3.5 Base Class: Shapeshifter

[Lord Orcus]

OK Sorry there is no fluff to go with this class, I just wanted to see if it was balanced and if not , what needs to be changed, so here goes:

The Shapeshifter:

Shapeshifter
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+2| Shift; Medium 1 hours/day

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3|

4th|
+4|
+4|
+4|
+4| Shift; Large 2 hours/day

5th|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+4|

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+5|

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+5| Shift; Small 3 hours/day

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+6|

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+6|

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+7|
+7| Shift; Huge 4 hours/day

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+7|
+7|

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+8|
+8| A Thousand Faces

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+8|
+8| Shift; Tiny 5 hours/day

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+9|
+9|

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+9|

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+10|
+10| Shift; Monstrous 6 hours/day

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+10|

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+11|
+11|

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+11|
+11| Shift; Elemental 7 hours/day

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+12|
+12| Evershifting Form [/table]

Game Rule Information
Shapeshifters have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Strength is an important ability for Shapeshifters because it helps them to deal damage while in another form. Dexterity and Constitution are also very important, for AC and HP respectively.
Alignment: Any
Hit Dice: d8
Class Skills:
The Shapeshifter’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), Diplomacy (Cha) and Swim (Str).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4+ Int Modifier) x4
Skill Points at Each additional Level: 4+ Int Modifier
Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the Shapeshifter:
Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: A Shapeshifter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and light and medium armour and all shields (except tower shields)
Shift (Su): At 1st level, a Shapeshifter gains the ability to turn himself into any Medium creature and back again for 1 hour per day. His options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability, except as noted here. The Shapeshifter can shift for as many hours as his level indicates (starting at 1 hour at first level and increasing by 1 every third level) or until he changes back each day. This ability can be split up as many times as the shifter wishes in a day, or used in one large block. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time you use Shift, you don’t regain lost hitpoints as if you had rest a night. The new form’s Hit Dice can’t exceed the character’s Shapeshifter level.
Any gear worn or carried by the Shapeshifter melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the Shapeshifter reverts to his true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on his body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the Shapeshifter's feet.
In addition, he gains the ability to take the shape of a Large animal at 4th level, a Small animal at 7th level, a Huge animal at 10th level, and a Tiny animal at 13th level.
At 16th level, a Shapeshifter becomes able to use Shift to change into a monster of any size that he can normally Shift into. For example a 16th level Shapeshifter could Shift into any monster between the sizes of Tiny and Huge. In addition to the normal effects of Shift, the Shapeshifter gains all the monster’s extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities. He also gains the monster’s feats for as long as he maintains the Shift, but he retains his own creature type. This use of Shift counts against a Shapeshifter’s normal limit of Shifts.
At 19th level, a Shapeshifter becomes able to use Shift to change into an elemental (air, earth, fire, or water) of any size that he can normally Shift into. For example a 19th level Shapeshifter can Shift into an elemental between the sizes of Tiny and Huge. In addition to the normal effects of wild shape, the Shapeshifter gains all the elemental’s extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities. He also gains the elemental’s feats for as long as he maintains the Shift, but he retains his own creature type. This use of Shift counts against a Shapeshifter’s normal limit of Shifts.
A Thousand Faces (Su): At 12th level, a Shapeshifter gains the ability to change his appearance at will, as if using the disguise self spell, but only while in his normal form. This affects the druid’s body but not his possessions. It is not an illusory effect, but a minor physical alteration of the druid’s appearance, within the limits described for the spell.

Evershifting Form (Ex): At 20th level, the Shapeshifter has reached the pinnacle of his shapechanging abilities. From this point on, he can use Shift once per round, as a move-equivalent action, as many times per day as he wishes. His type changes to shapechanger for determining what effects and items can affect his, and he gains darkvision (60 feet), which remains in effect regardless of his form. In addition, the Shapeshifter no longer suffers ability penalties for aging and is not subject to magical aging, though any aging penalties he may already have suffered remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the Shapeshifter still dies of old age when his time is up


So what do you think? Is it balanced? Or do I have to change something?

[Lord Orcus]

Come on, does no one want a shapeshifter?

