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Possible official answerer from Devs about shapeshifter IP?

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Frankie the Fomori:
First I am sorry for anyone this annoys, I posted this question over at dumpshock under Naga-nuyen and though there was commits and debate I would like to see if I can get an official answer from Jason and team?

This is the example shifter out of Ghost Cartels. Using this as the example would players also get the IP of 2, and if they do and there an adept does the Improved Reflex power add to this to the Max of four passes? Also would they receive the ability concealment or was this a mistake on this shapshifter?
Thanks for your time and have a good day.

Also Jason and rest of the team, even if you do not have an answer I would like to thank and those that have added to the Shadowrun world over the last 9+ years I was away. It is a fantastic place to game in.



--- Quote ---Shapeshifter (Jaguar)
Shapeshifters are rare paracritters with the unique ability of adopting human form. While in human form, they can wear and use human clothes and gear. In animal form they appear as large Awakened versions of their animal relatives and boast all the innate animal abilities. In the Amazon Jaguar and Monkey shift ers are particularly common.
B A R S C I L W M Ess Init IP
5 7 5 5 2 4 4 5 1 6 9 2
Condition Monitor Boxes: 11
Armor (Ballistic/Impact): 8/5*
Skills: Survival 5, Tracking 6, Unarmed Combat 6 (Natural Weapons +2)
Powers: Concealment, Enhanced Senses (Hearing, low light vision, smell), Natural Weapons, Regeneration
Weapons: Claws [unarmed, Reach 0, DV 4, AP –1]
* Only in human form "Page 169 Ghost Cartels"

Copyright© 2008 WizKids Inc. All Rights Reserved. Shadowrun,
Ghost Cartels, Matrix, and WK Games are registered trademarks
and/or trademarks of WizKids, Inc. in the United States and/or
other countries. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without
the prior permission in writing of the Copyright Owner, nor be otherwise
circulated in any form other than that in which it is published.
Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks
of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Printed in Canada.

--- End quote ---

Critias:
NOT AN OFFICIAL ANSWER:

SERIOUSLY, I'M JUST A FREELANCER AND CAN'T REALLY TALK WITH AN AUTHORITATIVE TONE EVEN IF I WANTED TO:

NO KIDDING, ONLY MY PERSONAL OPINION FOLLOWS:

There's a long and proud history of PC versions of things not necessarily working just like NPC versions of things.  Once you include player character Ghouls, Drakes, Shapeshifters, Free Spirits, AI's, etc, it becomes necessary to either (a) gimp the NPC versions of all of them, to make them match up "balanced" PC versions, or (b) just accept a discrepancy and move on.  The things you need an NPC version of a monster to be able to do, as a character in a given sourcebook/adventure/plot/scene/fight, aren't necessarily the same as what a PC version of a monster should be routinely capable of, in a game that's got vaguely balanced player characters.

Personally?  I'd say the NPC werejag stats have nothing to do with the rules for running Shapeshifter PCs, and call it a day.  If I did automatically give all PC Shapeshifters a second IP (for whatever reason), it wouldn't stack with Adept powers, I'd let them have whichever was better (IE, don't buy the Adept power unless you're getting level II or better).  I wouldn't get hung up on Concealment, either, or allow PCs to take it -- because it seems to me like it's there to just make spooky South American werejaguars particularly scary and characterful.  Not all PC shapeshifters automatically get Survival at 5, Tracking at 6, and Unarmed Combat at 6, either, do they? 

But that's just my take on things.  If you think it'd work in your game, particularly if you feel Shapeshifters need the IP boost to be competitive, go for it!

Frankie the Fomori:
Thank you for your impute sir, I will continue to run them as written in runner's companion till I get a official response....and am not bothered if I never get one :) I just thought I could ask the question because for some shifter's it would make sense that there are subtle differences about them. Also there is the difference between two sources, but like I said before I will take the companion source for the PC till I get any other addition from Catalyst team.

I also understand that they are already a powerful PC  race as written, so either way this shakes out I am happy.

Casazil:
He's a freelancer I'm Demo team member but I'll add my 2 nuyen's worth to this as I understand it the animal form stats only work in animal form and magic / tech only work in humanoid form.

Even if allowed to have adept powers work in animal form you can never have more than 4 passes as is the general rule of SR4 (with the eception of being a hacker which can have 5 but then they do act a the speed of thought)

anotherJack:
About NPC and PC versions of the same critter, wendigowak don't have the "sapience" power in my french SR4A core rulebook. I found it very strange : wendigowak are magicians, and smart enough to push metahumans in cannibalism and disguise themselve to live among metahuman community.
I've always thought they were smarter creatures than the average metahuman, and actually they're just beasts in their NPC version ? even the spirits they summon are smarter than them !

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