TEXT: 20210
  
  by Mr. Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams
  Lead Editor: Anthony Boyd 
  Graphic Design: Robin Elliott 
  Typesetting: Paul Wade-Williams 
  Cover: Manfred Rohrer 
  Illustrations: Manfred Rohrer, Justin Russell 
  Ubiquity Rules System Design: Jeff Combos
  This game uses the Ubiquity Roleplaying System, developed by Exile Game Studio (www.
  exilegames.com). Ubiquity Roleplaying System, Exile Game Studio, and all associated logos and 
  trademarks are copyright, Exile Game Studio, LLC. Used with permission.
  ©2016 Triple Ace Games. Leagues of Gothic Horror and all related marks and logos are 
  trademarks of Triple Ace Games. All Rights Reserved.
  Leagues of Gothic Horror 
  Guide to Shapeshifters
  www.tripleacegames.com
  First Published 2016
  ISBN 978-1-908237-48-4
  1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
  Printed in the USA
  
  Chapter the First: inFernal Origins....................................................... 3
     WereWOlves....................................................................................... 3
     real WereWOlves............................................................................... 7
     Werebeasts arOund the WOrld.......................................................... 7
     Other shapeshiFters.......................................................................... 8
  Chapter the seCOnd: the nature OF the damned................................... 9
     CreatiOn........................................................................................... 9
        Creating a Werebeast.................................................................... 11
        Changes tO attributes by lunar phase........................................... 16
     identiFiCatiOn.................................................................................. 18
     prOteCtiOn...................................................................................... 20
     destruCtiOn.................................................................................... 21
     silver & silvered WeapOns................................................................ 21
     Cures.............................................................................................. 22
  Chapter the third: FOrsaken lairs....................................................... 23
  Chapter the FOurth: diabOliCal pOWers............................................... 25
     COmmOn abilities............................................................................. 25
     Other abilities list......................................................................... 27
     Weaknesses...................................................................................... 28
     neW OCCult reliCs.......................................................................... 30
     neW OCCult tOmes.......................................................................... 31
     neW Weird sCienCe.......................................................................... 31
  Chapter the FiFth: CatalOg OF Fiends.................................................. 33
     Werebeasts...................................................................................... 33
     Other shapeshiFters........................................................................ 46
     mOrtals.......................................................................................... 50
  Chapter the sixth: prinCes OF darkness............................................... 51
     shapeshiFting villains...................................................................... 51
     agatha maCinnes............................................................................. 52
     JethrO mahOney.............................................................................. 54
     lady penelOpe blakely...................................................................... 55
     the leOpard sOCiety........................................................................ 57
     the nOble sOCiety OF saint hubert.................................................. 59
     nkulumane...................................................................................... 60
     peter stumpp................................................................................... 62
     raWal singh, raJa............................................................................. 63
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  Table of Contents
  
  “There are those who doubt the power of 
  Satan. The power of Satan to change men into 
  beasts. But the ancient Pagans did not doubt, 
  nor did the prophets. Did not Daniel warn 
  Nebakanezer? But the proud king did not heed 
  Daniel. And so, as the bible says, he was made 
  as unto a wolf and cast down from man.” 
  —The Wolfman (2010)
  Mankind has come far since his ascendancy 
  from apes, but behind the facade of reasoning 
  and civilization he projects he is still an animal. 
  Deep inside every man lurks a ferocious beast, 
  a terrible creature that can develop a life of its 
  own. We begin our study of shapeshifters with 
  a look back through the lists of time.
  Werewolves
  The most common shapeshifter one will 
  encounter is the werewolf. The term is Old 
  English and literally means “man-wolf.” Among 
  more scholarly globetrotters, they may also be 
  referred to as lycanthropes. Originating from 
  Greek, it has the same meaning.
  Prehistory
  Recent discoveries of prehistoric cave 
  paintings suggest that our early ancestors used 
  symbolic magic in their hunts. By painting 
  their prey, they gained power over the beast. 
  Although it remains pure speculation, might 
  those same hunters have donned the skins of 
  wolves to imbue themselves with the wolf’s 
  natural predatory instincts? We shall perhaps 
  never know with any certainty, but it seems 
  likely that werewolves were first spawned in 
  these primitive times.
  Dawn of Civilization
  The earliest written references to were-
  wolves originate in Mesopotamia, cradle of 
  civilization. The Epic of Gilgamesh, dated to 
  roughly 2100 BC, tells of the goddess Ishtar 
  transforming a shepherd into a wolf. Some 
  scholars have attempted to link Gilgamesh’s 
  companion Enkidu to the werewolf myth, but 
  the evidence makes this unlikely. Undoubtedly 
  a wild man, who knew nothing of civilization, 
  he was said to eat grass like beasts, rather than 
  devour beasts.
  The Bible speaks of King Nebuchadnezzar 
  undergoing some form of transformation. As 
  Daniel 4:16 states, “Let his heart be changed 
  from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto 
  him; and let seven times pass over him.” The 
  “beast” in this context is unspecified, however.
  The Egyptian deity Upuaut was portrayed as 
  a wolf-headed deity. His cult center was based 
  in the city of Zawty (modern Asyut), which the 
  Greeks and Romans knew as Lycopolis (“City 
  of the Wolves”). Diodorus Siculus, writing in 
  the 1st century BC, tells of an Ethiopian army 
  attempting to conquer Egypt. They stormed 
  through Upper Egypt, but were stopped by 
  Chapter the First: 
  Infernal Origins
  
                                                              
                         
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  packs of wolves from Zawty. That the citizens 
  venerated wolves is clearly evident by the num-
  ber of mummified wolves found in rock-cut 
  tombs surrounding the city ruins.
  Classical World
  By the rise of ancient Greece, wolves make 
  a firmer appearance in writing. The story of Ly-
  caon is known to us through several authors, 
  though it is Ovid’s version in Metamorphoses 
  that has become the standard version. A king 
  of Arcadia, Lycaon attempted to test the omni-
  science of Zeus, father of the gods, by feeding 
  him the roasted flesh of one of his own chil-
  dren. Zeus, having immediately seen through 
  the ruse, transformed the wicked king and all 
  his other offspring (said to be as many as 50) 
  into wolves as punishment. Zeus returned the 
  unfortunate offering to life, allowing him to 
  lead a normal life and sire the Anteus clan.
  Herodotus, writing in Histories, tells of the 
  Neuri, a tribe native to the wild lands northeast 
  of Scythia. Once every year, the entire tribe 
  transformed into wolves for a number of days 
  before reverting to human form.
  History was not yet done with Lycaon’s 
  family. Pliny the Elder wrote that one of the 
  king’s descendants, who formed the Anteus 
  clan, chosen by random lot, would be changed 
  into a wolf for a period of nine years. Were he 
  able to resist attacking humans for this time, 
  he would be returned to his former self.
  Writing around the same time as Pliny, 
  Gaius Petronius’ Satyricon recounts the tale of 
  a soldier who became a ravening wolf. While 
  attacking a herd of cattle, the wolf suffered a 
  number of injuries. Later, the soldier was seen 
  to have identical wounds to those of the wolf.
  Wolves and Rome have long been twinned. 
  The great city was, of course, was founded by 
  Romulus. Along with his twin, Remus, he was 
  suckled by a she-wolf. Later, Roman military 
  standard bearers would sport a wolf pelt as a 
  sign of their status.
  Rome’s relationship with wolves was not 
  always benevolent. In 9 AD, three Roman 
  legions were ambushed and destroyed in the 
  Teutoburg Forest. Survivors reported seeing 
  “upright wolves” among the attackers. At first 
  these were believed to be nothing more than 
  warriors dressed in wolf pelts. This belief 
  was dispelled five years later, when, during a 
  reprisal attack, the Roman uncovered piles of 
  bones and skulls nailed to trees. The threat 
  from the German tribes, both mundane and 
  lycanthrope, would not be ended until Marcus 
  Aurelius’ victory over them in 180.
  Middle Ages
  By the early Middle Ages, Christianity had 
  stamped its authority over central Europe. Be-
  yond its borders lay pagan lands, savage places 
  populated by equally savage people..
  In Viking lands, shapeshifters prospered. 
  The Sagas speak of berserkers, who wore the 
  skins of bears, and Úlfhéðnar, who donned the 
  
  Infernal Origins
  
  skins of wolves. Both were reported to be ca-
  pable of entering a primal battle frenzy, during 
  which they were described not as men, but as 
  the beasts whose skin they wore. Depending 
  on the translation, these fearsome warriors 
  were said to either be immune to pain or im-
  mune to the blows of normal weapons.
  The Volsungsaga mentions werewolves twice. 
  First, it tells of how a witch transformed into a 
  wolf and attacked the father and brothers of the 
  great folk-hero Sigmund. Using an enchanted 
  wolf-skin, Sigmund would himself later go on to 
  become a werewolf, albeit for only a short time.
  Monstrous wolves feature prominently in 
  Norse mythology. The monstrous fiend Fenrir 
  plagued the gods. Geri and Freki accompanied 
  Odin and fed on the corpses of warriors slain in 
  battle. Sköll chased the sun across the sky while 
  his brother, Hati, harassed the moon. Although 
  never stated to be a werewolf, Fenrir was sired 
  by Loki. It in turn sired Sköll and Hati. Together, 
  the trio were known as wargs, rather than con-
  ventional wolves.
  In early medieval English law, an outlaw 
  was referred to as a “wolf’s head.” While it car-
  ries no weight with regard the outlaw actually 
  being a werewolf, it is clear that living outside 
  of society made one little better than a beast.
  One obscure legend claims that King John, 
  the brother of Richard the Lionheart, became 
  a werewolf after death. Following his sudden 
  death, the monarch was buried in Worcester 
  Cathedral. Soon after, reports of howling and 
  scratching were heard emanating from the 
  grave. The public record states that the king 
  rests in his sarcophagus. The legend, though, 
  states  his corpse was dragged from the cathe-
  dral and reburied on nearby waste ground. 
  Even today, that land is supposedly haunted by 
  a half-man half-wolf creature.
  The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, a Russian 
  poem penned sometime in the 13th century, 
  mentions Prince Usiaslau of Polatsk. A prince 
  by day, he became a wolf by night.
  Paris was terrorized by wolves led by a ly-
  canthrope over the winter of 1450. As many as 
  40 people were killed before the angry citizens 
  destroyed the pack outside Notre Dame Cathe-
  dral. The werewolf, known as Courtaud, was 
  reputedly impaled with a silver-tipped spear.
  Not content to sit back in silence, the 
  Church had its own views on werewolves. In 
  early times, it was accepted by Church theo-
  logians that lycanthropy was a disease of the 
  mind rather than the flesh, the victim only be-
  lieving that he became a wolf. By the 13th cen-
  tury, however, the position had been reversed, 
  and denying the existence of werewolves had 
  become an act of heresy.
  In 1490, Canon Peitre Mamor published 
  Flagellum Maleficorum, a tome exploring how 
  to detect witches. He claimed that possession 
  of mundane wolves by demons or witches cre-
  ated werewolves.
  The early centuries of this era also saw the 
  birth of werewolf literature, with works such as 
  Bisclavret by Marie de France (possibly refer-
  enced later by Sir Thomas Malory regarding the 
  fate of Sir Marrok in his Le Morte d’Athur), and 
  Guillaume de Palerne, a French romance poem.
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  Early Modern World
  Beginning as early as the 15th century, Eu-
  rope became gripped in religious fervor. The 
  flame burned bright and hot, diminishing only 
  in the 18th century.
  No longer content with hunting down 
  witches, the Church turned its attention to 
  the problem of werewolves. Across the land, 
  countless people were accused and tried for 
  their alleged crimes. Undoubtedly some of 
  those judged were indeed werewolves, but the 
  great majority were innocent citizens caught 
  up in the frenzy. In just one century, France 
  alone saw 30,000 people accused of being ei-
  ther werewolves or shapeshifting witches.
  There are many documented cases from 
  this era. A small few are given below.
  * In 1541, Job Fincelius (d. 1582) relates 
  the story of a peasant farmer living near Pavia, 
  Italy. Prone to violent rages, he claimed that he 
  took the form of a wolf when angered. Arrested 
  for assaulting local people, he claimed his fur 
  grew inward rather than outward. He died of 
  injuries inflicted by interrogators who cut into 
  his body to prove him wrong.
  * Fincelius also reports that the city of Con-
  stantinople was besieged by a large number 
  of werewolves in 1542, The emperor’s guard 
  allegedly slew over 150 of the beasts.
  * Jean Grenier was charged with being a 
  werewolf in 1603. He confessed to worship-
  ping the Lord of the Forest, who gave him an 
  ointment and wolf-skin that would allow him 
  to become a wolf.
  * The crimes of the so-called Werewolf of 
  Chalons (arrested 1598) were so vile that all 
  court records were subsequently destroyed.
  * “Hans the Werewolf” confessed to becom-
  ing a werewolf after receiving a wolf skin by a 
  man in black. He was sentenced to death not 
  for being a lycanthrope, but for withcraft.
  * In 1670, Gilles Garnier was arrested while 
  in the act of consuming the flesh of a murdered 
  youth. He was burned at the stake.
  * The province of Gévaudan was terrorized 
  by a werewolf for several years. Its killing spree 
  resulted in the deaths of around 100 people 
  and an untold number of livestock.
  At the same time as numerous werewolves 
  were imprisoned or sentenced to death, the 
  scientific community was becoming more con-
  vinced that shapeshifting existed only in a sick 
  mind. Rather than being burnt to death, they 
  believed the unfortunate souls should be im-
  prisoned in the hope that they might one day be 
  cured of the affliction. As the world moved for-
  ward, so this became the prevalent rationale.
  Belief in men who could change into the 
  shape of wolves was not eradicated, though. 
  During the Finnish War of 1808-09 between 
  Sweden and Russia, the Swedes reported that 
  their enemy was inflicting captured soldiers 
  with lycanthropy and sending them to kill their 
  former kinsmen.
  The last werewolf in Germany was killed in 
  Wittlich. Part of the mass retreat of Napoleon’s 
  army from Russia, Thomas Johannes Baptist 
  Schwytzer murdered a farmer and his son 
  when caught ransacking their house. The 
  farmer’s wife cursed Schwytzer, condemning 
  him to become a rabid wolf each full moon. 
  The curse held some power, for Schwytzer 
  became a robber, rapist, and murderer, com-
  mitting his worst crimes when the moon was 
  fat. Schwytzer was eventually cornered and 
  killed for his crimes. A shrine was erected over 
  his makeshift grave and a candle lit. Should the 
  candle ever go out, it is said the werewolf will 
  return to enact bloody revenge.
  Modern Era
  In this age of electric lighting, one might 
  think that the myth of werewolves has been 
  firmly banished to the shadows. In one sense 
  this is true. In the brightly lit cosmopolitan 
  cities of the world, talk of werewolves as su-
  pernatural creatures is largely extinct, replaced 
  with medical opinion.
  That said, the supernatural werewolf is far 
  from dead in the public imagination. Works 
  such as Hugues, the Wer-Wolf (Sutherland Men-
  zies, 1838),  Wagner the Wehr-Wolf (George 
  Reynolds, 1846), The Wehr-Wolf of Wilton Cres-
  cent (Dudley Costello, 1855), and The Wolf 
  Leader (Alexander Dumas, 1857) introduced 
  the lycanthrope to a generation who believed 
  firmly in reason and science.
  
  Infernal Origins
  
  Surrounding these bright spots of learned 
  men and scientific advancement are much 
  larger areas still heavily shrouded in the shadow 
  of superstition. On barren, windswept moors 
  and on the edge of sprawling forests, belief in 
  werewolves continues as strongly today as at any 
  point in the past. In parts of Southern Germany 
  and Eastern Europe, citizens still shudder invol-
  untarily when wolves howl at the moon, and only 
  a fool walks abroad on such nights without some 
  form of protective amulet or silvered weapon.
  Real Werewolves
  There exists a rare medical condition called 
  hypertrichosis that causes extreme hairiness 
  over the entire body, most notably the face. 
  While the afflicted closely resemble modern 
  descriptions of wolfmen, they are not true 
  lycanthropes, having no ability to change their 
  form. Historical reports may, however, have 
  helped shaped the werewolf myth.
  The Ambrus Art Collection in Vienna con-
  tains a portrait of Petrus Gonsalvus, a victim of 
  hypertrichosis. Born on the island of Tenerife 
  in 1556, he was known as the Wolf Man of the 
  Canary Islands. Presented to the court of Henry 
  II of France, he received a first-class education 
  by the king’s direct order. He later married, 
  passing his condition to his two children.
  More famous to modern readers is Adrian 
  Jeftichew, a citizen of the Russian Caucasus 
  Mountains. Rather then hiding from society, 
  Jeftichew became rich and famous touring Eu-
  rope with various travelling circuses. His son, 
  Fedor (1868-1904), was born with the heredi-
  tary condition. He achieved enormous fame 
  first touring with his father as Jo-jo the Wolf 
  Boy and later with the showman P. T. Barnum.
  Those who have seen Jo-jo’s act will recall 
  him only growling and barking. According to 
  Barnum, the boy was found living wild in the 
  Russian forests and knew nothing of civiliza-
  tion. In truth, Fedor was an educated youth, 
  who spoke several languages.
  Julia Pastrana (1834-1860) also worked as a 
  circus performer. Unlike her male counterparts, 
  she was not portrayed as a wolfman, or more 
  correctly a wolfwoman, but as a bearded lady.
  Werebeasts  
  Around the World
  Stories of men and women able to trans-
  form into bestial guise are not confined to 
  Europe. Wherever the sun shines, there are 
  shapeshifters to be found.
  Africa
  The werehyena is commonly found in North 
  Africa and the Horn of Africa. Ethiopian tradition 
  holds that every blacksmith is actually a magician 
  with the power to transform into a hyena. By 
  night, they pillage graveyards in search of recent 
  burials. Travel north into Sudan, and the myth 
  changes slightly. As well as blacksmiths, potent 
                                   
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  healers and carpenters are believed to be heredi-
  tary werehyenas. In some myths, werehyenas are 
  not men who become beasts, but hyenas who 
  have the ability to take the shape of men.
  Stories of wereleopards, werelions, and 
  werepanthers, collectively known as ailuran-
  thropes, are confined to Sub-Saharan Africa. 
  Here the myths are vastly different to those 
  of the north. In many cultures, leopards are 
  regarded as the gods incarnate. Capable of 
  mating with humans, their children possess 
  the gift of adopting leopard form. Werelions, 
  on the other hand, are regal. Certain lines of 
  kings and queens have the ancestral power to 
  become lions, while in other cases, possessing 
  the gift predestines greatness in life.
  Americas
  Before the arrival of Europeans, the dense, 
  steamy jungles of Mesoamerica were home to 
  first Olmec and later Aztec werejaguars. Rather 
  than living on the edge of civilization, they 
  formed an integral part of society.
  While certain Aztec priests possessed the 
  power to change shape, it was predominantly 
  a gift bestowed on an elite class of warriors. 
  Known as “jaguar warriors” or “jaguar knights,” 
  they could adopt animal form by donning a 
  leopard-skin cloak.
  Mesoamerican mythology also includes 
  the nahual, a person who can assume animal 
  shape. It is unknown whether a nahual is a 
  true shapechanger or a magician learned in the 
  Form of the Beast ritual.
  Asia
  The Indian tiger is wisely feared. A constant 
  threat to livestock, tigers more than any other 
  big cat have been known to prey on humans. 
  In many myths, the tiger is not a mundane 
  beast at all, but a sorcerer in disguise. Follow-
  ing the Silk Road, stories of weretigers entered 
  Chinese myth.  Rather than being sorcerers, 
  Chinese weretigers were the victims of heredi-
  tary curses, possessed by malevolent ghosts, or 
  survivors of a tiger attack.
  In Thailand, a weretiger is an ordinary tiger 
  that has consumed human flesh. In the same 
  way that our ancestors might have gained the 
  strength of a beast whose flesh they have con-
  sumed, so the tiger gains a similar power. In 
  this case, the tiger can assume human form.
  Other Shapeshifters
  Thus far, we have talked almost exclusively 
  about humans who can metamorph into animal 
  guise. These represent only a small percentage 
  of shapeshifters in mythology.
  In Celtic lands, for instance, many types of 
  faerie can change form. Not confined solely 
  to human guise, they can assume the guise of 
  any mundane animal. Use of shapeshifting as 
  a form of punishment, either inflicted by the 
  gods or powerful heroes, forms part of several 
  Celtic myths.
  Armenian folklore tells of river monsters that 
  can become women (Nhang), a trait also found in 
  the Irish and Scottish selkie. The demonic raksha-
  sa of India are well known to be able to alter their 
  form, as can the serpentine naga. The aswang of 
  the Philippines adopts the form of a black dog or 
  boar at night in order to hunt people.
  Oriental folklore is replete with spirit crea-
  tures with the power to appear human—the 
  kitsune, for example, is a fox in natural form, 
  while the mujina is a badger and the tanuki 
  a raccoon. Such creatures are portrayed as 
  mischievous rather than predatory. Beware the 
  kuhimo of Korea, though. While similar to the 
  kitsune in many ways, it is a malevolent fiend 
  that uses its shapechanging ability to seduce 
  men into its clutches, whereupon it feasts on 
  their heart or liver.
  The Navajo people speak of skin-walkers. 
  They are witches, evil sorcerers, who know spells 
  that enable them to adopt the guise of mundane 
  beasts. Medicine men, whose magic is used for 
  benevolent purposes, do not possess this gift.
  On a final note, be aware that in some 
  cultures werewolves and vampires are indis-
  tinguishable from each other, the terms being 
  applied equally.  Inevitably they are always very 
  different creatures, so globetrotters must be 
  aware of which threat they are facing.
                                       
  
  “Some werewolves are hairy on the inside.” 
  —Stephen King, Danse Macabre
  Having learned something of the lycan-
  thropes’ history, we now turn our attention 
  to the various methods by which they might 
  come into being, ways in which they can be 
  identified in their various guises, and means 
  by which one might protect oneself and ulti-
  mately destroy one’s foe.
  Although primarily concerned with were-
  wolves, these notes apply equally to many 
  species of werebeast.
  Creation
  There is much folklore concerning the 
  creation of werewolves and other werebeasts. 
  Taking just that of Europe’s disparate nations 
  and placing it together would create a wealth 
  of contradictions guaranteed to confuse and 
  mislead. Failure to understand the nature of 
  the beast is invariably fatal. Here we attempt to 
  unravel the truth and so prepare globetrotters 
  for the struggle that lies ahead.
  Origins
  Popular folklore, supported by the ac-
  counts of numerous globetrotters, would have 
  us believe that the only method by which one 
  can become a werewolf is to be bitten by one. 
  As we shall soon discover, this is only one 
  possible means. Years of careful study and 
  research have led the Ghost Club to define the 
  creation of a lycanthrope as falling into one of 
  six categories.
  As yet, the Ghost Club has made no attempt 
  to study the origin of the first werewolf, the 
  progenitor of the race. Such an event likely oc-
  curred long before ancient humans first began 
  scratching symbols on rocks.
  Cursed
  The nature of curses is such that only those 
  who truly deserve punishment receive it. In all 
  recorded instances, the punishment also fits 
  the crime. To be cursed to transform into a rav-
  enous beast means that the transgression must 
  have been especially wicked. Cannibalism or 
  cruel murders are the most common crimes 
  that warrant this harsh sentence.
  Curses can take three forms. In order to dif-
  ferentiate them, and to avoid confusion with 
  certain magical rituals, the Ghost Club has 
  labeled the first two as minor and major.
  The minor curse is more commonly referred 
  to as a hex. To date, only gypsies and certain 
  supernatural entities have proven to have this 
  ability. A hex transforms only the mind of the vic-
  tim, not his physical body. Globetrotters should 
  not dismiss mental lycanthropes as harmless. 
  In his insane state, the victim will believe he is 
  a ferocious beast and act accordingly. He lacks 
  any of the true lycanthrope’s abilities, of course. 
  In game terms, the hex manifests most often as 
  the Delusion: Werewolf Flaw.
  Chapter the Second: 
  The Nature  
  of the Damned
  
