Revision as of 03:34, 22 July 2006

Shapechanging 1

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Initial Notes

Shapechanging 1 is focused on the changing of the self, and thus I cut away the charms that changed external factors into its own tree.
Note: Evolution Charms will be marked with a dotted border, Charms with No prerequisites will be marked by Grey backgrounds.
Please note changes after tree.

http://i4.tinypic.com/16gzswm.jpg

Changes

Finding the Spirits Shape: Free creation for all Lunars, bar casteless. Casteless who start without it are assumed to be newly exalted, and embarking upon a journey to find thier totem Animal. Once gained the Lunar gains Awesome Beastman Transformation. Totem animal form, Human form, and Beastman form are all True forms, which the Lunar may reflexivly shift between. Finding the Spirits Shape is no Longer a charm in nature, simply an extension of the Lunars innate skills.

Deadly Beastman Transformation: Replaced by Awesome Beastman Transformation. See below.

Hide of the Cunning: now requires Min. Appearance of 1, not Manipulation, exceeding 8+ motes of anima display causes charm to stop working
Masking the Brilliant Form: now is App 2 Ess 2, 3 motes per level, and 1 will power, can lower your level of tell. Effects last 1 day, exceeding 8+ motes of anima display causes charm to stop working.

Prey’s Skin Disguise: Now only prerequisite is Shaping the Ideal form. However, without the benefits of: Many Face Moon Transformation, Towering Beast form, or Humble mouse shape, Prey’s skin Disguise is limited to the Lunar being of the same gender, and close to the same size of their target shape, or the limitations given by Finding the Spirits Shape.

New Charms & Evolutions

Awesome Beast Man Transformation
Replaces Deadly Beastman Transformation. First of all it is no Longer a Charm, merely an extension of finding the Sprits shape, and as such, you gain 1 level immediately at creation, with 5 points to spend on attributes for your hybrid form, and 2 gifts for your Hybrid form to have, usually in correlation to your Totem Animal. You may purchase levels of ABT up to your permanent essence, for either 8bp or 16xp per level; each subsequent purchase will gain 3 extra ability points, and 1 extra gift. Awesome Beastman Transformation Acts as a Charm, but for all intents and purposes is not a Charm, it is now a culmination of the Lunars Shapechanging prowess in combination with his totem form.

Awesome Beastman Transformation is not limited to combat, to that end; you may spend points on all attributes to be used in Totem hybrid Form. Dexterity and Perception costing 2 points to raise 1 dot, and 1 point buys 2 dots in appearance and stamina, and a 1 for 1 basis with the rest.

Should you decide to remain in Hybrid Form, since your Tell is so obvious, at least one person is going to pick up on what your signature mark is, and then be able to look for it later on. This may diminish your shape shifting capabilities in regards to stealth. This is of course little concern for some Lunars who chose to glorify their bestial nature, as opposed to others who prefer stealth and guile.

The use of ABT as opposed to DBT comes to the fore in social situations, where in ABT you are now simply a Large beast-man Hybrid, whether you’re taken as a Beastman, a God/spirit, or God-Blooded is another matter all together, depending on the visibility of tattoos, and the Knowledge of the Lunar Exalted in the area. The Tell now operates on the familiarity of each Lunar, corresponding levels of fame, wanted, etc.

To Identify or recall the Lunar as a new witness the following Perception + Awareness roll is made at the following difficulties, so long as the Scrutinizer has reason to suspect the Lunar as being an Exalt:
In a true form with 1-2 levels of ABT the difficulty is 7, in a True form with 3-4 levels of ABT the difficulty is 5, in a True Form with 5+ levels of ABT the difficulty is 3, while in ABT the difficulty is only 1. While in a non-true form no roll may be made to detect the Tell, as it is the Tells nature to hide itself.
Once Spotted the Tell is not easily forgotten, for those who have encountered the Lunar before make the Perception + Awareness Roll against the following difficulties once their suspicion is sufficiently roused:
While in a Non-True Form with 1-2 levels of ABT the difficulty is 5, in a Non-True Form with 3-4 levels of ABT the difficulty is 3, in a Non-True Form with 5+ level so ABT the difficulty is 1. While in a True Form or ABT it is impossible to miss the Tell, if an offence was made in a different True Form from what the Lunar is currently in, once they are put under scrutiny then they will be identified.

For example a Bull Totem Lunar, in Awesome Beastman Transformation, may enter a bar and engage in a drinking contest with the regular occupants without anyone giving cry to this seemingly unholy man-beast hybrid. However, as a result of this contest the bar is then trashed by the Lunar. The following day they may return in their True Human form, if no-one makes the link between the Bull-man, and the new comer with horns on his head then all is well.

