Shape Shifter
by CyanBlade
The Shape Shifter Discipline is one not often followed in Barsaive, few having even heard of it. The abilities of this discipline stem from a different view of elemental magic. While an Elementalist seeks to understand and control the elements, a Shape Shifter seeks to understand how the elements together make up all life. This understanding extends to name-givers and their metabolic processes. All objects and name-givers contain a small amount of magic within them. All matter contains a portion of elemental fire, air, water, earth, and wood. Shape Shifters are able to sense these elements and rearrange them, thus changing the shape of matter. This is a highly demanding exercise and takes a great toll on the Shape Shifter.
"Only by understanding the fundamental composition of matter can one even begin to understand all of its complexities, let alone attempt to gain mastery over it."
- Terolan, Dwarven Shape Shifter
Before the Scourge, there were many Shape Shifters who traveled throughout Barsaive, learning about the natural order of the world, and about the processes of nature and creatures. They were a relatively secretive group mainly because of the the fear they aroused in many people because of their ability to change their shape. It was this fear, and the jealousy of their abilities, that caused many Shape Shifters to hide their discipline from their neighbors. Just before the Scourge was beginning, many Shape Shifters spoke out against those who said that the Horrors would emerge due to the high level of magic in the world. In their arrogance, they dismissed the dire warnings of others and were one of the last groups of people to enter the kaers. Because the Shape Shifters couldn't explain the Horrors, they chose to dismiss them as unreal and imaginary. When the Horrors came in greater numbers, the Shape Shifters were forced to admit they were wrong.
Many of the Shape Shifters helped build the kaers along with the magic-user adepts, fortifying the structures and battling the Horrors as they first emerged. Shortly afterwards, however, quite a few people, led mainly by the Illusionists, mistakenly believed them to be Horror-Constructs. They accused them of corruption and denounced them as spawn of the Horrors. The Shape Shifters were driven from their homes and some were even tortured and killed. Others went into hiding in the hopes that they could somehow survive on their own or in small groups with others of their discipline. To the Shape Shifters, the Horrors represented something completely unnatural that had nearly no elemental basis and couldn't be understood. Because they couldn't understand the Horrors, they couldn't effectively fight them and so those unfortunate enough to battle the Horrors were largely unsuccessful. The remaining Shape Shifters went into hiding, most becoming separated from each other, a great deal of their knowledge being lost.
Now, after the Scourge, the scattered remnants of this discipline are seeking to find others among themselves and rebuild their discipline. Because of their tragic misjudgment, many Barsaivans still blame the Shape Shifters for the early destruction the Horrors caused, saying that it could have been avoided if they had listened. For this reason, and because of the fear many still have of them, most Shape Shifters are reluctant to openly admit their discipline, preferring instead to travel in anonymity.
Important Attributes: Dexterity, Toughness, Willpower
Racial Restrictions: None
Karma Ritual: To begin his Karma ritual, the Shape Shifter sits cross-legged, picking up a small object and holding it in both hands. For the first ten minutes, the Shape Shifter draws out each of the elements within the object. First fire, making the object hot, then water, making it feel wet, earth, hardening the object, air, making it lighter, and lastly wood, changing its texture. The Shape Shifter then places the object in front of him and focuses his attention inward, causing his heart rate and breathing to slow, feeling each of the five elements within him surge and diminish one by one. After this, he picks up the object, holding it in his left hand. The Shape Shifter then causes each of the elements within his right hand to rearrange themselves until they have formed the object held in the opposite hand. The ritual is complete when his hand returns to its normal shape.
Artisan Skills: Sculpture, Wood Carving, Stone Carving
First Circle
- Talents
-
Avoid Blow
Body Weaponry
Climbing
Karma Ritual
Metabolism (D)
Unarmed Combat (D)
Second Circle
- Talents
-
Creature Analysis
Durability (7/6)
Morph Features (D)
Third Circle
- Talents
-
Beastform
Swift Kick
Fourth Circle
Karma: The Shape Shifter may spend a karma point on Willpower.
- Talents
-
Slow Metabolism (D)
Thread Weaving (Shape Weaving) (D)
Fifth Circle
Physical Defense: Increase the Shape Shifter's Physical Defense by 1.
- Talents
-
Elemental Tongues
Wood Skin
Sixth Circle
Spell Defense: Increase the Shape Shifter's Spell Defense by 1.
- Talents
-
Resist Elements
Wound Balance
Seventh Circle
Recovery Tests: The Shape Shifter gains one Recovery Test per day.
- Talents
-
Fireblood (D)
Second Attack
Eighth Circle
Karma: The Shape Shifter may spend one karma point on Dexterity.
- Talents
-
Metamorphosis (D)
Poison Resistance
Ninth Circle
Physical Defense: Increase the Shape Shifter's Physical Defense by 1.
Social Defense: Increase the Shape Shifter's Social Defense by 1.
- Talents
-
Earth Skin
Reshape Object (D)
Sprint
Tenth Circle
Spell Defense: Increase the Shape Shifter's Spell Defense by 2.
