Safia's Transformation Attack

Summary

Safia's Transformation Attack was a desperate gambit during Session 10 in which Safia, cornered in rat form by pursuing Thunder Hogs, attempted to weaponize her shapeshifting ability by attacking and terrifying her captors mid-transformation. After successfully stowing stolen keys in a drainage gutter for Cat to retrieve, Safia chose to turn on the guards rather than continue fleeing, banking on the shock value of her transformation to create an opening.

The attack began when Safia lunged at the Thunder Hogs while they were bent over trying to grab her. The plan backfired spectacularly when one guard caught her mid-leap and held her too tightly, causing the transformation from rat to human to inflict physical trauma. The resulting spectacle—Safia trapped halfway between forms in the guard's grip—created enough shock and confusion to give Cat an opportunity to intervene.

Details

In Session 10, Safia had been pursued through the Underground Tunnels by Thunder Hogs after completing her objective. Once she had hidden the stolen keys for Cat to collect, Erin decided Safia would stop running: "I think Safia just kind of wants to attack these guys and freak them out." The player reasoned that the guards were "kind of idiots" and might panic when confronted with a shapeshifter, a rare phenomenon in the world. As Erin put it, "She's banking on like, freaking them out."

Safia initiated her attack by defying danger to close the distance, rolling a 4—a miss. The GM described the slapstick scene: the Thunder Hogs were bent over, trying to grab the rat, when Safia jumped at the nearest guard. He turned and snatched her "out of the air as you're jumping out of space," saying "whoa." His companion briefly celebrated the catch: "nice, man. Good catch."

As Safia began flailing and shifting forms while held, the tight grip turned the transformation painful. The GM ruled she took 2 damage, describing her as looking "halfway through the animorphs cover"—"not yet a rat, not yet a woman." The guard shifted his grip to hold her by the front of her shirt, his eyes wide with incomprehension.

Safia immediately attempted to capitalize on the shock, warning the guards: "you better get out of here fast." She then rolled hack and slash with strength, scoring another 4 and dealing only 2 damage. Despite the poor mechanical results, the GM confirmed the transformation had the desired effect on the Thunder Hogs: "His eyes are just wide like, what the fuck is going on, Cat? You might have an opening here."

The GM emphasized the rarity of what the Thunder Hogs were witnessing, noting "there aren't many shapeshifters in the world," making this a particularly shocking encounter for the guards.

Participants

Safia — Executed the transformation attack while in rat form, suffering 2 damage from the painful mid-air transformation and dealing 2 damage with her follow-up strike
Erin — Controlled Safia and made the tactical decision to attack rather than continue fleeing
Thunder Hogs — The pursuing guards, one of whom caught Safia mid-leap and held her during the transformation, creating the opening for Cat's intervention
Cat — Positioned to take advantage of the distraction Safia's transformation created
Monster — The GM who adjudicated the failed defy danger roll and the painful transformation

Consequences

Safia took 2 damage from the painful transformation caused by being held too tightly during the shift from rat to human form
Safia dealt 2 damage with her subsequent hack and slash attack against the Thunder Hog
The Thunder Hogs were left shocked and disoriented, with at least one guard struggling to comprehend the shapeshifting he had just witnessed
Cat gained a tactical opening to act while both guards were distracted by the transformed Safia
The encounter demonstrated the rarity and shocking nature of shapeshifters in the campaign world, as the GM noted "there aren't many shapeshifters in the world"