Shifters
No stat bonus
No stat bonus
Max Unaltered Lifespan: 70
Max Height for Avian: 5’10”
Max Height for Reptilian: 6’1”
Max Height for Mammals: 6’6”
Languages: Common, Beastspeech
Shifters must be recognizably of Human or Elf descent
Long ago, in the earliest days of life the Painter created a mixture of what he believed to be animal and man. These beings were the earliest ancestors to the shifters, unfortunately they were seen as hideous creatures by their creator. Cast aside as an imperfection, they were left to fend for themselves within our world.
Shifters are an ancient race of human-like people that possess traits similar to an animal. Shifters are organized in clans, each clan being a unique type of animal they are capable of shifting into. While in their “human” form, they still possess some physical characteristics of their animal, such as feathers in their hair for birds, or scales on their necks and arms for reptiles.
Shifters have always been associated with nature, and their clans often live in isolated regions of the world where they may be closer to nature itself. Most clans are not very large, the largest only being a couple hundred.
All animals within the kingdom will have a shifter counterpart, with the size of the clan accounting for how common said animal is within our world. Bears, birds, reptiles, and other such animals would likely be among the largest clans. They’re an ancient people, isolating themselves from almost every other race due to the racism that came with being cast aside by The Painter. Still embedded deep within their peoples culture, that racism still stands to this day towards outsiders.
The Avian clan would prioritize knowledge, spreading it as the main learning factor within their clan. This would lead to a higher count of libraries and schools within their society, with the training of warriors coming second in priority. Oftentimes these warriors would train for either aerial combat or quick blows, leaving the brutish attacks to their mammal counterparts.
The Reptilians are cunning over all others, holding it to be the most important trait. They typically find themselves profiting the most out of ordeals by playing all sides or “having hands in all jars”. Political espionage would be a very popular art from these societies, often creating the closest “nobility” the shifters would have compared to those of humans or elves.
The Mammal clan considers strength to be of utmost importance to its members, the strongest of them born to be leaders of the tribe. Within their lands children are trained in combat from a young age and most warriors die a young and honorable death, lending to their history being orally recorded. As a warrior society would prevail, the elders discouraged the killing of their own and introduced a new method of claiming victory over another. All men within the Mammal Clans would grow their hair out, braiding it at it’s length. If an individual bested another, they’d be forced to cut the braid to show the shame of losing to another.
Throughout the lifetime of the Shifters, they’d experience many hardships as they were casted into the harsh deserts. Turning in on one another for many of the race's lifetime, a man from the reptile tribe, a turtle in animal form would come forward to claim the authority as king. An impossibility of genetic potential, they’d possess strength like no other, cunning over any scoundrel or plotter, and knowledge that the greatest minds in the world could only dream of reaching. Calling all leaders of tribes from sea to sea, he’d show them how blind they were fighting one another. Asking the question of why they fight each other and not those that hate them, would unite the clans ceasing the previously believed endless war.
Appearance
Depending on the specific animal, each type of Shifter may appear different. There is a clan of Shifters associated with nearly every type of animal there is. With these appearance benefits, their ability to transform into that animal also gives them unique abilities.
They appear as humans that are marked by traits of their animal, be it feathers, scales, tufts of fur, or other animalistic characteristics that their counterpart might bear.
Traits
Transformation
Shifters are capable of transformation between a human-like form with beast characteristics, and a specific natural animal. All transformations take 2 turns.
Uncanny
All mortal races will have an innate foreboding feeling when viewing a Shifter, no matter what form they take, as if something is not quite right. This extends to animals of all kinds as well, as they will treat Shifters as a predator to avoid. This can extend to "cougar on a forest trail" to "uncanny valley"
Bane of the Almighty
After being cast aside by the old god, the Shifters have since never found themselves within the eyes of the new gods. Shifters are unable to be blessed at this time
Traits Continued
Shifters are able to pick a single animalistic trait, stronger traits, or traits reliant on drastic physical changes, can only be used while in animal form. This list is an example of what is permitted, however players are encouraged to make a systems ticket if they want something more specific to their animal. Anything approved must be listed on a character profile.
The following traits are only in effect while in their animal form.
Flight - This Shifter is capable of flight.
Great Strength - This Shifter is capable of great strength. This gives advantage on all strength checks.
Great Speed - This Shifter is capable of moving very fast. This doubles their movement speed.
Tough Hide - This Shifter has additional armour, in the form of scales or toughened skin, giving the equivalent to leather armour.
The following traits are always in effect.
Enhanced Senses - This Shifter has enhanced senses of smell and hearing.
Night Vision - This Shifter is capable of perfect vision at night.
Shifters are able to encompass a wide variety of animals, with very little rhyme or reason to it. Below is a list of restrictions players must follow, along with these notes:
Players are able to choose any animal not specified within the list, however they cannot exceed the sizing restrictions. If the animal they pick were to be larger than the allowed sizes, it will be adjusted to fit within the restrictions. The weight of the animal is no more than how much they would weigh as a person, and traits that are well known to belong to specific animal families still count towards the trait limit. This includes corvids having the ability to mimic, and other various abilities.
No animal form can be smaller than a chihuahua, nor any larger than a black bear.
Restricted Animals
Whales
Giraffes
Grizzly bears
Hippos
Elephants
Apes or similar family
Ostriches or similar family
Anything considered extinct in real life.
non-mundane creatures within lore
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