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WarKitty
2011-01-27, 10:51 AM
I have a rebuild of an old character that was focused on shapechanging. So far the build is Shapeshift druid 6/Nature's warrior 4/Fist of the Forest 1/Warshaper 4. Probably using goliath as a base race for powerful build, assuming it carries over, possibly draconic template in order to get claw attacks in "normal" form.

Fluff-wise, she's essentially a lycanthrope-descended race that's trained as guards and warriors. Unlike shifters, her race retains hybrid and animal forms but has lost their human shape. While not spellcasters, they retain some abilities to increase their own strength for a time (read: self-buff spells ONLY from druid).

The question here is - how high can I get my damage going? And how big can I get myself? Due to the fluff of this character I'm not going to be making much use of druid other than simple buff spells and the shapeshifting.

Keld Denar
2011-01-27, 11:06 AM
If you aren't getting much use out of Druid, consider changing to Simple Ranger. You lose the spells, but you get 2 more BAB, which can be useful. Also, PrC into MoMF at 6 instead of taking that 6th base class level, as the sooner you do, the sooner you'll get all the awesome forms. Take between 2 and 6 levels of MoMF, then 2 levels of Warshaper for Morphic Weapons. From there on out, finish MoMF, take 2 more levels of Warshaper (total 4), and nab a level of Nature's Warrior at some point. Depending on whether or not you want to grapple, Serpent's Coils from NW is awesome because Constrict is amazing, but otherwise one of the other abilities are ok too.

If you want to grapple, take IUAS, Imp Grapple and use a form with a great grapple check. There is a MoMF bible out there that has all of the combat forms from all of the monster book ever printed. Its pretty sexy, look it up for optimal shapeshifting.

WarKitty
2011-01-27, 11:12 AM
If you aren't getting much use out of Druid, consider changing to Simple Ranger. You lose the spells, but you get 2 more BAB, which can be useful. Also, PrC into MoMF at 6 instead of taking that 6th base class level, as the sooner you do, the sooner you'll get all the awesome forms. Take between 2 and 6 levels of MoMF, then 2 levels of Warshaper for Morphic Weapons. From there on out, finish MoMF, take 2 more levels of Warshaper (total 4), and nab a level of Nature's Warrior at some point. Depending on whether or not you want to grapple, Serpent's Coils from NW is awesome because Constrict is amazing, but otherwise one of the other abilities are ok too.

If you want to grapple, take IUAS, Imp Grapple and use a form with a great grapple check. There is a MoMF bible out there that has all of the combat forms from all of the monster book ever printed. Its pretty sexy, look it up for optimal shapeshifting.

Grapple is good. I don't want to deviate from the big cat forms. I really do need at-will shapechanging due to the fluff of the character starting at early levels - waiting until level 6 to get it just won't work. I'm really trying to make this a build that's playable as the character from level 3 up, which is adding in a lot more restrictions.

Keld Denar
2011-01-27, 11:14 AM
Oh, I thought you were simply rebuilding a 15th level character...

Disregard that then...

WarKitty
2011-01-27, 11:23 AM
Oh, I thought you were simply rebuilding a 15th level character...

Disregard that then...

Anyway, I figure I'll work extend and persist spell in, by the time that BAB would really matter I'll have persisted wombat's attributes, barkskin, and have greater magic fang on myself constantly.

Keld Denar
2011-01-27, 11:30 AM
Use Superior Magic Fang instead. Its 4th level instead of 3rd, but it affects ALL of your natural weapons instead of just one, or splitting the bonus between several. This is really big if you use forms like Giant Octopus, but is also helpful for many cat forms with claw/claw/bite/rake/rake attack routines. Each of those attacks are a seperate weapon, so you'd need 5 GMF to cover them, while you'd only need 1 SMF. Plus, both SMF and GMF have a duration of HOURS per level, so persisting them is not really needed.

Are you really gonna have enough spellcaster levels to get mileage out of Persist? Its a +6 MM...that means that 1st level spells are 7th, 2nd are 8th, and 3rd are 9th. Thats...steep without MM reducers.

WarKitty
2011-01-27, 11:38 AM
Use Superior Magic Fang instead. Its 4th level instead of 3rd, but it affects ALL of your natural weapons instead of just one, or splitting the bonus between several. This is really big if you use forms like Giant Octopus, but is also helpful for many cat forms with claw/claw/bite/rake/rake attack routines. Each of those attacks are a seperate weapon, so you'd need 5 GMF to cover them, while you'd only need 1 SMF. Plus, both SMF and GMF have a duration of HOURS per level, so persisting them is not really needed.

Are you really gonna have enough spellcaster levels to get mileage out of Persist? Its a +6 MM...that means that 1st level spells are 7th, 2nd are 8th, and 3rd are 9th. Thats...steep without MM reducers.

Ugh, I was thinking it was a +4, not a +6. And I'm already pretty feat-starved with getting into the various classes. Where are you getting SMF from? I found it in SpC, but it's only minutes/level there.

Keld Denar
2011-01-27, 11:56 AM
Huh...I coulda sworn it was hours...well, thats kinda a bummer...

Anyway, thats about all the advise I got on that.