First-Time Player and Ragabash
Howdy!
I'm joining my first game as a Homid / Ragabash / Silent Strider soon, and the more I learn about the Auspice, the more challenged by it I feel. That, and I don't really understand how a New Moon Strider is different from any other flavor of Strider. Book of Auspices and the Silent Strider tribe book don't really say much about that particular dynamic.
Got any good Ragabash movies? Books? TV Shows?
Can you think of any people or characters that you think would make good Ragabash if they were Garou?
I would really appreciate examples of both good and bad Ragabash gameplay, whether they're representative of the proper way to question packmates and Garou traditions, or the worst kind of prank they could have pulled that did more to put them on someone's shit list than teach anyone a lesson. Any interesting highlights you could share would be amazing!
As it currently stands, the character I'm looking to play will be a 20-somethin' year old Italian-American hailing mostly from New York City. He's a sort of delinquent and small-time crook with a heart of gold, lean 'n wiry from dodging cops on foot all over the city on account of his illicit dealings to keep the lights on so all ma's gotta worry about is what to cook for dinner. Nothing big, mostly just pickpocketing, fencing, hustling three card monte or chess- that sorta thing, plus the odd job here and there. He spends most of his time hustling- otherwise, he's spending it with mom, or entertaining the neighborhood kids, keeping them out of BIGGER trouble by teaching them how to get into LITTLE trouble.
The First Change and Rite of Passage regrettably won't be played, but I'm thinking something like he pisses off the wrong people, he runs, they go to his place looking for him, and when he gets home and sees what's going on, he wolfs out for the first time and it ends bad for everyone. RIP mom.
Now, even being at the bottom of the pecking order as the new guy in his pack, he's just thankful to be given something to do, keeping busy with whatever his pack needs him for. He scouts, kills, hauls, jumps out in front of that scary thing with all the teeth that will most assuredly kill him and draws aggro, whatever- he's not necessarily out for glory or anything, he just can't really sit still and appreciates the distraction- the more exciting, the better.
I'm not totally settled on a name, but I think I wanna go with Yorick Gully. Ma had a thing for Shakespeare- alas, poor Yorick, yadda-yadda. Don't call him Yorick though- it's GULLY. Only ma calls him Yorick. He likes making a big deal out of that, especially to kids, cause it means they've always got something to tease him with and get a little laugh.
That's about it for now. Any anecdotes, suggestions, or research material you could provide would be really helpful!
For what it's worth I would make one point.
A lot of what I'm reading on your questions is you asking what a Strider Ragabash would do and the thing is it's not really a question of what your Auspice would do, it's more a question of what you as a character would do. Within certain parameters sure but you are you, Garou or no Garou you are your own person.
If you're asking about how to play the Ragabash I would say you have a lot of flexibility as a Ragabash, they are easily the most broadband terms of role in the nation: The Questioner, The Scout, The Trickster, The Seeker etc. So in simple terms of say settle on how you want to play the auspice and then move from there.
In my game I have a new player playing a Ragabash Black Fury, Billie is a street kid from Detroit who's been in and out of the system for most of her life. After her first change she joined you with her pack and knowing nothing about the Nation she has kinda settled into a role as a questioner, especially where the Nation and Human decency come into conflict. Whilst also dealing with the kind of paranoia that comes from living on the streets as a teenage girl and that manifesting as an almost hyper alertness in dangerous situations and that kinda covers her approach to being Ragabash.
In terms of the Strider element there is, in my mind at least, a sense of inherent loneliness, transience and isolation even within the Nation. You have no ancestors spiritual connection or homeland and that's before the shades of the dead start haunting you to the point where you have to leave for your own sanity.
Maybe think about what elements of the Ragabash most interest you, Porter makes a great point that Owl is a stern totem and therefore is unlikely to have interest in a clown. However something about Gully has drawn Owls attention and he wanted you, maybe think about that and see what appeals to you?
Hope that helps :)