morphing rules and limitations

[goom]

bored, decided to make a list. feel free to sugggest anything you want to it.

• in order to morph, you must first use the Escafil device (aka blue box), technology created by the Andalites
• two hours max in morph before you cannot morph back, becoming a nothlit.
  nothlits cannot use the blue box to 'regain' morphing powers. Tobias had to use the Ellimist for help regaining his powers.
  i wonder what happens to the mass in z-space if you become a nothlit of something smaller than yourself?
• after a Sario Rip, you lose the morphs that you had just acquired (Megamorphs #2, in time with the Dinosaurs)
• you must acquire an animal's DNA before you can morph. this puts the animal in a short trance. it is undetermined if you can acquire nothits (Tobias was acquired by Loren, but it may have been due to the Ellimist's intervention)you mus be in your natural state to acquire an animal, not in morph, and cannot acquire other morphs.
  (i wonder what would happen if a 1/2-morphed nothlit was acquired?
• as demonstrated by Aximili in book #4, you can acquire multiple species at once to create a mixture of them.
  i wonder why the animorphs never used this in the other books?
  you think you could create a mixture of two species?
• under stress/sickness, you can morph multiple creatures at once (Marco #35) or can morph uncontrollably from one animal to the next (Rachel #12)
• while in morph, you gain the ability to use <thought-speak>. in book #1, K.A.A. had Jake talk back to Tobias, but changed her mind after, so they must be in morph to reply
  you can direct thoughspeak to everybody, or to a select few.
• the animal's instincts kick in after you morph, sometimes it can be very uncontrollable, sometimes useful.
• whenever you morph something smaller than yourself, your extra mass is placed into z-space
• some people may become allergic to the DNA of a morph (such as Rachel 'burping' the crocodile in #12 through the process of Hereth Illint).
  others may become allergic to morphing technology altogether, such as Mertil. (thanks gafrash!)
• morphing can heal injuries, both for the morpher and the animal they turn into.
• morphing an animal takes a few minutes (about 2) to do, and it is very random how it happens.
  it is said to be a very gross process multiple times, although people with a gift for morphing (estreens, like Cassie) can control it a bit better.
• when you morph, only skintight clothing (leotards etc.) can stay, anything else gets shredded or falls off. later on, the Animorphs get more experienced and can morph a bit more clothes.

did i miss anything?

[Gafrash]

Morphing definitely has to do with the subject's state of mind. I find it interesting that even something like emotional stress can interfere with the process. And being 'allergic' to a morph is like acquiring a 'virus bug' to your morphing, too.

The 2hr limit is certainly THE BIGGEST set back on the technology though. Strange how it doesn't let a morpher spend a whole day straight in morph, but if you re-morph it resets the clock thing to the 2hrs again.

I can't remember which, but NOT ALL animals go under the short trance effect of having their DNA absorbed.
And I don't think you can mix the dna of different species. Only the ones of the one species and any sub-variations (like physical characteristics of race and sex) of the same.

I would also add to that allergy section, that one's body can also reject the morphing technology, such as the case of Mertil.

[morfowt]

i wonder why the animorphs never used this in the other books?

KA said that mixing animals doesn't always create something superior, like what happened with marco in #35. The lobster/osprey was completely useless. Mixing animals doesn't always create something powerful, and it's definitely no good for hiding and blending in, so the animorphs would have no reason to mix morphs.

morphing can also heal poisoning, as long as the person isn't dead before finish morphing.

in some cases, it's possible to demorph while unconscious.

[Gafrash]

in some cases, it's possible to demorph while unconscious.

Hey, yeah. That just turns the Morphing tech even more complex to me.
How can one concentrate while unconscious?!?!?!?!?! NGHAAAAAAAAAAAAAARR RRRGH!!!!

[Nateosaurus]

in some cases, it's possible to demorph while unconscious.

Hey, yeah. That just turns the Morphing tech even more complex to me.
How can one concentrate while unconscious?!?!?!?!?! NGHAAAAAAAAAAAAAARR RRRGH!!!!

Heh, yea, that is confusing. How is that possible? Authors love to confuse us, don't they?

[Duff]

You can't actually morph nothlits. The only reason the auxiliaries could acquire Tobias was because the Ellimist turned the hawk into his true form.

[morfowt]

has it been said in the book that you can't morph nothlits?

[Starsword]

Lets say you want to draw your cat on a paper. I want to know what differentiates thinking about your cat versus thinking about your cat that would prevent you from morphing.

[goom]

has it been said in the book that you can't morph nothlits?

you can morph nothlits. Loren acquired Tobias, remember?

[morfowt]

has it been said in the book that you can't morph nothlits?

you can morph nothlits. Loren acquired Tobias, remember?

the explanation for that is because of something the ellimist did when he gave him back his powers.

[Gafrash]

has it been said in the book that you can't morph nothlits?

you can morph nothlits. Loren acquired Tobias, remember?

the explanation for that is because of something the ellimist did when he gave him back his powers.

Therefore, not a 'nothlit' per si anymore.
I don't think an authentic nothlit was ever acquired in the series, neither had we an Andalite confirmation on the subject.

Lets say you want to draw your cat on a paper. I want to know what differentiates thinking about your cat versus thinking about your cat that would prevent you from morphing.

Seriously confused right there, Starsword-bro.

I think it's safe to say that NO AUTHOR has their details down pact at the early stages of their avant-guardes.
I mean, look us, the most 'advanced' species in the globe, with this organ, the appendix. They say it's totally useless.

[goom]

has it been said in the book that you can't morph nothlits?

you can morph nothlits. Loren acquired Tobias, remember?

the explanation for that is because of something the ellimist did when he gave him back his powers.

Therefore, not a 'nothlit' per si anymore.
I don't think an authentic nothlit was ever acquired in the series, neither had we an Andalite confirmation on the subject.

ah, fixed it.

didn't think of that

[zaprowsdower]

I don't think it says anywhere that you can't morph a nothlit, or that being able to morph Tobias is some ability from the Elimist.

[Liz]

I'm pretty sure there are no restrictions on morphing nothlits.

Also, I think you missed a rule, although it's pretty obvious anyway:
-You can't acquire DNA while in morph.

And regarding the rule about only being able to morph skintight clothing, Estrid morphed normal clothing in #38, and Jake said in #47 that the Animorphs had learned to morph normal clothing by that point.

[zaprowsdower]

Well, anything that wasn't baggy