We're going to play a short Werewolf: the Forsaken 2nd edition Chronicle (our GM Acrozatarim is one of the writers of the game) set in modern Paris. By short, I mean it'll be in the 8-12 sessions range, in all likelihood.

We have four players, three will be Uratha (exactly what is still a little fluid), and I'll be playing an upgraded Wolf-Blooded. Think like the Proximus Illuminates from Mage: the Awakening; more competent in the mundane sense and more experienced in the world, but not a werewolf. Concept is that he's a former Hunter brought into the pack through his friendship with one of the other PCs (they grew up together in the same banlieue).

As such he's trained to fight supernaturals, primary weapon is archery (which keys off Athletics, rather helpfully). Since guns don't work against lots of things, and it's easy to fulfil Bans with stuff smeared on arrows. Yes, he also carries silver arrows, but they're only broken out when someone gives him the nod that it's serious.

What I'm less sure of is how he can fight up close. There's no way he's untrained or incapable up close, that would have gotten him dead. I suspect the answer is "tools" as in melee weapons. But what works well - should he be looking for a big, heavy thing, or knives (with the Light Weapons Fighting Style)? Or something else?

France, like the UK, has quite strict weapon laws, so there's also the consideration of what's concealable to factor in. Does anyone know if French law enforcement/military have special authorisation to own and carry certain weapons even out of uniform? In the UK there's a special warrant for things like ASP collapsible batons and tasers, is there an equivalent? Being an ex-Hunter, he might have something like that (or purchase-able with a Merit).

That might mean having two load-outs; the covert, concealable set which may just be a knife and collapsible baton; and the overt, going to war set with bow, several knives, sword/axe (?), and possibly armour. Is armour worthwhile in post-GMC/2nd edition nWoD?

I know that if a werewolf turns Gauru, run like buggery, but other than that, what can I do to make him a useful addition to the team, when not putting arrows in things? Also bear in mind, we wouldn't only, or even necessarily mostly be fighting werewolves. There's Hosts, the Claimed, spirits, possibly vampires and all sorts of other stuff, and humans of course.

Just reading the GMC update. Am I missing something, or does Martial Arts ●●●●● make Weaponry effectively obsolete? It's a big investment, but 2L damage with your unarmed attacks is as good as a sword, but has no Initiative penalty, doesn't need to be hidden and can't be disarmed (hell, even the ●●●● version is equal to a knife). The only thing I'd be missing out over a knife and Light Weapon Style is the Thrust maneuver allowing me to trade Defense for attack dice.

It would also bring some economy in skill points, I was always going to have both Brawl and Weaponry, but Weaponry would be much less important, since I wasn't looking at a heavy/two-handed weapon anyway. Plus it opens up grappling since my character would always have empty hands.

Does being unarmed give you problems against armed opponents?

I don't have any answers for you I'm afraid, but I'm hoping your group puts up a game log like you did with WFRP2, been loving that read through.

Quote from: Warboss Squee;812185I don't have any answers for you I'm afraid, but I'm hoping your group puts up a game log like you did with WFRP2, been loving that read through.

We won't be doing another log like that, I'm afraid. It takes too much time; that game finished three years ago, and the GM still hasn't finished the write-up. We podcast all our games instead, nowadays.

I confess to not being up to speed with nWoD 2e, but playing a mortal (even a slightly more competent than average one) in a Forsaken game sounds like a hazardous job description!

I'd probably default to finding a vantage point and sniping at the enemy with archery (which, if I was the GM, I'd key off Weaponry), at least when a werewolf or other physically formidable foe shows up. If your pack runs afoul of the Pure, I'd expect you to break out those silver arrows fairly often.

If ordinary human foes show up, though, I wouldn't mind getting in a scruffle if circumstances called for it.

Oh, and seconding the play report requests, sounds like a fun game.

Yeah, it's certainly Interesting Times, even if he does heal fast courtesy of his werewolf heritage. Course there's things beyond werewolves that might give us grief, and being able to deal with them is important, too.

Archery keys off Athletics already (as thrown weapons do), which is a vital skill in 2nd edition/GMC combat, since it adds to Defense. Plus, parkour, so he'll have a very high Athletics anyway.

We'll be podcasting and I'm slowly building our campaign wiki which will fill out more later this week when the concepts discussed so far are realised.