Cosmetic Shapeshifting Questions

[Matuku]

It states in Characters that the cosmetic limitation on a shapeshifting advantage means that you look like someone of that race without changing your abilities.

The problem is, what if you are a SM+0 creature and you cosmetic change to a SM+1 creature? As your abilities can't change what happens to the space where the new SM comes from? Is it just an illusion? Or is there something there which can be hit?

The same is also true for becoming smaller. If you cosmetic change from human to ant thats a lot of extra flesh thats disapperaring or becoming invisible.

[Kromm]

Those aren't cosmetic changes. The Cosmetic limitation specifically constrains your racial template. Your racial template doesn't just include racial advantages, disadvantages, etc. -- it includes whatever limits on weight, height, coloration, body parts, etc. are normal for your race. A human with the Cosmetic limitation can't become an ant or a giant. He's limited to looking like a human . . . just a different human. That's why Cosmetic is such a big discount. Alternate Form (Cosmetic, -50%) [8] basically gives you a single, perfect disguise. Morph (Cosmetic, -50%) [50] gives you an infinite number of perfect disguises, and is a better deal if you plan to look like more than six different people in your career.

[vitruvian]

A human with the Cosmetic limitation can't become an ant or a giant. He's limited to looking like a human . . . just a different human.

Well, if Hervé Villechaize has Cosmetic Morph, does that mean he can't look like Andre the Giant? That would be at least two steps of SM....

[Kromm]

No, that'd be fine. The effect is an illusion of some sort, most likely.

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Kromm

No, that'd be fine. The effect is an illusion of some sort, most likely.

Wouldn't Dwarfism and Gigantism be outside of racial norms?

That being why they're considered to have dwarfism/gigantism after all, as opposed to being short people or tall people.

[Matuku]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Those aren't cosmetic changes. The Cosmetic limitation specifically constrains your racial template. Your racial template doesn't just include racial advantages, disadvantages, etc. -- it includes whatever limits on weight, height, coloration, body parts, etc. are normal for your race. A human with the Cosmetic limitation can't become an ant or a giant. He's limited to looking like a human . . . just a different human. That's why Cosmetic is such a big discount. Alternate Form (Cosmetic, -50%) [8] basically gives you a single, perfect disguise. Morph (Cosmetic, -50%) [50] gives you an infinite number of perfect disguises, and is a better deal if you plan to look like more than six different people in your career.

So basically you can only have cosmetic change for your particular race? Not even ones that are really, really similar (eg humans and elves)? And what would you have to do be able to diguise yourself as an ant but not lose any of your normal racial template abilities?

[Pomphis]

Originally Posted by Kromm

He's limited to looking like a human . . . just a different human.

Does that mean that Cosmetic includes Retains Shape ?
B85 doesn´say so. I understood Cosmetic to permit all sorts of changes to "your outward appearance", and Retain Shape to restrict to the humanoid appearance. So Cosmetic only would permit the creation of a third eye, or arm, but they would be non-functional as only the outward appearance of having them would be created. If I understand Kromm correctly, is there a possibility to have Cosmetic and Retain Shape together ? Wouldn´t Cosmetic include Retain Shape, so that it should be illegal to get both ?

[EchoMirage]

The basic set did not mention whether anything outside human norm could be attained through cosmetic morphing.

What about a coat of fur? Going from Sylvia Smooth to Hairy Harry is ALMOST like growing a coat of fur anyway.
If One-Eyed Owen wanted to appear to be someone with two eyes (even though not being able to see through the 'false' eye), would he have to purchase a non-cosmetic alternate form?
What about weight? It would sure be strange if Tiny Tim, shapeshifted into Huge Hugo, would still weigh but 100 lbs.

Another shapeshifting question: what appearance level can you achieve through shifting shape? If I understood correctly, you pay for the HIGHEST level you want and can become anything uglier.
How does this work with cosmetic shapeshifting? How much do you pay to have your alternate form be 'prettier' ?

[Stephane_Theriault]

Originally Posted by EchoMirage

The basic set did not mention whether anything outside human norm could be attained through cosmetic morphing.

What about a coat of fur? Going from Sylvia Smooth to Hairy Harry is ALMOST like growing a coat of fur anyway.
If One-Eyed Owen wanted to appear to be someone with two eyes (even though not being able to see through the 'false' eye), would he have to purchase a non-cosmetic alternate form?
What about weight? It would sure be strange if Tiny Tim, shapeshifted into Huge Hugo, would still weigh but 100 lbs.

All of these are just cosmetic change, so I don't know why they wouldn't be allowed. Weight has to stay the same, otherwise this is NOT cosmetic. Yes, it could look bizarre if there is a way to note the weight of someone, but it's part of the -50% limitation.

Personnally, I think Cosmetic Change should be allowed to cover another race, as long as it is similar to yours (for humans, that means a four-limbed humanoid race of SM 1). Of course it would make shapeshifters more vulnerable to be spotted; if someone wanted to grab your long pointy elvish ears and realize you have none, you're in big trouble.

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Ellie the Technomancer

Personnally, I think Cosmetic Change should be allowed to cover another race, as long as it is similar to yours (for humans, that means a four-limbed humanoid race of SM 1). Of course it would make shapeshifters more vulnerable to be spotted; if someone wanted to grab your long pointy elvish ears and realize you have none, you're in big trouble.

I thought this discussion was in reference to Shapeshifting or Morph, not illusionary disguise?

If you shift into an elf with big pointy ears, then when someone grabs your ears, they really grab your ears.
The difference with it being Cosmetic, is that you don't get innate abilities the elf may have, so you still weigh more than a real elf, you don't hear as well as a big eared elf, you don't have the magery, or any other natural advantages of the elf, but for all outward appearances, cosmetically you look like an elf, whether that be a green, black or polka-dot elf.