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Leliel
2008-04-01, 01:57 PM
You see, my BBEG has this doppleganger henchwoman named Reiko, who has lost a lot of limits into what she can turn into. She can turn into an outsider, an ocelot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocelot), or an ocelot hybrid. Her "signature" ability however, is the "chimera" form: a morph only limited by what she can dream up.

The problem is, her favorite chimera form is her basic human one (a 17-year-old Latino lady with green eyes and red hair), but with ocelot ears and a tail.

Essentially, a shapeshifting catgirl.

So how am I supposed to pull this off without the players losing the ability to take her seriously?

Of course, the ears and tail she gets from the form are not the only thing it grants (she gains retractable claws as well, along with increased agility and the ability to climb things she can get those claws into), and she is a practiced psion, but I don't know how to make her seem like a major threat without getting giggles from my players (though I don't mind a few: She is a furry assassin).

EDIT: Changed her name.

Nohwl
2008-04-01, 02:04 PM
have her kill one of the stronger NPCs the party has met. like if some powerful wizard was giving them orders, or some duke, have them die in one round after trying to fight her.

Reel On, Love
2008-04-01, 02:04 PM
She's a furry. You're out of luck.

That said, just make her hardcore. After someone loses half their HP in the first round, the giggles will probably stop.

kamikasei
2008-04-01, 02:10 PM
Play dramatic Latin chanting every time she enters the scene.

Also, at some point have her licking the back of her hand like a cat cleaning its paws. Give a Spot check or similar to realize that she's licking off a splash of blood, and that she doesn't seem to be injured herself.

SamTheCleric
2008-04-01, 02:10 PM
Herpes make catgirls viable.

Reel On, Love
2008-04-01, 02:11 PM
have her kill one of the stronger NPCs the party has met. like if some powerful wizard was giving them orders, or some duke, have them die in one round after trying to fight her.

No. This is obvious and overdone in all forms of media.

Mewtarthio
2008-04-01, 02:14 PM
Now you see a catgirl--
*snicker*
I'm sorry, is something funny? You think a twisted cat-human chimera is *funny*?! Do you have any idea how much those claws would hurt?!
*guffaw*
Stop mocking me! Here, let me help you get into character! *ka-click!* THIS IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO GET SCRATCHED BY A CATGIRL! *SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!*

----

On a more serious note, if you want your characters to take the villainess seriously, why make her a catgirl in the first place?

senrath
2008-04-01, 02:17 PM
Play dramatic Latin chanting every time she enters the scene.

Also, at some point have her licking the back of her hand like a cat cleaning its paws. Give a Spot check or similar to realize that she's licking off a splash of blood, and that she doesn't seem to be injured herself.

I'd agree with the second idea, but not really the first one unless your group is used to music as part of the game. If they aren't it might end up seeming like a cheap gimmick and detract from the awesome that is this shapeshifter.

Oh, and I'd change her name from Neko. I mean, a catgirl named cat isn't exactly that original :P

Ascension
2008-04-01, 02:29 PM
Your party walks into the BBEG's inner sanctum. The hall has been hewn from living stone, and red crystals glow from the walls, casting everything in an unearthly light. He sits on a high ebony throne, and chained at his feet is a scantily clad woman who appears to possess the ears and tail of some sort of cat. He appears not to notice your entry as he whispers to her, softly stroking her head. She purrs with pleasure as she tears the last of the flesh from the human femur in her grasp.

Suddenly he looks up at the party.

"Oh, visitors... Neko, won't you be a doll and take care of them for me? I have some... business... to attend to."

He loosens her collar and she bounds across the room, her eyes shining with an unsettling bloodlust.

((Make sure the room is small enough for her to charge the lead party member in the surprise round. Fudge the roll so that she hits regardless.))

In a flash, she is at ((victim))'s side. She lashes out with her claws, leaving a row of deep gashes in ((victim))'s cheek. She pauses for just a second to taste ((victim))'s blood on her hands. She grins widely and bares her teeth.

Meanwhile, the BBEG 'ports out of the room.

Roll for initiative.

Saph
2008-04-01, 02:29 PM
Also, at some point have her licking the back of her hand like a cat cleaning its paws. Give a Spot check or similar to realize that she's licking off a splash of blood, and that she doesn't seem to be injured herself.

