Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition (Tribes)

Even though I am a massive 𝙑𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚 fan, gamer and follower and have been for quite some time now, I still cannot exclude and NOT pay attention to its counterpart which is of course 𝙒𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙬𝙤𝙡𝙛: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙥𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙥𝙨𝙚. I’ve always been fascinated by Werewolves as creatures of myth, folklore and legend, and World of Darkness is a massive place to explore with its branching worlds, vampire clans, werewolf tribes, gods, sects, kine, mages, hunters, sorceries and the like. In the case of VtM it is dark and grim political horror (even though I don’t like poltics and politicians) with very deep and rich history rooted in the real world, clans trying to outsmart and murder each other for power, control and domination over cities, countries and entire continents every bloody step of the way to keep to masquerade intact and the status quo, to stay away from werewolves, hunters and kine sneaking and gatheting intel, and all of this is engulfed by strong mythological and supernatural elements set in modern times as well as in the distant past. VtM is my main world of residence and my go to table-top RPG, Tremere my first and beloved clan and house (always loyal to the pyramid, even if it has fallen) and Bloodlines (2004) will forever be my favorite video game and will have a special place in my undead heart. I respect both the Camarilla, The Sabbat and The Anarchs, as well as the lesser sects, but without the Camarilla keeping things in order and holding the masquerade, there’s no vampires, no clans and and supernatural beings, but all the sects and clans to me are very interesting and important. I don’t exclude any of them, because I think this is the best way to enjoy role-playing in any setting, but in this case VtM in particular.

In Werewolf: TA it’s environmental and spiritual issues on the table, interwoven together with a strong emphasis on tribalism, honor, wisdom, glory/duty, warrior culture, animism and most of all survival (much like the Vikings and the Celts). There are tons of references to Norse, Celtic and native American mythologies and I find this extremely valuable, fascinating and worth taking the look at. Werewolf is also a very educational game if you don’t take or look at it simply as a game or an RPG tool for entertainment. Much like VtM it mirrors our world and helps us cope with our struggles, failures, hardships, spiritual and religious experiences and personal lives, and above all facing the natural world and embracing a more environment- friendly and animistic perspective. These things are vitally important for our own survival as human beings and children of Gaia.

In WTA You are a Garou, a Werewolf in a human form born under various phases of the moon, protecting mother Gaia and the wilds with the cost of your skin and fighting for the best of your tribe.

I have not yet chosen a particular tribe as I am quite new to the game, its rules, story, previous editions and internal conflicts, but I currently like the “Shadow Lords” and “Fianna” tribes. It is a massive world to explore with lots of lore, fascinating world building and intrigue.