LunarShapeshifting/BillGarrett

Magnificent Beast-God Transformation

Cost:  5 motes, 1 willpower
Duration:  Instant
Type:  Simple 
Minimum Charisma:  5
Minimum Essence:  4
Prerequisite Charms:  Deadly Beastman Transformation

Once a Lunar forges a bond with his totem animal, he gains access to a new true form - his hybrid war-form, combining the best of man and animal traits into a deadly fighting combination. This Charm permits the Lunar to gain a deeper, mightier insight, in which he instead forges a new bond with Luna. Through his connection to the mistress of shapeshifting and the many-faced trickster, he becomes a power to be reckoned with.

Magnificent Beast-God Transformation may be purchased once for every dot of permanent Essence above three the character possesses. It adds a new true form to the Lunar's repertoire, and adopting the Beast-God form automatically includes all the benefits provided by any levels of Deadly Beastman Transformation the Lunar purchased. The Lunar may opt to activate DBT instead of this Charm, to adopt his pre-existing hybrid shape.

When a Lunar activates this Charm, he manifests a larger, more impressive and mystical variation of his hybrid shape. In this form, a Lunar can easily be mistaken for a small god or other powerful spirit - his eyes glow silver, moonsilver quills or scales may manifest on his body, a silvery-white nimbus of light may surround him, he may manifest a continuing series of minor shape-shifts, and so forth. The Lunar's body grows to a size of at least ten feet in height. His presence is unmistakeable; his prowess is incomparable.

For an example of what this might look like, go here: BillGarrett/BeastGodExample

If this Charm is purchased, the Lunar's Tell becomes unmistakeable in any form. By adopting the radiant power of Luna, he has given up the ability to conceal his true identity. Although he may still wear a thousand masks, the face underneath will forevermore be marked as his own.

Mechanics:

Invoking this Charm automatically gives the Lunar any attribute bonuses and Gifts he receives, just as though he had used the Deadly Beastman Transformation Charm, at no extra cost.

The first purchase of this Charm permits the Lunar to choose any two Attributes, which may come from any category. The only exception is that the Lunar may not choose Dexterity twice, although he may otherwise double up a single Attribute on his initial purchase. Choosing Strength also allows the Lunar to buy automatic successes on damage rolls based on Strength.

Thereafter, when adopting the Beast-God form, the Lunar receives an automatic success in any roll related to these Attributes. The automatic successes are a continuous benefit of the Beast-God form and cost no additional Essence, although any Charms which buy automatic successes and have a limit on the number they can buy must count these auto-successes as part of that limit.

Subsequent purchases of this Charm allow the Lunar to select another single Attribute, receiving the same benefit. An attribute may be purchased several times, and the benefits stack.

In addition, each purchase allows the Lunar to obtain one Blessing from the following list. Blessings are continuous benefits, analogous to Gifts, which are only active in Beast-God form. The Lunar Charm Blossoming Gift of Luna does not allow Lunars to manifest Beast-God Blessings.

Full Moon - New Moon: the character may select any two DBT Gifts. He must obey the normal rules of prerequisites, but may buy (for example) one Gift, then another which depends on the first. He may buy Gifts that depend on Gifts he already received through DBT. These purchased Gifts are unique to the Beast-God form and may not be used when using Deadly Beastman Transformation or Blossoming Gift of Luna.

Inspirational Incitement of Valor: the Lunar radiates bravery and martial prowess. All of her attempts to sway or positively influence those around her receive automatic successes equal to her target's Valor, as the Lunar's aura calls to the courage in each person's heart. Attempts at similar influence by the Lunar's allies receive bonus dice equal to Valor, but these bonus dice are revoked if the Lunar attempts to influence those same targets in a different fashion.

Chimeric Mastery: the Lunar receives a 2-mote discount to the Essence cost of any Charms in the Lunar Shapeshifting or Body Enhancement trees, representing his growing mastery of his own protean nature. This discount cannot reduce the cost of a Charm below 1 mote, and it does not affect any costs that are not motes of Essence (such as Willpower). Charms with a variable Essence cost reduce the total Essence expenditure, rather than the cost per increment (thus, buying 10 dice at a cost of "1 mote per 2 dice" would cost 3 motes (5-2)).

Principle of Proteus: the Lunar may choose any 6 points' worth of Physical Merits, which manifest only in his Beast-God form. He receives any applicable cost modifications for being a Lunar.

Comments

What does it look like? DBT but bigger and more impressive? Warstrider scale? Inquiring minds want to know ^_^ -- Darloth

I've been working on this as well - I've talked to a co-conspirator but not really posted much on that. Will shortly -- BillGarrett

On that note, I'm thinking that maybe the Beast-God form needs more beefups. One major weakness of DBT is that Gifts basically require repeated purchases of the Charm, and Gifts themselves don't really increase in power as Essence (etc.) rises. Blessings are basically higher-powered versions of the same idea, but I might revise how they work to let them scale better. A Warstrider-scaled Lunar would be fun, for example... -- BillGarrett

Warstider-scale is possible, if you allow the 'Mutation' Merit with Principle of Proteus - take 'Giant', which will double your ten-foot base height. Twenty-foot Lunar! -- Savage