                                                      
                  
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  10
  Minor curses are rarely enduring. Invoked 
  by gypsies, they commonly last a few hours, a 
  day being the maximum. Those invoked by su-
  pernatural beings may persist for days or weeks. 
  Only in the rarest cases is the victim’s belief that 
  he is a werewolf a permanent affliction.
  Major curses are far more malevolent. Re-
  cords of mortals being able to invoke such a 
  curse are extremely rare, and in all cases are un-
  substantiated. Few supernatural fiends, save for 
  perhaps the greater horrors residing in realms 
  beyond our dimension, possess the power nec-
  essary to invoke this hideous punishment.
  Folklore indicates three other means by 
  which a human can be cursed to become a 
  werewolf. The first is to drink water from 
  a wolf’s paw print. The second is to eat the 
  flesh of a wolf or the meat of a creature killed 
  by a wolf. The third method is cannibalism, 
  especially if the flesh comes from a violent 
  murderer. The Leagues refer to these as natu-
  ral curses.
  Victims of a major curse become literal 
  lycanthropes. When the full moon rises, they 
  will physically transform into a ravenous beast 
  replete with its suite of supernatural powers. 
  Hereditary
  As noted above, infectious lycanthropy 
  cannot be passed on through blood or semen. 
  Any children sired by a werewolf will thus be 
  normal humans (save for minor physical altera-
  tions, such as being born with teeth or a thin 
  coating of body hair).
  Until recently, inherited lycanthropy was 
  considered a fanciful notion. The belief was that 
  children were born normal, but were deliber-
  ately infected at some point in early life. This 
  has subsequently been proven to be false.
  As to how inherited lycanthropy came to be, 
  the Leagues admit they are flummoxed. Aside 
  from minor curses and infectious werewolves, 
  it is possible that victims of other origins may be 
  able to pass on the condition to their offspring.
  Having a lycanthrope for a mother or father 
  does not guarantee that a child will possess the 
  ability to transform into a beast. When only one 
  parent is a shapeshifter, there is only around a 
  25% of the condition being passed on to the 
  next generation. This rises to around 75% if 
  both parents share the condition.
  There has as yet been no report of children 
  being born to werebeasts of different types, say 
  a werewolf and a weretiger. Without any facts, 
  the Leagues are forced to fall back on specu-
  lation. The primary belief is that the children 
  of any such union will always be mundane, 
  possessing the genetic curse of neither parent. 
  It is likely that the child would also be sterile. 
  Others hold that the child would, assuming he 
  is a shapeshifter himself, be able to adopt only 
  one of his parents’ forms.
  On a related note, one might ask what 
  happens if a hereditary werewolf in wolf form 
  has sexual congress with a natural wolf. Lack-
  ing any desire to conduct such an experiment 
  under scientific conditions, the Leagues have 
  once again turned to logical reasoning.
  The resulting offspring, regardless of its 
  
  The Nature of the Damned
  11
  mother’s true nature, may be either a wolf cub 
  or human. Logically, hereditary werewolves 
  would know this is a possibility and thus refrain 
  from having outsiders present at the birth. 
  Whether a human child could be success-
  fully raised to adulthood by a wolf mother is 
  debatable. The story of Romulus and Remus, if 
  true, raises the possibility of such an event oc-
  curring, as do stories of children lost in forests 
  being adopted by wolves and living feral lives.
  Rarely is a werewolf born to non-werewolves. 
  One such occasion is the seventh child of a sev-
  enth child. Not every such child will become a 
  werewolf—many strange abilities are appointed 
  to these individuals.
  Infectious
  By far the majority of werewolves are cre-
  ated by a bite from an infectious lycanthrope. 
  It is important to note that only a bite from this 
  type of werewolf can transfer the condition. A 
  swipe of its claws may may disembowel the 
  victim, but will not result in contracting lycan-
  thropy. Similarly, infection cannot be spread by 
  the creature’s blood or other bodily fluids.
  Leagues scientists and biologists have pro-
  posed that infectious lycanthropy is a disease 
  transmitted only by the beast’s saliva entering 
  the victim’s bloodstream. Unfortunately, the 
  disease is far beyond the bounds of modern 
  medicine, and even weird science can do little 
  once the virus finds a host. Not even completely 
  replacing the victim’s blood, a lengthy process 
  that requires multiple donors, can prevent it 
  taking hold. In all likelihood, the infection is of 
  supernatural origin, though this remains a bone 
  of contention among the various Leagues.
  What scientists have proven is that the 
  infection can only be passed to humans. A 
  wolf bitten by a werewolf, for instance, does 
  not gain the ability to transform into a bipedal 
  stance, nor can it transform into a human. On 
  a related note, the bite of a werewolf only ever 
  Creating a Werebeast
  The statistics presented in Chapter 5 of this book assume that the werecreature’s human form is 
  an Ally or Follower 1 with all his Primary Attributes at 2. In essence, a normal person. To create 
  stronger or weaker cursed, infectious, or hereditary werecreatures, simply create the human form 
  as an Ally, Follower, or Patron of the desired level, and then modifier its statistics as shown below 
  based on its animal form. Attributes cannot be lowered below zero.
  The Talents column indicates how many additional Talents the animal form should possess. For in-
  stance, a basic werewolf’s human form is Follower 1. Its wolf aspect has +2 Talents, giving it three 
  in total. Because the human and animal forms are different, every werebeast should have two sets 
  of Talents—one available only in human guise and one accessible only in its animal form.
  Were-
  Body
  Dex
  Str
  Cha
  Int
  Will
  Size
  Talents
  Bear
  +5
  +0
  +4
  –2
  –1
  +0
  +1
  +3
  Cheetah
  +1
  +3
  +2
  –2
  –1
  +0
  +0
  +2
  Crocodile
  +3
  +0
  +3
  –2
  –2
  +1
  +1
  +2
  Hyena
  +3
  +0
  +2
  –2
  –1
  +1
  +0
  +2
  Jaguar
  +2
  +2
  +1
  –2
  –1
  +1
  +0
  +2
  Lion
  +3
  +2
  +3
  –1
  –1
  +0
  +0
  +3
  Rat
  +1
  +3
  +1
  –2
  +0
  +0
  +0
  +2
  Shark
  +4
  +1
  +3
  –2
  –2
  +2
  +1
  +3
  Tiger
  +4
  +1
  +4
  –2
  –1
  +0
  +1
  +3
  Wolf
  +3
  +2
  +3
  –2
  –1
  +1
  +0
  +2
  
  Russian Spell for  
  Becoming a Werewolf
  The spell must be cast at night when the 
  moon is visible in the sky. The moon need 
  not be full, but it must be completely free 
  of any obscurement. The magician must 
  stab a hewn tree with a copper knife and 
  then circle it while speaking the follow-
  ing words.
  On the sea, on the ocean, on the island, 
  on Bujan,
  On the empty pasture gleams the moon, 
  on an ashstock lying
  In a green wood, in a gloomy vale.
  Towards the stock wandereth a shaggy 
  wolf,
  Horned cattle seeking for his sharp 
  white fangs;
  But the wolf enters not the forest,
  But the wolf dives not into the shadowy 
  vale,
  Moon, moon, gold-horned moon,
  Check the flight of bullets, blunt the 
  hunters’ knives,
  Break the shepherds’ cudgels,
  Cast wild fear upon all cattle,
  On men, all creeping things,
  That they may not catch the (grey wolf),
  That they may not rend his warm skin!
  My word is binding, more binding than 
  sleep,
  More binding than the promise of a 
  hero!
  The magician must then leap over the 
  tree three times. This done, he trans-
  forms into a wolf.
  Although this ritual does not create a 
  true lycanthrope, it is a good example of 
  the Form of the Beast ritual.
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  1
  produces a new werewolf, never a different 
  species of werebeast.
  Within days of infection, a victim begins un-
  dergoing minor physical changes. His reflexes 
  sharpen, his senses are enhanced to animal 
  levels, and his body heals at a greatly increased 
  rate. Although doomed, he is not yet infectious 
  himself (though he may try and bite you out of 
  newfound instinct).
  Once the victim undergoes his first trans-
  formation he is beyond the bounds of science 
  and magic to cure. His only hope is to receive 
  a dose of Aconite Serum (see p. 31) during 
  the first hour after being bitten. Globetrotters 
  are strongly cautioned that the serum is not 
  a guaranteed cure. For now, though, it is the 
  only option available.
  Magical
  Transformation into a werewolf through 
  magic is a time-honored and verified method. 
  The chronicles of witch hunters and countless 
  court testimonies confirm that certain salves 
  when rubbed on the skin can cause a transfor-
  mation, as can donning a wolf-skin cloak.
  Such accounts should not be taken at full 
  face value, for they are only half-truths. Trans-
  formations by this methods are certainly pos-
  sible, but only if the salve or cloak is an occult 
  relic. That is, donning an ordinary wolf-skin, 
  even by the light of a full moon while eating 
  raw meat, will not cause one to become a ly-
  canthrope (except possibly as a delusion).
  Certain magicians can assume the physical 
  guise of a wolf through the Form of the Beast 
  ritual. By the strict definition of the term, the ma-
  gician is most assuredly a lycanthrope. However, 
  he can only take the form of a mundane wolf, 
  rather than a hybrid wolf-man. No ritual has yet 
  been unearthed that allows for a hybrid appear-
  ance, though this does not preclude its existence 
  in some moldy and long-forgotten occult text.
  As for transforming others into a werewolf, 
  the only known method is the Greater Hex 
  ritual, and that induces only a mental delusion 
  rather than a physical transformation.
  Magical lycanthropes differ from those 
  above in that the moon has no effect on them. 
  In some instances the ritual is cast or occult 
  item used by the light of the full moon, but this 
  is not a requirement. Similarly, the effects are 
  temporary, lasting only a few hours at most.
  Vampires, on the other hand, have been 
  known to transform into a hybrid man-wolf 
  guise. The Leagues have little doubt that this 
  supernatural ability spawned the folklore that 
  
  The Nature of the Damned
  1
  vampires native to certain regions can become 
  werewolves, and vice versa.
  While we are on the subject of magic, we 
  must take a moment to discuss the Control 
  Animal ritual. Regardless of whether the lycan-
  thrope takes the appearance of a hybrid man-
  wolf or an ordinary wolf, it is not a mundane 
  creature. Thus, the ritual is absolutely no use 
  against a werebeast. Beast Speech, on the other 
  hand, functions normally, though one has little 
  hope of entering into any meaningful dialogue 
  with a werebeast in animal form.
  Medical
  Sufferers of this psychiatric condition, also 
  known as clinical lycanthropy, are deluded 
  individuals who believe that can or have trans-
  formed into an animal. Its manifestation is 
  nothing new—as far back as the 2nd century, 
  medical lycanthropy was attributed to a build-
  up of black bile in the blood.
  Most individuals afflicted by this condition 
  exhibit clear signs of animal behavior. These 
  include, but are not limited to, crawling on all 
  fours rather than walking upright, growling, 
  and howling. The condition worsens during 
  the nights of the full moon. Some cases are ac-
  companied by physical change, but this is not 
  supernatural. Rather, the patient may refuse to 
  shave, brush his hair, or trim his nails, result-
  ing in a wilder appearance.
  How one develops the condition has yet to 
  be determined by alienists. Persons who have 
  been bitten by a wolf or dog may go on to suf-
  fer this condition, but many do not. Naturally, a 
  person attacked by a werewolf may, if bitten or 
  scratched, convince himself he has undergone 
  a transformation, even if that is not the case.
  Scientific
  Mankind was created in God’s image, but 
  he possesses both good and evil in his soul. 
  For better or for worse, men of science have 
  attempted to banish or harness the wicked 
  nature of men. To dabble with the very nature 
  of the human soul is folly at best and blasphe-
  mous at worst. Every documented attempt has 
  resulted in failure of some kind.
  Although little of interest was mentioned in 
  the newspapers concerning the disappearance 
  of Doctor Jekyll, the Leagues are well aware 
  of his attempts to banish his darker nature 
  through pharmaceuticals. Indeed, his serum is 
  still out there in unscrupulous hands. As we 
  know, Mister Hyde was not a lycanthrope in 
  the truest sense of the word. There are, how-
  ever, similarities, for the beast is nothing more 
  than the darkness of the soul made manifest.
  Doctor Moreau’s early attempts to awaken 
  the beast within all men were thankfully 
  thwarted by the Leagues. Focused on freeing 
  man from his bestial impulses rather than any 
  notion of good and evil, Moreau sought to lit-
  erally unleash the dormant beast. The focused 
  power of his nefarious Lunar Transmogrifyer 
  (details of which are repeated on p. 32 for 
  inclusiveness) can force a physical transforma-
  tion into a man-wolf hybrid.
  Unfortunately, there is no way to resist the 
  power of either serum or machine. Although 
  these are the only two weird devices known to 
  induce lycanthropy, the are unlikely to be the 
  only such artifacts in existence.
  Motivation
  Werebeasts are creatures of two halves—
  human and animal. Despite sharing one body 
  and one soul, they have different motivations.
  The motivations behind the human aspect 
  are as varied and as complex as any normal 
  person. They are capable of true love, quests 
  for justice, charitable acts, and great integrity, 
  as well as the darker aspects common in us all. 
  At least, this is true in the beginning.
  Over time, a reluctant werewolf, hereby 
  defined as one whose transformation is in-
  voluntary, learns more of her feral nature. As 
  the truth slowly dawns, they are more likely 
  to become recluses around the time of the full 
  moon, fearful of what actions they may take 
  while their bestial nature is in control. Unable 
  to live a truly normal life, their motivations 
  often change to Redemption, Revenge, or 
  Wisdom, depending on whether they seek to 
  make amends for their condition, punish the 
  one behind their cruel fate, or find a cure.
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  1
  No matter the intelligence of its human 
  form, a werebeast is an animal. More than 
  that, it is a raging, destructive beast with no 
  concept of pity or remorse. Its cunning may 
  be far above that of any mundane creature, 
  but it is incapable of logical thought, deduc-
  tive reasoning, or complex plans. Except in a 
  few cases, survival is the primary motivator, 
  but those with darker drives in human form, 
  such as Revenge, will find their bestial aspect 
  a willing ally.
  These Motivations are inclusive of most 
  werebeasts. Some though, like the werejaguar 
  or werelion, may have other nobler motiva-
  tions in animal form, such as Duty to one’s 
  people or Preservation of their way of life. This 
  in no way lessens their destructive urges. They 
  may be allies of certain people, but they are 
  allies best kept at arm’s length.
  Forms
  Literature such as Wagner the Werewolf by 
  W. M. Reynolds, and drawings of the wolf in 
  Little Red Riding Hood have shaped the public 
  imagination when it comes to werewolves. The 
  truth is rather more complex.
  Human
  As befits their name, every werewolf has 
  a human form. Although there are signs by 
  which a werewolf in human form may be rec-
  ognized, as detailed later in this chapter, there 
  is no such thing as a standard human form.
  First, gender is irrelevant. Despite the 
  name, the “were” part truly refers to humanity 
  as a whole, rather than just the male portion of 
  the species. Second, age is not a barrier. Very 
  young werewolves are rare, but they have been 
  documented. Third, werewolves can be found 
  among every social class and profession.
  Like the vampire, the beast is more than 
  capable of living alongside ordinary people, 
  at least until it undergoes transformation. 
  In cases where the lycanthrope knows and 
  accepts its true nature, as is typical among 
  hereditary and magical werewolves, they can 
  be very convincing in deflecting attention away 
  from themselves. After all, they have likely had 
  much experience at this sort of thing.
  Seeing a werewolf in its human form incurs 
  no Horror roll unless the globetrotter knows 
  the true nature of the person he is facing.
  Animal
  As one might expect, the “wolf” part of 
  werewolf refers to a normal wolf. In many parts 
  of the world, this is precisely the nature of the 
  inner beast. It may be larger, more cunning, 
  and far more vicious than its ordinary kin, but 
  it has the appearance of a wolf.
  Appearances aside, the bestial form is far 
  from ordinary—it has all the common abilities 
  of werewolves and is thus a superior beast. 
  These fiends are known to use wolf packs as 
  allies and to conceal their presence. As befits 
  their superior abilities, they are always the 
  alpha wolf.
  Seeing a werewolf in animal form incurs no 
  Horror roll unless the globetrotter knows the 
  true nature of the beast he is facing.
  Hybrid
  The common image of werewolves, and 
  admittedly the form most often encountered 
  by globetrotters, is an abomination. Even here, 
  though, there is variation.
  The lesser hybrid is more man than wolf. 
  Capable of quadrupedal movement, it prefers 
  a bipedal stance. Exceptionally hairy, and with 
  pronounced teeth and claws, the only truly 
  wolf-like aspect is its nose, which resembles a 
  short muzzle. The Leagues have taken to call-
  ing this monstrosity a wolfman.
  The second variety, the greater hybrid, is 
  truly hideous. It has the general features of a 
  vicious wolf, but has a bipedal stance, drop-
  ping to all fours only to hound prey or escape 
  persecutors. The creature is also considerably 
  bulkier and more muscular than any common 
  wolf.
  Witnessing either form can shred sanity 
  and send men screaming in terror or induce 
  a catatonic state. Seeing a wolfman requires a 
  Difficulty 3 check. Viewing a greater hybrid is a 
  Difficulty 4 roll.
  
  The Nature of the Damned
  1
  Trigger
  Ask what triggers transformation in a were-
  wolf and the great majority will reply “the full 
  moon.” If only this were true, it would make the 
  job of werewolf hunters considerably easier. As 
  with most things supernatural, the change can 
  be triggered by many different things.
  At Will
  Werewolves capable of transforming at will 
  are not limited to the phases of the full moon. 
  Indeed, they can also assume bestial form 
  when the moon has yet to rise.
  While still forced to transform during the 
  phase of the full moon, hereditary werewolves 
  have proven capable of changing shape at will. 
  This makes them especially dangerous, for once 
  they deduce a globetrotter suspects their true na-
  ture they can revert to animal form and rend him 
  limb from limb. Hereditary werewolves, while 
  aware of their inner beast from an early age, are 
  not born with the capacity for shapeshifting. That 
  is usually manifested during puberty.
  By casting a ritual, applying a salve, or don-
  ning an enchanted cloak, magical werewolves 
  can also transform at will.
  Involuntary
  Documented and verified only rarely, 
  exposure to certain substances can cause an 
  involuntary transformation. Exposing a sus-
  pected werewolf to such materials is a very 
  risky method of identification and not one to 
  be undertaken lightly.
  Exposure means different things to differ-
  ent beasts. In some cases, the substance must 
  be physically touched against exposed skin. 
  In others, its mere presence within 10 feet is 
  enough to trigger a change.
  Thus far, only aconite, moonstone, selenite, 
  and silver have produced this effect. Most 
  times the werewolf has proven susceptible to 
  just one substance. Current thinking is that the 
  substances act like an allergen. In the same way 
  that pollen brings on hayfever in some people 
  but not in others, so certain minerals produce 
  the same affect in certain werewolves.
  Other phenomena have also been known 
  to trigger involuntary transformation. Intense 
  emotions, especially anger, embarrassment, 
  or fear, can cause the beast to reveal itself, as 
  can high levels of physical pain. Unfortunately 
  for the lovers of lycanthropes, strong feelings 
  of passion or desire can have a similar effect. 
  Cornering a lycanthrope in human form may 
  trigger a fight or flight reflex. In this case, the 
  beast almost always chooses the former.
  Always hungry and never sated, the sight or 
  smell of raw meat or blood may be enough to 
  provoke the change. Lycanthropes subject to 
  this reaction invariably stay away from civiliza-
  tion, or at least areas where butchery is prac-
  tised. The sight and smell of the lycanthrope’s 
  own blood does not invoke any change of 
  shape—it would be a poor hunter if it reverted 
  to human form anytime it was wounded by its 
  prey, especially since the injury would heal in 
  a matter of moments. Hunger alone might be 
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  1
  enough to transform the lycanthrope, though 
  such would surely only occur in true cases of 
  starvation.
  Perhaps most cursed are those individuals 
  who transform automatically on falling asleep. 
  Save being pepped up through pharmaceu-
  ticals, these unfortunate souls suffer from 
  chronic fatigue, snatching only a few hours of 
  disturbed rest each day.
  Finally there are rare oddities, such as 
  transformations triggered by thunderstorms, 
  eclipses, particular sounds or music, snow fall, 
  and even viewing a particular image or person.
  The Moon
  In the same way that it affects the tides, so the 
  waxing and waning of the moon can influence 
  the minds of men and beasts. For the werewolf, 
  it is a sign that it may come to the surface and 
  reveal its otherwise concealed face to the world. 
  For many werewolves, the inescapable waxing 
  of the moon is a time of apprehension and fear, 
  for they know that an involuntary change, a 
  change that makes them a menace to man and 
  beast in equal measure, will overcome them. 
  Hiding away in some dark cave so as not to 
  see the rising of the moon is no solution. Were 
  visual confirmation required, then merely 
  showing a suspected werewolf a painting or 
  photograph of the moon would force an in-
  voluntary change. No matter where they seek 
  refuge, the rising of the full moon forces most 
  werewolves to transform.
  Hereditary werewolves, while compelled 
  to change form during the full moon, can 
  adopt animal form at any time. However, their 
  strength is directly tied to the phase of the 
  moon. The table above shows changes to their 
  Attributes based on the lunar phase.
  Many would argue that the moon is a 
  werewolf’s ally, for it summons forth the beast 
  to hunt. Actually, the reverse is true—the beast 
  is awakened so that it can be killed. Hence why 
  silver, moonstone, and selenite, all closely as-
  sociated with the moon, are effective in harm-
  ing werewolves to one degree or another.
  Globetrotters should note that the phase of 
  the moon has absolutely no effect on magical 
  or scientific werewolves. Medical werewolves, 
  while not physically transforming, enter a 
  more manic state when the moon is full. At 
  such times they are more beast than human, at 
  least in their sick minds.
  The full moon also affects victims of Moreau’s 
  Lunar Transmogrifyer, In order to undergo 
  transformation, however, the patient must be 
  strapped to the machine for a short while during 
  this period. Each application lasts only briefly and 
  has no residual effects. That is, after reverting to 
  human form, the victim will not alter shape again 
  without a second turn in the contraption.
  Transformation
  Sooner or later, the inner beast must 
  emerge. This process is known as transforma-
  Changes to Attributes by Lunar Phase
  Hereditary werewolves are weaker during the new moon and strongest during the full moon. Ap-
  ply the modifiers below in place of those listed in the table on p. 11. Attributes not listed below 
  are unaffected by the lunar phase.
  Lunar Phase
  Body
  Dexterity
  Strength
  Talents
  New
  +1
  +0
  +1
  +0
  Crescent
  +1
  +1
  +1
  +1
  Half
  +2
  +1
  +2
  +1
  Gibbous
  +2
  +2
  +2
  +2
  Full
  +3
  +2
  +3
  +2
  
