3.5 The Shifter Handbook (WIP)

[NeoSeraphi]

The Shifter Handbook

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg306/GotrekSA/Dungeons%20And%20Dragons/Eberron-Shifter.jpg

What is a Shifter?

The shifter is a customizable race from the Eberron Campaign Setting, which is important to note, as customizable races are rather rare in the game. The shifter is, for all intents and purposes, a playable lycanthrope. It has no LA and no racial hit dice, and allows you to change your shape and transform into an animalistic version of yourself, with quite a few nice choices on animals.


But wait, NeoSeraphi! Aren't you one of those "homebrewers" that spend all their free time posting overpowered crap that you justify by using the most unbalanced cheese in the game, just because you hate how 3.5 was really designed? Why are you acknowledging the existence of actual 3.5 material?

First of all, I'm flattered that you know me. :smallredface: Secondly, I love 3.5, and Dungeons and Dragons in general. I just feel that occasionally WotC chose to blatantly ignore the rules of its own game for various unexplained reasons, such as the Devoted Performer feat allowing bards to be Lawful, orb of fire ignoring spell resistance despite being a conjuration (creation) effect that makes energy, which the SRD states exactly as the prerequisite for a conjuration spell allowing spell resistance, and the fact that they chose to follow the publishing of the hexblade with the publishing of the duskblade.

On to the main point, shifters are a fantastic way to play a werewolf (or bear, or tiger, or whatever you want) character, but unfortunately because they are campaign-specific, they are rarely heard about, which is surprising to me because it seems that everyone knows what a warforged is. I hope to draw attention to this vastly flavorful race, and deliver it to all of you along with a small side dish of snark.


Table of Contents

Description
Animal Choices
Dinosaur Choices
Why Play a Shifter?
Base Classes
Prestige Classes
Racial Feats


Color-Coded Table

Gold = Pure Gold
Blue = Pretty Good, definitely worth taking
Black = Decent. Not bad, but there are probably other options, or there's just a problem with it that holds it back, in my opinion
Purple = Subpar. Don't take this unless you're doing it for fluff reasons or because you believe character optimization is unnecessary (However, if that's the case, feel free to ignore all these colors to begin with)
Red = Just Plain Awful. Toughness-quality. If you are considering this option after you have read this handbook, it is either to spite me, or it is because you are actually a dog and cannot see colors

[NeoSeraphi]

Description

A shifter is a humanoid creature that is descended from humans and natural lycanthropes (making them the second hybrid race that doesn't suck, as they are alphabetically after the changelings from the same book). A "natural lycanthrope" is a creature who was born with the curse rather than inheriting it from a bite. Natural lycanthropes are the only creatures who can pass on the curse with their natural weapons, so it makes sense that they are also the only ones who can pass it on genetically.

WotC gave them a really cool alternate name, "the weretouched". While shifter is more commonly recognized by players, I tend to find that weretouched makes for much cooler and believable roleplaying, as when I am playing a creature who has a choice between referring to himself as a "shifter" or a "weretouched", I go with the latter every time.

Before we get into the complicated stuff, let's take a look at the race's description breakdown:


Humanoid (Shapechanger) - This is a great thing, because, why not? You can either be a humanoid, or you can be a humanoid (Shapechanger). Special note, this qualifies you for the amazing warshaper (Complete Warrior) prestige class, without needing spellcasting or druid-ness
+2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma - At first, it seems kind of bad. A net -2 adjustment? Most players, especially those who play Pathfinder, will find this repulsive. But keep your pants on, we're getting to the good stuff. All I can say is, if you want to play a caster, stick to the intended fluff and play a nature-based divine caster, rather than a wizard.
Medium Size, 30 feet land speed - Meh. It's normal for a race. No size goodies here.
Shifting - The reason you are here. You're not playing a shifter because you want to be "optimized". You're playing it because you want an excuse to throw your head back and roar at the game table. This little feature gets not one, but TWO of its own sections, so for now, just know that this is as Gold as it gets in this thread
Low-Light Vision - This is too common to be blue. Sure, it's better than humans, but I don't hold humans to the middle-ground standard that they were supposed to be
+2 racial bonus to Balance, Climb, and Jump checks - The only way this would have gotten Gold is if that Climb had been Tumble instead. That said, this will help you pull off jungle acrobatics earlier. A welcome addition


