Shifter

Introduction

Shifters are the "classic" world-spanning heroes. Typically they are nobodies in both worlds, but their ability to shift allows them to do more than people expect. Of the three playable classes, they are the least in tune with either of the worlds, but they also have the least difficulty moving between them. This often leads them to feel isolated from those around them, or in some cases can elevate them to a status akin to gods.
A shifter's abilities - known as acts - allow them to make marked impacts on the local environment.

Shifter Stat Pools

A shifter starts with the following stat pool:

Stat	Starting Value
Social	6
Physical	12
Dreaming	10

You can then distribute another 6 points to pools as you wish.

Shifters in Society

In Stark, shifters are very rare, but the handful that appear are generally vagrants or similarly poor and low-status indivduals. In Arcadia, shifters are usually murdered by the Tyren or Azadi, but those that are able to find their way to the Sentinels are taught the ways of the Balance and often end up being powerful figures.

Shifters in Groups

Stereotypically, shifters are lone wolves and hate to team up with others. However, a shifter with a few prophet or dreamer friends can accomplish much more than they ever could alone. Even a group of fellow shifters working together can be surprisingly powerful, though their stubborn nature means that sometimes it takes a lot of arguing before anything gets done!

Notable Shifters

All of the thirteen Guardians of the Balance have been shifters, and each had to undergo a perilous journey to prove themselves worthy. April Ryan was a shifter.

Shifter Tiers

First Tier Shifter

Effort: Your Effort is 1.
Versatile: You have a Physical Edge of 1, a Social Edge of 0 and a Dreaming Edge of 1. You cannot increase your Social Edge.
Cypher Use: You can carry up to three cyphers at once, and anoetic cyphers do not count as two.
Practised With Light Weapons: You can use light weapons without penalty. If you use a medium or heavy weapon, increase the difficulty of the attack by one step.
Cypher Solver: You are trained in using and finding cyphers. Treat these as regular skills.
Shift: You are able to open a portal to the other side. This takes 6 rounds at First Tier. You must succeed on a Physical roll with difficulty 3, but you can speed up the process by increasing the difficulty by 1 step per round you wish to reduce the time by. If it fails, it will still take the full 6 rounds to try. So if you want to shift in 3 rounds, you must succeed on a Physical roll at difficulty 6, and if you fail the roll you can act again after 6 rounds.
You can take any gear with you when you shift, but no living beings can come with you. The shift is visible to regular people but closes immediately after you enter. If you don't enter within 1 minute, it will close automatically.
Acts: When others talk or plan, you act. Some acts are constant, ongoing effects and others require you to declare them and spend points from a stat pool.
At first tier, choose two acts from the list below. You can't choose an action more than once unless its description says so:

First Tier Shifter Acts

Act1

Description