Beasts Under the Skin

Shifters are unique human beings with the extraordinary gift of being able to take on the forms of animals and beasts and experience a world that few others can ever truly experience. While their experience may be less consuming than that of a lycanthrope, the shifters are also less consumed by instinct, can change shapes when and how they wish to do so, and do not ever need fear that the beast's instincts and primitive drives will overtake them.

This uniqueness, along with their cousins the Skinwalkers, sets Shifters as a breed apart and as a rare feature in the world of Crimson Shadows. They remain something of an enigma, since most shifters prefer solitary lives, or at best, knowing a few others of their kind that interact on occasion.

Innate Powers & Abilities

• Mostly Human - Unless a shifter takes powers or has other abilities which increase their capabilities, shifters are still fundamentally human and must eat, sleep, etc. in order to sustain their lives.
• Enhanced Senses - The shifters have human senses that are only slightly better than normal humans. Their senses are only better in that regardless of what they do with their lives, they will always have perfect vision, perfect hearing, and will never have to worry about losing their senses to age or from staring at computer monitors all day.
• Shifting - The hallmark ability of the Shifters is the ability to take on the shape of an animal. This changing is fluid and effortless and only takes about 10 seconds to switch from human to animal form. When Shifters change, unlike lycanthropes, their clothes are absorbed into the skin and will reappear on the Shifter when they retake human form. Also unlike lycanthropes, Shifters can shift back and forth between forms without any subsequent loss of energy or power.
• Vampire Servant - Unless a shifter takes the "Servant Flexibility" ability, Shifters count as animal servants to vampires provided the vampire can call the animal type that the Shifter becomes (dogs, owls, otters, etc).
• Offspring - The children of shifters have increased chance to become Shifters themselves of the same type as their parents. This would seem to imply that the power to change shapes has become genetic regardless of its original origins.
• Each Shifter breed also has two unique innate abilities:
  • Owls
    • Second Sight - Owl-Shifters are able to see and interact with ghosts and other entities that have a spirit form.
    • Night Vision - Owls have incredible night vision in their human forms, easily equal to a vampire's increased visual sensory input - but only at night.
  • Selkos
    • Water Adaptation - Selkos are able to hold their breath for up to 15 minutes regardless of whatever form they are in and do not suffer negative effects from low water temperatures.
    • River’s Cleansing - Selkos have the unique ability of cleaning a river of contaminants, but only in an area where they are actively living.
  • Swans
    • Perfection - Swanmanes, regardless of male or female, radiate charisma and exude sex appeal. This tends to make them very popular as they are almost always very attractive people, and people trust the swan before they probably should. Whatever a swan does, they seem to do with an effortless sort of grace and ease that comes to them as naturally as breathing.
    • Delicious Aroma - Swanmanes are often considered to be the perfect prey by many vampires and lycanthropes and radiate an aroma which is incredibly appealing. While the swan is at peace or is calm and tranquil, even those with supernatural senses have to be close to catch the scent, but as the swan becomes angry, upset, or distressed, the odor strengthens.
  • Wolfhounds
    • Sense the Supernatural - The wolfhound detects whenever it gets within 200 feet of a supernatural creature and might be able to recognize the type of creature by the scent.
    • Hearthstone Guardian - The same force that prevents a vampire from entering a home without invitation can be harnessed by a Wolfhound, granting them increased strength, speed, and resiliency when they are invited into a home and set to protect it.

Weaknesses

• Gold - The only other known weakness common to Shifters is gold, which affects Shifters in the same way that silver burns lycanthropes and vampires. Even something as innocuous as gold jewelry is enough to cause a reaction.
• Human Bodies - Despite their supernatural talents, shifters are still mostly human. Unless they take powers or abilities that improve their bodies, they are as vulnerable and squishy as other human beings.
• Single Form - Shifters cannot take the Skinwalker power "Animal Shape".

Power Limits