The tier 1 talent Shapeshifter, as shown in RoT, is a cool template for an involuntary shapeshifter. The only issue I see is that it provides one set of modifiers for all types of forms. I feel that if the shapeshifter were to assume the form of a rat it would be different from a wolf, which should feel different from a frog or a stag.

So, I tried to tweek the talent to allow for different variations. Initially, I went overboard, creating new stats and ability combos for every type of animal. After a few hours I realized what I created was a cumbersome mess. So I stripped it down into simple creature groups and one or two changes that create a different feel without breaking the talent. I hope.

At its core, the shapeshifter talent has two effects. First it heals all strain, and second it applies an animal ‘template’ to the character. The template consists of
• Brawn +1
• Agility +1
• Intellect -1
• Willpower -1
• Claws (Brawl damage +1, crit 3)
• Cannot use magic or ranged attacks

Now I am looking for some feedback. Here are my Shapeshifter form variations:

Feline (mongoose, cats, tigers, hyena)
• No change

Canine (dingos, skunks, badgers, weasels, raccoons, wolves, coyotes, jackals)
• No change

Equine (horses, asses, zebras)
• Remove Claws
• Add Fleet

Ruminants (cattle, deer, sheep, goats, bison, antelope)
• Remove Claws
• Add Bullrush and Swift

Pachyderm (hippopotamus, rhinoceros, elephants)
• Remove Agility +1, Brawn +1, and Claws
• Add Brawn +2
• Add Tough as Nails 3
• Add Silhouette 2

Simians (ape, monkey, primate)
• Remove Claws
• Add Battle Rage and Challenge!

Suina (pigs, hogs, and boars)
• Remove Claws
• Add Bullrush and Maul

Rodents (mice, squirrels, beavers, rabbits, moles and shrews)
• Remove Brawn +1 and Claws
• Add Cunning +1
• Add Nimble and either Finesse or Precision
• Add Silhouette 0

Ursine (bears)
• Remove Agility +1 Brawn +1 and Claws
• Add Brawn +2
• Add Duelist

Aquatic (amphibians, fish, dolphins, squids, octopuses)
• Remove Claws
• Add Amphibious

Arthropods (insects, spiders, crustaceans)
• Painful Blow instead of Claws

Avians (birds)
• Remove Brawn +1
• Add Flyer, Fleet, and Finesse

Chiroptera (bats)
• Remove Brawn +1
• Add Flyer, Dark Vision, and Finesse

Reptiles (turtles, snakes, lizards, crocodilians, amphisbaenians, tuatara, and dinosaurs)

• drawing a blank here...so no change for now!

2 hours ago, SatedPsycho said:

Reptiles  (turtles, snakes, lizards, crocodilians, amphisbaenians, tuatara, and dinosaurs)

Dinosaurs are not reptiles ?

Overall though it looks cool. Is your intention that the player would pick a template each time they transform? Or would it be something they choose when first getting the talent?

Have you considered making a new talent that removes the strain recovery but is a voluntary shape change? Or at least a skill check that gets easier with more talents?

Have you considered changing the Characteristics that are modified? Or at least come up with some templates to choose from for those as well?

I am not an expert, so I am just going off the Wikipedia entry which has Dinosauria as a clade of Reptilia. Although if we follow the gaming rule of cool, it should definitely be its own group!

My intention would be to have players pick one template when picking the talent, and that would be the character's only form for this talent. Although, as an involuntary shift, it might be interesting to have random forms when it is triggered (sort of like an uncontrolled spell).

In RoT there is an improved version of this talent (tier3) which allows the character to make a skill roll to trigger or prevent the activation. Removing strain recovery would not work with the talent as it is presented. The characters strain reaching 0 is the trigger that causes the shapeshift.

When I first started playing with the talent, I created many more templates with a wider range of ability modifiers (small feline form with Agility +2, small canine with a Brawn & cunning +1). I was even creating different templates for fish, whales, dolphin, etc. I stopped and condensed it down. How often would they actually come into play? If someone wanted to play an ocean themed setting it would be useful, but otherwise unnecessary.

I have considered an advanced shapshifter talent (tier 4 or 5) that would provide additional form specific talents, but I have not started working on it.

Nice. My concern is that the talent as it is really best represents a Ware Creature. Most druids who shape shift can do it whenever they want, but sure don’t recover all their strain when they do. That strain recovery element is what makes the Improved version so dam powerful

I can see your point regarding the strain recovery.

Even the tier 1 talent is quite powerful and every mage should take it. Exhaust your strain casting spells, then turn into a combat monster and recover your strain. The tier 3 version essentially gives mages an easy way to recover full strain at will.

Possibly remove the strain recovery and have the tier 1 trigger modified to something like:

"The GM can trigger the shapeshift by spending a despair result from any blow that causes at least one wound to the character."

If the tier 3 talent also did not recover strain, I would probably drop it to a tier 2 talent. Maybe even have the voluntary shift cost 1 strain.

What are your thoughts?

Its not really that great for spellcaster's actually. Mostly because it requires you split you Experience points between being a better Caster, or being an okay Martial. Also once you hit your trigger, you're stuck like that for the rest of the day (you'd best hope your party didn't need your magical expertise, or for you to participate in social encounters).

It is worth noting that Martials can spend Strain too, quite a lot of it with the right talents, and unlike a caster, doesn't lose access to a huge swath of skills for the remainder of the day.

one of player had a similar request. I made it a straight up talent that changed shape into a particular animal one form only that fitted with the players concept. So no +1 this stat thing just you got the animal stat, attacks etc. kinda like 5e does it you literally turn into the creature. No strain heal, cant cast magic or use item in the form. I used the Tiger as a guide from Diereach cataloge and did edit a few of them.

I made it a Tier 3 talent. Had to be activated

Stats

Brawn: 3, Agility: 3, Presence: 1
Talents: None
Abilities: Fierce Pounce (if a tiger uses the aim maneuver, it gains the Knockdown quality on its next claw
attack)
Equipment: Claws (Brawl; Damage: 6; Critical: 3; Range [Engaged]), Bite (Brawl; Damage: 7; Critical: 3; Range
[Engaged], Pierce 1, Vicious 2)

I did let the player keep his own mental stats. Although presence in the from is still 1.

The player really wanted to invest xp to make it better. But did not feel the talent could be ranked. For the time being i rules the talent also grants brawl as a class skill but i might just straight up say you gain ranks of lore in brawl.

The purpose really is to give the player a cool ability and he wanted something for combat since the rest of the char is more social focused. I rule the form can still be dispelled by a enemy caster allthough its not really a spell as such.

So far it works but i have a understanding with the player that we might amend the talent if it proves to imbalanced.

You could add an Improved version that grants a new ability and perhaps boosts one characteristic.

On a side note, all combat checks that use the Brawl skill have the Knockdown quality automatically, this makes the “Fierce Pounce” ability redundant. Perhaps the ability could reduce the cost of triggering Knockdown to one Advantage, or even make Knockdown automatic if the player succeeds on the check. Another option would be to say “If a tiger uses the aim manoeuvre and successfully attacks a target then until the end of the lions next turn the target looses their free manoeuvre and may only perform one manoeuvre on their turn”

For an Improved ability you could do something with attacking prone targets, perhaps adding damage, or gaining Vicious equal to Survival.

Good suggestions dident notice the knockdown om brawl the ability is just tanken from what was in the Creature Catalogue. So far i like shapeshift like this 5E d&d style that you become the Creature stat wise dont need to calculate and balance stuff.