I think your best chance is to play up the cuteness angle. Don't try to make your catgirl intimidating, make her look as cute and fluffy as possible. Have her curled up and purring, and have her watch the PCs with big eyes as they approach. (If your group is anything like mine, as soon as the GM starts telling them a creature is cute and totally harmless, their reaction will be to yell and run away.) Then have her rip them to bits. If it's possible for them to run into her later, give them a Spot check to realise that this time it's their blood she's licking off her paws. After that, they definitely won't be laughing.

. . . but yes, change the name. Any of your players who watch anime, read manga, or even hang out on gamery message boards will know what 'neko' means. :)

- Saph

Leliel
2008-04-01, 02:29 PM
----

On a more serious note, if you want your characters to take the villainess seriously, why make her a catgirl in the first place?

Well, originally she was just a doppleganger with the Alchemical Feats I found in a netbook on dopplegangers, but when I created her Chimera form, the only image that popped into mind was well, a catgirl. I didn't realize it until later though. And really, I did mean for the antics of the Artemean Dukes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/QuirkyMinibossSquad), of which she is a member, to be somwhat in the "comic relief" zone when you're not running from/fighting them.

And yes, I would have named her something other then Neko, but given her culture's name tradition (Dread dopplegangers like her use the first and last syllables of their name before their powers awoke to make their new one), "Neko" was the only one that fit (It was originally Nelina Korima, in case you were wondering).

Nermy
2008-04-01, 02:34 PM
Maybe give her some Catfolk henchmen (preferably fighters, barbarians, or other "tough" classes) so she seems less out of place? Try to keep descriptions of her to a minimum so the PCs don't focus on her appearance?

Honestly though, I think even if you have her TPK the party in the most sadistic manner you can think of they'll be laughing all the way to -10 hp.

CthulhuM
2008-04-01, 02:37 PM
What level psion is she? Honestly, a powerful psion shouldn't have any trouble seeming threatening, regardless of their appearance. In fact, it might make her even more intimidating if the PCs initially assume she's a pushover, only to have her break out a split-rayed psionic disintegrate in the first round of combat (or maybe just on the surrounding environment if the party isn't actually fighting her). Other potentially impressive powers are death urge, telekinetic maneuver and psychic crush.

Aquillion
2008-04-01, 02:48 PM
And yes, I would have named her something other then Neko, but given her culture's name tradition (Dread dopplegangers like her use the first and last syllables of their name before their powers awoke to make their new one), "Neko" was the only one that fit (It was originally Nelina Korima, in case you were wondering).So change the original name. Or change the culture's tradition. Or make her an exception. Or change her into a zombie velociraptor. You're the DM, you don't need to worry about things like that unless the players already know about them.

If you want her to have a silly name, say so. But there's no point in using your setting or background as an excuse when you designed both.

kamikasei
2008-04-01, 02:51 PM
I'd agree with the second idea, but not really the first one unless your group is used to music as part of the game. If they aren't it might end up seeming like a cheap gimmick and detract from the awesome that is this shapeshifter.

*blinks*

Wait, you mean this wasn't an April Fool's?

Oh, okay, nix the music in that case. But stay with the licking.

Also, if the party ever uses any sort of illusion or disguise, you could play up the cat-senses angle. Have her talking to them for some reason and frequently looking at those who aren't as they seem with amusement, as if she can see through their disguise. Make it unsettling, describing her body language and expressions as completely independent of the conversation. Half the time she's looking at empty spaces the way she was at the party, suggesting to the players that there's something invisible there that they can't detect themselves, and that she finds it a great joke.

edit: also, shouldn't "Nelina Korima" become "Nema"?

Person_Man
2008-04-01, 02:55 PM
Great, now I want a pet ocelot, (preferably one that kills people). That picture one Wikipedia is just too cute to resist.

Leliel
2008-04-01, 02:55 PM
Aquillion, what I meant is that "Neko" is the only two-syllable name that sounds good and has a pronounceable root.

Although..."Kako" (Katrina Korima) sounds OK, and has a pronounceable root, and has feline connentations...I'll keep that as a reserve...

Nerd-o-rama
2008-04-01, 03:23 PM
Great, now I want a pet ocelot, (preferably one that kills people). That picture one Wikipedia is just too cute to resist.No kidding. I've wanted one for about a decade.

Also, I haven't watched Outlaw Star, but the catgirl from that sounds pretty intimidating, in a heroic way. I think her species was the local equivalent of Klingons.

