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Olympus
2010-05-01, 11:17 AM
Here's a base class for D&D 3.5 that was made by someone I know and revised by myself, it's presented as base class are in the Player's Handbook The one thing I'm most concerned about with the class is Wild Shape as an extraordinaire ability, please post your thoughts or concerns about this:


Wildshaper

Game Rule Information
Abilities: Wisdom is the most important ability for a Wildshaper, as it determines their natural armor bonus, attack bonus, Wild Shape duration and improves their other special abilities. Physical abilities matter little to Wildshapers because they spend the majority of their time in Wild Shape. A Wildshaper does not spend all of their time in wildshape, however, so they benefit from increases to Constitution, Strength, and Dexterity.
Alignment: Neutral good, lawful neutral, neutral, chaotic neutral, or neutral evil.
Hit Die: d8.
Starting Gold: 4d4 * 10 (100gp).
Starting Age: As druid (PHB 109)
Class Skills
The Wildshaper's skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Lister (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).
A Wild Shaper receives (4 + Int) * 4 skill points at 1st level and 4 + Int at each additional level.
Wildshaper
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Morphic Weapons, Animal Companion, Wild Empathy

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Morphic Accuracy

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+3|Wild Shape 1/day

4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Morphic Reach, Wild Shape 2/day

5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Morphic Armor, Morphic Body

6th|
+4|
+5|
+2|
+5|Wild Shape 3/day, Morphic Strike Magic

7th|
+5|
+5|
+2|
+5|Morphic Immunities

8th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+2|
+6|Wild Shape (Large), Spell Resistance

9th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+3|
+6|Wild Shape 4/day, Fast Healing 1

10th|
+7/+2|
+7|
+3|
+7|Greater Morphic Body

11th|
+8/+3|
+7|
+3|
+7|Wild Shape (Tiny)

12th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+4|
+8|Multimorph

13th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+4|
+8|Wild Shape 5/day

14th|
+10/+5|
+9|
+4|
+9|Fast Healing 2

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+9|
+5|
+9|Wild Shape (Huge), Mighty Morphic Body

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+10|A Thousand Faces

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+10|Flashmorph

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+11|-

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+11|Fast Healing 3

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+12|Legendary Morphic Body, Timeless Body[/table]
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Wildshapers are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword and scimitar. They are also proficient with all the natural attacks (claw, bite, etc.) of the forms they can assume during Wild Shape (they are proficient with these weapons even in their natural form).
Wildshapers are proficient with light and medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).
Animal Companion (Ex): Same as Druid class (p.35 Player's Handbook).
Wild Empathy (Ex): Same as Druid class (p.35 Player's Handbook).
Morphic Weapons (Su): At 1st level, a Wildshaper can grow natural weapons as a move action. They are capable of growing any natural weapons. After growing weapons, they gain a naturalattack that deals damage appropriate to the weapon and character's size (p.296, 5-1 Monster Manual). This ability functions in Wild Shape as well as when the Wildshaper is in his normal form. For example, A Wildshaper in the form of a bear (Large animal) could grow horns providing a gore attack that deals 1d8 points of damage.
If the Wildshaper's form already has a natural attack of the type the Wildshaper wishes to "grow" that attack deals damage as if it were on size category larger. For example, a Wildshaper who Wild Shaped into a Dire Wolf (Large animal) could grow its jaw and snout, increasing the bite damage to 2d6 (as opposed to 1d8). The Wildshaper may only increase the size category of a natural attack once at a time.
A Wildshaper may have a maximum of one Morphic Weapon for every four class levels, at any one time (minimum of one).
Morphic Accuracy (Su): Starting at 6th level, a Wildshaper adds his Wisdom modifier as a bonus to attack rolls, however, a Wildshaper can gain a maximum bonus of 1/2 his current level. This bonus only applies while the Wildshaper is using Wild Shape.
Wild Shape (Ex): At 3rd level, a Wildshaper gains the ability to turn into a small or medium animal and back once per day. Changing form (to an animal or back) is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. This is an extraordinary ability that functions the same as the polymorph spell (p.263 [i]Player's Handbook) except as noted in the Druid class (p.35 Player's Handbook).
A Wildshaper can use this ability an additional time per day at 4th, 6th, 9th, and 13th levels. In addition he gains the ability to turn into a Large animal at 8th level, a Tiny animal and Plant at 11th level, and into a Huge animal at 15th level. The new form's hit dice cannot exceed the character's Wildshaper level.
Morphic Reach (Su): At 4th level and higher, a Wildershaper can stretch his limbs, neck, or other appendages outward, this grants the Wildshaper 5ft. more reach. Wildshapers don't appear to have a longer reach until they attack. This ability can be used in Wildshape as well as in the Wildshaper's natural form.
Morphic Armor (Ex): Beginning at 5th level, a Wildshaper adds his Wisdom modifier as an increase to his natural armor bonus. This bonus cannot be higher than 1/3 his current level. This bonus only applies in Wild Shape.
Morphic Body (Su): At 5th level, a Wildshaper becomes able to use his precise control over his animal form to make itself stronger and heartier. He gains a +2 bonus to Strength and Constitution when in his animal form.
Morphic Strike Magic (Su): Starting at 6th level, a Wildshaper's natural attacks are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Morphic Immunities (Ex): A Wildshaper is adept at shifting the position of his vital organs to keep them safe from harm. At 7th level, the Wildshaper becomes immune to stunning and critical hits.
Spell Resistance (Su): At 8th level, a Wildshaper gains Spell Resistance equal to 15 + Wis.
Fast Healing (Su): At 9th level, a Wildshaper obtains the ability to regain hit points at an exceptionally fast rate due to his morphic abilities. While in Wild Shape, a Wildshaper regains hit points at a rate of 1 each round. At 14th level and 5 levels thereafter the rate of healing increases by 1.
Greater Morphic Body (Su): At 10th level, a Wildshaper's control over his Wild Shaping becomes more precise, making the Wildershaper even tougher and hardier. He gains another +2 bonus to Strength and Constitution (for a total of +4 to Str and Con). This bonus only applies during Wild Shape.
Multimorph (Su): This ability allows the Wildshaper to change forms multiple times during the duration of the Wild Shape ability. Each change requires a standard action. The fast healing ability of the Wildshaper only functions in the first form of each use of the Wild Shape.
Might Morphic Body (Su): At 15th level, a Wildshaper's control once again becomes more acute. Granting an addition +2 Strength and Constitution (for a total of +6).
A Thousand Faces (Su): At 16th level, the Wildshaper gains the ability to change her appearance at will, this functions as the alter self spell (p.197 Player's Handbook). This ability only functions in the Wildshaper's natural form.
Flashmorph (Su): At 17th level, the Wildshaper gains the ability to change form as a move action.
Timeless Body (Ex): Upon attaining 20th level, a Wildshaper no longer takes penalties to his ability score for again and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the Wildshaper dies of old age when her time is up.
Legendary Morphic Body (Su): At 20th level, a Wildshaper's mastery of his Wild Shape ability becomes complete. He gains a final +2 bonus to Strength and Constitution (for a total of +8 to Strength and Constitution).

