Author Topic: Human Form and Shapeshifting  (Read 2159 times)

Offline toturi

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Human Form and Shapeshifting
« on: August 14, 2010, 02:44:16 AM »
Apart from the mechanical differences of shifting out of Human Form as a supplemental action and that those powers that you lose while in Human Form, what other differences would there be between Human Form and Human Guise?

Must the character be able to shapeshift into an entirely new form to get Human Form?

What Powers can you lose under the Human Form?
With your laws of magic, wizards would pretty much just be helpless carebears who can only do magic tricks. - BumblingBear

Offline wyvern

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Re: Human Form and Shapeshifting
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2010, 03:16:24 AM »
Not much.  No.  And anything your gaming group lets you get away with.  Respectively.  At least, these are my answers; your mileage may vary.

To elaborate: The only other difference I'm aware of is also mechanical: Human Guise calls for (the possibility of) discipline rolls when stressed to maintain human appearance, though it provides no guidelines for just how difficult such a roll should be.

An example of a creature with Human Form and not an entire new form, would be, well, ok, nothing in any of the novels I can think of - but consider a minor shapeshifter, one who can, say, add claws and scales, or lengthen limbs for higher speeds, but can't actually totally abandon human form.  Or consider someone with a suit of mystical, summonable power armor.  No entirely new form, but definitely valid for the Human Form limitation.

Offline Archmage_Cowl

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Re: Human Form and Shapeshifting
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2010, 04:09:20 AM »
I have a scion in my game that has human form affecting wings claws and inhuman speed. She still has to take a supplemental action to shift and when she does her skin turns red she grows wings and claws. It's been working fine and i'm not seeing anything mechanical majorly wrong with it. She doesnt really change into a new form as such, but rather awaken her true form. So...

Must the character be able to shapeshift into an entirely new form to get Human Form?

I would say No. As long as it fits thematically, because in this game story is key.

What Powers can you lose under the Human Form?

I would say, again, Any That Fit Thematically. If it makes sense in the story for it to happen then the game mechanics should likely allow it.
"I who stand in the full light of the heavens, command thee, who opens the gates to hell. Come forth Divine Lightning! This ends now! Indignation!" Jade Curtis Tales of the abyss

Offline Tsunami

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Re: Human Form and Shapeshifting
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2010, 05:19:33 AM »
Lycanthropes get human form... they don't shapeshift at all. They just get access to more powers.

So it's simply a
powered form <-> non-powered form
difference thats important here.

That does not mean that the non-powered form has no powers at all, just that the powered one adds some more.