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 GANGREL 101

[the odds and ends that everyone playing a Gangrel should know]
 
Protean 4: this variant appertains only to Gangrel users of Protean, all other Kindred may only assume the wolf and bat forms with Protean 4.
"...vampires who are not Gangrel can only ever take these two forms. Gangrel vampires are not limited in the same manner, however -- they take the shapes of lions, eagles, bears, crows and uncountable others." -- Clanbook: Gangrel, page 67
This is not license for Gangrel characters to assume whatever shape they desire at will, however. A Storyteller might allow such an ability for an advanced level of Protean (6+), but Shape of the Beast still allows just two forms -- in this case, they may be chosen by the Gangrel player.
"First, the Gangrel must establish her forms upon learning the Shape of the Beast, and she may not assume other forms. Second, the the vampire's forms must always reflect the twin urges of the Beast: fight or flight.
The Gangrel's "fight" form is large and naturally well equipped for hunting and fighting. The animals represented are usually predators, but may also be scavengers -- all consume the flesh of others to survive. The animal shape assumed is hale and apparently healthy, and generally tends to large size for its type -- although in the case of animals of great size, such as a grizzly bear or sharks among the Mariners, the Gangrel may even be small compared to normal creatures...
It has become more common in recent years for the rare Gangrel to assume the gigantic form of an animal that does not ever reach such size in nature -- spiders, wasps, scorpions, rats, hyenas and others...
Gangrel who assume these exotic forms, particularly the insectoid varieties, often have very strange, even alien ways of thinking and behaving...
The Gangrel's "flight" form need not literally be a winged creature. It may be any form best suited for running away, whether that method is taking to the air, scrambling through tunnels, or simply fleeing pell-mell on four legs. Even though the focus of this form is on raw survival and not sustenance, the Gangrel only assume the forms of predators or scavengers...
The bat remains a popular form for the Gangrel, along with birds like ravens, crows and falcons. Particularly warlike Gangrel may take the forms of hawks, eagles and even vultures, but these relatively huge "flight" forms lose some of the escape benefits that come with a smaller shape.
Earthbound "flight" forms rely either on speed or the ability to slip through small spaces to escape. Snakes, gophers, house cats and rats are common forms...
Like the "fight" forms, these animal forms are usually apparently in the prime of health, but they are not unusually large for their type -- that would defeat the purpose." -- Clanbook: Gangrel, page 67
Note for those of you taking house cat form -- it's considered a "flight" form now. Choosing the two animal forms will require some careful consideration; advice on what influences a Gangrel's choice of forms may be found at the bottom of this page. Wolf and bat forms are still the most popular forms, on account of environmental circumstances.
Many of the systems in place for Protean 4 are unchanged. Blood point costs, valid use of Disciplines in animal form, and enhanced capabilities are much the same as in the write-up in Vampire: the Masquerade. Refer to that book for the basics on Protean 4 use. On the other hand, the "fight" and "flight" form capabilities have been expanded upon as follows.
"...the Gangrel may choose to reduce the difficulty of Perception rolls in one appropriate sense group -- sight, hearing, or smell/taste -- by two in his animal forms (the sense group may be different in the two forms)...
The Gangrel remains in his beast form until the next dawn, unless he wishes to change back sooner. Clothing and small personal possessions transform with the Gangrel.
The Gangrel's "fight" form grants a total of five additional Attribute points split among the vampire's Physical Attributes. These points must be applied to at least two of the Attributes. For the standard wolf form, these are allotted as +1 to Strength, +2 to Dexterity, and +2 to Stamina. A bear form may increase the Gangrel's Strength by +3 and Stamina by +2. These points must be allocated when the "fight" animal form is chosen and may not be thereafter rearranged. In addition, the Gangrel's bite inflicts Strength aggravated damage, and claws inflict Strength +1 aggravated damage (these damage values may be adjusted by the Storyteller as necessary to reflect the animal's primary mode of attack -- an alligator form may allow a greater bite bonus, but no claw damage). Running speed is usually doubled, unless an alternate method of locomotion like swimming is available.
