I wanted to try my hand at a shapeshifter and just had a few ideas for edges as I ponder race/foci/role etc. options.

Changeling's Anchor
A shapeshifter with this edge better resists all forms of dispel while in form. However, this does increase the mana costs of being in form.

Ensconced Armor
While in form, a shapeshifter recieves benefits of all armor worn for deflecting blows.

Lightness
Shapeshifters that travel lightly will find themselves better able to dodge and evade blows while in form.

NOTE: The previous two are mutually exclusive. The idea is to take the sum of all the shifter's armor while normal (not in form) and enable that to act as a virtual piece of "ensconced armor" while in form. This virtual piece of in-form armor can act to block blows as stone skin can. Lightness is just the opposite: if you run around nearly naked you will find your form's ability to dodge/evade enhanced. The idea is not to make an offensive from dodge like a mongoose but to, as an example, offer a chance to create an offensive form that dodges a bit better than most if the shifter is willing to embrace a somewhat novel gearing style.

Silent Metamorphosis
A shapeshifter with this edge may perform partial and full shifts, as well as revert to normal, undetected. NOTE: The idea is to disable all echoes that alert others in the same room that the shifter has shifted. Even in combat. Only when the "new" form does something (enters a command or is (re)engaged in combat) will the new form be revealed.

Metamorphic Insight
With this edge whenever a shapeshifter advances in rank the attributes used are the best combination available to the mage's natural form and and any active form. NOTE: I'm thinking there are combinations out there where using the form's CON and the normal/unshifted INT/WIS would be good. This edge would make that possible.

Linked Inherent
This edge allows a shapeshifter to use her inherent ability while in form. NOTE: I have not had a shifter since pre-inherent days but the idea is to allow a felar shifter to use inherent 'feral growl' while in form and allow a dark-elf to use inherent 'faerie fire' while in form etc. Swiftstrike should work too, but only in high dex forms with claws etc. substituting for the required weapon. An arial's wingsweep requires an air form etc.

Offense/Defense/Utility/Air/Water Form Adept
Ok, no catchy blurb here. The idea is that each type of form has a strength of some sort. I'll use air forms as an example. Air forms, with their constant flying about, would gain a chance to render harmless any form of dust. So an assassin's blindness dust could be just flapped away as could a dirt kick etc. Utility forms could perhaps be hardened against hunger, thirst, and poisons. Each xxx Form Adept would be one edge and they'd be mutually exclusive.

Just some brainstorming, partly based on previous posts.

Suggestions for shapeshifter mini-revamp

Add control size linked to enlarge/reduce (maybe add giant strength to enlarge and some non-haste dex boost to reduce).

Add control partial shift linked to a one partial shift (at any one time) that would be carried over in form.

Add 'enliven spell' as a magic spell linked to 'control spellcasting'. Here the shapeshifter could pick one innately known spell that could then be cast while in form. Example: c 'enliven spell' fumble. If the control works then the shifter could enliven fumble target while in form. Spells that could not be picked this way: anything linked to a control (incl. partial shifts).

Keep the amount of controls limited to 4 (now the shifter has to pick so there is scope for tactics)

New spell "ensconce" which allows aspects of the shifter's equipment to bleed thru to the form. You can c ensconce armor/saves. Ensconcing armor creates a virtual piece of armor that absorbs blows while in form (an edge idea I also had), like a 2nd stone skin. Saves allows for a percentage of the saves from your set to add to those in form. The idea is to start weak and get better but never to get too strong. Allowing 25% - 33% of your saves to bleed thru while in form seems like a good cap and not over the top. So now gearing has some choices other than max HP and look for the thing that gives you frenzy.

Add edges

I think there should be a set of edges that separates your major from your minor and allow the top tier major form to get a boost. So a major mongoose and a minor mongoose will be slightly different.


Essence of Regeneration: Applying only to your top tier major form. You draw upon the ability of to regenerate either adding it to your form or enhancing it. It will allow you to regenerate 11 hp a round similar to cobra or alligator. Or if you have a form with regenerate it adds 11hp to your regeneration.

Essence of Evasion: Applying only to your top tier major form. You learn to move more quickly then others of your kind. This could either up max dex or it could up your tier in dodging.

Essence of Attack: Applying only to your top tier major form. You learn to attack more visciously adding to your damage.

Essence of Speed: Applying only to your top tier major form. You learn to strike more often allowing you a high chance of an extra attack during battle.

Essence of Endurance: Applying only to your top tier major form. Your skin toughens and you take blows better. Ups a tier of your damage reduction.

They are all mutually exclusive

These are just other edges I’ve thought of

Allow these to only apply to major forms and I know some are not applicable to all forms but meh.


Allow a major form to gain danger sense.

