|
|
|
Ant Eater, or Snout Tongue, is the
great ravager of the insect world.
He is also one of the most
purposeful totems of the Sixth
World. He is naturally inquisitive,
and can often sniff out trouble, or
those in trouble, with little
difficulty.
Environment:
Any Land
Advantages
+2 Dice to Detection spells
+2 Dice to Manipulation spells
+2 Dice to Conjuring Spirits of Land
(not desert)
Disadvantages:
Ant Eater is often slow to thinking
and often times very stubborn. A
Shaman of this totem requires a
willpower test with a target of 4 to
break off from his current action, be
it attacking reading a book,
swimming, etc. It is an unresisted
test however, making it a little more
"merciful" on the Shaman in
question. He also is always looking
for a meal, and will VERY rarely
turn down an offer to eat of any
kind (same willpower test above to
avoid or turn down the offer).
[GM's Note- Ant Eater has an additional set of
advantages as well. He is a MAJOR opponent
of Insect Spirits of all kinds. He gains an
additional +1 modifier to his die rolls in ALL
actions against any insect form, as well as
against Spider and her related machinations.
This includes resistance tests against ALL
attacks, as well as ALL attacks made against
an "insect form." This number however is NOT
cumulative with the effects
of Initiate Grade.]
Dingo is the one of the great plains
wanderers. He is similar to the
western worlds "coyote" in many
ways, though he is not as transient
in his nature. Dingo is protective of
his own, and will defend his kin, but
not necessarily to the point of death.
He also is not bound to anything,
except perhaps his word.
Environment:
Plains and/or Prairie
Advantages:
+2 Dice to Detection Spells
+2 Dice to Health Spells.
+2 Dice for Conjuring Prairie Spirits.
Disadvantages:
Dingo is often considered to be a
coward by others around him. If
given the opportunity, he will opt
for retreat, so as to deal with the
situation from a better vantage
point. He is not a coward in the true
sense of the word, but is often
misunderstood by others. A Dingo
Shaman must make a willpower test
with a target of 4 to remain in a
given position/situation, or else he
pull back to get a potentially better
advantage. Dingo is also easily
tricked and/or manipulated by
others. He suffers a -2 to all his
negotiation attempts, IF the other
party is attempting to "pull the
wool" over him.
Dove is thin and austere. She is
flighty; quick in motion and in
thought. She seems naive and
inexperienced, often jumping to
conclusions and believing in
people's better natures. She avoids
combat actively, and is primarily a
healing totem. She is fastidious in
dress, though often wearing simple
and functional clothing. The Dove
totem is the totem of those who
practice the healing traditions of the
ancient Christian sects, and in fact is
one of very few totems to be openly
espoused by the Catholic Church.
Dove is a healer. It is her prime
motivation and reason for being.
She will refuse healing to none,
often times healing even her enemies.
Environment:
Urban
Advantages:
+2 dice Healing Semi-empathy
+2 dice for conjuring any
Spirit of Man.
Disadvantages:
-1 die for casting any non-stun spell.
A Dove shaman cannot refuse healing
to anyone who requests it. A Dove
shaman will not tolerate evil or
ignoble actions.
Dove shamans posses, almost as a side effect
of their "choice" of totem, an heightened
awareness of others' feelings. This does not
allow them to read minds or to
broadcast/receive others' emotions in any real
sense, it instead allows the Dove shaman an
infallible sense of when someone is in pain,
even being capable of use as a locator. This
form of empathy allows the Dove shaman to
avoid physically damaging someone, as to do
so is almost as painful to the Dove shaman as
it is to the victim. The Dove shaman must use
Willpower to resist a deadly stun with a
Target Number of 4 if she witnesses a death
due to violence.
Koala is not a fighter, though she is
quite capable of defending herself
and her kin. Her affinity for nature
has allowed her to remain in touch
with the natural balance of life, and
indeed is the most powerful of the
known Totemic Healers. If
cornered, she will retreat to the
safety of the trees, and remain there
until the danger has passed.