The Gangrel's "flight" form reduces the vampire's Strength to 1, but allows him to fly at a speed equal to his running movement rate (Gangrel whose "flight" forms do not fly may take a +2 bonus to Dexterity). In addition, attacks made against the "flight" form are made at +2 difficulty due to the animal's small size (those Gangrel who take large forms like the eagle may keep their full Strength by sacrificing this bonus).
...the vampire must use the Animalism Discipline ability Feral Whispers to speak to animals.
...It is curious to note that animal features acquired by a Gangrel after a frenzy do not necessarily conform to those of her beast forms. Most Gangrel seem to be patchworks of feral features rather than changing to resemble one specific animal." --Clanbook: Gangrel, page 68
Notable in this section is the mention of the Animalism requirement to speak to animals. Gangrel in their beast forms could presumably speak to a Kindred in human form, if the human form Gangrel initiated Feral Whispers with the animal form Kindred. Also, the note on reverting from animal form at dawn clears up that issue, at least in part; although the book does not imply this reversion costs Blood Points.
Finally, the book discusses the choice of one's beast forms. This is useful advice for any player whose character has not manifested the Protean 4 power yet. It also explains just why the wolf and bat combination is as popular as it is, even among Gangrel users of the Protean Discipline
"It is often difficult to predict what forms a Gangrel will assume when she learns Shape of the Beast. Three factors play an important role in the process: the vampire's personality, his sire's animal forms and the local environment at the time of the vampire's Embrace...
Vampires with strong personality traits often transform into the animal most often attributed that trait by superstition: wolves with cunning, lions with courage, reptiles with callousness, ravens with curiosity, etc. ...Individuals who felt a strong affinity with a particular animal when alive, who considered the animal to be a totem or protective spirit, will usually transform into that animal upon learning Shape of the Beast.
...if the childe sees her sire transform into a tiger, she may assume that she will do the same so completely that her assumption becomes reality. The Discipline exhibits lines of descent, however, in which grandsire, sire and childe all share the same animal forms...
The influence of the local environment can perhaps be credited with the popularity of the wolf and bat forms even among the Gangrel -- wolves and bats of varying species populate the globe. The vampire's Beast, in the absence of overriding personality or blood related factors, provides the vampire with the most survivable form available in the surrounds..." -- Clanbook: Gangrel, page 69
The Gangrel clan weakness: animal features revised
The revised Clanbook does much to answer the questionable circumstances of frenzies and Rotschreck, and what 'qualifies' a Gangrel for picking up a new animal feature.
"Any frenzy, whether entered willingly or fiercely resisted, inflicts the same penalty upon the Outlanders. Gangrel entering Rotschreck may not suffer this curse; so long as the vampire obeys the "flight" tenet of the Red Fear, she does not acquire an animal feature. A cornered Gangrel who resorts to the "fight" half of the equation will regain her senses to find another feral feature, as even necessary violence brings the Beast bubbling to the fore." -- Clanbook: Gangrel, page 55
The new Clanbook goes on to discuss the various animal features common to the Gangrel, suggesting the gradual, 'patchwork' process by which the Gangrel devolve into humanoid creatures.
"Most of the features caused by the Beast are visible and clearly animal or even insectoid in origin: growing fur, feathers or scales; changes to the structure of facial features, hands or feet; sprouting additional appendages like a tail or antennae; or developing truly odd features like nictating membranes, a marsupial pouch or a working musk gland. Dramatic changes are unlikely to occur all at once...It is far more likely that each subsequent frenzy adds incrementally to the effect, so that a full coat of fur may sprout on the vampire's chest, then later appear on her back, legs, hands and face.

