There are not really a lot of powers I’m
allowing people to start out with, and Archetypal Shapeshift rules can
handle most people’s desires for things like, “I can fly!” “I have
bullet resistant skin!” and so on. But I’m willing to take requests for
unusual things. There are also some powers that can be discovered
during play. Like the “Blood of the Beast on the Pole.”
You can also expand your powers within a particular branch. The powers listed below represent a potential progression, but do not cover all the possibilities. If you want to really explore the possibilities of “Shapeshift Wounds” to increase your character’s regenerative abilities that can be done.
In general: No, you cannot travel through shadow with any of these powers.
The powers are listed with the “traditional” tiered/staged/partial-power structure. Indented items can only be obtained with the preceding non-indented item. So in order to take any of the Sorcery abilities (Enchantment, Spellcasting, Rack Spells) you have to have first Magical Schools and Cantrips.
BLOOD OF AMBER [FREE!]
This is basically what any Amberite can do for free.
ADAPTATION [10]
# Requires relation to an aquatic race of some sort.
ARCHETYPAL SHAPE SHIFT [5+]
This is the ability to take on an alternate form. This has less to do with molding your body and more to do with taking on a symbolic form. Non-organic forms are possible in with this power. Ice, fire, cheese and so on are available. However, the cooler the alternate form, the more expensive it is.
MINOR SHAPE SHIFT [15]
This power is more about molding your body. Shifting the cells around to do other nifty stuff. You cannot grow particularly alien bits with this level of power. No gills. No wings. No tails. No tentacles sprout from your head. No prehensile genitals.
SHAPE SHIFT [40+]
# Must have at least two Archetypal Forms, plus the basic 15 points worth of powers in “Minor Shapeshift.”
SORCERY [20+ pts]
I will note right away: this is not the ADRPG sorcery system. It’s lower powered, more stylized and blends in Conjuration and Power Words. Speak to GM before taking this power.
EMPATHY [35]
TRUMP ARTISTRY LITE [10]
At character creation, only this baby-step version of Trump is available. Without a cross-shadow power source, Trumps cannot reach beyond shadow boundaries. Initiation into a cross-shadow Power, as well as more points invested in Trump Artistry, is required to make full fledged Trumps. Also, Trumps created with Trump Lite tend to be short lived creations.
MIRROR WRIGHTING LITE [10]
This is a notably Rebman/Triton ability, but other cultures may have learned versions of it. It is, essentially, the Rebman/Triton version of Trump Artistry. It allows you to enchant a mirror so that you can contact other mirrors you know of and speak through them. It is a two-way visual, and not a very good way to spy. The enchantment on the mirror is only temporary.
Future Powers
Though you cannot start play with these powers, you may buy into them during advancement. I’m not listing advanced versions of any of these powers yet.
PATTERN [30]
BROKEN PATTERN [10]
For this version of Broken Pattern, I’m going with the “10 Points Bad Stuff” version. Essentially, while using this power: Life sucks. Bad luck rains down upon you as though you were the most blighted person ever.
LOGRUS [30]
Note: I’m not requiring Shapeshifting for this Power, but there will be political ramifications if you do take it.
FIXED LOGRUS[ ]
For this version of a flawed Logrus, I’m using the quirky/neurotic Fixed Logrus concept. Essentially, your Imprint has something it likes, dredged up in some unfathomable fashion from your subconscious. It could like the color green. It could be an optimistic imprint that makes everything look more powerful than it really is. It tends to prefer to work smoothly in ways that fit its idiom. Outside of this quirk, it has a tendency to stick and jam as though the user has 10 points of Bad Stuff. So if your Imprint likes the color green, it will only want to take you to places that are predominantly green. It will only want to summon green items. When using the lens to examine the magical auras of things, everything is as green as the Paris Hilton sex tape.
FULL TRUMP ARTISTRY [20]
# Requires Trump Artistry Lite [10]
TRUMP TRICKERY [15]
FULL MIRROR WRIGHTING [20]
# Requires Mirror Wrighting Lite [10]
You can also expand your powers within a particular branch. The powers listed below represent a potential progression, but do not cover all the possibilities. If you want to really explore the possibilities of “Shapeshift Wounds” to increase your character’s regenerative abilities that can be done.
In general: No, you cannot travel through shadow with any of these powers.
The powers are listed with the “traditional” tiered/staged/partial-power structure. Indented items can only be obtained with the preceding non-indented item. So in order to take any of the Sorcery abilities (Enchantment, Spellcasting, Rack Spells) you have to have first Magical Schools and Cantrips.
BLOOD OF AMBER [FREE!]
This is basically what any Amberite can do for free.
- [0] Natural Shadowshifting: Your character cannot access prior to game start, but it allows really crude shadowshifting.
- [0] Blood Curse: You can create a vast magical effect if you utter a curse at the moment of your death. Or you can do it when you think you’re going to die, and have the equivalent of 20 points of Bad Stuff that cannot be bought off by normal means.
- [0] Improved Physiology: Non-Royals can have Warfare comparable to someone like Corwin. The difference is that the royal family is physically stronger, more durant and able to heal faster than what would be considered a “normal human.”
ADAPTATION [10]
# Requires relation to an aquatic race of some sort.
- [10] Adaptation: Allows underwater breathing, swimming, resistance to cold and extreme pressures, and improved senses. Essentially, everything a growing fishman needs to survive in the dark underwater realm. (This is originally a Rebman ability, so you could claim Rebman heritage of some sort.)
ARCHETYPAL SHAPE SHIFT [5+]
This is the ability to take on an alternate form. This has less to do with molding your body and more to do with taking on a symbolic form. Non-organic forms are possible in with this power. Ice, fire, cheese and so on are available. However, the cooler the alternate form, the more expensive it is.
