I thought that I read in a published material, that while shapeshifting (through spells at least), the target does not get the animal skills (because magic does not grant knowledge and skills) but uses instead Athletics, Brawl, Hunt and such.
Am I mistaken, if not, can somebody recall the reference ?
HoH:MC p.23
Use the General Abilities of the animal form. None of the human General Abilities can be accessed other than languages (which can still be understood) and lores. Arcane and Academic Abilities are available to the shapechanger if he retains Intelligence. Supernatural Abilities can always be used.
It is exactly the opposite of what I am asking. I am aware of this rule.
I thought I read somewhere else about the use of human skills when turning into animal.
There might be some special case somewhere with special rules, but the rules callen pointed you at (HoH:MC p23) are the general rules for characteristics and skills and such when shapeshifted.
The quote I provided specifically addresses the use of human skills when turning into an animal. If this isn't answering what you wanted to ask, you might edit the OP and this reply so we know what you want.
Did somebody remember reading in a published material that human skills like Brawl, Athletics and Hunting were used when one was turned into an animal?
I have the impression that I read that somewhere, which obviously would contradict what you quoted from HoM:MC.
I've never read anything like that.
I don't recall any such rule overruling what is in the Bjornaer section either. I might vaguely recall something about getting used to a new form, and I couldn't quote the details. And I'm not sure it's more than a conditional, vague statement that isn't left to storyteller discretion, if it exists at all.
You are referring to comments made in the core book. And you are correct that they are vague statements left to the storyteller.
EDIT: It is not specifically about skills, but use of the new form.
I will settle with that. My mind must have recorded that and I stuck with it longer than I should, although it still bugs me that by turning into another form a magi acquire skills... Suddenly he knows how to hunt, how to track and how to fight, things he never did in his life.
Same. Especially since my initial reading of the core book gave me the impression that the use of such skills was one of the things that differentiated the heartbeast from mere shape changing magic.
Its probably to cover the fact that in an animal form its easier to hunt, track and fight, esp if you have better smell, hearing and claws. Think of it less of acquiring new skills as now maybe being better than you were at them as a human..(mechanically ingame represented as gaining some skill)
That should be covered by the characteristics and the qualities of the animal - those are physical attributes that when shape-changing the target inherit.
The shape-changer has better tools, but I find no reason why suddenly he would have better skills.
You realize that many of those Abilities are granted by the Qualities, right? The only ones that aren't are the ones that are inherent to all similar animals.
This.
All animals have basic Skills that are inherent to them, and their Mundane Qualities might grant them better ranks, or add new Skills. Those are inherent to the animal, and therefore, when you assume that form, you gain them.