Allow a major air form to move more freely lower movement cost or able to land when out of move

Allow a major form to gain a step up with movement speed some forms are already as quick as they get. But for something like jaguar or armadillo that moves very slow it would move up to normal speed for those that move normal it would up them to wildcat or fox. But it keeps the same movement cost

I like the beach edge mentioned elsewhere in this thread for water forms just let it allow water forms to move two rooms from water or something or a room from water I think it would just be adding a room flag.

Also maybe an edge that will metal cap teeth/fangs/claws/horns/quills. This would make there attacks always have a metal strike to them making protection from metals block some of this but it would also up the average of your attacks. So it’s a two way streak.

Have an edge that helps resist dispels while in form or……an edge that makes enlivened things to not be dispellable. So you get to choose lower duration and no dispel or long duration and dispellable. Could make enliven put up haste stoneskin fly etc as a skill to get this effect

Have an edge that gives heightened senses so that they can sense everything in the room even when blind maybe like it says Someone the storm giant Someone the gnome since for most animals eyesight is a secondary sense. Maybe make this for select formsthat use there sense of hearing or smell more

An edge that makes all snake forms you have heal broken bones/bleeding in half the time so if you get hurt in jaguar switch to diamondback you’ll heal it more quickly since that is the main draw about snake forms is there regen this just ups it a notch make it for major or not or just make it so if you take it all snake forms since copperhead is a third tier offensive form.

Well this isn't super well put together but i'm trying to put some ideas

When you change shape, you have a chance to lighten maledictions on you. Right now, any dex maledict makes you melee meat (stopping you from both landing and doging attacks). Give strong shifters with experience the ability to heal these maledicts slightly with each lagging shift they make. If they are unlagged but painful, no further repairations can be made. Hope thats clear, its just a vague idea I think would be great for veteran shifters.

Yhorian.

Felidae

While in form of a great cat, a felar shapeshifter will find that his natural feline qualities result both in a smaller mana requirement to maintain the from and that form skills function with greater efficiency.

Bird of Prey
Arial shapeshifters with an air focus can use their inherent ability wingsweep while in form. Maintaining such forms also requires less mana than usual.

I just think it would be interesting if there were some boons for other races of shapeshifter. It seems that gnomes and felar are quite prominent due to HP issues. Letting the animal heritage of these two races bleed thru to forms would be a novel twist. Providing an edge for dark-elf shifters to use their inherent in form would also be intriguing.

.

I know, gnomes will win that battle but I think it's served as a motivator in the past, as in: WOW, a shapeshifter with 23 CON. But they are weak, one reason why I think allowing the feline nature of felar to bleed thru to forms would be a neat idea.

Water focus edge:

BEACH
A waterform enlivened with the ability to levitate can try to force itself a short way onto land in an effort to catch or bait its prey. A form that succeeds in pushing themselves onto a location adjacent to water will suffer a great loss of dexterity and be unable to move without reverting or becoming unstuck and returning to the water.

Quicksand style difficulty on getting off the land, dex loss screws forms that rely on dodge but things like Walrus might do okay (makes sense from the rp perspective, something I thought added flare). Can't use swim on land locations, beach has to be done manually as does getting off land. Largely a skill for expanding the use of your water forms and for catching people who sit on the edge taunting you :p


SHAPECHANGERS RESILIENCE
Year of maintaining alternative forms and shaping your flesh have given you an understanding and harmony with your body that is hard to break. A transmuters magic has a harder time twisting your form as you resist unwanted alterations to your anatomy.

This improves resistance against transmuter spells and lowers disruption damage. Couldn't think of any other alterations that might be covered by this.

SHAPECHANGERS ENDURANCE
Through focus and meditation you have finally mastered holding your body in a foreign shape with almost effortless ease. You exert less effort maintaining your forms.

Lower the amount of mana needed to hold form.

MASTER OF THOUGHT
They say anything put into a jug eventually takes the jugs shape. Your experience in adapting your mind to accomodate animal insticts, reflexes and expanded sense has led you to revelations in its inner workings. When in form, you can learn to better bolster yourself against invasions of the mind.

Adds some mental saves while in form.

GRANDMASTER OF THOUGHT
Taking the wisdom attained through studying the ties between the shape of the mind and the shape of the body, a shapeshifter can learn to shape new instincts into their very being! Even though their mind might be forced to forget its original shape, they can train their body to react without it when under duress. This sort of advanced study will also bolster a mages resistance to mental distraction slightly more.

A -little- more mental saves added, and a chance to revert while under the effects of Forget.

BEASTIAL FEROCITY
BEASTIAL CUNNING
BEASTIAL REFLEXES
BEASTIAL TENACITY
By tuning yourself into your primitive instincts and giving them new shapes to toy with, you can vastly improve upon your ability to handle partial shifts.

Beastial Ferocity - Horns of the Bull, Claws of the Lion
Occasional raking strike in combat and more effective horning. More damage. Can use both at same time.

