This is the core book for Werewolf: The Apocalypse. In this game, players play werewolves (the Garou). The Garou believe they were made by Gaia to protect the weaker species and fight against The Wyrm, who tries to corrupt the world. This book mainly deals with the different characters a player can create. A characters abilities are governed by three important facts: his breed, auspice and tribe. Breed denotes the character's parents: a Homid had human parents, a Metis had (two) Garou parents (and is sterile himself) and a Lupus had wolf parents. A Homid will have more aptitude for dealing with humans, a Lupus will better know his way in the wilds, while the Metis has the best understanding of Garou culture. Auspice is the moon under which the character was born, which determines his role in the pack: - Ragabash (New Moon - The Trickster: questioner of the ways) - Theurge (Crescent Moon - The Seer: searcher of the ways) - Philodox (Half Moon - The Judge: keeper of the ways) - Galliard (Gibbous Moon - The Moon Dancer: lover of the ways) - Ahroun (Full Moon - The Warrior: protector of the ways). Tribe is the group of Garoun the character belongs to. These are like "nations" to the Garou, and have different territories and a different outlook on the world. Character advancement is done in two ways. First of all, characters will earn experience and will grow in strenght because of that. However, a Garou also needs to accumulate Renown in order to advance in their society. Renown comes in three forms: Glory, Honor and Wisdom. A Garou will need all three to advance, though the emphasis does differ between the Auspices. An Ahroun will set less stock by Wisdom than a Theurge will.