No race is without its own personal tragedies, and the Woren are no different. Amongst their number are those they simply call "The Cursed". Poor souls who were born stronger, faster, and hardier than their fellow Woren. This may sound like an advantage at first, however they also suffer from terrible rages that literally transform these hapless individuals into bloodthirsty killing machines without thought or remorse. These rages are unexpected and almost uncontrollable. For safety reasons, most Cursed are exiled from their native tribe and forced to face the world all alone. This can result in them harboring ill will towards their own kind, and some go on to become criminals and villains as bloodthirsty as the beast they can transform into. Others accept their fellow Woren's decision and try and eke out an existence on their own, and still others search for a cure to their curse.

It is believed in the Woren culture that these individuals can trace their ancestry to a group of Woren warriors who defeated a horrible demon that the Woren only call "Death Walks in His Shadow". These warriors were said to be cursed with the demon's dying breath, and that their curse would live on in their children and their children's children. They would be cursed to constantly battle the demon within them... to become the very thing they destroyed.

There are very few members of the cursed in comparison to the rest of their race. For every hundred 'normal' Woren born, there is one cursed. If the legends are true and this 'curse' is in fact some kind of hereditary gene, than it has weakened over the span of centuries and does not pass from parent to child, but is more likely to pass from great grandparent to child and so forth.

No matter what their origins, the Cursed are looked upon with pity and fear by most of their own people. Yet, sometimes one will stand out amongst them and become a hero of legend. There are Woren records of several Cursed who overcame the Rage and became great heroes. Sadly... These heroes are few and far between.

Alignment: Any, but considering the mental strain that comes from being one of "The Cursed" they typically are of a selfish or evil alignment.

Attribute Requirements: None

Racial Restrictions: Woren Only. Since it is their bloodline which carries the curse, no other species suffers from it.

OCC Abilities and Bonuses:

1. The Rage: When under intense anger, frustration or pain, The Cursed must roll a twenty-sided and roll over a 18 or higher (ME bonuses apply) or they are overcome with "The Rage". Once in this rage, they lose all sense of rationality and succumb to their baser instincts. In a very real sense, they become feral animals that respond to threats in one very simplistic way. Kill or be killed. They can not distinguish between friend or foe, and will attack all who they see as 'threats'. In ways, it is very similar to the "Frenzy" insanity, but twisted from the magical nature of the curse. They literally 'go feral', with their bodies becoming larger (add 2 feet to height and 100 pounds to weight), their claws becoming larger and more lethal (+2D6 damage) as well as their overall appearance becoming more frightening and bestial (Horror Factor of 16). This causes the cursed Woren to look more along the lines of a were-tiger when suffering from the rage, than any normal Woren. The additional bonuses from the rage are listed below.

Duration: 1 melee round per PE point. (IE, a Cursed with a 12 PE will be in the rage for 12 melee's)

Penalties & Side Effects: After the Rage is over, the Cursed are lost and confused. They suffer a -4 to all combat bonuses, -2 melee attacks, and their speed is reduced by half. These penalties last for one hour after the rage is over. It is possible for The Cursed to enter the Rage again in this state, but the penalties afterward will last four times as long.

2. Increased Strength: During the Rage, the Cursed's strength is increased by 10 and they can carry 100 times their PS and lift 200 times their PS.

3. Increased Speed: During the Rage, the Cursed's speed is increased by 20 and they can leap 30 feet across and 20 feet high, +5 feet per level of experience.

4. Regeneration: During the Rage, the Cursed Woren regenerates 2D6 MD (Or SDC in SDC Realms) per melee round, +1D6 at levels 3, and 12.

5. Reduced Mental Faculties: When in the Rage, reduce ME and IQ by half and all skills that are not physical are performed at -60%. Also, the Cursed is a -2 to save vs. Mind Control (Remember that ALL Woren suffer a -3 against any psionic attack, thus making the cumulative penalty a -5 vs. Mind Control), considering their mind is now working on a state similar to a high animal intelligence. The Cursed are also incapable of using any modern WP when under the influence of the Rage due to the feral state of their mind. They don't stop to think long enough to pull a trigger.

6. Rage Bonuses: When in the Rage, the Cursed have a bonus 50 MDC +10 MDC per level of experience (AR of 16, and 50 SDC, +10 per level of experience in SDC realms), are at a +1 to strike, parry, and dodge, +5 to Save vs. Horror Factor (It's hard to be scared when you just want to kill everything that moves), +2 to Initiative, +5 to save vs. Psychic Attacks (excluding Mind Control and keep in mind ALL Woren suffer an automatic -3 against Psionic attacks, making it equivalent to a +2), +5 to Save vs. Magic and Illusions, are completely Immune to Possession, and has +1 Melee Attack!

7. OCC Bonuses (IE, bonuses that are always with the character, not just in the Rage): +1 to Save vs. Horror Factor at levels 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15, +1 to Save vs. The Rage at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15, +2 to Initiative, +1D4 to PS, +1D4 to PE and +20% to Save vs. Coma/Death.

OCC Skills:

Native Tongue: 98%

Literacy in Native Tongue (+15%)

Languages: Two of Choice (+10%)

Athletics (General)

WP Staff

Three Ancient WP's of Choice

Hand to Hand: Expert

(Hand to Hand: Expert can be changed to Hand to Hand: Martial Arts at the cost of one "other" skill.)

OCC Related Skills: Select ten other skills of choice at level one, plus two additional skills at levels 3 and 6, and one additional skill at levels 8, 10, 12, and 14.

Communications: Radio: Basic Only.

Domestic: Any (+5%)

Electrical: None

Espionage: Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment, and Tracking Only (+10%)

Mechanical: None

Medical: First Aid, and Holistic Medicine Only (+5%)

Military: Any (+10%)

Physical: Any (+10% When applicable)

Pilot: Horsemanship General or Exotic Only (+10%)

Pilot Related: None

Rouge Skills: Any except Hacking (+5%)

Science: Basic Math Only

Technical: Any except Computer Programming (+5%)

WP's: Any

Wilderness: Any (+10%)

Secondary Skills: The character can also select 6 secondary skills from the previous list, plus one at levels 4, 8, and 12. These are additional areas of knowledge that that do not get the bonus listed in the parenthesis. All secondary skills start at the base percentage and are limited (Any, Only, or None) as previously indicated on the list.

Standard Equipment: Two good quality ancient weapons of choice, one magic weapon (any enchanted or TW item, NO RUNE WEAPONS), a set of armor of choice (GM's discretion), backpack, bedroll, canteen, two large sacks, two small sacks, and the clothes on their back.

Money: 3D6X100 which can be used immediately to buy additional equipment, or saved.

Cybernetics: None. It is impossible for The Cursed to receive cybernetic augmentation. Their bodies will reject the implants.

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