「
形態変更」 features prominently in folklore and fiction. Details vary greatly from tale to tale. These notes barely touch on the possible complexity --a detailed treatment could fill its own book.
When designing 「
変身」s, apply enhancements and limitations to the basic 15-point cost per form but not to the form-specific cost (that is, 90% the difference in template costs). A similar rule applies to Morph: modifiers affect the 100-point cost of the basic ability but not additional points set aside for more powerful forms.
The sole exception in either case is Affects Others (p. 107), which affects both components of the cost.
Some important archetypes:
Doppelgangers: Alien blobs, liquidmetal robots, and horrific monsters that “replace” their prey can assume the form of almost any living being they sample, within the limits of their mass. This is Morph with Mass Conservation (-20%) and Needs Sample (from -5% for a robot that needs a single cell to -50% for a monster that devours its victims) --often with many points of extra capacity.
Some robots and aliens can shift into unliving forms. A robot restricted to unliving forms is about as limited as a living being that can only take living forms; there’s no extra cost. To assume living and unliving forms, add Unlimited (+50%).
Elemental Supers:
The ability to become flame, stone, water, and so on often shows up in the comics. Buy this as 「
変身」 with the appropriate elemental 「
共通性質」 (p. B262) as the target “racial template.” The
GM may even permit players to create custom 「
共通性質」 for new elements.
Most elemental supers have Absorptive Change at the “No encumbrance” level (+5%) for their costume, plus Active Change (+20%) or 「
準備時間減少」 4 (+80%).
Mythic Morphs:
Gods and wizards in many tales can instantly take the form of any earthly creature. This powerful capability is Morph, with a lot of extra capacity to cover strong, capable forms --like tigers and sharks --while retaining IQ. No Memorization Required (+50%) and 「
準備時間減少」 4 (+80%) agree with most tales. The Unlimited enhancement (+50%) is common but not universal.
Transforming Machines:
Robots or vehicles that can become other robots or vehicles are a comic-book standby.
This is a standard 「
変身」 that switches one machine template for another. Add Active Change (+20%) for transformers that can keep moving while changing. There’s no need for Absorptive Change if all passengers and cargo are within the machine’s Payload (p. B74).
Were-Creatures:
Werewolves and similar beings use 「
変身」 to assume an animal template. Weres who can control their beast form might choose to retain IQ and do away with bestial mental traits --but this significantly elevates template cost. Those who change involuntarily during the full moon have 「
制御できない」 「
トリガー」 (a dangerous ability that triggers under occasional circumstances, for -15%) and Unconscious Only (-20%), and often Minimum Duration, One Night (-10%). Reciprocal Rest (+30%) is common . . . the were-form appears rested and ready to rampage!
■Alternatives
Shapechangers who can alter size but not form have 「
巨大化」 (p. 50) or 「
縮小」 (p. 75). Those who can change their appearance to resemble members of their own race have 「
伸縮自在の皮膚」 (p. 48). For partial changes, see Switchable Body Parts (p. 81). 「
モジュール式能力」 (p. 62) can cover all of these things, and is an interesting alternative to Morph.
To turn others into monsters, use 「
特殊効果」 with Advantage, 「
変身」.
■New Special Enhancements
Absorptive Change:
Only for 「
変身」. You “absorb” worn and carried items into your 「
変身」. These reappear when you change back. Without this modifier, you must leave your equipment behind when you change, and worn items too small for your 「
変身」 risk destruction. Cost depends on encumbrance level: +5% for None, +10% for Light, +15% for
霊媒, +20% for Heavy, or +25% for Extra- Heavy. The
GM decides what’s left behind if your encumbrance exceeds your capacity. Apply this modifier separately to each form that can absorb equipment.
Active Change:
Your transformation takes the usual amount of time, but you needn’t concentrate during this time --you can move and act. You have the abilities of the form you’re changing from until the transition is complete.
(
GMs who enjoy extra detail can average the forms’ statistics, or even use a weighted average to reflect how far along the change has come.) +20%.
Improvised Forms:
Only for Morph. You can improvise new racial templates as you change, mixing and matching the natural physical traits you desire. Possibilities range from modifying your native form with a useful body part to creating a completely new template. Improvised templates can’t cost more than what you can afford with your Morph ability, but can include physical
不利な特徴 to reduce costs. All traits added must exist in your game world, unless you also have 「
宇宙パワー」 (+50%). You can’t change your composition (e.g., add elemental 「
共通性質」 or 「
非実体化」) without Unlimited (+50%). +100%.
No Memorization Required:
Only for Morph. Any shape you take instantly becomes part of your repertoire, unless you don’t want to memorize it for some reason. +50%.
Non-Reciprocal Damage:
Only for 「
変身」. Injury you suffer in one form doesn’t affect any of your other forms --although wounds only heal while you’re in the form that sustained them, unless you also take Reciprocal Rest. +50%.
Once On, Stays On: This is identical to the general modifier of the same name (see p. 109), but with a special rule for 「
変身」: it counts as a +50% modifier on the basic 15 points and raises the form-specific cost from 90% to 100% of the difference in template costs.
Reciprocal Rest:
Only for 「
変身」. Your dormant forms can rest while they’re out of sight. Time spent dormant counts toward
FP recovery and the sleep needs of that form. In conjunction with Non-Reciprocal Damage, these forms can even recover
HP and recuperate from crippling injuries. This doesn’t preclude dormant forms being aware of and remembering the active form’s actions. +30%.
■New Special Limitations
Cannot Memorize Forms: Only for Morph. You can’t memorize the forms you copy. To assume a form, you must always be able to see or touch the original. -50%.
Flawed:
Only for Morph. Every form you take is cosmetically imperfect in some way, which completely precludes impersonation. You still gain the abilities of your new form.
Flawed is mutually incompatible with Cosmetic. -10%.
Needs Sample:
Only for Morph.
You must physically sample anything you wish to take the form of. If your target is living, this sample must be fresh --you can’t sample a rotting corpse. -5% if you need only touch the target; -15% if you require a drop of blood, strand of hair, etc.; -50% if you must eat the whole target.
Projected Form:
Only for 「
変身」. Your 「
変身」 is a separate entity --perhaps a physical manifestation of your soul.
When you use your ability, your native form falls into a trance and your 「
変身」 appears nearby (within 10 yards).
This is a real, physical form with no special restrictions on its actions.
To dismiss it and awaken, it must be within 10 yards of your native form.
If either form is wounded or killed, so is the other form; see Projection (p. 44) for details. -50%
Unliving Forms Only:
Only for Morph. You can turn into objects but not creatures. You enjoy most of the capabilities of the Unlimited enhancement, but you can’t assume the template of anything alive. -0%.
■Powering Up
「
変身」 suits many supernatural powers --especially spirit powers, which might call for the Projected Form limitation if they let a shaman become a totem animal.
Morph works better for exotic bodyalteration powers.
When deciding on what external influence can force the shapeshifter to resume his native form against his will, consider the power’s source.
除霊, prayer, or sacred artifacts might work on divine or spirit powers; the Dispel Magic spell is reasonable for magical powers; and weird-science drugs and radiation are traditional for biological powers and super-powers.
For Morph,
才能 gives a bonus to any IQ or skill roll the
GM requires for disguise or impersonation. For 「
変身」, it adds to rolls to resist external influences that could force the user out of his current form or into one of his other forms.