The marks left by the Beast are not always so easily seen. Some can be smelled or heard, like a pungent musk or shrill, cawing voice. In some cases, the Gangrel is left with animalistic impulses and behaviors as result of frenzy. These are psychological aberrations, similar to derangement, but far less crippling individually.
...The Gangrel do not evolve into cuddly humanoid pets, they devolve into chimerical monsters..." -- Clanbook: Gangrel, pages 55-56

It can be seen from the text of the Clanbook that radical changes do not tend to happen suddenly, but a series of frenzies may culminate in a truly inhuman appearance. The book does not rule out the accretion of such drastic animal features, however. 
It reserves them for special circumstances, when a particularly bad frenzy has taken place -- after a botched roll or long period of violent frenzy -- and suggests that such drastic changes occur only once to any one Gangrel. While the book offers a handful of examples of these more serious feral features, they are not included here for several reasons. They are rather uncommon in the first place; besides, if we included every detail in the new Clanbook, no one would need to buy it, after all.
The revised Clanbook continues by clarifying the issue of the Social Attribute loss after the cumulative effects of five frenzies. It also introduces a system for 'buying back' lost points in Social Attributes, although it isn't easily done...
"Appearance is usually the first Attribute to be affected, since the vast majority of features the character will acquire are physical. Charisma and Manipulation can be affected by purely physical changes, as well. The character's animal features might be distracting or embarrassing, reducing her social effectiveness, or they may simple do so much damage to her self-image as to severely impact how she deals with others. Acquiring a mental animal feature makes it much more likely that the Gangrel's Charisma or Manipulation Traits will be affected.
It is possible for Gangrel to buy back Social Attribute points lost to the cumulative effects of frenzy. This should be role-played in detail and approved by the Storyteller -- perhaps the character finally takes to wearing concealing clothes and combing his hair. Perhaps he has taken charm or voice lessons. Whatever the reason, regaining lost Social Attributes is never easy. The player should keep track of the values of all three Social Attributes prior to any frenzy-based losses. That prior value determines the experience point cost to increase a Social Attribute. Also, the limits imposed on Attributes by the vampire's generation apply to the higher, initial value." -- Clanbook: Gangrel, page 56
It should also be noted that the penalties allotted to Nosferatu and Samedi using Obfuscate to create an attractive appearance for themselves also apply to bestial Gangrel, as noted in the revised Clanbook. The Obfuscate power Mask of a Thousand Faces offers a 'default' average appearance which does allow Gangrel to pass for human when they couldn't otherwise. Again, although the Clanbook does offer much more detail, we are offering only the essential points here so that players having difficulty picking up a copy of the book can keep their characters up-to-date on the latest changes.
A brief primer on Gangrel-Garou relations:...or the lack thereof!
It is true that the Gangrel are thought of as having some special relationship with werewolves. Certainly the Clan does nothing to dissuade the other Kindred of this belief; they make use of it as best they can. However, the truth of the matter is that there is no such relationship.
"Avoid the Lupines whenever possible. They are not your friends. They don't care if you're on the outs with Kindred society. They don't care if you have a Sierra Club membership. They don't care if you drive spikes into redwoods to save them from chainsaws." -- Clanbook: Gangrel, page 60
One caveat is offered at the end of the book's section on Lupine relations. It wouldn't be fair to classify every Lupine as Kindred hating psychopaths. Occasionally, an ally can be cultivated among the Garou. It's quite possible, though, that for every Gangrel that does manage this feat, several more die in their attempts.
"It is possible, albeit unlikely, that two individuals could overcome racial difficulties and become friends." -- Clanbook: Gangrel, page 61
Regarding Dark Ages Roads & Paths of Enlightenment:
(Possible accepted Paths for Independent Gangrel are: Via Einherjar, Via Aesirgard [Resource: Wolf of the Sea], Via Praedator,  Via Venator Umbra [Resource: Road of the Beast], Path of the Beast -aka Feral Heart, Path of Harmony [Resource: Chaining the beast]. You can only take paths with Storyteller advance approval.)
