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Old 09-20-2011, 09:57 AM   #1
Bruno
 
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Default Reverting to base Alternate Form

I'm working on my Warcraft racial templates. Again. This time, the werewolves of Warcraft, the Worgen.

Worgen's base form is a big humanoid werewolf shape, and they take a "mostly normal" looking human shape as their Alternate form. Their reversion trigger from the game is any sort of combat - someone attacking a worgen, or a worgen attacking someone (no need to hit to trigger the shapeshift). They can't use their shapeshifting form again until they're out of combat and there is a brief "cool down" period.

I'm looking at the alternate form having "Not In Emergencies" and the trigger for reversion being "Emergencies" - any sort of stress: combat and other emergencies, but also various self control rolls and similar "excitement".

The problem is how to price the fact that a Worgen's Alternate Form triggers to revert to base shape, not to shapeshift. It seems like an Uncontrollable Trigger or vanilla Uncontrollable, but that would turn a Worgen into a human when stressed, rather than revert when stressed. :/

I'm thinking basing it on Uncontrollable but just halving the value, since the base form is the "ass kicking" form as it is.
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Old 09-20-2011, 10:37 AM   #2
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Default Re: Reverting to base Alternate Form

Why not just buy the humanoid as the base form?

Also, turning into a big effin' wolf under stress I'd say is certainly problematic, both from a social perspective, but if you happen to be in a small cave or a shop with fragile things...? There is precious little need to halve uncontrollable, unless the game is very geared towards combat.
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Old 09-20-2011, 10:43 AM   #3
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Default Re: Reverting to base Alternate Form

Well, because the werewolf shape is their native form. It's what they switch to when knocked out or sleeping, if you cut bits off of them while shapeshifted they'll revert to furry bits, if you kill them they switch to their true shape, which is big and furry.
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Old 09-20-2011, 10:50 AM   #4
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Default Re: Reverting to base Alternate Form

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Originally Posted by Bruno View Post
I'm looking at the alternate form having "Not In Emergencies" and the trigger for reversion being "Emergencies" - any sort of stress: combat and other emergencies, but also various self control rolls and similar "excitement".
Useless Under Stress p.B110 is -60%, and kicks the less powerful AF "disguise" down from 15 points to 6.
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Old 09-20-2011, 10:53 AM   #5
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Default Re: Reverting to base Alternate Form

AHA! Yes, that's exactly what was needed. Ta much!
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Old 09-20-2011, 10:55 AM   #6
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Default Re: Reverting to base Alternate Form

But there always has to be "single, reasonably common external influence that can force you to return to your native form against your will" (p. B83). Making the trigger not so single may be worth -10% at most, IMHO (that's a difference between levels of Trigger).
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Old 09-20-2011, 11:07 AM   #7
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Default Re: Reverting to base Alternate Form

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Originally Posted by Gnomasz View Post
But there always has to be "single, reasonably common external influence that can force you to return to your native form against your will" (p. B83). Making the trigger not so single may be worth -10% at most, IMHO (that's a difference between levels of Trigger).
No, it's adding an additional trigger. Self-controlled Worgen (according to fluff) shift during the full moon (although they don't go crazy). In-game PC worgen don't, although some NPCs shift at nightfall instead (and go crazy).

Sorry, I really should have mentioned that I had the base trigger covered.
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Old 09-20-2011, 01:02 PM   #8
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Default Re: Reverting to base Alternate Form

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Originally Posted by Edman View Post
Why not just buy the humanoid as the base form?

Also, turning into a big effin' wolf under stress I'd say is certainly problematic, both from a social perspective, but if you happen to be in a small cave or a shop with fragile things...? There is precious little need to halve uncontrollable, unless the game is very geared towards combat.
With plain vanilla Shapeshifting, you revert to base form if knocked out, killed, or some other fairly common condition you define. With Ranma 1/2, that would be getting splashed with the right type of water; with these guys, you could just as easily say combat stress is that condition.
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Old 09-20-2011, 01:13 PM   #9
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Default Re: Reverting to base Alternate Form

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Originally Posted by vitruvian View Post
With plain vanilla Shapeshifting, you revert to base form if knocked out, killed, or some other fairly common condition you define. With Ranma 1/2, that would be getting splashed with the right type of water; with these guys, you could just as easily say combat stress is that condition.
Except that you need the reversion to be instantaneous, and buying it up as Reflexive with Reduced Time seems like it'd be a steep price to pay for a concept which is disadvantageous.
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Old 09-20-2011, 03:08 PM   #10
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Default Re: Reverting to base Alternate Form

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Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha View Post
Except that you need the reversion to be instantaneous, and buying it up as Reflexive with Reduced Time seems like it'd be a steep price to pay for a concept which is disadvantageous.
Reversion to base form for being knocked out, killed, or your specific condition is instantaneous, as far as I know.
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