Lunars may re-buy prior levels of ABT (excluding the first) in order to re-assign attribute points and gifts bought at that level. If the Lunar choses to do this, the Next time they enter ABT requires the additional expenditure of 1 Willpower.

Handy Tables for Tell Checks

|| New Witness || || Shape || Difficulty || || Non-True Form || cannot roll || || True Form, ABT 1-2 || 7 || || True Form, ABT 3-4 || 5 || || True Form, ABT 5+ || 3 || || ABT || 1 ||

|| Prior Witness|| || Shape || Difficulty || || Non-True Form, ABT 1-2 || 5 || || Non-True Form, ABT 3-4 || 3 || || Non-True Form, ABT 5+ || 1|| || True Form, ABT || no roll needed||

HULKING BEHEMOTH ADAPTATION

Cost: None

Duration: Indefinite

Type: Special

Minimum Charisma: 4

Minimum Essence: 3

Pre-requisite Charms: Towering Beast Form.

Knowledge of this Charm allows the Lunar to assume a form larger than a Tyrant-Lizard, but no larger than a Behemoth. There is no cost to use this Charm’s effects – learning this charm simply enhances the Lunar’s capabilities.
Members of the Eclipse Caste may not learn this charm, for it draws on a natural power of the Lunar Exalted that Solars cannot master or emulate.

DELICATE MANTIS EMULATION

Cost: None

Duration: Indefinite

Type: Special

Minimum Charisma: 4

Minimum Essence: 3

Pre-requisite Charms: Humble Mouse Shape.

Knowledge of this Charm allows the Lunar to assume a form smaller than a mouse, but no smaller than an insect. There is no cost to use this Charm’s effects – learning this charm simply enhances the Lunar’s capabilities.
Members of the Eclipse Caste may not learn this charm, for it draws on a natural power of the Lunar Exalted that Solars cannot master or emulate.

Additional Notes

The first thing that needed adressing, was DBT, it was a cool charm, no doubt, but limiting, way too limiting. Now ABT is a swiss army knife, suitable for everyone. Want a low tell? Then use only one level, you dont have to get more if you don't want to, and if all else fails, you have a nifty half-beast form to rely on incase you fall on your arse.
Prey's skin diguise was an oddity as you could take the hearts blood of an animal, and shape shift into it without a problem, but if it was too big or small, you couldn't do so without Towering Beast Form or Humble Mouse Shape respectively; but to copy specific people, most of whom aren't bigger than an elk, or smaller than a cat, you'd need both of those charms. Many-Faced Moons made sense, without doubt, but I felt that some Lunars may not feel comfortable changing gender, so decided to leave it as an Evolution. Prey's Skin Disguise is now accessable early on, but limited without the other charms to aid it, again tying back into the Lunar theory that their charms grow with them.

Comments

Surely you mean half a point per dot, not the other way around. Half a dot per point is 1 dot for 2 points, the same as Dex or Percep.

I like what you've done with PSDisguise, I was planning on doing much the same, but I like yours better now ^_^. One question though, how much does it cost to shift into ABT form? still the same 5 motes in? Is it still counted as a true form, I assume? You say it isn't a charm, but what does that mean. Is Finding the Spirit's Shape a charm either? Should lunars be allowed to switch between true forms without a charmslot, is what I'm basically asking. I think they probably should, as they can switch out of a shapeshift for free, and return to their last true form, so people can 'prime' themselves to drop back into a chosen form anyway.
-- Darloth

Since most of these changes were my suggestions, I can try and field a few questions, although ArabianNinja is free to correct me. :) When ABT says it's not a Charm, it means it stops being a Charm and becomes a reflexive function that all Lunars (excluding casteless who don't know FtSS) have access to, similar to anima effects. Taking it out of the Charm tree stops the problem with wanting DBT in every single combo, since, well, why would you -not- include it, as a reflexive instantaneous set of buffs? ABT functions like a Charm in every way, except it's technically no longer a Charm, so doesn't count to the one-Charm-per-turn rule. It's still a true form, too.

There's an ineresting point as to if FtSS should be given the same treatment - because, then you get reflexive swapping between all three true Forms. That's got a nice elegance to it. Also, if the two are kept as quasi-Charms, they still need to be purchased, and casteless don't start with either. Fine insight sir! - DeadManSeven

DM7 hit every nail on the head, ABT is an innate ability of the Lunar, its what defines them. Its a quasai charm, and as stated above it doesnt fill a charm slot, its free one you get FtSS unless you're casteless, because you haven't found your totem yet. Essentially once you gain FtSS you gain your totem form, thus gain your hybrid. I'll ammend the above of FtSS to say that your human/totem/hybrid form are all true forms once aquired, and ammend the error with regards to appearance and stamina, its a 2 for the price of 1 deal. - ArabianNinja