(1) Is it supposed to transform the wizards form including his clothes and whatever he is carrying, just the wizard and his clothing, or just the wizard without his clothing. What is meant by the wizards form?
(2) When transformed does the wizard log tests for being a falcon so that he may learn to become a better one? Or does the magical effect not allow for improvement in the basic falcon form no matter what you do while in it? (To test or not to test, that is the question)
(3) Can the same spell formula be used to make up different transformation spells of other small creatures (cat, rat, dog, fish, monkey, non poisonous snake, ect)?
There are no rules, but I’d say no. You can decide whether the spell turns the wizard into a new falcon every time or the same falcon-self (that’s metaphysics of magic!), but the simple problem is that the advancement rules aren’t made for birds. You could easily get to stats that just make no sense for falcons.
Sure! And with a little more adjustment every wizard can be a villainous sorcerer who turns into a 50-foot viper spitting acidic venom at would-be heroes.
(1) Group Vote! Although a cool complication would be to tie it into successes (Ob 4 = just you, Ob 5 = you and clothes, Ob 6 = you and your stuff), or a DoF when you come out of it to see what you have with you in your human form (DoF 1 = naked). After all, you are calling upon the Shaper and the Trickster to make the transformation in the first place.
(2) Too much book keeping, and your point of mages becoming super falcons is well taken. Each transformation is into the standard form. You don’t have to learn to use it, and you can’t improve on it.
(3) I’m pretty sure that the whole Jafar thing would require at least a Majoris effect ! I was thinking more along the lines of small stature, mundane, innocuous creatures like cats, mice, rats, and so forth, each could be useful in its own way, and as each would be a seperate spell, there would still be a price to pay.
I do like the idea of the evil mage transforming into a giant creature for the epic final battle though ! (Thanks !)
The inspiration for the spell was when Ged turned into a sparrowhawk in A Wizard of Earthsea. In that book, he drops everything in the transformation and is naked upon return to his human form. Still, it’s up to your own world as how strict you want to be with it.
In a lot of fiction regarding shape shifting magic, be it by spell, curse, or freak of nature, the inexperianced shifter has to shuck his clothes either prior to transformation or get free in animal form as quickly as possible (Lady Hawk, The Ravening, Wolfman, Hulk, Harry Potter, ect) although that option does tend to cut down on using it as a mode of fast travel (unless you want to have to steal everything you need or want from one town to the next), it is also the one that makes the most sense for the spell facets (unless you dress in animal skins) as clothing would be considered an “Earth” element. (Abstracting “Earth” into it would add +1Ob and +6 Actions), so unless the mage can do the abstraction, he’s doing the naked man!
I wonder what the penalty to Inconspicuous that’s gonna be!
