• Snake's Skin
With this gift a nuwisha can shed a layer of skin in order to slip free of extremely tight bonds and even handcuffs. Once the reason for this ‘shedding’ is complete, she instantly regenerates the lost flesh. This gift may even help a were-coyote avoid being thrown by an opponent. This gift can only be used once per day.
Cost: One essence point.
Dice Pool: Dexterity + Athletics.
Action: Immediate.
Roll Results
Botch: A layer of skin peels away painfully, causing lethal damage equal to the botch level. Ie. -1 botch, 1 lethal damage, -2 botch, 2 lethal damage. The character remains bound despite this shedding, and any further attempts to use the ability before the wounds heal will fail. All essence spent is lost.
Failure: The nuwisha is unable to escape her bonds. All essence spent is lost.
Success: The nuwisha is able to remove the outer layer of flesh and allow her to slip free of any bonds.
•• Many Skins
The nuwisha may take the form of any animal between the sizes of a sparrow and a bison. This is only a disguise and does not allow the nuwisha to do anything she could not normally do, such as fly or breathe underwater. No fantasy animal may be mimicked.
Cost: One essence point.
Dice Pool: Dexterity + Animal Ken.
Action: Immediate.
Roll Results
Botch: The nuwisha finds herself caught in the body of a random animal at storyteller discretion. This lasts for one hour per botch level. Ie. -1 botch, 1 hour, -2 botch, 2 hours, etc. All essence spent is lost.
Failure: The nuwisha fails to take on another form. All essence spent is lost.
Success: The nuwisha is able to take on the chosen form. The gift lasts until the nuwisha changes back to her original form or sleeps.
••• Sheep's Clothing
The nuwisha can take the form and scent of another type of shapeshifter. While this gift is in effect, she may take the appearance of any form common to the type of shifter she is impersonating. Even gifts designed to identify shape-shifters cannot pierce Sheep's Clothing.
Cost: One essence point is spent to activate the gift, as well as whatever additional points may be spent to extend the gift's duration.
Dice Pool: Wits + Subterfuge.
Action: Immediate.
Roll Results
Botch: The nuwisha becomes stuck in her own breed form for a number of hours equal to the botch level. Ie. -1 botch, 1 hour, -2 botch, 2 hours, etc. This gift can then not be used again for the duration of the scene. All essence spent is lost.
Failure: The nuwisha fails to take on another form. All essence spent is lost.
Success: The nuwisha thereafter looks and smells like whatever kind of shifter she chooses.
System
After succeeding, the character manages to change forms. She does not, however, gain any of the special powers of the Breed. A nuwisha impersonating a rokea could assume gladius form, but would gain neither the enhanced strength nor the Sending that the form usually confers. This gift lasts one full day, though the player can extend that duration by spending additional essence (one day per point spent).
•••• Trickster's Skin
Similar to Sheep’s Clothing, the gift allows the nuwisha to "trade skins" with a target. The character takes on the appearance, voice, and scent of the target, while the victim becomes identical to the nuwisha. This gift may be used on any target within the nuwisha's line of sight.
Cost: Two essence points.
Dice Pool: Wits + Subterfuge versus the difficulty of the target's Primal Urge, or Willpower if the target does not posses Primal Urge.
Action: Immediate.
Roll Results
Botch: The target is unaffected, whilst the nuwisha drops to an appearance rating of 0 for one hour per botch level. Ie. -1 botch, 1 hour, -2 botch, 2 hours, etc. This gift cannot be used again until the nuwisha's appearance rating is restored to normal.
Failure: The exchange is unsuccessful. All essence spent are lost.
Success: The exchange is made, and it lasts for one scene.
••••• Coyote's Mask
Experienced nuwisha know that not everyone can take a joke. When things get out of hand, characters with this ability have a way to avoid the consequences of their actions. This gift allows the nuwisha to "die" once while wearing something or someone else's form.
Cost: Three essence points.
Dice Pool: Willpower, at difficulty 8.
Action: Immediate.
Roll Results
Botch: The gift activates automatically, leaving the nuwisha unconscious on the ground in her own breed form, with 7 levels of bashing damage. To try the gift again, the nuwisha must start over from scratch. All essence points are lost.
Failure: The nuwisha retains the disguise she originally took prior to attempting Coyote's Mask, but is aware this gift didn't work. All essence spent is lost.
Success: The gift activates.
System: To invoke this gift a character must first activate Many Skins, Sheep's Clothing, or Trickster's Skin. A full turn must then be spent in concentration. The nuwisha may then spend the necessary essence and make the roll to activate Coyote's Mask.
If successful, the nuwisha may "die" once. If she drops below Incapacitated from lethal or aggravated damage while wearing Coyote's Mask, she immediately appears in breed form not more than 10 meters away, and all that is left of the "corpse" is the skin she was wearing. The nuwisha is healed to whatever level of health she was at before the "killing blow".