  The Nature of the Damned
  1
  tion. As is often the case when dealing with the 
  supernatural, there is no one way in which the 
  change manifests.
  Quick or Slow
  Some werewolves have been seen to change 
  with great speed. One minute a globetrotter is 
  facing a human, the next a wolf or hybrid. Such 
  rapid transformations take just one attack ac-
  tion to achieve.
  More often than not, the change takes time. 
  It is an agonizing process as bones break and 
  reknit into new shapes, flesh stretches and 
  contorts, muscles grow thicker, teeth enlarge, 
  nails thicken into claws, and hair sprouts on 
  the entire body. In the most dramatic transfor-
  mations, the lycanthrope literally rips off its 
  human skin to reveal the wild beast within. 
  Slow transformation takes two entire com-
  bat turns, during which time the werewolf can 
  do nothing else. Only a strong mind can take 
  advantage of the delay in it becoming a beast, 
  for witnessing the grisly and terrifying spec-
  tacle requires a Difficulty 5 Horror check.
  Clothing
  Given notice of the coming change, were-
  wolves prefer to remove their clothing in 
  advance. On reversion to human form, this 
  enables them to quickly dress and resume 
  their normal identity. It also saves a fortune 
  on clothing bills. What happens when time is 
  not an option has provoked much discussion 
  among the Leagues.
  When a werewolf adopts the guise of a 
  wolf, its clothing is subsumed into its animal 
  form. It is almost as if man’s clothing, being 
  something of a second skin since his expulsion 
  from the Garden of Eden, is treated as part of 
  his natural form. Thus, when the man changes, 
  so does his clothing. Sometimes this leaves a 
  trace on the animal. 
  For example, a pocket watch may be seen 
  as a round patch of different colored hair on 
  the beast’s abdomen. In exceptional cases, the 
  color of clothing may directly impact the color 
  of the wolf’s hair. This is not to say one might 
  find a green wolf roaming the countryside. 
  Rather, lighter colors translate as paler hair 
  and darker colors as darker hair.
  In the case of hybrids, however, clothing 
  is usually ripped apart during the transforma-
  tion. If the beast does not do this itself, then 
  the change in height and increased bulk results 
  in clothing tearing. 
  Reversion
  What happens to a werewolf when it is 
  slain depends on its animal form. When adopt-
  ing the guise of a wolf, death usually, but not 
  always, results in the creature remaining in 
  that form. Since the inner beast is manifest, it 
  is what is left behind following death.
  Hybrids, being both man and wolf, suffer a 
  different fate. Following death, they revert to 
  human form, leaving no trace of their wolfish 
  appearance. As many globetrotters have dis-
  covered to their cost, when presented with a 
  human corpse riddled with bullet wounds or 
  slash marks, the authorities’ first thought is to 
  arrest the globetrotters for murder. Claiming 
  to have slain a werewolf is likely to result in 
  incarceration in an asylum.
  Regardless of form, hacking a limb from a 
  werewolf in bestial form causes the severed 
  body part to revert to its human shape. Hack 
  off a wolf’s forepaw, for instance, and it be-
  comes a five-fingered hand.
  Amnesia
  The answer to the question of whether or 
  not a lycanthrope remembers its wolfish activi-
  ties upon reverting to human form appears to 
  depend on the individual.
  Those who give into their primal nature 
  in human form, such as persons who lead an 
  immoral life or forgo the trappings of civiliza-
  tion, are more inclined to have at least partial 
  collection of their nocturnal activities. Having 
  fully embraced the beast, the same is true of 
  hereditary lycanthropes.
  Individuals with a strict moral code, espe-
  cially those who consider themselves to be 
  above the baser instincts still resident in our 
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  1
  minds and souls, on the other hand, usually 
  have little or no memory of their alternate na-
  ture. Memories may surface as bad dreams or 
  under hypnosis, however.
  There are noted exceptions to these guide-
  lines. For instance, the victim of a curse often 
  has full recall of his destructive acts as part 
  of his punishment. Similarly, no matter how 
  civilized a life a person lives, if they have vol-
  untarily undertaken transformation, such as by 
  using an occult object, then they are likely to 
  remember the experience.
  Self-Identification
  Cursed and infectious lycanthropes are of-
  ten oblivious to their dual existence, at least at 
  first. Over time, and no matter how hard they 
  try to find a rational explanation, their abhor-
  rent existence will become self-evident.
  There are numerous clues that, sooner or 
  later, will connect the dots together. Extreme 
  fatigue on the nights of the full moon and 
  waking to find one’s hands and feet dirty are 
  gentle suggestions, easily explained away by a 
  poor night’s sleep or somnambulism. Waking 
  up naked in the wilderness, especially miles 
  from home, or covered in blood are harder to 
  rationalize.
  Those of scientific intellect may refute the 
  truth. After all, a werewolf is a creature of fic-
  tion and folklore, an impossible beast used 
  metaphorically to describe insanity. The victim 
  may spend months doubting his sanity before 
  he accepts the full truth of his predicament.
  Identification
  Faced with a ferocious half-man half-wolf, 
  one can be fairly sure that one is facing a were-
  wolf. One can never be totally sure, of course, 
  since the fiend may actually be a shape chang-
  ing vampire or some unusual form of appari-
  tion. Still, the odds are in one’s favor.
  Detecting a lycanthrope in human or animal 
  form is much harder, though not impossible. 
  No matter how hard they try to conceal their 
  nature, certain physical, mental, and social 
  signs often manifest.
  Is it a Werebeast?
  In all likelihood, a decision to leave the 
  comfort of the clubhouse and brave the wilds 
  will be spurred on by reports of large preda-
  tors and/or animal attacks against humans.
  Globetrotters should not be too hasty to 
  start firing silver bullets at every wild beast that 
  crosses their path. Bears and wolves remain 
  populous in large parts of Europe, Northern 
  Asia, and North America. Tigers haunt the 
  steaming jungles of India. Lions prowl the 
  plains of Africa. Jaguars stalk the jungles of 
  South America.
  Werewolves are relatively easy to detect, as 
  the attacks will, for the most part, occur on the 
  nights of the full moon. Determining whether 
  other species of werebeast, especially those 
  unaffected by the lunar cycle, are involved is 
  far trickier. In such cases, one must search for 
  other clues to confirm one’s suspicions.
  Physical Characteristics
  Lycanthropes that have adopted the form 
  of a wolf are extremely difficult to detect 
  without resorting to violence. True, they are 
  often larger specimens, but wolves have been 
  known to grow to unnatural size when prey 
  is plentiful. If one can get close enough there 
  is a tell-tale sign the wolf cannot disguise and 
  which cannot be mistaken for anything natu-
  ral—it will have human eyes.
  Clues are more plentiful in its human guise. 
  Globetrotters should not be too hasty to judge 
  a suspect based on his meeting one or two 
  of the following criteria, however, for there 
  might be a very rational and utterly mundane 
  reason behind them. The only guaranteed way 
  to detect a werewolf is to witness it change 
  form. Unfortunately, that may be the last thing 
  a globetrotter ever sees.
  A monobrow is indicative of a werewolf in 
  certain cultures, but alas can also indicate the 
  person is a vampire. Excessively hairybodies or 
  hairy palms may be caused by hypertrichosis. 
  An hereditary medical condition, it is some-
  times referred to as “werewolf syndrome” 
  because the victim resembles a lesser hybrid.
                          
  
  The Nature of the Damned
  1
  It is said that werewolves, lacking any 
  remorse for their wicked ways, cannot shed 
  tears. Short of forcing a powerful aroma under 
  a suspect’s nose, such as an onion, this can be 
  hard to prove. Among gentleman especially, it 
  is considered a sign of weakness to shed tears 
  in public, even at the death of a loved one.
  A suspect may appear haggard and pale 
  around the full moon. As a lycanthrope, he is 
  awake during the day living his human life and 
  active at night as a beast. Thus, he suffers from 
  sleep deprivation. Unfortunately, there are a 
  great number of very mundane reasons as to 
  why a person may appear off color or suffer 
  sleep deficiency.
  On the morning after the full moon, a 
  person might awaken with bloody or torn 
  clothing, and dirty hands and feet. Arguably, 
  there is little good moral behavior that could 
  cause these conditions and discovering them 
  certainly bears further investigation.
  Trust the senses of ordinary animals as a 
  supplement to your own. Undetectable to hu-
  mans, many werebeasts give off pheromones 
  or have an odor identical to ordinary beasts of 
  the same type. Many animals, wild or domesti-
  cated, react badly to these scents. Although not 
  likely to attack out of hand, a dog might, for 
  instance, growl or grow suddenly submissive 
  in the presence of a werewolf, whereas a horse 
  may shy away.
  More revealing are factors related to the 
  werewolf’s enhanced abilities. A cut that heals 
  unnaturally quickly, the person claiming to 
  hear or smell things that others in their pres-
  ence cannot, unnatural strength for their build, 
  and superior reflexes are all indicators that the 
  person is more than human.
  Habits
  The bestial nature of the werewolf is a 
  creature of the night. Sunlight holds no fear 
  for them, but many choose to live in dark and 
  gloomy abodes in their human form. Lighting 
  is not cheap, and reluctance to spend money 
  on it should not be a cause for undue alarm.
  Knowing that at the full moon they will 
  kill anything that crosses their path, many 
  lycanthropes are reclusive creatures, shut-
  ting themselves away from humanity both to 
  avoid detection and avoid unnecessary deaths. 
  Hereditary werewolves are a noted exception, 
  since they have nothing to fear from their kin.
  More revealing is a suspect vanishing on 
  nights of the full moon. Repeated excuses 
  concerning long-distance trips or having other 
  plans should ring alarm bells.
  Regardless of whether silver burns them 
  or not, werewolves have an inherent dislike of 
  the precious metal. This is especially true of 
  silver knives, which can be used against them. 
  Few members of the lower or middle-classes 
  can afford silverware, but its absence in an 
  upper-class household, especially at a formal 
  dinner, is highly unusual. 
  Of course, the family may have fallen on 
  hard times and sold off the family silver, but 
  research into their financial status is readily 
  achieved by any globetrotter who understands 
  
                    
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  0
  how the cogs of bureaucracy turn or who has 
  access to high society gossip.
  Even in human form, lycanthropes crave 
  meat. Raw meat is preferred, but rare flesh 
  sates their appetite just as well. Savoring raw 
  meat is hardly a crime, as evidenced by dishes 
  such as steak tartare or the American tiger meat 
  (which involves no actual tiger meat).
  Classification
  Classifying the type of werebeast one is 
  hunting is child’s play if one witnesses the 
  transformation, finds tracks, or conducts a 
  medical examination of corpses or carcasses. 
  Globetrotters should be careful not to fall 
  into racial stereotyping when judging their hu-
  man form in an attempt to deduce their inner 
  demon. Yes, an Indian is more likely to be a 
  weretiger than a werewolf, but there is never 
  any certainty, especially since India has many 
  European inhabitants.
  Unlike with apparitions and werewolves, 
  there is no formal categorization of werewolves 
  based on ability. While there are certain shared 
  traits, there is often great diversity. One were-
  wolf, for instance, might be supernaturally fast, 
  while another has taken its destructive ferocity 
  to a new level.
  Age is a relative indicator of ability, for 
  older werewolves have had time to hone their 
  skills and adopt new abilities. To that end, 
  the Leagues use three age-related classifica-
  tions—cub (any werewolf with a human age 
  of 16 or under), adult, and elder (around 60+ 
  human years).
  Protection
  Whereas garlic and holy objects repel virtu-
  ally all vampires, no standard mineral or plant 
  has the same effect on werewolves. They are 
  naturally wary of silver, and a small few are al-
  lergic to garlic and wolf’s bane, but sporting 
  silver objects tends to make one a primary tar-
  get for their predations rather than someone 
  to avoid.
  While neither is a true ward, the Moonstone 
  Amulet and Wolf’s Bane Oil occult relics (see p. 
  31) are both very handy. The first can entrance 
  a werewolf for a short duration, while the sec-
  ond produces an aroma that lycanthropes find 
  highly offensive.
  Although hard to acquire in this modern 
  age unless one owns a stately home or castle, 
  plate armor is the best protection against the 
  beast’s attacks. Suits of armor are cumbersome 
  and hardly conducive to a stealthy hunt, but 
  given a lycanthrope’s acute senses it has likely 
  smelled or heard you long before you are even 
  aware of its presence.
  Failing that, invest in a heavy leather coat 
  fitted with Ballistic Deflection Plates (see Weird 
  Science Compendium). Do not let the name 
  mislead you—they are very effective against all 
  forms of attack and can easily be concealed in 
  normal clothing.
  For globetrotters who lack outdoors skills 
  or much knowledge of animals, a Species 
  
                      
  The Nature of the Damned
  1
  Identification Engine (see Weird Science Com-
  pendium) is an invaluable tool. Regardless of 
  whether their bestial form is an animal or a 
  hybrid, the hair or fur, saliva and blood, and 
  urine and spoor of a werebeast is the same as a 
  natural member of that species.
  By far the best protection is to be as far away 
  from the beast as possible. While the Leagues 
  prefer to think of their members as men and 
  women of honor and integrity, there is truth 
  in that to escape a predator one only needs to 
  be faster than the person next to you. Globe-
  trotters should acquire a pair of Mark II Spring 
  Boots (see Weird Science Compendium).
  Destruction
  No matter what supposition or folklore 
  you read in this document, never, ever, hunt a 
  werewolf without silver weapons. No werewolf 
  has yet shown immunity to the precious metal, 
  and God help us the day that it does.
  Engaging a werewolf in melee, unless one 
  is regarded the best swordsman in the world, is 
  suicidal folly. Instead, ranged weapons should 
  be the primary option. The adage that one can 
  never have too much firepower is doubly true 
  for werewolves. Derringers and light revolv-
  ers should be discarded in favor of elephant 
  guns and rifles. If you absolutely must use a 
  pistol, find some means of procuring a Heavy 
  Rotary Action Pistol (see Weird Science Com-
  pendium)—it is as effective as a rifle and holds 
  more rounds.
  When facing werebeasts other than were-
  wolves, conventional weapons are often all 
  one requires to dispatch them. Only a small 
  few have specific weaknesses. For instance, 
  werejaguars can only be truly injured by obsid-
  ian weapons. Word of weresharks native to the 
  islands of the Far East that can be harmed only 
  by coral has been reported by mariners, but 
  this remains unverified by any globetrotter of 
  good reputation.
  Although they will not cause any injury to 
  the werewolf, Concussionite, Discombobula-
  tor Rays, and Electro-shock Batons (see Weird 
  Science Compendium) make excellent addi-
  tions to one’s arsenal. Concussion or losing its 
  balance may be the only results, but in those 
  brief moments the quarry is more exposed to 
  attack. These weapons have the added benefit 
  that a missed attack will not cause innocent 
  casualties or collateral damage
  Silver & Silvered Weapons
  When it comes to fighting werewolves, 
  knowing the difference between silver and sil-
  vered weapons can be the difference between 
  life and death.
  Silver Weapons
  Tales of daring globetrotters bravely slaying 
  werewolves conjures up images of shining sil-
  ver swords and axes. Alas, true silver weapons 
  are extremely rare.
  Silver may be required for slaying were-
  wolves, but it is a soft metal and does not hold 
  an edge. Nor can it easily be applied to more 
  conventional weapon material, such as steel. 
  A bladed silver weapon larger than a dagger 
  is also likely to bend on contact with anything 
  hard, such as a werewolf’s bones. It is possible 
  to create a true silver weapon, but only through 
  weird science or arcane arts (see below).
  Blunt weapons, such as maces and ham-
  mers, can be made from silver, though they are 
  prone to losing their shape after a few blows. 
  The amount of silver required to manufacture 
  an effective weapon is also prohibitive to most 
  globetrotters.
  Silver bullets and arrows are much easier to 
  manufacture, and thus are favored by hunters. 
  They also have the advantage of being employ-
  able at range.
  For ease, silver arrows, bullets, and daggers 
  cost double that of conventional weapons of 
  the appropriate type. Given sufficient quanti-
  ties of silver, a globetrotter with Craft: Smithing 
  can create these weapons while in the field.
  Silvered Weapons
  Most “silver” weapons are in fact silvered. 
  That is, the steel blades or axe heads are in-
  laid with silver. Because silver and steel do 
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  not bond well, the wounding edge is never 
  silvered. While more than capable of slaying a 
  werewolf, they are less effective due to the low 
  quantity of silver.
  A silvered weapon costs 50% more than 
  normal but has a –1 damage rating for the 
  purposes of harming lycanthropes.
  Occult or Weird Science
  The creation of a solid silver melee weapon 
  through occult means or weird science requires 
  manufacturing a weapon from scratch (Craft: 
  Smithing), plus a suitable amount of silver 
  and certain rare chemicals or herbs necessary 
  to harden the metal to the same efficiency as 
  weapon-grade steel.
  The artifact has a base Enhancement cost 
  equal to its damage rating and may be chosen 
  through the Artifact Resource as normal. For 
  example, a silver hand axe (damage 2L) has 
  two enhancements and can be taken as an 
  Artifact 1 (assuming it has no other enhance-
  ments).
  Cures
  The question of whether or not a werewolf 
  can be cured of its affliction has no one an-
  swer, for it ultimately depends on the origin of 
  the beast. To be fair, few globetrotters operat-
  ing in the field give much regard to finding a 
  cure. When faced with a slavering beast intent 
  only on tearing one apart, survival is the only 
  thought running through one’s head.
  Curse & Medical
  Minor and major curses are not truly per-
  manent. A long course of alienism may even-
  tually rid the victim of a hex of his delusion. 
  Those suffering the effects of a major curse or 
  a medical condition have only one hope—to 
  convince the curser to renounce the curse and 
  restore them to normalcy.
  Prolonged curses and medical lycanthropy 
  may gradually erode the victim’s humanity. As 
  time goes by, their animal nature becomes more 
  pronounced. In the end, the victim may lose 
  all semblance of humanity. Although remain-
  ing human in form, their mind is now entirely 
  bestial. Should this occur, there is no cure. 
  The patient is ultimately doomed to spend the 
  remainder of their days in an asylum.
  Natural curses are more problematic, for 
  arguably the victim has brought the curse upon 
  themselves. Folklore suggests several possible 
  remedies, though none have been proven to 
  work. One might use St. Hubert’s Key. Tradi-
  tionally used to cure rabies, the victim must 
  heat up an iron nail and then press the glowing 
  head to his tongue. Ingestion of wolf’s bane is 
  most likely to result in death, which is arguably 
  a cure. Beware gypsies keen to sell salves and 
  potions, for while generally harmless, they are 
  also no use in curing lycanthropy.
  Infectious & Inherited
  These types of werewolf can only be rid of 
  their curse by a single method—death. Most 
  are susceptible only to silver weapons, though 
  there are verified reports of lycanthropes be-
  ing slain by impaling their heart with a wooden 
  stake. In all cases, swift and total incineration 
  of the corpse is suggested as an additional 
  safeguard.
  Magical & Scientific
  “Curing” these lycanthropes is as easy as 
  removing the cause of their transformation. 
  If one requires an enchanted wolf-skin cloak, 
  then denying them access to the object utterly 
  negates their ability to change form.
  In instances where the lycanthrope has 
  created its own method of transformation and 
  has proven destructive and violent toward 
  humans, imprisonment (or death in truly de-
  serving cases) may be the only secure way to 
  ensure they do not fall back on old habits.
  Wicked magicians knowledgeable of the 
  Form of the Beast ritual present more of a 
  problem since they can invoke their magic at 
  will. Nonlethal methods for ridding the world 
  of their presence include the barbaric practise 
  of cutting out their tongue or amputating their 
  hands and the slightly more humane practise 
  of lobotomy.
  
