I have a few questions that i can't seem to find the answers for in regards to shapeshifter player characters.

• How does armor fit in, i saw that armor on a regular bear critter would be equal to the armor worn by the human (pg 204 running wild) but i can't find anything on "natural armor?"
• The starting stats table on pg 86 in the runner's companion doesn't say whether i should stat the human form as well as the animal form, should i?
• What bout skills? Can i take any that would make sense, such as unarmed combat and not hacking?
• Would bioware such as bone density work with the shifter since it is very intrusive? How bout type 0 system?
• i believe i can still grab adept, mystic adept, so i'm guessing i can grab some adept powers as well, within reason (i can't get power throw as a bear)?
• How bout martial arts/maneuvers play into all this?
• And finally, where can i read more on NAN (i would like to make a good credible background)?

Any answers to these would help me, thank in advance...

- You can buy armor fitted to your form. It is likely it will cost more than vanilla-human armor.
- Yes it does say that. All is in both forms unless stated otherwise.
- You can even take ones that don't make sense *g*
- Cyberware & bioware and such will be rejected with characters with regeneration. (Which you have) It can be done, but not at character creation. It has to be Delta-Ware though, and the operation is costly and very complicated.
- A Bear has very nice paws.. i would let him throw. But yes, you can get adepts powers.
- Still all valid, maybe your gm may forbid you something. (Like specializing in boxing without a fist)
- Ummm... eh... no idea.

What bout metatypes? Could I be a troll shapeshifter or only human?

There's an optional rule that allows that, yes.

Makes you wonder how they're metatype might be reflected in animal form? Wolf with horns? Eagle with tusks?

As for the NAN, there were two books put out quite some time ago, the NAN volumes 1 &2. More recent, but still dated, would be Shadows of North America. It's about 10 years out of date in game, but still a cool book. There's various updates through some of the later books, but I think that's going to be your most current/comprehensive source.

Shapeshifters are sounding cooler and cooler as I learn more bout them. Now we are talking bout animals that can turn into humans right? One or the other not some half human half bear/tiger? I take it I would be spending most of my time in animals form and only in human form when it's beneficial. This is assuming that as a shapeshifter I would be "protected" from being hunted measly for game/pelt in most cities. I'm not sure how the politics would work.

As for bioware, I was thinking more like trauma damper or skill recorder, maybe muscle toner/aug, pain editor, or the most important synaptic booster.  

Not to sound all jerky, but did you really read the Shapeshifter's section in RC? Because the majority of your questions are answered there already.
Yes, shapeshifters are animals who can turn into metahuman, not the other way around. And they all start Uneducated.

Yea. I did read the 3 pages dedicated to shape shifters. But it's not entirely clear, for example if I am a bear shifter and turn into a troll do I get +2 to reach in either form? One from bear one from troll? How bout fomori and the arcane arrest power (sp)? Doesn't say anything bout casting spells in either form. Nothing bout armor at all.

You can read bout riding bikes but there's only one way to learn how to ride a bike. I'm basically asking for those who have experience either playing as or with a shape shifter. And since most of the people who share info in these forums are GMs they contain personal insight on the balance issues I as a pc should be aware of. But thanks for sharing.

Double post

In the case of a shapeshifter not changing into human.

FYI: shifting form is intended to be a complex action, IIRC. One sec...

Yes, "a single complex action."

I think the primary item of importance since SoNA for the NAN is that the Pueblo Corporate Council took the city of Los Angeles, completely screwing up their internal power balance and internal demographics (they're a majority anglo now, for example).

EDIT: in italics.

What is with all the shapeshifter threads lately?

Like, five on the first page alone.




-karma

I would also add that the Ute Nation has joined the Pueblo Nation, and the Tsimshian Nation has lost it's war with Salish-Shidhe and has been absorbed. Easy to forget since that all happened in the Lost Five Years.

So can I really be a fomori shapeshifter changeling mystic adept?

And btw, I've been reading the text suggested. Thx

If your GM lets you.

Personally I think that the shapeshifter stuff should be limited to the stock metahumans, although, if you're in a given theme setting (eg. Japan) I could see a little leeway for the local metavarient types (eg. Oni). Animals that can become human are likely going to pick something local (and while the world is a bit more mixed up and homogenized than it used to be, it'd be rare for a shifter to be a metavarient that isn't local).

SURGE just about anyone can get. I haven't seen any rules saying otherwise. I would, however, be careful with what surge qualities you pick up. At least have them make sense (eg. no cephaloid skull for your Fox shifter) as they likely apply to both forms (animal and metahuman), though I've seen nothing to indicate this one way or the other.

Shapeshifters can be interesting,


I have one in my group and for all the damage he can dish out and survive from normal combat the first time we saw a spirit he was hiding behind my mage faster then anything when he realised dual nature and no ability to regen magical damage can be a death sentence.

I played a drake changling who was built for stealth.

Combat happened? He was on the floor (usually bleeding). It sort of arose through the game that I decided he didn't have any street smarts, being a college student and living inside Renraku his whole life.

Ye the group I'm in has a drake in it too, (its a odd bunch my mage and the streetsam are about the only two normal people there) and he too has learnt that just being scaly doesnt make you invulnarable. Although he did once do himself damage and ruin his armour by forgetting to get undressed and shifted while being in some pretty good armour. Oh the regret when he couldnt find some of his gear when he flew back later.

I wouldn't say he assumed that scales did make him "invulnerable," but more that he walked into a dangerous situation blindly and got shot (he wasn't even in drake form the first time).



Hehe. Mine really only wore street clothes, and I did specifically get undressed (at least the first session). But I feel your pain.