Awkward Questions about Lunar Shapeshifting

[semicasual]

...because I'm bored, and boredom justifies all things.

1. If a Lunar gets impregnated in the form of a mammal (not a monotreme), and then turns into a bird or reptile, will she lay eggs? If so, what will hatch from those eggs?

2. If a Lunar gets impregnated in the form of a reptile or bird, and then turns into a mammal (not a monotreme), will she give live birth? If so, what will she give birth to?

3. If a Lunar eats something that would be poisonous to a human (e.g. Pokeweed) while in the form of something that can eat them (like a bird), and then changes forms before digesting, will they get poisoned?

4. If a hungry Lunar takes the form of something very large (like a Tyrant Lizard), then eats something larger than a human (like a cow), and then turns into a human, will they explode?

5. If a hungry Lunar takes the form of something very small, eats a meal appropriate to the size of that creature, and then turns back into a human, will they still be hungry?

6. How do you calculate damage for being swallowed in the form of something small, and then transforming into something large?

7. What kind of powers would you associate with a Lunar that has a platypus as a spirit totem?

[The MG]

What kind of powers would you associate with a Lunar that has a platypus as a spirit totem?

Transcendent Perception and poison Charms.

[Dragonmystic]

...because I'm bored, and boredom justifies all things.

1. If a Lunar gets impregnated in the form of a mammal (not a monotreme), and then turns into a bird or reptile, will she lay eggs? If so, what will hatch from those eggs?

2. If a Lunar gets impregnated in the form of a reptile or bird, and then turns into a mammal (not a monotreme), will she give live birth? If so, what will she give birth to?

3. If a Lunar eats something that would be poisonous to a human (e.g. Pokeweed) while in the form of something that can eat them (like a bird), and then changes forms before digesting, will they get poisoned?

4. If a hungry Lunar takes the form of something very large (like a Tyrant Lizard), then eats something larger than a human (like a cow), and then turns into a human, will they explode?

5. If a hungry Lunar takes the form of something very small, eats a meal appropriate to the size of that creature, and then turns back into a human, will they still be hungry?

6. How do you calculate damage for being swallowed in the form of something small, and then transforming into something large?

7. What kind of powers would you associate with a Lunar that has a platypus as a spirit totem?

Obviously this is just GM ruling, and will vary between person to person. Here would be my "rulings."

1+2 The method of birth will revert to human method, even if it doesn't make biological sense.
--Exception: Totem true form may substituted by the Lunar at will.
--2nd Exception: If the Lunar has breeding charms, they have more control over what happens.

3. Once the plant has been ingested, it has become overwhelmed by the Lunar's natural essence, and so does not poison them.
-- Exception: Anything with an "essence rating"--such as something magical, wyld tainted, Exalt-crafted, etc. may "contest" this.

4. No, the extra food is "magically digested." It does mean the Lunar can binge eat and feel full for the next few days, as it is "rationed" out to natural energy requirements of his true form.

5. The Lunar will become hungry soon. When they are a mouse, they can eat mouse-sized meals, but when they shapeshift back the "energy" stored in their essence flows will quickly be consumed at the rate of their true form. This is true for a large form: they are required to eat more to continually sustain as they burn more energy.

6. I know it's kinda weird, but I would use the grapple rules for "can this contain her as she's growing?", and then solid strength damage for "bursting out"

7. Get that Lunar tattooed cause she has OBVIOUSLY been Wyld-tainted!

[Jutlander]

1. If a Lunar gets impregnated in the form of a mammal (not a monotreme), and then turns into a bird or reptile, will she lay eggs? If so, what will hatch from those eggs?

If she is big enough to lay an egg containing the mammal, I would go with the mammal (because that would make for some disturbing scenes), but without a navel obviously. If she is laying small eggs, then it will probably be a tiny dead human inside.

2. If a Lunar gets impregnated in the form of a reptile or bird, and then turns into a mammal (not a monotreme), will she give live birth? If so, what will she give birth to?

If she is big enough, she will give birth to a reptile or bird. With a navel. If she is too small, when giving birth, it will be a tiny dead version.

3. If a Lunar eats something that would be poisonous to a human (e.g. Pokeweed) while in the form of something that can eat them (like a bird), and then changes forms before digesting, will they get poisoned?

This would make for some really silly scenes, so I would say no.

4. If a hungry Lunar takes the form of something very large (like a Tyrant Lizard), then eats something larger than a human (like a cow), and then turns into a human, will they explode?

Too silly for me. I would say no.

5. If a hungry Lunar takes the form of something very small, eats a meal appropriate to the size of that creature, and then turns back into a human, will they still be hungry?

I cannot come up with a satifying answer for this one.

6. How do you calculate damage for being swallowed in the form of something small, and then transforming into something large?

As a storyteller, I would say that if you come up with this tactic on the fly when someone intentionally eats you, you get to do it without any damage. If you turn into a fly and intentionally flies into someone's mouth, you take all the damage. All of it.

7. What kind of powers would you associate with a Lunar that has a platypus as a spirit totem?

What is it... beaks, claws, poisonous stinger...