Shifting

Shifting is a supernatural ability, but unlike alternate form, it is a free action. Shifting gives you a +2 bonus to one of your physical abilities scores and makes you look similar to a lycanthrope's hybrid form (of course, this is all just for your mental viewing pleasure, so feel free to get as wild or as tame as you want with your shifting)

Shifting is a strange cross between alternate form and a barbarian's rage. It lasts only a few rounds (like a barbarian's rage), but it lasts one additional round per Shifter racial feat you select. You can only shift once per day, but for every two Shifter racial feats you select, you receive an additional daily shifting. This is by far the best mechanic for racial feats ever released in 3.5, and the feats themselves do not make it hard to take advantage of it.

In addition to a physical ability score bonus, you get some small benefit that ranges from a new movement speed to natural attacks to some pretty specific animalistic features. You can only choose one racial trait, but like so many other problems in 3.5, if you really want more than one, There's a Feat for That.


Animal Choices

When you create your shifter, you choose an animal to emulate. That animal is the source of your lycanthropic heritage, and it gives you all the fluff you'll ever need for your character. Unlike lycanthropes, shifters can completely control their shifting ability without using the Control Shape skill, and their control over their transformations is not affected during the full moon.

That said, you do have a slightly limited choice when it comes to animals you can emulate (IE: You can't just grab any animal from the Monster Manual)

Feel free to fluff your wild appearance any way you like. All that you must adhere to is the mechanical effects of your transformations, which I will briefly cover now:

Beasthide: This is for those of you who want to unleash your inner boar. It's useful for a defensive shifter who doesn't want to go wolverine-rage on someone every time they transform. I have yet to meet a single player who would choose to play a shifter defensively over aggressively, but it's nice to have the option.
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Animal: Wereboar

Longtooth: One of three shifter traits that grant a natural attack, and the most common choice for the Extra Shifter Trait feat. The longtooth variant is for all you were-rats and werewolves, who want to tear a piece out of your opponent. The trait itself isn't as good as the Razorclaw trait, but the Longtooth Elite feat makes this choice Gold all on its own.
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Animal: Werewolf

Cliffwalk: I have nothing against Climb speeds, but why on earth would a were-ape get a bonus to Dexterity instead of Strength? Regardless, I know it's a little harsh to dole out this color, but you all came here because you wanted my opinion, and now you've got it. Pick a different trait.
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Animal: Were-ape

Razorclaw: My personal favorite. The razorclaw shifter is the only Medium-sized humanoid race with 0 RHD and 0 LA to have two natural attacks at first level with no feats. The razorclaw can be fluffed in so many ways, as the werebear, the weretiger, the were-wolverine, the actual Wolverine, the possibilities are endless. Bonus points if you play a were-badger descendent.
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Animal: Were-tiger

Longstride: Named after the first level spell the effect emulates. Honestly, if you want extra speed, take a level in barbarian (which you'll probably do anyway). The only reason you'd want to take this race is to play a were-cheetah, and if you do, beg your DM to at least make the increased land speed untyped instead of an enhancement bonus, and then ask if it can pretty please scale with your level (maybe +10' per 4 HD, up to a total of +60' at level 20). Seriously, if all you're getting is speed, it should be higher than this.
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Animal: Were-cheetah

Wildhunt: Here we go. Now this is what I'm talking about! For shifters who don't want to fight with a barrage of natural attacks, wildhunt is about as good as you've got it. Shifter rangers are strongly encouraged to take this type, as you will be the best tracker/hunter you could be.
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Animal: Were-Bloodhound (Just watch out for shotguns)

Alternate Animals, Races of Eberron

Dreamsight: This trait gains special mention as the only shifter trait that does not grant you a bonus to a physical ability score. It is very useful for shifter druids/rangers, the only reason I don't personally like it is that I have no idea what kind of lycanthrope you are descended from, or what kind of physical traits you take on while you shift.
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Animal: I would personally name it a "were-druid", but I suppose that's just something you'll have to talk to your DM about. (Though the idea of a druid bloodline being powerful enough to give you mini-Wild Shape as a racial trait, like spellscales for sorcerers, does have fluff potential)