There's plenty of other two-syllable names. Like...pick any two syllables, seriously.

an kobold
2008-04-01, 03:32 PM
Do they know she's a minion of the BBEG? Cause if not, change her name to
Kamineko, have her out looking innocent enough of the road, and when the PCs get close/offer the shake her hand, have her shapeshift into an outsider and go OM NOM NOM.

Leliel
2008-04-01, 03:39 PM
edit: also, shouldn't "Nelina Korima" become "Nema"?

Sorry, I misspoke. The first syllables of both names, fore- and sur-

Reptilius
2008-04-01, 03:44 PM
If she's really a doppelganger, there should be a reason why she can't change to more varied shapes. If there is an IC reason, can you elaborate? Would she be bitter about her limited amount of shapes? If so, that could give her motivation to do anything. Either:

a) If something is in between her and something that could restore her powers, she would probably not hesitate to kill for it, which may also take priority over the BBEG's wishes.

b) She may take out her anger on the unwary, making her violent and unpredictable (always funny).

What discipline of psion is she? She may work better as a psychic warrior.

Mewtarthio
2008-04-01, 04:24 PM
Also, I haven't watched Outlaw Star, but the catgirl from that sounds pretty intimidating, in a heroic way. I think her species was the local equivalent of Klingons.

She's more like an overzealous comic relief character. She's something along the lines of a Klingon werewolf, except everyone thinks she's incompotent and she spends most of her time being humiliated.


There's plenty of other two-syllable names. Like...pick any two syllables, seriously.

Yeah. Really, just go to the RinkWorks random name generator (http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/) and type "cvcv" into the template, and you'll get better names than that. That amounts to stringing random letters together, by the way.

Pronounceable
2008-04-01, 04:30 PM
An über doppelganger can have much better shapes than a "catgirl". Just WTF is it with the damn catgirls anyway? What sort of self respecting BBEG would employ a catgirl? Stupid catgirls...

That aside, give her a cute pet on first appearence. Something small and fluffy named something like Mr Twinky the 852nd. Have her cutely fool around with it for a while (phrases like "We're looking great today Mr Twinky the 852nd!", "You're a cutie, aren't you? YES YOU ARE!", "Who's mummy dearie?", "Isn't he pretty?" and general girly adoration mumblings are appropriate). After a long and boring interval of insufferable cuteness, get half of the fluffy thing devoured with a bite. Get her to eat the rest of it after it stops wiggling.

Get to the licking after that.


Of course, next time she'll have something small and fluffy she calls Mr Twinky the 853rd. Alternately, her lair can be discovered to contain dozens of fluffy cute things locked in cages with labels Mr Twinky the 8xxth on them.


EDIT: Just to make a point: Straight 1d6 per 10 feet falling damage is unrealistic. Damage should increase geometrically with distance fallen.

Xuincherguixe
2008-04-01, 04:39 PM
Instead of making her seem like a threat, let them think she's just going to be a total pushover. Maybe even really play it up and have her kind of pathetically beg them to just go away and leave her alone. And that she'd get in trouble if she just let them past or whatever it is she's supposed to do.

If they insist she starts giggling, "I had hoped you were going to say that. I was a little worried for a sec there that you might have bought the act. Yeah I know, it doesn't make sense but it's fun to play with your food a bit you know?"

If they're a jerk (less likely, "Well you people are just mean aren't you! Think you can go around picking on people hmm? What's about to happen will be very entertaining!"

Really play up the bubbly psychopath thing. Have her lick the blood off her claws, mention how her tail starts twitching excitedly whenever she's about to attack. Go completely over the edge.

And it goes without saying to give her a CR well over a normal encounter. Maybe even REALLY above a normal encounter, in order to have the party try and play against her weaknesses.

Think, "what would Belkar do if he was a catgirl", and that will probably get you on the right track. About the right level of disturbing too.

Azerian Kelimon
2008-04-01, 04:39 PM
I'm going to give you ultimate advice:

You have seen the advice on Ominous latin choir, right? Well, one up it. Play something REALLY heavy whenever she's going to go medieval on someone. I'm not talking Classical music, that's going to inspire laughs. More like Cowboys from Hell, Master of Puppets, Hells Bells, or, especially, Killing in the name of (Avoid Cult of Personality, though. While it's amazing on normal villains, it'll seem ironic on a catgirl). If something like that is playing while she shreds your players with crystal shard and her constructs rip their innards in a grotesque fashion that would make Call of Cthulhu tame, they'll be very scared when they see a catgirl, as pounding drums and insane guitars shred the normal half-silence of an RPG table.