- [0] for the first form if it does not affect game mechanics
- [5] per 3 item-equivalent points worth of niftiness
- [5] per other Archetypal Form per 3 points of item-like abilities.
MINOR SHAPE SHIFT [15]
This power is more about molding your body. Shifting the cells around to do other nifty stuff. You cannot grow particularly alien bits with this level of power. No gills. No wings. No tails. No tentacles sprout from your head. No prehensile genitals.
- [5] Shift Body Parts: This does not include fine facial adjustments.
- [5] Shift Wounds: As a note, this does not heal wounds. It is the equivalent of stitching up a wound by force of will. Distractions or violent exercise will tear open the wound again.
- [5] Automatic Shape Shift (Comes with Involuntary Primal Form Access at no extra cost!)
SHAPE SHIFT [40+]
# Must have at least two Archetypal Forms, plus the basic 15 points worth of powers in “Minor Shapeshift.”
- [5] Voluntary Access to Primal Form
- [5] Shape Shift Features
- [5] Shift to Animal Shapes
SORCERY [20+ pts]
I will note right away: this is not the ADRPG sorcery system. It’s lower powered, more stylized and blends in Conjuration and Power Words. Speak to GM before taking this power.
- [5] Magical School
- [5] Cantrips
- [5] Enchantment
- [5] Spellcasting
- [5] Rack Spells
- [5] Additional Schools
EMPATHY [35]
- [5] Sense Psyche
- [5] Recognize Auras
- [5] Sense Surface Thoughts
- [5] Empathic Probing
- [5] Emotional Manipulation
- [5] Psychic Communication
- [5] Psychic Neutral
TRUMP ARTISTRY LITE [10]
At character creation, only this baby-step version of Trump is available. Without a cross-shadow power source, Trumps cannot reach beyond shadow boundaries. Initiation into a cross-shadow Power, as well as more points invested in Trump Artistry, is required to make full fledged Trumps. Also, Trumps created with Trump Lite tend to be short lived creations.
- [2] Create Divinatory Trumps: Used for casting fortunes.
- [3] Sense Trump
- [5] Trump Lite: The ability to make simple, local shadow Trumps.
MIRROR WRIGHTING LITE [10]
This is a notably Rebman/Triton ability, but other cultures may have learned versions of it. It is, essentially, the Rebman/Triton version of Trump Artistry. It allows you to enchant a mirror so that you can contact other mirrors you know of and speak through them. It is a two-way visual, and not a very good way to spy. The enchantment on the mirror is only temporary.
- [2] Mirror Divination
- [3] Sense Mirror Enchantment
- [5] Enchanting Mirrors
Future Powers
Though you cannot start play with these powers, you may buy into them during advancement. I’m not listing advanced versions of any of these powers yet.
PATTERN [30]
- [15] Pattern Imprint (Comes with Shadowwalk for free.)
- [5] Hellride
- [5] Pattern Defense
- [5] Manipulate Probability
BROKEN PATTERN [10]
For this version of Broken Pattern, I’m going with the “10 Points Bad Stuff” version. Essentially, while using this power: Life sucks. Bad luck rains down upon you as though you were the most blighted person ever.
- [5] Broken Pattern Imprint (Comes with Shadowwalk for free)
- [3] Heckride (Like a Hellride, random chance of falling into the crack and dying. Just like with walking the Pattern. Plot Points can be spent to avoid this risk.)
- [2] Broken Pattern Defense
LOGRUS [30]
Note: I’m not requiring Shapeshifting for this Power, but there will be political ramifications if you do take it.
- [15] Logrus Imprint (Comes with Shadowwalk for free.)
- [5] Logrus Sight
- [5] Logrus Summoning
- [5] Tendril Combat
FIXED LOGRUS[ ]
For this version of a flawed Logrus, I’m using the quirky/neurotic Fixed Logrus concept. Essentially, your Imprint has something it likes, dredged up in some unfathomable fashion from your subconscious. It could like the color green. It could be an optimistic imprint that makes everything look more powerful than it really is. It tends to prefer to work smoothly in ways that fit its idiom. Outside of this quirk, it has a tendency to stick and jam as though the user has 10 points of Bad Stuff. So if your Imprint likes the color green, it will only want to take you to places that are predominantly green. It will only want to summon green items. When using the lens to examine the magical auras of things, everything is as green as the Paris Hilton sex tape.
- [5] Fixed Logrus Imprint (Comes with Shadowwalk for free.)
- [5] Fixed Logrus Sight
- [5] Logrus Summoning
- [5] Tendril Combat
FULL TRUMP ARTISTRY [20]
# Requires Trump Artistry Lite [10]
- [10] Trump Creation
- [10] Trump Sketch
TRUMP TRICKERY [15]
- [2] Trump Familiarity: You have a Trump Deck that you are very familiar with the use of. This is not a point-paid-for item that you can pull out of a tree when it becomes lost. It’s simply a deck that you’ve gotten very comfortable with. If you lose this deck, you must spend a while working on attuning yourself to a new deck. Not all abilities require that you use this deck. General use of this deck is faster than with a deck just picked up.
- [3] Sense Trump Use
- [5] Trump Caller ID
- [5] Trump Divination
FULL MIRROR WRIGHTING [20]
# Requires Mirror Wrighting Lite [10]
- [10] Mirror Creation: This is used to create a permanently enchanted mirror from scratch (melting glass, pouring glass, annealing glass…) that can be used by anyone to contact different mirrors.
- [10] Mental Link Through Mirrors