Gorebrute: The strongest natural attack offered, with one flavorful and one mechanical restriction. (Personally, I'm glad WotC finally woke up and realized how overpowered Pounce was, but too little too late) If you want to optimize, never pick this over Razorclaws, but if you want a reason to take this trait, go no further than your own imagination (and if your imagination is too bland, look at the line below)
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Animal: Were-rhinocerous

Swiftwing: It's not as bad as Cliffwalk and Longstride, but seriously, play a raptoran instead. Not only do you get a low flight speed, you also get the crappiest natural wings in the game (because they don't grant you a racial bonus to your Jump check, for some unfathomable reason)
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Animal: Were-eagle

Truedive: This trait is either going to be way too situational to be useful, or it's going to come up so often that you should really play an aquatic race instead. I sure wish I could take 10 on my Swim checks here, along with every other race with a natural swim speed.
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Animal: Were-shark


Dinosaur Choices

If this was not the section you immediately skipped to after reading the table of contents, you either already knew about saurian shifters, or I am extremely disappointed in you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Magazine 328, which is where this race was published. I am taking everything from the fantastic CrystalKeep Index of Races here.

For starters, Saurian Shifters can turn into dinosaur forms instead of animals. As the transformation itself is completely up to the creator, there's no real reason for this to be a completely separate race, however, because of that weird Beast/Animal thing that 3.0 had, I guess WotC decided dinosaurs needed there own section.

Saurian Shifters are identical to normal shifters in every way, except they get a Constitution bonus instead of a Dexterity bonus as part of their racial modifiers (not as part of their shifting). This can be nice for the tank shifter, and if you're playing a character who can transform into a dinosaur, you want to be able to take some hits.

Broadwing: Hey, you know that one monk class feature that everyone hates? You have a non-scaling version of it now!
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Dinosaur: Pterodactyl

Junglerunner: This is what Longstrider should have been. If you are building a charger, this is the shifter you take.
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Dinosaur: Velociraptor

Raptorleap: This is the shifter you build if you want to play a ninja dinosaur. And yes, that is a mental image you just cannot unsee.
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Dinosaur: Velociraptor

Widetail: I am a big fan of natural attacks, and this one is definitely a good choice. It's at the bottom of the natural attack shifters, though, just because I haven't seen any racial feats that augment it.
NeoSeraphi's Suggested Dinosaur: Stegosaurus


Why Play a Shifter?

Really, this part should be obvious. If you don't see the appeal of playing a lycanthrope, well, it leads me to wonder why you've read this far. Let me list a few mechanical reasons, though, for the power-gamers out there.


The Moonspeaker Prestige Class - Flavor. Power. Often regarded as one of the few druid prestige classes that is really worth using over druid 20 (and it's not nearly as cheesy as Planar Shepherd)
The Weretouched Master Prestige Class - This is what you're really here for. For five levels of awesome, you will truly become a lycanthrope (if your DM has any common sense). This is simply the next step in playing a shifter, it's basically you buying off your lycanthropy rather than using RHD
Shifter Savagery- Sadly, there is no racial substitution levels for shifter barbarians, but this shifter barbarian feat more than makes up for it. If you like the Black Blood Cultist prestige class from Champions of Ruin, save yourself the need to grapple and take this feat


The shifter has some of the best racial feats in the game, some of the best flavor and options in the game, some of the best racial prestige classes in the game, heck, it's got so much material that someone actually decided to write an entire handbook on it.

You want to know why you should play a shifter? Because a shifter is so unique that when you make the selection to play a shifter, it's one of the few rare times that you'll be choosing your class based on your race and not the other way around!

[NeoSeraphi]

Shifter Base Classes

Okay, so now you know what kind of awesome were-beast you want to play as. (If you don't know yet, it's understandable. There are lots of sexy choices. You don't have to decide right now). So what should your first class be? Well, we have lots of options here! Let's take a look at the good, the bad, and the red!


