Changlings

[gunslinger]

1 If a changling is in the form of something with a natural armour rating, eg Endroth Rouge, does it apply to them?

2 Does that also apply to the natural ability to fly like a Gromek or Avian?

[Cranus]

Those are some neat uses of the Changeling's shapeshift ability, Therumancer.

I agree that changing PB depends on the GM both in terms of possibility and feasibility.

[gunslinger]

Fair point about not being able to grow wings, but surely a natural armour rating is a physical condition due to thicker or scaly skin? A natural ability is more internal like nightvision...isn't it?

[gunslinger]

When I think about it, as a GM it would be lots of fun to let someone playing as a changeling grow wings. Then tell them just as they are past the point of no return as the step off a cliff expecting to soar up into the sky..."whoops, you don't seem to have the strength to maintain flight, see you at the bottom"

[ectospheno]

Lets ask ourselves why we are so concerned about what changelings can and can't do. The reason we ask questions like this is because changelings are powerful and unless properly handled game balance can quickly be ruined.

I believe this is only really an issue with people because GM's are giving players the powers but not making them the most hunted/feared race on the planet. This upsets game balance. GM's then realize this and start placing silly limitations on changeling power. Fear of death should be enough of a limitation. If it isn't then the NPC's in your world aren't acting properly and that is the GM's fault, not the player's.

In my game, changelings can change their appearance to any intelligent humanoid race. They keep their own hit points, attributes, PPE, and ISP. Otherwise they are the creature. If the creature has natural attack forms from something like claws and teeth then so does the changeling.

Does this upset the balance in my game? No. My players know that if they screw up and let the cat out of the bag then they are as good as dead.

[Borast]

The way I look at it, if you turn into a form that has teeth an claws, you'll do damage... Possibly no where as much as the real thing. Turn into a wolfen you'll have wolfen teeth, and do (maybe) 1D6 on a bite and 1D4 on a scratch. However, considering that a bite places your head in obscenely dangerous proximity to sharp pointy things like knives... And, considering that the changeling's punch naturally does 1D4 anyway... Turn into something that does 3D6 with a bite / claw attack and you'll MAYBE do 1D10/1D8 damage simply due to the size / weight of the tooth / claw.

Outside of this...I follow the black and white injunctions in the book - I may be able to shape my arm into a wing, but I can't fly even in the form of a (large) bird / (small) dragon / etc... glide, probably (due to increased surface area), but not fly...

Also, one point that many have not thought - I would allow a changeling in the form of a Wolfen, Ogre, or Troll to do an additional die of damage with oversized weapons, because they may not have the full weight, but the size does give them the required additional leverage.

(Oh, as for the wolfen's missing caudal appendage... "I had an accident a few years ago..." Although, since the wolfen's tail is strictly "cosmetic," I might be convinced to allow it, or atleast a stub to help explain the accident, after all, even humans have a vestigial tail (and not so vestigial in some humans, but that's another story! ).)