[boomwolf]

well...

sorry to say, nobody gonna play it.

so many dead levels, and the little to no abilities he actually has are done way better by multiple classes.

[sigurd]

Its good enough to add to an advancement table for a breed of lesser dopplegangers. Even then I think it would be better shrunk to 10 levels.


As a class it does seem to be sort of a one trick pony.

I could also see the feat progression used elsewhere. You'd probably have to cut it down to a 5 feat tree. Perhaps you could move the feats into an alternate rogue in place of the backstab ability?


Sigurd

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Honestly, while it might take him 5 levels to get there, a druid does shapeshifting much better than this class does, and has other class abilities besides. You could achieve the same effect by houseruling that a druid counts as 4 levels higher for all wild-shape-related abilities except duration and removing or reducing his spellcasting.

[Lord Orcus]

So... Absolutly no one wants to tell me how to make this better, just how bad it is, thanks... REALLY thanks

[Foryn Gilnith]

Even then I think it would be better shrunk to 10 levels.


You'd probably have to cut it down to a 5 feat tree. Perhaps you could move the feats into an alternate rogue in place of the backstab ability?


You could achieve the same effect by houseruling that a druid counts as 4 levels higher for all wild-shape-related abilities except duration and removing or reducing his spellcasting.

You're welcome. Really, your entirely polite and complete sincere thanks are appropriate for the situation.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

So... Absolutly no one wants to tell me how to make this better, just how bad it is, thanks... REALLY thanks

We've suggested it would be better as just a 3-5 level PrC, druid variant, or feat tree. Right now, there is literally nothing this class has that a druid doesn't have; the only benefit is that this class gets it sooner...and if all you want is to be able to shapeshift out of the gate, you might as well take the druid and drop spellcasting, as I suggested, because then you'll at least have fewer dead levels and get an animal companion.

If you're trying to make this a different, unique class, then a few suggestions here or there won't do it. Most shapeshifter classes introduce mutations, aspects, shifting points, or some other mechanic to make them different, not just "you can turn into monster X, Y, and Z."

[Pie Guy]

Maybe get some bonuses to strength and dexterity while shifting?

[Tetsubo 57]

Yesterday I read the first chapter of Monte Cook's new book -The Collected Book of Experimental Might-. Within this chapter he introduces a mechanic to spell casting classes called Disciplines. They partially or completely replace class abilities for the Cleric, Druid and Wizard. The Wild Shape Discipline is possibly the most elegant solution to the wild shape issue I've ever seen. In a nutshell the Druid can pick this discipline at 1st level. It grants him the ability to chose one animal form (Small or Medium sized, HD = to level) per day. But within that 24 hour period he can assume that form at will, with a standard action. At 4th level he can take another 'level' in this discipline with a feat and gain the ability to speak (essentially Nature's Spell). At higher levels the druid can spend more feats to gain larger and smaller animal sizes, dire animal forms, plant forms and eventually elemental forms.

To me this completely nails the feel of a true shapeshifter. It has that iconic feel from 'historical' shapeshifting legends. And it offers enough options and variety to be a useful, interesting and fun game mechanic. I applaud Mr. Cook. I loved the Shapeshift alternate class ability presented in the PHB II. This mechanic is better.

The rest of the book isn't as good I don't think but well worth a read. But then again, it's hard to live up to an opening this solid.

Note: In this Monte Cook presents his personal house rules. In them he reveals that characters gain feats at each level.

[Rainbownaga]

Hints:

Italicizing the sub abilities would make it easier to read. There are also a few cut and paste errors.

Monstrous form seems to make elemental form redundant

Being able to change form at will but taking from a pool of time seems like an incredibly painful mechanic; Firsly, you have to count each round in an alternate form and subtract from 600. Secondly, you encourage shapeshifting in every potential encounter, particularly when they can change form as a move action.

As already stated,

-Might i suggest limiting the number of forms you can change between rather than the time limit

-You could also add bonus forms based on charisma so that at least 4 abilities are at least relevent (con, wis, cha, int).

I disagree with the other posters about druid=better making this class redundant; If that were true nobody would play monks or fighters and the increased ability to change seems useful and fun.