The Shifters - Strengths and Weaknesses

There are a number of things that shifters are strong or weak to, and the following list covers the general idea. However, you are encouraged to give your character his own strengths and weaknesses, separate from this list.

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Strengths

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Dual Forms

Shifters have the features of both their human and their animal form that they can use to their advantage. This includes strength, power, intelligence, knowledge, and ability to blend into a situation, among others. They are in full control of their forms and can easily harness abilities in both. Unlike werecreatures, they are of one mind that is at the same time both fully human and fully animal. There is no war between their humanity and their animal nature. Their abilities and animal instincts are part of them and can be accessed at birth. This can be difficult for some, and may take training and guidance to control some instincts - like chasing someone, or being skittish near predators.

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Magic

While they cannot wield magic like Fae can, shifters were born of magic and it is that sort of energy that fuels their transformation. They have an unlimited amount of this energy, meaning that they can transform at will whenever they like without any ill effects.

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Resistant

Because of their high metabolism and their physical strength, shifters are much less susceptible to human illness. They can be around sick people all day without even catching a cough. They are more susceptible to animal-borne illness, but are rarely affected by human sickness, including serious diseases such as cancer or STD’s. Animal-borne illness, such as rabies and FIV, can still affect them, and many shifters get booster shots to prevent these sicknesses.

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Weaknesses

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Mental Fortitude

Though shifters are physically strong, they generally lack in mental fortitude. It is easier to get into their heads than it is others’. They are usually more open to magic than other species, as that is how they were chosen and created in the first place. Shifters, unfortunately, are targeted by black magic users for spells and attempted mind control, because they are not usually able to fight it.

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Cursed Blood

The blood of vampires and werecreatures is to shifters a sort of poison. While vampires can drink the blood of shifters, shifters cannot ingest vampire or werecreature blood, as it is “cursed” or rather, corrupt. It acts as a sort of burning acid when ingested, and can cause sickness and vomiting.

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Natural Poisons

While shifters are more resistant to human-borne illness, they are weaker to poisons or toxins that originate in nature. There are a wide range of poisonous plants in the wild that can be used in weaponry, and are unable to be healed quickly with the shifter’s Healing Factor. Wounds produced with poison-laced weapons heal at a mortal rate, and can sometimes be serious or even deadly, depending on the poison used and how much was consumed or absorbed.