SKINWALKERBy Robert Kelly (3 Mar 93)

DescriptionShapeshifting, Bodystealing Vampires with Gnosis! Skinwalkers are Native American vampires located in the 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 who would move across the plains, from pueblo to pueblo and slowly, systematically consume all of the people. Because of their unique 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 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 Thaumaturgy 2 and many are much, much more campable at Thaumaturgy, equal to the elder Tremere. Some are even masquerading as elder Tremere. Many also possess high levels of Auspex and Obtenebration.

AbilitiesSkinwalkers 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.

WyrmskinsWyrmskins 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 forms a wyrmskin can retain is equal to the Skinwalker's Gnosis -- thus a Skinwalker with Gnosis 4 can memorize four "skins." When a Skinwalker consumes its victim's blood, it can assume that victim's identity -aura perception, sense wyrm and smell will not work with less than five successes. If

one kills a victim via blood drinking, until the next moon rise it 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.

LimitationsSkinwalkers 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 its homeland in the Southwest and kill ten creatures, preferably human, in a ritual to prolong its life. Should it not do this, every year past one hundred, it loses an extra blood per evening. If the skinwalker runs out of blood, it will enter torpor.

SourcesCeremony, Leslie Marmon Silko Mad Love and War, poems of Joy Harjo Navajo Mythos Tony Hillerman (GAK)