Skinchange

Spell — see Magic and Spellcasting for the rules and the Spell Index for the full list.

Arcane 3, Divine 4 Type: transmogrification

Range: self Duration: 1 turn/caster level

This spell allows the caster to assume the form of a normal or giant animal that is native to his location. The caster gains the physical capabilities, physical attacks, special abilities, and statistics of the animal form he assumes, while retaining his own mental abilities and hit points. The caster must be man-sized or smaller when he casts this spell, or it fails to work.

The caster can change to a new animal form at the start of his initiative each round. For example, he might initially transform into a rabbit to spy on enemies, change into a lion for a fight, then transform into an eagle to fly away when the fight goes badly. The caster can continue to skinchange freely until he reverts to his original form or until 1 turn per level has elapsed. If slain, the caster reverts to his original form. The caster retains his spellcasting ability provided the new form is capable of gestures and vocalization.

Because the animal must be native to the caster’s location, the caster cannot transform into dinosaurs or other prehistoric animals unless in a “lost world” where such creatures still roam the earth. Likewise, the caster cannot transform into a whale in the middle of the desert, or into a lion in the tundra.