Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition tribe
Shadow Lords
Shadow Lords is a tribe in Werewolf W5: Ambitious schemers under Thunder who take power through cunning and pursue visible Glory.
Last reviewed
Key facts
- Patron
- Thunder
- Renown Affinity
- glory
Overview
The Shadow Lords believe the Garou Nation is led badly and that they would do it better. Their patron is Thunder and their favored Renown is Glory, which they earn by winning where it will be seen rather than quietly. They read a sept's politics as terrain, and their long feud with the Silver Fangs is about who deserves the seat, not whether anyone should hold it. In play a Shadow Lord gives the pack teeth in every scene that is not a fight. You test the alpha, work the moot, and arrange for a rival to fail publicly. The trap is playing the tribe as a traitor. The interesting Shadow Lord is loyal to the pack and ruthless with everyone else, because a scheme that costs your own packmates is exactly the failure Thunder does not forgive.
How it works
Patron: Thunder Renown Affinity: Glory Focus: Politics, manipulation, and the pursuit of power Typical Gifts: Social manipulation and stealth Gifts Gifts at Creation: 3 total, one from your auspice, one from the Shadow Lord tribe list, one free
Tips and playstyle
Best For: Players who like intrigue, long plans, and a character with something to prove at every moot. Playstyle: Buy Intimidation, Subterfuge, and Politics, and put a Specialty in one of them. Keep one long-term goal and one rival written down, and never make your own pack the target. Character Concepts: Union organizer, corporate climber, sept challenger, second child of a Silver Fang house, a Philodox who wants the ruling to be theirs.
Frequently asked questions
Are Shadow Lords villains?
Only if you play them that way. The tribe is ambitious rather than corrupt, and its criticism of Garou leadership is largely accurate. A Shadow Lord who is right and unpopular is far better at the table than one who is merely treacherous.
How do I scheme without slowing the game?
Name your target and your move to the Storyteller, then play the fallout. Shadow Lord scenes work when the plan resolves inside one session and its consequences run for several.
Why the feud with the Silver Fangs?
Both tribes claim leadership: Silver Fangs by lineage under Falcon, Shadow Lords by competence under Thunder. Their Renown affinities differ as well, Honor against Glory, which is the whole argument in miniature.