Shape-Shifter RP

Mechanics of this 'world'

I apologize for not putting this up front. Here I discuss the nature of the realm I have created with the intent of you roleplaying here. 

The year is 2050-ish. Just about everyone has the ability to shape shift into at least one form other than human. The first instance of this was recorded in 2025, when a performer accidentally fell from a great height on camera and turned into a sparrow before striking the ground. Since, almost every human has either developed or been born with an alternative shape. 

There appear to be two ways to get an alternative form. One, a human suddenly transforms into an animal in the midst of a crisis, in order to save their life, like in the above instance. Two, a human slowly turns into an animal over the course of a minute, usually in the midst of extreme emotion. The animal shape in the second instance tends to match the personality of the human. For example, someone with an venomous nature in the midst of an argument might begin to develop fangs, feel their skin itch as it shifted into scales, get a foul taste in their mouth, and experience their limbs shrinking as they became a snake of the venomous variety.

Sometimes, albeit not often, a person may develop multiple forms. This phenomenon most often occurs when someone has  life-threatening experience and the form(s) that they already have lend no assistance. There is, however, only a 20% chance this may occur in any given life-threatening event, and this chance decreases with the more forms one has. Therefore, few are those who chase after new forms this way. Another way to have more than one form is to undergo a serious identity change, and to subsequently have another 'slow' transformation into a form that matches the new identity.

The nature of the alternate forms is such: They are always animals that actually exist or have existed. This means that while someone might have the ability to turn into a dinosaur, no one will have the ability to turn into a Pegasus. The more powerful the form, the less likely someone will have the capability to shapeshift into it. This means that cats and dogs tend to be more common than, say, a Tyrannosaurus Rex.  Any damage incurred while in a nonhuman form will vanish if one manages the concentration to shapeshift, but re-appear if one returns to that form, and if you die in a non-human form, you will most likely be dead completely, but there is a chance(2.5%) that you could simply return to human form and lose the ability to shapeshift into that form.

While no one really knows how this ability began to appear, it has become clear that any attempt to restrict or limit the freedom to shapeshift is destined to be disastrous. Legally, one can be court-issued an order not to transform into a particular form except under particular circumstances, and there are places where a shapechange is legally required to be announced, such as in a zoo or a prison, but otherwise, people are simply counseled to shapeshift responsibly and are punished for crimes committed while in another form. In most governments, a department has been set aside to track and record shapeshifting abilities. Across the world, most citizens are legally required to inform their respective governments on the nature of their alternative forms, as well as telling marks so as to clearly identify individuals in nonhuman form.

Hospitals have been forced to accommodate veterinarian specialists, and the title of veterinarian has become a much more difficult job title to acquire, as knowledge of how to treat extinct creatures became a necessity.

Prisons became by nature and necessity more airtight and secure.

Pets became more common to have and keep, especially those of the exotic variety.

If you have any questions that I have yet to answer, please comment below.