Interest Check: Werewolves in South Florida

Hi all, I'm Happy Medium! Lately, I've been consuming the corebook of Werewolf: the Apocalypse 5th edition, and I want to take it out for a spin.

I'm interested in running a one-shot set in South Florida. As someone born and raised here and with a lot of opinions about this place I call home, I think it would make a fascinating theater for the battle between Gaia and the Wyrm.



By day, the streets and highways are restless, choked with starry-eyed vacationers, snowbirds, old folks, and jaded locals. Ibises and iguanas watch cybertrucks roar by with indifferent eyes. By night, the beaches and kava bars come alive--and the Garou fight the Wyrm, who holds a choking grip on the land.

System: Werewolf: the Apocalypse, 5th edition.

Setting: Southeast Florida. Players will be exploring the peaceful luxury of Boca Raton, the uncaring fast-paced metropolis of Fort Lauderdale, and the surrounding area of both. (Deceptively quiet suburban towns, with streets sprinkled with royal palms and bookended by churches.)

I also imagine possible visits to Key West, as well as Orlando and St. Augustine (Central Florida). This will be set during the modern nights.

Length: One-shot, while leaving the door open to more down the line. Again, this would be my first time trying W5, as well as the first game I'm running on this site. Because of this, I would welcome players who are new to the W5 system and want to give it a try.

I'm still developing my ideas for this setting and story--and I tend to build my stories around the players anyways. Please chime in if your interest is piqued by this! If you need more information, please chime in too--that will help me develop my ideas for this game, honestly.

-- Happy

Photo by Nigel Sarrag on Unsplash

Verrry interesting. I've visited Florida a couple of times and you're right, it has some features and dynamics that would make a very interesting setting for Werewolf; the reclamation and preservation of the Everglades, the spiritualist history of Cassadega, the monomania of Coral Castle (a man-made caern if ever there was one), the weirdness of Key West.

Starting to formulate a concept based around a crusading, gonzo environmental/anti-corruption journalist. Possibly a Black Fury or Ghost Council galliard.

Ah yes southern Gothic

I have no idea how to play, but I am a Werewolf from Coco Beach IRL.

I'm interested. Wish I could be more helpful with questions to ask, but I wouldn't even know where to start, complete newbie that I am.

I normally don't play Werewolf, but you hooked me with the setting, as I was born in Miami and now live in Orlando. :D

Love this concept! Reminds me of Carl Hiaasen's protagonists, Skink and Twilly Spree. I grew up on his books, and I've always wanted to read his adult novels...they sounded just as wild, and as raunchy as Florida is.

You're right, I had the Everglades on my mind even if I didn't point directly to it. The relationship between man-made structures and preserved areas here is really interesting.

I need to visit Cassadaga sometime! My friend and I were talking about the city, since Bright Eyes named an album after it.

I understand! Here are some links I found that could help: the beginner's guide and the tribes of the Garou are a good place to start.

You can start with thinking about what tribe your werewolf is from, and what phase of the moon they changed under.

A specific question I'd have as a GM is, how did your werewolf end up in South Florida? Why are they there?

You are so real for this.

You've spotted my inspiration exactly. :)

There's a 'what tribe/auspice are you' quiz on the Paradox site. Doesn't necessarily explain what they are, but it can help point a concept a player has in mind to an in-game affiliation.

Im interested. Always want a chance to play a werewolf- will have to look up the different tribes for 5e, but im usually somewhere between Shadow Lord or Bone Gnawer or Fianna

So if there is a werewolf clan that can:

Deadlift a Smart Car
Use a gun
Play death metal
Somewhat obsessed with Norse Paganism

Then I would fit in.

In crinos all Garou can deadlift small cars

Most tribes can use guns (Glasswalkers most likely to)

Get of Fenris = obsessed with Norse paganism (but I guess these are bad guys in 5th ed?)

Looking over the core rulebook, the Cult of Fenris in 5th edition don't seem to be that connected to Norse paganism.

"The Cult of Fenris turned service to Gaia into fanatical zealotry. They see in other werewolves an allegiance to innumerable enemies. The Patron Spirit of the tribe from which the Cult emerged was Wolf." (W5 pg. 41)

The Cult is more concerned with their relationship to the Garou Nation, and they seem to be a cautionary tale about fanaticism, purity, supremacy, and hauglosk.

Hauglosk is a state of extreme righteousness. A Garou in a state of hauglosk believes that the cause is all, that their way is the only way. If more harm than good is caused, well, that’s a cost that must be paid. [...] Werewolves suffering from hauglosk undertake their course without regard for its consequences, so impassioned are they by the need to do something, anything at all. (52)

W5 describes itself as "a storytelling game of environmental and spiritual horror." All werewolves are spiritual, since each tribe has a patron spirit, and the game involves negotiating/communicating/working with the spirits of the Umbra.

It would make sense that a Garou would be motivated by their personal spirituality. So I'd rule that a werewolf can be connected to Norse paganism without being part of the Cult of Fenris.

Well thats good. Fenris is not something to worship but to respect as a terrifyingly powerful force of greed and avarice. Not that those are inherently evil, but Fenris is.

Have you room for another? I never cared for VtM, but Werewolf always appealed to me. I even played a Child of Gaia in a Werewolf LARP once. I think that a Theurge Hart Warden suits me. My werewolf is originally from further up the Gulf Coast: Biloxi, MS. She has felt a calling to come to South Florida, a calling that she feels is directly from Gaia.

I was also Miami-born! And I was just in Orlando for a conference. My visit inspired me to run W5, actually.

I'm glad that this interest check is connecting me with fellow Floridians!

That's really cool, I've never done LARP!

This is just an interest check--now that I know people are interested, I'll post a recruitment thread in the next few days and you can apply there. I'll link it here when it's up.

I like the idea of a werewolf who is from the American South but was called to Florida from another state. As a native Floridian I've always been interested in how/why people moved here.

***UPDATE***

Hi all! I've been traveling out of the country and dealing with some mental health stuff, so I haven't made a recruitment thread like I said I would. I realized that I need to settle things with my home game before I start running any more games, and I also want to settle into Gamers Plane a little longer first.

I still intend to run Werewolf: the Apocalypse in a South Florida setting, but this will likely be done later in the year after I learn the ropes here. When I open the game for applications, y'all will definitely see it.

Thank you all again for your input, it was a huge confidence boost for people to respond and express interest. I look forward to seeing y'all around!

Understood. Hope to see you later!

Hey all! Waking up this thread to let y’all know that applications are open for this game!

Here’s the link!