demidracolich
2010-05-01, 12:10 PM
Well, for one thing this gets rid of the druid wildshape cheese because it has no spellcasting or animal companion. As for the balance, it looks fine to me.

Olympus
2010-05-01, 12:46 PM
Yeah, it was intended to be a pure wild-shape class where you didn't have to mess with spell-casting.


Glad to hear it seems balanced :smallsmile:

Rainbownaga
2010-05-02, 05:58 AM
Well, for one thing this gets rid of the druid wildshape cheese because it has no spellcasting or animal companion. As for the balance, it looks fine to me.

Take another look.


The class looks cool, but I worry about the morphic weapon ability; if the ability only gives you a single attack no matter how many times you use it, you should point this out. If it allows you to grow near-infinite natural weapons and use them all with multiattack... it shouldn't.

Eldan
2010-05-02, 06:26 AM
Actually, morphic weapon was always something I wondered about in the Warshaper as well. Can you just grow infinite tentacles?

Perhaps a limit on number of weapons by level?

Oh, and any reason why the table is in the middle of the class features like this? Looks like a copy-paste error.

Have you thought about making it based on the Shapeshift druid instead? It's a lot more controlled, giving specific boni to ability scores, and doesn't make you wholly independent from your own abilities like Wildshape does.
Somewhere there's a list of shapeshift feats giving more forms, perhaps he could choose his forms or get more as a bonus to make him more versatile.

Olympus
2010-05-02, 09:23 AM
Actually, morphic weapon was always something I wondered about in the Warshaper as well. Can you just grow infinite tentacles?

Perhaps a limit on number of weapons by level?

Oh, and any reason why the table is in the middle of the class features like this? Looks like a copy-paste error.

Have you thought about making it based on the Shapeshift druid instead? It's a lot more controlled, giving specific boni to ability scores, and doesn't make you wholly independent from your own abilities like Wildshape does.
Somewhere there's a list of shapeshift feats giving more forms, perhaps he could choose his forms or get more as a bonus to make him more versatile.

Okay, I'll limit weapons that you can create with morphic weapons to prevent things from going crazy.


What source is the Shapeshift Druid from?

Eldan
2010-05-02, 09:37 AM
Players handbook II. Basically, instead of Wildshape a limited numbers per day, you get shapeshift from level one, and unlimited uses per day.
The main difference is that you have limited forms, and instead of the animals stats replacing yours, you get a bonus to your stat. I don't remember the exact number, but you could get something like a predator shape giving +6 strength and dexterity.

Olympus
2010-05-02, 09:46 AM
Players handbook II. Basically, instead of Wildshape a limited numbers per day, you get shapeshift from level one, and unlimited uses per day.
The main difference is that you have limited forms, and instead of the animals stats replacing yours, you get a bonus to your stat. I don't remember the exact number, but you could get something like a predator shape giving +6 strength and dexterity.

Sounds good I'll have to check it out, the Wildshape system did seem a little clunky to me.