And avoid This kind of pics (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Image:1128559207_catgirl_849.png). The "Awwwwwww!"'s will cause diabetes.

Nerd-o-rama
2008-04-01, 04:40 PM
She's more like an overzealous comic relief character. She's something along the lines of a Klingon werewolf, except everyone thinks she's incompotent and she spends most of her time being humiliated.
And this is different from Lt. Worf in what way?

Mewtarthio
2008-04-01, 04:44 PM
An über doppelganger can have much better shapes than a "catgirl". Just WTF is it with the damn catgirls anyway? What sort of self respecting BBEG would employ a catgirl? Stupid catgirls...

Actually, cute things can be the creepiest of all when played right.

Hecore
2008-04-01, 04:49 PM
I would try to go with something like Harlequin from Batman. This solves a lot of your issues, including why she likes the form of a catgirl (I.E. She's nuts).

Azerian Kelimon
2008-04-01, 04:57 PM
Or better yet, a mix of her and Harle from Chrono Cross. She's so funny and cute you never remember she's a mindless drone who has burned down an orphanage (And a few kids in it too, likely), probably killed Lucca from Chrono Trigger and almost annihilated humanity. The mix of her dialogue insanity and cheesy frenchish accent pwn.

DementedFellow
2008-04-01, 05:28 PM
If you want to give her a harder edge. Look up Pixie from Monster Rancher. She doesn't look like a catgirl, but has a demonic vibe going. She also doesn't screw around.

Here (http://www.legendcup.com/images/wallpaper/mranime_pixie1.jpg) is a pic of her.

Nonanonymous
2008-04-01, 05:40 PM
Now you see a catgirl--
*snicker*
I'm sorry, is something funny? You think a twisted cat-human chimera is *funny*?! Do you have any idea how much those claws would hurt?!
*guffaw*
Stop mocking me! Here, let me help you get into character! *ka-click!* THIS IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO GET SCRATCHED BY A CATGIRL! *SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!*

----

On a more serious note, if you want your characters to take the villainess seriously, why make her a catgirl in the first place?

Indeed. A centipede woman would be much better.

Tengu
2008-04-01, 05:41 PM
Alternatively, you could go for the "creepy psion route" - make her levitate around limp-bodied, with closed eyes, evading blows thrown at her by twisting herself in weird ways, throwing crushing powers left and right and speaking as little as possible in a voice that's quiet and emotionless but with signs of insane, twisted personality underneath.

I don't know if that's scarier or more fitting the character than the bubbly psychopath idea, but I hope it helps.

Bag_of_Holding
2008-04-01, 05:46 PM
It's a catgirl-doppelganger that can change shape into an outsider! Seeing how a normal doppelganger can only change shape into a small/medium humanoid, it's a great option for a MBEG (Minor Bad Evil Girl)! Although due to the nature of Change Shape supernatural ability, you won't get any natural armour or anything fancy, you'll still be able to turn into a trumpet archon or something like that for some nasty fly speed etc.

To make her seem like a viable threat, let the PCs encounter a few catfolk NPCs and make them rather weak. That will let them get used to the idea of incorporating furries into the game. After that, use her as what she's meant to be- a furry assassin. Kill off some important NPCs and let PCs take the blame. If they (the PCs) decide to cooperate with the authority then disguise her as a private investigator or anyone the PCs will need to 'work together' to get out of the situation; if they decide to run away and prove their innocence in their own way, then make her seem like a DMPC that tries to 'railroad' the plot. Using her mastery of psionic art, it should be easy to create some mysterious atmosphere (such as when everyone else can't see her except the PCs, using Mass Cloud Mind) and make them take her seriously... eventually, that is. Let them get close to the truth that will lead them to the real BBEG, but let the furry 'betray' the party and fight 'em.

