Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition form
Hispo
Hispo is a form in Werewolf W5: The dire wolf shape, an enormous wolf with a punishing bite, four legs, and no hands at all.
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Overview
Hispo is the middle of the wolf side: an enormous dire wolf that adds 2 dice to Physical tests and bites harder than any other shape. Tools are unavailable, which is the standing price of four legs and a jaw built to use them. In play Hispo is the pursuit form. It closes ground Homid cannot, fights without the Delirium that follows Crinos, and still reads to a witness as an animal, if a frightening one. Galestalkers and Red Talons live between two shapes: Lupus to arrive unnoticed, Hispo the moment the hunt turns into a fight.
How it works
Attribute Changes: None as ratings. The form adds 2 dice to Physical tests. Bite: Enhanced bite damage, which makes Hispo the wolf shape built to trade blows rather than avoid them. Speed: Four-legged and fast, quicker over open ground than Glabro or Crinos. Delirium: None. A witness sees an impossibly large wolf, which they can process, report, and hunt. Shifting: Rage fuels the change, and Hispo is the step between Crinos and Lupus in both directions. Tools and Speech: Tools are unusable, and human language does not survive the shape either, so give the pack your plan before you shift.
Tips and playstyle
Best for: Chases, ambushes, and wilderness fights where nobody needs a door opened or a sentence finished. Character concepts: A Galestalker running a circuit, a Red Talon who treats Homid as a costume, a Ghost Council tracker who works at night. Synergies: Athletics, Survival, and Brawl all pay here, and a Lupus-born Garou gives up nothing by living in it.
Frequently asked questions
Hispo or Crinos for a fight?
Crinos wins harder: 4 dice on Physical tests and 4 extra Health levels against Hispo's 2 dice and a better bite. Hispo's advantage is that it causes no Delirium, so the witnesses and the aftermath stay manageable.
Can a Hispo Garou pass for a real wolf?
Only to someone who has never seen one. Hispo is a dire wolf, far larger than any living animal, so it explains itself badly in a park and perfectly in deep country.
What do I give up in Hispo?
Tools and human speech. No firearms, no doors, no phone, and no talking your way out, which is why most packs send Hispo in only once the talking is over.