A question... wolves in the core book have 2 IPs. Would this indicate that the shapeshifters also do? The shapeshifter section of Runner's Companion (or as it's alternately known, Furry's Friend) says nothing on the matter.

I started thinking about this watching my cat here in the basement. He may be kind of retarded, but he's also a lot faster than any normal human ever could be. It seems like it'd be silly for him to have one Initiative Pass, but then it'd also be silly for his shapeshifter cousins to be slower than he is, and it could be wonky to give shapeshifter PCs extra free IPs...

As I've pointed out on the Shapechange thread, the default Initiative Pass is 1 unless explicitly stated otherwise. Since Shifters do not have anything that states they get more IPs, as silly as it is they only have one.

Hm hm... i just wanted to go in and say: "Ah, yeah, the great cat one get a second IP... and also..." But of course i do my research first... Hm... you are right. WEIRD. Well, i know that a lot of shapeshifters got their second die in 3rd edition. But in 4th... looks like they are all at 1. Doesn't seem to fit though.

Since they all have the drawback of "regeneration" and also of being no human (and also of "Cyberware only works in the form it was implanted in --- wrong only in animal form, which is bullshit") maybe one could give them all a +1 IP... like all the important infected have?

Non-PCs, yeah, I'd just give them an extra IP and call it good. But PCs are a bit of another matter. I feel like I ought to be adjusting the template cost for that extra IP. Maybe up them each by ten BP. Does that sound good as an eyeball figure, you think?

Maybe they wanted to avoid all the powergamers who would take shapeshifters and get a second IP and regeneration for the cost of the shifter type... which is cheaper than getting all the bioware needed to replicate those powers.

@Megu... 10 points... that's it? I mean Synaptic Booster 1 costs 16 BP and takes up .5 Essence. If Shifters were to get an IP boost it should cost 20 as the shifter would not have pay Essence for it.

That's a good point. I was thinking of how much it would cost to get the spell and a sustaining focus, and essentially pulled that figure out of my ass thinking about that. But you're right; that doesn't really take into account the stuff a magician has to buy to get to that point. 20 is more like it.

i'd leave it as an option to the players. If you take the 2nd IP for 20 BP, you're stuck at 2 IPs...thats not enough for most adept builds. probably ok, for eagle shamans

Except you'll have every fragging player wanting to be a <insert animal> shaman. If you're going to offer that to one type of player you should offer it to the others as well.

I want to play a wolf shifter that uses the Chrome Critter variant as a hacker. Or at least have it as the target for a personell extraction.

Is there any shifter that doesn't play as an adept or eagle mage?

But yeah, I use shifters quite a bit as npcs, I just house rule it so they start off with 2 IPs in most cases. Idk, I would like to house rule it so they can just go ahead and use augmentation, but that makes them a touch too goodl, imo. It would be nice to find a balance for it. Double 'ware cost? Increased Essense cost?

Bleh, at least I only have one shifter PC right now, and he's a mystic adept, so he doesn't want 'ware in any case.

Chrome Critters from the Metasapients section. All 'ware that isn't Delta-grade is considered second-hand. I think that's a good compromise.

Hmm, that seems like a pretty decent compromise. I'll have to stat it out in my next round of NPC making.

"look! this sweet little tiger is sleeping.."
-"no wait! Careful. i think he is in full VR"

That's not the same thing. The problems with sapient critters is that off-the-shelf implants do not fit them. The problem with shifters is that non delta ware are rejected by Regeneration, as for vampires.

I'm looking for a way to have it be semi-balanced; I can always come up with a fluffy rationale for it later^^

Hrmmm...

So tack on another 10% for having the surgery done with tools that bypass the shifter's Regen?

Actually, if you buy a raw silver reagent for 300 and turn it into a bracelet you can't Regen with it on. Read the last sentence of the Regeneration Power. So as you're wearing this bracelet you get an implant - that would (unless you've increased your magic) turn you mundane, removing your Regeneration and Shift powers.

Yea and then you take the bracelet off and your body forcefully ejects the implants, it's not just during the surgery that you have a problem.

No, because since you lost your Magic you would lose your Regen. It would not reject.

ANd even if you still managed to keep you magic just get the sivler implanted as well.

Point. I was just keeping you all updated that I found out how to play my shifter hacker . I just think it's a funny idea to have the hacker be a sapient animal. There's another use for your Eagles guys.