A Beast Change Character Idea?

[Boser Da Bear]

I have an Idea for a character to transform into multiple different forms, But Me and My Story teller are still pondering out some ways that would be good to play with it.
Here's the Idea that if someone took multiple Beast changes they should be able to change into the corresponding number of creatures, but i want to keep the person human. But when i was looking into the Your Story Book all i got on the subject was that i would put more mental strain on a human who does it. So i was wondering if they raised there Conviction higher if it justify the being able to change into more creatures because they'd be able to handle it mentally. If you could help me smooth this idea out I be grateful. 

[devonapple]

I have allowed multiple purchases of the Beast Form power to provide additional forms, without incurring any sort of mental backlash.

[wyvern]

I'd actually use the scaling suggested for supernatural senses: one refresh buys you one form; two refresh buys up to three forms, three refresh up to a dozen, and at four refresh you have True Shapeshifting.

[devonapple]

I'd actually use the scaling suggested for supernatural senses: one refresh buys you one form; two refresh buys up to three forms, three refresh up to a dozen, and at four refresh you have True Shapeshifting.

I, too, was thinking a quasi-exponential increase would be more fair.

[Tedronai]

I'd actually use the scaling suggested for supernatural senses: one refresh buys you one form; two refresh buys up to three forms, three refresh up to a dozen, and at four refresh you have True Shapeshifting.

This.

[Boser Da Bear]

OK thanks for the input, then what about the claws and other things that you have to pick up to do while in a change like the inhuman abilities?

[Becq]

OK thanks for the input, then what about the claws and other things that you have to pick up to do while in a change like the inhuman abilities?

Depending on how you define your shapes, you probably need to choose one of the following:
1) Pay once for each unique power present on any of your forms, then specify which powers each form has access to.  (Ex: Wolf form has Inhuman Speed and Claws, Bat form has Inhuman Speed and Wings.  You pay for Inhuman Speed only once, and pay for Wings and Claws.  You can only use the powers linked to each form as described above.)
2) Buy Modular Abilities, then determine for each form how to allocate your pool of refresh.  This is a (much!) better option for forms that have few similarities, and especially if you use the scaling others have discussed above.  You should probably only use the first option if the forms have similar powers (but differing skills).

And I agree with the others about allowing some form of scaling if buying multiple refresh worth of forms.

[devonapple]

OK thanks for the input, then what about the claws and other things that you have to pick up to do while in a change like the inhuman abilities?

The wereperson would still have to buy those inhuman abilities, of course - any power they expect to use in any wereform costs Refresh.  The player can get a 1-point Refresh rebate for buying Human Form, but they can only take that once.

If the character wants to have different powers in different forms, the character must purchase Modular Abilities (which is like a Variable Power Pool in games like Champions). The player pays 2+x Refresh for the power to switch around X Refresh worth of powers. Most wereforms will want to buy about 4 Refresh worth of powers in any given form, so Modular Abilities 4 would cost 6 points.

It gets expensive.

[Sanctaphrax]

The following homebrew power might be helpful, or it might not. But I figured it was worth posting.

QUASI-MODULAR ABILITIES [-Varies]
Description: You have the ability to alternate between multiple powersets.
Musts: You must "pre-pay" a number of refresh points equal to the total value of each set of powers that this power affects, plus a surcharge of one refresh.
Skills Affected: Varies.
Effects:
Two Powersets. Pick out two sets of powers, each with a total refresh cost one less than the cost of this power. You may use either set of powers, although it takes a full action to go from using one to using the other. The GM decides what is and what isn't a valid choice for inclusion in the powersets provided by this power.
Item Of Power Collection [-0] You own multiple items of power. Design a number of Items Of Power equal to your Resources skill. At any given time, you may use or loan out items with a total refresh cost up to one less than the refresh cost of this power. You do not receive the Item Of Power discount. If you have the Tracing power, then you may summon and dismiss these Items Of Power out of and into thin air. If not, you must treat them as physical objects.

[CottbusFiles]

The following homebrew power might be helpful, or it might not. But I figured it was worth posting.

QUASI-MODULAR ABILITIES [-Varies]
Description: You have the ability to alternate between multiple powersets.
Musts: You must "pre-pay" a number of refresh points equal to the total value of each set of powers that this power affects, plus a surcharge of one refresh.
Skills Affected: Varies.
Effects:
Two Powersets. Pick out two sets of powers, each with a total refresh cost one less than the cost of this power. You may use either set of powers, although it takes a full action to go from using one to using the other. The GM decides what is and what isn't a valid choice for inclusion in the powersets provided by this power.

Let's say i have 2 powersets, one during day, one during night. What would that give me back in refresh? 1 like in involuntarily change?

[Becq]

Let's say i have 2 powersets, one during day, one during night. What would that give me back in refresh? 1 like in involuntarily change?

Under that power it doesn't "give any points back" at all, at least not in the sense that involuntary change does.  Instead, it basically gives you the ability to swap one set of pre-defined powers for another set of predefined powers with the same or lower total refresh.  The power to do this costs -1 refresh over the cost of the set(s).

Here's an example of a "Dr. Jekyll" character that's a Wizard normally, but can turn into a monstrous "Mr. Hyde":

-1 The Sight
-0 Soulgaze
-0 Wizard's Constitution
-7 Wizard/Warg Powers (-6 refresh worth of powers)
     Slot 1: Dr. Jekyll Powers
     -3 Evocation (spirit, fire, earth, +1 spirit control)
     -3 Thaumaturgy (+1 craft strength)
     Slot 2: Mr. Hyde Powers
     -2 Inhuman Strength
     -2 Inhuman Speed
     -1 Claws
     -1 Echoes of the Beast
-8 Total refresh cost

So this character would have The Sight, Soulgaze, and Wizard's Constitution permanently, but has spellcasting only in "Dr. Jekyll" mode and the physical powers only in "Mr. Hyde" mode.  Switching between the two would take a full action, and in this case would be at will, though an appropriate aspect might be used to compel an involuntary change.  (The Involuntary Change refund listed under Beast Change doesn't apply, since you have access to all refresh worth of powers all of the time.)

I'm not entirely convinced this custom power is balanced (ie, for -1 being able to swap out a Wizard template for a Were-form template, as in this example), but I believe that this is how it's intended to work, right Sanctaphrax?

[Sanctaphrax]

Becq's summary is correct.

I'd say that a +1 rebate for not being able to control which powerset you have at any given time would be reasonable.

The power has the potential to be totally broken. Which is why it says:

The GM decides what is and what isn't a valid choice for inclusion in the powersets provided by this power.

As a general rule, the two powersets should be applicable to the same situation. If you don`t foresee having to think about which one to use in a given scenario, they aren`t balanced.

For example, taking seven-times-refined Evocation as one powerset and seven-times-refined Thaumaturgy as the other is totally unfair.

[CottbusFiles]

I was thinking about something like

Inhuman Strengh and Toughness during the Day and Glamours and Supernatural Senses in some way for the night.

I'd like to have my "combat form" only during daytime where it is not so convenient to slug it out on the street.
In the optimal way the powerset would both be better at the alternate daytime.