Shifter Rules

He that makes himself a sheep,

 shall be eaten by the wolf.

— Italian proverb

New Skill

Blood (Cha)

Blood represents the power of the shifter's animal spirit. Whenever a shifter embraces their bestial aspects, they are leaning towards blood. Blood enhances a shifter's ties to the wild, the primal, and the supernatural. 

All Shifters start with 1 rank in Blood.

Bone (Int)

Bone represents the shifter's human aspect. Whenever a shifter embraces their human logic, reason and rationality, they are embracing bone. Bone enhances a shifter's ties to the mundane, the physical, and the rational world. 

All Shifters start with 1 rank in Bone. 

Harmony (Wis)

Harmony represents the balance between the shifter's two spirits: their human self, and their animal self. A shifter lacking harmony is a warring soul, with their human and bestial halves completely unaware of each other. Once a shifter begins to understand their dual nature as human and beast, they can begin to unlock the power that comes with straddling that primordial divide.

In general terms, Harmony is used in checks specifically related to a shifter's unique powers. All Shifters start with 1 rank in Harmony. Whenever a check calls for a Shifter's general supernatural ability, without specifying Blood or Bone, use Harmony. 

Shapeshifting

Shifters are defined by their ability to shift between human and animal forms. However, it is important to remember that a shifter is not a human who can take on the form of animals; both human and animal forms are completely natural, and the human form is only seen as the "default" due to anthropocentric nature of the modern world. 

A shifter has five forms:

• Homonid, or the shifter's base human form

• Wild form, an enhanced version of the homonid form with some bestial traits

• War form, a terrifying hybrid from of man and beast

• Dire form, a powerful, enhanced version of the shifter's animal form

• Beast form, appearing like a mundane wild animal

When a shifter is stressed, such as during a fight, a chase, or when they are being threatened, they reflexively begin to shift. This shift is subconscious, consuming 1 action to shift one step (for example, from Homonid to Wild, or from Dire to either War or Beast). The goal is to achieve the ideal form a particular situation, such as War form during a fight, Beast form during a hunt, or Homonid during a social confrontation.

Resisting shapeshifting during requires the shifter to take 1 action to make a Harmony check. Usually, the DC for this check is 10, but certain situations might have a higher DC. 

To Trigger a change during a non-stressful situation, spend 1 action and 1 Anima to make a DC 15 Harmony check. If you succeed, you may immediately shapeshift to any other of your forms.

The Five Forms

A shifter has five forms. These forms modify a shifter's abilities and skill checks. Shifting takes 1 action. If you are shifting in a stressful situation, you can only shift 1 step per action, but this action costs no Anima. If you are shifting during a non-stressful situation, you can shift as many steps as you wish, but this shifting costs 1 Anima.

Homonid

Homonid is the form the shifter was born into, the mundane human they were before their First Change. Aside from your accelerated healing and your enhanced senses, you are a perfectly normal human, with all the benefits and limitations that brings.

• Attempts to discern your supernatural nature when in Homonid form suffer a -1 penalty for every 3 ranks in Bone you possess. 

Wild

When assuming wild form, your bestial aspects begin to emerge. For werewolves, this is the "wolf-man" of classic horror films. A Wild form for most shifter forms is taller, stronger and faster than a mundane human. While in wild forms, most shifters add about a foot of height, and double their muscle mass, causing cloths to tear. Finger nails and teeth toughen into claws and fangs. Fur sprouts across the shifter's body, as their skin thickens to hide. Wild form shifters are clearly inhuman, but they can still perform many of the actions a human can, including fine manipulation of tools. 

• Size +1 (increase weapon damage size by 1, armour decreases by 1)

• Your unarmed attacks deal lethal damage, even if you lack the proper training; you gain a bite attack that deals 1d6 damage to grappled targets. 

• +2 origin bonus to Awareness checks, as well as to Survival and Street Smart checks to Track.

• +2 origin bonus to Strength and Constitution checks, -2 penalty to Dexterity checks. 

• Add Wisdom modifier as an origin bonus to your Armor.

SPECIAL - NEZUMI

• -1 Size Instead

• -2 Strength, +2 Dex

• No bonus vitality points

• Gain 1/3 your ranks in Shroud as a bonus to Dodge, Endurance and Resolve

War

The classic monster-man of legend, fusing the deadliest elements of human and beast into a single devastating whole. The war form's sole purpose is killing the enemies of the shifters, with claws like knives and fangs designed to rend their prey limb from limb. 

Shifting into War Form always costs 1 Anima. When a Shifter has 0 anima, they cannot shift into War form and instead shift directly from Wild to Dire. 

