Under most circumstances, a transformed creature needs to take time and get used to its new body. The more radical the change, the longer that transition period becomes. A man transformed into an ape will adept much more quickly than that same man transformed into a horse, seal or squirrel. Animals changed into people still favor their old movements and body language; our tiger-lady, for example, will literally move like a big cat and won’t even know how to speak until someone gives her the knowledge and training to do so.

Generally, a character in a brand-new form raises her difficulties by +1 (a vaguely similar form) to +3 (a radically different form). The penalties fade as she adjusts to that new body, a process that can range from a few hours to a few days, depending on the differences between the original form and the new one.