The Shapeshifters of Aetolia

Shapeshifter Mechanics

Shapeshifters are a unique class within Aetolia, and thus have a series of mechanics associated only with this class.

Madness

While in their mutated form, a Shapeshifter will accumulate madness occasionally through critical strikes to denizens. You can keep track of your madness level by adding it to your prompt.

As madness increases, you will notice the following effects:

• Damage to you will increase proportional to your madness.
• Damage from Ferality attacks will be boosted an additional amount.
• Above 70% madness, you will be unable to revert to your regular form.
• At 100% madness, you will fly into an animalistic rage, attacking any player in sight. At this point, only killing another player or dying will reduce your madness.

Madness slowly recedes while you're not mutated. The following things also reduce Madness:

• Eating carrion or denizen corpses (slight reduction)
• Killing players (significant reduction)
• Dying (complete removal)
• Standing in a den(slow removal)

Killing denizens will only remove the state of madness you receive when at 100% madness.

Multiclassing

As mentioned earlier, it is possible to pick up and use the Shapeshifter class with zero investment into it. The class exists outside of the traditional multiclass system, meaning you don't need to have a class slot available to obtain the class.

Furthermore, your primary class (i.e. the class you were in before mutating) will contribute to the skill ranks of your Shapeshifting and Ferality skill. Vocalizing is unaffected by this.

This contribution carries your skill ranks in your primary and secondary class skills over 100%, but will never contribute more than Fabled 36%, i.e. with zero lessons invested into Shapeshifting, if my rank in my primary class skill is Skilled 50%, my Shapeshifting skill will also be Skilled 50%. However if I'm Transcendent, my Shapeshifting skill will only be Fabled 36%.

Full lesson investment is still required to reach Transcendent skillrank.

Factions

There are currently five known Shapeshifter factions, each one representing a different beast form.

The Atabahi Rout are the remnants of the old Atabahi guild. Their beast form is that of the lycanthrope - informally known as werewolves.

The Bahkatu Sleuth are the remnants of the old Bahkatu guild. Their beast form is that of the ursanthrope - informally known as werebears.

The Scrofan Tribe are a clan located in the Ilhavon Forest. Their beast form is that of the apranthrope - informally known as wereboars.

The Kith of Torston have the beast form of an eusuchianthrope - informally known as eusuchian or werecrocs.

The Tsol'aa of Dromse have the beast form of a korakanthrope, or colloquially, a wereraven or werecorvid.

You can join one of these factions at the Packmoot. To find out more information about the Packmoot, please see HELP PACKMOOT.

Changing Shifter Type

If you tire of your current form, you can change which faction you mutate into.

Doing so costs 400 lessons. MUTATE INTO <new shapeshifter type> to begin the process. This will also clear your pelt, but you will be able to choose a new one immediately. Those without the Shapeshifter class will have to go through the usual steps at the Packmoot, or in the case of Wereravens, in Dromse.

Packs

Packs are a unique small group of Shapeshifters. Any shapeshifter can join an established Pack. Packs can include Shapeshifters of any type.

PACK CREATE <pack name> Requires level 80, creates a new pack
PACK INVITE <person> Invites a person to your pack
PACK ACCEPT Accepts joining another person's pack
PT <message> PACK TELLS, a pack channel like webs or clans
PACK RANKINGS Ranks existing packs
PACK QUIT Leave your existing pack