. That is, Virtue will replenish your Willpower completely, while Vice will replace one spent Willpower point. We hope that this will encourage the use of Vices and Virtues in fictions and interactions.

[Vivi OOC]

Moderators and You

The Role of Moderators: Mods are not considered players in their official capacity, though they may have player characters. They exist as a means for players to request assistance, intervention, or clarification at any time; to resolve and arbitrate conflicts; to reward good roleplaying; to review and audit character sheets and be responsible for character approvals; to handle rules infractions; to further the storylines and streamline combat and drama, and to control canon and player-created NPCs.

They are not baby-sitters.

Players may ask for the assistance of a Moderator at any time, but by-and-large they should be invisible except when acting as a Storyteller.

Absent Moderators: If a Moderator is consistently absent, or if the players feel it is necessary due to lack of involvement, a vote may be called to have a given Moderator replaced. All reasonable attempts will be made to accommodate their real-life responsibilities, emergencies, and other unavoidable issues. Any unplanned/unannounced absence which lasts for more than two weeks (14 days) and results in the inability of the Mod in question to perform their Modly duties will be considered sufficient cause for such a vote.

Moderator Decisions: May be appealed by speaking with another Moderator, if you believe the decision was egregiously incorrect. Whether the other Moderators uphold the original decision, or overturn it, the result is to be considered final. Please don't assume that this means you should appeal frivolously, because that will also be taken into account when deliberating on your behalf.

Current Moderators: Are Vivi OOC, Dave ST, and Owns-the-Night.

[Vivi OOC]

NPCs: Not just Sidekicks

Any NPC may be controlled by a Moderator at any time. This includes player-created NPCs, and in the World of Darkness, your girlfriend or family or whatever could very well suffer for your actions as a PC. Major (canon) NPCs, and any links to said NPCs, are under the Mods' purview alone. As a PC, you were not sired by Vlad Tepes, you are not the mortal incarnation of the Wyrm, and you are not Luna's great-great-grand-daughter. Players cannot have audience with/go clubbing with/attempt to assassinate/bear the love-child of any canon NPC without express moderator consent and involvement.

NPCs "usurped" by a Moderator may be harmed (physically or otherwise) at the Moderator's discretion. The World of Darkness is not a pretty place, and your little brother Billy might find himself the target of the Nephandi if you annoy the wrong people. This is not expected to happen frequently, and any Moderator abusing this privilege will be removed.

[Vivi OOC]

Conflict: Because This Needs Its Own Section

Consent: We’re going to consider the type of consent used in WoD: Attrition “limited.” Given the cooperative nature of the forums, we don’t expect this to pose a problem. It will function like this:

Any attack resulting in no damage, or bashing damage is to be handled between the players. Consent is not revoked in these cases. Use of lethal force is automatically considered a voluntary waiver of consent on the part of the aggressor. It does not, however, remove consent for the victim, who may choose to defend themselves, use diplomacy, run, call the police, etc. If the victim chooses to fight back, so long as lethal force is not used, their consent is not considered waived. It remains the prerogative of a Moderator to determine whether or not a killing strike actually accomplishes that goal. At any time that lethal (or aggravated) damage enters the equation, a Moderator will immediately begin observing the situation. As a side note, attempts to dominate or use mind-control powers on another player are considered "lethal damage" for the purposes of consent and Moderator involvement.

Note: Moderators, in their official capacity, are not subject to consent. Any character they may play is still subject to all of the normal rules.

Example: Lucien, incensed at his friend Morgan's refusal to accept his explanation why the local vampire population is suddenly waging war on their fellow mages, slaps her mid-rant. (Consent is not waived.) She grabs her palette knife and, enraged, stabs him in the shoulder, shouting that he is a traitor. (Consent is waived, lethal damage. A Moderator begins observing.) In retaliation, Lucien picks up her easel and viciously beats her to the floor. (Consent is not waived, bashing damage.) Lucien has the option to continue beating her until her brains are so much tapioca, if he so chooses. Why? She used deadly force. This is the World of Darkness, after all. (If, however, Lucien were to pull a gun and shoot her instead of hitting her with the easel, his consent would be considered forfeit, as well, and Morgan would be just as much within her rights to try to retaliate if she survives the gunshot.) A Moderator gets involved at this point, determining whether Morgan is actually beaten to death, or just beaten to the hospital.

“What happens when/if bashing damage rolls over into lethal?”

