Shape Shifting vs Not shape shifting

[Rhuen]

Not so much a poll (which is why I left that out) but a place to discuss the pros and cons of each type.

The cursed person who is forced to become a wolf.

The person who shape shifts at will (to full form or inbetween).

and those who are stuck in beast mind and body (think Ginger Snaps) or stuck as a full wolf.

and the last one those who stay in their half human half beast form all the time. From just ears, tail, eyes, and maybe claws and some abilities. THink the wolf version of a typical cat-girl.

Had the thought for this thread in fact while discussing elsewhere the pros and cons between the different types of cat girls (from typical ears and tail up to were-beast types)

[Aki]

IMO, a werewolf who doesn't shape change, ain't no werewolf. Some who got stuck as a wolf or wolf-thing, yes, werewolf? No.

So, that takes care of two categories off the bat.

Being forced to shapeshift is a lot more risky and inconvenient than being able to do it at will. Werewolves, as a whole, would have an easier time of keeping under wraps (and thusly, alive) if they didn't have to disappear for three days each month or so.

So, Pro's for a cursed Werewolf:
- From a story viewpoint, it's a great little plot device

Cons:
- Have to work schedule around the trigger that forces them to change. Be it the moon, a certain time of day, doing the macarena, etc.


Pro's for a self-shifting one:
- Can be in the right form any time the plot calls for it, or he/she needs to be, wants to be, etc.
- Doesn't have to work around the shifting trigger - they control that
- Won't be caught off guard if they forget it's a full moon out, etc.

Cons:
- Less dramatic, takes away a plot device
- Even with an ability to control when to shift, the first shift will likely happen at an appointed time after infection anyways.

[Kzinistzerg]

Wellll...

Like Aki said, I don't consider them a "werewolf." For that, for me, the transformation has to happen, repeatedly. Maybe once a year, maybe on the full moons, whatever, but it has to happen more than once.

But I do understand your question.

I think that it would end up as a very interesting story. It's actualyl, in my opinion, WAY more trouble to be permanently beastlike than to be shifty; permanence guarantees your absolute exclusion from the ranks of humanity. Because we, as a lot, are an intolerant, fearful mass of idiots ready to stone and burn anything that reeks of the unknown.

[Terastas]

First and foremost, I would strongly discourage the anime appearance. It's too easy to point at and yell "LAME!!!"

Second, as Aki mentioned, if a werewolf shifted involuntarily, they would have a much harder time maintaining a sense of anonymity. A werewolf's ability to go undetected would be crucial, especially in a modern media-driven society.

The 2nd and 3rd possibilities, however, I believe could be complementary. I remember we discussed in a thread some time ago that if werewolves can control when they shift, they may elect to live as both wolf and man, bottle it up inside themselves, or abandon society and live life entirely as a wolf. If shifting can be controlled by the brain, a werewolf could theoretically "forget" how to shift by suffering brain damage, denying one's lycanthropy or even possibly forgetting that one was ever human to begin with, and therefore become "trapped" in that form.

The only thing I would add to that is that, if someone did get stuck in form, unless it was the central plot device, it would have to be either full human or full wolf. Going back on what I said about anonymity, a werewolf stuck in gestalt form wouldn't have much of a prayer.

[RedEye]

For the "Cursed" thing, where somebody is accursed and becomes a Wolf, that isn't a Were-Wolf, unless there is a reversal effect (time, the moon, Mexican polka music, whatever) they're a Cursed Wolf, period. If the poor sot is stuck as a Wolf; then he/she isn't a Werewolf...he/she is a Cursed Wolf, n'thassit.
The middle one is my idea of the Werewolf: A Lupan Metamorph. Whether they had total control over their shifting, or were affected by the Moon or whatever (see above) the ability of a Were' to shift between Human and Wulfen forms is what makes a Werewolf...
Now, someone who is "Stuck" either half-way or in either end form is a possibility; Mercedes Lackey ( the sucessful writer) used that situation in her story "Fire Rose" and it worked well. Could it happen-given the existence of Werewolves? Possibly--perhaps as a autogenic condition, caused by some psychological problem; like modern-day stigmaticists who have the "wounds of Christ" appearing on them.
Anyway, that's my take on it...

[Rhuen]

As a side note I included the "anime" part there simply because "were" just means man so Man-wolves, Wolfmen, Dog-boys, and what not might by some out there be grouped together.

To be honest though I am on the side that a beastperson wether it be a dog-boy, cat-girl, or just a Furre or something is completly different than what we call werebeasts which are typically powerful and change shape.

Oddly enough though the anime versions despite only having a few traits are closer to a werebeast (to me anyway) than a Furre simply do to power and personality (Furre's look like animal people but have human personalities and strengths) were as a traits type has a mostly human apperance with some animal parts but is mostly animal.

Oddly enough it would make for an interesting plot device (using some Kitsune stories as an idea where they are forced to hide their tails or ears (and other traits from humanity and try not to show any power while around people) gives it kind of a mutants from the X-men feel (but that is nearly a completly different feel from werebeasts.

