Werewolf: The Apocalypse

Werewolf: The Apocalypse is a roleplaying game system first published by White Wolf, Inc. in 1992. It is the second major addition to White Wolf's growing "World of Darkness" setting and was created following the popularity of White Wolf's inaugeral project, Vampire: The Masquerade. The dynamics of the game is one of personal horror and utilizes what is referred to as the storyteller's system. A second edition with new rules and graphics was published in 1994 and a revised addition was published in 2004 shortly before the discontinuation and subsequent relaunch of the "World of Darkness" setting. The basic premise of the original 1st and 2nd edition game systems is that the werewolves, referred to as garou, are a dying breed, and they are struggling against the forces of the Wyrm in order to survive the coming Apocalypse.

The werewolves from Werewolf the Apocalypse are radically different from those seen in other forms of media. They are shape-shifters, but they are not cursed creatures, but rather, beings who are the chosen protectors of Gaia (Mother Earth) and are born to become werewolves through selective breeding. They are the sworn enemies of the Wyrm, which is the metaphysical essence of corruption and manifests itself in different forms such as evil spirits. Garou culture is broken up into thirteen tribes, all of whom have their own unique culture, ideology, heritage and abilities. There have been other tribes as well described in the various supplemental media; those which are either lost, extinct or have been irrevocably corrupted by the Wyrm, such as the White Howlers.

Notes & Trivia

 * The original Werewolf: The Apocalypse rulebook and all of it's supplementary modules were discontinued in 2004.


 * In 2005, White Wolf, Inc. reworked it's brand into an entirely new storyteller system and rules system. The roleplaying core set for the werewolves was called Werewolf: The Forsaken.