Protean

Protean works almost exactly as described in the book, with the exception that at level four, Shape of the Beast, the vampire may choose to arrest the transformation midway through to remain in a half-human, half-wolf (or half-bat) form. This allows the character to access their animal's natural abilities while still being able to talk. The disadvantage, of course, is being a glaringly obvious breach of the Masquerade. (Note: This form is actually smaller than the vampire's normal form- it is not equivalent to a werewolf's war form, although inexperienced observers could mistake it for such.)