Let me preface my rant by saying this: Our current game is so alternate history and lore that it might as well be considered full homebrew. That said we are using Dark Ages 20th core books where available and branching out from there until we hit the rules/mechanics we need.
The game is very heavy on politics and intrigue, set in alternate history Roman empire around year 900 and forward.
My ST is very experienced in the WoD landscape, though mostly in VtM. Werewolf is not a system he really has any experience with personally. Our campaign is planned to be very very long, and as such certain pacing is attempted to keep everything contained and playable.
My character is based on the mechanics for Kitsune, and we are trying to play with the Renown system in our own lore way while keeping the mechanics. That being said, I don't personally understand Renown all that much and my ST does not have a good grasp of how to run it by his own words.
Here are relevant outtakes from the Changing Breeds book:
Renown
Kitsune
The three categories of werefox Renown are Chie, Toru, and Kagayaki, roughly corresponding to Cunning, Honor, and Glory. The Kitsune put little stock in Renown; it mostly seems useful when dealing with the other Breeds — although, the Kitsune reason, if the other Changers have been keeping track of the stuff for millennia, there must be something to it.
Chie (Cunning) is awarded for exhibiting superior cleverness; the ideal of Chie is to trick two enemies into destroying each other, while the Kitsune watches safely from a distance.
Toru (Honor) is awarded for living one’s life in accordance with Gaia and Luna’s rules, preferably by living as a Kitsune without compromise while still achieving one’s goals.
Kagayaki (Glory) is awarded for perfection. Kitsune care less for accomplishments themselves than for how those accomplishments make them shine in the eyes of their Changing Breed cousins. Also, Kagayaki is awarded for doing “good deeds” in the sight of those that matter. Rank, on the other hand, is both eagerly sought after and revered — particularly since foxes gain additional tails, magic, and longevity each time they advance.
- W20 Changing Breeds p. 218
THE LAWS OF HEAVEN
I command you to destroy that which harms Gaia.
I command you to aid your brothers, your sisters, and that which serves Gaia.
I command you to revere Your Mother, Myself, your Aunts, your Uncles, and Our Favored Servants.
I command you to keep your duty first in your heart, and to listen for my teachings
I forbid you to exterminate the humans.
I forbid you to make war on your brothers and sisters
I forbid you to break your word.
I forbid you to commit suicide for reasons of honor.
I free you to do anything else necessary to achieve our goals.
- W20 Changing Breeds p.123
Cunning
Sample Behavior Award Drawing first blood in combat; creating a talen; discovering a useful secret 1 Protecting an important secret from discovery; surviving an incapacitating blow 2 Wounding a powerful foe and prudently retreating; performing sabotage; creating a successful diversion 3 Creating a fetish; hatching a complex plot that succeeds; stealing something of value from an enemy stronghold 5 Destroying an enemy stronghold; creating a Den-Realm; creating a new Gift 7 Failing an attempt at craftiness; being captured by an enemy –1 Being caught in a lie; becoming the pack’s runt (Ratkin); letting a secret slip –3 Hurting other members of your Breed through recklessness or conniving; getting caught defying an elder –5
- W20 Changing Breeds p.219
Glory
Sample Behavior Award Telling a good story at a gathering; participating in a just challenge; proving one’s bravery in a routine situation 1 Surviving an incapacitating wound; defeating a minor threat; telling a true epic that is later retold 2 Defeating an average threat; traveling to an Umbral Realm and returning 3 Defeating a strong threat; dying while defending a Den-Realm 5 Defeating a very powerful threat; sacrificing oneself for the greater good 7 Succumbing to fox-frenzy –1 Losing territory to an enemy –3 Conscious cowardice that results in the death of another of your Breed –5
- W20 Changing Breeds p.220
Honor
Sample Behavior Award Showing restraint in the face of certain death; showing devotion to the greater good; dealing respectfully with other shapeshifters 1 Protecting helpless humans in need; participating in a just challenge 2 Acting selflessly for the greater good of the Breed; mediating a dispute fairly and impartially 3 Ignoring strong feelings of vengeance and hatred; being truthful in the face of adversity; protecting helpless animals related to the Breed 5 Enduring torture to protect fellow Breed members; death in defense of Gaia 7 Acting selfishly; not protecting helpless humans; being deceptive in the face of extreme adversity –1 Failing to keep promises; being deceptive; participating in an unjust challenge –3 Not protecting a helpless Breed member; completely ignoring etiquette; giving false testimony against a Breed member –5
- W20 Changing Breeds p.220
The "Chie" and Cunning comparison is quite straight forward I believe, simply add a intrigue and clever maneuvering spin to it. It's not that far from the examples already.
However the Toru and Kagayaki become more troublesome for me.
Toru seems to be about living in accordance to the Rules of Heaven and otherwise just being a Kitsune/yourself? Which does not translate very well into the Honor examples as Kitsune are all about trickery, illusion, deception and magic. The last Law is literally everything else is permitted. My character is pretty much doing this all the time. The Laws guides his life and otherwise he lives proud of himself as a cunning predator. But simply gaining Renown by being himself sounds... like trying to game the system? But if actions more than that are needed, then this one is really hard?
Kagayaki is even weirder to me. Glory is all about... glory in combat? Slaying your foes and creating Epics in the process? Kagayaki is about perfectionism and looking good in the eyes of others and doing "good dees"? That does not seem to be about combat at all to me, maybe a little...
So now I beseech you, wise people of StackExchange, can you provide me with your own insight on how to interpret Kitsune Renown and possibly even come up with your own improved Renown examples? (Both gain and loss if possible)
TL;DR: Kitsune Renown is unique and weird. Help me understand it please.
PS: I also asked this on the White Wolf subreddit and on TheOnyxPath. I'll leave the links to those forums here for anyone finding this post in the future. I found the answers here, on StackEchange, to provide me with what I sought.
https://www.reddit.com/r/WhiteWolfRPG/comments/x54wru/question_how_to_award_kitsune_renown/