[Druid Lore Revision] Shapeshifting- Multiform

[Wolf Druid Ouity 1461]

OOC: I talked with cmack a few months back when he left LOTC (cmack being the original shapeshifting lorewriter) and he expressed that one of the things he wished he had time to do was write this revision to the lore, allowing shapeshifters to take more than one shape.

 

The basis is simple- allow a Druid with knowledge of shapeshifting to now pursue 3 animal forms, but at a cost. A user with more than one form finds it increasingly difficult to maintain a single shape. A wolf shifter sees the moon, and suddenly he's howling into the sky, covered in furr and claws. A tasty looking fish transforms an unsuspecting Druid into a bear and so on. Furthermore, Druids who might chose animals who differ significantly from eachother (which is already almost impossible according to the original lore) will find themselves suffering strange side effects as the two spirits clash. For example, one who shifts into a herbivore and carnivore would find it difficult to find something he could happily eat. Finally, a Druid who uses multiple spirits will be able to spend less time in any animal form.

 

With this lore, I hope to bring Shapeshifting to a wider audience as well as create interesting drawbacks for those who would chose to advance along this path. If anybody else has suggestions for drawbacks or advantages of multiple shapes, feel free to let me know. Even though I'm a GM and technically a lore master, I want my lore to go through the same processes everyone else's does. More to come on the Druid side as I look to certain things which have long gone unexplained.

 

IC:

 

The wolf's neck twisted with a sickening snap, its legs twitching sporadically. Ouity lets the beast drop, placing a hand on its now still chest, murmuring thanks to the creature. Its spirit would live on, he knew, yet a single tear fell to the animal's fur. It was beautiful, flawlessly white, massive enough to be considered almost dire. Ouity winced, wrapping his torn cloak more securely about himself against the cold. This had never been attempted in Druidic history. He had chosen an animal close to his first form for fear that any serious deviation would yield... unfortunate results.

 

This was a time of great need, perhaps one of the greatest. It was only a matter of time before the real war began. These trivialities that the Undead played with would soon end. Already the Dwarvern city lay in ruin. Ouity looked to it now from the frigid mountainside he had spent the last few months. Solutions had to be devised, new mechanisms of war. He began to skin the animal, carefully preserving its pelt.

 

After a time, the Wolf Druid was finished. He preserved the meat with smoke, and wrapped the pelt about his shoulders. The bones were buried with a murmured prayer. and a silent blessing upon the land. It was known that the most difficult phase was ahead. Was he being foolish? Hasty? No. It was necessary. He had pushed the envelope before. Done what others would easily call impossible. This was no different.

 

The trek back to his secluded home took perhaps a day. Back to the Birch forests of the elves where he made his secluded home. In the entrance of his rough cave, he dropped to his knees, wolf pelt wrapped tight around him. This was a holy place. Ouity could feel it in the trees who refused his thoughts. Once, Druids had thrived here. Though the fauna refused to obey him, the Aspects heard him. He felt the power, the raw presence of life all about him. Eyes peeked from the shadows. Though the artifact refused them his voice, they knew the look of an ancient Druid when they saw one, such as all beasts do.

 

"Blessed Aspects, hear my cry."

 

Such simple words. A phrase scoffed at by soldiers, priests and doubters. Words spit on by adversaries. Words uttered in boastful mocking in tavern halls.

 

Words which brought the storm, the claws, the blood, and the wrath.

 

Ouity's form contorted, his face stretching into a grimace of agony. It felt a thousand times worse than the first ritual. Perhaps that was his penance. He cleared all doubt from his mind as pain filled every pore of his body, pricked every nerve. The Aspects were with him.

 

The fur fused with his skin, creating a feeling of fire as the Heirophant collapsed to all fours.

[Elindor 654]

This shifts you further away from animorphs

 

 

 

Not a fan.

-1

[Lima 773]

Suggestion/cool idea:

You should start to find your apatite gets ruined if you can shape shift into both a herbivore and a carnivore, continuously conflicted on if it tastes good or bad.

You eventually settle that everything you eat must be covered in salt or you feel sick and disgusting.

[Dtrik 330]

Turns to see a pineapple, he screams as he slowly turns into a sponge.... At night

[TavernLich 324]

"...to bring Shapeshifting to a wider audience..." Not sure what you mean about that, since it there are a very few and elite people able to Shapeshift at the time being, at least from my current experiences. Also, Shapeshifting is a secret IC, correct me if I'm wrong, so I don't really know how this could widen the audience, unless you mean getting more attention.

Other than that the lore seems solid, but also maybe you should add what Lima said. I like it, however it seems this would be rarely use, mostly because of what I stated before about the current situation of Shapeshifting. Nevertheless, +1, simply because it is straight forward (to me) and would add more to Shapeshifting RP.