- Talents
-
Cold Purify (D)
Elemental Hold
New Talents
Beastform
| Step Number: Rank + Willpower Step |
| Action: Yes | Skill Use: No |
| Karma: Yes | Strain: 3 |
| Discipline Talent: None |
The Beastform talent allows a Shape Shifter to assume the shape of a non-magical
animal, such as those on pg. 311 ED, between 5% and 200% of the character's
own weight. If the Shape Shifter beats his spell defense (which cannot be lowered)
using the Beastform talent step, he gains all of the beast's normal physical
attributes and abilities while retaining all mental attributes and talents.
The character's clothing and equipment do not morph with him when he shifts
to beast form and he cannot be wearing any type of armor when he uses this talent.
The duration of Beastform is (2 + rank) x 2 minutes, or until the character
decides to end use of this talent. Characters in beast form may be affected
by any talents or spells that normally affect beasts.
Body Weaponry
| Step Number: Rank + Strength Step + 3 |
| Action: No | Skill Use: No |
| Karma: Yes | Strain: None |
| Discipline Talent: None |
Using the Body Weaponry talent, a character causes their dominant arm to form
the shape of a weapon. The character uses his Unarmed Combat talent to make
on an attack test. If successful, the damage test is made using the Body Weaponry
step. Body Weaponry lasts until it does damage at which point the character's
dominant arm returns to its normal shape.
Metabolism
| Step Number: Rank + Toughness Step |
| Action: Yes | Skill Use: No |
| Karma: No | Strain: None |
| Discipline Talent: Shape Shifter |
The Metabolism talent is the most basic shape shifting talent and is a prerequisite
for all other shape shifting talents. Metabolism allows a shape shifter to increase
his metabolism and alter very small aspects of his physiology. It allows him
to repair injuries at an accelerated rate and perform minor alterations to his
body such as changing eye color, hair color, slight changes in skin color, and
other very slight cosmetic alterations. The character substitutes his Metabolism
talent step for his Toughness step number when making a recovery test to reflect
the increased healing rate.
Metamorphosis
| Step Number: Rank + Willpower Step |
| Action: Yes | Skill Use: No |
| Karma: No | Strain: 4 |
| Discipline Talent: Shape Shifter |
Metamorphosis allows a Shape Shifter to temporarily assume the shape of any animate or inanimate object. The Shape Shifter rolls the Metamorphosis step dice to see if he beats his own spell defense. If so, he can choose to change his shape to any animate or inanimate object with the following property: the object must weigh between 1/rank to rank times the Shape Shifter's own weight. To detect the Shape Shifter in astral space while morphed, an observer must achieve a Good or better success on an Astral Sensing Test against the Shape Shifter's spell defense. The Metamorphosis talents lasts until the Shape Shifter ends the effect or until 10 x rank minutes have elapsed.
Morph Features
| Step Number: Rank + Willpower Step + 3 |
| Action: Yes | Skill Use: No |
| Karma: No | Strain: 2 |
| Discipline Talent: Shape Shifter |
The Morph Features talent allows a Shape Shifter to alter his or her own physical appearance to match that of either someone the Shape Shifter knows or has seen in passing in the last 24 hours. The Shape Shifter's can change his size to up to twice his normal weight and down to one half, but not more than 50% in any dimension. This talent is not an illusion but an actual physical change. If a character knows the person that the Shape Shifter has morphed his features into, a sensing test against a difficulty number equal to the result of the Morph Features test is required for that character to realize the Shape Shifter is not who they appear to be. The Shape Shifter can maintain Morph Features for a number of minutes equal to the result of the Morph Features test, and can string together multiple Morph Features, paying 2 strain each time.
Resist Elements
| Step Number: Rank + Willpower Step |
| Action: No | Skill Use: No |
| Karma: No | Strain: None |
| Discipline Talent: None |
The Resist Elements talent allows a character to increase his Mystic Armor against elemental magic. To use this talent, the character feels each of the elements within him, fire, earth, air, water, and plant. When the harmful element comes into contact with him, he opposes it with its opposite element, water against fire, earth against air, etc. The character then rolls the Resist Element dice and substitutes the result for his Mystic Armor for a number of rounds equal to his Resist Elements rank. The character must use this test result, even if his normal Mystic Armor rating is higher.
Slow Metabolism
| Step Number: Rank + Willpower Step |
| Action: Yes | Skill Use: No |
| Karma: No | Strain: None |
| Discipline Talent: Shape Shifter |
Slow Metabolism allows a character to slow their metabolic processes such as breathing, heart rate, as well as lower their body temperature. In this state, a character is often presumed dead and can be easily mistaken as such. This talent lasts for rank minutes and can be strung together continuously for a constant effect. The difficulty number for an observer to realize the character is still alive is equal to the result of the Slow Metabolism test. Each time Slow Metabolism is renewed a new test be made. In addition, while in this state of slowed metabolism, poisons spread more slowly, advancing at only half their normal speed.
Author's Note:
This discipline loosely patterned on the Beastmaster discipline but Second
Attack has been substituted for Claw Frenzy in order to make it more balanced.
Also, the discipline only goes up to tenth circle, anything above that would
be much too powerful and unrealistic. Finding a trainer for this discipline
could be quite challenging depending on many factors and could be used as a
minor plot line in itself. Thanks to Santo Sengupta for all his help and suggestions.
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