Thaumaturgical Shapeshifting

[Korwin]

I use the HR below (Basically an Character replacement rule):

When you (Self-)Transform into another thing you loose all your Powers and Stunts.
Unless you buy them back into the Ritual.

The basic difficulty for transforming is based on the True Shapeshift Power (-4 Refresh = 8 Shifts)
(Reason, while one Ritual can only change you into one form, you can have multiple Rituals. Thats True Shapeshift.)

Since you may want to end the spell before sunrise, we add another shift.

So the basic Self-Transforming spell is an Complexity Ritual 9.

So lets say our Wizards want to transform into an Wolf. With the Lvl. 9 Ritual he can take the form off an Wolf, but he is unfamiliar with the body.
He incorporates another Power into the Ritual: Beast Change for the Skill Shuffle (Demonic Co-Pilot would work too?).
Thats another Refresh (Total of 5) or 2 Shifts of Power. = Complexity of 11

After an Encounter with an Hellhound our Wizards want to change into one.
A Hellhound is an -7 Refresh creature with the -4 from True Shapechange that would be -11. To much for our Submerged Wizard (10 Refresh Total, max. -9 Refresh)
He researches further and cuts the Pack Instinct out and the Stunt Unflappable (Presence), that would bring the Refresh to -9, but then he realises he needs still the Beast Change Power...
He cuts the other Stunt since he overlaps a little with Echoes of the Beast.
Complexity of the Ritual (9*2)+1 = 19

Later in the Campaign after the Wizard got 7 new Refreshes he bought True ShapeChange (-4) and the Modular Abilities (-3).
So he can Shapechange into an Wolf on the fly (with all his Powers intact), but anything more complicated (like an bird) he needs still to cast an Ritual.

He could change into an Bird with allmost all his Powers intact with an Ritual.
Example:
-3 Evocation
-3 Thaumaturgy
-1 Wizards Sight
-2 Refinement
-1 Diminuitive Size
-1 Wings
-1 Beast Change
-4 True Shapechange
-----------------------
-16

He could'nt use his True Shapechange, because this is the Ritual Version. He would need to end the spell first.
The Complexity of the Ritual would be (16*2)+1 = 33

With two more Refresh spent on Modular Abilities he wouldn't need the Ritual (And it would be much faster).


IMHO with this you could play an Junior Wizards who grows into an Powerfull Shapechanger.
It's flexible, but you are at least 4 Refresh points behind the Specialist.


I like it so far... Opinions?

You could allow the Wizard to go over his refresh, with the temporary Power rule on page 92 YS.
Not shure about that...

[Wyrdrune]

Listens-to-Wind's shapeshifting is also pretty much instant, it can't be Thaumaturgy.

some sort of native american deity sponsored magic linked with shapeshifting could be an answer. i do not want to intrude on the discussion, just provide another angle.

[ashern]

Wow guys, thanks for all of the awesome responses!  Any one of several of the options here could work great, and I'll work with the player for what seem reasonable.  I'm not too worried, since we're at a 7 refresh game, and we already have a werebear, so he'd probably only be doing stuff with a couple of points of powers.

[MWKilduff]

Considering that Injun Joe did so many shifts into different animals it seems like 1 of a couple of options was currently in play.  Either he was so skilled with evocation or thaumaturgy he was able to either speed up the thaumaturgy or expand the powers of evocation.  2nd he could have purchased any of the different powers that allow you to shapeshift.  I am certain there are other options but those are the quick thoughts off the top of my head.

[Deadmanwalking]

The developers have specifically mentioned he pretty much has True Shapeshifting and Modular Abilities.

[CMEast]

Interesting article on how to create spells and rotes at http://www.rickneal.ca/?p=642, specifically for this thread, there is a thaumaturgical shapechanging spell and how he creates. He does it a little differently to how it's been done here, check the comments for more details on it.

[Tush Hog]

How do you handle thaumaturgical shapeshifting in your game?

It really comes down to two questions, I suppose. How you allow the wizard to take himself out and do you allow the wizard to swap powers? Does the wizard have to take consequences to take himself out or just exceed his stress track? Big difference in complexity there. Also having a huge impact is whether or not a wizard can swap powers.

Personally, I'm leaning towards stress track only and able to swap out at least some or maybe even all of his powers.

I'm a co-GM and I have my ideas, but I'm also the only wizard so I might be biased   so I wanted to see how others are handling it.

[Deadmanwalking]

I allow them to just use the Stress track, but not usually to swap out powers. This is, BTW, the official ruling.

[Tush Hog]

I allow them to just use the Stress track, but not usually to swap out powers. This is, BTW, the official ruling.

Sounds good! I may end up going this route as well.

 Although, I was just reading the marginella on p283 again and it does say "come back in a new form with different powers." Which could be taken to mean you don't automatically keep your old powers. 

[Krico]

What about permanent shape-shifting? I know Bob mentioned in Fool Moon that one of the forms of werewolves involved a magic user turning someone into a wolf as a curse...but that's an unwilling victim, a full transformation, and a lifetime on the duration. That would be a hell of a spell...

[ashern]

What about permanent shape-shifting? I know Bob mentioned in Fool Moon that one of the forms of werewolves involved a magic user turning someone into a wolf as a curse...but that's an unwilling victim, a full transformation, and a lifetime on the duration. That would be a hell of a spell...

That's actually simpler, since it's a straight transformation of another.  Not only is it simple to model (it's basically a death spell, and instead of death you have the transformation), but it's also blatantly a violation of the Laws.  One lawbreaker stunt coming right up!

[Kordeth]

I allow them to just use the Stress track, but not usually to swap out powers. This is, BTW, the official ruling.

I wouldn't require them to actually take consequences, but I'd probably require the power of the spell be equal to stress tracks + consequences. Shapeshifting magic is supposed to be hard in the Dresdenverse, and a 3-5 shift thaumaturgical effect (to just overcome a stress track) doesn't really fit the bill IMHO. Even adding a few shifts to bolt on powers puts shapeshifting into the "pretty easy" category.

[Deadmanwalking]

Well, if you don't allow Power Swapping, most forms will take more like 17 to 19 Complexity effectively, since it'll be 3-5 actual Complexity plus, say, 7 Tags or Fate Points.

[Korwin]

I wouldn't require them to actually take consequences, but I'd probably require the power of the spell be equal to stress tracks + consequences. Shapeshifting magic is supposed to be hard in the Dresdenverse, and a 3-5 shift thaumaturgical effect (to just overcome a stress track) doesn't really fit the bill IMHO. Even adding a few shifts to bolt on powers puts shapeshifting into the "pretty easy" category.

Source?
Counter-Example: Billy and Friends.

[luminos]

Billy and friends pay for their shapeshifting through refresh.  Find a better counterexample.