 (Excerpted

from W20, pp. 309-310)

Some supernatural creatures, including werewolves, have learned methods of crossing the
Gauntlet from the physical world into the Umbra. All Garou have this Gaia-given ability — it’s their
birthright, their legacy, and an intuitive ability they inherit from the time of their First Change. However,
most werewolves are unaware of this talent, and they usually don’t attempt it until an elder shows them
the way. Garou call this practice “stepping sideways” or “reaching.”
Traveling through places where the Gauntlet is thick is virtually impossible; crossing over where
the Gauntlet is thin comes as naturally as controlling one’s breathing. Spiritualists can learn more exotic
methods of crossing this barrier, such as circumventing the Gauntlet entirely by traveling to the spirit
world in dreams. Mages and other willworkers have their own methods for crossing the Gauntlet; in fact,
packs of werewolves may encounter such visionaries on their travels.
System: To step sideways, a werewolf needs to meditate on a highly reflective surface, such as a
clear pool of water or a mirror. When a character attempts this, roll that character’s Gnosis; the difficulty
is the strength of the local Gauntlet. The Gauntlet is strongest near certain types of environments; every
place on Earth has a Gauntlet rating between 2 and 9.


Area Difficulty Rating
Science lab 9
Inner city, downtown 8
Average city street 7
Rural countryside 6
Deep wilderness 5
Urban caern 5
Active caern 4
Powerful caern 3
Greatest caerns 2

Some shapeshifters cannot attempt this or have different methods for crossing the Gauntlet. The time it
takes to enter the Umbra depends on the number of successes on this Gnosis roll.
Successes Shift Time
Botch “Caught”
0 Failure (wait another hour before trying again)
One 5 minutes
Two 30 seconds
Three+ Instantly

If the roll is botched, the werewolf is “caught” in the Gauntlet, temporarily suspended between
the mundane Realm and the Umbra. He’s held in a web the Weaver has woven until assisted by another
Garou. Half of him is spiritual, and half is physical. While trapped, he’s subjected to soul-shattering
visions. Although the werewolf cannot be seen or attacked by physical entities (like human beings), evil
spirits wander the Gauntlet looking for trapped and vulnerable travelers. Another werewolf can attempt to
free the traveler by making a successful roll to step sideways; otherwise, the Garou must wait in his
shameful, dishonorable, and dangerous state for an hour before trying again. If that second roll botches,
he cannot leave on his own. Until he’s rescued, he’s trapped there forever.
Garou who have learned the Theurge Gift: Pulse of the Invisible don’t need to use a reflective
object when stepping sideways; they can enter at will. Even blind werewolves can enter the Umbra, as
long as they know that Gift. (At the Storyteller’s discretion, carrying your own reflective object may
make stepping sideways slightly more difficult, since the object isn’t “anchored” to its surroundings; in
these cases, increase the difficulty by 1.)
Werewolves in a pack may choose one among them to lead them into the Umbra; that individual
makes the Gnosis roll for all of them. (It’s usually the werewolf with the highest Gnosis, who may in this
instance act as the temporary alpha of the pack.) If the pack is caught, however, the shapechangers can
make their second attempts as individuals. Usually, the roll succeeds; all the pack’s members arrive at the
same time. All of the pack members must be capable of stepping sideways, and they must all be willing.
Garou (or other shapechangers) who are not part of the pack cannot travel with them; they must travel
through on their own. However, Garou with the Theurge Gift: Grasp the Beyond can take non-Garou with
them into the Umbra.

(Excerpted from W20, p. 313)

A Garou in the Penumbra can peer back into the physical world, but it’s not easy, and it’s not
without risk. (This requires a Gnosis roll against a difficulty equal to the local Gauntlet.) If the attempt
succeeds, the werewolf sees a shadowy, monochromatic version of the physical world. Seeing fine details
is difficult (although it’s possible to read newsprint, a computer monitor, or facial expressions with five
successes). Noises from the other side have distortion or echoes. Scent, however is unaffected; in fact,
some Garou claim their sense of smell is heightened enough that they can even track prey.
While a Garou in the Penumbra is peeking into the physical world, however, she is oblivious to
her surroundings in the spirit world, unless she starts taking damage (and losing Health Levels). Her pack
can’t communicate with her, and her enemies can act unopposed. Her intense concentration is obvious,
especially since her eyes will be glowing.
Werewolves can also peek from the Earth to the Penumbra, though it’s even more difficult. The
Gnosis roll is against a difficulty of the local Gauntlet plus three, up to a difficulty of 9. However, the
same dangerous distraction is evident. Fortunately, some supernatural abilities make this easier, such as
the Gift: Pulse of the Invisible.
Some spirits in the Penumbra may also be able to dimly perceive events in the physical world.
This requires the Charm: Peeking, although discerning fine details is as difficult for these spirits as it is
for Garou (requiring the same Gnosis roll against a difficulty equal to the strength of the Gauntlet). One
of the most useful applications of this is when a werewolf gathers information from a spirit tasked to
observe a specific physical person or place. One of the most dangerous situations is when a Bane is tasked
to perform this same activity or uses this information to stalk and corrupt an innocent victim.