How would a tell work if the form has it?

[Gamage]

Ok so i'm trying to think up tells, but all I can think about is how would a tell work if I'm in an animal form that would already have it? Like say my tell is white fur/hair. Theres things that already have white fur/feathers and such. Do I just roll and ignore it, or what?

 

[Thanqol]

Ok so i'm trying to think up tells, but all I can think about is how would a tell work if I'm in an animal form that would already have it? Like say my tell is white fur/hair. Theres things that already have white fur/feathers and such. Do I just roll and ignore it, or what?

Your tell does tend to blend pretty naturally in the animal form. In which case people NOTICE it but they don't know it's the tell.

 

[ghoti115]

These is an excerpt from the Manual of Exalted Power - Lunars p. 98. It actually provide the proper example for your question.


"Choose a Tell that represents your spirit shape and will appear in some manner throughout your shapeshifting. Many Tells appear white or silver in color. If your second shape is that of a snowy owl, you might have a fine mantle of down upon your shoulders in human form. In every other form, your character might show mottled marks reminiscent of an owl’s feathers."

 

[Kyeudo]

These is an excerpt from the Manual of Exalted Power - Lunars p. 98. It actually provide the proper example for your question.
"Choose a Tell that represents your spirit shape and will appear in some manner throughout your shapeshifting. Many Tells appear white or silver in color. If your second shape is that of a snowy owl, you might have a fine mantle of down upon your shoulders in human form. In every other form, your character might show mottled marks reminiscent of an owl’s feathers."

His question isn't "what can my Tell look like?" it's "What happens if I take a form where my Tell looks perfectly natural?"


For example, say his tell is that mantle of white feathers on his shoulders. What does the Tell look like if he shapeshifts into an Albatross or a Pelican? Both are white birds, so saying "It would have white feathers on the shoulders" is like saying the sky is blue. It just doesn't seem like it would stick out.

 

[ghoti115]

I believe a portion of the quote still applies to the situation. "In every other form, your character might show mottled marks reminiscent of an owl’s feathers."


Working from the example provided. In the case of turning into a dove if your Spirit Form were a snowy owl, the dove form would still have the markings typical of a snowy owl. Granted, they might be lighter than they appear in the snowy owl form.


A better example could be one of a lizard Spirit Form with scaly skin. In other forms with scales it would varry depending on the relative sizes of the scales. Transforming into a creature with larger scales would result in a pattern of the smaller scales within it. Taking the form of a creature with smaller scales would most likely have an outlining patter of the shape of the large scales within the coloration of the scales.


At least that's what I took from the text. Maybe I should have explained my thought process a little better.

 

[Dracogryff]

There still always is the omnipresent issue of 'what the heck does your tell do in your spirit form?' You have owl-shaped owl feathers on an owl, then I suppose. What do people say? "Huh. That owl's feathers look really owly, don't they, how odd?"


Therein lies the real flaw of Tells. They're really bloody easy to spot in human or spirit form (IE, the MDV of the target doubles to go against the Tell to spot it), and yet, their usually a trait of the character's spirit form, so there's a cat out there that has cat ears all of sudden. Go figure, huh?


Anyone come up with solutions for that riddle?

 

[ghoti115]

It seems to me that the intent of the Tell is to be an identifing mark showing the Lunar to be a Lunar when not in their Spirit form. Due to this, when in the Spirit form, there isn't a need for the Tell to be distinguished. Instead, the the moonsilver tattoos are what is identifed as the telling mark.


Again, this idea is supported from the Lunars book, pgs.127 and 130, respectively.


"In her spirit shape, a Lunar displays her permanent moonsilver tattoos, which arrange themselves artfully along the natural contours of her animal body. Likewise, scars,


losses of limb and other permanent damage suffered by one true form become visible in the other. Such markings benefit from the same magic as the Tell, becoming difficult to notice. It is the same for the war form."


"The Tell is most important in false human and animal forms—in any true form, the Lunar is not


concealing his identity."


