Ozzie, Flea, and Slash

[ZealKnight]

theory of the mystic vampire, ready! set! GO!!!

[Magus_Brokenhart]

Well, maybe, like Sprigg, they would have to defeat a creature to collect their data before they could shift into it. Obviously a normal soldier would be an easy feat, but not something stronger than itself, thus, they could not turn into it.

[Mr. Molecule]

If Mystics can all change their shape, why don't Imps change to a more powerful shape?

Sprigg is a Mystic, and she can change shapes. Doesn't mean ALL Mystics can change shape. It's a skill some have. Chrono can use magic, but not ALL humans can use magic. Flea maybe can change shape. It's not really addressed. He's just... weird.

Actually, it's proven that Flea CAN change shape. Remember the little bat that follows you around in Magus's castle? That bat turned into Flea when you fought her. Er, him. Shi? I don't know! D=

Oh... right. Good point.

Still, that's two confirmed shape changers in an entire race that otherwise doesn't show much propensity to shapes changing. I think it'd be fairly silly to say all mystics are shape changers from that. Although I do concede that that's why Flea appears as a female.

[Kyronea]

Don't forget Yakra, both himself and his descendents, as another example.

[Chrono'99]

Not to mention the Naga-Ettes in the Cathedral.

[ZealKnight]

but yarka casted a spell im sure he did the same with the naggettes

[Chrono'99]

Wow, really? I thought it was a costume.

[ZealKnight]

Wow, really? I thought it was a costume.

What I ment was that it was not his ability or tech but he found a spell for shapeshifting. he probably casted it on the nagga-ettes to gaurd the place as well.

[Chrono'99]

Well given the Mystic's tendency for magic, it's obvious that it's a spell rather than an ability (or it's a... magic ability!). But yeah it's possible that the Naga-Ettes didn't shapeshift themselves. It's possible that they did learn to do it themselves though, seeing how Sprigg was even able to teach a shapeshifting-into-cat spell to Sneff, a human, in CC.

[Magus_Brokenhart]

Nagas, Yakras, Flea, Sprigg...Those are enough examples to assume that they can all use magic or abilities to transform. Again, like Sprigg they probably have to defeat something weaker than themselves. I don't see the Nagas having trouble defeating a soldier, Yakra defeating the Chancellor, or Flea with a mere bat. You only see Mystics transform, so that's probably their ability.

[Mr. Molecule]

If all Mystics can transform, why did they only establish one sleeper cell, and that in the relatively harmless Manoria Cathedral? There don't seem to be any mystics among the Knights of the Square Table, even though it's established that some Mystics are strong enough to beat said knights.

I still hold that it's a relatively small subset of mystics that can transform. After all, Chrono, Marle, Lucca, Frog, Magus and all the Zealians aren't enough examples to prove that all humans can wield magic. 

...that said, it's pretty much a moot point. Since it's not addressed specifically in-game, we can't know either way.

[ZealKnight]

sneff knows how to turn people to cats so not only mystics transform

[Chrono'99]

Sprigg was even able to teach a shapeshifting-into-cat spell to Sneff, a human, in CC.

[ZealKnight]

when did that happen?

[Chrono'99]

Sneff:
   I'm sorry, ffolks.
   Actually, there's absolutely
   no trick behind that magic.
   An old troll gave me a
   mysterious berry during
   my travels, long ago.
   She was saying someffing
   about the Bend of Time...
   Anyway, affter I ate the berry,
   I was able to transfform people
   into cats.

Additionally, the Fortune Teller of Termina is friend with both Sprigg and Guile, and Sneff knows Guile as the "rising star of the Magic Guild". This suggests that the old female troll Sneff is referring to in this quote may be Sprigg.