Thanael
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Deuce, have you read the Van Richten Society's Research Files: Dopplegangers ?
Good Gaming Thread's Valiant Retirement (Signs to Further Pastures)
- Thread starter Loonook
- Start date
Good Gaming Supplement: Doppelgangers: Shapeshifters and the Animals Who Love/Are Them
Awkward double colon besides . . . This is to be a discussion of animal shapeshifters. We at Good Gaming enjoy the Transformers motto of "More than Meets the Eye" more than most, but there are certain points which make that wondrous slogan far more tasty.
One of these is, of course, the use of doppelgangers. Those fleshy, grey-mottled delights supply so many twists and turns . . . but regular shapeshifters could/should do the same. And what is to say that humanoids are the only ones who get in on the fun?
African and Asian cultures have plenty of reference for shapeshifting animals, especially in their rich mythologies. In many stories, a specific creature can be man, animal, something in between, and all sorts of variants on a theme at the same time. I think my favorite example of such legerdemain has to be from the tales of Anansi.
Anansi is a spider. And a man. A genius. Sometimes a fool. Most often he gets the upper hand . . . but not always. Numerous depictions of this spider-man (without funny suit) appear throughout African and African diaspora mythologies. In most of these stories, Anansi is 'cursed' by another god (in the 'first' traceable stories his father Nyame) into being a spider to learn his lessons and the arts of patience. However, as anyone who has read or been told Anansi stories can tell, he is quick to learn neither, and enjoys a good joke like the next guy.
This is an interesting... yeah... interesting take on the Anansi and his appearance. Well. . . artistic license and all that. Anansi is a fascinating tale, but how can we shrink down the concepts to something a bit more palatable/usable in our own games?
Well, any creature makes for an interesting shapeshifter. Some are known for it (grimalkin, aranea) but others can be made into it. One of my personal favorites are servitors of Fey or Outsiders. While I do not use the Guardinals as they appear in any of my games, I find them an excellent example for shapeshifting creatures of Good. Spirit creatures exist in so many mythologies as to make it a silly notion to post them all. Even in Christianity, the concept of animals linked to humans or their spiritual forms exist (the dove and bull are great examples of this). Yet we get shapeshifters like lycanthropes to express the man-animal side of things.
I say we think a bit differently on it.
Next time you have a chance, try changing it to the other way of thinking. While a lycanthrope may seem a great chance for torturous musings over the bestial aspects of man, why can't the same be said of the humane aspects of the beast? A scout's trusted horse mount being a truly powerful creature who takes the form of a man is also possible.
But another interesting side of the equation is the animal doppelganger. Perhaps it's been away too long from its culture; perhaps it was raised by the beasts of the field. But a doppelganger who has the ability to change into animal and other forms alongside its humanoid shape? Ahh... now there's a trick or two.
As dyx pointed out (while ignoring the policy of not posting on this thread...) the Van Richten Society treatise on Doppelgangers gives us a pretty good set of rules for this. In their mind, the CR change for animal forms is minimal... and I feel that many animal doppelgangers may actually choose to remain solely in these forms. A monkey with the wit of ages, slinging spells through operations at a party... a rat who is able to steal the finer things in life... truly, it is useful to become the beasts of the field.
Now, this wasn't a long or particularly in-depth treatise... however, we will pick up on that where we have delineated. The only question is: Will we go Modern or Constructive with our criticisms?
As Always,
Good Gaming,
-Loonook.
Awkward double colon besides . . . This is to be a discussion of animal shapeshifters. We at Good Gaming enjoy the Transformers motto of "More than Meets the Eye" more than most, but there are certain points which make that wondrous slogan far more tasty.
One of these is, of course, the use of doppelgangers. Those fleshy, grey-mottled delights supply so many twists and turns . . . but regular shapeshifters could/should do the same. And what is to say that humanoids are the only ones who get in on the fun?
African and Asian cultures have plenty of reference for shapeshifting animals, especially in their rich mythologies. In many stories, a specific creature can be man, animal, something in between, and all sorts of variants on a theme at the same time. I think my favorite example of such legerdemain has to be from the tales of Anansi.
Anansi is a spider. And a man. A genius. Sometimes a fool. Most often he gets the upper hand . . . but not always. Numerous depictions of this spider-man (without funny suit) appear throughout African and African diaspora mythologies. In most of these stories, Anansi is 'cursed' by another god (in the 'first' traceable stories his father Nyame) into being a spider to learn his lessons and the arts of patience. However, as anyone who has read or been told Anansi stories can tell, he is quick to learn neither, and enjoys a good joke like the next guy.
This is an interesting... yeah... interesting take on the Anansi and his appearance. Well. . . artistic license and all that. Anansi is a fascinating tale, but how can we shrink down the concepts to something a bit more palatable/usable in our own games?
Well, any creature makes for an interesting shapeshifter. Some are known for it (grimalkin, aranea) but others can be made into it. One of my personal favorites are servitors of Fey or Outsiders. While I do not use the Guardinals as they appear in any of my games, I find them an excellent example for shapeshifting creatures of Good. Spirit creatures exist in so many mythologies as to make it a silly notion to post them all. Even in Christianity, the concept of animals linked to humans or their spiritual forms exist (the dove and bull are great examples of this). Yet we get shapeshifters like lycanthropes to express the man-animal side of things.
I say we think a bit differently on it.
Next time you have a chance, try changing it to the other way of thinking. While a lycanthrope may seem a great chance for torturous musings over the bestial aspects of man, why can't the same be said of the humane aspects of the beast? A scout's trusted horse mount being a truly powerful creature who takes the form of a man is also possible.
But another interesting side of the equation is the animal doppelganger. Perhaps it's been away too long from its culture; perhaps it was raised by the beasts of the field. But a doppelganger who has the ability to change into animal and other forms alongside its humanoid shape? Ahh... now there's a trick or two.
As dyx pointed out (while ignoring the policy of not posting on this thread...) the Van Richten Society treatise on Doppelgangers gives us a pretty good set of rules for this. In their mind, the CR change for animal forms is minimal... and I feel that many animal doppelgangers may actually choose to remain solely in these forms. A monkey with the wit of ages, slinging spells through operations at a party... a rat who is able to steal the finer things in life... truly, it is useful to become the beasts of the field.
Now, this wasn't a long or particularly in-depth treatise... however, we will pick up on that where we have delineated. The only question is: Will we go Modern or Constructive with our criticisms?
As Always,
Good Gaming,
-Loonook.
Since I was looking this thread over to pull some ideas for my blog, I figured I would actually update for the forum itself to tell you guys that Good Gaming has moved to two locations:
On ENWorld you'll find my new posts and retooling/addendums to Good Gaming posts Right about here...
On Blogspot I'm posting to Right about here....
I know that there is not necessarily cross-over between boards and the blogs, so I figured I would help those who were reading this articles in the wayback to know where I currently am.
Slainte,
-Loonook.
On ENWorld you'll find my new posts and retooling/addendums to Good Gaming posts Right about here...
On Blogspot I'm posting to Right about here....
I know that there is not necessarily cross-over between boards and the blogs, so I figured I would help those who were reading this articles in the wayback to know where I currently am.
Slainte,
-Loonook.
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