SR5:Race:Shapeshifter

5th Edition Rules
Basics // Combat // Magic // Matrix // Driving // Character Creation

Races

Humans

Elves

Dwarves

Orks

Trolls

Centaurs

Nagas

Pixies

Sasquatches

Changelings

Shapeshifters

CHARACTERS AND SHAPESHIFTER CULTURE

You are an animal. You think in animal terms, and though you may have been around people and learned to speak their language, you are still often confused at the things they do and the way they act. The complexities of many of their interactions and the way they often deceive both themselves and others seems pointless. Why lie? If a female is in estrus and you desire to mate, why do you have to compliment her shoes and buy her drinks or dinner? Why can’t you just take her? Maybe after it might be nice to bring her scraps or something in case she’s pregnant and of course you’ll make sure your offspring are taken care of, but the trappings of civilization and the concept of respecting others’ will are difficult to comprehend. If you desire to play a shapeshifter who has spent more time in the metahuman realm and understands the need for these things, remember that they are now an outcast from their own kind. Both the species from which they originate and other shapeshifters they may meet will treat them as an outsider who is not to be trusted. When considering interactions, remember the different senses that are present and often heightened for a shapeshifter. Identifying people by smell, being driven from a restaurant, store, or washroom due to the overwhelming odors, trying to block out the cacophony of noise on urban streets, and not understanding why others are so afraid to walk down the alley are all sensory opportunities for your character to define their nature without outright saying it. Mistrust is the defining feature of the relationship between shapeshifters and metahumans. Many nations still pay bounties for shapeshifters, and every megacorporation out there will slip money from their black-book operations to pay for a live shapeshifter on whom they can run some tests. While shapeshifters may not be educated, they know they are often hunted by metahumans. Revealing their nature is a rare thing and can often be the precursor to their departure from metahuman society.

The two most important points on the culture of shapeshifters is that, first, they are animals, not metahumans, and second, they are all different animals. These two factors help to define the culture(s) of the different shapeshifter species. Species that could come from anywhere on the planet and therefore could mimic or appear to be millions of different cultures, many of which may never interact with the rest of metahuman culture.

Their culture and upbringing is often more of a reflection of their animal kin’s mentality than anything in human culture. Lupine shapeshifters may be loyal to their pack, but their reasoning is one of survival and mutual protection, not necessarily because they are friends or like each other. That loyalty only goes as far as survival. A dolphin shapeshifter may be fun-loving and friendly, but that’s because of the world in which they were raised. Once they are crushed under the oppressive weight of metahumanity’s burdensome lifestyle they may not act the same and will change, whether for the better or worse—no one knows until it happens.

There is a unique balance within the culture of the shapeshifters that stems from their position between two worlds. They are too intelligent to live within the bestial world of their parent species, but they are too bestial to live within the rigid societies of metahumanity. They can often live on the outskirts, in the wild areas of metahumanity, and some have even gathered with enough others to develop a community, but most are too far behind the curve in terms of education and understanding, and thus they don’t fit in with either world. This fitting in is often difficult for the more predatory species as they don’t look at other metahumans the same way regular folks do. Many shapeshifters I’ve spoken to will actively hunt in the urban sprawls, and this includes putting metahumans on their menu.

Counterculture when it comes to shapeshifters is a controversial and extremely upsetting topic with most of them. Their counterculture is all about forgetting the animal side and embracing the metahuman form. Those who strive to function in this counterculture often fit in better with the metahuman culture at large, but they forget their nature. They pride themselves on how long they have been in their metahuman form and never returned to their natural state. Some even claim that their natural state is metahuman and that changing to a beast is the magic. Though all it takes is a weakened area of mana and the animal comes back out. And if it surprises people who weren’t expecting it—well, that’s how you get a lot of dead shapeshifters. Including ones with silver bullets lodged in their skulls.

Biology

Shapeshifters are not what many people assume they are. Common belief is shapeshifters are metahumans able to transform into animals, but this is backwards. Shapeshifters are actually sapient paranormal animals with metahuman intelligence and the innate magical ability to assume a metahuman form. Their natural forms are nearly identical in appearance to their mundane counterparts, though they are usually more physically impressive. This metahuman form often bears distinctive traits that can be used to identify a shapeshifter when in metahuman form, though this is not an exact science. For example, many humans with excessive body hair and a bit of flab over their massive muscles are not in fact Ursine shifters.

