Shapeshifting

Summary

Shapeshifting is as much art as science. That is perhaps why there are no rituals for shapeshifting. This path can be studied and learned by a dedicated sorcerer, but it can also be a natural talent. Shapeshifting could be genetic engineering or shamanism. It can also be a spontaneous gift to match a malleable personality with an equally malleable form. Shapeshifting is usually a short-term solution but some practitioners enjoy the shape of animals so much that they will extend the duration. This can be dangerous. Any time a shapeshifter awakens in animal form, they must spend a willpower to assert their human mind. If they run out of willpower, they roll permanent willpower instead. Failure raises the difficulty by one and leaves them in an animal state for a day. A botch results in a sorcerer remaining in animal form indefinitely. A sorcerer does not regain willpower in animal form, even if a power or their nature or demeanor would indicate otherwise. While in animal form, most appearance and manipulation rolls are reduced appropriately. (-3 dice generally.)

Scale	Subject	Disparity	Advantages	Duration
A minor cosmetic change: grow hair, change eye colors, etc.	You may only target yourself.	You may only take the features of a single animal.	Gain a sensory power applicable to the animal shape you have adopted. If you already possess that sense, reduce all difficulties of those rolls by -2. This feature must alter your physical form in a noticable manner. For an additional success, you may gain this effect multiple times. Each time it must grant or improve a different sensory power. In addiiton, you may increase or decrease your size by up to 20%.	An event: The effect lasts for the duration of a single scene. When the environment changes, the sorcerer loses focus.
Noticeable change: grow claws, sprout scales on hands.	You may only target yourself.	You may only take the features of a single animal.	You may increase or decrease your size by up to 40%. When increasing size, add +1 to all physical attributes. When decreasing size, reduce all physical attributes by 1, but all difficulties to hit you are increased by +1. Apply all bonuses and penalties from lower levels of this Aspect as well.	A destination: The effect lasts for however long it takes to travel to a specific destination. The effect ends shortly after arriving or when twenty-four hours have elapsed.
Significant change: replace a body part with an animal feature, claws, bite, digestive system.	You may only target yourself.	You may only take the features of a single animal.	You may gain an animalistic feature granting you +1 damage and dealing lethal damage instead of bashing. You may increase or decrease your size by up to 60%. Apply all bonuses and penalties from lower levels of this aspect as well	A day and a night: The effect lasts for a day and a night, expiring after the form has been in place for two sunrises. This effect will remain whether the sorcerer is awake or asleep.
Half-Shift: can shift half of their body into another form or find a halfway point between human and animal with significant traits of each. The sorcerer might resemble a bipedal wolf (of size somewhere between human and wolf) or could have bird wings and a beak with human legs.	You may affect a target other than yourself. If the target is capable of shifting their own shape, this power does not prevent them from doing so.	Cat and Mouse: You may make two different shifts simultaneously. You could have a bird beak and a wolf tail. You could turn yourself into a predator, and an opponent into prey.	You may increase or decrease your size by up to 80%. When increasing size, raise all physical attributes by an additional +1. When decreasing size, lower all physical attributes by an additional -1, increase all difficulties to hit you by an additional +1. These bonuses are cumulative with all bonuses for lower level aspects.	Ghostride: At this level, the sorcerer can partition his mind so that he is both animal and man. However, all difficulty of mental and social rolls are increased by +2. After 28 days in this form, the partition erodes and the sorcerer gains one willpower point. If he spends that willpower point to assert his human mind, he can end the effect voluntarily. If he does not, he will be trapped in that form for the natural lifespan of the animal.
Full shifting: The sorcerer can change completely into animal forms.	You may affect two subjects at once.	Rock, Paper, Scissors: You may make three unrelated shifts.	Full power: Increase or decrease your size by up to 100%. When increasing, add 5 dots to all physical attributes and decrease all difficulties to hit you by -1. Gain one sensory power, one non-aggravated attack and one movement applicable to your new form. When decreasing, decrease your physical attributes by 8 dots to a minimum of 1. Difficulty to hit you increases by +3.	A year and a day: This duration is so long that there is no chance that the sorcerer will not lose himself to the animal. However, after a year and a day, the sorcerer gets one, and only one chance to end the effect. After that, they will remain trapped in that form for the natural lifespan of the animal.
Mythic shifting: Not only can the sorcerer take on animal forms, he may turn into forms that he only imagines.	You may affect three targets simultaneously.	True Chimaera: You may freely mix and match shifting traits on any targets.	Mythic Power: Assign 8 points to physical attributes and Appearance and up to triple your current size (at triple size, all difficulties to hit you are at -2), or all physical attributes and appearance drop to 1, you are effectively invisible, only supernatural senses will locate and identify that you are not an ordinary mite or gnat. Gain a movement, sense and an appropriate attack to your new form. Additional successes to be applied to improve or add to these beyond the capacity of mundane animals. (Double movement, increased senses, additional or aggravated damage.)	Permanent Fusion: At this level, the sorcerer can exist indefinitely in his alternate form, changing back at will. Few ever do.

This page is a work in progress. It is neither canon nor finished. Please do not alter.