Any of these to me can be interesting if used properly and effectivly.
However I don't think the traits type could make for a good horror movie, action maybe but not horror. So these different ones can be genre limited.

[wolf4life]

I think you should do the one where you can shift at will to full or inbetween. It would be easier to loop the movie around when the people could do it on their own. The only problem I could think of was how they would change

[Lukas]

can you pls make that avatar smaller pls? its pretty dam big for one

[Fullmoonstar]

[wolf4life]

sorry......didnt mean to and for how it stayed....I have NO idea

[Zombie]

Arent werewolves, by definition, shapeshifters anyway?

-Zombie

[Rhuen]

Arent werewolves, by definition, shapeshifters anyway?

-Zombie

The real question on preference is, do they stay that way or go back and forth.

Is a shapeshifter, or a one time transformation.

[Kelpten]

I'd have to go with shapeshifter. What makes the origianal werewolf so intreaguing and seperate from other harry monsters is that they switch between the two, human by sun and wolf by moon.

[Aki]

Arent werewolves, by definition, shapeshifters anyway?

-Zombie

The real question on preference is, do they stay that way or go back and forth.

Is a shapeshifter, or a one time transformation.

Werewolves are shapeshifters. No one-way transformation is a werewolf. Some sort of wolf-man-thing, yeah, but no werewolf. Werewolves change from man to wolf and from wolf to man.

[wolf4life]

That would be so cool to be a werewolf and be able to change between forms....*imagines*

[ravaged_warrior]

Arent werewolves, by definition, shapeshifters anyway?

-Zombie

The real question on preference is, do they stay that way or go back and forth.

Is a shapeshifter, or a one time transformation.

Werewolves are shapeshifters. No one-way transformation is a werewolf. Some sort of wolf-man-thing, yeah, but no werewolf. Werewolves change from man to wolf and from wolf to man.

Well, if that's you're preference, that's fine, but I don't see how it wouldn't be a werewolf. It fits with the name. They're certainly different things, but a Honda is certainly different than a Chevy, yet they're both cars. The way I see it, the one-transform is just a different model of werewolf.

[Vuldari]

Arent werewolves, by definition, shapeshifters anyway?

-Zombie

The real question on preference is, do they stay that way or go back and forth.

Is a shapeshifter, or a one time transformation.

Werewolves are shapeshifters. No one-way transformation is a werewolf. Some sort of wolf-man-thing, yeah, but no werewolf. Werewolves change from man to wolf and from wolf to man.

Well, if that's you're preference, that's fine, but I don't see how it wouldn't be a werewolf. It fits with the name. They're certainly different things, but a Honda is certainly different than a Chevy, yet they're both cars. The way I see it, the one-transform is just a different model of werewolf.

"Ginger Snaps" (all 3 I think), had creatures that only changed once/one way, as did the second "Underworld" film, and in both cases they called them "Lycanthropes".

Although I recognise them as being presented as Werewolves, I am inclined to agree that they don't technically count as REALLY being werewolves in my opinion. However, since they at least still pass their condition on via bite/scratch, it is just barely close enough... though I think that makes them different enough to be considered something-else, in my personal preference. (In one of the G.S. movies, they called them by the name of another legend, the Wendigo)

Not every transformation makes someone a WERE-something, IMHO.

[ravaged_warrior]

Really? A wendigo? Huh... I don't completely see the similarities there, besides the one-time shapeshifting thing. I've been meaning to see those movies, though, so I'll probably be able to check out the context.

As for the term werewolf, I was basically saying that the name fits because it literally means manwolf, so if you want to go by literal meaning, which I'd say any storyteller has the right to do, I say go for it. As for lycanthropes... Well, I haven't seen Ginger Snaps, and I only saw the first Underworld. However, as far as I'm aware, a lycanthrope is a person who believes that they are a werewolf... Or something. I just found a Wikipedia article saying that it could also mean a werewolf, but I think this could be one of those sketchy "incorrect user submission" things. Not completely sure. Well, using that, the terms is most likely traced back to the story of Lycaon, the king of Arcadia, who was turned into a wolf by Zeus. This was meant to be a one transformation thing to punish Lycaon, connecting a one time shift to a word meaning werewolf.

Then of course there's the differences between modern werewolves and traditional ones, one of the major things being that a bite is not necessary.

I'm thinking too deeply into this one. I just say let the storyteller call it whatever they want. Hell, "Lycans" doesn't even bother me (I've seen some people get pissed off at that term).

[Kelpten]

For quick clarification...
Clinical Lycanthropy-a mental disorder in which the patient believes he has phisically changed into an animal (sometimes shortened to lycanthropy for convinience)

Lycanthropy-Disease that creates werecreature as in true shapeshifting man to animal

Obviously this can get confusing since the "Clinical" part is often left off, making them the same.