Dryad Alternate Form Help

[Cowrie]

I'm statting up a variety of dryad that rather than merging with plants actually shapeshifts into a tree. It want it to be that if they're in their tree form when the sun goes down, they automatically and involuntarily go to sleep, and the same thing happens if they transform into tree form at any point during the night. If it were that simple, it would be easily enough represented by giving their tree form a sort of inverted version of the Nocturnal disadvantage, where they are forced into unconsciousness at night instead of during the day.

However, it is possible to wake up a tree form dryad during the night, but this requires physical pain (1 HP of damage, even if it doesn't penetrate natural DR) and forces them back into humanoid form, where they are mentally stunned for 1d seconds. I'm completely stumped as to how to represent this. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Anthony]

Make it a limitation on shapeshifting rather than a disadvantage on the tree template. That assumes that turning into a tree during the day is distinct from sleep, otherwise it's just "turns into a tree when sleeping".

[Kelly Pedersen]

Originally Posted by Cowrie

It want it to be that if they're in their tree form when the sun goes down, they automatically and involuntarily go to sleep, and the same thing happens if they transform into tree form at any point during the night. If it were that simple, it would be easily enough represented by giving their tree form a sort of inverted version of the Nocturnal disadvantage, where they are forced into unconsciousness at night instead of during the day.

However, it is possible to wake up a tree form dryad during the night, but this requires physical pain (1 HP of damage, even if it doesn't penetrate natural DR) and forces them back into humanoid form, where they are mentally stunned for 1d seconds.

I think you have the right idea for putting a modified Nocturnal on the tree template. For the "wake up if transformed back" bit, I'd suggest simply not putting Nocturnal on the basic dryad form. Then, you just have to decide how much of a limitation it is for the dryad to be forced back to normal form by damage. Note that Alternate Form, by default, is required to have a way to transform you back, though I'd argue that a single HP of damage is probably more easily found than usual for that, so it's still worth a limitation. Question - are dryads forced to shift back to dryad form after taking any damage at any time? Or is this just limited to at night?

[Cowrie]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

I think you have the right idea for putting a modified Nocturnal on the tree template. For the "wake up if transformed back" bit, I'd suggest simply not putting Nocturnal on the basic dryad form. Then, you just have to decide how much of a limitation it is for the dryad to be forced back to normal form by damage. Note that Alternate Form, by default, is required to have a way to transform you back, though I'd argue that a single HP of damage is probably more easily found than usual for that, so it's still worth a limitation. Question - are dryads forced to shift back to dryad form after taking any damage at any time? Or is this just limited to at night?

Yeah, the basic dryad form definitely doesn't have the altered Nocturnal. The forced shift back by damage only occurs at night, while in general magic of certain types can force a transformation back to the humanoid form, but it doesn't trigger an automatic wake-up if it happens at night. It allows the dryad to wake up normally once in humanoid form, it just doesn't wake her up in of itself.

[AlexanderHowl]

You should design the Dryad with two forms: Humanoid and Tree. If you want them to sleep in just one form, make that form the default form. If you want them to sleep in both forms, take Once On, Stays On.

In any case, the question is how capable are Dryads in the Tree Form? In any case, they will likely have SM+4 and No Fine Manipulators (Branches), which will give them -80% to ST and HP. Branches can function as Strikers, so you would purchase them according to their utility (remember, with SM+4, you automatically increase maximum Reach by +3), so you can probably get away with taking ten Crushing Strikers if you can attack in Tree Form. I would suggest a minimum ST+30 [60]. In addition, DR, Injury Tolerance (Homogeneous), and Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction) are probably good ideas.

If your Tree Form cannot move, take No Legs (Sessile) [-50]. If your Tree Form cannot speak, take Cannot Speak (Mute) [-25]. If your Tree Form cannot see, take Blind [-50]. Since Dryads are magic though, you could just have your Tree Form being a walking talking tree that is capable of seeing through its leaves (360-degree Vision might be a good representation of that ability). In any case, I would suggest Dependence (Mana).

[Cowrie]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

You should design the Dryad with two forms: Humanoid and Tree. If you want them to sleep in just one form, make that form the default form. If you want them to sleep in both forms, take Once On, Stays On.

They can sleep in either form, but they generally feel more comfortable sleeping in tree form, which I pegged as a racial quirk.

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

In any case, the question is how capable are Dryads in the Tree Form? In any case, they will likely have SM+4 and No Fine Manipulators (Branches), which will give them -80% to ST and HP. Branches can function as Strikers, so you would purchase them according to their utility (remember, with SM+4, you automatically increase maximum Reach by +3), so you can probably get away with taking ten Crushing Strikers if you can attack in Tree Form. I would suggest a minimum ST+30 [60]. In addition, DR, Injury Tolerance (Homogeneous), and Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction) are probably good ideas.

If your Tree Form cannot move, take No Legs (Sessile) [-50]. If your Tree Form cannot speak, take Cannot Speak (Mute) [-25]. If your Tree Form cannot see, take Blind [-50]. Since Dryads are magic though, you could just have your Tree Form being a walking talking tree that is capable of seeing through its leaves (360-degree Vision might be a good representation of that ability). In any case, I would suggest Dependence (Mana).

They're actually fairly small as trees by default, only SM+2, (Individual dryads can grow larger in tree form with age, however) but they do have No Fine Manipulators and No Legs (Sessile). They have ST+10, DR, and Injury Tolerance (Homogenous), but Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction) doesn't seem right. Both forms have a Dependency on Mana, albeit not a constant one. The tree form has 360-degree vision, but I'm still waffling on whether I want them to be able to talk in tree form or not. I'm leaning towards being able to talk to other dryads, but not members of other races.

[Kelly Pedersen]

Originally Posted by Cowrie

The forced shift back by damage only occurs at night, while in general magic of certain types can force a transformation back to the humanoid form, but it doesn't trigger an automatic wake-up if it happens at night. It allows the dryad to wake up normally once in humanoid form, it just doesn't wake her up in of itself.

I'd say you should make a custom limitation for Alternate Form, call it something like "Easily Reverted". The default way of forcing you to revert is supposed to be "reasonably common". The examples given (a dispel magic spell, strong magnetic fields, or exorcism) seem about as common, to me, as a power source's "anti-power", which is generally worth -5% as a limitation. I'd say that "very common", so something like any magic spell, any magnetic or electrical effect, or any divine power, would be worth double that, so -10%, while "Extremely common", which would be an effect that almost anyone could deploy without any significant effort (which your example of "takes any HP of damage" would be double that again, so -20%.

Then, of course, you've got to take the fact that it only applies at night into account. You can use a "limited limitation" build here, applying Accessibility, Only at Night, -20% to the value of Easily Reverted, Extremely Common Condition, for a final value of -16% (which I'd just round to -15%).

[Proteus]

Shouldn't dryads get stuck in tree form during the day, when having photosynthetic leaves would actually do them some good? The humanoid form as usually described seems much more suited to, er, night life.