Shifter Rules

New Skill

Blood (Prs)

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 with Apprentice Proficiency 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 Apprentice Proficiency in Bone. 

Harmony (Cng)

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 Apprentice Proficiency 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 animal form; both human and animal forms are completely natural, and the human form is only seen as the "default" due to the 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 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 for a particular situation, such as War form during a fight, Beast form during a hunt, or Homonid during a social confrontation. When you consume 1 action to shift, you can only shift one step from Homonid to Beast (Homonid <-> Wild <-> War <-> Dire <-> Beast). This shift costs 0 anima. 

Resisting shapeshifting 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. 

Forced Shift (3 Actions & 1 Anima): Spend 3 actions and 1 anima to violently force your body to change. Make a DC 15 Harmony check to immediately assume any of your 5 forms, regardless of your current state. On a failure, you only shift one step and the anima is wasted.

Stressful vs. Calm: If you are in combat/danger, shifting costs 0 Anima, driven by adrenaline. If you want to force a shift while calm (like turning into a Beast form to sneak into a building), it costs 1 Anima.

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 origin penalty equal to your Bone Proficiency Bonus. 

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. In their wild forms, most shifters add about a foot in height and double their muscle mass, causing clothes 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 natural 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.

• +1 origin bonus to Brawn and Constitution checks, -1 penalty to Dexterity checks. 

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

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 proficiency bonus in Harmony, Bone and Blood. 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.

• +2 origin bonus to Brawn and Constitution checks, -4 penalty to Dexterity checks. You automatically fail any Presence, 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.

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 Brawn, Agility 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 your 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 Agility 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. 

Tribal Specializations

When a player picks a Tribe, they apply these traits to their Wild, War, and Dire forms:

Werewolf: The Predators. Your Bite attack gains the Knockdown trait. Your Claws gain the Agile trait.

Bersarkir (Bear): The Juggernauts. In War and Dire form, your Size increases by an additional +1. Your Bite gains the Grapple trait. 

Nezumi (Rat): The Swarm. You do not gain Brawn bonuses in your shifted forms; instead, you gain those bonuses to Agility. Your Size does change. Add half your bonus to Harmony to Endurance, Dodge and Resolve defence. You gain a Climb speed equal to your Move speed.

Kitsune (Fox): The Tricksters. In War form, you do not automatically fail Cunning or Intellect checks. Your Bite attack deals Arcane damage instead of Piercing.

Nagual (Jaguar): The Ambushers. In Wild and War form, you gain the Concealed condition whenever you are in Dim light or darkness. Your Claws gain the Finesse trait.

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 totem 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 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 nearly double the rate of mundane humans and other supernaturals.

During a short rest, a shifter rolls double the flat die and adds their Cunning modifier to the Vitality (using the following equation: 2d8+Con+Cng Vitality)

During a long rest, a shifter heals 2 wounds.

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

A shifter adds their Cunning modifier as a bonus to Endurance defenses against Poisons and Diseases.

Senses

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

A shifter can use smell and hearing to pinpoint a Hidden or Unnoticed corporeal creature within 1 Range.

Ghost Sight (3 Actions): A shifter can spend 1 Anima as 3 actions to expand their senses across the Ether and into the Spirit World. This allows them to sense ghosts and other spirits in the area, including those bound to mediums or shamans, as well as 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. Ghost Sight lasts as long as the Shifter Concentrates on it.

Tracking (1 Action): By spending 1 Anima as 1 action, a shifter may gain a +2 Supernatural bonus to Survival checks to Track for the rest of the scene.