•••• Shape of the Beast
The canon of vampire legend is filled with stories of undead lords taking the semblance of the “children of the night.” This power is the source of those legends. With it, a Kindred can take the shape of an ordinary animal, most commonly a bat or a wolf. While in this form, the vampire retains his mind and temperament, but he can call upon the physical qualities of his newfound body (increased speed and senses as a wolf, sonar sense and flight as a bat).
With time and experience, the character can learn to adopt the other form (bat or wolf) or others.
With time and experience, the character can learn to adopt the other form (bat or wolf) or others.
Material Components
Cost: 1 Vitae
Gestures & Ritual
Dice Pool: This power requires no roll to activate. The transformation from human to animal or back again requires a character’s action in a turn. All clothing and small possessions shift with the vampire, and he can remain in his animal state until he chooses to shift back. A vampire can even sleep the day away in animal form, but must still avoid sunlight, which always affects vampires regardless of form. In addition, sleeping in animal form is taxing on the vampiric state, requiring the expenditure of an additional Vitae upon awakening.
While in animal form, a vampire can use any Discipline in his repertoire except for Theban Sorcery, Crúac and Dominate (which becomes impossible when one tries to bark and yip commands). Each animal form conveys a separate host of benefits. As a wolf, the vampire’s claws and teeth inflict lethal damage and add a +1 bonus to attack pools, Speed is doubled, and two bonus dice are added to any Wits + Composure rolls to be aware of events that happen in the wolf ’s environment. As a bat, the vampire’s Strength becomes 1, but he can fly at a Speed of 20 (plus five more per dot of Vigor activated three dice are added to all hearing-based rolls, and Defense increases by two.
(At the player’s discretion, he may spend another Vitae and allow a character in wolf form or any other suitable form as described here to activate Claws of the Wild. As with normal uses of that power, these claws are obviously supernatural or otherwise remarkable, and even those unfamiliar with the world of the Damned will know that something is not quite right about the animal in question. A character who has assumed Shape of the Beast and also activates Claws of the Wild gains a +1 bonus to attack pools and inflicts aggravated damage instead of gaining a +1 bonus to attack pools and inflicting lethal damage with claw attacks.)
When this power is first acquired, only bat or wolf form is available. With Storyteller permission, every three experience points spent allows a character access to the other form, or to an altogether different predatory animal, usually a mammal, although it’s rumored that Kindred in far-flung lands can assume the forms of predatory and scavenger birds. Storytellers are encouraged to use the models given here and on p. 202-203 of the World of Darkness Rulebook as examples of animal traits.
A vampire in animal form is not subject to the Animalism Discipline. Dominate may still be used on him in whatever form — human or animal — he assumes.
While in animal form, a vampire can use any Discipline in his repertoire except for Theban Sorcery, Crúac and Dominate (which becomes impossible when one tries to bark and yip commands). Each animal form conveys a separate host of benefits. As a wolf, the vampire’s claws and teeth inflict lethal damage and add a +1 bonus to attack pools, Speed is doubled, and two bonus dice are added to any Wits + Composure rolls to be aware of events that happen in the wolf ’s environment. As a bat, the vampire’s Strength becomes 1, but he can fly at a Speed of 20 (plus five more per dot of Vigor activated three dice are added to all hearing-based rolls, and Defense increases by two.
(At the player’s discretion, he may spend another Vitae and allow a character in wolf form or any other suitable form as described here to activate Claws of the Wild. As with normal uses of that power, these claws are obviously supernatural or otherwise remarkable, and even those unfamiliar with the world of the Damned will know that something is not quite right about the animal in question. A character who has assumed Shape of the Beast and also activates Claws of the Wild gains a +1 bonus to attack pools and inflicts aggravated damage instead of gaining a +1 bonus to attack pools and inflicting lethal damage with claw attacks.)
When this power is first acquired, only bat or wolf form is available. With Storyteller permission, every three experience points spent allows a character access to the other form, or to an altogether different predatory animal, usually a mammal, although it’s rumored that Kindred in far-flung lands can assume the forms of predatory and scavenger birds. Storytellers are encouraged to use the models given here and on p. 202-203 of the World of Darkness Rulebook as examples of animal traits.
A vampire in animal form is not subject to the Animalism Discipline. Dominate may still be used on him in whatever form — human or animal — he assumes.
Related Discipline
Effect Casting Time
Instant
Level
4