Explaining the origin of were-form characters' abilities

[Ihadris]

Hey guys,

Ive recently looked back across the character types and was thinking about examples I might create to show to my group when it comes round to playing. While I have a great idea for a Were-form character I had no idea how I would create a backstory for such a character other the power being present since birth.

Any ideas on how you might work in character suddenly, or only recently, coming into their abilities? Regardless of whether we go with Billy's or Harry's explanation for how it works there is definatly something out of the ordinary going on there! 

Thanks
Ihadris

[iago]

The X-Men have had this covered for decades. Hormonal changes, usually triggered by adolescence. But there are other times of life that trigger such changes too: getting pregnant, menopause, etc. So I'd think about that for one.

Or it could be a "you didn't know you could do this" thing, too. Imagine someone coming from a long line of were-ravens (actual character concept in a game I ran once); the question then is why he/she wasn't taught the "family secret". Parents died in car crash before he was of age? Ran away from home?

[Ihadris]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I cant beleive that I mangaged to entirely forget the x-men! I really like the second option though and thanks for suggesting it.

Ihadris

[TheMouse]

I'm sure you could justify a more sinister explanation. Perhaps the shape changing ability was a gift to your family from an ancient god of the wood. Each generation has to do a favour for the god to activate the power. This powerful being has coincidentally not needed anything done in the mortal world...

...until now.

[iago]

Nice one, Mouse.

[TheMouse]

Nice one, Mouse.

Thanks, Fred. I've been thinking about mixing together different non-Refresh intensive character types, and this one seemed like an interesting option.

[Valarian]

Another option could be that the ability is recessive and it takes a severe psychological or physical trauma in order for the ability to activate. Possibly a good one for changing a mortal character in to a supernatural one. Of course, there's the repercussions of the trauma to work out.

[Jaroslav]

Another option is that in order for for your family line of shape shifters to change form they needed to consume a part of the animal that the family has the ability to transform into. So when the family became immigrants they couldn't pass the power on to later generations.hundreds of years later after a trip abroad that involved sampling local cuisine, your character now finds that they can change shape. But in the middle of this great revelation they run afoul of whatever forced their family out of the country in the first place.

[iago]

Another option is that in order for for your family line of shape shifters to change form they needed to consume a part of the animal that the family has the ability to transform into. So when the family became immigrants they couldn't pass the power on to later generations.hundreds of years later after a trip abroad that involved sampling local cuisine, your character now finds that they can change shape. But in the middle of this great revelation they run afoul of whatever forced their family out of the country in the first place.

Great for playing a were-alligator -- all it takes is a trip to the swampy part of Florida.

[Ihadris]

Thanks for all the fantastic ideas everyone it really helped! Loving the trauma scenario!
Ihadris

[newtinmpls]

It all depends on how you shape your world. In my world there are two types of "shape changers"; one is shifters, and these are loosely based on the genetic muckification caused (in my world) by all the grafting and such (yes, there are long term effects in my world from using fish genes in tomatoes). In these cases, the change is DNA based, and not magical ('cause it's my rules) and always (though not always obviously) traces back to something to do with heritage (i.e. Brits turn to lions, Native Americans per their totem, Poles to eagles and so on). These shapes have no superpowers, nor catch. Just a version of the animal as an animal.

Then there is the magical/catch-ridden version, which means you have to have been bitten (or whatever).

dian

[Drachasor]

Could be a curse/boon from an entity you inadvertently helped or hurt.  Maybe you rescued a Summer Lord when they were badly hurt or something else.  Or, like someone in the campaign I am going to be in, you could of pissed off Loki and he gave you a curse he found amusing (well, it is a longer story than that).

Or maybe a wizard's experiment filled a animal with magions, and this magioactive beast bit you and gave you special powers.

You could be a scion and didn't know it.

Maybe you were born at a special time and another celestial or other confluence in your life activated those latent abilities.

Maybe you just have that natural magical talent, and like ANY other magical talent, it activates at some point while you are in your teens or perhaps even later.

Maybe you found a lost book that when read gave you those powers and then disintegrated, its magic spent.

Maybe you were kidnapped and experimented upon.

Tons of possibilities.

[bibliophile20]

The werehawk in my game was on a hike in the Adirondack Mountains and got separated from his hiking group.  Ended up wandering around the mountains for a few days, hungry, thirsty... ended up going into a fugue state and woke up at an altitude of 500 ft and covered with feathers.    Landing was interesting.

He has recently discovered that he is part-native american (very small part) and had been "chosen" by the spirits when he was more-or-less on a vision quest--or at least, that's how the old wereowl shaman explained it to him.

[HobbitGuy1420]

I'm playing a were-dragon who grew up the only non-magical member of a magic family - mom was a wizard, dad had psychometry, etc.  He kept borrowing his folks' grimoires and how-to books in an attempt to squeeze out some magic, but none of it worked - until he grabbed Advanced Self-Transfiguration.. Turns out he's a were-prodigy.

[sinker]

Great for playing a were-alligator -- all it takes is a trip to the swampy part of Florida.

Mmmm Gator. It's been way too long.