Human Shapeshifters Rules for Shadowrun v3.1

>>>>>One of my players wanted to play a shapeshifter character. But not kind of shapeshifter described in Shadowrun Companion: an animal with an ability to take a human form. He wanted to play Human able to take the a  form of an animal. So, I've created this rules. One important reason why I've agreed, was, that it is a lot easier to roleplay a human with very strong animal instincts, than an animal with the ability to assume the human form.<<<<<

- James [18:12:59/08-01-2000]

What's New

v3.1 [22:15:25/11-04-2000]

     Not really many changes since the first version, most important is change in regeneration rate, from 1/2 Essence per round to 1 damage box per round.

Human Shapeshifter Characters

     Human shapeshifters are the awakened humans who have the ability to assume animal form. They are birth as a humans. Later in life their animal side awaken and they get the ability to change their form. It is also the time when the strong animal instincts wake up in them. Normally, they can control their bestial nature, and they usually continue their human lives, keeping this change in secret. But their bestial nature is different in each case, in some of them it is so strong that they choose to live in wilderness, like animals, and their cousins animal shapeshifters.
     This section provides rules for creating human shapeshifter player characters. Gamemaster should consult this rules carefully before allowing shapeshifter characters into their game, as they are very powerful and potentially unbalancing.
     Shapeshifters can shift between human and animal forms, dual nature and regeneration power. But they have also bestial nature,  allergy to silver and inability to receive cyberwear implants.

Creating Human Shapeshifters Characters

     It is recommended to use point based design system for creating human shapeshifters characters. When you are using priority based system you have to assign A priority to race.
     Human shapeshifters have two sets of physical attributes (Body, Quickness and Strength): one for their human form and one for their animal form. Essence, Magic and Mental attributes,  are always the same. Reaction is determined separately for each form.
     During character creation, points must be assigned separately to human and animal Physical Attributes. Then add racial Attribute modifiers listed on the "Human Shapeshifters Racial Modifiers Table".
     When assigning skills, use the character's human form Attributes when determining the linked Attribute Rating for skill costs. Human shapeshifters begin the game with normal quantity of Knowledge and Language Skill points unlike animal shapeshifters.
     Human shapeshifters have an Essence of 8. Magician or adept shapeshifters begin game with Magic rating 6.
     Human shapeshifters receive two free contacts during the character creation.
     During the gameplay human shapeshifters can raise their attributes by spending karma, like other characters, but human and animal attributes have to be raised separately.
     Adept Powers that affect physical Attribute Ratings only apply to the character's human form Attributes.

Creating Not Awakened Human Shapeshifter Character

     Not Awakened human shapeshifter is a normal human. And begins the game as a human not a shapeshifter. The shapeshifter will awaken in him later during the gameplay. When, it is up to player and GM. There are special rules for awakening the shapeshifter character, look at Awakening the Human Shapeshifter Character section.
     When you want to create not Awakened human shapeshifter, you have to pay the same amount of points in points based system or assign A priority to race. You don't have to assign points  separately to human and animal Physical Attributes. You assign points only to human Physical Attributes.
     When assigning skills, use the character's human form Attributes when determining the linked Attribute Rating for skill costs as there are no animal form attributes at this point.
     The Essence rating is 6. Later, after awakening, it becomes 8. But magic rating doesn't change.

Awakening the Human Shapeshifter Character

     To awaken as a shapeshifter, character have to fulfil some requirements.
     Character begins to play without animal form attributes. He have to upgrade this animal form physical attributes to the ratings  equal to the average attributes of animal from his species. Consult the Average Animal Physical Attributes Table below. For the costs of increasing animal form attributes consult Increasing Animal Form Attributes Table. This costs

Bestial Nature

     Human shapeshifters have strong animal instinct, but usually it can be controlled by them. The strength of bestial nature depends on shapeshifter. In most cases they continue their human lives. They change some habits and kind of food they eat. But sometimes they become as wild as their cousins animal shapeshifters.
     Unfortunately, shapeshifters, it makes no difference human or animal, have no metahuman status in most countries (UCAS, CAS and California). In this countries shapeshifters are nothing more than wild animals. It is actually one more reason for a human shapeshifter to hide what he is. The NAN government accords more rights to shapeshifters, but does not recognize them as full citizens. In all cases criminal shapeshifters can be shoot like a dog.

Human/Animal Form

     Human shapeshifter can shift between human and animal forms. To switch between forms a shapeshifter must spend a complex action. Clothes have to be removed or will be destroyed during transformation.
     In animal form shapeshifter resembles larger and more distinguished member of its species; only its astral presence distinguishes it from a mundane animal. Human shapeshifters can communicate with other members of their species if they spend some time to learn it (it is up to MG how long it takes, it shouldn't take less than one week, and not more than 2-3 years). The only usable social skill in animal form is intimidation. Magicians can cast spells and summon spirits in animal form but cannot use Centering Skills or fulfill geasa that their animal forms cannot perform. Adept powers work only in human form. 
     Shapeshifters in their human form look like normal human with a few features of its animal form: cat like eyes, more body hair etc.
     Human Shapeshifter Racial Modifier Table gives the applicable modifiers for human shapeshifters in their various forms. Note that this modifiers are lower than modifiers of animal shapeshifters, it is because their bestial nature is weaker. But Attribute Limits are the same, because animal and human shapeshifters have the same potential. Consult the Shapeshifter Attribute Limit Table (MitS, p. 37).

Dual Nature

     Human shapeshifter become dual beings after awakening. They can use astral perception at any time as a simple action. They cannot shut their astral presence, they can be attacked in the astral at any time and they are easy to detect there. Magical barriers block their movement.
     Human shapeshifters astral form after awakening, always looks like idealized imagine of its animal form, regladless of the form he current is in. Before awakening it is normal human form.
     Human shapeshifter can use their physical Attributes and Combat Pool in astral combat (unless they are astrally projecting).
     Human shapeshifters full magicians can only use astral projection when in human form. Their statistics while astrally projecting are equal to their human Mental attributes, as normal.

Regeneration

     Human shapeshifter regenerate one damage box each round, because their regeneration power is weaker than animal shapeshifters.
     Shapeshifter can only be killed by damaging his brain, spinal cord or when he suffer massive amount of damage.
     When human shapeshifter takes deadly damage, roll d6, on roll of 1 shapeshifter does not regenerate and can die like everyone else. If damage results from massive tissue injury or physical Drain, the shapeshifter fails to regenerate on a result of 1 or 2.
     Shapeshifters can be slayed permanently with weapon foci. If the damage from the weapon focus pushes the creature into the dadly damage, the shapeshifter have to make Essence test with the target number equal to twice the force of the focus. If  shapeshifter archives no successes he dies. One success allows the shapeshifter to make the regeneration test, as above.
     Human shapeshifter magicians who survive the deadly damage must still check for magic loss. Human shapeshifter magicians regenerate Damage from physical drain in rate of 1 box per minute.
     Karma cannot be used on regeneration Test unless GM allows the Hand of God rule.
     These rules do not apply to damage from silver weapons.

Silver Allergy/Vulnerability

     Every human shapeshifter have Severe Allergy and Vulnerability to silver. These rules work exactly like for animal shapeshifters (MitS, p. 37). 

Cyberware Rejection

     Shapeshifters cannot any type of cyberwear implants. Their regeneration power makes surgery and implanting the cyberwear impossible.