Environment:
Any Land
Advantages:
+3 Dice to all Health Spells
+1 to all Health spell die rolls
+2 Dice to Conjuring Spirits of Sky
and Waters.
Disadvantages:
Koala is not a fighter. A Shaman of
this totem will often try and find
peaceable solutions to any situation.
They also abhor violence in any
form, thus ALL combat related
actions suffer a -3 penalty to the die
roll (firearms, gunnery, armed or
unarmed combat, spells, etc.). This
penalty is NOT incurred when
defending themselves or another
being. In fact, if defending another
or themselves, they get a +1 to all
their die rolls (mundane or not).
[GM's Note- An Initiate of the Koala Totem
has all the numbers for his/her advantages
modified by grade. Thus, a grade 4 Koala
Shaman would have +7 dice to all Health
spells, and a +5 to all health spell die rolls.
Their defense ability however is not modified,
so no the Grade 4 does not get to add +5 to
all their defense die rolls.]
"The puma is prominent in American Indian
mythology, with its cunning, agility, and strength
respected and admired by many tribes. The
animal figures in the magic and shamanism of
nearly all ancients as their progenitor, protector, or
as a source of power to ward of disease or to
excel as a hunter. Others are awed by the animal
and consider it an omen of disaster."
The PUMA, Legendary Lion of the Americas - Jim Bob Tinsley
As to Indian myth, from which most of the Shadowrun totems are taken from, Panther is feared and respected, and in some He is regarded as the Protector of the universe. The Zuni believed that the ancient ones wanted the world to be guarded by those keen of sight and scent. The puma (the greatest of them) was the sentinel of the north (the most important position). The Miwoks believed him to be the ideal hunter, while the Apaches and Hualapais thought her wailing was the omen of death. In Navajo myth a hero was wounded by witch objects shot into his body. Puma extracted them and saved his life. They also thought that the Puma benefited them by leaving the better part of the portion of its kill for the people to eat. Conversely the Papago and the later white settlers considered the cougar a flesh eating beast. The Inca hunted many animals in great round-ups where they would hunt the hunter. They found it much easier to catch bear and deer in the rounds-ups then panthers. To many Indian societies it was both a Totem and a source of help for hunting and warfare. In fact the Hopi and Zuni took carved mountain lions when hunting deer in hopes that they would be as good at it as the mountain lion was. In many cultures the puma was often deified for its ability to hunt.
The panther is the largest lone carnivore in North America. It is known for its strength and speed. In fact, a Panther will often beat the larger Jaguar in battle. Of all the great cats the panther is the one to hunt the most out of proportion to its size. The tiger and jaguar my hunt large animals, but they only hunt prey up to about 2-3 times their size. The panther on the other hand is known to hunt animals up to 3-4 times its, giving precedence to the fact that it is one of the most dangerous of hunters. Panthers are also very quite hunters and make little noise when hunting.
Panthers are noted to purr and scream (best description) much like a tabby but 10 times as big and loud. Panthers also have round not slitted eyes. They tend to rely on eyesight for hunting, but have acute hearing and smell.
Totem Identification:
Panther, Mountain Lion, Cougar,
Puma, Catamount and assorted
other English and Indian names (the
America's)
Characteristics:
Panther goes by many names and
faces; to some He is Panther, to
others She is Puma and some know
It as Mountain Lion. Panther likes
it this way, for Panther believes in
stealth. His prey never hears him
before he strikes. Puma is a great
warrior, but prefers the stealthy
approach, for it does not do to go off
half cocked. Cougar is very patient
and quite, he will wait for the right
moment to strike. Panther tends to
try and protect mankind and
innocents from harm. Puma is
mostly solitary but will sometimes
have close companions who she will
defend to the death. Cougar kills
quickly and will use the most
efficient means to do so. He also
tries to leave little evidence of his
acts. Mountain Lion hates Evil and
will try to hunt it down and slay it.
