Shifter O.C.C.

The Shifter's focus of mystic study is understanding how ley lines and nexus points work, and how to use them for trans-dimensional travel and summoning. Unlike the Ley Line Walker, the Shifter is not so much a vessel where magic energy is drawn into him, but instead the shifter learns to manipulate the energy around him. For example, he will direct and change the nexus point energy to open a rift, but he does not draw the energy inside of him. Likewise, a shifter will draw upon the P.P.E. of those around him to create magic.

Learning to be a Shifter is a process that takes years to master. A typical apprenticeship runs about five years, but may seem like more or less if the apprentice joins his or her mentor in the mentor's "rift-hopping" across the dimensions. During most of this time, the apprentice is learning to judge the time of month and year by the moon and stars, how to recognize locations where nexus points are, learning standard demon and faerie lore, and, in the last year of the apprenticeship, assisting his or her mentor in summoning rituals. The first year is spent teaching the apprentice the basics of magic, including meditation and testing the apprentice's will (M.E.). After the first year, the apprentice shifter will start learning spells, but will not master the two basic summoning rituals until the end of the fifth year. Typically, a shifter will not take an apprentice until he reaches sixth level.


Shifter Magic Powers:

  1. Rift Magic. The shifter is in tune with rifts, and possesses the following abilities relating to rifts:

  2. Spell Knowledge. The shifter's orientation is power over the rifts and control over the supernatural forces that come out of the rifts. This means that the character's spell knowledge is mostly limited to this area.

    The following spells are known by the young shifter: Sense P.P.E., Sense Magic, Turn Dead, Trance, Chameleon, Concealment, Shadow Meld, Time slip, Call Lightning, Contrain Being, Summon & Control Canines, and Summon Lesser Being. In addition, the shifter may (01%-55% chance) have learned, during his apprenticeship, one magic circle as possessed by a Palladium Summoner. This may be either a Protection circle, or a Summoning Circle, but not a Power circle. The only power words a shifter may know are the words to activate the magic circles. All new spells and magic circles must be learned, purchased, or acquired as usual.

  3. Magic Bonuses. +7 to save vs. horror factor, +1 to save vs. magic at levels three, seven, ten, and thirteen, +1 to spell strength (the number others must save against when you cast a spell) at levels four, seven, ten, and thirteen.

  4. P.P.E.: Like all practicioners of magic, the shifter is a living battery if magic energy that he can draw on to create magic. Permanent Base P.P.E.: 2D6 x 10 + 10 plus P.E. attribute. Add 3D6 P.P.E. per additional level of experience. Of course, the mage can draw P.P.E. from ley lines, nexus points, and other people. Also see #5 below.

  5. Draw P.P.E. from the surrounding area. Because of the shifter's affinity for manipulating ambient P.P.E. rather than using his own, he is able to draw on the P.P.E. of the surrounding environment, including nearby plants, insects, and the very ground beneath him, rather than that of ley lines and nexuses. The Shifter can draw upon an additional 20 P.P.E. per level of experience every 12 hours from the surrounding area. This is in addition to the P.P.E. drawn from ley lines and nexus points. In fact, the mage can draw on this energy even if there are no ley lines in the vicinity.

  6. Familiar Link. Unchanged from the description in the Rifts main book.

  7. Link to the Supernatural. Unchanged from the description in the Rifts main book.


Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 12, M.E. 12 or higher.

Alignments: Any. Those of a Good alignment will restrict themselves from performing certain types of magic, and will never summon a demon, nor will they ever perform an animal sacrifice. In addition, good aligned shifters will never take a person's P.P.E. without permission. Anarchist and some Unprincipled aligned shifters may perform animal sacrifices and take someone's P.P.E. without their permission or knowledge, but even the Unprincipled shifter will draw the line at summoning a strong demon. Only those of evil alignments will perform human scrifices.

O.C.C. Skills:
Native Language: 88% + 2% per level
Two additional languages of choice (+15%)
Principles of Magic (+10%), as per the skill in Through the Glass Darkly.
Astronomy (+20%)
Mathematics: Basic (+15%)
Lore: Demons and Monsters (+20%)
Lore: Faerie (+15%)
Lore: Geomancy and Ley Lines (+15%), as per PFRPG
Land Navigation (+10%)
Wilderness Survival (+5%)
Meditation

Hand to Hand combat must be selected as an "other" skill. Hand to Hand: Basic costs one skill selection, Expert counts as two, and Martial Arts or Assassin (if evil) count as three skill selections. Optional martial arts, such as those found in Rifts Japan or Ninjas and Superspies, are available at the GM's discretion, but the ones from Rifts Japan cost three skill selections, and the more advanced forms from Ninjas and Superspies count as four "other" skills and two secondary skills.

O.C.C. Related Skills: Select six other skills. Plus, the shifter can select two additional skills at level three, two at level six, one at level nine, and one at level twelve. All new skills start at level one proficiency.
Communications: Radio: Basic, Surveillance Systems, and TV/Video only.
Cowboy: Trick Riding only.
Domestic: Any (+5%).
Electrical: Basic only.
Espionage: Intelligence, Interrogation Techniques, and Intimidation only (+5%).
Horsemanship: General or Exotic only (+5%)
Mechanical: Basic only.
Medical: First Aid, Holistic Medicine, or Paramedic only (+5%).
Military: None.
Physical: Any, except Boxing, Wrestling, and Gymnastics.
Pilot: Any, except Robots, Jets, and Tanks/APCs. (+5%)
Pilot Related: Any.
Rogue: Any (+2%)
Science: Any (+5%)
Technical: Any (+5%)
W.P.: Any.
Wilderness: Any.

Secondary Skills: The character also gets to select six secondary skills from those listed above, excluding those marked "None." These are additional areas of knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonus listed in parenthases (). In addition, the shifter can learn one new secondary skill at levels four, eight, and twelve. All secondary skills start at the base level.

Starting Equipment: Set of clothing, set of travelling clothes, light M.D.C. body armor (seldom wears heavy body armor, because it reduces one's speed and mobility), knapsack, backpack, 1D4 small sacks, one large sack, pocket mirror, silver cross, 2D4 cloves of garlic, six wooden stakes and mallet (for vampires and other practical applications), salt, canteen, NG-S2 survival pack, binoculars, tinted goggles or sunglasses, air filter and gas mask, pocket laser distancer, pocket digital dics recorder/player for recording his observations, and a hand-held computer if proficient with computer operation. Other equipment may be purchased initially, or, at the GM's discretion, be minor mystic artifacts gathered during apprenticeship.

Weapons: Weapons will include a silver-plated survival knife, hand axe, automatic pistol or sub-machinegun (player's choice), energy rifle, and 2D4 extra clips of ammunition for each; half of the ammunition may be silver. Either weapon may, at the GM's discretion, be a techno-wizard device. Also either an iron staff or a javelin-like iron rod sharpened at one end, useful as a staff or spear and for dispelling illusions.

Transportation: The vehicle of choice is often a motorcycle, hover cycle, or an animal mount of some type. The vehicle is often inexpensive and easily replaced in case it is destroyed by a creature from a rift or left behind when he explores a rift. In many cases, the shifter's mount will be his familiar, but it will also just as often be an animal tamed using the spell Tame the Beast (no chance of the shifter dropping unconscious in case the mount is killed).

Money: The shifter starts with 1D6 x 1000 in credit and 2D6 x 1000 in black market items.

Cybernetics: Starts with none and will avoid getting any major cybernetic or other forms of physical augmentation, but may consider some minor cybernetic implants, specifically sensory and enhanced optics, but will never get more than three total.


Back to the House Rules