Help with a Trickster Information Broker

[EroGaki]

I am looking for advice in creating a trickster modeled after Anansi from the West African fables; Anansi was a shapeshifting spider who in many ways is similar to Coyote and Raven from Native American culture.

The game is Chest Deep and set in Anchorage, Alaska. This particular Trickster has set himself up as Anchorage's Information Broker; if anything is happening in town, I want this character to know about it or have to means to find out.

Mechanics-wise, I'd like advice on which skills and powers would best compliment this character concept. I plan on doing lots of shapeshifting and prankster actions; his role as an information broker is for the sole purpose of facilitating mischief by providing knowledge.

[Tsunami]

The game is Chest Deep and set in Anchorage, Alaska. This particular Trickster has set himself up as Anchorage's Information Broker; if anything is happening in town, I want this character to know about it or have to means to find out.

Thats basically what the following skills are for: Lore, Scholarship, Contacts
Add a stunt or two to increase said skills when used for something concerning the town.

[...] I plan on doing lots of shapeshifting

The usual shapeshifter power set would work just fine.

Echoes of the Beast
Beast Change
Human Form
Spider Walk
Claws
Inhuman Strength
Inhuman Speed
Maybe a Toughness power ??

The powers may of course vary depending on how much refresh you have to spend.

and prankster actions;

Deceit and/or Performance Skill
Maybe another stunt or two to supplement the skills.

Ok, you won't bve able to take all those powers and stunts when working with Chest deep.
If you want him to be a Trickster first and then a shapeshifter, you'll need some stunts to supplement the skills.

If you want him to be the Shifter first, don't bother with the stunts. Put the trickster skills high up in the pyramid in the normal Human form, and reduce them as needed when shifted.

You should also consider one or two Aspects that denote his status as Information Broker and Trickster.

[Buscadera]

I think you should go with Glamours too. Anansi was a trickster who won with wit more than anything else. I'd avoid the out-and-out combat powers while focusing on the powers that let you be sneaky and witty.

[MijRai]

Deceit and Contacts are the primary skills. Add a good Rapport/Empathy as well. I suggest the Feint stunt, to use Deceit for dodging.

-1 Stunt
Beast Change -1 (Spider)
Human Form +1
-1 Claws (boost to Venomous sometime)
-1 Spider Walk
-1 Cloak Of Shadows
-2 Inhuman Speed

You can buy another stunt, maybe drop said stunt and get a Webbing Breath Weapon or add Venomous to your Claws, or just leave it at that level, and have an extra Fate Point.

[Richard_Chilton]

Looking at it from another angle, you might want modular shape shifting.

Why?

It keeps people on their toes.  What the character able to do this time might not be what he could last time. Modular shape shifting gives a huge number of possibilities while keeping the refresh level low.

Richard