Of course, this is all assuming the Tell is a visible one and not based on the sense of smell, touch, or sound. I would put down taste too, but I don't think that licking someone you don't know is a typical means investigation for the Wyld Hunt. I could be wrong though.

 

[skafte]

Of course, this is all assuming the Tell is a visible one and not based on the sense of smell, touch, or sound. I would put down taste too, but I don't think that licking someone you don't know is a typical means investigation for the Wyld Hunt. I could be wrong though.

I soo need to find a way to use the frace "go lick the Lunar"

 

[Thanqol]

There still always is the omnipresent issue of 'what the heck does your tell do in your spirit form?' You have owl-shaped owl feathers on an owl, then I suppose. What do people say? "Huh. That owl's feathers look really owly, don't they, how odd?"
Therein lies the real flaw of Tells. They're really bloody easy to spot in human or spirit form (IE, the MDV of the target doubles to go against the Tell to spot it), and yet, their usually a trait of the character's spirit form, so there's a cat out there that has cat ears all of sudden. Go figure, huh?


Anyone come up with solutions for that riddle?

Like I said: They see the Tell, they just don't know it's a Tell.


E.G. They see the fox tail of a fox-totem Lunar in fox shape, but that ain't unusual. When that Lunar shapeshifts into a horse, they realize they've seen that exact tail before and their mind spends a little while longer fighting the illusion.

 

[Brickwall]

Of course, this is all assuming the Tell is a visible one and not based on the sense of smell, touch, or sound. I would put down taste too, but I don't think that licking someone you don't know is a typical means investigation for the Wyld Hunt. I could be wrong though.

I soo need to find a way to use the phrase "go lick the Lunar"

The key step is to make sure that you're known for making frequent use of a toad form. Then just sit back and watch the magic.


Or get a reputation for hiding at brothels.


Or...well, there's too damn much fun to be had with this.

 

[magnificentmomo]

I usually see it as something that is even out of the ordinary on your spirit shape, like the sig changing moon has his scar eye, Marena has her special Fox pattern. So it might be your mottling is special for an owl. Granted, not all canon examples support this, but it will make your characters cooler IMHO

 

[Dracogryff]

It seems to me that the intent of the Tell is to be an identifing mark showing the Lunar to be a Lunar when not in their Spirit form. Due to this, when in the Spirit form, there isn't a need for the Tell to be distinguished. Instead, the the moonsilver tattoos are what is identifed as the telling mark.
Again, this idea is supported from the Lunars book, pgs.127 and 130, respectively.


"In her spirit shape, a Lunar displays her permanent moonsilver tattoos, which arrange themselves artfully along the natural contours of her animal body. Likewise, scars,


losses of limb and other permanent damage suffered by one true form become visible in the other. Such markings benefit from the same magic as the Tell, becoming difficult to notice. It is the same for the war form."


"The Tell is most important in false human and animal forms—in any true form, the Lunar is not


concealing his identity."


Of course, this is all assuming the Tell is a visible one and not based on the sense of smell, touch, or sound. I would put down taste too, but I don't think that licking someone you don't know is a typical means investigation for the Wyld Hunt. I could be wrong though.

Hide of the Cunning Hunter would like to note that it's really, really easy to hide Moonsilver Tattoos, though. So having them be the distinguisher on the Spirit Shape (which is never stated to be excluded from having the Tell present, and is a True Form, so it's easier to spot it in said form) kinda fails. A lot.


But anyhow, I do often go with the it being kinda unique. Like I have a cheetah char that's a strawberry blonde cheetah. Ears and tail is her tell, as is the strawberry blondeness. It's fun. I was just curious how others handle it and so on, because sometimes I find it hard to figure out for other chars.

 

[Moonstone Spider]

Myself, I use the personal houserule of the Lunar's spirit shape have a human component that mirrors the animal marking the human form has, assuming that's the connection. Example:


Bee Totem. Tell: Compound eyes. When in bee form: Eyes have pupils where bees normally don't.

 

[Brickwall]

Bee Totem. Tell: Compound eyes. When in bee form: Eyes have pupils where bees normally don't.

OHGODKILLITWITHFIRE