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The Shapeshifter

By Niall Christie

Both within House Ex Miscellanea and outside the Order, there are many magi who practise their own personal forms of magic. Of the ones who have joined the Order, some have managed to mix their talents with Hermetic magic, to a greater or lesser degree. Others have not. However, be they members of the Order or not, these magi are all distinguished by the fact that their magic is entirely individual to them, rather than forming part of established traditions.

This is the first in what I hope will be a series of articles detailing some highly individualistic practitioners of magic. The article has its origins in my policy of always being prepared to have a shot at writing rules for new systems of magic, should any of my players wish to have a character who is a practitioner of a non or semi-Hermetic magic system. While the article presents a system that is written as being individual to the magus described, it is as much my intention to present it in such a way that it might be used by other players for either other individual magi or new traditions of magic. Included are the character's statistics, appropriate rules and design notes.

The magus presented here is a member of House Ex Miscellanea named Calatin. Calatin is a failed gruagach, who practices a non-Hermetic form of magic that revolves entirely around shapechanging. The rules presented here for his magic draw heavily on those for gruagachan given in Lion of the North: the Loch Leglean Tribunal.

Calatin "of the Many Shapes," filius Brude et Ruairidh, magus Ex Miscellanea

Characteristics: Int +4, Per +4, Str -1, Sta 0, Pre 0, Com 0, Dex 0, Qik 0
Magic Resistance: +10
Age: 25
Size: -1
Confidence: 3
Virtues and Flaws: Animal Ken +1, Hermetic Prestige +1, Strong-Willed +1, Well-Travelled +1, Jack-of-All-Trades +2, Outsider Trained in the Order +2, Mentor (Ruairidh of Bjornaer) +2, Infamous Master (Brude) -1, Judged Unfairly -1, Terrors (Brude) -2, Sense of Doom (Beheaded by Brude) -3, Small Frame -3
Personality Traits: Independent 3, Quiet 3, Likes to Change Shape 3, Brave 2, Curious 2
Reputations: Skilled Shapeshifter (Bjornaer Magi Only) 3, Hedge Wizard (Magi) 3, Pawn of Brude (Magi) 3

Soak: -1
Fatigue Levels: OK, -1, -3, -5 Unconscious
Body Levels: OK, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
Abilities: Speak Gaelic 4, Faerie Lore 2, Animal Ken 3, Shapeshift 4, Second Sight 3, Premonitions 3, Will Over Form 3, Concentration 2, Gruagach Wisdom 1, Athletics 2, Awareness 2, Folk Ken 2, Guile 2, Brawling (Claws) 3, Stealth 2, Hunt 2, Survival 2, Scotland Lore 1, Legend Lore 1, Swim 1
Decrepitude: 0
Aging Resistance: +2

Description and Background: Calatin is a small, thin, unassuming man with short, black hair and brown eyes. He dresses in worn, travel-stained clothing, including walking boots and a broad-brimmed hat. He speaks quietly, with a soft highland accent, but avoids making eye contact with those to whom he talks. Most people find that there is something about him that makes them reluctant to trust him. By nature Calatin is fiercely independent but quiet, although occasionally his innate curiosity brings him out of his shell. He changes his shape frequently, choosing shapes which will enable him to deal easily with the tasks which face him. In combat he usually uses his magic to grow sharp claws on his fingers, or if the situation is more life-threatening, takes the form of a tiger or bear.

Calatin was born with the mundane name of Tomas into a poor family in the central highlands of Scotland. He ran away from home and his father's cruelty when he was 10 years old, and shortly after was found by the infamous gruagach Brude Deathless. Brude recognised Tomas' potential, and resolved to train him, spending the next few years coaxing out his apprentice's talents. During one particularly stressful training session Tomas experienced a vision of his eventual demise, beheading at Brude's hand, which, along with the gruagach's formidable demeanour, instilled in him a terror of his ancient master. Brude found that he was unable to direct Tomas' talents in such a way as to make him into a fully-fledged gruagach, and eventually gave up in exasperation, throwing the boy out of his broch. Fortunately for Tomas, the magus Ruairidh of Bjornaer happened to be travelling nearby. He found Tomas and, looking beyond his shifty demeanour, took time to get to know him. He was amazed at the lad's shapechanging abilities and, although it was too late for the boy to turn his magic to Hermetic ways, spent several years teaching him to have a tighter control over his ability. Eventually he sponsored his entry into House Ex Miscellanea. Tomas took the Hermetic name of Calatin, a sorcerer from Celtic mythology, and chose to recognise the contributions of both his masters to his training by recording both of them in his Hermetic lineage. Ruairidh and several of his comrades of House Bjornaer dubbed him "Calatin of the Many Shapes," in recognition of his formidable abilities. Calatin still stays in close contact with his Hermetic parens. However, although Calatin's reputation as a shapeshifter has spread within House Bjornaer, other magi view him as being at best an unremarkable hedge wizard, or worse still, as a dangerous pawn of Brude Deathless.

Rules: Shapeshifting

Calatin's magic is exclusively concerned with changing his shape. He may change the shape of parts of himself, take a form which is half that of a human and half that of an animal or object, or change entirely into another form. He may also take other human forms, although the Storyguide may impose an Intelligence roll if he attempts to take the form of somebody specific. Calatin may change form at will, and does not need to use words or gestures. The change takes about a second, meaning that he may change shape and take another action during a combat round. He may not use his magic to change the shape of others.