                                                         
  “Stay on the road. Keep clear of the moors.“ 
  —An American Werewolf in London (1981)
  Whether it is a sprawling mansion in the 
  British countryside, a peasant’s cottage in rural 
  Transylvania, or a wattle-and-daub hut on the 
  plains of Africa, every werecreature has a lair.
  Urban Lairs
  An urban lair is located within, or least 
  close to, a community. More often than not 
  the beast dwells only on the fringes of so-
  ciety, rarely interacting with his neighbors 
  save when it cannot be avoided. This can be 
  both literally, such as in the case of trappers, 
  woodsmen, and hermits, and figuratively, such 
  as the nobleman residing in his elegant manor 
  or imposing castle.
  An important rule werebeasts quickly learn 
  is not to soil their own doorstep. That is, it 
  is best not to leave half-eaten carcasses lying 
  around one’s house. Even the most idiotic 
  rural constable is sure to notice such things. 
  It may be necessary, however, to keep a larder 
  stocked with fresh meat for times when hunt-
  ing is not feasible. Again, this should be con-
  cealed so as to avoid rousing suspicions from 
  nosy neighbors or curious guests.
  Similarly, occult relics that allow one to as-
  sume an alternate form are best kept securely 
  locked away. As the sole source of his shape-
  shifting ability, it is too valuable a prize to leave 
  lying around for anyone to steal.
  Reluctant werebeasts rarely allow them-
  selves to transform while within their rural lair. 
  Not only would the sight of a monstrous beast 
  emerging from the door cause mass panic, but 
  the creature would be likely to feast while with-
  in its community. One means of safely staying 
  indoors is to construct a special room. Werec-
  reatures possess immense strength, so sturdy 
  walls (a basement is ideal) and a reinforced 
  doors are essential. Not every werebeast can 
  afford the luxury, of course, and the room must 
  be far enough away from civilization or howls 
  or roars are not heard by the neighbors.
  Rural Lairs
  Since werebeasts prefer the taste of human 
  flesh, a rural lair cannot be so far removed 
  from humanity as to make hunting impossible, 
  but equally it cannot be so close that a blind 
  man could find it.
  A wise lycanthrope disguises its natural lair 
  to resemble one created by its mundane cous-
  ins. For instance, a werebear might occupy 
  a cave. The advantage to this is that hunters 
  are unlikely to suspect anything is amiss. This 
  particular sword is double-edged—depending 
  on the region, such a lair may very well attract 
  hunters seeking the beasts as trophies!
  No matter how large the lair, few were-
  beasts have more than one route of entry to 
  its core. Even in a forest, the heart is hidden in 
  gorges or caves, or found only by following a 
  winding path. This security measure gives the 
  beast two distinctive advantages over its foes. 
  First, it knows its lair like the back of its paw—
  Chapter the Third: 
  Forsaken Lairs
  
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  every nook, every cranny, and every shadow 
  is somewhere it can hide. Second, having just 
  one point of entry means the lycanthrope can 
  retreat there safe in the knowledge that it can-
  not be outflanked.
  Unless the werebeast spends all of its time 
  in its lair, regardless of form, there will be little 
  in the way of human trappings. It might keep 
  a spare set of clothes handy, but werebeasts in 
  their bestial guise have little use for furniture 
  or works of art.
  Refuge Resource
  With regard to the Refuge Resource, only 
  two of the three sub-categories have much bear-
  ing on a werewolf—Equipment and Security.
  Equipment
  Given their lack of true intelligence and 
  opposable thumbs, the Equipment bonus may 
  seem inappropriate for lycanthropes in wolf 
  form. Intimidation and Survival are good op-
  tions. The former might involve the skulls of 
  foes or simply their half-eaten rotting remains 
  being left around. 
  No matter the size of its lair, the werewolf 
  has extensive knowledge of every nook and 
  cranny (Survival: Navigation). It also knows 
  where to find the best shelter (Survival: Shel-
  ter) and where prey lurks (Survival: Foraging). 
  Any unusual scents or tracks would stand out 
  against the usual backdrop like a sore thumb 
  (Survival: Tracking).
  Bending the rules slightly, the Equipment 
  bonus could also be applied as a direct modi-
  fier to Perception. In many ways, this is similar 
  to the notes above—with its keen senses, the 
  werewolf can detect faint traces of sweat or 
  tobacco smoke left by intrusive globetrotters, 
  detect whether objects have been moved, or 
  hear the breathing of hunters lying in ambush 
  against regular background noises.
  Of course, the Equipment bonus remains 
  most useful in their human form. In this regard 
  it is no different than a normal person’s home. 
  Thus, a blacksmith may have a forge, a scholar 
  a library, and a magician a sanctum.
  Security
  The Security aspect is also useful to both 
  human and werewolf forms, though the 
  Resource must be taken separately for each. 
  For their human guise, the bonus represents 
  not only sturdy locks and solid doors, but a 
  lack of paper trail linking the lycanthrope to 
  its home. The bricks and mortar may be held 
  under an alias, rented and thus listed under 
  the landlord’s name, or be so remote that it 
  scarcely features on modern maps.
  For the werewolf, its lair is a place of sanc-
  tuary, somewhere it can rest and heal or dine 
  in peace. A Security modifier might be a series 
  of false trails that lead hunters away from its 
  favored haunt, or terrain that makes tracking 
  the creature difficult (such as trying to follow 
  its path over rocks or across a bog).
  Size
  The Size of the Refuge has no bearing on 
  game mechanics. Rather than waste valuable 
  Resource slots picking this aspect, the werewolf 
  should have whatever size haunt the adventure 
  requires. As with ordinary mortals, an urban 
  lair’s size is determined by social class.
  For instance, the lord of a manor who hap-
  pens to be a werewolf might have a manor 
  house situated in a small estate (Refuge: Size 
  3) and a bonus Resource of a minor title. In 
  his werewolf guise, he may have a lair hidden 
  on the nearby moors. Likely it is nothing more 
  than a cave or secluded glen (Refuge: Size 1).
  Conversely, a peasant werewolf might only 
  own a cottage, shack, or cabin (Refuge: Size 0), 
  but he may consider the surrounding lands his 
  lycanthrope’s personal domain (Refuge: Size 
  5). In the latter instance, his bonuses Resources 
  may be spent on Equipment or Security.
  With regard rural lairs, do not mistake 
  its size for the extent of werewolf’s hunting 
  ground. The Refuge: Size Resource governs 
  only the creature’s true sanctum, the place its 
  bestial nature calls home and which it knows 
  inside out. Whether it occupies a small cave or 
  calls a vast swathe of forest home, the beast 
  may roam for many miles beyond its borders 
  when hunting.
  
                                                                    
                                  
  “A werewolf can only be killed by a silver 
  bullet, or a silver knife... or a stick with a sil-
  ver handle.” —The Wolfman (1941)
  Compared to apparitions, mummies, and 
  vampires, which can possess an extremely var-
  ied number and type of supernatural powers, 
  werebeasts have a very limited arsenal. This in 
  no manner means they are weak creatures.
  Common Abilities
  In terms of general werebeasts, the only 
  common ability is the strength and natural 
  weapons to tear a victim limb from limb with 
  surprisingly little effort. The entries below thus 
  refer specifically to werewolves. Aside from the 
  first entry, lycanthropes possess these abilities 
  even while in human form.
  Curse
  Traditionally, anyone bitten by a werewolf 
  is at great risk of becoming a lycanthrope him-
  self. Although commonplace, this ability is not 
  ubiquitous among werewolves. The risk posed 
  by a werewolf’s bite is directly linked to the 
  severity of the wound. Most humans survive 
  a small puncture with minimal chance of be-
  coming a slavering beast. A more serious injury 
  brings with it an exponentially increased risk 
  of contracting lycanthropy.
  Like any disease, infection is immediate but 
  symptoms are not. Within a few days, the vic-
  tim gains the ability to rapidly heal his wounds. 
  A week on from the bite and his senses are 
  increased dramatically. After two weeks, his 
  reflexes are supernaturally fast. By the third 
  week the curse is apparent, for the victim’s ap-
  petite will only be satisfied by raw meat.
  In every known instance of lycanthropic 
  infection, the victim becomes a werewolf 
  only at the rising of the next full moon after 
  exposure. This varies from anywhere from 28 
  to 30 days. Conventional magic and medicine 
  can do nothing except tend the physical injury, 
  although there is still a slim chance that the 
  victim can be cured before his first change by 
  the rapid application of weird science pharma-
  ceuticals.
  If the antidote fails to work, then there is 
  nothing that can be done save to kill the unfor-
  tunate soul with a silver weapon as quickly as 
  possible. Many globetrotters will find the kill-
  ing of a friend or loved one displaying no overt 
  signs of infection extremely difficult, but one 
  must remember that their fate is now sealed.
  Enhanced Reflexes
  Werewolves possess the reflexes and fury 
  of natural predators. They are able to react to 
  danger in a heartbeat and can unleash a flurry 
  of savage blows and bites.
  Fortunately, the latter can only be employed 
  at close range, giving a prepared globetrot-
  ter opportunity to engage the beast at range. 
  Unfortunately, the creatures run extremely fast 
  when on all four limbs, limiting the amount 
  Chapter the Fourth: 
  Diabolical Powers
  
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  of shots that can be fired before one feels 
  their hot breath on one’s skin. Against their 
  combined strength and ferocity, even a trained 
  fencer or pugilist has little hope of emerging 
  victorious.
  Enhanced Senses
  Werewolves possess greatly enhanced 
  senses. Although they cannot see in darkness, 
  their sight allows them to detect prey at long 
  distances and to function in poor lighting 
  conditions. Similarly, their senses of smell and 
  hearing allow them to discern potential prey, 
  or threats, at distances beyond that of any hu-
  man or ordinary wolf.
  Some legends attribute them with truly 
  superhuman senses, such as the ability to hear 
  the pounding heartbeat of their prey, to see 
  the heat given off by warm bodies, and to track 
  a victim for many miles based on the tiniest 
  traces of odor. One unsubstantiated legend 
  claims they can tell much about a person 
  merely from tasting their blood or sweat, or 
  sniffing their clothes.
  Enhanced Strength & Stamina
  Werewolves are predators, short of reason-
  ing intelligence but high in cunning. The trans-
  formation also enhances their strength and 
  stamina to levels approaching superhuman.
  They are capable of resisting most diseases 
  and poisons, shrugging off injuries that would 
  incapacitate or kill a lesser being, and can 
  run for many miles without tiring. In terms 
  of sheer physical strength, they are capable of 
  lifting as much as 750 pounds with minimal ef-
  fort. Throwing around a globetrotter weighing 
  even a third of that weight is as easy to them as 
  a normal adult human lifting up a small child.
  Regeneration
  The werewolf’s most powerful ability is un-
  doubtedly that of rapid regeneration. Grievous 
  slashes from swords, gaping bullet wounds, and 
  broken limbs heal within a matter of seconds, 
  leaving no trace of a scar. While such damage 
  may cause the beast to stagger back and can 
  even render it momentarily unconscious, they 
  are brief impairments. It may, however, make 
  the difference between a globetrotter’s life and 
  death. Even setting the beasts alight or immers-
  ing them in acid is not enough to kill them.
  As discussed elsewhere, the only method 
  to end their tortured existence is to employ a 
  silvered weapon. Such attacks are not instantly 
  fatal, as piercing the heart or decapitating a 
  vampire can be, but even if the fiend flees it will 
  take several days to recover from its wounds.
  A werewolf can regenerate severed limbs 
  (save for the head, naturally), but the process is 
  considerably slower. The lost limb regenerates at 
  a rate such that it is completely restored within 
  seven days less the werewolf’s Body rating (mini-
  mum of one day). Obviously, this means that a 
  lost hand actually reforms at a slower rate than 
  replacing an entire arm. Once the regeneration 
  is complete, there is no evidence of any scar.
  
  Diabolical Powers
  
  Other Abilities
  Various abilities have been detected among 
  individual werewolves. There is as yet no 
  hard evidence to suggest that these traits can 
  be passed from an infectious werewolf to its 
  victim. Much like vampires, it appears that 
  werewolves may possess vastly different abili-
  ties than the one who created them.
  Tougher Werewolves
  What with their resistance to normal 
  weapons and superior Attributes, werewolves 
  are powerful creatures as written, but some 
  Gamemasters may wish to make them even 
  more deadly. This is especially useful if there is 
  a large number of globetrotters or if the party 
  is very experienced or loaded down with nu-
  merous silvered weapons.
  Using this optional rule, for every level in 
  Ally, Follower, or Patron (including Level 0) 
  the werewolf may take an additional Talent or 
  one of the new abilities presented in this book. 
  These are bonuses to its regular number of Tal-
  ents, effectively doubling its potential.
  Any additional Talents gained through in-
  creased levels must come from the following 
  list: Agile, Alertness, Blind Fight, Block, Com-
  bat Aptitude, Counterstrike, Danger Sense, 
  Diehard, Dodge, Fearsome, Fearsome Attack, 
  Flurry, High Pain Tolerance, Iron Jaw, Iron Will, 
  Jump, Keen Sense, Knockout Blow, Mobile 
  Attack, Quick Reflexes, Rising Handspring, 
  Robust, Run, Staggering Blow, Strong, Strong 
  Defense, Sweep, Swift, Tough, Tough Attack, 
  Unarmed Parry, or Vigorous Defense.
  Other Abilities List
  When creating a werebeast, the Gamemas-
  ter may choose to substitute one of the follow-
  ing abilities for one of the creature’s available 
  Talents. Using these new powers also means 
  that monsters can be heavily customized, thus 
  keeping players guessing as to the strengths of 
  the particular foe they face.
  Call of the Wild
  The werewolf can summon a number of 
  creatures equal to his Willpower rating once 
  per night. The animals must be the same spe-
  cies as the werecreature. For instance, a were-
  wolf can only summon wolves and a werelion 
  only lions. The creatures must be in the nearby 
  vicinity (they do not appear out of thin air). 
  The creatures are completely beholden to the 
  werebeast for the remainder of the combat or 
  scene, after which they depart.
  Chilling Howl
  In the wild places of Europe, the sound of 
  a wolf howling at night is enough to set one’s 
  hair on end and cause an involuntary shudder. 
  Ordinary wolves rarely trouble humans, but it 
  is a primal reaction. The howl of a werewolf, 
  on the other hand, speaks of imminent and 
  violent death. The sound carries much further 
  on the wind and is enough to shred sanity and 
  freeze the blood.
  As a full round action, a werewolf can emit 
  a loud, long howl. Anyone who hears the howl 
  must make a Horror check with a Difficulty 
  based on his distance from the beast. No mat-
  ter how many times a werewolf howls, a per-
  son need only make a check for the first time 
  he hears it each night.
  The effects of a lesser howl, one intended to 
  be used in combat, are best simulated through 
  the Fearsome Talent.
  Distance
  Difficulty
  Within 10 feet
  5*
  Within 100 feet
  4*
  Within 1 mile
  3
  * The Difficulty is increased by one if the 
  victim has unbroken line of sight to the were-
  wolf.
  Primal Rage
  Found among Scandinavian werewolves, 
  though not exclusively, this ability may explain 
  the furious rage of the berserkers. As a free ac-
  tion, the werewolf can exert (take one point 
                             
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  of nonlethal damage) to gain +2 bonus to all 
  Strength-based Skill and Attribute rolls until 
  the end of the combat turn.
  The creature may purchase this ability 
  up to three times. It gains a +4 bonus to all 
  Strength-based Skill rolls at second level and a 
  +8 bonus at third level.
  Reactive Strike
  A werewolf’s reactions can be such that 
  attempting to engage it in melee means first 
  surviving a crippling claw or bite.
  Once per combat turn as a free action, 
  the creature may make a single Brawl attack 
  against one opponent who moves within reach 
  of his natural weapons. No combat maneuvers 
  may be used in conjunction with this special 
  attack. This maneuver does not cost the were-
  wolf its attack action for the round if it has not 
  yet acted, nor does it change its place in the 
  initiative order if it is holding its action.
  The werewolf may buy this ability up to 
  three times. It gains the ability to strike one 
  additional opponent per combat round who 
  moves adjacent to it at each level.
  Slow Regeneration
  Unlike werewolves, other werebeasts often 
  regenerate wounds at a slower rate. At the end 
  of each day, the creature makes a Body x 2 roll 
  using its human attribute rating. Each success 
  heals one point of nonlethal damage or con-
  verts one point of lethal damage to nonlethal.
  Speech
  Prerequisite: Intelligence 1
  The werecreature can speak in its hybrid 
  form, but not its animal form.
  Supernatural Fury
  A werewolf with this ability is a truly deadly 
  foe, for it can unleash a flurry of bites and rakes 
  capable of reducing a foe to a bloody mass of 
  torn flesh and shattered bone in a heartbeat. 
  The fiend receives a second attack action each 
  combat turn.
  A werewolf that is exhausted or disabled 
  may still take its free attack action in addition 
  to picking a single attack, defend, or move ac-
  tion. These lycanthropes are especially danger-
  ous, for even when gravely wounded they are 
  capable of continuing the fight.
  Supernatural Speed
  A werewolf with this ability is capable of 
  truly superhuman speed. Each combat turn, it 
  receives a second move action. 
  A werewolf that is exhausted or disabled 
  may still take its free move action in addition to 
  picking a single attack, defend, or move action. 
  These monsters are especially hard to kill, for 
  even when gravely wounded they are capable 
  of extracting themselves from danger.
  Wall Walking
  By using its claws, the werewolf can crawl 
  up walls or across ceilings at half its Move 
  rating. It may Run, but at half its normal Run 
  Move. The werewolf may only attack using its 
  bite while performing feats of wall walking.
  Weaknesses
  Silver is the traditional, and in many leg-
  ends only, bane of werewolves. For reasons 
  not yet fully understood, some werewolves 
  also display other weaknesses. None are con-
  sidered standard, but may be assigned by the 
  Gamemaster as he sees fit to give werewolves 
  more variation.
  Forced Transformation
  For some werewolves, close proximity 
  (within 10 feet) to aconite, moonstone, sel-
  enite, and/or silver can trigger involuntary 
  change for human to animal form. Werebeasts 
  with this weakness are usually only susceptible 
  to one of the above substances.
  Herb Aversion
  Some stories link werewolves and vampires 
                        
  
  Diabolical Powers
  
  into a single class of entity. While this is excep-
  tionally rare, some werewolves do suffer an 
  aversion to garlic and/or wolf’s bane. A were-
  wolf suffers a –2 penalty to all rolls to affect a 
  person wearing a garland of fresh garlic bulbs 
  or extract of wolf’s bane.
  Mineral Aversion
  This functions as above, except the crea-
  ture’s aversion is toward moonstone and/or 
  selenite, both minerals associated with the 
  moon. These beasts may also suffer lethal 
  wounds from weapons forged of moonstone.
  Alas for globetrotters, the minerals are too 
  weak to be made into anything other than 
  short daggers. A ball of moonstone or selenite 
  can be used as a bullet, but can only be fired 
  from muzzleloading firearms, such as match-
  locks and flintlocks.
  Piercing the Heart
  In much the same way as vampires can 
  be exterminated, so thrusting a stake made 
  of aspen or whitethorn through the heart of 
  some werewolves can instantly end their life. 
  This requires a Called Shot against a vital area. 
  If the damage from a single attack exceeds the 
  werewolf’s Body rating, the fiend is instantly 
  slain, otherwise the attack has no effect.
  Power of the Lord
  It may not be a demon, but the werewolf 
  knows it is an unholy creature. In rare cases, 
  some residual fragment of humanity while in 
  animal form makes it ashamed for its actions 
  and fearful of its ultimate fate. As such, it is 
  susceptible to holy objects in much the same 
  way as vampires. This weakness is yet another 
  that has led to werewolves and vampires being 
  confused with each other in some cultures. 
  Note that the human form, while it may feel 
  shame and remorse for its actions, is immune 
  to this weakness.
  A cross, crucifix, or holy wafer (and para-
  phernalia of other religions at the Gamemas-
  ter’s discretion) can be used to make a Touch 
  Attack against a werewolf. Such objects cause 
  0L damage. These holy objects can also be 
  used to keep a werewolf with this weakness at 
  bay, but only if the wielder is a true believer in 
  the faith—merely waving a holy object around 
  as no effect.
  Presenting such an object to the lycan-
  thrope requires an attack action. In order to 
  close within five feet of the wielder, the beast 
  must make an opposed Willpower test. If it 
  rolls more successes than the wielder, the fiend 
  Worrying & Rending
  Most predators are capable of worrying 
  and/or rending their prey. Both types of 
  attack are based on the grapple combat 
  maneuver. As suggested above, these 
  combat maneuvers are usable by natural 
  predators as well.
      Worrying
  A werebeast that makes a successful 
  grapple with its teeth has latched onto its 
  victim’s arm or leg. On subsequent com-
  bat turns in which the grapple is main-
  tained, the beast can worry its prey. It 
  makes a Brawl attack as normal. Because 
  the victim cannot avoid the attack, only 
  his Passive Defense applies.
      Rending
  Wolves and big catss can knock a foe to 
  the ground, pin it in place using their 
  weight, and then either tear into their 
  prey with their teeth or rake them with 
  their rear claws. Bears, by comparison, 
  can hug a foe and then rip at flesh using 
  their teeth.
  In order to use this ability, the creature 
  must make a grapple and successfully 
  pin his opponent (exceed twice his 
  Strength rating number of successes). 
  The victim is automatically knocked over 
  if the maneuver is successful.
  On the subsequent combat turns, the 
  beast can make a Brawl attack using its 
  teeth or rear claws. Being pinned, the 
  opponent can only use his Passive De-
  fense.
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  0
  is unfazed and may act as normal. Otherwise, it 
  can advance no closer, nor can it use any of its 
  other abilities against the wielder.
  Alternatively, a cross can be used to force a 
  werewolf to move where the wielder wishes. 
  As an attack action, the mortal makes an op-
  posed Willpower test against the werewolf. If he 
  rolls more success than the ravenous beast, he 
  may force it back five feet in a direction of his 
  choice.
  Silver Reaction
  Werewolves are not great fans of silver, but 
  merely touching it to their skin produces no 
  adverse affect. A lycanthrope with this weak-
  ness briefly touched by silver suffers a burn—
  painful, but not enough to cause real injury. 
  It does, however, instantly give his true nature 
  away. In combat, a silver object not intended 
  for use as a deadly weapon, such as a silver 
  cross, inflicts 0L damage when pressed against 
  the shapeshifter’s skin.
  Silver or silvered weapons are more effec-
  tive against a werewolf with silver reaction—in-
  crease the weapon’s base damage by +1.
  New Occult Relics
  In addition to the weird science devices 
  detailed below, the Leagues have produced a 
  few occult relics to provide protection against 
  werewolves.
  Amulet of Selene
  Artifact 4
  Leagues: None
  This rare and potent charm is highly sought 
  after by lycanthropes who wish to rein in their 
  bestial aspect. Worn around the neck, the solid 
  silver charm depicts the Greek lunar goddess, 
  Selene. Donned by a lycanthrope on the nights 
  of the full moon, its magic can delay the onset 
  of the transformation.
  For ease of play, the full moon hangs in the 
  sky for 12 hours, rising at 6 pm and setting at 6 
  am. During the first two hours after rising, the 
  lycanthrope makes a Willpower x 2 or Focus roll 
  at Difficulty 1. For each subsequent two hour 
  period, the Difficulty increases by one, until in 
  the last hours before the moon sets it reaches 
  Difficulty 6. Any successes mean the change is re-
  sisted for that period. A failure at any time means 
  the unfortunate soul succumbs to the inner beast 
  and undergoes the transformation as normal.
  While not a cure for lycanthropy, any respite 
  from becoming a snarling beast is welcome. 
  The less time the lycanthrope spends in bestial 
  form, the less death and destruction it can reap 
  on innocents.
  Enhancements: Special: Delay transforma-
  tion (+8 Enhancements)
  Moonstone Amulet
  Artifact 2
  Leagues: Cunning Folk, Ghost Club, Golden 
                                   
