Shifter Abilities

The Shifters have a modest amount of abilities that are mostly focused on their ability to shapeshift. Below is a deeper explanation of their shapeshifting and the the ways players can modify it to their liking within the constraints of the set criteria.

Shapeshifting

The transformative abilities of shifters are unique, powerful, and so perfectly mysterious that they cannot be replicated by other magics. Arcanists the world over have tried to unlock these incredible abilities and have universally met with failure and worse. The primary thing that sets the shifters apart from those who are able to cast illusions over themselves or practice minor shapeshifting magic is that they are the full package, instincts and all. Their bodies and minds are a meld between human and predator so complete that they often forget the difference between their forms, moving between them with a thought.

A shifter can transform up to 'half the number of dice in their Cinder pool, rounded down before they begin to experience side-effects. A shift in either direction counts towards the limit: animal to human, or human to animal. After that, the Attunement mechanic controls whether a shifter is able to keep their head, or slip into a feral state of mind. This feral state of mind is where the animal urges become more prominent than the human control. It is important to emphasise that they are not mindless, but instinct reigns and impulse control suffers.

• Every shifter transforms into a specific animal that must be a mammalian apex predator.
• Shifters cannot speak in their animal form unless they take the ‘Speak’ keyword. They can speak poorly in hybrid form.
• The time it takes to shift is measured in heartbeats. The faster a shifter’s heart is beating, the quicker the transformation. The average is 30-60 slow heartbeats and a shifter can often count them as they go.

Limitations on Animals

A non-exhaustive list of possible species

Wolf, tiger, lion, brown bear, polar bear, giant otter, lynx, African wild dog, orca, panther, leopard, cougar.

Different Shapes and Sizes

No every shifter has the same experience of the shift. There are some commonalities, based on whether they are a Natural-born shifter or an Afflicted shifter, but even within these subsets of Shifters there can be differences. In the world, there is no answer to why, in the meta, it's because of the chosen size and shape path keywords below. They do count towards the keyword limit.

Dire Beast

Oversized. The afflicted shifter is the hulking monster in the dark. In their transformed states, they are unmistakable as something supernatural, with incredible strength, speed, and size. With this keyword, their shift is unnaturally large or monstrously large.

• Natural-born shifters: They can pick Dire Beast as a keyword at their discretion, but keep note that this is not the standard for them.
• Afflicted shifters: They have this keyword automatically.

Facsimile

Natural size. This is a natural born shifter's ability to blend in with the animals of the natural world. What they lack in size and strength they make up for in discreetness. With this keyword, their shift is the normal size for the type of animal they transform into.

• Natural-born shifters: They have this keyword automatically.
• Afflicted shifters: They only gain access to picking Facsimile when they reach Mundian (Apprentice) rank.

Hybrid Form

Bipedal shape. A mix of both human and beast. Bipedal and invariably larger than the human form, the hybrid form mixes the dexterity and agility of a human with the power and natural weaponry of the shifter. They retain the same colouring and pelt patterns as they do in their full animal form, along with the animal head, but their clawed hands have thumbs and they have vocal cords enough to speak words.

• Natural-born shifters and afflicted shifters start with this keyword automatically.

Animal Form

Natural shape. This is the shape of the natural animal, proportionate and normal (unless the Dire Beast keyword is applied, then they are proportionate but unnaturally large). Combined with the Facsimile keyword, this is the method natural shifters have used to survive human persecution for centuries. They retain the same colouring and pelt patterns as they do in their hybrid form.

• Natural-born shifters: They have this keyword automatically. This is their standard.
• Afflicted shifters: They gain Animal Form at Mundian (Apprentice) rank.

Passing on the Affliction

Both natural and afflicted shifters have the potential to pass on their condition. As noted, they can pass it on in their offspring, with 100% transference in couples where both partners are shifters. The child will always be the same species as the mother in couples with two different shifters. The other method of affliction is far more violent: while a shifter is in animal form, they can be infectious. If they inflict a truly grievous wound on another person, there is a chance of passing on the affliction, although the victim would not know until the next full moon. That said, in most cases, these kinds of attacks result in death.

