French rules for metamorphosis

In the French version, the rules for metamorphs changed to varying degrees across editions.

I & II

In the 1st and 2nd edition, the rules worked the same as given in the US rulebook. The traits were organized into five types: head, hands, odor, voice and skin. Like characteristics, these were individually rated from 1–20 and this rating determined its visibility. The transformations were cosmetic and provided no mechanical benefits. 

The basaltic Nephilim had only a single metamorph trait rated from 1–100. This rating was divided by 5 to determine visibility.

Selenim

The Selenim lacked any metamorph, but did have an Imago that served a similar purpose. These rules were much more complicated than the Nephilim’s metamorph.

Instead of traits with ratings that advanced, the Imago had aspects with fixed costs spent to create them. Imago traits were organized into limbs/appendages, torso, face/head and miscellaneous, but each category could have any number of aspects. Unlike metamorphs, aspects had mechanical benefits that the Selenim could physically manifest by spending black moon points. In certain sacred places these aspects could manifest spontaneously at no cost; these places included Moon Plexi, Black Moon Plexi and Black Moon Realms.

The total amount invested in the Imago had various effects: at 100 points it could travel a fair distance from the Selenim and assuage remotely; at 300 points it became stationary but the Selenim’s Core could leave their simulacrum and retire inside the Imago for short periods, as well as survive long enough to possess a new simulacrum if the current one died; at 500 points the Imago collapsed into a magical Realm that the Selenim could sculpt as they pleased.

US version

The emotional metamorphosis rules given in Chronicle of the Awakenings were unique to the US version. These traits provided magical abilities at high ratings. No edition of the French version ever did this except, ironically, for the Selenim’s Imago Aspects.

In Gamemaster’s Companion, Relics were introduced as Nephilim who originally incarnated as magic items. They had simple physical and emotional effects determined by their Dominant Ka, but no traits with ratings.

Altho the planned Selenim supplement was never released before the line was cancelled in 1998, Ian Young’s notes explain that the plan was to combined the French rules for constructing aspects with the US rules for emotional traits. Like Nephilim, Selenim had five Emotional Traits with an associated physical Aspect. Unlike the Nephilim, the Selenim lacked metamorph archetypes and constructed Aspects individually. Each emotional trait reflected an emotion that Selenim preferred to assuage and its Aspect helped them evoke that emotion in their prey.

III

In 3rd edition, the Nephilim’s metamorph traits were identical to prior editions except that the trait range was 1–50 divided into five degrees of competence. They couldn’t use their meta-characteristics by default but had to activate it, but oddly wasn’t linked to their metamorph.

The Selenim’s imago became a sentient familiar created via the occult science of Anamorphosis. Anamorphosis was organized into three circles, with the imago playing a role in the first two. The first circle consisted of three categories: visage, extremities and skin. The second circle likewise consisted of three categories: limbs, torso and miscellaneous appendages. The imago could only have one aspect in each category. Aspects were added by entering a creative trance and using graphic art skills to sympathetically construct the desired aspect. The previous rules for remote assuaging and retiring inside the Imago were removed. At the third circle, the Selenim created their own magical Realm.

Ethereal Selenim were introduced who lacked an Imago. Instead, like basaltic Nephilim, only had a single metamorph-esque trait. This was called the “Dark Shadow” (Ombre Fuligineuse in French) and let the Selenim manifest the victim’s worst nightmare.

The Ar-Kaïm didn’t have a metamorph per se but did display cosmetic “meta-effects” based on the strength of their Ka-elements, such as high Air-Ka agitating the wind or high Orichalka withering nearby plants.

IV 

In 4th edition, the metamorph traits were identical to prior editions except rated from 0–3. However, there were no metamorph archetypes to pick from: each Dominant Ka had multiple thematic transformations that the player could freely select from, with metamorphs from prior editions named as inspirations.

Rules for Selenim and Ar-Kaïm were never provided.

V 

In 5th edition, the metamorph traits were presented very differently from prior editions. Traits weren’t rated individually: instead the entire metamorph advanced along a 10 degree progression. Each degree granted a new trait: some replicated the heads, hands, skin, voice and odor of previous editions while others were new notions like dripping water or an aura of desire (analogous to Ar-Kaïm meta-effects from 3rd edition). Whenever the Nephilim uses his Ka, then the metamorph appears fleetingly.

The Selenim’s occult science of Anamorphosis was discarded and the rules for the Imago were re-adapted straight from the 1st or 2nd edition rules. All the innovations from the 3rd edition were simply ignored.

Rules for Ar-Kaïm were never provided. The metaplot developments explained that the Ar-Kaïm simply vanished as mysteriously as they appeared. 

Taking inspiration?

As I said in a prior post, I use the emotional metamorphosis rules for Nephilim and Selenim while discarding the clunky rules for Selenim spending black moon points to construct aspects. The occult science of Anamorphosis I copied from 3e and decided to split off into its own thing that any immortal could learn. That said, I do think I could use that framework and still take inspiration from the French version. 

I do like the the idea of visibility being affected by environmental circumstances and any uses of Ka. So I would rule that the visibility of metamorphs is influenced by a combination of the trait rating, the astrological modifier, the local magic field strength, whether the nephilim is using Ka and how much, and the sensitivity of the viewer.

I like the idea of environmental manifestations in addition to physical transformations. I would allow those as options for the physical effects of the metamorphs’ emotional traits.

Hope you enjoyed!