Shifter ideas, anyone?

[varto]

Basically, the idea of this post is to improve the shifter race because, well, they suck.
Now, i´ve been looking around and there´s people who claims shifters shouldn´t have a -2 Int.
Others claim that the shifts they have are not enougth and that they should be allowed to shift more often because at higher lvls the buff is not that big.
In that way, they should not need so many feats to make them "playable".

So, now it´s up to you, how would you improve the shifter race?

[deuxhero]

Warshaper?

[Boci]

Warshaper?

Not legal by RAW but yes making them meet the requirments for that would be good. Personally I'd just at will shifting but make them fatigued after it.

[Thurbane]

Give them DR/silver that scales with character level?

[Boci]

Give them DR/silver that scales with character level?

DR: silver is only good if you've got a useful offense. If you've burnt four feats on shifter feats you can still only shift 3 times / day, which may not be enough.

[arguskos]

Not legal by RAW but yes making them meet the requirments for that would be good. Personally I'd just at will shifting but make them fatigued after it.
Actually, yes, it is legal. Shifters, as per MM3, have the Shapechanger subtype, which is explicitly stated to qualify for Warshaper.

[Boci]

Actually, yes, it is legal. Shifters, as per MM3, have the Shapechanger subtype, which is explicitly stated to qualify for Warshaper.

Another stelath update in the MMIII? Cool.

[arguskos]

Another stelath update in the MMIII? Cool.
It's why I use the MM3 not the Eberron Campaign Setting. :smallbiggrin:

[d13]

Give them DR/silver scaling as a Barbarian's DR, and let their shifting scale as Barbarian Rage (or as Barbarian Rage + Con Mod), but make them fatigued after the shifting?

[Zaq]

Let them shift more often. Either have it increase with CON mod, with HD, or both, but don't make them burn feats on it. They hardly ever get to use it otherwise, but if you invest a crapton of feats on the (usually lackluster) shifter feats, you don't have enough for anything else.

[Boci]

Let them shift more often. Either have it increase with CON mod, with HD, or both, but don't make them burn feats on it. They hardly ever get to use it otherwise, but if you invest a crapton of feats on the (usually lackluster) shifter feats, you don't have enough for anything else.

Could roll those into one and give them bonus shifter feats as they gain class levels.

[Raging Gene Ray]

Weretouched Master PrC from Races of Eberron?

[Zincorium]

Weretouched Master PrC from Races of Eberron?

Nerfed HARD by errata. Not bad, per se, but it's no longer a must-take for melee shifters.

[varto]

The problem with PrC made for shifters, in my opinion is that a race that needs one to be playable is problematic.
Basically, after choosing the race you don´t have much more options but to follow the path designed for them, picking the feats that improve the shifts till you qualify for the PrC.
What i would like to see is a change that gives you back that freedom to choose dodge or improve toughness at lvl 1 and not feel like you sacrified some vital upgrade.
Of course if i play a melee class i would pick something like warshaper (Now THAT´S an improvement!)

[ShadowFighter15]

There was a house rule posted earlier in the week like this, where he suggested that wherever a rule mentions the number of shifter feats a character has (like to determine the duration and frequency of shifting), you instead count the number of shifter feats plus half of their non-shifter feats. That way, there's still incentive to grab shifter feats (some of which can be pretty nasty with the right build) as well as a constant progression of the ability.

I've started using it in a game I'm running on Myth Weavers, but I can't give any data on it yet since the characters are still first level (and I'm not using flaws so the shifter in the group only has one feat).

[mikej]

Weretouched Master PrC from Races of Eberron?

It's in the ECS actually.


Originally Posted by Zincorium
Nerfed HARD by errata. Not bad, per se, but it's no longer a must-take for melee shifters.

100% Agreed.

I just pretend it doesn't exist. There's one in my current group. I didn't want to be a jerk and screw over his character.

[Person_Man]

Ragewild Fighter (several maneuvers) + Beast Strike (Dragon 355 - add claw and unarmed damage) is pretty excellent for a Shifter Monk/Psychic Warrior using Claws of the Beast and Expansion. Longtooth Elite (1 point of Con damage added to your bite attack) is ok. Mutable Body is great for Shifter Wizards. Shifter Magnetism is one of the few ways to boost Wild Empathy (which works on animals AND magical beasts) and also boosts Intimidate (useful for Fear combos). The Swiftwing trait gives you a fly speed, which is useful if you want to Bull Rush -> Dungeoncrasher your enemy into the floor.

In summary, I think it's an ok race. But it's only good for certain niches.