[Booklight12 477]

 I like the idea very much so. But I feel perhaps it should have a few different drawbacks. Yes I like the idea of some druids shifting without consent and by accident. But at the same time I feel after a while it would just get really dull and not as fun as the first few times as shifting. A first drawback I think would be good is having to progress through the system the same way and one by one. So for example, you cannot be able to shift between three animals and learn to shift at them the same time. But rather you have to go through the progressions one by one slowly after time being able to shift. Another neat one would be perhaps only being able to really shift into animals that relate to you. So like, Ouity is the wolf druid. He would be able to turn into a small mouse, or a beautiful swan but more beastial creatures like as he already is able to shift into a wolf, bear etc. Though that doesn't seem too imposing if it's not added it's fine. For an addition though to shapeshifting, is what about adding something positive to the mix if you are going to add a few other negatives, for example what if specific qualities of the animal are relayed over to them. For example, if your animal is a bear you would ICly be able to gain a bit more strength? Only slightly however but besides the negative qualities also add positive qualities. So if I choose to shift into a fish, I can become a faster swimmer, or I become a deer I may be able to learn to run silently, and a mouse not having to eat as much as others. 

[Wyvernbane 252]

Love the lore, hope you mean you want to bring the secret out to more druids. Yay

+1

[Birdwhisperer 1173]

I think a more needed change is to make shape-shifting able to be taught by more than one person at a time, so more people can actually learn it. I'm indifferent about the multiple forms bit, I don't think it's necessary but nor is it harmful. But it does need to be spread around to more druids.

 

As for drawbacks, perhaps the more forms you have under your belt the shorter time you can spend as that animal. So, you can either have just one shape you can change into for a long period of time, or multiple shapes with a more limited time constraint.

[Giga 357]

I think this is interesting, however...

Shapeshifting has, and should always be a secret. Yes it can be taught to more than 1 druid at a time, but it should be guarded closely. Sure, spread it around 2-3 of the older druids, but keep the information secret to the order as a whole, lest we have Dedicants joining only for the shapeshifting.

The more people that know a secret, the less secretive it is...

Other than that...for the moment, I can see this working. Though a few more minor drawbacks should be introduced, such as Bird's idea about staying in animal form for shorter time-periods, the more animal spirits linger around you.

[Jistuma 1995]

Moved to roleplay ideas forum

[Wolf Druid Ouity 1461]

Whoops. Figured I put it in the wrong forum.

I like the ideas of strange eating habits and lessened time in each form, those will be edited in later. Thank you, you two.

As for things mentioned like changing into animals you relate to, that is already covered in the origional lore.

While I agree shapeshifting should and is an elite druid ability that should only be taught to a few, I find that it rarely ever becomes more than something to boast about. Shifting rarely if ever sees the light of day, and only once in a blue moon will anybody outside the druids ever even encounter a shifted druid. I don't think it was ever meant to be something to be done in a locked room- what's the point in that?

In creating this lore, I found that one of my best options to create a drawback was also an opportunity to enhance the RP in general by bringing it to a more diverse audience. Furthermore, because it is kept so carefully secret, a druid will have to think hard on the consequences of pursing an additional form. I find the weakness of simply becoming weaker physical as one progresses magically to be boring and overused, and I avoid it whenever I can in favor of more dynamic options.

[Wyvernbane 252]

Is there a size thing about it? Like would a druid be able to hold a form of a smaller animal?

[Booklight12 477]

Is there a size thing about it? Like would a druid be able to hold a form of a smaller animal?

Pretty sure they can become a mouse or something small like a cat. But they can't become something like a dragon, or blue whale. Just nothing too big if i'm correct.

[Wolf Druid Ouity 1461]

Is there a size thing about it? Like would a druid be able to hold a form of a smaller animal?

That sort of thing is already hashed over in the origional lore, so I haven't bothered to restate it. Essentially, the size of your character determines the practical size of their transformation.

[Giga 357]

Whoops. Figured I put it in the wrong forum.

I like the ideas of strange eating habits and lessened time in each form, those will be edited in later. Thank you, you two.

As for things mentioned like changing into animals you relate to, that is already covered in the origional lore.

While I agree shapeshifting should and is an elite druid ability that should only be taught to a few, I find that it rarely ever becomes more than something to boast about. Shifting rarely if ever sees the light of day, and only once in a blue moon will anybody outside the druids ever even encounter a shifted druid. I don't think it was ever meant to be something to be done in a locked room- what's the point in that?

In creating this lore, I found that one of my best options to create a drawback was also an opportunity to enhance the RP in general by bringing it to a more diverse audience. Furthermore, because it is kept so carefully secret, a druid will have to think hard on the consequences of pursing an additional form. I find the weakness of simply becoming weaker physical as one progresses magically to be boring and overused, and I avoid it whenever I can in favor of more dynamic options.

 

 

I agree that currently it is kept in the dark from all points of view, but that can still be fixed without releasing the secret. I plan to, and have already begun to, provide roleplay and events for people, Druids and non-Druids alike, whilst shapeshifted. I know other shapeshifters have been doing the same.

 

Bringing it to an audience is one thing, releasing the secret is another. (Not implying that that is what you meant, merely stating the difference.)