Paths of Enlightenment are commonly associated with the Sabbat, and the Gangrel on Paths may be burdened with this stigma. The Jarl is painfully aware of this problem and is reluctant to allow the existing Path followers to take on new students. Prospective Path followers must first find a suitable mentor for the change -- at present, there are IC teachers for only two of the paths. Use of NPC mentors may be permitted, but it is restricted. Next, the student must convince the Jarl to allow them to proceed. A very good explanation will be needed to gain his permission. Neonates in particular will need sound reasons for this. Just why, exactly, would a Kindred want to throw away his or her Humanity in favor of the alien, dark-ages mentality? Why turn to ancient arts that are so far removed from modern ways? These changes can and do threaten the Masquerade; therefore, the Jarl does not readily approve them.
From an OOC standpoint, attempting to change from Humanity to a Path of Enlightenment is considered a Lethal Storyline. This means that any player who proceeds along this path must accept the possibility of their character suffering Final Death as a result. Not everyone who attempts to make the shift succeeds; some fail, and some lose control to the Beast completely. Those who succumb to the Wassail, as it is called in some Kindred circles, become little more than rabid beasts and must be put down. The Gangrel STs and the character's mentor oversee the process, and will make rolls for the character as needed. Details on the switch from Humanity to a Path of Enlightenment can be found in the revised edition of Vampire: the Masquerade and above mentioned resources.
IC, the switch from Humanity to a Path is a long and difficult road. An initiate must spend at least a year in study and contemplation of the Path's ways, until the mentor is satisfied that they are ready for the next step. The would-be Viking must also forcibly degenerate down to at least Humanity 3 and Conscience 1. The ramifications of this degeneration should be considered carefully. Such a Gangrel must willfully violate the tenets of Humanity, possibly frenzying as a result; this could easily go too far, resulting in a total loss of Humanity and the death of the character. The Gangrel, after all, will not know when they have gone far enough, and must trust their mentor. Even the most hardened Kindred with a high Self-Control loses access to it as Humanity sinks further  down. The reactions of the Gangrel around the student may also be fatal; such degeneration may break the Traditions, especially if a frenzy is involved.
If the character survives the change and achieves a Path rating, he or she must build it up, and usually new Virtues as well. Otherwise, the character will fall from their fragile Path and cede control to the Beast entirely. Of course, this will be a significant drain on the character's XP. Along with this danger, there are the obvious pitfalls of discarding everything it means to be human. Kindred on Paths of Enlightenment cannot simulate humanity in any way; they cannot spend blood to warm themselves, pretend to breathe, and so on. They are literal walking corpses in appearance. As stated in Vampire: the Masquerade, "...a Path follower is treated as though he has a Humanity score of 3 when using the rules for interacting with mortals. If the Path follower's Path rating is less than 3, use that score instead." (page 286)
Moreover, a character's attitude shows marked changes after abandoning Humanity. Human feelings and emotions such as friendship, love, beauty, mercy, compassion, sorrow, and regret are forsaken or warped to the point that only Kindred on the Path could recognize them. Normal, human, loving relationships are out of the question for Kindred on a Path of Enlightenment. Path followers demonstrate truly alien ways of thinking. It is a significant roleplaying challenge to properly play out this radically new way of thought and behavior. Those characters who make the switch OOC, yet do not RP it out IC, may be suspected as failed attempts and possibly destroyed -- not every vampire whose Beast is ascendant is a rabid, mindless killer. The Beast can possess a low, animal cunning, and the Gangrel are keenly aware of its nature.
These changes in the Kindred may be more harmful than the perils of clinging to Humanity. With no way to masquerade as human, a Path follower's dealings with mortals are much more risky. Even hunting can become difficult for them; no longer can the Kindred hit the Rack, pretend to be mortal and blend in at the local nightclubs. Players and their characters should carefully consider the problems they face before attempting to change to a Path of Enlightenment.
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