Beastial Cunning - Ears of the Bat, Fangs of the Serpent
Fangs will shock opponents with their wounds, better poisoning. Ears will become more effective. Can use both at same time.

Beastial Reflexes - Paws of the Cheetah, Tail of the Lizard
Paws will dodge more (especially in open spaces). Tail will work better to reduce all lag. Can use both together.

Beastial Tenacity - Hooves of the Gazelle, Chitin/Hide/Shell/Scales whatsits.
The hoof transformation bolsters your legs so they're sturdy like a horses. Better walking, faster over wild terrain. The skins can be used with stoneskin out of form.


Beastial tenacity could be better thought out, but I like the others. They add a cool edge to being out of form - while it still remains mostly an undisirable state to be in :p

Yhorian.

Put partial shifts into the 'shapeshift' command. It could be an edge, I was thinking of putting it on my list, but I think it'd just be cooler to be able to do them rapidly with the command over having to spell them. It'd also make it easier to throw them up if you flee and revert to do some dastardly pugilling. Or use your Beastial Ferocity because you chose defense/water and you'd rather like to impale and massacre with claws over your anaconda's attack. It'd be cool to see people rushing in with Beastial Reflexes to do some dispelling before they shift up into their orangutan. Or even tenacity if its less melee based damage you expect.

Whatever your flavour!

Yhorian.

>Silent Metamorphosis
>A shapeshifter with this edge may perform partial and full
>shifts, as well as revert to normal, undetected. NOTE: The
>idea is to disable all echoes that alert others in the same
>room that the shifter has shifted. Even in combat. Only when
>the "new" form does something (enters a command or is
> re)engaged in combat) will the new form be revealed.

The "even in combat" part of this seems bizarre to me. I'm in the middle of stabbing a giant clam and I don't notice it turn into a walrus?

>Metamorphic Insight
>With this edge whenever a shapeshifter advances in rank the
>attributes used are the best combination available to the
>mage's natural form and and any active form. NOTE: I'm
>thinking there are combinations out there where using the
>form's CON and the normal/unshifted INT/WIS would be good.
>This edge would make that possible.

I'm not a big fan of any edge idea that's 100% useless at hero. (So far, I don't think there are any out of 400 edges or whatever.)

>The "even in combat" part of this seems bizarre to me. I'm in
>the middle of stabbing a giant clam and I don't notice it turn
>into a walrus?

What if it wasn't silent, but sudden instead. Meaning that when you shift in combat, it takes place the instant before your next set of attacks so it would go like this from the defender's side:

your slice grazes a clam
your slice grazes a clam
you parry a clam's digestion
you parry a clam's digestion
a clam has a few scratches
>bash

your bash misses
your slice grazes a clam
your slice grazes a clam
a giant clam flickers and contorts with incredible speed, winding up in the shape of a walrus
a walrus's gore ***demolishes*** you
a walrus's gore ***demolishes*** you
a walrus's gore ***demolishes*** you
a walrus has a few scratches

Would this be a desirable edge? I'd rather be able to shift instantly, but it does make some sense this way.

Thanks for the comments...

>The "even in combat" part of this seems bizarre to me. I'm in
>the middle of stabbing a giant clam and I don't notice it turn
>into a walrus?

No, you do not notice it until the now walrus actually does something (apart from shifting). Think of it more as all relevant shift echoes are suppressed, like sneaking a shift.

Re: Metamorphic Insight

>I'm not a big fan of any edge idea that's 100% useless at
>hero. (So far, I don't think there are any out of 400 edges
>or whatever.)

Well, apt learner is similar in terms of it's leveling effect. And if you could get this edge at a young age with a good CON form... Would not an elf shapeshifter be inclined to take this edge for the HP boon? I think the cumulative effect of the edge (a permanent HP boost) would make it worthwhile.

>No, you do not notice it until the now walrus actually does
>something (apart from shifting). Think of it more as all
>relevant shift echoes are suppressed, like sneaking a shift.

I understood the effect you wanted, it just doesn't make any sense.

>Well, apt learner is similar in terms of it's leveling effect.

That's always useful for imm-awarded XP, though, unless you have every single skill/spell/etc. at 100.

>And if you could get this edge at a young age with a good CON
>form... Would not an elf shapeshifter be inclined to take this
>edge for the HP boon? I think the cumulative effect of the
>edge (a permanent HP boost) would make it worthwhile.

Sure would be, except I'm never coding it.

I don't think the game should begin at hero, but I also don't think the game should be a race to have the most edges by the lowest level or be out 300 permanent hit points at hero (or whatever the most extreme case would be).

Oh oh oh, I have an idea! With airforms allow them to land when they don't have the MV, since I would think a bird that's tired would land instead of just floating around until they revert Call it Safe Landings or something and make it so going from air to down in form takes 0 mv. Woulda saved my ass on Verakh a ton