  
  Diabolical Powers
  1
  Circle, Holy Brotherhood, Magicians’ Circle, 
  Ministry of Unusual Affairs, Vengeants’ Guild
  Although the Romans were erroneous 
  in their belief that moonstone was made of 
  solidified lunar rays, a magically empowered 
  gemstone does have an effect on werewolves.
  A Moonstone Amulet has two compo-
  nents—an outer ring made of silver and an 
  inner disc formed of polished moonstone. 
  Small pins hold the parts together and allow 
  the moonstone disc to be rotated.
  When spun quickly, the moonstone gives 
  off a pale strobing light that temporarily en-
  trances werewolves. It does not bind them to 
  your will, but the momentary pause in their at-
  tack is long enough to get a head start or draw 
  a weapon.
  Enhancements: Skill: Performance 8 dice 
  (+3 Enhancements)*, Talent: Captivate (+1 
  Enhancements)*
  * Only affects werewolves.
  Silvered Manacles
  Artifact 3
  Leagues: Ghost Club, Golden Circle, Holy 
  Brotherhood, Ministry of Unusual Affairs
  There are times when a werewolf needs 
  to be captured rather than slain on sight. 
  Forged from silver imbued with moonstone 
  and hardened by arcane oils, these manacles 
  prevent a lycanthrope from changing from its 
  current form. For obvious reasons, they are 
  best placed on its human form—attempting to 
  manacle a snarling hybrid or monstrous wolf is 
  not recommended!
  Enhancements: Special: Prevents transfor-
  mation (+6 Enhancements)
  Wolf’s Bane Oil
  Artifact 0
  Leagues: Cunning Folk, Ghost Club, 
  Golden Circle, Holy Brotherhood, Ministry of 
  Unusual Affairs, Vengeants’ Guild
  Contrary to popular occult lore, wearing a 
  sprig of wolf’s bane (aconite) is no deterrent 
  to being mauled by a werewolf. Wolf’s bane 
  oil, prepared by the light of the moon, how-
  ever, works extremely well.
  Undetectable to humans possessed of 
  anything less than a supernatural sense of 
  smell, Wolf’s Bane Oil produces a powerful 
  aroma offensive to a werewolf’s more delicate 
  nose. Given a choice, they would rather avoid 
  whatever object is daubed in it. In game terms, 
  splattering oneself with a dose provides a De-
  fense bonus as the werewolf tries to avoid get-
  ting too close and makes only tentative attacks. 
  Unfortunately, the oil is extremely volatile and 
  its effect lasts only for one minute.
  A batch contains five doses, each of which 
  is good for just one minute once applied.
  Enhancements: Increased Attribute: +6 
  Defense (+3 Enhancements)*
  Limitations: Reduced Duration: One Min-
  ute (–2 Enhancements)
  * Only against attacks by werewolves.
  New Occult Tomes
  L’incredulité et mescreance du sortilège 
  plainement convaicue
  Language: French; Author: Pierre de Lan-
  cre; Publication: 1622; Complexity: 4; Hor-
  ror: 2; Tradition: Natural; Contents: Form of 
  the Beast (wolf)
  An infamous French judge who presided 
  over numerous witchcraft and werewolf trials 
  that invariably ended in executions, de Lancre 
  (1553-1631) later went on to pen his thoughts 
  on lycanthropy and witchcraft.
  Contained within the text are numerous 
  methods by which a sorcerer might become a 
  werewolf, one of which is a magical ritual.
  New Weird Science
  Aconite Serum
  Artifact 0
  Leagues: Cunning Folk, Ghost Club, 
  Golden Circle, Holy Brotherhood, Ministry of 
  Unusual Affairs, Vengeants’ Guild
                                     
                                      
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  Aconite, also known by the name wolf’s 
  bane, is poisonous. Unfortunately, it is also an 
  essential ingredient in this serum. Combined 
  with silver and other ingredients, Aconite 
  Serum injected into a victim of a werewolf 
  bite might just prevent them from becoming 
  a lycanthrope. In order to have any hope of 
  working, the drug must be injected within one 
  hour of the injury occurring.
  The drug increases the patient’s Body rat-
  ing by one. He may then make a second Body 
  roll with a Difficulty equal to the number of 
  wounds inflicted by a werewolf’s bite. Success 
  means the victim will not transform. Due to 
  the toxicity of the serum, only one dose may be 
  administered—a second dose within the same 
  hour proves immediately fatal.
  Whether or not the drug works, the patient 
  suffers nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, numbness, 
  and burning sensations for the remainder of 
  the combat or scene.
  A batch contains five doses, each of which 
  is good for a single use.
  Enhancements: Increased Attribute: +1 
  Body (+1 Enhancement)*, Special: Lycan-
  thropy preventative (+4 Enhancements)
  Limitations: Exhausting: –2N (–2 Enhance-
  ments), Flaw: Sickly (–2 Enhancements)
  * Only for the purposes of making a second 
  resistance roll against lycanthropy.
  Lunar Transmogrifyer
  Artifact 3
  Leagues: —
  One of Doctor Moreau’s earliest inventions 
  (and failures), the lunar transmogrifyer is a tall, 
  four-legged device. At the top, the legs attach to a 
  large ring crafted from solid silver. Within this ring 
  is a circular, precision-ground selenite crystal lens. 
  Protruding downward and inward from the top 
  ring are smaller concentric silver rings, each hold-
  ing a smaller and smaller selenite crystal lens. 
  The lenses focus and intensify the rays of 
  the moon into a narrow beam, which is di-
  rected onto the forehead of the victim... er... 
  patient, who lies beneath the contraption. 
  On nights of the full moon, the intensity of 
  the beam is such that it can awaken a man’s in-
  ner beast, turning him into a slavering maniac. 
  The subject becomes stronger, faster, gains 
  animal-like senses and rudimentary claws, but 
  also develops yellow eyes, bestial features, and 
  shaggy fur, along with a diminished capac-
  ity for reason and self-control. Each exposure 
  lasts for an entire day.
  Moreau had intended to use the device in 
  conjunction with another of his crazed inven-
  tions, the Soul Trap. His aim was to literally 
  suck the bestial nature out of men and keep 
  it trapped.
  Enhancements: Increased Attribute: Body 
  +1 (+2 Enhancements), Increased Attribute: 
  Initiative +2 (+2 Enhancements), Increased 
  Attribute: Strength +1 (+2 Enhancements), In-
  creased Attribute: Size +1 (+2 Enhancements), 
  Increased: Duration: One Day (+2 Enhance-
  ments), Special Damage: Lethal (+2 Enhance-
  ments)*, Talent: Alertness (+2 Enhancements).
  Limitations: Flaw: Bestial (–2 Enhance-
  ments), Reduced Attribute: Charisma –1 
  (–2 Enhancements), Reduced Attribute: Intel-
  ligence –1 (–2 Enhancements)
  * User grows claws that allow him to do 0L 
  damage with his bare hands.
  Spiked Silver Knuckles
  Artifact 2
  Leagues: Ghost Club, Golden Circle, Holy 
  Brotherhood, Ministry of Unusual Affairs, Ven-
  geants’ Guild
  Silver bullets are ideal for dispatching were-
  wolves at range, but even a pistol is of little use 
  when one is being mauled. For such times, we 
  recommend a pair of solid silver “brass” knuckles. 
  As an added deterrent, the silver is mixed with 
  aconite extract and powdered moonstone or sel-
  enite. Unlike conventional brass knuckles, these 
  ones are spiked, ensuring a werewolf receives 
  more than just a few bruises or broken bones, 
  both of which will heal unnaturally swiftly.
  As with standard brass knuckles, they are 
  wielded using Brawl. They inflict 2L damage 
  and can harm werewolves and other shape-
  shifters vulnerable to silver.
  Enhancements: Improved Damage Type: 
  Lethal (+2 Enhancements), Increased Dam-
  age: +1 (+1 Enhancements), Special: Silver 
  (+1 Enhancement)
  
  “No-one knows how it will end / As you’re 
  pretty, so be wise / Wolves may lurk in every 
  guise / Now as then, ‘tis simple truth / Sweetest 
  tongue has sharpest tooth.” —The Company 
  of Wolves (1984)
  This chapter is divided into three sections. 
  The first concerns common species of were-
  beasts—humans with the ability, be that gift or 
  curse, to assume an animal form. Three sets of 
  statistics are given—hybrid form, animal form, 
  and a sample human form. 
  Although it might appear quite normal to the 
  untrained eye, a werecreature’s animal form is far 
  superior to an ordinary member of the species. 
  While it often lacks the hybrid’s raw strength and 
  endurance, it benefits in other ways. As well as its 
  standard animal Talents, it also gains those of its 
  hybrid form. Any special abilities or weaknesses 
  also apply to the animal form. This increase in 
  abilities is because the raw, bestial nature of the 
  beast is not dampened by lingering humanity.
  The 
  second 
  details 
  other 
  types 
  of 
  shapechanger. Rather than being human, they 
  are supernatural beings with shapeshifting 
  abilities. The third category is for humans glo-
  betrotters might call upon for support.
  Common Abilities
  In order to save repeating information, all 
  infectious werebeasts automatically have the 
  Curse special ability. If the creature’s Move 
  rating is marked with an asterisk, it has the 
  Quadruped ability.
  Curse: Each time a victim is bitten, he 
  must make a Body roll with a Difficulty equal 
  to the number of points of damage taken by 
  the attack. Failure means the victim is doomed 
  to become a werebeast, though he manifests 
  no sign of his infliction until the first rising of 
  the next full moon (28 days from when he was 
  bitten).
  Quadruped: The werebeast doubles its 
  Move rating when running on all fours.
  Werebeasts
  The entries below cover a variety of com-
  mon werebeasts. As well as statistics for their 
  monstrous hybrid form, each entry has statis-
  tics for a sample human form. These are not 
  detailed, unique individuals, and thus have 
  only brief write-ups.
  Werebear
  Unique to Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, and 
  northern Russia, werebears are usually brown 
  or black furred in their animal form. The Inuits 
  speak of polar werebears, but this has yet to 
  be confirmed by globetrotters. Likely these 
  animals are not true werebeasts, but shamans 
  able to transform into animal guise.
  Werebears are solitary creatures in both 
  human and animal form, preferring to live in 
  the deep wilds rather than close to civilization. 
  Rarely called on to deal with a werebear threat, 
  Chapter the Fifth: 
  Catalog of Fiends
  
                                                               
                        
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  the Leagues are largely ignorant of these crea-
  tures’ habits. 
  Given that ordinary bears are capable of 
  walking upright and werebears prefer to run 
  on all fours, telling the two apart can be noto-
  riously difficult. A werebear’s animal form has 
  human eyes, but these can be hard to discern 
  at any distance.
  Werebears are governed by the moon, 
  being forced to adopt bestial form when it is 
  full, but have no special susceptibility to silver. 
  They heal at normal rates and can be slain by 
  conventional weapons. This does not mean 
  they are easy to slay—werebears are exception-
  ally strong, very robust, and capable of killing 
  a man with a casual swat of their immense 
  paws.
  Although they attack humans and animals 
  when the opportunity arises, werebears are ac-
  tually omnivorous. Much of their diet consists 
  of roots and berries supplemented with fish.
  Hybrid
  Follower 3
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 7, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 6, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 8 (Run 
  16)*, Perception 3 (7), Initiative 3, Defense 8, 
  Stun 7, Health 12, Horror 2
  Skills: Athletics 9, Brawl 9 (Grappling 10), 
  Intimidation 7, Stealth 5**, Survival 5 (Forag-
  ing 6)
  Talents: Keen Sense (+4 smell-based Percep-
  tion rating), Primal Rage (Can exert to increase 
  Strength), Robust (+2 Health rating), Skill 
  Aptitude (+2 Intimidation bonus)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 9L, Claw 10L, Grapple 10
  ** –1 Size penalty to Stealth rolls.
  Animal
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 4, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 6 (Run 
  12)*, Perception 6 (10), Initiative 2, Defense 6, 
  Stun 5, Health 10, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 8, Stealth 6**, Sur-
  vival 6
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating), Keen 
  Sense (+4 smell-based Perception rating), Primal 
  Rage (Can exert to increase Strength), Robust 
  (+2 Health rating), Skill Aptitude (+2 Intimida-
  tion bonus), Skill Aptitude (+2 Survival rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 8L, Claw 8L
  ** A werebear has a –1 Size penalty to Stealth 
  rolls.
  Human
  Having no love for the trappings of civiliza-
  tion, these tough men and women live alone in 
  the wilds. Those who work for a living take on 
  jobs that allow them to work alone for extended 
  periods, such as hunters, loggers, or trappers.
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Mystery; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  6, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Firearms 4 or Me-
  lee 4, Stealth 4, Survival 4
  Talents: Robust (+2 Health rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Independent (+1 Style point whenever 
  his insistence on doing things on his own or 
  rejection of help causes him trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Bolt-action Rifle 7N or 
  Two-handed axe 7L
  Werecheetah
  Werelions may be the kings of Africa, but 
  they do not have the country to themselves. In 
  
  Catalog of Fiends
  
  the south and southeast, werecheetahs hunt in 
  the grasslands.
  They are neither the largest nor the strongest 
  werebeasts, but they are certainly the fastest. Ca-
  pable of sustaining speeds of 44 mph hybrid form 
  and 72 mph in cheetah form for long periods, an 
  opponent has little chance of outrunning one. 
  Fortunately, their relatively weak constitution 
  and vulnerability to mundane weapons means 
  a globetrotter has a sporting chance of killing it 
  before it mauls him to death.
  Hybrid
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 5, 
  Strength 4, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 11 (Run 
  22)*, Perception 3, Initiative 6, Defense 8, Stun 
  3, Health 5, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Stealth 7, Survival 6
  Talents: Mobile Attack (Can attack without 
  stopping its movement), Supernatural Speed 
  (Makes two move actions each combat turn), 
  Swift (+2 Move rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Claw 8L
  Animal
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 8
  Secondary Attributes: Size –1, Move 9 (Run 
  36)*, Perception 3, Initiative 4, Defense 7, Stun 
  2, Health 4, Horror —
  Skills: Brawl 6, Stealth 6**, Survival 6
  Talents: Mobile Attack (Can attack without 
  stopping its movement), Run (Doubles run-
  ning speed), Supernatural Speed (Makes two 
  move actions each combat turn), Swift (+2 
  Move rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 7L, Claw 7L
  ** +1 Size bonus to Stealth rolls
  Human
  The statistics below are for a tribal hunter. 
  He has no interest in making friends, either 
  among his tribe or with outsiders. Like his bes-
  tial form, the human werecheetah lives purely 
  for the thrill of the hunt. 
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Big Game Hunter; Motivation: 
  Duty; Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  4, Horror —
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  Skills: Archery 4, Athletics 4, Melee 4, Stealth 
  4, Survival 4
  Talents: Run (Doubles running speed)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Overconfident (+1 Style point when-
  ever he is forced to ask for help or when his 
  bravado gets him in over his head)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Bow 6L, Spear 7L
  Werecrocodile
  The first crocodile depicted in art was 
  Sobek, an Egyptian deity. In keeping with the 
  nature of the crocodile, he was regarded as a 
  deity of power and military strength. Among 
  his cult, crocodiles were regarded as sacred 
  animals, well-fed by worshippers in life and 
  mummified after death.
  Werecrocodiles are not confined to the Nile, 
  though. Crocodiles can be found in parts of 
  Meso- and Southern America, Asia, and Australia, 
  and throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, and where 
  there are crocodiles, there are werecrocodiles.
  Near-mindless, werecrocodiles live only to 
  kill. With their powerful jaws and thick hides 
  they are a foe to be feared. Equally at home on 
  land and in water, they use the latter to escape, 
  to ambush unwary passersby, and to attack 
  small river-going vessels.
  Although there are infectious werecroco-
  diles, they rarely leave their prey alive. The 
  majority are hereditary werebeasts. In Egypt, 
  a large percentage are the descendants of an-
  cient priests of Sobek, who they continue to 
  venerate in secret and bloody rites.
  For simplicity, the statistics below can be 
  used for werealligators. Equally ferocious, they 
  are native to the southeastern corner of the 
  United States of America.
  Hybrid
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 7 (Swim 
  7), Perception 3, Initiative 2, Defense 6 (8)**, 
  Stun 5, Health 9, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 7, Brawl 8, Stealth 6, Intimida-
  tion 7
  Talents: Fearsome 2 (Can temporarily frighten 
  opponents), Flurry (Can attack same opponent 
  twice with –2 penalty)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 9L, Tail 8N
  ** +2 Passive Defense due to thick hide
  *** –1 Size penalty to Stealth rolls
  Crushing Jaws: The powerful jaws of a 
  werecrocodile allow it to ignore up to 2 points 
  of Passive Defense from armor.
  Animal
  Follower 2
  
  Catalog of Fiends
  
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 4* (Swim 
  9), Perception 6, Initiative 4, Defense 8, Stun 5, 
  Health 10, Horror —
  Skills: Brawl 9, Stealth 7**, Survival 7
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating), Skill 
  Aptitude (+2 Survival rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 10L, Tail 9N
  ** –1 Size penalty to Stealth rolls
  Human
  Werecrocodiles tend to occupy the lower 
  end of the social scale, preferring occupations 
  that allow them to work on and live near water. 
  The statistics below are for a river fisherman. 
  Although he most often uses a net to catch fish, 
  he is trained in spear fishing as well.
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 0, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 8
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Per-
  ception 9, Initiative 4, Defense 11, Stun N/A, 
  Health 8, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Melee 4, Pilot: Nau-
  tical 4, Survival 4
  Talents: Native Terrain: Rivers (Immune to 
  Deprivation and Exposure on or near rivers)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Belligerent (+1 Style point whenever 
  his aggressive attitude causes problems)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Spear 7L
  Werehyena
  Werehyenas are found in the folklore of 
  North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the Middle 
  East. In many cultures they are blacksmiths, 
  who are believed to be hereditary werehyenas. 
  In others, their human role is that of healer 
  or woodcutter. Whatever their occupation, 
  people with nasal voices and hairy bodies are 
  treated with suspicion, for these are the signs 
  of being a werehyena.
  Werehyenas’ transformations are not gov-
  erned by the moon. Instead, they change shape 
  on any night when they have not consumed a 
  pound of raw meat in their human form. In 
  the guise of either a hyena or hybrid, they seek 
  out flesh. Werehyenas only attack people or 
  live animals if they consider them defenseless, 
  much preferring carrion, which they scavenge 
  from graves or the kills of other predators.
  Like their common kin, they have espe-
  cially powerful jaws. Although little comfort to 
  those whose arms or legs have been worried 
  and crushed by their teeth, there have been no 
  recorded instances of werehyenas passing on 
  their condition. Most, if not all, are hereditary 
  werebeasts.
  Globetrotters should ignore local folklore 
  that insists both hyenas and their monstrous kin 
  are cowardly by nature. Hyenas commonly drive 
  larger predators away from kills, and the were-
  hyena is a stubborn and resilient opponent.
  Hybrid
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 4, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6 (Run 
  12)*, Perception 5 (9), Initiative 3, Defense 7, 
  Stun 5, Health 9, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 8, Intimidation 5, 
  Stealth 4, Survival 4
  Talents: Iron Will (+1 Willpower rating), Keen 
  Sense (+4 smell-based Perception rating), 
  Mesmerize (see below)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 10L
  Mesmerize: Arab folklore tells that were-
  hyenas can mesmerize victims with their eyes 
  or pheromones. This functions as per the 
  Captivate Talent, except the werehyena makes 
  a Willpower x 2 roll in place of Performance.
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  Animal
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size –1, Move 5 (Run 
  10)*, Perception 5 (9), Initiative 3, Defense 6, 
  Stun 3, Health 6, Horror —
  Skills: Brawl 8, Stealth 5**, Survival 6
  Talents: Iron Will (+1 Willpower rating), Keen 
  Sense (+4 smell-based Perception rating), 
  Mesmerize (see above), Skill Aptitude (+2 
  Brawl rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 10L
  ** +1 Size bonus to Stealth rolls.
  Human
  As befits common folklore, the chosen stan-
  dard form presented here is a blacksmith. Other 
  staple human forms are the healer and woodcut-
  ter. Simply swap Craft for Medicine or Survival 
  respectively to create appropriate statistics.
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Duty; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  4, Horror —
  Skills: Brawl 4, Craft: Blacksmith 4, Intimida-
  tion 6, Melee 4, Streetwise 4
  Talents: Skill Aptitude (+2 Intimidation rat-
  ing)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Bad Reputation (–2 to Social rolls; +1 
  Style point whenever his bad reputation causes 
  him problems)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Hammer 6N
  Werejaguar
  The jaguar has been represented as a god 
  in Mesoamerica since the Olmec period (1500-
  400 BC). Throughout the reign of their empire, 
  figurines of the big cats were always carved 
  with a mix of human and animal features. 
  Among the Olmecs, only priests and shamans 
  had the ability to become werejaguars. The 
  Leagues have yet to determine whether this 
  was achieved through rituals, occult relics, or 
  hereditary bloodlines.
  The latter Aztecs also venerated the jaguar. 
  In their culture, priests and elite warriors were 
  awarded a jaguar pelt as a mark of status. 
  Again, it is unclear as to whether the pelts 
  powered their transformation or whether it 
  was a natural gift. One recent theory suggests 
  that candidates eligible to serve as “jaguar 
  warriors” or jaguar knights” were deliberately 
  infected with the disease. Given that the bite 
  of a werejaguar is not infectious (at least in 
  reported cases), this seems unlikely.
  
