I'm about to start my first ever game of W:TA and I think I've made a mistake.
I'm a glasswalker ragabash. How screwed am I?
EDIT: thanks everyone! This is just what I needed.
Posted Jul 24, 2019, 4:41 PM UTC · edited
1010
I fail to see why that should make you screwed?
8
Everything I've read on this sub says ragabash are just a shortcut to rolling a new character, or impossible to RP properly. Combined with the difficulty of being so close to the weaver...
And that w:ta according the the internet is just a combat simulator, I feel like I'm bringing a knife to a gunfight and yelling at everyone to attack me.
1
Wow... wow... not to be cliche but...
"Every word you just said was wrong."
This isn't your fault, of course! But you need to get some better advice. I'll try to take it one step at a time (and give you the benefit of the doubt and assume this entire post isn't just trolling).
Ragabash are just a shortcut to rolling a new character
The very, very, very many Ragabash that I've known over the years beg to disagree. Honestly, Ahroun have a higher mortality rate BY FAR.
Impossible to RP properly
First of all, no one gets to tell you how to RP something 'right'. That point aside, the role of the Ragabash can be somewhat less clear to new players than that of say, the Ahroun or the Theurge (some new players have this issue with Galliard characters too, but that's often because they aren't familiar with how Renown works).
You are not just a prankster being an annoyance for the sake of amusing yourself. That sort of Ragabash is the equivalent of a Fish-Malk in Vampire, and what you've likely seen people talking about online. A good Ragabash is the one that helps the pack see the error of their ways when they are making mistakes / being stuborn / refusing to think for themselves.
You have to remember that being driven by instinct is a large part of the Garou Psyche. The same goes for tradition. Your job is to not let those things get in the way of the pack's goals. When the Ahroun wants to charge in head first at the problem, or the Silver Fang refuses to consider using "That weaver garbage" to solve a problem, it is your job to show them the error of their ways - and you get the leeway to do it. There is a reason why Ragabash get away with saying (and doing) things others would be punished more harshly about. So that when your Silver Fang Alpha tells you in no uncertain terms that the way you will all be finding where the Pentex executive lives will be by tracking his scent through the city - you can avoid much of the usual issues that would be involved when you show up with his address from the GPS tracker you put on his car anyway.
Remember, it would be disrespectful to ask an Elder "Why?" when they give an order, unthinkable, even, for that Ahroun. But for you, it is expected (within reason). You are the questioner of the ways. Use that leeway intelligently.
Combined with the difficulty of being so close to the weaver
This is hardly a problem! It is a benefit. You don't lose renown for binding 'inappropriate' items to yourself. That means you are the one that gets to carry a gun in and out of the umbra. You get to make a PDA that stores Rites in it (Hint: Storing a Rite of the Questing Stone in it lets you effectively have a google maps result for ANYTHING OR ANYONE that you can appropriately name. Wanna know where Joe W. Schmoe you just found out about is right now? Boop. Now you know the general area he's in.)
And that w:ta according the the internet is just a combat simulator, I feel like I'm bringing a knife to a gunfight and yelling at everyone to attack me.
Bad W:tA games are a combat simulator. Good ones aren't. Plain and simple. I'd say in my games <25% of the game even involves combat. But even that being said, your choice of words is amusing, because it's exactly the opposite, in a very literal sense. Everyone else is bringing Knives and Claws. You're the one tribe that gets to bring a GUN! And boy do you get some 1) FUN, 2) LITTLE, 3) TOYS with which to play. (Don't forget that you get a HUGE bonus for firing on full auto, with the drawback of that you can only do it for one round before you're out of ammo... oh wait, you never run out of ammo. I'll take my +10 dice to EVERY ATTACK ROLL, thank you.)
I can go on, but this is getting pretty long. Lets just say, you're good. Don't worry so much. I haven't even started to talk about how Plug and Play is an amazingly useful gift if combined with a good hacking pool (shut down that car they are driving away from by putting it into diagnostic mode from your netbook? Sure. Crash a helicopter? Turn off the security system? Set off the fire alarm? etc), or how the role of a Ragabash is the scout for the pack, or how the best possible build for a sniper character is a Glass Walker Ragabash....
20
Couldn't have said it better.
2
Not screwed at all.
Just play to your strengths. Lots of ragabash gifts are really good in the right situation. For example, Liar's Face is a single gift that makes you automatically succeed on a Subterfuge attempt vs. humans, but with the awesome twist that they think the truth is a lie. If you're clever, this can be very strong.
"Why hello Pentex guards. I am not a Pentex employee with a higher security clearance than you. I'm not! I swear."
"You are clearly just being sarcastic, Pentex employee with a higher security clearance than us. Proceed."
Hilarious. And strong. You can do this all day, and you don't even have to roll. It just works.
w:ta according the the internet is just a combat simulator
This really depends on your ST. I've never run a campaign that way.
Ragabash are amazing at stealth and deceit. A good ST will recognize that's what you're doing, and make room in the story for you to do your thing.
8
You have SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY!
Think about it. Other characters are just played out tropes. Nothing they can do will really distinguish themselves. But you...
As a Glasswalker, you bridge the divide between tradition (that is clearly losing) and progress (that has a lot of negatives). You are trying to find the path that is successful without sacrificing what is important. Red Talons might be tough, but does anyone expect them to be anywhere positive in 50 years? If the Garou are going to have a future, it will be highly influenced by the Glasswalkers.