Or, you could just make her a recurring villain who happens to be a comic relief, too. Get a few Mind Thrust into their unsuspecting mind when they're least expecting it (you can do it with some concentration check to hide the obvious tell-tale signs of manifestion) etc etc. Sounds like a fun idea to me.


p.s. Yeah, if you decided that the NPC will be a furry (or one that likes to be a furry) then you're kind of contradicting yourself by trying to make it a serious threat. It'd work if it was 'normal' for all races to be a furry, but a furry villain in a world filled with furless people? Nah :smallamused:

Azerian Kelimon
2008-04-01, 05:47 PM
I insist on Killing in the Name of, personally. Fluff her turns so that she's bouncing around the walls even if mechanically she's just standing there, make a storm of blades a gigantic crystal that throws armor piercing shards, and show how she is a demented psychopath who has entered self enslavement, willing to do anything for her master, no matter how many lives have to be broken, how many souls scarred, and how many minds shredded into insanity. Basically, show how she's much more dangerous than many pit fiends, because she is a zealot, willing to indulge in carnage and devastation when commanded to do so.

I think the "Wierd spirit possesed" version wouldn't work, since it's too cliché and a bit more fit for Binders.

senrath
2008-04-01, 07:59 PM
Or you could go with completely emotionless. Everything about her seems "normal" save for the fact that she has no emotions. Or you could make her the equivalent of a creepy child (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CreepyChild).

TheThan
2008-04-01, 08:17 PM
No kidding. I've wanted one for about a decade.

Also, I haven't watched Outlaw Star, but the catgirl from that sounds pretty intimidating, in a heroic way. I think her species was the local equivalent of Klingons.

There's plenty of other two-syllable names. Like...pick any two syllables, seriously.

IIRC she was indestructible. I mean, Gene shot her with a caster and all it did was singe her hair...

Waffles
2008-04-01, 08:37 PM
Well, first you need to name her something besides "Neko", for God's sake.

Pick a language, any language, and make a amalgam of "cat" and "girl" out of it. Name her that.

Azerian Kelimon
2008-04-01, 08:38 PM
Or do the classic and think up a suitably epic name using anything you can remember to craft it. Yes, even verbs and adjectives,

sonofzeal
2008-04-01, 08:42 PM
It's all in how you play it. Flash from Chrono Trigger was headed in this direction - silly and girly, but it's very clear that it's purely an affectation and that she's perfectly capable of assuming any number of other forms and merely chooses that one because it amuses her. That takes most of the silliness out of the catgirl theme - suddenly you're not fighting a catgirl, but some immensely powerful shapechanger who's chosen a very deceptive form. Season with "creepy" to taste. This generally involves making her malicious, and presenting a skewed emotional front. For example, have the PCs find the body of some random low-level NPC they met, who was tortured to death with claw marks all over, skin peeled back, the works. Then have the catgirl giggle. That should just about do it.

Collin152
2008-04-01, 08:52 PM
Anybody familiar with City of Heroes?
Bobcat from that game/comics pulls this off adequetley. See what she's doing right.

Waffles
2008-04-01, 09:20 PM
It's all in how you play it.


I beg to differ, sir. The horrible terrible name plays a massive large part of in it.

People hear "Neko, come!" and all these (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=neko&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2) things pop into their heads. After this point, you cannot salvage the image of this character, even if you have her chew her way out of Gandalf/Elminster's innards.

sonofzeal
2008-04-01, 09:35 PM
People hear "Neko, come!" and all these (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=neko&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2) things pop into their heads. After this point, you cannot salvage the image of this character, even if you have her chew her way out of Gandalf/Elminster's innards.
Well, granted. The name is indeed an issue here, but the OP is already aware of that, and I believe they were considering "Kako" instead. But yes, this villain works much better when shown solo - any time you have one villain submitting to another, the submitting one becomes substantially less scary.

Azerian Kelimon
2008-04-01, 09:38 PM
Not always. The Dragon who is a sadistic bastard and brutal zealot can be FAR more scary than the indifferent and uncaring boss, for example.

Ascension
2008-04-01, 09:39 PM
any time you have one villain submitting to another, the submitting one becomes substantially less scary.

Unless they're submitting to Emperor Palpatine. Vader and Maul were so badass you just got left wondering, "Why haven't they knocked off the old man and taken over yet?"

sonofzeal
2008-04-01, 09:56 PM
Not always. The Dragon who is a sadistic bastard and brutal zealot can be FAR more scary than the indifferent and uncaring boss, for example.


Unless they're submitting to Emperor Palpatine. Vader and Maul were so badass you just got left wondering, "Why haven't they knocked off the old man and taken over yet?"
Granted. I overgeneralized there; it can be done, and it can be done very well. But "XYZ, come!" is not really the way to handle it, imo. That's just demeaning.

