Wolves and Werewolves are popular in media, popular culture, and gaming. The problem is, they are almost always in a villainous role. Whether you are playing a fantasy RPG, a horror game, or even a survival game, a distant howl is rarely a good thing. Even in games that have Shapeshifter player characters, like White Wolf, the expectation is that there will be hunting, combat, and blood. But people who have visited a wild animal sanctuary, and those who have owned a Husky or Malamute, can tell you that wolves like to have fun too. That’s why I was excited to see Little Wolves, by DinoBerry Press, as one of the sessions available on the second weekend of RPG a Thon. I admit that I had a small worry that I might be sharing a gaming table with actual children, but I was okay with that possibility.
There were a few things about this game that attracted my attention. There’s the title, Little Wolves, but also the description provided: “wear the mask of a young at heart shapeshifter exploring a forest filled with magic and mystery.” In this case, the masks are not metaphorical; they are real and an integral part of the gaming experience. Who doesn’t love a masquerade? But the thing I love the most about this game is the way it combines werewolf lore with fairytale folklore. These wolves aren’t just running around in the forest; they’re running around in a forest controlled by four different Fae Courts. You can be a wolf loyal to one of the four courts, wielding Elemental magic in Mortal (human) form and Spellsongs in Wolf form. You can transform into either form at any time, which you indicate by using your mask. You can either put on/ take off your mask, or have it face toward or away from the table.
Little Wolves was originally crowdfunded on BackerKit in June. Our hostess had barely gotten her copy of the guidebook and Enchanted Forest map in time for RPG a Thon, so we were all learning about the game together. Character creation is fairly simple. Every character has two forms, Wolf and Mortal, each with different abilities. In Mortal form, you choose which of the four courts you are loyal to, which in turn determines which Element (Earth, Wind, Water or Fire) you are attuned with, and which element you are weak against. When you are in Mortal form, you have Active and Passive Mortal Powers and have access to the Gifts of your chosen court. When you are in Wolf form, you have three Attributes: Sniff, Bark and Claw. Sniff is perception, intuition and recognition. Bark is communication and storytelling. Claw is physical skill, tool use and determination. You can have one, two, or three levels in each attribute. In Wolf form, you can also use magical Spellsongs that will give you, or your packmates, advantages. In order to use a Spellsong, the player must hum a tune, sing, or howl. Wolf form is also where you choose The Shadows that Follow You, events in your past that had a significant effect on your personality and your future. Every character also has 4 points of Resolve, which you may lose during your adventures. If you have zero Resolve, you can no longer transform into a Wolf. The only way to recover Resolve is to visit a Fae Court (not necessarily your own) and meet the Fae Queen. Finally, you choose your name (What They Call You), your pronouns, and your physical appearance in Wolf and Mortal forms.
The game mechanic here is mostly free-form storytelling, with actions and challenges resolved using D6 rolls. Each side of the D6 represents one of the Elements. One is the Moon, and it gives you one point of Luck that you can use later. Two is Wind, which represents things like skill, dexterity and cleverness. Three is Fire, which represents things like passion, emotion, energy and creativity. Four is Earth, which represents things like strength, resilience, empathy, and patience. Five is Water, which represents things like intuition, charm, healing, and curiosity. Finally, Six is Heart, and is a Wildcard that can be used as any one of the four Elements (but not Luck). There are various reasons why you might need to roll dice. You may simply need to check to see if an action is successful, you may need to resolve a Conflict, or you might need to face an Elemental Trial. To determine whether you succeed in an action, you must determine which element you are using to try to overcome your obstacle, and roll against that Element. When there is a Conflict, you can choose your Element, or the Story Guide (Game Master) may tell you which Element you will be rolling against. Remember that Conflict isn’t Combat, and violence can have very serious consequences. The word “conflict” can refer to any time you are interacting with another living being. You might be negotiating with a merchant, convincing someone to help you, or questioning someone for clues. Finally, the most serious challenge is an Elemental Trial. In an Elemental Trial, the Story Guide tells you what Element you are being Challenged by, and that Element is “locked in”. That means that the Elemental Strength and Weakness written on your character sheet comes into play.
Whether you are performing an action check, in a Conflict, or in an Elemental Trial, you have a Dice Pool to use for your rolls. Your Dice Pool is determined as follows. The first die is your base die, since everyone deserves to have a hand in their own fate. Add one die if you use a Mortal Power that will help in the situation if you are in Mortal form. Add one die for each point you have in the Attribute (Claw, Bark or Sniff) that is appropriate to the situation if you are in Wolf form. Add one die if you are Attuned to the Element being rolled against, or lose one die if you are weak against that Element. Add one die if you spend a point of Luck. Finally, add one die if you have the upper hand in the situation, or lose one die if you are caught by surprise. The Story Guide can also decide if any Spellsongs performed before or during the challenge might give you an extra advantage. The difficulty of the challenge determines the number of dice you need to match the correct Element (or be a Wildcard) to succeed. Failure always means that you lose one resolve, but the other consequences depend on the severity of the challenge. On a simple action check, failure might mean you succeed, but with a cost, or it might mean that you lose or break an item, or the situation changes. Failing a Conflict means that you need to try something else, go around the obstacle, or maybe even retreat.
Elemental Trials are the “boss battles” of Little Wolf and are special situations. If you succeed, all pack members get one XP and one Mark based on the Element of the Trial. A Mark is a physical object or symbol that gets added to your wolf mask. If you fail, you lose Resolve, and you are immediately transformed into Mortal form. You must write down which Element you failed against, and you may or may not get a Mark (a scar perhaps?). Even when you lose, you will still get one XP. Whether you win or lose, the Story Guide will describe what happens to you and the rest of the Enchanted Forest as a result of your adventure. You may get a chance to role play a brief denouement, wrapping up the story.
I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my adventure, which involved recovering the lost Pearl of Prophecy from the Mermaid Kingdom, and preventing an invasion from a Fire Elemental. There was a good balance between storytelling and game mechanics, and I loved the physical aspect of the wolf mask, right down to the adorable floppy ear that showed up whenever I turned it around. I highly recommend trying this game if you love doggos, fairytales, or both.
If you missed the Backerkit event in June, you can still get a digital download of the basic game demo at Itch.io (https://dinoberryjam.itch.io/little-wolves-demo). You can also buy a physical copy of the guidebook on https://www.dinoberrypress.com/. The digital files are “pay what you can”, with free being one of the options. The guidebook is $50USD but is totally worth it for the beautiful full-colour artwork, the expanded rules, and the additional worldbuilding lore. There is no news as to whether or not the Enchanted Forest map and Elemental Dice from the crowdfunding campaign will be available for sale in the future.