As a Ragabash, this plays in directly. Ragabash aren't kender - they aren't annoying twits with no sense of responsibility. They are the force in Garou society that pushes for change. They point out where tradition becomes hidebound, where custom becomes stupidity, and where pride becomes arrogance. Sure, they go too far at times and get slapped down, but they are valued by society because in the aftermath of them going too far...society met them in the middle. With that push and the slap, society would fall behind.
In a fight, you'll be an awesome killing machine, because werewolf. Sure, compared to OTHER werewolves you won't be as badass, but then again, all the other werewolves will growl and posture around you because you are what keeps them in check. They HAVE to be badass because they don't have anything else. The Ahroun seeks glory but you can remove it. The Galliard tells others of YOUR story. The Theurge confirms what you push for is not incompatible with the spirits, and the Philodox finds the wisdom in your words.
You are Prometheus, risking the wrath of those in power to bring fire to the masses. You suffer for your acts, but are eventually found to be correct and forgiven. Without you...the Garou would fall. Without you, the Glasswalkers would fall to the Weaver. Without you the Red Talons would just be rabid wolves. Without you the Silver Fangs would be unquestioned and without you the Shadow Lords would have assassinated them. The Get of Fenris would die in a berserker rush, the Children of Gaia would be slain, the Silent Striders lost in the Umbra. You question the assumption of "right" and you make things better.
When your pack is chasing Fomori, who will be the one that can check social media for the deets? When the Ahroun decides to charge in blind, howling for glory, who will give them paws...er, pause? When the Alpha and Beta are baring fangs, who can defuse the situation and find a way around their pride to remind them of the true enemy?
Screwed? You aren't screwed - without you, everyone else would be!
5
I see people have most put your fears to rest, and that's great, but here's just something else to think about:
Werewolves all get the same powers - The ability to change form, the same bonuses in all those forms, the ability to soak all damage types, the ability to deal the same amount of Agg damage, the ability to move into the Umbra and automatically healing.
That's across the board. If you're a Philodox you get that, if you're a Ragabash you get that. Everyone gets it.
The only differences between Auspices is one type of gift and the amount of Rage you start with. Now, let me give you a tip:
Most Werewolf gifts are shit compared to all other supernatural powers that other supernaturals get and you can always buy a second dot of Rage at character creation... Those are the hard, numerical facts.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that, with the dice bonuses you get from sneak attacks, Ragabash gifts can be Better in combat than Ahroun gifts. I'd rather attack first, from behind, from stealth in the first turn than act first every turn after that... I promise you, if you use the standard rules, no Ahroun is going to survive that first strike from you unless they are just stupid lucky.
So, in short, you have the same Breed gifts, the same Tribe gifts, the only difference between Ragabash and Ahroun in any way is one gift choice and a few dots of rage. Anyone who is dying constantly in a role playing game because they have one different choice of semi-useful magical power and a few points less of a single ability is doing it alllll wrong!
As for role playing? I honestly have no idea who the heck would tell you it's hard to play a Ragabash. Firstly, you create a person with a personality like you would any other Auspice, so in that regard it's no harder, then you play them as a warrior of Gaia meant to expose the weakness of both friend and foe - Friend so they can grow stronger, foe so it can be exploited... Big fucking deal, mate. Nothing harder about that then there is about, say, being the Galliard and having to stand up before the Moot and big-talk all the group's deeds by trying to make: "We botched our stealth roll and had to fight everyone. I took 8 damage from a fully automatic rifle and went into death frenzy and now my lungs don't work so good" sound like a glorious victory.
Dude, you got this.
5
You’re playing a werewolf! Werewolves are walking death!
But seriously, any werewolf can dish out serious pain with claws and rage. The thing about ragabash is that they are not designed to be the front line of combat, that is literally the job of the Ahrouns.
Remember that you are supposed to be part of a pack with a roll to fill. You may have to pinch hit for certain gaps in the skill set, but you should try to play to your strengths.
And remember, retreat is always an option. The defining trait for a ragabash is not honor or courage, after all.
4
Not even kinda. You're a ragabash, yes? That means sneak attacks and lateral thinking. Plus you are more approchable than your rage fueled pack at first. Glasswalker? You might have some issues when not in the city, but that's no big deal unless you make it a big deal. Lots of different people live in cities, you don't have to hew so close to that "weaver corruption". Poach a Bone Gnawer concept if you need to, a gutter punk or a bike messenger. The tricksters and the walkers can still rip things up is need be, and that's because...
At the bottom of all of this lies the fact that you're still a werewolf. When its go time, you'll be able to paint the walls red easy peasy.
4
You're not screwed, you're just playing Metal Gear instead of Call of Duty. A Glass Walker ragabash is a monkey-wrencher, a saboteur. Use gifts like Blur of the Milky Eye and Jam Technology to get in, subtly mess up equipment, get out. You're a scout and a secret agent. You can fight, all werewolves can. But your gifts are about stealth, illusion, and mastery of an urban environment. So pay attention. Ask about your surroundings. Situational awareness. Exploit the technology in your environment. Think like a rogue in D &D. Frontal assaults are not your thing. Out-flank and make sneak attacks. Fight dirty. Ambush. Asymmetrical warfare. You might not win in a fair fight, so make sure all your fights are unfair in your favor.