Environment:
Forest and Mountain
Advantages:
+2 dice for combat and illusion
+2 dice for summoning either
forest or mountain spirits
(choose).
Disadvantages:
minimum quickness and
intelligence of 4, Puma believes in
attacking prey intelligently and
quickly. Panther also believes that
her shamans should be able to hunt
and kill without magic (the need to
take stealth and either unarmed or
armed combat as skills). When in
the midst of a large combat the
shaman must make a willpower test
tn# 5 to stop fighting as his instincts
tell him to keep on lashing out.
Quirks:
Puma is not a coward, he will attack
powerful enemies if need be, but
will try to shift the odds in his favor
and will wait for the right moment
and not charge right in. Panther
shamans are know to be quiet
individuals, and will not get into
needless arguments or
conversations. Cougar shamans are
also known for using the bare
minimum of words or gestures
when doing magic, they do not like
to be noticed. The shaman will use
the name he or she feels most
comfortable with in talking about
his totem, for the shaman realizes
that they all describe the totem
equally well.
Note: the use of all the different
names and he/she throughout the
text was intentional. After all its like
Orou said - 'Panther believes in
smoke and mirrors.'
Possum is curious, friendly and a
collector by nature. She is one who
prefers the night, avoiding the fierce
light of day. Possum fights only
when necessary, and tries to do it on
her terms.
Favored Environment:
Any urban environment with trees
or in the wilderness.
Advantages:
+1 dice for all Health spells
+2 dice for all Manipulation spells
+2 dice for any conjuring by night.
(If your campaign includes
spells for Low Light and
Thermo vision, then possum
shamans receive an extra +2
dice for these spells.)
Disadvantages:
A Possum shaman must eat
unprocessed food only and suffers a
+1 to target numbers involving any
actions requiring vision in bright
light, including daylight.
Tiger is a stealthy hunter and
prowler. She is a loner who is both
ferocious and cunning. She is sleek
and beautiful, especially when
making her kill. Tiger often exudes a
kind of deadly charisma. Subtlety is
how she prefers to deal with her
enemies, but she will face challenges
directly if she has to. She is a cold
and ruthless huntress who will not
stop until her prey is caught.
Preferred Environment:
Jungle
Advantages:
+2 Dice for Combat spells
+2 Dice for Detection spells
Disadvantages:
Tiger is often unpredictable, she will
sometimes be brutally direct, other
times excruciatingly subtle. One
constant is her loathing of leaving
survivors of a kill. Tiger can be cold
and cruel to the point of alienating
her comrades. Her charisma and
appeal can cause problems within
and without the party. Tiger
shamans must make a Willpower
Test during and immediately after
combat to avoid a frenzy in which
they try to get to, and kill, any
surviving opponents, or if all
opponents are dead (and the Tiger
shaman has failed the test) they may
turn on friends.
The comparison to the western
world's Wolf totem has been made
repeatedly in the past. Wild Dog is
a very pack oriented creature, and
will usually operate within a pack
like environment. Do not
underestimate him however, for he
is capable of independence if left to
himself.
Environment:
Any Land, not inhabited by Man
Advantages:
+2 Dice to Combat Spells
+2 Dice to Detection Spells
+2 Dice to Conjuring Spirits of Land
(not Desert).
Disadvantages:
A Shaman of Wild Dog will prefer
to work in a group environment,
and in fact gains a "moral boost"
when doing so. All his spellcraft
(Conjuring, Sorcery, and Theory)
gains a +1 to the die roll in question
(5's are 6's, etc.) However, if left to
himself, he often flounders somewhat,
thus lowering his moral standing with
himself (lower ALL target numbers,
mundane or not, by 1).
Jump to the ShadowLore MenuReturn to the Decrypted Datafiles MenuReturn to the Big Knobi Klub