DrowVampyre
2008-04-01, 11:21 PM
Catgirl psion who you want to be threatening? Best advice I can give - watch some Elfen Lied (ok, ok, they're not really catgirls, but the horns look like cat ears!) You can probably find clips, at least, on Youtube. Modeling her on Lucy (Nyuu's "evil" self) should work well...

Prometheus
2008-04-01, 11:32 PM
Gogo Yubari (http://www.morethings.com/fan/kill_bill/gogo_yubari_photo_gallery01.htm) from Kill Bill Volume I seems like the perfect basis for the character. She is completely psychopathic, but always dresses as a school girl. If you haven't seen it, see it. But if you don't mind the spoiler, the link takes you through pictures and words describing her sequence in the movie.

Stycotl
2008-04-02, 12:07 AM
while i like shifters, i hate manga crap. i really don't understand the whole anime anthropomorphic fad. it drives me crazy. so if you want to get away from those pink, cuddly, scantily clad manga girls with tails, give her the personality, history, warrior code, and so on of the rakasta, or of the white wolf khan or werewolves. make her feral. then get a picture of her to illustrate to the pc's. choose one of the khan in their warform, or one of the better pictures of feral from marvel comics or something, with blood flying as she rips the intestines right out of someone.

that's what i would do.

aaron out.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-04-02, 12:34 AM
while i like shifters, i hate manga crap. i really don't understand the whole anime anthropomorphic fad. it drives me crazy. That's a bit unnecessarily flamy, isn't it? Calm down, and realize that you post on a board with other people who's opinions run the gamut, so please keep it civil.

Mewtarthio
2008-04-02, 12:46 AM
But yes, this villain works much better when shown solo - any time you have one villain submitting to another, the submitting one becomes substantially less scary.

Actually, submission can be even scarier. Picture her being freakishly devoted the Big Bad. You could either have her so subservient that she'd actually be happy if he killed her once she'd outlived her usefulness ("You are the darkness in which all life dies, milord... and my life exists to feed your power. I beg you, please let me die."), or you could have her love him (unrequited) in a twisted sense--bonus points if he knows about it and actively uses it to manipulate her, triple bonus points if she knows he's manipulating her and doesn't expect him to ever requite her love. Regardless, the PCs know that she can't be bribed or reasoned with: If master wants them dead, then they will die!

Jayngfet
2008-04-02, 12:58 AM
man this takes me back, first homebrew, a race of catgirls...



make everyone terrified of the thought of her

Randel
2008-04-02, 01:17 AM
Well, first off she is a doppleganger (or something similar) so feel free to add in quirks to her appearance to make it known that this isn't a 'catgirl' or 'were-ocelot' that they are dealing with. Its a shapeless assasin who has chosen a shape that combines claws and teeth with bipedal movement and opposable thumbs.


Possible shapeshifter tricks:

1. Show her first in a beast-mode form that she uses for fast movement or camoflage. She seems just like any other animal except intelligent and capable of speech.

2. While she can become a chimera fusing her ocelot and humanoid form, her 'girl' form is just her favorite shape. If she's looking for speed then she could easily shift into a pasty white humanoid blob with lidless eyes, sharp teeth and claws. Only when she feels like having a discussion does she add eyebrows, ears and lips to her features.

3. If she can change shape and color, she could probably change herself to look like a statue, or lay on the ground and blend in with the grass, or turn herself into a bark-skinned feature on a tree. When suddenly the oddly-shaped pile of leaves rustles and a humanoid chunk of it sprouts claws and teeth and starts blasting them with psionic powers, are they going to laugh when it grows a slightly feminine face when it feels like talking?

4. If she can become an outsider, let them see her first as a demonic entity like a succubus with sharp claws, fangs and horns. Then let her wave her hand and look like a cute little kitty-girl with claws, teeth, and cat ears. Sure they can call her a cat-girl, but they know that this is just the form she uses to avoid scaring people while retaining her claws.

5. If her latino girl form is just her favorite, let her change into a burly male tiger form if she feels the need to get some attention.


Or...

6. give her or a partner the ability to cast Baleful Polymorph. The first time she turns someone into a mouse or bird makes the cat part less cute and more dangerous. Turn victim into a mouse, catgirl grabs it up, now its a hostage situation.