A shifter can only maintain a hold on their war form for so long. You can remain in War Form for a number of rounds equal to your combined ranks in Blood, Bone and Harmony. Every round after that a shifter spends in their war form costs 1 Anima. After a Shifter reaches 0 Anima, they can choose to take 1 Wound to extend their War form for another round or shift to Wild or Dire form. 

• Size +2 (increase weapon damage size by 2, armour decreases by 2)

• You gain Fast Healing 1

• You no longer need to grapple targets to use your bite attack

• +2 origin bonus to all initiative checks

• You gain 1 additional Reaction per round

• +4 origin bonus to Awareness checks, as well as to Survival and Street Smart checks to Track.

• +4 origin bonus to Strength and Constitution checks, -4 penalty to Dexterity checks. You automatically fail any Charisma, Dexterity, Intelligence or Wisdom check, other than Acrobatics, Awareness, Composure, Defence, Dodge, Intimidate, Resolve, Street Smarts and Survival.

• Add double your Wisdom modifier as an origin bonus to your Armor.

• Gain your ranks in Harmony as temporary vitality points. These points fade once you shift forms to any form other than War

Dire

The dire form is a beast out of human myth and legend: giant wolves and rats, bears the size of horses, and other such monstrosities drawn from ages long past. 

• Size +1  (increase weapon damage size by 1, armour decreases by 1)

• You no longer need to grapple targets to use your bite attack

• You gain 1 additional Reaction per round

• Increase your move speed by 1 range and your run speed by 2 range

• +4 origin bonus to Awareness checks, as well as to Survival and Street Smart checks to Track.

• +2 origin bonus to Strength and Constitution checks, -2 penalty to Dexterity checks. You automatically fail any Charisma or Dexterity check other than Acrobatics, Composure, Defence, Dodge, and Intimidate.

• Add Wisdom modifier as an origin bonus to your Armor.

Beast

The beast form is a perfectly normal animal. A mundane human will probably completely ignore a shifter in the beast form, and even supernaturals may pass the shifter by if they're not specifically on the lookout for the shifter's tells. The beast form is form tracking prey and blending into nature.

• You cannot speak a human language

• Size -1  (decrease weapon damage size by 1, armour increases by 1)

• You no longer need to grapple targets to use your bite attack

• Increase your move speed by 2 range and your run speed by 4 range

• You gain 1 additional Reaction per round

• +4 origin bonus to Awareness checks, as well as to Survival and Street Smart checks to Track.

• +2 origin bonus to Dexterity and Constitution checks. You automatically fail any Charisma or Dexterity check other than Acrobatics, Composure, Defence, Dodge, and Intimidate.

• Attempts to discern your supernatural nature when in Beast form suffer a -1 penalty for every 3 ranks in Blood you possess. 

Shifter Abilities

Totems

A shifter forms bonds with certain spirits, agreeing to advance the spirit's interests in return for a fraction of the spirit's powers. Totems are given as gifts to shifters, they are not taught. 

Shifters start with 1 totems, and can buy additional totems for 5 experience. 

Regeneration

After shapeshifting, the single most iconic power possessed by shifters is their incredible healing. A shifter's body will knit itself together in defiance of time and biological reason. But the, shifters aren't entirely biological creatures. The partially spirit nature of a shifter means that just by willing it, they can force their body to mend.

This healing isn't natural. Torn muscles twist and knit themselves back together, broken bones fuse with an audible hiss, and lacerated skin flows like a liquid to close grievous wounds. It is immediately obvious to onlookers that a shifter's mending isn't natural, and a sleeper witnessing such healing risks a Veil Breach.

A shifter heals wounds and vitality at double the rate of mundane humans and other supernaturals.

During a short rest, a shifter heals 2d8+Con+Wis Vitality.

During a long rest, a shifter heals 2 wounds.

As a single action, a shifter can spend 1 anima to either heal 1d8+Wis Vitality, or heal 1 Wound.

A shifter adds their Wisdom modifier as a bonus to Endurance checks against Poisons and Diseases.

Senses

Even in human form, shifters inherit some of the heightened senses of their spirit form, imparting enhanced smell, sight and hearing.

A shifter can use smell and hearing to pinpoint a corporeal creature within 1 range.

As a full-round action, a shifter can spend 1 Anima and expand their senses across the Ether and into the Spirit World. This allows them to sense ghosts and other spirits who might be in the area, including those bound to mediums or shamans, or the bestial halves of other shifters.  In addition, they can sense the ripples in the Ether set off by mages or supernatural creatures, but correctly identifying the emanations given off by such beings requires a successful Occult Lore check.

Shifters are also expert survivalists and trackers. By spending 1 Anima, they can add 1/2 their ranks in Blood to Survival checks, or 1/2 their ranks of Bone to Street Smart checks for the rest of the scene.