Elephant Shape Shifter
Build point cost: 250
B 9/15 (22)
A 1/5 (7)
R 1/5 (7)
S 12/18 (27)
C 1/1 (1)
I 1/5 (7)
L 1/5 (7)
W 1/5 (7)
E 1/5 (7)
+2 reach

How balanced is that?

with Build point cost: 250, there's only 150BP left for your 200BP stats plus skills, so he will be no more than an elephant
and why should elephants be the least charismatic creature in the sixth world?

go have a look at the bear shifter and make it cost a bit more...

Uh.

Yes, that was sort of the goal -- to allow it, but to make it cost enough that there's a 50% that it might not be worth it. Iffy on the build.

Because elephants in Running Wild only have 1 Cha. I gave it 3/4 the Body and Strength of an elephant.
B 12
A 4
R 3
S 16
C 1
I 3
L 3
W 3
Edg 1
Ess 6
Init 6, 1 IP
Movement 25/45
Skills: clubs 3, perception 3, running 3, unarmed combat 2
Powers: Natural Weapon (Tusk:DV 12AP,AP-2)
Note: +2 Reach

I did look at the bear shifter. Bear shifters have a base 7 Body and 7 Strength, +1 reach and cost 80 points. This has +2 Body, +5 Strength, +1 Reach and costs 170 more build points.

Perhaps that's not enough build points. Should I up it to 300 build points?

So.. does he count as a vehicle when in elephant form? Could you add a saddle with gunmount and have a runner team ride around?

go get an archer PC with the Riding skill fro RW

I'd echo Doc's comments.


To elaborate my own thoughts... Shifters turn into *carnivores*. That is their nature. You will have difficulty finding any shifter which turns into something unable to eat meat. Unless this is a wooly wolfelant, it is monstrous to nature (not to mention... a little awkward. A were-elephant? Really?)

I've done that just for fun some weeks ago.

Elephant Shapeshifter

B: 8(14)
A: 1(4)
R: 1(4)
S: 9(15)
C: 1(6)
I: 1(6)
L: 1(6)
W: 1(6)

Powers: Sapience, Shapeshift, Reach +1*, Natural Armor*, Natural Weapons (tusks, trunk)*, Enhanced Senses (Infrasound), Regeneration, Dualbeing

Weaknesses: Severe Silver Allergy, Vulnerability (Silver)

* only in animal form

I think you broke Doc Funk. Somebody get the paddles so we can reboot him.

Nothing should have charisma that low in its entire species. Elephants are playful creatures and have a lot of presence. I don't know why the book only gives them 1 charisma but a shapeshifter of the kind should have closer to human average at least. I also like Doc Byte's powers more.

I don't remember where it says this, but I do remember reading that any animal could theoretically turn into a shapeshifter. I would guess that the reason only carnivores are listed in the book is because carnivores are more outgoing in nature and herbivores would be more likely to fear humanity.

250 BP is a little much... The only thing with a cost equivalent to that is a free spirit, and they only have it for the majority of their unique effects. Your guy is a strength and body monster and, nothing else. It's not just a 50% chance that this might not be worth it, I'd call it more in the ball park of 80-90%. 150 BP dissapears damn fast, just trying to give him a 2 in all his non-species boosted stats costs him 60 BP, and god forbid he try and raise his species boosted stats. It seems like this kind of build would be boring to play and would only have use as being a melee adept, one with horrible agility and not much skill or quality boosts. You should definetly increase its max charisma and lower its cost by 70 or 80 BP. From a stats perspective this might seem unbalanced, but if shifters costed as much as they should they wouldn't be playable.

RC, page 66 does state that the list describes the major shapeshifter types, that it is not a complete list, and that theoretically every animal species across the world could give rise to shapeshifters.

Also, most of the species actually listed are more solitary than group oriented; those that aren't can still function as lone hunters. Psychologically this makes those carnivores more mentally able to function without others of their own kind. Not saying that an elephant shifter won't be fine in a crowd of [meta]humans as far as shifters in general are fine in a sprawl, but IIRC a lone elephant with little or no social contact of any kind can be a danger to itself and those around it.

And I agree with Patrick. 250BP is a little much; 170 to 180 would be more doable, 150 probably fine (considering the bear, the most expensive already listed, is 80). Also, as an example on the ability stats, eagle shifters have a minimum Charisma of 2, while eagles themselves have a Charisma of 2. It's not unreasonable for a possible elephant shifter to have a higher charisma score than it's normal counterpart; I'd think a 1-4 (6) like a troll would be fine.

So finally someone else is asking for "Benjamin Flowers" ...

Sounds a bit like you don't want your player to play this but don't want to say no out right, thus the cost. Why not just say no? I mean what is the character concept for this elephant? And how much use is he really going to be as a shadowrunner? Sometimes you just gotta say no.

What if the player want to be a Natarky Elephant shifter ? Will he be called Ganesha ?

Oh, also give the Edge: Photographic Memory and the Flaw: Phobia-Rodents

That might actually be a better way to run it. Instead of having the shifter be based on an actual elephant, have him be based on elephant mythology. After all, the fox shifter is based on Japanese Kyuubi-bito, not actual foxes.

Well, shifters retain some animal feature--such as the fox retaining their tail--so I could see an elephant shifter retaining those Ganesha features. So in methahuman form they would be mistaken for the SURGE changelings.