From: [r--el--y] at [carina.unm.edu] (Robert Kelly)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Vampire: The Skinwalkers
Date: 3 Mar 1993 00:23:09 GMT


The following is my Arch-Nemisis-Creature(tm) that the PCs are dying 
against rapidly (two down, ?? to go, I feel soooooo evil)



        		S K I N  W A L K E R S
	    Shapeshifting, Bodystealing Vampires with Gnosis!


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

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

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

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

Creation (Minimum)
	Attributes 8/6/4* (mental primary)
	Abilities 15/11/7 (knowledges primary)
	Backgrounds 8
	Disciplines 4
	Gnosis 7
	Willpower 5
	Blood: 15 pt pool
	Freebie 21

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

	Skinwalkers take aggravated damage from sunlight, fire 
and silver.

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

Sources:
	_Ceremony_, Leslie Marmon Silko
	_Mad Love and War_, poems of Joy Harjo
	Navajo Mythos
	Tony Hillerman (GAK)

(B) Bobware: I own all the rights and then some.  Feel free to 
use as long as you don't publish without my consent.  It is 
slack-less for you to do so otherwise.


Robert Kelly
[r--el--y] at [triton.unm.edu]
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