Shapeshifters and "Not Always Quite Human" Optional Rule Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Outline Switch to: Standard Switch to: Linear+

[Gamer6432]

This came up in DamienKnight's Upgraded Character Generator Thread:

What the book says:

Not Always Quite Human
Shapeshifters look mostly human—normally. Through
some quirk of magic or paragenetics, some shapeshifters
can transform into a form that more closely resembles another
metatype, or even metavariants. This is represented
by changing their Shift (Human) power to another, as
appropriate—Shift (Elf), Shift (Oni), etc.—and spending an
additional number of BP equal to the typical cost for that
race –10 BP. A shapeshifter with a different metatype gains
their standard metatype abilities (see Metatype Attribute
Table, p. 72, SR4) when in that form.

The way I read this is that you pay the Shapeshifter metatype cost plus the standard cost of whatever non-human metatype you want, then subtract 10 BP (so a Fox Shifter with Shift (Ork) would be 60 BP total). What you get for the extra BP cost is that metatype's abilities when not in animal form. You do not get any attribute bumps, but retain the Shapeshifter's attributes in both forms.

The way DK has it in his awesome character generator (as of version v) is you pay the full shifter+metatype cost and gain extra abilities including attribute bumps (up and down) as appropriate for the metatype.

So, the question is, which is it? Obviously a GM can rule whatever he and his group like for their own house game.