  Catalog of Fiends
  
  Whether their gift is magical or hereditary, 
  werejaguars feel compelled to alter form dur-
  ing the full moon. It can resist this compulsion, 
  but must make a Willpower x 2 roll (Difficulty 
  3) each hour the moon is full.
  Unlike many werebeasts, the werejaguar 
  rarely goes on spectacular and highly de-
  structive rampages. Where other species use 
  speed and brute force to bring down prey, the 
  werejaguar, like its mundane kin, is an ambush 
  predator. Cautious and cunning in equal mea-
  sure, they prefer to silently stalk their prey 
  until the time is right to pounce.
  Hybrid
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7 (Run 
  14), Perception 4, Initiative 5, Defense 8, Stun 
  4, Health 7, Horror 
  Skills: Athletics 7, Brawl 9, Stealth 9, Survival 5
  Talents: Flurry (Can attack same opponent 
  twice with –2 penalty), Jump (Doubles jumping 
  distance), Skill Aptitude (+2 Stealth rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 9L, Claw 9L
  Jade Weakness: Werejaguars are vulner-
  able to jade weapons. When wielded against 
  a werejaguar, a weapon tipped or edged with 
  sharpened jade flakes (a sword or spear) or 
  made entirely from jade (such as a mace) in-
  flicts +2L damage.
  Animal
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7 (Run 
  14)*, Perception 3, Initiative 4, Defense 6, Stun 
  2, Health 6, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 5, Stealth 7, Survival 5
  Talents: Flurry (Can attack same opponent 
  twice with –2 penalty), Jump (Doubles jump-
  ing distance), Skill Aptitude (+2 Stealth rat-
  ing), Subtle Strike (Can use Stealth in place of 
  Brawl when ambushing)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 5L, Claw 5L
  Obsidian Weakness: As above.
  Human
  The Conquistadors ultimately failed in their 
  endeavor to eradicate pagan Aztec beliefs. Forced 
  underground with the advent of Christianity, be-
  lief in the old gods has survived until the present 
  age. Though rare, the jaguar knights continue to 
  prowl the forest and protect their people.
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Warrior; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  4, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Melee 4, Stealth 4, 
  Survival 4
  Talents: None
  Resources: Status 1 (Jaguar knight; +2 Social 
  bonus)
  Flaws: Secret (+1 Style point whenever he 
  goes out of his way to protect his secret or he 
  is confronted with the truth)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Obsidian-edged sword 
  or spear 7L
  Werelion
  If the lion is king of the jungle, then the 
  werelion is doubly so. African culture does not 
  see werelions as wicked creatures. Instead, it 
  is a talent displayed by royalty and those des-
  tined for greatness.
  Given this origin, it is only found as a he-
  reditary condition, though in rare cases neither 
  parent need be a shapechanger. In these rare 
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  0
  events the ability to become a werelion is ei-
  ther a gift from the goods or a sign the person 
  was a king or queen in a past life.
  The werelion can be a ferocious and deadly 
  opponent, but its primary role is as a protec-
  tor of his people. Unaffected by the moon, he 
  changes shape to drive away invaders or evil 
  creatures preying on his people and to protect 
  his lands and resources.
  While they have no particular weakness to 
  silver, gold can be used to reveal their pres-
  ence in human guise. As the favored metal 
  of kings, gold pressed to a werelion’s human 
  flesh becomes warm to the touch, recognizing 
  a kindred noble spirit.
  Hybrid
  Follower 3
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Preserva-
  tion; Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 5, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 9 (Run 
  18)*, Perception 3, Initiative 7, Defense 9, Stun 
  5, Health 7, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 9, Intimidation 6, 
  Stealth 8, Survival 6
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating), Call 
  of the Wild (Can summon lions), Flurry (Can 
  attack same opponent twice at –2 penalty), 
  Quick Reflexes (+2 Initiative rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 9L, Claw 9L
  Animal
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Preserva-
  tion; Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 5, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 8 (Run 
  16)*, Perception 8, Initiative 7, Defense 8, Stun 
  3, Health 7, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Stealth 6, Survival 6
  Talents: Alertness 2 (+4 Perception rating), 
  Call of the Wild (Can summon lions), Flurry 
  (Can attack same opponent twice at –2 pen-
  alty), Quick Reflexes (+2 Initiative rating), Skill 
  Aptitude (+2 Survival rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Cannot communicate or use 
  tools)
  Weapons: Bite 8L, Claw 8L
  Human
  The statistics below are for a young tribal 
  noble, perhaps the son or daughter of a king. 
  By changing Status to Fame, the same statistics 
  can represent a tribesman who was a king in a 
  previous life and is destined to achieve great 
  things in his current incarnation. In the latter 
  case, change his Motivation from Preservation 
  to Fame or Glory.
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Aristocrat; Motivation: Preserva-
  tion; Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  4, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Diplomacy 4, In-
  timidation 4, Melee 4
  Talents: None
  Resources: Status 1 (Nobility; +2 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Code of Conduct (+1 Style point when-
  ever he convinces someone else to follow his 
  code or when his code makes something more 
  difficult than might otherwise be necessary)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Spear 7L
  Wererat
  Rats, and their lesser cousins, mice, have 
  lived and prospered among humanity since 
  the advent of civilization. Tales of giant rats are 
  nothing new, though stories of bipedal giant 
  rats are a phenomenon that has existed only 
  since the advent of modern sewage systems.
  Found only in the most wretched slums or 
  dankest sewers, wererats appear to be a recent 
  addition to the catalog of werebeasts. Given 
  
  Catalog of Fiends
  1
  they lack the muscle mass and strength of 
  other werebeasts, wererats are unlikely to go 
  on bloody rampages through the streets. They 
  are opportunist hunters, preying only on the 
  weak and helpless. Children are favored above 
  all others, and wererats have been known to 
  break into houses in search of their flesh.
  Given the unsanitary conditions in which 
  they live, it should come as no surprise that 
  they are carriers of terrible diseases, most no-
  tably bubonic plague.
  Wererats assume not the form of a giant 
  rat in their animal form, but that of a common 
  brown or black rat. There is little chance of be-
  ing mauled to death by a wererat in this form, 
  but it is not without its strengths. Rats are 
  commonplace in crowded cities and towns, 
  allowing the wererat to move around without 
  attracting undue attention. Its small size also 
  grants it the ability to slip through small gaps 
  impassable to the larger hybrid form.
  Hybrid
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 5, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 8 (Run 
  16)*, Perception 4, Initiative 7, Defense 8, Stun 
  3, Health 5, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 7, Brawl 7, Stealth 8, Survival 
  6
  Talents: Call of the Wild (Can summon giant 
  rats or swarms of normal rats), Disease Resis-
  tance (+2 to Body rolls related to disease)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use 
  tools)
  Weapons: Bite 7L
  Disease Carrier: Pick one disease from 
  camp fever, cholera, or smallpox from Leagues 
  of Adventure. If you have the All for One 
  supplement, Richelieu’s Guide to Healthcare, 
  you can also select from bubonic plague, con-
  sumption, hepatitis, malaria, and pneumonic 
  plagues. The wererat is immune to its particu-
  lar contagion and displays no symptoms.
  Animal
  Follower 0
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 0, Dexterity 5, 
  Strength 0, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size –4, Move 5 (Run 
  10)*, Perception 4, Initiative 5, Defense 9, Stun 
  0, Health 0, Horror —
  Skills: Brawl 2, Stealth 10**, Survival 2
  Talents: Call of the Wild (Can summon giant 
  rats or swarms of normal rats), Disease Resis-
  tance (+2 to Body rolls related to disease)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use 
  tools)
  Weapons: Bite 2L
  ** +4 Size bonus to Stealth rolls
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  Disease Carrier: Pick one disease from 
  camp fever, cholera, or smallpox from Leagues 
  of Adventure. If you have the All for One 
  supplement, Richelieu’s Guide to Healthcare, 
  you can also select from bubonic plague, con-
  sumption, hepatitis, malaria, and pneumonic 
  plagues. The wererat is immune to its particu-
  lar contagion and displays no symptoms.
  Human
  It is a rare wererat who holds any position 
  of importance or respect in modern society. 
  Most live either on the edges of civilization or 
  among the most wretched. The statistics below 
  are for a tosher, a person who makes a living 
  searching for dropped coins and jewelry amid 
  the stench and effluence of the sewers.
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  4, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Melee 4, Stealth 4, 
  Streetwise 4
  Talents: Disease Resistance (+2 to Body rolls 
  related to disease)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Repulsive (+1 Style point whenever his 
  repulsive appearance and smell cause him or 
  his allies problems)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Dagger 5L
  Wereshark
  Like their lesser kin, weresharks are deadly 
  natural predators. Their primary hunting 
  grounds are the countless islands of Polyne-
  sia. Here they live as simple fishermen before 
  changing form and prowling the warm seas as 
  vicious killers.
  Weresharks are most always cursed or magi-
  cal. In the latter case, an enchanted shark’s 
  tooth pendant is required for them to alter 
  their shape.
  As if powerful muscles and a gaping maw 
  packed with saw-like teeth was not enough, 
  weresharks have only one weakness—coral. 
  More commonly found as jewelry, coral cannot 
  be fashioned into anything larger than a dag-
  ger, arrowhead, or spear tip. A length of wood 
  studded with sharp pieces of coral to form a 
  crude sword inflicts 2L damage.
  Hybrid
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 6, Dexterity 3 
  Strength 5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 8 (Swim 
  
  Catalog of Fiends
  
  16), Perception 4, Initiative 3, Defense 8, Stun 
  6, Health 11, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Intimidation 9, 
  Stealth 5**
  Talents: Fearsome 2 (Can temporarily frighten 
  foes)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 10L
  ** –1 Size penalty to Stealth rolls
  Regenerate: Weresharks have amazing 
  powers of regeneration. Werewsharks treat 
  all damage inflicted by non-coral weapons as 
  nonlethal (even caustic damage). Only coral in-
  flicts lethal damage. At the end of each round, 
  a wereshark makes a Body roll. Each success 
  heals one point of nonlethal damage.
   A wereshark can never heal lethal damage 
  through this ability—it must heal those injuries 
  naturally. Weresharks knocked unconscious by 
  damage recover immediately if their regenera-
  tion brings them to 0 Health or higher. Note 
  that a wereshark that regenerates to exactly 0 
  Health is Exhausted.
  Animal
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 6, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 6, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 2, Move 0 (Swim 
  16), Perception 4 (8), Initiative 2, Defense 6, 
  Stun 6, Health 12, Horror —
  Skills: Brawl 8, Stealth 4*, Survival 6
  Talents: Keen Sense (+4 smell-based Percep-
  tion), Skill Aptitude (+2 Survival rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 10L
  * –2 Size penalty to Stealth rolls
  Human
  The statistics below are for a Polynesian 
  native press-ganged or paid to work as part of 
  a merchant ship’s crew. Frequently travelling 
  from port to port, he can unleash his inner 
  beast and feed on human flesh before the au-
  thorities are aware of his existence. 
  On long sea voyages he must stealthily hunt 
  in the sea. Fish sustains him, but it does little 
  to sate his appetite. Thus, whenever he enters 
  port he is ravenous and desperate to feed.
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  6, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Gambling 4, Pilot: 
  Nautical 4, Stealth 4
  Talents: Robust (+2 Health rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Secret (+1 Style point whenever he 
  goes out of his way to protect his secret or he 
  is confronted with the truth)
  Weapons: Punch 4N
  Weretiger
  Found across much of Asia, weretigers are 
  the most powerful ailuranthropes and are sec-
  ond only to werewolves in terms of ferocity.
  Associated with black magicians in India 
  and vengeful ghosts in China, most weretigers 
  seek to prove their superiority. In most cases, 
  any creature that enters their hunting grounds 
  is fair game. Unlike their lesser kin, weretigers 
  lack the patience to stalk prey. To prove their 
  dominance, they rush to attack at the first op-
  portunity, biting and clawing at anything in 
  range with phenomenal strength and super-
  natural fury.
  Hybrid
  Follower 3
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Power; 
  Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 6, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 6, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 9 (Run 
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  18)*, Perception 3, Initiative 4, Defense 8, Stun 
  6, Health 11, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 11, Brawl 11, Stealth 7, Sur-
  vival 6
  Talents: Flurry 2 (Can attack same opponent 
  twice with no penalty), Robust (+2 Health 
  rating), Supernatural Fury (Receives two attack 
  actions each combat turn)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 11L, Claw 11L
  ** –1 Size penalty to Stealth rolls
  Animal
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 5, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 8 (Run 
  16)*, Perception 6, Initiative 5, Defense 8, Stun 
  3, Health 9, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Stealth 6, Survival 6
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating), Flurry 
  2 (Can attack same opponent twice with no pen-
  alty), Robust (+2 Health rating), Skill Aptitude 
  (+2 Survival rating), Supernatural Fury (Receives 
  two attack actions each combat turn)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 8L, Claw 8L
  Human
  In keeping with Indian tradition, the 
  sample human form is that of an evil magician. 
  His condition is not magical, but may be he-
  reditary, the result of infection, or a dark gift 
  from a greater horror.
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Occultist; Motivation: Power; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  4, Horror —
  Skills: Academics: Occult 4, Intimidation 4, 
  Magic: Black Magic 6, Stealth 4
  Talents: Magical Aptitude (Can cast rituals)
  Resources: None
  Rituals: Arcane Shield, Empower, Greater 
  Hex, Harm
  Flaws: Dominant (+1 Style point whenever 
  his need to dominate others brings unneces-
  sary strife)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Werewolf
  Tales of werewolves, men who transform 
  into ravenous beasts by the light of the full 
  moon, are common across much of Europe.
  While the victim may exhibit increased 
  angry outbursts or a short temper, he displays 
  no other signs of his affliction. He can touch 
  silver, for instance, and takes damage normally 
  from non-silver weapons. The human side is 
  completely dormant while the werewolf is 
  abroad, leaving the unfortunate soul with no 
  memory of his nocturnal activities. He may 
  suspect something is amiss due to clues (wak-
  ing up naked in the woods, the tang of blood 
  in his mouth after a kill, or realizing his feet 
  are dirty when he wakes up), but the werewolf 
  takes great pains to cover its tracks and remove 
  any evidence of its existence.
  Werewolves physically transform into a 
  bipedal wolfman form on the first rising of the 
  full moon each month. This transformation 
  takes one round, during which the beast can 
  take no other actions. The process is reversed 
  at dawn. The victim cannot prevent the trans-
  formation to ravenous beast, and the creature 
  cannot elect to remain in beast form once the 
  sun breaks the horizon. Werewolves don’t 
  need to see the moon or be struck by sunlight 
  for these changes to occur—the very nature 
  of the beast is tied to the movements of the 
  celestial orbs.
  Depending on the style of game you’re 
  running, werewolves might be the result of 
  science gone mad, perhaps transformed by 
  a strange contraption, or by an elixir. Such 
  fiends, while still deadly, are very unlikely to 
  pass on their curse. Others might be madmen 
  
  Catalog of Fiends
  
  who truly think they become ravenous wolves 
  yet do not bodily transform, or actual super-
  natural creatures, likely the result of an ancient 
  curse or dark magic. 
  Werewolf
  Follower 3
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 9 (Run 
  18)*, Perception 6, Initiative 7, Defense 9, Stun 
  5, Health 8, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 9, Brawl 9, Stealth 9, Survival 8
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating), Flurry 
  (May make two attacks at –2 to each attempt), 
  Quick Reflexes (+2 Initiative rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Cannot communicate or use 
  tools)
  Weapons: Bite 9L, Claw 10L
  Regenerate: Werewolves have amazing 
  powers of regeneration. Werewolves treat all 
  damage inflicted by non-silver weapons as 
  nonlethal (even caustic damage). Only silver 
  inflicts lethal damage. At the end of each 
  round, a werewolf makes a Body roll. Each 
  success heals one point of nonlethal damage.
   A werewolf can never heal lethal damage 
  through this ability—it must heal those injuries 
  naturally. Werewolves knocked unconscious by 
  damage recover immediately if their regenera-
  tion brings them to 0 Health or higher. Note 
  that a werewolf that regenerates to exactly 0 
  Health is Exhausted.
  Animal
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size –1, Move 6*, Per-
  ception 6 (Smell 10), Initiative 6, Defense 6, 
  Stun 2, Health 4, Horror —
  Skills: Brawl 6, Stealth 7**, Survival 6
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating), 
  Flurry (May make two attacks at –2 to each 
  attempt), Keen Sense (+4 smell-based Per-
  ception rating), Quick Reflexes (+2 Initiative 
  rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 8L
  ** +1 Size bonus to Stealth rolls.
  Human
  Werewolves can be found at all levels of 
  society and, thanks to European imperialism, 
  across the globe. Thus, their range of human 
  guises is near limitless. The statistics below 
  are for a rake, a gentleman whose immoral 
  conduct extends to wine, women, song, and 
  gambling.
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  4, Horror —
  Skills: Con 4, Connoisseur 4, Gambling 4, 
  Melee 4, Performance 4
  Talents: None
  Resources: Status 1 (Minor aristocrat; +2 
  Social bonus)
  Flaws: Boorish (+1 Style point whenever his 
  lack of manners leads to rejection in a social sit-
  uation or causes him or his friends problems)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Rapier 6L
  Other Shapeshifters
  Whether it is a deity or a more earthly crea-
  ture, every culture has some sort of shapeshift-
  ing entity in its mythology. Since this is Leagues 
  of Gothic Horror, the examples below include 
  only those which pose a threat to humans.
  Jorogumo 
  Found exclusively in Japan, a jorogumo is 
  a shapeshifting giant spider. Folklore dictates 
  that any spider that survives for 400 years be-
  comes a jorogumo.
  Known as a “binding bride” or “whore spi-
  der,” the jorogumo assumes the form of a seduc-
  tive woman in order to lure men to her remote 
  lair (often a shack or hut). There she plays the 
  biwa, a traditional stringed instrument similar to 
  a lute. While her prey is entranced by the beauti-
  ful music, she reverts to her natural form and 
  injects him with venom before binding him in 
  silk and storing him away until she is hungry.
  Spider
  Follower 3
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 4, Charisma 0, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 8 (16)*, 
  Perception 8, Initiative 6, Defense 8, Stun 4, 
  Health 8, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 9, Brawl 9, Stealth 9, Survival 9
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception bonus); 
  Climb (Doubles climbing speed)**, Skill Apti-
  tude (+2 Survival rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 9L, Venom Special
  * Creatures with four or more legs double 
  their Move rating when running. 
  ** Can climb up sheer surfaces and even 
  across ceilings at its normal climbing rate.
  Venom: After a successful attack, a jorogu-
  mo injects venom into its victim. A poisoned 
                                      
  
  Catalog of Fiends
  
  character makes a Body roll against a Toxin 
  rating of 4. If the character fails this roll, he 
  takes one point of nonlethal damage for each 
  point by which he failed the roll. A jorogumo 
  may use its venom five times per day.
  Human
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2 Strength 
  2, Charisma 4, Intelligence 2, Willpower 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 5, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  5, Horror —
  Skills: Con 11 (Seduction 12), Empathy 7, 
  Performance 9 (Musical instrument 10)
  Talents: Captivate (Can temporarily entrance 
  opponents), Skill Aptitude (+2 Con rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Secret (+1 Style point whenever she 
  goes out of her way to protect her secret or 
  she is confronted with the truth)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Kelpie 
  Travel anywhere in Scotland where there is 
  a decent sized body of water and the locals will 
  tell you a kelpie lives there.
  Frequently described as a water spirit, a 
  kelpie is in fact a demon. Their natural form 
  is that of a horse, but they have the ability to 
  adopt a male human form. 
  In their human guise they are rough, shaggy 
  individuals who ambush lone wanderers and 
  rip them apart so they can dine on their succu-
  lent organs. Its equine form is strong, muscular, 
  and either pure black or white. The beast lurks 
  near water, grazing like a conventional beast. 
  If mounted, it charges into the nearest body of 
  deep water, whereupon it seeks to drown its 
  victim. Leaping from the demonic mount is no 
  easy feat, for once mounted, mortals stick to its 
  back like glue.
  Kelpies can be captured and at least partially 
  domesticated. To gain possession of a kelpie one 
  must attach a horse halter stamped with the sign 
  of the cross to its head. This done, the kelpie can 
  be used to drag heavy loads. Note that the halter 
  does not prevent people sticking to its flesh, and 
  thus the kelpie should never be ridden.
  Equine 
  Follower 3
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 4, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 10 (Run 
  20)*, Perception 7, Initiative 6, Defense 6, Stun 
  3, Health 9, Horror 2
  Skills: Athletics 8 (Swimming 9), Brawl 8 
  (Grapple 9), Empathy 6, Stealth 6, Survival 6
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating), Robust 
  (+2 Health rating), Swift (+2 Move rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 8L, Grapple 9
  Automatic Grapple: As soon as a human 
  mounts a kelpie he sticks to its skin. Despite 
  the kelpie not using its limbs, this works as per 
  the grapple combat maneuver.
  Silver Reaction: Silver and silvered weap-
  ons inflict +1 damage against a kelpie in its 
  equine form. Slain by a silver weapon, a kelpie 
  dissolves into a pile of turf and soft flesh.
  Human
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Percep-
  tion 5, Initiative 5, Defense 6, Stun 4, Health 
  8, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 7, Brawl 7, Stealth 6, Survival 6
  Talents: Iron Jaw (+1 Stun rating), Robust 
  (+2 Health rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Gluttonous (+1 Style point whenever 
  his appetite causes him problems)
  Weapons: Bite 7L, Punch 7N
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  Kitsune
  Native to Japan, kitsune are foxes that 
  can change into human guise. Intelligent and 
  possessed of exceptionally long lives, kitsune 
  grow more powerful with age. One can tell a 
  kitsune from a normal fox because as it ma-
  tures it gains additional tails at the rate of one 
  per century. No kitsune has yet been seen with 
  more than nine tails, suggesting they live for 
  less than a millennium.
  The ability to shift shape is not innate, but 
  rather is learned upon the creature reaching 
  100 years old. Even in human form its super-
  natural origins can be detected, for its tail 
  never disappears. Although they are able to 
  understand human speech, they cannot con-
  verse while in animal form.
  Kitsune in folklore can be benevolent, act-
  ing as faithful friends or guardians, or cruel 
  tricksters seeking nothing but mischief and 
  chaos. Given this is Leagues of Gothic Horror, 
  the statistics below are for the latter.
  No statistics are provided for its human 
  form. A kitsune can appear as male or female 
  as it wishes and knows whatever skills are ap-
  propriate to its chosen disguise. They can even 
  duplicate specific individuals, a handy trick for 
  creatures that revel in causing problems for 
  mortals. Whatever age or gender their human 
  form takes, they should be created as an Ally 
  or Follower 1.
  Kitsune
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size –1, Move 5 (Run 
  10), Perception 8, Initiative 6, Defense 6, Stun 
  2, Health 6, Horror 2 (only if it has multiple 
  tails)
  Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 5, Empathy 6, Lin-
  guistics 5, Stealth 6**, Survival 5
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating), Ro-
  bust (+2 Health rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Trickster (+1 Style point whenever its 
  interference in the affairs of mortals causes 
  them serious problems)
  Weapons: Bite 5L
  ** +1 Size bonus to Stealth rolls
  Special Powers: Despite being a corporeal 
  being, the kitsune has special abilities more 
  common to apparitions. It has 6 Haunting 
  points for the purpose of using them. Its pow-
  ers are Ghost Light, Illusion, and Minor Pos-
  session.
  Pooka
  Also spelled púca, phouka, and phooka, the 
  pooka is a shapeshifting faerie native to Ireland, 
  Cornwall, and Wales. Like the kitsune, they can 
  