To change shape, Calatin rolls: Stress die + Int + Shapeshift + Will Over Form + Concentration

It is actually more difficult for Calatin to change a part of his body, as this requires more careful use of his talent than an overall change. A change to half form is actually a change of several body parts at once partway to animal/object form, and so is even more difficult. This Ease Factor is modified by the following factors:

If the roll is failed, Calatin may not assume the same General Form (as listed above) until the next sunrise or sunset. Note that by failing to change into one animal or object covered by a particular General Form, he will be barred from changing into all animals or objects covered by that form for this period. Thus if he fails to change into a wolf, he may not become any mammal until the next sunset or sunrise. The effects of botches are at the Storyguide's discretion. Calatin may always return to his own form by rolling a 3+ on a Stress die + Int + Shapeshift + Will Over Form + Concentration.

In fully-changed form, Calatin follows the rules for shapechangers presented on p. 252 of ArM4. In half form, his profile may be calculated by adding half the animal's characteristic scores to his own (round towards 0). He retains his own Body and Fatigue levels, but may gain additional bonuses as the Storyguide sees fit (such as Soak bonuses for a crocodile's hide or a statue's stony skin). For changes to single body parts, the effect on his profile should also be as seen fit by the Storyguide (see the MuCo spells on pp. 124-5 of ArM4 for ideas). His clothing and small objects carried will transform with him. Large objects carried fall to the ground around him. If he is wearing armour, and increases his Size by 2 or more, it will burst, but do him damage in the process, at the Storyguide's discretion.

Calatin's ability to shift forms renders him virtually immune to spells which will change his shape. His scores in Shapeshift, Second Sight and Premonitions are added to calculate his Magic Resistance score to other magics. While shapeshifted, Calatin can be identified by Second Sight, or spells such as Sight of the True Form. Naturally, in the latter case, the spell must overcome his Magic Resistance.

Calatin may increase his abilities in the same way as other characters (ArM4, pp. 186-90). Shapeshift is a Talent, and hence may only be increased through story experience or practice.

Calatin's magic permeates his being, giving him some resistance to aging. He subtracts the Magnitude of his Magic Resistance (Magic Resistance divided by 5) from aging rolls. Calatin is not apparently Gifted, nor does he have a sigil which permeates his use of magic. He is affected by Auras in the same way as other magi.

Design Notes: Generating Calatin

Concept: Calatin was generated first and foremost as a shapeshifter. I have always been interested in representing exclusive magical specialities in Ars Magica, something to which the rules for Hermetic magic do not lend themselves, and also in the idea of highly adept shapeshifters, who are not really restricted to a small range of shapes. With regard to the latter, folklore, mythology and both ancient and modern fiction are full of characters who through their own abilities, the use of magical items, or the efforts of others, take the forms of various creatures and objects. One has only to think of the Jinn of the Arabian Nights, Tam Lin, Elof Valantor, Merlin and Madame Mim! Looking for possible sources of assistance (it is easier to build out from existing rules, after all!), I found the gruagach rules to be particularly helpful, and it was from this that the idea of making Calatin a failed gruagach came to mind. This placed him firmly in Scotland, and the rest of his history and description grew from this point.

Attributes: Calatin's attributes were randomly rolled, yielding scores of -1, 0, 0, 8.

Virtues and Flaws: Calatin was allowed to spend up to 10 points on Virtues and Flaws, in the same way as other magi. Apart from those granting Abilities which were made mandatory for him (see below), which he received free, he was not given or required to take any particular Virtues or Flaws. Those he possesses relate, in the main, directly to his background and personality.

Abilities: Calatin was given the following as starting abilities:

Subtracting the experience point cost of these Abilities from 55, the standard for a starting magus, gave him Age + 16 points remaining to be spent at his discretion. These were spent in the same way as they would be for a Companion character (some Storyguides may wish to allow such characters access to some Arcane Abilities). Some of these abilities (Second Sight, Premonitions, Will Over Form, Gruagach Wisdom) related more directly to his background. Other players may wish to discard these, or replace them with others, although an equivalent to Will Over Form is recommended. Following the rules in Lion of the North (pp. 98-9), as a highland character Calatin also receives a free score of 1 in Faerie Lore.

Magic: Given his background, it is not surprising that Calatin's magic shows great similarities to that of the gruagachan (in addition, Roderick Robertson's excellent rules required only a little tweaking to work the way I wanted them to for this character). However, his magic is extremely personal, and is regarded as being a significant part of his essential nature, being distinctly marked with his own personal stamp. It is simultaneously less and more powerful than that of the gruagachan and the magi of Hermes, for although his magic only affects himself, he has a much greater ability to control his shape than either of these other magus types, and is marginally less limited by the effects of failure than the gruagachan. He resists spells in the same way as the gruagachan, and his magic also strengthens his nature, rendering him resistant to the effects of age.

Bibliography/Inspirations

Robertson, Roderick, Lion of the North. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, Inc., 1994.

...and many years of reading folklore, mythology and fiction!

Text copyright © Niall Christie 2003.

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