Also... (http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Catgirl)

Tengu
2008-04-02, 02:45 AM
Catgirl psion who you want to be threatening? Best advice I can give - watch some Elfen Lied (ok, ok, they're not really catgirls, but the horns look like cat ears!) You can probably find clips, at least, on Youtube. Modeling her on Lucy (Nyuu's "evil" self) should work well...

Damn, why haven't I thought of that? Best advice ever.

Fishy
2008-04-02, 05:41 AM
She's a doppelganger and a psion, so she has some degree of control over her body and personality, depending on how those work in your setting. Maybe the catgirl thing is an act.

The first time we see her, she's a mook on a team of the BBEG's goons. Someone else is leading the squad, she's just a giggly, meowing frontline fighter who tries to remove the tank's face with her claws. As the rest of the team falls around her, she starts to change. The meowing and growling stops, her voice falls from a high-pitched giggle to an emotionless gender-neutral monotone (Telepathy?), and she abandons physical attacks for Mind Thrusts and Telekinesis. If the battle goes poorly for her, she'll just Levitate away in as straight a line as possible. (Ala Nathan Petrelli from Heroes)

The next time we see her, she's curled up at the BBEG's feet, purring and rubbing against his furniture- until the party arrives and she stops. And. Stares. He gives his speech, teleports away, and she instantly switches into Serious Mode: no banter, no cuteness.

Repeat as necessary, until she finally snaps and uses her mind thrusts where the BBEG can see- and the party will *know* they've pissed her off.

Aquillion
2008-04-02, 08:45 AM
Aquillion, what I meant is that "Neko" is the only two-syllable name that sounds good and has a pronounceable root.

Although..."Kako" (Katrina Korima) sounds OK, and has a pronounceable root, and has feline connentations...I'll keep that as a reserve...What about Jonathan Joestar? You could call her JoJo.

elliott20
2008-04-02, 11:41 AM
Is the whole "cute, bubbly, anthropamorphic" cat thing a necessity here? Becuase remember, when you take what is essentially a human (one that is not necessarily attractive, mind you), and tweak them in ways that just makes them look... unnatural, you get instant creepy.

Don't believe me? Here's proof:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/images/tv/obsessions/full_denis_avner1.jpg

That's a man in that pic. But quite honestly, it could be a woman for all your players know.

Trog
2008-04-02, 11:49 AM
Make her regenerate 30 hp a round. They'll stop laughing in a hurry by the end of a combat (assuming they live). :smallamused:

Collin152
2008-04-02, 02:39 PM
Make her regenerate 30 hp a round. They'll stop laughing in a hurry by the end of a combat (assuming they live). :smallamused:

Do the dead typically laugh?

Glyde
2008-04-02, 04:02 PM
She's a doppelganger and a psion, so she has some degree of control over her body and personality, depending on how those work in your setting. Maybe the catgirl thing is an act.

The first time we see her, she's a mook on a team of the BBEG's goons. Someone else is leading the squad, she's just a giggly, meowing frontline fighter who tries to remove the tank's face with her claws. As the rest of the team falls around her, she starts to change. The meowing and growling stops, her voice falls from a high-pitched giggle to an emotionless gender-neutral monotone (Telepathy?), and she abandons physical attacks for Mind Thrusts and Telekinesis. If the battle goes poorly for her, she'll just Levitate away in as straight a line as possible. (Ala Nathan Petrelli from Heroes)

The next time we see her, she's curled up at the BBEG's feet, purring and rubbing against his furniture- until the party arrives and she stops. And. Stares. He gives his speech, teleports away, and she instantly switches into Serious Mode: no banter, no cuteness.

Repeat as necessary, until she finally snaps and uses her mind thrusts where the BBEG can see- and the party will *know* they've pissed her off.



That's amazing. I'm assuming this suggestion hints that the BBEG doesn't know she's a psionic? That'd be kickass. <3

Leliel
2008-04-02, 04:39 PM
Well, first off she is a doppleganger (or something similar) so feel free to add in quirks to her appearance to make it known that this isn't a 'catgirl' or 'were-ocelot' that they are dealing with. Its a shapeless assasin who has chosen a shape that combines claws and teeth with bipedal movement and opposable thumbs.

Sure.

Possible shapeshifter tricks:

1. Show her first in a beast-mode form that she uses for fast movement or camoflage. She seems just like any other animal except intelligent and capable of speech.