A shapeshifter’s lifespan differs greatly from that of a mundane metahuman. Shifters were originally thought to have life spans similar to orks, but more recent studies reveal this to be a shortsighted assessment. The true lifespan appears to be greater than the base animal, but no greater pattern has been determined. Unsurprisingly, as shifters can breed with and originate from the same species, genetics tests reveal very little difference between the base animals and their shapeshifter kin.

Though every animal species could potentially possess shapeshifters, a few breeds are relatively common. These are divided into several broad categories with similar identifying features in their metahuman forms. However, perceptions should not be limited to these identifiers, as shapeshifters run the gamut of Earth’s species. To date, no shapeshifters have originated from any Awakened animal species.

Individual shapeshifters have been able to integrate into metahuman society, but they have no overall shapeshifter culture. Each breed has a species-specific culture, but those cultures are part of their animal lives, not their metahuman life, and they don’t share that aspect with other metahumans.

Estimated Population (Worldwide): 200,000 (divided among various species)

Population Centers: Amazonia, Azania, Aztlan, Salish-Shidhe, Yakut

International Status: The NAN states, Amazonia, Azania, and Aztlan recognize shapeshifter sapience and issue them SINs when they come in from the wild. Many countries that are not United Nations members consider shapeshifters dangerous animals and offer bounties for their destruction. The Awakened Yakut, a former Russian republic now in the control of militant Awakened forces, is the only nation with a strong political force of shapeshifters.

Variations

Bovine Cows, bison, cape buffalo, brahmin, and other similar animals from around the world. Broad noses with flaring nostrils and broad shoulders tend to be the only universal similarities in the human forms. Canine Many a dog owner has been surprised to learn their pet understands them far more than they realize. Medium and large breed dogs are the only known shapeshifters—no poodle or chihuahua shifters have been discovered yet. Enlarged canines, extensive body hair, and a resemblance to their breed are the usual markers of a shapeshifter of Canis familiaris. Equine A drawn-out chin and long features are common on the faces of equine shapeshifters. Their hairline also frequently extends down between the shoulder blades, with the lower portion growing in a narrow strip, much like a mane. Falconine Various bird of prey shapeshifters—vulture, eagle, falcon, hawk, etc.—can be found throughout the world. They typically have dark eyes, sharp features, and a tendency to exhibit claustrophobia. Leonine Due to the dwindling lion population, leonine shapeshifters are a rare breed. Most are from, and rarely leave, the southern African nation of Azania. Thanks to the protection of the great dragon Mujaji, leonine numbers grew for a decade, but the dragon civil war took a toll. Current figures put the population below even the numbers they had a decade ago. In human form, leonines typically have tawny hair, a striking contrast to their dark southern African complexion.

Lupine These shapeshifters are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, “wherever wolves may roam.” Their metahuman form possesses prominent eyebrows and hairy hands, particularly the palms and knuckles. Pantherine This covers a wide range of mid-size great cats including the jaguar, leopard, puma, and ocelot. These shapeshifters can be found all around the world. Many are worshipped and greatly honored by local cultures in their native environment. Even first-world nations, such as Aztlan, have a place for them. Jaguar shapeshifters are idolized by many citizens for their place in native mythology. Amazonia is said to have jaguar shapeshifters in their intelligence services. Pantherine shapeshifters in human form retain the catlike iris and reflective layer in their eyes, and many possess traces of their natural coat pattern in their hair and skin. Tigrine These shapeshifters can be found all over central and eastern Asia. As with pantherine shifters, their metahuman form usually retains their catlike eyes and natural hair color with some hint of their natural stripes as streaks. Those living in and around the various Chinese states usually maintain a low profile as they are hunted for their parts, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Ursine Bear species can be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Metahuman forms have excessive body hair and tend to be robust, with layers of fat over solid muscle. Vulpine The fox breed is primarily native to Japan and China, though a few rare instances have appeared in Europe and North America. A unique trait of the metahuman form is the retention of the fox tail, which the vulpine will sometimes cover with long coats or robes.