Author Topic: True Shape Shifting Skills  (Read 2911 times)

Offline MrobFire

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True Shape Shifting Skills
« on: February 04, 2011, 09:49:25 PM »
The rules specify that the character can freely rearrange skills (while maintaining the same number of skill points and conforming to the restrictions laid out in character creation) as long as no social or knowledge based skill ends up higher than it started. Does this mean that skills such as guns could be shifted (obviously with the caveat that I wouldn't let them use knowledge base trappings for the skill)? These are physical skills and since the book allows for skills to represent either training or innate talent it would seem reasonable but... I'm not really sure.

Offline Peteman

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Re: True Shape Shifting Skills
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2011, 10:44:56 PM »
The rules specify that the character can freely rearrange skills (while maintaining the same number of skill points and conforming to the restrictions laid out in character creation) as long as no social or knowledge based skill ends up higher than it started. Does this mean that skills such as guns could be shifted (obviously with the caveat that I wouldn't let them use knowledge base trappings for the skill)? These are physical skills and since the book allows for skills to represent either training or innate talent it would seem reasonable but... I'm not really sure.

You rearrange your internal works to improve your hand-eye coordination.

You'll still need to be able to pick up a gun though.

Offline infusco

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Re: True Shape Shifting Skills
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2011, 10:58:36 PM »
You're an ace sharpshooter.

You turn into a bird.

Go ahead and just try to pick up that gun, let alone shoot it.

Offline MrobFire

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Re: True Shape Shifting Skills
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2011, 11:14:43 PM »
You'll still need to be able to pick up a gun though.

Ya, my question is basically, can a shapeshifter shape in to a human(oid) that's really good at some humanish skills such as guns/weapons/drive?

Offline Buscadera

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Re: True Shape Shifting Skills
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2011, 11:20:12 PM »
Pretty much. So if you were making say, a demonic spy. His regular form could have super-high knowledge/social skills. You could write up a melee combat form, a ranged combat form, a driving/navigation form and a stealth form all using True Shapeshifting.

GMs should be cautioned before allowing their players to run wild with it, lest their players create a form-changing force of nature.
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Offline devonapple

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Re: True Shape Shifting Skills
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2011, 11:22:53 PM »
Ya, my question is basically, can a shapeshifter shape in to a human(oid) that's really good at some humanish skills such as guns/weapons/drive?

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Pretty much. So if you were making say, a demonic spy. His regular form could have super-high knowledge/social skills. You could write up a melee combat form, a ranged combat form, a driving/navigation form and a stealth form all using True Shapeshifting.

GMs should be cautioned before allowing their players to run wild with it, lest their players create a form-changing force of nature.

This is like having a Variable Power Pool in Champions - it always seems like a good idea, but its really a GM tool, because eventually a player with such a character needs to be challenged so much more that the other players' characters are suffering.
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Offline Havok4

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Re: True Shape Shifting Skills
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2011, 01:44:54 AM »
I think that given the cost of true shape shifting it is not unbalanced. It costs the same as sponsored spell casting or thaumaturgy or evocation with a refinement, both of which lets you do a wide breadth of normally impossible things by having high lore, conviction, and discipline. And due to the 4 refresh you spent on the true shape shifting you will be worse at whatever you try to do than if you actually specialized, except infiltration and impersonation of course. The power you seem to be worried about just makes your character a competent generalist.

Offline toturi

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Re: True Shape Shifting Skills
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2011, 02:53:03 AM »
This is like having a Variable Power Pool in Champions - it always seems like a good idea, but its really a GM tool, because eventually a player with such a character needs to be challenged so much more that the other players' characters are suffering.
Why challenge that character? A character with such abilities would be telling the GM he does not want to be challenged.
With your laws of magic, wizards would pretty much just be helpless carebears who can only do magic tricks. - BumblingBear

Offline bitterpill

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Re: True Shape Shifting Skills
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2011, 03:02:31 AM »
Why challenge that character? A character with such abilities would be telling the GM he does not want to be challenged.

I think people pick true shapeshifting because it is cool and because it means your not mediocre at anything it is hardly a broken power.
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