Using the above example, let’s say Lucien decides to just keep hitting Morgan, even after she’s on the floor. For the sake of argument, we’ll also assume she doesn’t manage to stay conscious. Lucien has the option to either stop beating her now that she’s unconscious (and theoretically do horrible, but non-lethal things to her while she’s out), or keep going and try to kill her. As soon as lethal damage enters the equation, no matter how it’s dealt, a Moderator should start watching the scenario. If it happens unintentionally (for example, Morgan only has two health levels left, but Lucien does four, leaving her with two Lethal overflow), the character has the option of pulling their punch, bringing their opponent to exactly 0. Consent isn’t altered in this case. If, knowing there’s going to be overflow, they willingly deal out enough damage to carry over into Lethal, their consent is forfeit as normal. It will be up to the Moderator to determine the end result of the beating based on the actions each character took. This makes it possible to stage fights for dramatic effect, but also prevents random elements like a Vampire’s Frenzy or a Werewolf’s Death Rage from being ignored or diluted.

Die Rolls: Where necessary, any dice rolled will be handled by a link-ready site such as Invisible Castle, or logged in Beta Chat, and any links will be provided in the relevant post. They should not be needed in the overwhelming majority of interactions, save for cases in which the PC is resisting a Moderator/NPC ability, a PC ability, etc. If the participants prefer that the rolls be made privately, they must be done via PM, and a Moderator must be included in the PM conversation.

[Vivi OOC]

For Vampires: Supernatural Blood and You

• Werewolves: Werewolf Vitae yields 2 1/2 times the equivalent amount taken from a human source, rounded down. It also incites the Kindred's Beast to surface more readily, giving them a -2 penalty to rolls made to resist Frenzy for 2 nights per Health point consumed (disregarding the multiplier). (Taking 2 Health points from a Werewolf would cause the Kindred to take a -2 penalty to checks made to resist Frenzy for 4 nights.)

• Mages: Though they offer no additional sustenance beyond ordinary mortals, the quality of their blood reflects something of the arcane powers with which they deal. Consuming 1 point of Vitae from a Mage causes the Kindred to suffer a Derangement (generally one appropriate to the Mage's Arcana) for 1 night per Vitae consumed.

• Changelings: While their blood isn't directly harmful, it does possess hallucinogenic qualities. A vampire suffers a cumulative –1 penalty to perception rolls for every Vitae worth of changeling blood he consumes. Faces sprout in the environment and babble nonsense rhymes, colors shift and bleed, the outlines of objects warp and shudder. The effects last until the vampire is able to sleep the meal off, though his sleep may be wracked with particularly vivid nightmares.

[Vivi OOC]

(Courtesy of Dawn OOC)

There seems to be a lot of confusion about what lunacy does, and what "protection" it will and will not afford. So I am posting the section of text that deals with it. As a note, Wolf-blooded recieve a +2 to the effects of lunacy, and supernaturals (essentially, the major templates) are immune.

Forsaken Core Book: 175-176

LUNACY

Human beings have long recognized the power of the moon to inspire them, to cause them to become contemplative… and to drive them mad. The Uratha benefit from a concentrated form of this power derived from their alleged spiritual mother, Luna. This power wraps around a werewolf like a cloak, infecting human observers with the same sort of insanity that causes them to become more violent under the full moon, to forget what the night led them to do. This madness — which humans vaguely recognize, as evidenced by their use of the words “lunatic” and “moonstruck” — is a weapon and a mask that Uratha use to conceal themselves.

When a human observer clearly sees a werewolf in Dalu, Gauru or Urshul, he is affected by the Lunacy to a degree that depends on his Willpower dots. He might run in terror, curl up into a catatonic ball or even stand his ground. Lunacy is strongest when facing a werewolf in nightmarish Gauru form. Onlookers use the following chart to determine the effects, depending on their Willpower. An onlooker gains +2 to Willpower when observing an Uratha in Urshul form, and +4 to Willpower when he sees an Uratha in Dalu. The use of certain clearly supernatural Gifts, rites or fetishes, even when a character is in Hishu or Urhan form, might also trigger Lunacy (although onlookers are at +5 effective Willpower). This Willpower boost is only for the purposes of determining observers’ reaction to Lunacy, and cannot take effective Willpower higher than 10. If multiple Uratha make supernatural displays before human witnesses, the most overt prevails over all. So, if one character is in Dalu form, another is in Urshul and a third is in Gauru, all onlookers are subject to the effects caused by the Gauru werewolf. If he weren’t present, the Urshul-form Uratha would make for the most daunting spectacle. All werewolves cause Lunacy, regardless of their fealty. Although the Pure reject Luna as a patron, a measure of her power and protection nonetheless seems to abide within them.

