Dominion Founder (changeling) template

Because you need one to play a Changeling, or to make a Founder foe to complement those Vortas and Jem'Hadars, here it is. Maybe someone would like to provide a quick descriptive writeup? ;)

Species Modifiers: +2 Str, +1 Agl, -2 Pre, +1 Int. They are shy by nature and don't relate well with other species, but they make up for those limitations with physical and intellectual abilities.

Preferred professions: Diplomat, ironically due to their shyness, they usually must make political decisions to run their Dominion, and relate with many people they wouldn't want to. Some are Scientists, but as the Founders are actually a whole entity, they behave into a 'profession' only when they leave the Great Link as 'individuals'. If they are rogue changelings, or part of 'the Hundred' sent to investigate the Galaxy, they may choose any profession, being in a clean state, with no known origins to guide themselves.

Species abilities:

Underling Persuasion: Having big armies of genetically-enhanced soldiers and commanders, devoted to you, has a benefit. All Persuade, Influence and Inquire rolls against Jem'Hadars and Vortas have a +10 bonus (two entire difficulty levels). If they use these skills against any subjected species member of the Dominion, the Founder may add his/her/its Renown modifier automatically.

Bonus edges: Eidetic Memory, Meticulous. Collective memory and infinite patience are some of the luxuries this species has.

Compulsive Flaws: Arrogant, Intollerance (Solids). They are Gods. Or so they think.

Shapeshifting: They most widely known skill, shapeshifting comes from their unusual physiology. They can change shapes to anything, inanimate or alive, depending of their individual prowess. Usually, those who belong to the Great Link do it better. Treat this ability as a Skill, called Shapeshifting, dependent of Agility, and with a level of 1.
TN 5: Simple inanimate shapes (rocks, etc)
TN 10: Complex inanimate shapes (a glass sculpture)
TN 15: Simple lifeforms or operative (electronic) inanimate objects (a rat, a tricorder)
TN 20: Very complex inanimate shapes or complex lifeforms (gaseous manifestations, simple humanoids, like their standard 'founder' shape)
TN 25: A determinate humanoid (looking like Miles O'Brien or General Martok, and acting like them)

This skill gains a special affinity (+2) from the Impersonate skill when it comes to representing a humanoid.
The skill will gain an affinity from Observe when it comes to analize the physical and personal characteristics of the object to mimic. In these cases, the skill shall be used with Intellect.

Their status has its drawbacks. They must rest once every 16 hours, for a 1-hour period, or they will be 'tired' and lose cohesion. For each half hour without rest, substract 1 point of Strength. When it reaches 0, substract from Vitality. When this reaches 0, the changeling is considered 'dead'.

Furthermore, they have a compulsion to be around their kin, meaning that they must link to one of their species every so often. At the beginning of each adventure, the Narrator will roll 1d6. On a 1, the Changeling will try to seek its origins, if he doesn't where he comes from; if he does, he is compelled to fuse with one of his species, or submerge himself into the Link. The effects of not accomplishing one of these tasks are up to the Narrator, and very likely to generate an adventure around this compulsion.

That's it! Let me know what you think.

Ahoy Doctor!
Ahoy sailors!

I think that the key attribute for this skill must be Agility
and mas add a second roll based on intellect to check the textures, smells or the type of caracteristics of ht e object what is trying to emulate

Looks really good Dr.Bashir. You make it sound almost as if it wasn't munchkin to play a Changeling ;) .
Still I'd agree with Arcanum, Agility feels more like it ... and/or Intellect for the textures.

An idea off the top of my head: don't you think there should be some risk for dramatic failures? Like taking some damages (for instance if the Changeling attempted to become some mist, and doesn't manage to recover all "bits" of himself), or having troubles changing back (if the Changeling feels so much like a Tarkalian Hawk (yeah, I know, Tarkalian is for tea usually) that it cannot remember to change back) ... something like that. No?

Mmm, Calcoran, you're mixing Shapeshifting with Borrowing... :p

Seriously, I'd suggest for dramatic failures to simply force the Changeling to revert to his liquid state for some time (exactly as if he was exhausted), or to be stuck in his former shape.
After all, we never heard Odo or any Changeling mention a danger to shapeshift, so I'd guess the effects of a failure could not be too spectacular anyway.

Just my 0.02 €. Very good work otherwise, Doc.
Though personnally I'd tweak a bit the Underling Persuasion edge, to make the bonus something like a +10 for all interaction with a Vorta or Jem'Hadar, at least for Changelings from the Great Link.

C5: It does sound like borrowing indeed, but I seem to recall something Odo said about really feeling like a whatever hawk/owl and almost forgetting to get back (in time) ... I think it was when he first came to the Founders homeworld, but ICBW.
Moreover, we never see Odo attempting fancy shapes like fire or mist like this other one of the 100 ... what was his name again ... can't recall. So maybe it still is somewhat dangerous. As a matter of fact, Odo seems to strongly dislike leaving parts of him behind, so maybe it weakens him (would seem logical).
Anyhow ... just my 2 centimes.

Some changes to the template based in your suggestions. Please, keep it coming! And someone do me the favor to ballance the points, I don't have the NG.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Dr. Jonas Bashir
Some changes to the template based in your suggestions. Please, keep it coming! And someone do me the favor to ballance the points, I don't have the NG.

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Oh, in that case I'll try to check the points tonight (as much as I'd like to, I don't have my NG at work ;) ).

If you count Shapeshifting as a species abilities, I'd say this species is worth 13 picks + the cost of Underling Persuasion (can't calculate it without my NG at hand and I think it's a bit too valuable for a species ability).

Then again, Shapeshifting could cost more than that.

Oh, just a quick idea coming to me : another way to simulate Shapeshifting would be with a new caracteristic (like Psi), like, I don't know, Liquidness, and the shapeshifting skill(s) could depend on that caracteristic.
Thus Shapeshifting would be worth an edge like Psionic plus a skill (shapeshift) at level 1 (like Mind Meld), so 4 picks for the whole.
Ok, it's complicated... but then again I'm doing something complicated too at work so it must have leaked from one to another ;)

Liquidity?
Sounds a bit Ferengi to me ;).