LadyThorne
2022-06-26, 09:41 AM
ok, so I'm running a fully homebrewed game in a low magic world where amorphous spirits equate to magic and other special abilities. Without getting too far into the complexities, spirits follow certain people who attract their attention. The personality of the person is what shapes the guardian totem into one of the 'children of Mother Chimera', and clans, houses, etc are all tied to an animal that best vibrates with that people as a whole. There are certain people with whom the spirit can merge and allow (or force) them to become that animal (or a hybrid thereof with practice). I plan on using modified lycanthrope templates for this, but totally not my issue.
As becoming a Shift is not something a player can choose, I've been watching my players to see what best suits them, and yet not hinders them. I have a bard that's going to eventually shift into a magpie. My problem is the barbarian. Since the personality chooses the shape and not the other way around (though no one knows this), one can be a shift of something other than your house totem. My barbarian is of a lesser house, a 4th son who went his own way as he's going to inherit nothing. The house symbol is the bee. I don't plan on any insect shifts at all, so I need something else for him. His personality is pretty calm and even fun until threatened. I was totally thinking euro badger, but my partner (who knows more than anyone else what's really going on cause I ran a lot of the novel's world past him when I was writing it and he's the one who asked me to turn it into a game) thinks it's not appropriate.
What I need from you guys is a list of animals that would be great assets for a shifting barbarian that are on the surface fairly easy-going but controlled ragey when they get pissed off. The obvious things are wolverine (though they aren't placid), and badger.
As becoming a Shift is not something a player can choose, I've been watching my players to see what best suits them, and yet not hinders them. I have a bard that's going to eventually shift into a magpie. My problem is the barbarian. Since the personality chooses the shape and not the other way around (though no one knows this), one can be a shift of something other than your house totem. My barbarian is of a lesser house, a 4th son who went his own way as he's going to inherit nothing. The house symbol is the bee. I don't plan on any insect shifts at all, so I need something else for him. His personality is pretty calm and even fun until threatened. I was totally thinking euro badger, but my partner (who knows more than anyone else what's really going on cause I ran a lot of the novel's world past him when I was writing it and he's the one who asked me to turn it into a game) thinks it's not appropriate.
What I need from you guys is a list of animals that would be great assets for a shifting barbarian that are on the surface fairly easy-going but controlled ragey when they get pissed off. The obvious things are wolverine (though they aren't placid), and badger.