The results are as follows:

• Willpower 1–2: Most humans at this level have suffered great trauma or are impaired in some way. They lack even the slightest protection against Lunacy. An onlooker has no control over his actions and could go catatonic, suffer a heart attack, revert to animalistic behavior (hiding in dark places and snarling, tearing at his clothes) or perform practically suicidal actions in an attempt to escape (such as throwing himself out of a tenth-story window). Any actions taken suffer a –5 penalty out of fear. Victims don’t remember the scene at all, and they refuse to believe any evidence that implies they were present at such a scene.

• Willpower 3–4: This is the level of the average to slightly below average human in the World of Darkness. Lunacy affects them as fear affects herd animals. Onlookers are likely to flee in abject terror and have no real control over their actions. All actions that might be taken (attempting to drive a car, climb a fence) incur a –4 penalty. Onlookers don’t remember the event save in the most general sense, and they always rationalize it. (“Yeah, three years ago I saw this girl get attacked by some pit bull that had gotten loose. I’d rather not talk about it. It was pretty bad.”)

• Willpower 5–7: Humans at this level have above average strength of will, but still not enough to cope with the Uratha. A person is overcome with fear and attempts to flee in panic. She has some control over her actions, though. If she attempts to hide in a building, she has the presence of mind to lock the door. If the victim is cornered, she might fight, albeit in a berserk state. Any actions the person takes suffer a –3 penalty. She forgets the event unless she attempts to actively remember it (under questioning, for instance). Attempting to remember the event requires an Intelligence + Composure roll at a –3 penalty (see World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 44). Success on this roll allows the character to remember general circumstances, but not the true nature of the Uratha. An exceptional success allows her to remember with perfect clarity. A roll must be made each time she attempts to remember the scene, though. Her mind and soul want to forget.

• Willpower 8–9: Humans at this level have exceptional self-control. A subject still feels great terror and an almost irresistible desire to flee, but a Willpower point may be spent to retain control for a turn. Any actions suffer a –1 penalty, save in a turn in which a Willpower point has been. The victim always retains a hazy, nightmarish half-memory of the event, but she must make a conscious effort to focus directly on it. Attempting to remember the event requires an Intelligence + Composure roll at a –2 penalty. Success on this roll allows the character to remember the event, but not the true nature of the Uratha. An exceptional success allows her to remember with perfect clarity. This roll must be made each time the subject attempts to remember the scene.

• Willpower 10: The rarest of the rare, humans with this level of Willpower are practically made of iron. The subject is completely unaffected by the Lunacy. She has control over her actions and remembers the event as clearly as she remembers any other significant event in her life.

Even photographic records of the Uratha benefit from the protection of Lunacy to a limited degree. Although a snapshot taken of a werewolf in Gauru doesn’t frighten anyone who looks at it, most humans (Willpower 8 or lower) simply refuse to believe that the picture could be more than a hoax.

And from page 177:

STORYTELLER’S FIAT

Sometimes things aren’t as cut-and-dried as these Lunacy rules imply. Sometimes people remember spectacles in spite of themselves. The Storyteller may make a roll for any human observer to boost his or her Willpower temporarily. If a witness is granted this fiat, a Resolve + Composure roll is made. Success achieved are added to the subject’s Willpower dots for this particular exposure to Lunacy. This fiat is usually granted for purposes of a character potentially becoming a threat to the Uratha, even if he isn’t ordinarily a steely paragon of courage.

The Storyteller should exercise this fiat rarely, and with discretion. If too many humans are able to remember their experiences with the Uratha, it becomes hard to believe that werewolves have remained concealed for so long. It does, however, make a fine way of creating a new antagonist for a pack.

THE HUMAN SIDE

What does Lunacy feel like to the humans who experience it? Few are in a state to articulate their fear, but it takes various flavors, depending on the form a werewolf is in. If a person is subject to Lunacy due to a werewolf in Dalu form, the fear is akin to that felt regarding dangerous people, of becoming prey to another person’s appetites. If an Urshul-form werewolf triggers Lunacy, it awakens memories of nights when predators actually stalked humans for food. But Gauru triggers a surreal, nightmarish fear that is beyond simple. The onlooker knows that the beast is coming to eat him, but he’s never seen such a creature before or imagined that it could possibly exist. The werewolf is that inescapable beast that haunts dreams — unreal, yet present in the flesh.

Those who are affected by the Lunacy by watching a werewolf in human or wolf form use an obviously supernatural power (such as a Gift or rite) have almost no frame of reference. They suffer similarly to those who see a Gauru-form werewolf.