  Catalog of Fiends
  
  be creatures or good or bad fortune. They are 
  fixed in their temperament, however—a pooka 
  that opts to be wicked can never perform good 
  acts unless doing so would ultimately end very 
  badly for its victim.
  Those living near rural communities ex-
  pect a portion of the harvest to be left aside 
  for them. Failure to do so results in the pooka 
  plaguing the settlement throughout the entire 
  winter. Come early November, pookas despoil 
  wild fruits and berries by urinating on them or 
  rubbing them with their feces.
  On All Saints’ Day (1 November), pookas 
  are required to treat humans with civility, if not 
  respect. Those who fail to do so, or who can be 
  tricked into disrespecting a human, lose their 
  ability to change shape for the next year, leav-
  ing them as mundane animals with no gift for 
  speech. Knowing this, the creatures either stay 
  out of sight or go to great lengths to be polite.
  In terms of altering form, they can take the 
  shape of cats, dogs, goats, horses, or rabbits. 
  Whatever its shape and its temperament, their 
  fur or hair is always black. Unlike the kitsune, 
  they can converse with humans while in animal 
  form. Its human form always has one animal 
  feature, such as a rabbit’s ears or horse’s tail.
  When dealing with humans, malevolent 
  pooka often adopt the guise of a short, de-
  formed goblin. The statistics below represent 
  this form.
  Pooka
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size –1, Move 6, 
  Perception 5, Initiative 5, Defense 6, Stun 2, 
  Health 4, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 6, Intimidation 8, 
  Larceny 6, Stealth 6**
  Talents: Fearsome 2 (Can temporarily frighten 
  opponents)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Disfigured (+1 Style point whenever it 
  is rejected because of its appearance), Dwarf 
  (+1 Style point when its size causes it severe 
  difficulty)
  Weapons: Punch 6N
  * +1 Size bonus to Stealth rolls
  Rakshasa
  Found in folklore from Tibet to Japan and 
  northern China to the islands of Indonesia and 
  Malaysia, rakshasas are malevolent demons in 
  corporeal form. The female form is rakshasi. 
  In their natural guise, rakshasas are truly 
  monstrous. Their skin is as black as soot, their 
  eyes are ablaze with unholy red light, their hair 
  is living flame, their ugly faces are fixed in a 
  fierce state, two fangs hang down from their 
  upper jaw, while their fingernails are long and 
  sharp. 
  Possessed of a keen sense of smell, they 
  feast on all forms of flesh, caring naught for 
  whether their meal is a dumb animal or a sen-
  tient being. These unholy fiends can levitate, 
  and even vanish into thin air.
  Rakshasas are shapeshifters, able to assume 
  the guise of humans and mundane beasts, 
  though they cannot become the double of a 
  specific individual. They retain their Attributes, 
  save for Charisma. In human form, this can be 
  assigned from 1 to 5, as the creature desires. 
  However, each point above 1 costs it a Style 
  point, making it extremely difficult for them to 
  assume the form of truly beguiling individu-
  als. While in alternate guise, the demon has 
  no access to its Talents and displays no claws 
  (though it may have long fingernails). 
  They can switch between forms as a reflex-
  ive action, but may do so only once per combat 
  turn. The entry below is for their purely de-
  monic form.
  Rakshasa
  Follower 4
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 3
  Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 4, Will-
  power 5
  Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 8 (4)*, 
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  0
  Perception 9 (13), Initiative 7, Defense 6, Stun 
  4, Health 10, Horror 5
  Skills: Athletics 8, Intimidation 10, Linguistics 
  7, Stealth 7**, Survival 8
  Talents: Fearsome, Fearsome Attack (uses 
  Intimidation when attacking), Keen Sense (+4 
  smell-based Perception rating), Mentalism 
  (Cloaking)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Primitive (–2 penalty to use technologi-
  cal items)
  Weapons: Claws 10L
  * Can levitate at half its Move rate.
  ** –1 Size penalty on Stealth rolls.
  Venomous Talons: A rakshasa’s claws are 
  venomous. Anyone who suffers a wound must 
  make a Body x 2 roll (Difficulty 4) or suffer 2L 
  automatic damage.
  Mortals
  Magician
  Tales of magicians who can assume the form 
  of beasts are commonplace. Among the Navajo 
  they are called skin-walkers. In Mesoamerica 
  they are known as nahual. In Europe the abil-
  ity is attributed to witches and warlocks, while 
  in Central Asia it is the preserve of shamans.
  Whether they use their powers for good or 
  evil, they share one common factor—their abil-
  ity to alter form is down to a magical ritual.
  The Skills below should be altered as 
  necessary to fit the magician’s culture and/or 
  tradition. For instance, shamans frequently 
  use drums, song, or dance as part of their ritu-
  als. Investigation should thus be swapped for 
  Performance.
  Magician
  Ally 2
  Archetype: Occultist; Motivation: Varies; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 3, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 6, Initiative 5, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  5, Sanity 6
  Skills: Academics: Occult 6, Athletics 4, In-
  timidation 6, Investigation 5, Magic: Pick one 
  tradition 8
  Talents: Magical aptitude (Can cast rituals)
  Resources: Status 1 (Magician; +2 Social 
  bonus)
  Rituals: Form of the Beast plus four others 
  based on the magician’s tradition and culture.
  Flaws: Inscrutable (+1 Style point whenever 
  he is misunderstood or his mysterious motives 
  cause trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Wolf Hunter
  In some European countries the wolf has 
  already been hunted to extinction. In others, 
  huntsmen must keep the population in check 
  and destroy any wolves preying on livestock, 
  or worse, people.
  Rugged and independent, the wolf hunter 
  knows the land well and is more than capable 
  of acting as a guide and helping organize expedi-
  tions. Whether or not they accept the existence of 
  werewolves or not, they will gladly accept money 
  to lead interested parties into the wilderness.
  Wolf Hunter
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Big Game Hunter; Motivation: 
  Duty; Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  4, Sanity 4
  Skills: Athletics 4, Expeditions 4, Firearms 4, 
  Stealth 4, Survival 4
  Talents: Long Shot (Doubles weapon range)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Independent (+1 Style point whenever 
  his insistence on doing things on his own or 
  rejection of help causes him trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Rifle 7L
                 
  
  “Even a man who is pure in heart and says 
  his prayers by night, may become a wolf when 
  the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is 
  bright.” —The Wolfman (1941)
  This chapter details a number of unique 
  and villainous shapeshifters for Gamemasters 
  to use in their campaigns or as the basis for 
  their own creations.
  Note that while the major sample characters 
  were created as per the rules for generating 
  player characters, they have Rank, Refuge, and 
  Status Resources at whatever level was deemed 
  appropriate. These do not count toward their 
  maximum number of Talents/Resources as de-
  termined by their Patron level.
  Shapeshifting  
  Villains
  Shapeshifters are more insidious than 
  vampires. Both can appear as ordinary people 
  and live amid a society that would otherwise 
  be terrified to know of their existence, but 
  whereas vampires are condemned to haunt 
  the night, many shapeshifters are free to walk 
  abroad during the day. Some may do this only 
  in their human guise, but many are free to alter 
  form as and when they wish. Any adventure 
  involving a shapeshifter can thus comprise two 
  entirely separate but related hunts—one for 
  the merciless beast plaguing the land and one 
  for its human guise.
  Hunting a werebeast can be a frustrating 
  and time-consuming experience. A beast that 
  changes at will is likely to hunt often, but a 
  werewolf tied to the full moon is active only 
  three nights in every 28 to 30 days. By the time 
  the globetrotters catch wind of suspicious 
  deaths and travel to the location they may 
  have only a day, if any time at all, to investi-
  gate before the inner beast goes into hiding 
  for another month. Few clues that allow the 
  globetrotters to track down the werebeast’s 
  human form may exist, forcing them to hang 
  around and wait for the next full moon before 
  beginning the hunt proper.
  Another interesting factor concerning 
  werebeasts, at least from the Gamemaster’s 
  viewpoint, is that the villain could be abso-
  lutely anybody. The kindly vicar who serves 
  the old ladies in his congregation tea and cake 
  every Sunday after services. The innkeeper 
  who knows every piece of juicy gossip in the 
  village. The old war veteran who sits on the 
  street corner begging for charity. Even the in-
  nocent looking young lass who works in the 
  postal office. Any one of them might conceal a 
  deep and dark secret.
  The Gamemaster need pay little attention 
  to the bestial side of the villain—in most cases 
  it is nothing more than a killing machine. In 
  instances where it is not, it is closely tied to the 
  villain’s human Motivation. The villain’s hu-
  man side, however, deserves much attention. 
  This is equally true for those who know of and 
  embrace their dual nature and those who are 
  ignorant of their darker side. 
  Chapter the Sixth: 
  Princes of  
  Darkness
  1
                                      
                   
  
                                     
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  The former will seek to deflect any inves-
  tigation away from himself. More importantly, 
  his bestial side will be fully aware of the char-
  acters’ existence. While not truly intelligent, it 
  is smart enough to plan ambushes.
  In the latter case, ignorance means clever 
  player tricks like using Mentalism to probe his 
  mind will reveal nothing. Being unaware that 
  he prowls the land by night, he might even 
  end up helping the globetrotters track down 
  his psychotic alter ego.
  One tried-and-tested trick found in shape-
  shifter adventures is to have a friend or ally 
  of the heroes turn out to be the true villain. 
  Unless you want the globetrotters to become 
  paranoid, or worse, start shooting everyone 
  who crosses their path “just in case,” use this 
  sparingly. Similarly, unless you plan to replace 
  an ally, Follower, or Patron, do not have a 
  character’s Resource turn out to be a monster 
  that must be slain.
  Investigation may well be vital in tracking 
  down the beast, but there is really only one 
  conclusion to the adventure—violence. Even 
  the weakest werecreature is a threat to a single 
  globetrotter, and many are more than capable 
  of taking on an entire party, especially if the 
  heroes are unprepared.
  In order to prevent a massacre early on, 
  or worse, have the beast slain and the adven-
  ture end in an undramatic fashion, the villain 
  should make only scant appearances until the 
  final showdown. Hit-and-run tactics should be 
  the normal until the climax, when the Game-
  master should stop pulling his punches and 
  unleash the full ferocity of the creature—to do 
  otherwise is to give the players a cheap victory 
  they will soon forget.
  Remember as well that many werecreatures 
  revert to human form on death. Leagues of 
  Gothic Horror is not typical fantasy roleplay-
  ing, and actions have consequences. Being 
  found over a naked corpse is going to raise a 
  lot of questions with the authorities. Even if 
  they believe in the existence of werewolves, 
  that doesn’t mean they want such knowledge 
  being known to the masses. Even after it has 
  been slain, the specter of the villain may con-
  tinue to cause the globetrotters serious social 
  and legal problems.
  Agatha MacInnes
  Women do most delight in revenge. —Sir 
  Thomas Browne, Christian Morals
  The annals of British history are full of 
  families who have lost their ancestral lands. 
  Some were sold to pay off gambling debts or 
  death tax, or lost in games of chance. Others 
  were stripped as a sign of displeasure by the 
  monarch or captured in war.
  The MacInnes family lost their estate in 
  1745, at the end of the Jacobite Risings. Ac-
  cused of being fervent supporters of the Stuart 
  cause by the English Davenport family, they 
  were thrown out of their ancestral manor by 
  King George II. To make matters worth, the 
  estate was gifted to the Davenports.
  Enraged by his calculated fall from grace, 
  the then head of the family, Fearghas MacInnes, 
  turned to a local witch for help. Blinded by 
  anger, he hastily agreed to a dark and terrible 
  pact. As the next full moon rose, Fearghas be-
  came a werewolf. His vengeance was swift and 
  bloody, but only partially successful. While he 
  managed to slay several male Davenports, he 
  in turn was killed by a silver bullet before he 
  could fully extinguish the male line.
  While the MacInnes family fell further into 
  poverty, the fable of the “MacInnes werewolf” 
  first entered local folklore and then followed 
  them into obscurity. Despite the witch’s prom-
  ise that vengeance would be theirs, the family 
  produced no more lycanthropes.
  The MacInnes family was cursed with he-
  reditary lycanthropy, but following Fearghas’ 
  death it passed to the female descendants. Un-
  til the birth of Agatha MacInnes, the bloodline 
  had produced only males and the bestial fury 
  had lain dormant. Despite over a century pass-
  ing, the MacInnes family never lost their desire 
  to avenge their ancestors and reclaim their 
  lands, and every child was raised knowing the 
  treachery of the accursed Davenports.
  Agatha came to the village of the Davenport 
  estate a year ago, ostensibly to soak in the atmo-
  sphere of the wild Highlands while she worked 
  on her next novel. Outgoing and lively, she 
  quickly became something of a minor celebrity. 
  
  Princes of Darkness
  
  Attractive and witty, she soon came to the atten-
  tion of Duncan Davenport, the current lord of 
  the manor, and the pair began courting. Duncan 
  remains unaware of her true heritage, for she 
  uses her mother’s maiden name, MacLellan.
  Agatha has no love for her suitor. Revenge 
  burns like a flame in her heart and soul, but she 
  has held her inner beast in check. A swift death 
  would be too good for the Davenports—they 
  must be made to suffer before the final blow 
  is delivered.
  In her hybrid form, Agatha has slaughtered 
  many sheep and a few of the Davenport retain-
  ers, but she has, as yet, made no direct moves 
  against the family. That is soon to change. Dun-
  can’s younger sister, Emily, is soon to be wed, 
  but before that happy day dawns Agatha intends 
  to rip the girl apart in most brutal fashion before 
  turning her anger on the rest of the family.
  Agatha MacInnes 
  Patron 2
  Archetype: 
  Artist; 
  Motivation: 
  Revenge; 
  Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 3, Intelligence 4, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 10, Initiative 6, Defense 5, Stun 3, Health 
  7, Horror —
  Skills: Academics: Literature 6, Art: Writing 7, 
  Athletics 5, Con 6, Diplomacy 6, Empathy 6, 
  Linguistics 5, Performance 6
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating), 
  High Pain Tolerance (Reduced penalties for 
  wounds), Light Sleeper (Needs half as much 
  sleep as normal)
  Resources: Fame 0 (Writer; +1 Social bonus), 
  Refuge: Size 0 (Small cottage)
  Flaws: Secret (+1 Style point whenever she is 
  confronted with the truth or goes out of her 
  way to protect the secret)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Werewolf Form
  Patron 4
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Revenge; 
  Style: 4
  Primary Attributes: Body 6, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 5, Charisma 1, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 5
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 9 (Run 
  18)*, Perception 8, Initiative 7, Defense 10, 
  Stun 6, Health 11, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 10, Brawl 10, Empathy 8, In-
  timidation 8, Stealth 9, Survival 8
  Talents: Combat Aptitude (Can swap attack 
  and defense dice), Fearsome 2 (Can tempo-
  rarily frighten opponents), Flurry (Can attack 
  same opponent twice at –2 penalty)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use 
  tools)
  Weapons: Bite 10L, Claw 10L
  * Doubles its Move if it runs on all fours
  Regenerate: Werewolves have amazing 
  powers of regeneration. Werewolves treat all 
  damage inflicted by non-silver weapons as 
  nonlethal (even caustic damage). Only silver 
  
                                 
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  inflicts lethal damage. At the end of each 
  round, a werewolf makes a Body roll. Each 
  success heals one point of nonlethal damage.
   A werewolf can never heal lethal damage 
  through this ability—it must heal those injuries 
  naturally. Werewolves knocked unconscious by 
  damage recover immediately if their regenera-
  tion brings them to 0 Health or higher. Note 
  that a werewolf that regenerates to exactly 0 
  Health is Exhausted.
  Jethro Mahoney
  Alone, alone, all, all alone,
  Alone on a wide wide sea!
  And never a saint took pity on
  My soul in agony. 
  —Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rhyme of 
  the Ancient Mariner
  A hard drinking merchant seaman, Jethro 
  Mahoney has a short fuse and hard fists. Vio-
  lence has always been his preferred solution 
  to any problem. Violence is also the reason he 
  is a wereshark.
  While his ship was in the Cook Islands de-
  livering supplies to the British military garrison, 
  Mahoney went on shore leave. After a few too 
  many drinks he turned his attention to a native 
  girl. Rebuffed for being a foul-smelling, ugly for-
  eigner, Mahoney immediately saw red. Not satis-
  fied with a hard slap, he launched a savage and 
  prolonged assault on the girl with his bare fists.
  In her last moments of life the girl tore off 
  her shark tooth necklace and sliced Mahoney’s 
  hand. As the reign of blows brought the 
  painless embrace of eternal darkness, she 
  vehemently cursed her assailant, vowing that 
  violence would haunt him until the end of 
  his days. The last thing she saw was Mahoney 
  laughing in her battered and bloodied face.
  Thinking nothing of the girl’s final words, 
  and lacking any conscience over his crime, 
  Mahoney returned to his ship and departed. 
  The first hint that something was amiss was the 
  wound on his hand. Instead of fresh skin, there 
  was the rough placoid scales found in sharks. 
  Within a week his entire hand was covered.
  It was several more weeks before he un-
  derwent a hideous transformation. Involved 
  in a back alley brawl with a pair of sailors, 
  Mahoney’s flesh and bones warped into the 
  terrifying form of a man-shark. Within seconds, 
  the two mariners were nothing more than 
  bloody ribbons of partially eaten flesh. Many 
  werebeasts are at least blessed with the oblivi-
  on of ignorance of their bestial nature, but not 
  Mahoney—he remembered everything.
  Due to the nature of his curse, Mahoney 
  transforms whenever he gets exceptionally 
  angry or is physically assaulted, rather than 
  being tied to the lunar cycle. He has tried his 
  best to curb his temper, but the curse fuels his 
  inherent anger. 
  Each transformation brings him closer to 
  becoming a permanent half-man half-shark. 
  Much of his skin is rough, his teeth are point-
  ed, and he can hold his breath for extended 
  periods. Sooner or later, the dark side of his 
  personality will adopt the hybrid as its natural 
  
                                            
  Princes of Darkness
  
  form. Unlike most weresharks, he is suscep-
  tible to normal weapons.
  Mahoney still works as a sailor, though he 
  changes ship and his name regularly in the vain 
  hope of escaping the trail of devastation he 
  leaves in his wake whenever he visits a port. 
  Jethro Mahoney
  Patron 1
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Percep-
  tion 5, Initiative 4, Defense 5, Stun 3, Health 
  6, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 5, Gambling 5, Lin-
  guistics 4, Melee 5, Pilot: Nautical 4, Survival 4
  Talents: Knockout Blow (+1 bonus to stun 
  opponent), Weather Sense (Knows what the 
  weather will be)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Belligerent (+1 Style point whenever 
  his aggressive attitude causes trouble for him 
  or his comrades), Disfigured (+1 Style point 
  whenever he is rejected because of his appear-
  ance), Short Temper (+1 Style point whenever 
  his short temper causes trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 6N, Dagger 6L
  Wereshark Form
  Patron 3
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 3
  Primary Attributes: Body 7, Dexterity 3, Strength 
  6, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 5
  Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 9 (Swim 
  18), Perception 5 (9), Initiative 3, Defense 9, 
  Stun 7, Health 13, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 11, Brawl 11, Intimidation 5, 
  Stealth 7*, Survival 5
  Talents: Keen Sense (+4 smell-based Percep-
  tion rating), Slow Regeneration (Body x 2 roll 
  each day to heal damage), Supernatural Fury 
  (Receives two attack actions per round), Vigor-
  ous Defense (Can be attacked twice in the same 
  combat turn without any Defense penalty)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 12L
  * –1 Size penalty to Stealth rolls
  Lady Penelope Blakely
  Believe a woman or an epitaph,
  Or any other thing that’s false. 
  —Lord Byron, English Bards and Scotch 
  Reviewers
  The youngest daughter of a minor noble-
  man and explorer, Lady Penelope dreamed 
  of becoming a globetrotter and exploring the 
  world. Her dreams were crushed by a child-
  hood illness that left her with a frail constitu-
  tion and an over-protective mother.
  Confined to her bed for much of her youth, 
  Lady Penelope spent her formative years 
  reading, acquiring knowledge in a number 
  of fields. Later, she thrilled at the exploits of 
  globetrotters reported in newspapers and in 
  reports brought to her by her father. Unable 
  to travel, she turned her focus to art, using 
  her imagination to capture and immortalize 
  globetrotters’ heroic deeds. Such was her skill 
  that globetrotters regularly commission her to 
  paint their exploits.
  Polite, demure, well-educated, refined, and 
  talented, Lady Penelope would make an ideal 
  love interest for a gentleman of suitable stand-
  ing (such as a player character). Unfortunately, 
  she has a secret, darker side.
  Many years ago, her father was exploring 
  the wilds of Mesoamerica. Caring little for 
  the superstitious beliefs of the natives, Lord 
  Blakely stole a sacred gem from one of their 
  temples. His crime was made worse by his 
  murdering the high priest, who tried to stop 
  the sacrilegious theft. With his dying breath the 
  priest uttered a terrible curse. The explorer 
  would have ignored it even if he could have 
  understood the words, for he placed no faith 
  in mumbo-jumbo primitive religions.
  On his return to England the gem was made 
  into a necklace, a present for Lady Penelope. 
  All was well until just after her 16th birthday. 
  On the next anniversary of the priest’s death, 
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  when the young aristocrat fell asleep, she 
  transformed into a pantherwoman.
  In this altered state she avenged the priests’ 
  demise by mauling her father to death as he 
  walked the grounds of their estate, though the 
  incident was blamed on an escaped lunatic. 
  Lady Penelope has no memory of this, nor any 
  of the other deaths she has been responsible 
  for since, for come dawn she returned to her 
  human form, blissfully unaware of what had 
  transpired. Although she feels exhausted the 
  day after her transformations, she puts the 
  malaise down to her recurring illness.
  Now aged 20, the curse is manifesting more 
  frequently. Currently she transforms only on 
  the night of the full moon, but as time passes 
  this will extend to the other phases of the 
  moon, until eventually she will change form 
  every single night.
  The pantherwoman is a relentless hunter, 
  but she does not kill for sport. Her targets are 
  globetrotters who have defiled the treasures 
  and people of Mesoamerica, the identities of 
  whom she draws from Lady Penelope’s dor-
  mant mind. Much of the time she does noth-
  ing but prowl the streets of London (where 
  she currently lives), a sleek and shadowy form 
  in the night. When she finds suitable prey, 
  though, her vengeance is swift and bloody.
  Note to Gamemasters: Ending the pan-
  therwoman’s reign of terror can be achieved 
  simply by killing her. She will transform back 
  into the form of Lady Penelope, however, leav-
  ing the globetrotters to explain why they mur-
  dered a young woman. In order to save Lady 
  Penelope, the gem must first be identified as 
  the cause of her problem, and then returned 
  to the remote temple from where it was stolen. 
  Destroying the stone dooms Lady Penelope!
  Lady Penelope Blakely
  Patron 1
  Archetype: Aristocrat Artist; Motivation: 
  Escape; Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 3, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Percep-
  tion 6, Initiative 6, Defense 4, Stun 1, Health 
  4, Sanity 6
  Skills: Academics 5, Art: Painting 6, Connois-
  seur 5, Diplomacy 4, Empathy 5, Linguistics 5, 
  Performance 5, Ride 4
  Talents: Well-Educated (Treats Academics as a 
  general Skill)
  Resources: Refuge: Equipment 0 (Artist’s 
  studio; +1 bonus), Status 0 (Lady; +2 Social 
  bonus)
  Flaws: Sickly (–2 penalty on all rolls when 
  feeling ill; +1 Style point whenever she suffers 
  from her illness)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Pantherwoman Form
  Patron 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 2
  
