Forum

I see the base spell more as a scouting and exploration tool, as transforming into a rat to pass through tiny openings or a bird to fly around without being noticed as a threat or intruder can be a huge boon. The strongest combat option is something like a bear (strength 6 and melee 3), which is good, but not that spectacular when you are a strength 5 and melee 2 or 3 axe swinging barbarian, who has to leave his magical great axe and full plate behind, to basically weaken himself for a rank 3 spell that could damage or outright kill him if the dice roll really bad.

The way I want to change the spell cuts its most useful exploration options, so I want to make up for that. Maybe something like: your base stats remain the same, but per power level you can rise two of the following by one point:

- Strength (Max ?)
- Agility (Max ?)
- Moving Rate (Max 2 or maybe even 3)
- Armor (Max ?)
- Damage (Max 3)

(Maybe add some special options, like a fear attack or fear resistance with +2 dice per power level investment.)

If you are going for a more conan vibe why would the str 5 barbarian be changing into anything? It's the strength 2 or 3 weird sorcerer dude who is going to be changing into a str 6 bear. Also, becoming a bear doesn't remove the skill from the player. It just changes the attribute and gives you a natural weapon (with maybe a higher base damage?).

And full plate is EXCEEDINGLY rare. Not just because it's hard to come by the money to buy it but it weighs so much that you literally can't carry anything with you while wearing it.

Because the player plays against type? I don't use classes in my game, I use lifepaths, so there are no barbarians or sorcerers as per rule, but people who know magic or don't. Chosing a path that enables magic works similar to the core game, in that you can only add other paths related to magic, but the details or even my setting are somewhat beside the point here - as is the rarity of plate armor, which I simply used to make a case. (And besides - almost all of my players skilled Packrat, so there's that.)

The important thing is, that I'm cutting something rather useful from the base spell and would like advice on how to counterbalance this with something else that flows with the theme of a savage human-animal hybrid thing... so combat most likely. Leaving the spell as is with less options than RAW doesn't seem right to me - it takes much and gives nothing in return.