I thought about playing a pixie as my next char, but the GM declines the use of "shapechange" into a human form. Do you know equivalent solutions or do you have some proper arguments that i could use to convince him anyway?

If your GM is not an idiot, you can't convince him, because shapechanging into a human is so cheesy I can smell it through the internet. (I guess to bribe him is still an option)

Physical Mask is one option for social encounters.
You just can't hold anything...

Anyway, I do not see much of a problems beening a pixie. (Sure you are small, but you can fly. Magical fingers or leviate might come in handy.)

If using Shapechange to become human (sized, presumably) is too 'cheesey', why not design a spell that does only that? The limitation would counterbalance the utility.

@Aerospider
This spell would still be a "increase any physica attribute by 1 per net hit without the force=attribute limitation".
If you would use a shapchange human spell which just turns you into a human form, attributes are kept from your original form, it would be good, but I guess ok.

I don't understand why your pixie would need to shapechange into a human, and frankly I agree with your GM if that's what you want - it smells like you just want the attribute bonuses

Planning in case your Black mage gets whacked again?

Anyway, here's my suggestion: Get a roughly human-shaped drone. Otomo would be perfect, but a manservant will do on a budget. Ride the drone inside a special compartment made for you. Put a physical mask over it. Voila, you appear human and can touch/operate things.

As for Shapechange, there's a way that might work with your DM: Get rid of the attribute bonuses.

1) Pixies are quite seldom. Therefore you would cause a lot of attention ("ah, the runner team with the pixie? yeah, they ran that way")
2) Pixies have low body and strenght
3) you need to buy adjusted gear and clothing
4) possible racial bias

I could argue, that you lose all metatype-specific abilities (that should also include the concealment-power).

Physical Mask should do. Also, you've got concealment. Remember that you don't get a cumulative -2 for that, unlike with spells.



Doesn't matter much if you're a permanently concealed mage, right? Consider getting a drone for some personal armor.



Go mage. Foci need not be adjusted. Lack of armor sucks, but you've got a potential Reaction 12 and Edge 7 (8 with Lucky), so just avoid getting hit or use the armor spell.



With great racial power comes great racial bias

Why? Design it so it is not like that. Done.

Or, you can try to convince the GM to enforce maximums,, augmented at least (if not restrict it to natural max)

If I were your GM these are some, but not all of the questions I'd ask:

• Why? Why is a Pixie in the sprawl?
• Why would it associate with a group of runners in the first place?
• What is it's status it's own community? Do they accept his or her role as is?
• Would the layers realistically accept you? if not, how then do you plan on hiding your true nature? What about contacts etc...?

Basically I'd prep you for being a possible lab experiment or novelty item until you prove yourself, In Game. I'd definitely, as a GM, consider hanging some flaws on you-nothing absurd but just something to reflect your unique place in the Shadows.

We use a customized Critter Spell (Metahuman). Net hits are distributable amongst the Physical Attributes. Get 3 net hits, you get to distribute 3 points of Attributes. Sort of in the Middle between no boosts and all nets hits to all attributes. Was a nice compromise. Obviously, if you want to assume the forms of all 5 (Elf, Dwarf, Human, Orc and Troll), you would need all five variations of the spells. We also enforce Attribute Maximums. You would also need a Minimum Body of 3 to assume the shapes of all 5 Metahumans (Trolls have an Attribute Minimum 5 for Body after all), as you must still be within 2 Body to assume the Form.

My GM doesn´t care about the additional attributes, he declines the use of the spell because a pixie is quite fragile and flashy, if he changes into a human he has no disadvantages left.

About the low Strength and Body: suck it up. That's what you get for playing a pixie - that's why you get insane boosts to other Attributes.

About the social implications: if you propose a spell that gives you human form with human racial maximums, but no increases to your normal attributes, then I don't think your GM is going to object. But Physical Mask might be more useful.

Doesn´t you need at least roughly the same size so that physical mask is working properly?

Feh, get a custom version then. That's really a triviality.

Have the pixie pilot a "human suit" anthroform vehicle. Cast via Mage Sight Goggles.






-k

Or have the troll carry you in a sport bag.

That might get pretty uncomfortable, especially for a winged creature. I think the anthroform drone plus pixie-scale rigger cocoon works better.

Especially if the troll hasn't taken the socks out from the last time he was at the gym.

