Marshals Section.

Firstly, you need to know all about the Compensation costs, Marshal. When a Wildman character uses any power, the compensation cost comes into play directly after the effects of the power wear off. As you will have noticed, compensation costs range from 1 to 5, with a couple of powers able to reach as high as 9, which is the absolute maximum.

When determining compensation for a character, there are a couple of factors to consider. Firstly, you'll need to work out how to spend the points. Compensation has two factors: Duration and Severity. Lets have a look at those charts now, and then look at what they mean.

By adding together the two factors of the compensation, you get to the Compensation cost the character must meet. For example, if a character generates 4 points of compensation, this may represent an Obvious Animal trait for one minute (Duration 0 + Severity 4) or perhaps a Minor trait for twelve hours (Duration 2 + Severity 2) and so on. It's your call, Marshal.

The 'difficulty to spot' following the severity scale is the difficulty for onlookers to notice the trait and find the character odd. An insignificant trait might represent slightly hairier legs or back, an apparent trait may be knees that bend the wrong way (like a cat or dog's rear legs), or pointy teeth and fangs, while a blatant trait may be stag horns or feathers covering the body.

Next, you need to decide what kind of animal trait is gained. To an extent, the Severity should guide you here. Also, the Animal and Nature spirits generally enforce a compensation that is related to the animal or animals the power used drew upon. So, if a Wildman uses Pied Piper to summon a pack of rats to an area, the Trait gained will usually be something related to a rat.

An insignificant trait might be curiously slitted eyes like a rat, while a blatant trait might be a large and long tail plus whiskers. A power that uses or benefits a bonded animal will usually give the Wildman a trait based on that animal. For powers that do not target or involve a specific animal (such as Wilderness Sense), generate a random animal trait.

Animal traits gained do not have to be physical. You might consider giving a Wildman a psychological trait (a compulsion to chase cats up trees perhaps?), or speech related (Insignificant meaning that the character's 'S'es get elongated, while Blatant might mean he is incapable of speech without lots of hissing, caterwauling or snarling.) Pretty much anything that inconveniences the character a little and makes it tricky for him to get by when lots of other people are nearby qualifies.

Oh, by the way - If the character ever botches his power activation roll, generate the animal trait normally, but then ignore the duration portion and make it permanent. The only way for the character to rid himself of permanent animal traits is by spending a Legend chip, which removes one per Legend chip spent.

If a Wildman uses a power, and thus generates compensation, while she still exhibits an animal trait from a previous power usage, the compensation cost of the new power usage is at +1. This is cumulative, so using a third power while both of the previous two are in effect will add +2 to the compensation cost of the third power. In any case, if the compensation cost to be paid is more than 9, the power will automatically fail.

You should still make the character roll for it, Marshal, as there's always a chance they will botch and get another permanent animal trait.

Animal Affinity.

The compensation cost for this power is listed as 'special'. Once the power duration has ended, determine what severity the changes the power made to the characters body are. These changes will remain (giving no benefit) for a duration determined by indexing the severity with a Compensation cost of 5. So, if the Wildman used Animal Affinity to grow wings and fly, then when the power was finished, the Wings (which are severity 5) would remain for duration 0 (one minute), as the compensation cost. Because the power has ended, the Wildman cannot use the wings to fly anymore - they are merely there as the compensation animal trait.

Limbs of the Gecko.

As mentioned in the power description, Limbs of the Gecko has a very special compensation cost - it automatically generates a permanent animal trait, whether the Wildman is successful in the activation cost or not. The first time a Wildman uses this ability, the permanent animal trait will be Insignificant. If she has to use it again, it will be Minor, the third time Apparent, and so on.

Longevity.

The only drawback to this power is that the ageing process is actually held in check, not prevented. This means that when the power wears off, the animal will begin to age normally if it is still within it's usual age span, but if it is now older than an animal of that type should be able to live, it will begin to age at ten times the normal rate (ten days for every actual day) until the Wildman uses the power again. If past double the usual age span for the animal type, the rate of ageing will be 100X normal (roughly one year per three and a half days)

Scales of the Armadillo.

There is no compensation cost for this ability.  While the ability is in effect, the character already has what is considered a Severity 5 animal trait (She's covered with huge crusty scales), and she has to have this trait while she gets the benefit of the ability, while normally the Wildman only gains traits after the benefit of the ability has worn off.

Also, the character gains -1 to all physical actions while this ability is in effect. Note however that each consecutive casting in a 24 hour period adds +3 consecutively to the difficulty. No, this ability cannot be reused while a previous use of it is still in effect.

Using Fate Chips to reduce Compensation duration.

Wildman characters may spend fate chips to reduce the duration of current compensation traits they are exhibiting.  A white chip will reduce all traits by one duration step (from Twelve hours to one hour, or 1D4 days to 1 day and so on), a red two steps, and a blue three steps.  A legend chip will reduce all durations by four steps, so that all except 1D4 days will vanish instantly, while the former will only last one minute.