A Wolfmaster is a human being with the ability to call wolves and mind-control
them. He usually lives in a rural area or small village, under a fairly
normal identity -- usually someone who works at night, like a baker. He
is the one and only wolfmaster in his area, and won't tolerate any intrusion
by other wolfmasters, or by werewolves. He is likely to have a family, who
may know about his secret identity; upon his death, his son will take on
his role as a Wolfmaster.
His true nature is a well-guarded secret, since wolfmasters are universally
considered evil creatures who can only be killed in their human form. In
the Middle Ages, a person suspected of being one was often cast out of the
village or sentenced to death. They are powerful, but the rumors about their
invulnerability are false -- they can be killed, albeit with difficulty.
The wolfmaster's powers come from a small bottle of unknown (demonic?) origin.
The bottle produces a potion that the wolfmaster drinks every night -- the
liquid is magically formed every morning. It will work for anyone; if a
person finds the bottle and drinks the potion even once, he becomes a wolfmaster.
(A Remove Curse would dispel the ability, with its attendant drawbacks,
but it would be harder or impossible to remove the curse from one who had
deliberately become a wolfmaster, or who had drunk the potion repeatedly.)
If the potion is taken out of the bottle and stored, it becomes clear water
with no powers. The bottle can be detected as magic, but any attempt to
identify it is at -2.
If the wolfmaster fails to drink his potion for a week, he will lose his
powers, but will regain them as soon as he takes another drink. If he fails
to drink his potion for a year, he will soon be attacked and killed by wolves.
Of course, he's not likely to forget for a year . . . but if his
magic bottle is lost or stolen, the result is the same.
From sundown to dawn, a Wolfmaster is able to summon all the wolves
living in the area, generally numbering from six to 36. He usually leads
the wolves around a big bonfire located somewhere in a forest, and they
all "dance" in a circle around the fire, awaiting their master's
orders. Wolves under his command are somehow more intelligent than normal
ones -- the telepathic link with their master enhances their IQ to 8. They
are absolutely loyal to him. If he is killed, they will try to avenge his
death.
Once per month, a Wolfmaster can attempt to summon "special" wolves
with demonic powers. To do so, he must roll vs. IQ; he gets one special
wolf for each point by which the roll is made. These may be treated as Shadow
Wolves (see Fantasy
Bestiary, p.65) with IQ 8 and no venom, but invulnerable
to all damage except to magic spells, enchanted weapons and silver blades.
They are able to cast Breathe Fire (skill 15, no energy cost, 1d+1 fire
damage hitting on a DX-2 roll). They vanish at dawn.
Wolfmasters have normal human statistics, but often have high IQ and Magery.
They all have the Night Vision and Doesn't Sleep advantages. They cannot
directly attack anyone with "holy" status, but have been known
to kidnap and kill innocent children. They are sometimes shapeshifters as
well, with the ability to become a large wolf, but only after midnight;
in some cases, their transfor-mation is uncontrollable. They all revert
to human form if their blood (even a few drops of it) is drawn.
They usually force those unfortunate enough to meet them, to "feed
the wolves." An unlucky traveler who stumbles upon a wolfmaster must
run home without stumbling; if he falls to the ground the wolves will be
on him. If he reaches home, the traveler must feed the wolves that have
followed him. He must also give them a gift for their master -- perhaps
a basket full of French bread, or a small sum of money. If he fails to do
so, he will be killed by a wolf pack attack within one year.
The French word for wolfmaster is "meneur des loups," and the
legend is still believed in some
rural parts of France -- making the wolfmaster a perfect addition to a present-day
Horror campaign,
as well as to a fantasy game.
(Back to Roleplayer
#27 Table of Contents)