Yeah, good.

2. While she can become a chimera fusing her ocelot and humanoid form, her 'girl' form is just her favorite shape. If she's looking for speed then she could easily shift into a pasty white humanoid blob with lidless eyes, sharp teeth and claws. Only when she feels like having a discussion does she add eyebrows, ears and lips to her features.

That would be fine, but not from an RP point of veiw. You see, like most dread dopplegangers, she actually dosen't enjoy being ugly, horrifying, or alien, due to the fact that she has a human standard of beauty. That's partially why she likes the "cat girl" chimera form: It combines both the beautiful aspects of a beast-the occelot-and her human form. Vain, certainly, but understandable.

3. If she can change shape and color, she could probably change herself to look like a statue, or lay on the ground and blend in with the grass, or turn herself into a bark-skinned feature on a tree. When suddenly the oddly-shaped pile of leaves rustles and a humanoid chunk of it sprouts claws and teeth and starts blasting them with psionic powers, are they going to laugh when it grows a slightly feminine face when it feels like talking?

Yep.


4. If she can become an outsider, let them see her first as a demonic entity like a succubus with sharp claws, fangs and horns. Then let her wave her hand and look like a cute little kitty-girl with claws, teeth, and cat ears. Sure they can call her a cat-girl, but they know that this is just the form she uses to avoid scaring people while retaining her claws.

Good.

5. If her latino girl form is just her favorite, let her change into a burly male tiger form if she feels the need to get some attention.

Hey, you know that the females are as strong as the males? But still, good idea.


Or...

6. give her or a partner the ability to cast Baleful Polymorph. The first time she turns someone into a mouse or bird makes the cat part less cute and more dangerous. Turn victim into a mouse, catgirl grabs it up, now its a hostage situation.

That's a good idea.

Also... (http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Catgirl)

LOL.

Also, as of this writing, I have decided to change her name to "Reiko": More oringinality that way.

Aquillion
2008-04-02, 06:53 PM
LOL.

Also, as of this writing, I have decided to change her name to "Reiko": More oringinality that way.That doesn't sound like a very Latino name to me...

Mewtarthio
2008-04-02, 07:40 PM
"Latino" is just a description. On Earth, she'd blend in perfectly in, say, El Salvador (except for the cat features).

At least, I'm assuming he doesn't mean she's from, say, Latin Xen'drik or something.

hamishspence
2008-04-03, 11:48 AM
Hmm, werecats (of various sizes) could be scary. Saber-toothed cat from Frostburn, used as the were-beast base template, could pack a punch.

Beware the dreaded Saber Toothed Catgirl!

For fiction, Mercedes Lackey's Mornelithe Falconsbane from the Mage Winds trilogy is evil, scary, both handsome and creepy. Great villain.

His daughter Nyara is an interesting catgirl heroine.

Neither were born like that: Mornelithe used a lot of magic to transform himself, and later, his daughter.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-04-03, 12:40 PM
Neither were born like that: Mornelithe used a lot of magic to transform himself, and later, his daughter.His daughter was transformed first. He used her as the prototype, and went further in his modifications of her than he did of himself. He was more refined, she was more feral, both in appearance and in personality. 'Course, he was a sadistic psychopath, but he acted more like a gentleman.

hamishspence
2008-04-03, 02:01 PM
"If she resembled a cat. Mornelithe Falconsbane was a feline, one that stood upon two legs, and walked, and talked, but there his connection with humanity ended" p246, Winds of Fate

It's possible that some of the changes he made to Nyara were later applied to himself wholesale. He certainly tested his psychological torments on Nyara before refining them and using them on Starblade.

Concerning sabre toothed catgirls, Star Wars Tales comic book series includes one occasion where Villie the Devaronian has a passenger aboard, looks like a furry woman with a tail, and when stressed, in this case because of being in hyperspace, she transforms into a vicious sabre toothed feline which chases him around the ship ("Heeere Villie Villie Villie!") until lured into the escape pod, which is ejected then towed, where she remains for the duration of the trip.

hamishspence
2008-04-03, 02:05 PM
as for gentlemanliness, she has never torn a person apart with her claws. Throughout book 2 Falconsbane is far more feral than she was in book one, and the only scene of her being unusually feral is the flashback scene to her eating Starblade's bondbird.