[The MG]

What is it... beaks, claws, poisonous stinger...

The beak is electroreceptive.

[TSk]

1. If a Lunar gets impregnated in the form of a mammal (not a monotreme), and then turns into a bird or reptile, will she lay eggs? If so, what will hatch from those eggs?

2. If a Lunar gets impregnated in the form of a reptile or bird, and then turns into a mammal (not a monotreme), will she give live birth? If so, what will she give birth to?

RAW, your children's mutations depend only on the form you were in during their conception. Further shapeshifting after that point has no effect on what they become. That implies your womb stays the same until you give birth, but there's no rule that it has to.

4. If a hungry Lunar takes the form of something very large (like a Tyrant Lizard), then eats something larger than a human (like a cow), and then turns into a human, will they explode?

5. If a hungry Lunar takes the form of something very small, eats a meal appropriate to the size of that creature, and then turns back into a human, will they still be hungry?

No and no. Shapeshifting doesn't damage the clothes you're wearing, so it shouldn't damage the food you've eaten. If you need to track your biological process that precisely, I'd say whatever you're in the process of digesting counts as part of your essence once it's dead.

What kind of powers would you associate with a Lunar that has a platypus as a spirit totem?

I really don't know. High Perception. War form might have shark sight mutation.

[Jorlem]

As a storyteller, I would say that if you come up with this tactic on the fly when someone intentionally eats you, you get to do it without any damage. If you turn into a fly and intentionally flies into someone's mouth, you take all the damage. All of it.

I think this question was meant as asking how to calculate damage done to the one that ate the Lunar, not damage done to the Lunar. Nothing can prevent a Lunar from shapeshifting, and I'd imagine that the number of beings able to survive a tyrant lizard chestburster are rather small.

[semicasual]

I think this question was meant as asking how to calculate damage done to the one that ate the Lunar, not damage done to the Lunar. Nothing can prevent a Lunar from shapeshifting, and I'd imagine that the number of beings able to survive a tyrant lizard chestburster are rather small.

Kind of goes both ways, really. I think it would be reasonable for the Lunar to take Bashing damage from being crushed by the whatever they're trying to chestburst out of, depending on what ate them and what they're turning into. Could lead to an incredibly gruesome and morbidly hilarious death for both participants.

[Ejtaka]

Not sure what powers the platypus would have, but socially, I bet a few people would be concerned about Chimerism.

[Elfive]

Native to the western bordermarches, on the lost island of Oztreyliar, where the wildlife almost invariably shows signs of Wyld taint. The platypus is a rather extreme example, being some sort of mutant beaver-duck, but it is relatively harmless and tolerated in most societies.

[Saur Ops Specialist]

Not sure what powers the platypus would have, but socially, I bet a few people would be concerned about Chimerism.

This "joke" needs to die.

[Robert Vance]

...because I'm bored, and boredom justifies all things.

1. If a Lunar gets impregnated in the form of a mammal (not a monotreme), and then turns into a bird or reptile, will she lay eggs? If so, what will hatch from those eggs?

2. If a Lunar gets impregnated in the form of a reptile or bird, and then turns into a mammal (not a monotreme), will she give live birth? If so, what will she give birth to?

You tell me.

3. If a Lunar eats something that would be poisonous to a human (e.g. Pokeweed) while in the form of something that can eat them (like a bird), and then changes forms before digesting, will they get poisoned?

Hmm. Realistically, it's possible. Game-wise, no Storyteller should ever have to track digestion times, so no.

4. If a hungry Lunar takes the form of something very large (like a Tyrant Lizard), then eats something larger than a human (like a cow), and then turns into a human, will they explode?

5. If a hungry Lunar takes the form of something very small, eats a meal appropriate to the size of that creature, and then turns back into a human, will they still be hungry?

Something something Elsewhere displacement something something Essence something something.

6. How do you calculate damage for being swallowed in the form of something small, and then transforming into something large?

I'd probably resolve that as a type of stunted grapple. If you don't roll enough damage to kill them (albeit I'd be giving you a bonus), you either can't transform yet, or do so in a way that doesn't involve a chestburster.

7. What kind of powers would you associate with a Lunar that has a platypus as a spirit totem?

Electroreceptivity, poisonous spurs, aquatic mobility, webbed feet.

[Isator Levi]

Yeah, I'd say that transforming back while swallowed just does a bit of bashing damage while the person or animal uncomfortably coughs you back up.

And that oddities in birthing or hatching are like neomah babies or Oathchildren; they're mostly normal examples of the relevant species, just with a few oddities.

[TSk]

I'd probably resolve that as a type of stunted grapple. If you don't roll enough damage to kill them (albeit I'd be giving you a bonus), you either can't transform yet, or do so in a way that doesn't involve a chestburster.

If you transform but it doesn't kill them outright, honestly, that's hardly looking any better for them. Because having a live burrow lok in your stomach is no fun.

[Fata-Ku]

Yeah, shapeshifting over 5 ticks would probably be enough time to cough/vomit the thing back up.







But what about that knack that allows you to shapeshift at Reflexive speed (Lightning Change Mastery I think.. or Style?) ?