Confusion about Fetishes (and approvals); ANST Q&A

(By Rik Sowden, UK9710-477)

Hi folks,

There has been quite a bit of what i think is confusion about how fetishes work, and more precisely how the approvals work. I’m going to cover some bits and pieces here which (I hope) will make things a bit clearer.

Q: I’m making a Fetish for someone, should I (as the maker) or someone (as the owner) of the Fetish put the approval into the Database?

• A: Either is okay, if you make a Fetish for trade it should be passed on within the month (as it needs to be bought with XP) but it can be put in the Database by either the creator or the owner as long as its in there (and gets an approval number). Do remember that a VST needs to give the nod for XP spends still, so if they don’t like it are very much within their right to say “Nope”

Q: Right, I’ve got the approval; that means the Fetish is made, right?

• A: Nope, that means the mechanics for the fetish are approved, nothing more. There are several steps in Fetish creation the first of which is to determine what it should do and work out the right spirit (not “a fire elemental” but instead “flaming heart of the family hearth” – which is a fire elemental) to empower it. Then it’s a case of finding (or Summoning) that spirit and forcing it, or negotiating with it, to empower the Fetish. Remember this could be anything from a small, small Gaffling to a big, big Jaggling (Incarnae are never in Fetishes) and its going to be in there for a LONG time. That may well cost, possibly even a LOT.

Q: I’ve just made a great Fetish that lets me fly and breath fire, and with the restrictions on it its only a level 2! Isn’t that great!

• A: No, no it isn’t. The rules in Lore of the Forsaken about how to make a Fetish are open and flexible (see p144: “Using the guidelines on p. 204 of Werewolf: The Forsaken, determine the level of the fetish. It’s actually better to let some time pass between writing up the fetish and evaluation. The Storyteller, not the system, has the final word on this matter. Don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board and tweak the fetish’s abilities and other characteristics”) – but you need to pay attention to the power level of Fetishes compared to the published ones, and to the guidelines in the corebook (p204, see below).

Fetish Ranks

As Storyteller, adjudicating the effectiveness and power of a fetish (that is, deciding how powerful it should be) is simple enough. Just follow these guidelines:

• Talen: A one-use, low-power fetish, or a minor item that doesn’t lose its power, but that doesn’t have much utility, either.
• One-Dot: A useful fetish, but only under specific circumstances.
• Two-Dot: A fetish weapon no more useful than a werewolf’s natural weaponry, or a more versatile fetish that grants a minor bonus in a variety of situations or a considerable bonus in one.
• Three-Dot: A potent fetish. This could be a weapon with a minor blessing, or an item that could be used reliably in dangerous situations.
• Four-Dot: A fetish with a very useful, broadly applicable power. If a weapon, it may have a consistently useful power in addition to the simple damage it inflicts, or a strong power that is used infrequently.
• Five-Dot: A legendary fetish, certainly with a unique name and story, possibly with more than one spirit bound into it. If a weapon, it may inflict aggravated damage.

Q: But that’s all well and good like, but a Fetish is just a magic weapon or item isn’t it? I want my longsword +2!

• A: No, no it isn’t. Each Fetish is unique – even the ones which are mechanically (and functionally) the same are different. They’re empowered by different (though similar) spirits which have different experiences and ‘personalities’ – which makes the personality of the Fetish different. A Fetish is much more than just a cool “magic tool” to do things with – Fetishes have feelings too.

Now, I really hope that helps to get an idea of what I’m talking about when I waffle about Fetishes – what I really mean is spirits – and also gives a clearer idea of what a Fetish approval means. For those of you who don’t use or understand the Approvals Database there isn’t anything to be worried about – but to help us all what I’d like to see in any approval for Fetishes is:

• Clear understanding of how Fetishes work “metaphysically”, and thought put into the Fetish creation – rather than just the maths
• Clear marking of who will be making the Fetish (including player name, Camarilla number and ST/contact details if its not the person putting the approval in)
• The mechanics (see Lore of the Forsaken, p147) broken down by “Powers”, “Enhancements” and “Restrictions” – with the totals all nicely included

If a scene has already been run with the Spirits which will empower the Fetish a summery of that, including the ST who ran it, should be included as part of the Justification section of the approval.

So, hopefully that helps to clear things up somewhat. Fetishes are FAB and can add a lot to the game – so much more when they have story that goes with them, and something ‘earned’ is better than something ‘won’!

---

ANST Desktop ~ Enemies ~ Events ~ Places ~ Resources ~ the Spirit Courts ~ Tales ~ Venue Style Sheets ~ Who's Who

Edit this page