Human Characteristics of Animal Shapeshifters

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

I'm currently trying to design a valravn as a magic animal for use as a familiar. Considering one of its powers is turning into a human knight, I'm now wondering how to create the characteristics for the human form.

The easiest way would be to create a plain new set of characteristics typical for a "knight". But then I remembered there are rules for the characteristics of shapeshifters and it might be interesting to apply those. As it turns out, they are weighted heavily towards quickly turning humans (who don't generally have size-modified characteristics) into animals (who do), not the other way around. So should these be ignored for turning animals into humans?

What about the abilities of an animal shapeshifted into human form – should it get the typical abilities for its role (as human shapeshifters get the abilities of their animal form) or should it stick to its natural ones?

(As part of this I realized removing the size-modifiers from an animal's characteristics before applying the shapeshifting rules actually makes for more varied characteristics among shapeshifted forms – well, it only really affects Strength and Quickness, but at least particularly strong/quick humans might still have a stronger impact on their shapeshifted characteristics.)

2

I would leave them with whatever base attributes they has in animal form, before the size modifiers, and without any changes from animal qualities, if you give them those.

3

There are a few possible paths but I'd be inclined to keep the intelligence, pay for it using the pyramid scale after accounting for virtues, then pay the rest of the human stats with the remaining points ad hoc but keeping in mind the animal nature (where i think the animal spent its points towards). Then apply all applicable virtues and flaws, but disregard all animal traits. And consider the shapeshifter to have a local language + child xp in lieu of the abilities the animal shape would have.

4

I kinda like this approach. I think it's also the best way to determine "base values" for animals shifting into other animal forms (i.e. disregard size modifiers of the starting form).