Being mauled by a shifter doesn't mean the affliction can't be cured, so long as the cure is administered before the next full moon, which is the day their transformation is complete and the affliction is irreversible. The cure, if you can call it that, is a lethal dose of wolfsbane–also called aconite–that could cure the afflicted human as well as kill them. If a character is attacked by a shifter and the player would like to see if they are infected or not, post in the path change moderation request thread.

Traits

Healing Factor

Shifters heal rapidly. A small cut may disappear instantly, gone beyond the initial sting of pain. For an afflicted shifter, the first full moon offers a complete body regeneration - missing limbs, organs, other injuries regrow or become completely healed. All shifters possess the ability to slowly regrow severed limbs, although the process is naturally painful and difficult to hide.

Heightened Strength and Speed

All shifters are both stronger and faster than the human average, often matching their animal counterpart, but also exceeding it.

Abilities

Aspect of the Beast

Gained at Reden. Gains an additional one at Mundian.

The Aspect of a shifter is an ability or a knack that allows them a little something extra from their base abilities. This is a minor ability, so it will not be very powerful. These Aspects can be related to their species or the Path keywords and can take on a magic adjacent flavour, although shifters do not have magic in the sense other Paths do. Shifters deal in physical skills and abilities, so the Aspect generally follows that trend.

Some examples of Aspects can be a feline shifter with exceptional balance, to the degree that they never fall or lose their balance in precarious positions. Using a keyword could be creating an Aspect using Pheromone Charm, where a shifter has the ability to soothe the fears of others around them.

Concordance

Gained at Hyrd.

Although shifters tend to group together (or stay solitary) in similar ways to their animal counterparts, this does not a pack make. Highly attuned shifters have the ability to reach Concordance with another being. This is the ability to bond with another, human or supernatural, because the emotional harmony between the two are strong enough to trigger a magical tie. These relationships can range from close friendship to lover, and it is not limited to one being. In a group with a shifter and several non-shifters, the shifter will be at the center of the metaphorical wheel.

At a distance, with concentration, the shifter is able to sense the general location of their bondmates, while sudden and powerful emotional or physical distress from the other person will come across automatically like a danger-sense. A disturbance in the Force. When bondmates are gathered together, the connection is stronger, with the shifter experiencing faint empathic insight about each person.

The Concordance is benign, and reflects the strength of the relationship. Should the relationship fade, so too will the bond, although it can always be reignited. Only two Shifters can experience the full extent of it, while Concordance between a shifter and another human or meta-human will be one-sided.

Weaknesses

Mors Argentum

Because of their powerful healing factor, shifters are able to soak a great deal of physical damage, except in the cases of silver. On contact, silver weakens a shifter and wounds delivered by silver weapon stymies their supernatural healing, meaning that such wounds will heal at a normal human rate. When touched by silver, a Shifter receives a -1d6 penalty to Strike.

Manacles of the Moon

All shifters will feel the pressure to transform on the full moon. On the flip-side, transformation will be very difficult on the new moon.

Wolf's Bane

All shifters are resistant to poisons except in the case of aconite. When ingested or injected aconite causes lethargy, dizziness, unconsciousness, and eventually death in high doses. A shifter dosed with aconite will not be able to shift into or out of their beast forms, remaining stuck in whatever form they were in when they were poisoned. The blocking of their shifting abilities also manifests in a full-body ache, as if they were suffering from a high fever.

Should a shifter's skin be touched by aconite, it will sap their strength, but it does not block them off from their shifting. On extended contact, aconite causes the fur of a shifter in their beast form to fall out, as if rubbed raw, while a shifter's bare skin will react by spidering black veins around the area of contact. Any exposure to aconite is painful, but it gets worse the longer the shifter is exposed. Touch alone cannot kill a shifter, but it weakens them considerably.

Attunement

Every aspect of a Shifter's life is defined by their Attunement. It determines how much control they have over their impulses and how in-tune they are with their animal instincts. In the meta, it is the constant mechanic shifter characters must keep in mind.

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Cinder is the die pool of mental and magical abilities of a character.

A rolled die of 4 or more.

The member group and type a character is, based on the eight available.

Strike is the die pool of physical abilities of a character.