Building a shape shifter with interesting rules

[ericthered]

I am trying to build a race of shapeshifters based on Kandra. (if that helps you know what I am trying to do, I don't want say where they're from cause the exact abilities may constitute spoilers.)

The creatures can take the shape of any vertebrate, but they require the creature's bones, and seem to have very different levels of skill, with the ability to change represent a human they didn't individually "eat". It seems that they have differing levels of skill with different shapes, one character learning how to use the body of a dog (most stick to humans).

how would the levels of skill in working with less than ideal circumstances work out? and is this an alternate form where you can buy more, or is it a very limited morph where you use skills to assume a different form.

on another note, they can only be killed by corrosive damage, and to take one out of the fight you break its bones, but they can be hurt by normal dammage. How do I model this?

[the_matrix_walker]

Unkillable 1 (Achilles heel, Corrosion, -50%) [25]

Morph (Needs Sample, -15%; Requires Skill Roll, -5%, Vertebrates only, -10%) [70]

And let them take a custom Shape-shifting skill and use techniques for individual species or forms that they can improve individually. Depending on how tough they are you may want to use a higher level of Unkillable, some regeneration or whatever. Maybe some Hard to Subdue to keep them fighting longer.

[ericthered]

hmmm....

a skill with techniques may work well, I was originally considering a skill per form, but techniques sounds good.

Ok, looking at Morph....

Morph (prep req 10 min -30%, requires sample (bones and hair) -25%, requires skill roll -5%) [40]

I looked up requires sample (I need to learn powers better), and it suggests that monsters that eat the entire subject to reproduce them get -50%. This creature often eats the entire subject (probably for a bonus to skill or a penalty if they don't) but can make do with a complete set of bones, particularly if it has worn them before.

Vertabrate only.... Come to think of it, the issue so much that they can only imitate vertabrates, its that they have a minimum mass and only vertebrates get anywhere near that big. So they have a very loose form of mass conservation, somewhere between a small human and a horse. (they have to get the mass from somewhere though, usually from eating the subject). would this be mitigated mass conservation -10%?

I'd probably give them unkillable I, not unkillable II. Come to think of it, burning damage is also likely to actually kill them. I'd probably also give them fast regeneration vs. things that don't actually kill them. The trick is I need to model breaking their bones, because if you can do that, they are essentially crippled.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I'd probably also give them fast regeneration vs. things that don't actually kill them. The trick is I need to model breaking their bones, because if you can do that, they are essentially crippled.

Give them a limitation on their regeneration that it does not heal crippling injury.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Give them a limitation on their regeneration that it does not heal crippling injury.

Any idea what it would be worth?

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Any idea what it would be worth?

I'd rule -20%. They aren't 'rare' (-10%) and they aren't quite 'occasional' (-30%) either, so a value in between would be most appropriate.

[Rhoanna]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Vertabrate only.... Come to think of it, the issue so much that they can only imitate vertabrates, its that they have a minimum mass and only vertebrates get anywhere near that big. So they have a very loose form of mass conservation, somewhere between a small human and a horse. (they have to get the mass from somewhere though, usually from eating the subject). would this be mitigated mass conservation -10%?

Can they turn into large invertebrates, such as octopus or giant/colossal squids, which can surpass human size? And are they similarly unable to turn into small mammals, whether housecats or Etruscan shrews?

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Rhoanna

Can they turn into large invertebrates, such as octopus or giant/colossal squids, which can surpass human size? And are they similarly unable to turn into small mammals, whether housecats or Etruscan shrews?

I would say they can function as large invertebrates, though they would have extreme unfamiliarity with the shape at first. They can't imitate small mammals.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I'd probably also give them fast regeneration vs. things that don't actually kill them. The trick is I need to model breaking their bones, because if you can do that, they are essentially crippled.

Does this mean that if any bones are broken, the creatures don't heal at all, or just that the broken bones don't mend?

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

Does this mean that if any bones are broken, the creatures don't heal at all, or just that the broken bones don't mend?

the broken bones don't mend. The bones don't belong to the creature at all, they get them from other sources. In fact, the bones don't even have to be "bone", or from a real animal, the creatures can use bones made of wood, stone, or metal. In a high tech setting, I'd let them use plastic. The trick is they can't copy individuals with these bones, and look kind of odd when they use them.