+1 on the human-suit. Its much classier than a human-with-better-stats. (If I were doing this, thogh, I'd totally abuse the pixie-technomancer loophole and make a deadalus techno-pixie who just wants to see what its like to be human.)

If you want at transforming critter with good stats, just play an Eagle shifter.

What pixie-TM loophole?

Pixies have a Magic attribute. Nothing that has a Magic attribute can ever access Resonance. Even if they later lose the Magic point.



-k

I seem to recall there was a loophole involving burnt-out pixies that's been shown about a few times on dumpshock.

Something about having 0 magic opening you up to taking resonance qualities, because you don't have any magic, and the specific restriction clause refences qualities that you don't have.

IIRC, Pixies with no magic are called "Dead". Which means they disappear pretty soon.

'Fraid not, Canray.

Dead pixies DO vanish, but no magic pixies don't.

burnt out pixies lose vanishing anyway (RC 84: If a sapient critter’s Magic attribute goes to 0, it loses the use of all its powers except Sapience, Natural Weapons, and Armor, if any. Also same page: Pixie Powers: Concealment (Self Only), Enhanced Senses (Astral Perception), Sapience)

Maybe it worked that way in a previous edition.

Or I'm overtired and should check things before I post.

Why not just be invisible?

Custom Chameleon Coated Armor (Second skin line for the Sexy Pixie Look)
Magic rating 6.

Visual detection modifier -10D6

Don't forget to stack Improved Invisibility on top. And proper Infiltration skill.

If Phys Mask for whatever reason is no good, use Trid Phantasm. You have lots of options, though they are *appropriately* inconvenient.

Well, I think the astral visibility of an active spell kinda removes the effect of the concealment power.

Unless you have Enhanced Masking Metamagic.

Nobody mentioned the Pixie-Puncher yet? O.o
Sons, i am disappoint . .

You mean the invisible tiny flying punch of death?

This will just get another option banned at Mac's table

What is the kinetic energy of a pixie?

Lets say that we shrink down a normal weight human from 180 centimeters and 90 kilos of weight to 1/4 of that to simulate the size of a pixie.

22,5 Kilograms and 45cm tall.

Pixies can 'run' while in flight at 50 meters per turn. That's 16,7 meters per second. Kilometers per hour becomes (16,7*60) *60 which becomes 60,12 kilometers per hour.

What's the kinetic energy of that?

It doesn't work like that: weight depends on volume, which is size^3. Divide size by 4, divide weight by 64. Realistically, it should even be less than that: lighter animals tend to have a slender build since their bones have less weight to support.

Let's just say that if pidgeon hits the wall at full speed it's not gonna recover form that colision and same goes for pixie.

This leads me to another question. What is an average attribute for a being with maximum body and strenght of 3?. I mean 1 is minimum, 2 would be average, 3 a tiny version of arnold schwarzenegger in conan the destoyer? I know the game mechanics are not build for pixies, but an interesting question anyway. Besides the look at rating 3 attributes, what about the weight? Are there any official sources? Can a body 3, strenght 3 pixie sit on the shoulder of an troll or big ork without causing problems to the carrier? I think about masking as an emotitoy or pet and 50cm is small but not THAT small.

African or European?

Why do I suddenly see someone falling down a chasm near a bridge?

50cm is about the size of a newborn. Babies are usually between 3 and 4 kg but they are fat. 3kg for a strong pixie sounds about right.

I'd love to see the security footage of a cybered up troll running full pelt down a hall.. only to have its feet run out from under him as a Adept Pixie specializing in wrestling clotheslines it. Audio is a must so we can hear the Pixie taunting the troll.

I jsut got the mental image of a little pixie hovering right in front of his face squeeking out "SAY MY NAME BI**H!"

So, other than simply to be a cheese-ball character with human physical stats and pixie non-physical stats, what exactly is your reasoning for this ability?

Pixies should only have 4+body/2 boxes of health.

Stalag, presumably it's to get pixie stats without *looking* like a pixie.

*shakes head in obvious dismay*

Because, you know, No one would want to play a disadvantaged character. Oh, The Horror.

Or... "IVE GOT YOU FOR THREEEEE MINUTES!!"

Well, if you would allow me to play a Vampire/Nosferatu in your game without the racial prejudice, and exchanging Allergy(Sunlight) to Glamour, I'd be almost tempted to play it. Almost.