                                        
  Princes of Darkness
  
  Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 5, 
  Strength 4, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 9 (Run 
  18)*, Perception 4, Initiative 6, Defense 9, Stun 
  4, Health 7, Horror 4
  Skills: Acrobatics 8, Athletics 8 (Climbing 9), 
  Brawl 8, Stealth 8 (Sneaking 9), Survival 6
  Talents: Dodge (Perform Dodge as reflexive 
  action), Flurry (May attack same opponent 
  twice at –2), Mobile Attack (Move and attack 
  simultaneously)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Claw 8L
  * Doubles its Move if it runs on all fours
  The Leopard Society
  I have no doubt that every form of canni-
  balism, excepting at most those which happen 
  in times of extreme hunger and whose only 
  purpose is to secure survival, has a pathologi-
  cal, perverse background. 
  —Friedemann Pfafflin
  Not to be confused with the anti-colonial 
  Leopard Warriors (see Leagues of Adventure), 
  with which they share many similarities and 
  sometimes membership, the Leopard Society 
  (also known as Anyoto Aniota) is a West African 
  secret society. Like their namesake, members 
  dress in the skins of leopards and wear claw-
  like weapons on their hands.
  The Leopard Society as a whole has little 
  interest in the fight against foreigners. In their 
  leopard guise, members murder innocent 
  travellers and then dine on their flesh. Despite 
  the predilection for cannibalism and dress-
  ing as animals, only a small few members are 
  actual wereleopards. In every instance, they 
  are hereditary beasts who form the core of a 
  particular cell.
  Cannibalism is not a survival trait among 
  the Leopard Society. Rather, the perverse cult 
  believes that eating flesh grants superhuman 
  powers not only to the eater, but to his entire 
  family as well. They are not alone in their be-
  liefs, nor in the animistic adoption of animal 
  clothing to release their inner demons. West 
  Africa is also home to the Crocodile Society. As 
  one might guess, its membership includes a 
  number of werecrocodiles.
  The European powers know of the Leopard 
  Society only as a myth, something to scare away 
  the White Man. As far as they are concerned, 
  the badly mauled and partially eaten remains 
  of corpses are victims of ordinary leopards. A 
  few missionaries and hunters know the truth, 
  but they are wise enough to keep their mouths 
  shut rather than risk becoming prey for the 
  Leopard Society.
  Nkruma Oyenusi
  Born the ninth child, Nkruma was the only 
  one of his siblings to inherit his father’s werele-
  opard heritage. He was never the strongest or 
  fastest boy in his village, but he became feared 
  at a young age, for the dark spirits spoke to 
  him in his dreams and channeled their potent 
  powers through him.
  Nkruma was initiated into the Leopard 
  Society by his father shortly after his ability 
  to change form manifested. It was also at this 
  time that he became a true practitioner of black 
  magic. His father, the local Society leader, sur-
  vived only until the end of the year.
  While other members treat the Society as a 
  form of religion, Nkruma craved only power, 
  and he could not do that while his father lived. 
  Throwing his father’s mutilated body in front 
  of the tribe, Nkruma gnawed on his still-warm 
  heart while the tribesmen and women bowed 
  before him, accepting him as the new leader of 
  the Leopard Society. Several others saw them-
  selves as the rightful inheritor of the title, but 
  none dared challenge Nkruma—he had eaten 
  his father’s flesh and thus gained the man’s 
  potent strength.
  Nkruma is both feared and respected by his 
  tribe. Treated with respect and suitably recom-
  pensed, he gladly manufactures fetishes for his 
  kinsmen. Pay him enough and he will strike a 
  foe down dead without hesitation. Everyone 
  in his tribe knows he is an important member 
  of the Leopard Society, for they share in the 
  bounty of his kills. Only a small few realize he 
  is a true wereleopard.
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  The dark spirits have recently whispered 
  knowledge of a terrible ritual to the black ma-
  gician. Each month, he must kill a White Man 
  under the new moon. He must only eat the 
  flesh of the first victim, the liver of the second, 
  the lungs of the third, the brain of the fourth, 
  and the heart of the fifth. This done, the spirits 
  will grant him immortality.
  Nkruma has no idea if the ritual will work 
  or not, but he intends to devote himself to the 
  cause. If all goes well, he has plans not just for 
  his tribe and the Leopard Society, but for the 
  whole of West Africa.
  Patron 1
  Archetype: Occultist; Motivation: Power; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 3, Intelligence 4, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 6, Initiative 5, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  5, Horror —
  Skills: Academics: Occult 5, Athletics 4, Brawl 
  4, Intimidation 6, Magic: Black Magic 7, Per-
  formance 5
  Talents: Magical Aptitude (Can cast rituals)
  Resources: Artifact 1 (Totem Bag; functions 
  like a Magician’s Wand)*, Status 1 (Shaman; 
  +2 Social bonus), Status 3 (Leopard Society; 
  +4 Social bonus)
  Rituals: Beast Speech, Control Animal, Fear, 
  Harm, Spirit Binding
  Flaws: Secret (+1 Style point whenever he is 
  confronted with the truth or goes out of his 
  way to protect his secret)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Leopard Claw 4L
  * Bonus Resource from Status
  Wereleopard Form
  Patron 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 3
  Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7 (Run 
  14)*, Perception 6, Initiative 6, Defense 8, Stun 
  4, Health 8, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Stealth 11, Survival 7
  Talents: Flurry (May attack same opponent 
  twice at –2 penalty), Skill Aptitude (+2 Stealth 
  rating), Subtle Strike (Uses Stealth in place of 
  Brawl for ambushes)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 8L, Claw 8L
  * Doubles its Move if it runs on all fours
  Typical Member
  The Leopard Society places only one re-
  striction on its members—they must be male. 
  Beyond that, they can come from any walk of 
  life and any tribe.
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Faith; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  
                              
  Princes of Darkness
  
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  4, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Intimidation 4, 
  Stealth 4, Survival 4
  Talents: None
  Resources: Rank 1 (Leopard Society; +2 So-
  cial bonus)
  Flaws: Secret (+1 Style point whenever he is 
  confronted with the truth or goes out of his 
  way to protect his secret)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Leopard Claw 4L
  The Noble Society 
  of Saint Hubert
  The mischief [the wolf] causes by his hunt-
  ing might be borne, though it is considerable, 
  if he were not impelled by his wild hunting 
  zeal and indomitable thirst for blood to slay 
  more than he needs for his sustenance —Al-
  fred Brehm, Brehm’s Life of Animals
  Where once Europeans hunted solely for 
  food, some now hunt for sport. Fox hunting, 
  commonly associated with the lord of the 
  manor and his retinue, is popular in England.
  To hear of it in high society circles, the Noble 
  Society of Saint Hubert is an exclusive hunting 
  society for upper-class and aristocratic men and 
  women. The saint after whom it is named is 
  the patron saint of huntsmen and dogs, among 
  other things. Globetrotters with an interest in 
  hagiography may also know him as the patron 
  saint of protection from werewolves.
  Outwardly, the Society has all the trappings 
  of a conventional hunting club—horses, hounds, 
  the correct dress. From November to May, they 
  gather in their finery before beginning the hunt.
  It is after dark, on nights when the moon is 
  fat and bright, that the true nature of the hunt 
  shows its face, for within its ranks are six he-
  reditary werewolves. One might suspect that it 
  is the aristocratic leaders of the Society, known 
  as Huntsmen, who are the werewolves. In fact, 
  it is a small circle of their retainers, who form 
  part of the lower tier—the Hounds.  They refer 
  to themselves as the True Lords of the Hunt. 
  Their masters, being dim-witted upper-class 
  twits for the most part, are utterly ignorant of 
  the terrible secret within their ranks.
  Once a year, the Society gathers for a grand 
  hunt. At this time, all six werewolves operate 
  together as a pack. On other nights of the full 
  moon, each prowls the night alone, hunting 
  their favored prey—humans.
  Arthur Malvern
  One of the True Lords of the Hunt, lycan-
  thropy has flowed in the blood of the Malvern 
  family since before William the Conqueror 
  landed in England. For the past 200 years they 
  have faithfully served the Reade family, baronets 
  of Brocket Hall. Malvern serves the incumbent 
  baronet, Sir Percival Reade, as gamekeeper and 
  master of the hounds.
  Although quietly spoken and not much 
  for conversation, especially with those society 
  
                       
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  0
  considers his betters, Malvern is a fanatic. He 
  fervently believes that the infirm and weak 
  must be culled from society to ensure it re-
  mains strong and vibrant, as must those who 
  threaten the rightful order of things.
  Ally 3
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Faith; 
  Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 3, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Percep-
  tion 6, Initiative 6, Defense 6, Stun 3, Health 
  6, Horror —
  Skills: Animal Handling 6, Athletics 6, Brawl 6, 
  Firearms 6, Ride 6, Stealth 7, Survival 6
  Talents: Long Shot (Doubles weapon ranges), 
  Skill Aptitude (+2 Stealth rating), Weather 
  Sense (Knows what the weather will be)
  Resources: Rank 1 (Noble Society of Saint Hu-
  bert; +2 Social bonus), Refuge: Size 0 (Small 
  cottage)
  Flaws: Aloof (+1 Style point whenever his 
  business-like attitude causes him trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 6N, Shotgun 10L
  Werewolf Form
  Ally 5
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 3
  Primary Attributes: Body 6, Dexterity 5, 
  Strength 6, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 11 (Run 
  22)*, Perception 8, Initiative 9, Defense 11, 
  Stun 6, Health 10, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 11, Brawl 11, Focus 9, Intimi-
  dation 6, Stealth 10, Survival 7
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating), 
  Flurry 2 (May attack same opponent twice at 
  no penalty), Mobile Attack (May attack without 
  stopping his movement), Quick Reflexes (+2 
  Initiative rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 11L, Claw 11L
  * Doubles its Move if it runs on all fours.
  Regenerate: Werewolves have amazing 
  powers of regeneration. Werewolves treat all 
  damage inflicted by non-silver weapons as 
  nonlethal (even caustic damage). Only silver 
  inflicts lethal damage. At the end of each 
  round, a werewolf makes a Body roll. Each 
  success heals one point of nonlethal damage.
   A werewolf can never heal lethal damage 
  through this ability—it must heal those injuries 
  naturally. Werewolves knocked unconscious by 
  damage recover immediately if their regenera-
  tion brings them to 0 Health or higher. Note 
  that a werewolf that regenerates to exactly 0 
  Health is Exhausted.
  Typical Member
  The typical members of the Noble Society 
  are the noble masters of the werewolves and 
  other retainers. They are rich, generally idle, 
  and have little interest in higher pursuits such 
  as the Arts. In an adventure, they likely serve as 
  a red herring, distracting the globetrotters away 
  from the hidden evil within the Society’s ranks.
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Aristocrat; Motivation: Duty; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  4, Sanity 4
  Skills: Athletics 4, Diplomacy 4, Firearms 4, 
  Gambling 4, Ride 4
  Talents: None
  Resources: Rank 1 (Noble Order of St Hubert; 
  +2 Social bonus), Status 1 (Minor title; +2 
  Social bonus)
  Flaws: None (+1 Style point whenever)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Nkulumane 
  An army of sheep led by a lion is better 
  than an army of lions led by a sheep. —At-
  tributed to Alexander the Great
  The eldest son of a Zulu chieftain, Nkulu-
  mane was destined to hold power. His tribe 
  rose to prominence as loyal supporters of Shaka 
  
  Princes of Darkness
  1
  during the formative years of the Zulu Kingdom. 
  In 1879, they sided with King Cetshwayo, half-
  nephew of Shaka, against the British. It was a de-
  cision that would change Nkulumane’s destiny.
  Although the war began well for the Zulus 
  with the destruction of the British column at 
  Isandlwana, they were ultimately defeated by 
  superior firepower at the Battle of Ulundi. 
  Nkulumane, a young man at the time, fought 
  with bravery and honor, but he could do noth-
  ing to stop the British abolishing the position 
  of king with chieftains loyal to the invaders.
  Angered and ashamed, Nkulumane and his 
  surviving warriors fled to neighboring Mata-
  beleland, a land inhabited by Ndebele Zulus 
  driven out by Shaka decades earlier. Making 
  their peace with King Lobengula, they were 
  offered new lands to call their own.
  Although not hunting Nkulumane and 
  other renegade Zulus, the British were soon 
  on his trail. The discovery of gold has excited 
  the colonial superpower, and, despite Nkulu-
  mane’s protests at what would follow, the king 
  had granted mineral rights in return for money 
  and modern weapons.
  In 1890, the British South Africa Company 
  under Cecil Rhodes sent settlers into nearby 
  Mashonaland. A year later, Rhodes claimed 
  both Mashonland and Matabeleland as British 
  protectorates without bothering to ask the na-
  tives’ opinion. When the Ndebele raided their 
  native neighbors in 1893, Rhodes saw the op-
  portunity for a full-scale land grab. Thus began 
  the First Matabele War.
  Incensed by the continued arrogance of the 
  British, Nkulumane flew into a righteous rage. 
  The intense outburst of pent up emotion awak-
  ened his inner beast, transforming the young 
  chieftain into a majestic and terrifying werelion. 
  Rather than being afraid, his people saw this as 
  a great sign, believing that Nkulumane would 
  lead them to victory against the hated British.
  Now known as the Lion of Matabeleland, 
  Nkulumane’s hands and paws are stained 
  with the blood of British soldiers. So far, the 
  British have no idea Nkulumane is leading a 
  guerilla war against them. His brutal attacks 
  in hybrid form have convinced them that the 
  natives have started using trained lions in their 
  attacks. Any lion they encounter is now auto-
  matically shot on sight, another travesty that 
  fuels the chieftain’s desire to see his country 
  wiped clean of the British taint.
  Nkulumane 
  Patron 2
  Archetype: Aristocrat; Motivation: Preserva-
  tion; Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 3, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Percep-
  tion 6, Initiative 6, Defense 7, Stun 4, Health 
  7, Horror —
  Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 6, Diplomacy 6, Expe-
  ditions 5, Melee 6, Stealth 5, Survival 5
  Talents: Combat Aptitude (Can swap attack 
  and defense dice), Flurry (Can attack opponent 
  
                            
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  twice at –2 penalty), Inspire (Grant +2 bonus 
  to allies within 10 feet as an attack action)
  Resources: Contacts 1 (Zulu nation; +2 bonus)*, 
  Status 2 (Zulu chieftain; +2 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Intolerant: British (+1 Style point when-
  ever his intolerance causes trouble or he con-
  vinces someone else to detest the same thing)
  Weapons: Punch 6N, Spear 9L
  * Bonus Resource from his Status
  Werelion Form
  Patron 4
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Preserva-
  tion; Style: 4
  Primary Attributes: Body 7, Dexterity 5, 
  Strength 6, Charisma 2, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 11 (Run 
  22)*, Perception 4, Initiative 6, Defense 12, 
  Stun 7, Health 10, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 11, Brawl 11, Focus 8, Intimi-
  dation 7, Stealth 10, Survival 6
  Talents: Call of the Wild (Can summon lions), 
  Chilling Roar (Can drive listeners insane), In-
  spire (Grant +2 bonus to allies within 10 feet 
  as an attack action), Slow Regeneration (Body 
  x 2 roll each day to heal damage)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use 
  tools)
  Weapons: Bite 11L, Claw 11L
  * Doubles its Move if it runs on all fours
  Peter Stumpp
  “It never troubles the wolf how many the 
  sheep may be.” —Virgil
  Peter Stumpp died in 1589. His death was 
  far from pleasant. Put on the wheel, his flesh 
  was torn from his body, arms, and legs with 
  red-hot pincers, his limbs were broken, he was 
  beheaded, and finally he was burned and his 
  ashes scattered to the four winds.
  This unusual and excessive punishment was 
  not done without good cause—Stumpp had 
  confessed to being a werewolf and had con-
  sumed dozens of men, women, and children 
  (including his own son) over a 25-year period. 
  Stumpp had claimed that he transformed into 
  a wolf by means of a magical belt. No belt was 
  ever found among his possessions, however.
  Stumpp was lying to his torturers, for his 
  power lay not in a belt but in a wolfskin cloak. 
  Immune to the ravages of time, the cloak lay 
  forgotten for 300 years, until it was discovered 
  by a scholar in 1890. Upon deducing it once 
  belonged to Stumpp, the scholar donned the 
  cloak and began to prowl about on all fours 
  and howl in mimicry of a wolf. It was a joke that 
  backfired, for at that moment the soul of Peter 
  Stumpp was unleashed from Hell. Stumpp’s 
  unholy spirit, one of Satan’s most prized pos-
  sessions, possessed the scholar, transforming 
  his flesh into a true werewolf.
  The scholar has no clue that he is possessed 
  
                                       
  Princes of Darkness
  
  by the spirit of a psychotic killer. Each night of 
  the full moon, Stumpp’s soul, dormant for the 
  rest of the month, seizes control and goes on a 
  bloody rampage. 
  Killing the scholar (whose details are left 
  for the Gamemaster to design to suit the needs 
  of his campaign) in human or wolf form will 
  end the immediate threat, but it will not de-
  stroy Stumpp—the infernal spirit will simply 
  retreat to the cloak to await a new victim. 
  Stumpp cannot be returned to Hell or driv-
  en out of his host by the Banish Spirit ritual 
  or Exorcise Talent. The only way to send him 
  to Hell for eternity is to find his cloak, pierce 
  it with shafts of pure silver, and consign it to 
  a pyre. Stumpp cannot pass on the curse of 
  lycanthropy.
  Peter Stumpp
  Patron 3
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 3
  Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 6, Charisma 0, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 10 (Run 
  20)*, Perception 8, Initiative 8, Defense 9, Stun 
  5, Health 9, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 11, Brawl 11, Stealth 11, Sur-
  vival 10
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating), 
  Dodge (Perform Dodge as reflexive action), 
  Flurry (May make two attacks at –2 to each at-
  tempt), Quick Reflexes (+2 Initiative rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 11L, Claws 12L
  * Doubles its Move if it runs on all fours.
  Regenerate: Werewolves have amazing 
  powers of regeneration. Werewolves treat all 
  damage inflicted by non-silver weapons as 
  nonlethal (even caustic damage). Only silver 
  inflicts lethal damage. 
  At the end of each round, a werewolf makes 
  a Body roll. Each success heals one point of 
  nonlethal damage. A werewolf can never heal 
  lethal damage through this ability—it must heal 
  those injuries naturally. Werewolves knocked 
  unconscious by damage recover immediately if 
  their regeneration brings them to 0 Health or 
  higher. Note that a werewolf that regenerates 
  to exactly 0 Health is Exhausted.
  Rawal Singh, Raja
  “Even after killing ninety nine tigers the 
  Maharaja should beware of the hundredth.” 
  —Kalki Krishnamurthy, The Tiger King
  Rawal Singh, raja of the small Indian state 
  of Wajiristan, is a man who appears to have 
  few concerns. He is exceptionally wealthy and 
  lives in a grand and opulent palace. He is in 
  good health, highly intelligent, and well-read, 
  having had British tutors. Aside from attending 
  the occasional banquet, he has very little to do 
  except read and play sports, for his princely 
  state is governed by the British, having been 
  sold to them by his grandfather.
  Singh does not blame the British for not 
  being the true ruler of his domain—the blame 
  for that lies with his ancestor, whose name he 
  despises. In his eyes, the British have brought 
  India into the modern world and made it part 
  of a powerful and vibrant empire. That does 
  not mean he particularly enjoys being treated 
  as a lackey by the regional governor, though.
  With so much spare time on his hands and 
  wanting for nothing, Singh has grown decadent. 
  The pleasures he enjoyed as a youth no longer 
  grant him any satisfaction. In a bid to stimulate his 
  mind and body, the raja has turned to sadism.
  Concealed beneath the castle is a purpose-
  built torture chamber. Singh spends a growing 
  portion of his time here, torturing kidnapped 
  travellers for his own amusement and dream-
  ing up new ways in which to inflict pain.
  His only remaining pleasure outside the 
  dungeon is hunting. It was during a tiger hunt 
  that he was bitten by an infectious weretiger. 
  Forced to change form by the half moon (both 
  waxing and waning), Singh at first thought his 
  secondary existence a curse. Nowadays he sees 
  it as a secret blessing.
  When the moon is half full, Singh takes to 
  the hunt in his bestial guise. While he could kill 
  a man with a single swipe of his enormous paws, 
  that brings the weretiger no pleasure. Instead, it 
  toys with its prey, pulling its blows to cut a deep 
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Shapeshifters
  
  wound there and a cruel gash there. Only when 
  he is bored does Singh go for the kill.
  In recent months he has put the labyrinth 
  of tunnels beneath his majestic home to a new 
  use. Groups of big game hunters are invited to 
  attend the raja on the pretense of hunting ti-
  gers. Tricked into entering the maze with only 
  a few weapons, Singh, in weretiger form, turns 
  the hunters into the hunted. Having no wish 
  to compete for prey, he ensures all his victims 
  are killed rather than risking them becoming 
  weretigers as well.
  Rawal Singh, Raja
  Patron 2
  Archetype: Aristocrat; Motivation: Power; 
  Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 3, Intelligence 4, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Percep-
  tion 7, Initiative 7, Defense 5, Stun 2, Health 
  5, Horror —
  Skills: Academics: Literature 6, Athletics 6, 
  Diplomacy 5, Empathy 6, Firearms 5, Intimida-
  tion 5, Linguistics 5, Melee 7, Ride 5, Sports 4
  Talents: Calculated Attack (Uses Intelligence 
  for Melee), Well-Connected (Can boost Con-
  tacts as if it were a Talent), Well-Educated 
  (Treats Academics as a general Skill)
  Resources: Contacts 1 (Political; +2 bonus)*, 
  Refuge; Equipment 1 (Intimidation; +2 bo-
  nus)**, Refuge: Security 1 (–2 penalty)**, Ref-
  uge: Size 4 (Palace), Status 3 (Raja; +4 Social 
  bonus)
  Flaws: Sadism (+1 Style point whenever he is 
  needlessly cruel to his friends or enemies)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Saber 10L
  * Bonus resource from his Status.
  ** Bonus Resources from his Refuge
  Weretiger Form
  Patron 4
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Power; 
  Style: 4
  Primary Attributes: Body 6, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 7, Charisma 1, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 11 (22)*, 
  Perception 6, Initiative 9, Defense 9, Stun 6, 
  Health 11, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 12, Brawl 12, Focus 8, Intimi-
  dation 8, Stealth 8**, Survival 8
  Talents: Slow Regeneration (Body x 2 roll each 
  day to heal damage)
  Resources: Fearsome 2 (Can temporarily 
  frighten foes), Quick Reflexes (+2 Initiative 
  rating), Reactive Strike (Free attack against one 
  person who comes close to him), Robust (+2 
  Health rating), Slow Regeneration (Body x 2 
  roll each day to heal damage)
  Flaw: Bestial (Cannot communicate or use 
  tools)
  Weapons: Bite 12L, Claw 12L
  * Doubles its Move if it runs on all fours
  ** –1 Size penalty to Stealth rolls
  
  Mankind has come far since his 
  ascendancy from apes, but behind the 
  facade of reasoning and civilization he 
  projects he is still an animal. 
  Deep inside every man lurks a ferocious 
  beast, a terrible creature that can 
  develop a life of its own. This book 
  details those beasts.
  The contents of this book include the 
  history of these ferocious beasts, means 
  20210
  $13.99
  Even a man who is pure of heart may 
  become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms 
  ����������������������
  © 2016 Triple Ace Games. Leagues of Gothic Horror and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. 
  Ubiquity Roleplaying System, Exile Games Studio, and all associated logos and trademarks are copyright, Exile Games Studio, LLC. Used with permission
  become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms 
  and the autumn moon is bright!
  Deep inside every man lurks a ferocious 
  history of these ferocious beasts, means 
  by which a man might become a shapeshi� er, supernatural power
  that transform these creatures into truly terrifying foes, statistics fo
  a variety of stock shapeshi� ers, and a number of unique villains.
  Leagues of Gothic Horror is a Horror roleplaying game from Triple Ace Games.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Triple Ace Games/Leagues of Gothic Horror/Guide to Shapeshifters.pdf