True Shapeshifting help

[Ghostfreak]

Good afternoon, I wanted to know if there was anyone who can give me some help with true shapeshifting? My group and I hit a major milestone and due to story purposes, he said that I am now able to take true shapeshifting. The problem with that is I don't really know its full capabilities, or how I can go about using it properly. I originally wanted to spend my 8 extra refresh that I have been stock piling up on a rainy day for my supernatural abilities. (My dm said that everyone is limited to one supernatural ability until he says otherwise. It irked me but I went with it, despite the fact that we have 5 spellcasters in a party of 8.)


I am considering taking supernatural speed and true shapeshifting, though I am not sure if that is the best idea. Open to suggestions, criticism and even game experience. Much appreciated!

[Taran]

True Shapeshifting lets you re-shuffle your skill tree into any configuration you want.  It does not give you any powers.  The power recommends Modular abilities.

It's expensive to take both.  That's 6 refresh before you pick up any powers, although, the skill shuffle is nice.

You could just take true shape-shifting without modular abilities and, when you change shape, your skills reflect your new form.  So, a cat would have high athletics and fists and stealth.  But since you aren't really used to being a cat (you are not a very good cat), you don't get all the cool abilities that a cat gets (like diminutive and beast senses etc...)

The other option is to take a lesser form of true shapeshifting and take Human form and a couple sets of powers.  Cat powers, bird powers, bear powers, for instance.  You can only shift into those forms.  There's some homebrew involved in doing this.  There is some custom shapeshifing powers that let you do exactly this.

So, the question is:

What is your character concept?  If we know that, we can help you make better choices.

[Sanctaphrax]

It's a really strong power. Not only is it amazing for hiding and disguise, it basically gives you whatever physical skill ratings you want. You can replace all of your physical skills with mental and social stuff, then shapeshift them up to whatever rating you want/need when the time comes.

You can soften the cost of Modular Abilities a bit with Human Form, so that 8 extra Refresh could get you 3 form points on top of True Shapeshifting. Optimization-wise, you're going to want a consistent Catch for your Modular Abilities so you can pick up Toughness and Recovery on the cheap.

[Ghostfreak]

My original character concept was a swordsman who was adopted as kid, and for as long as he rememberd he possessed weird abilities. He does not know his real parents and the only thing that has ever been his true friends, are his parents and his a greatsword. A moonlight greatsword that he practices with every day. Due to circumstance he meets the party, finds kinship with them and has been adventuring with them from childhood. He recently discovered that one of his parents is an outsider and has had fair share of tragedies.


He follows the emissary of power template and has no interest in magic or learning it. Mechanically he has all the inhuman abilities. Strength, speed, toughness and recovery.

[Sanctaphrax]

True Shapeshifting might not be the best fit for such a character. It works at cross-purposes with swordfighting.

If you do decide to go the shapeshifting route, maybe ask your GM whether you can dissolve the physical abilities into form points for Modular Abilities.

[Quantus]

Would it be at all economical to combine the sword and the Shapeshifting?  Maybe make the Sword a IoP that unlocks the Shapeshifting, along with making the various physical abilities into Modulars? 



Taking a completely different tack, if his abilities are from being part Outsider, might his abilities be a form of Sponsored magic, where he's using it but not yet aware of the consequences? Is the sword also Outside based, or is it from some other source?

[Taran]

Would it be at all economical to combine the sword and the Shapeshifting?  Maybe make the Sword a IoP that unlocks the Shapeshifting, along with making the various physical abilities into Modulars? 

This would let you wrap all your current powers into one.  tying them to the sword would cover the cost of modular abilities because it would give you a +2 Iop bonus.

Here's two thoughts:
1.  If it's tied to the sword, Shapeshifting can represent the abilities of some of the former owners of the sword - your descendants.  Maybe one was a gun nut, which would give you the justification to put guns up.  Maybe one was an assassin, and you can tap into the memories and boost your stealth etc...

2.  Make shapeshifting separate from the sword so that it makes you more rounded.  Make it an Outsider power.
-  Need to be sneaky?
 Shapeshift into an amorphous cloud of void, allowing you to slip easily into houses and past wary guards:  represented by boosting burglary and Stealth.

-Need to lift a giant boulder and block an entrance?  Morph into a multi-tentacled mass of muscle:  boosting Might and Athletics

-Need to outrun that nasty opponent?  Grow several sets of tentacled legs and bound easily through all obstacles:  boosting Athletics and Endurance

-Need to survive under water?  Outsiders don't need to breath:  boost endurance.

Also, the Void could eat/absorb the echoes of reality. 

-You find a nice gun and want to shoot it.  Eat the echoes of previous owners (or eat the gun's "purpose"), gaining access to the ability to fire the gun.  (you might get a compel to have the item destroyed when you're done with it.)

You'd still be a great sword fighter, but now you can do lots of other things as well.  And you won't need to take Modular abilities.