The Role Swapper

[Seen variants of this around the internet, though the original idea apparently comes from Writing.com; seeing it ported to CYOC reminded of how cool it was, so I want to port a version of it here too! This description of the device is cobbled together from multiple versions found on the internet, but chapters after this one will hopefully be original content.]

The Role Swapper is a small, handheld device with three buttons, two green, one red, that when used can swap a person's life role. Each target will get the other's personality traits, belongings, relationships, and life, with only the user being aware of the change. The device does not change bodies, but if the human body contains things that are not a part of it (such as jewelry, artificial limbs, etc.) it stays with the role just like clothes do. It will also alter reality so that the swapped will always have had that role and only those holding the device will remember who or what has been changed.

For example, let's say a white woman has the device, and swaps herself with a black man. The woman will now be wearing his clothes, resized to fit her, she will have any tattoos or piercings, and all of her hair will be like his, but in her color. It might be styled in dreads but be her hair's texture and blond hue. The guy will have the woman's clothes, hairstyle, and life, but since he wasn't holding the device, he also will believe he has always been that woman. Despite the physical differences in race and gender, everyone would treat him like he was that white woman, and her like she was the black man.

The limitation on physical alteration is relaxed somewhat if one of the targets being swapped is an inanimate object: such swaps can include some necessary physical changes to allow the targets to 'reasonably' accommodate their new roles. Thus, a girl swapped with a car will be large enough to fit people on or inside her and assume a car like shape, while the car will become human sized and able to function as a woman in at least some capacity. Do note that while physical changes will usually be kept simple, the exact degree and nature of them are likely to be inconsistent between different targets due to the extremes reality must bend to make a living thing inanimate and an inanimate thing living simultaneously. This means that while the user will be able to swap a specific person and inanimate object back and forth with each other to no ill effect, there may be unexpected results if one or more inanimate objects are involved in 'chain swaps'.

The Role Swapper also has a few different settings that can be changed from the default above, although instructions on how to do so are not included with the device. By holding down the side button while selecting a target and pressing the center button, one can toggle that target's awareness of the swap (and only the targets; whether awareness is turned on or off, everyone else other than the user will remain unaware of the changes to reality). Tapping the center button three times with no targets selected opens up a menu that allows the user to choose to only swap specific traits of the targets, such as their wealth, relationships, clothing, or jobs, rather than their entire life roles. Other functions and settings may be discovered by those users who are both curious and tech savvy enough.

Finally, a word of warning: by default, the Role Swapper will stay with the role of the user, not the user themselves. So until they can figure out how to properly attune the device, it is recommended that the user be very careful when making swaps involving themselves as one of the targets. Or it would be recommended if there were any instructions included with the device that could do so.