PHB Classes

Barbarian - This is by far the prime choice for a shifter. Even if you just dip it, you should take barbarian. Not only do you have the fluff of a berserker who lets his mind go wild, you also have the Totem Animals variants. While other barbarians may "draw their power" from a bear, you are actually half-bear. You draw power from yourself. Crunch-wise, the ability to stack a +4 Str and Con onto your shifting means that even though you can only shift once per day, when you shift, it ends battles. There is also the amazing shifter barbarian feat Shifter Savagery, which by itself makes barbarian worth taking if you are a razorclaw or a longtooth shifter. The Con focus of the class, along with the d12 hit dice, make you very close to SAD here (because of all the ways a barbarian has to increase his damage and Strength, it's almost arguable that you could make Str your secondary stat as a shifter barbarian and just focus on Con so you can rage and shift for the entire fight)

Bard - -2 Int and -2 Cha really hurts a shifter bard, but there are worse options. Nowhere does it say that you lose the ability to speak while you are shifted, though that's how I generally play my shifters (honestly, howling and roaring is much more fun than an intimidating speech), so don't worry about any verbal components or songs being interrupted by your savagery. If you do decide to play a bard, play a divine bard instead, so that you can be Wisdom-dependent (at least for your casting).

Cleric - A shifter cleric has many of the same options available to it that other clerics do. Int is a dump stat for clerics, and Cha is only necessary if you're really using your Turn Undead attempts for Divine feats, but if you do that, you won't be able to grab as many racial feats to boost your shifting. It's a choice that you'll need to make at the beginning of your career, whether to use the divine magic to boost your shifting (and thus spend all your feats to utilize it as well, and use your buffs to make yourself a melee monster) or to use your shifting to augment your early levels and then leave it in the dust once you start getting higher level spells that outshine it (in which case, grab some metamagic and Extra Turning feats and DMM, and have fun!) Shifters also get access to the Transformation Domain, which is the only domain I know of that gives a cleric polymorph and shapechange.

Druid - For those of you who are expecting a 3 page fanboygasm, you'll need to wait. I'm covering Racial Substitution levels at the end of this section. The druid is the prime choice for a shifter who wants to play a caster. Druids cast using Wisdom, they revere nature, they summon animals and they receive ridiculous bonuses to their ability scores with the aptly named bite of the were-x spell line. Oh, and they can transform into any animal for hours at a time. Wildshape makes a nice follow-up to shifting. Of course, you can always wildshape and then shift, transforming your animal self into a wilder, more animalistic version of yourself. The dreamspeak shifter finds his home with the druid.

Fighter - While the shifter is a fairly physical class, it clashes really badly with the fighter. The fighter is a class that you want to use a two-handed weapon, or maybe a sword and shield with. So you can't make use of the razorclaw trait. While it would seem like swiftwing or truedive would help here, with the additional movement nodes, you can't swim or fly in heavy armor (with the shifter traits, at least). However, there are some decent options. If you're just looking for some extra toughness, along with your fluff, you can play a Beasthide Saurian shifter, and grab a nice +4 Con, in addition to some AC. This makes you a solid tank right from level 1, as long as you grab some scale mail. The Longtooth and Widetail shifters are also both good options for a Saurian fighter, as you can use those natural attacks without your hands, letting you tack them on to a two-handed weapon routine. The fighter does have a significant boon though. With all of his bonus feats helping you customize your combat, you have much more room to spend your normal feats on shifter feats and augment your transformations and your melee at the same time.

Monk - Shifter monks have some good support, crunch-wise. For one thing, you've got a Dex bonus, penalties to the only two stats a monk doesn't need, and if you choose the razorclaw trait, you can take Beast Strike from Dragon Magazine some number and add your claw damage to your unarmed strike damage, which will let you double up on size shenanigans that are so common with a monk build. As for the fluff, a wise old man who not only knows kung fu, but can transform into a half-panda and chop you up in bear form? Pretty nice. Couple with the Wild Monk ACF for maximum fluff/crunch.

Paladin - Paladins have a lot of the same problems that fighters do with shifters. Heavy armor and full martial weapon proficiency does not synergize well with most of the shifter traits. However, if you grab the alternate racial features from Races of Eberron, you've got something. You can take Gorebrute, grab the Charging Smite ACF from the PHB II, and literally maul people on your horns. The penalty to your Charisma will actually be noticeable with your Smiting, Lay on Hands, and Divine Grace bonus all reduced. In general, the paladin class does not offer much, and you'd be better off picking a different class.

Ranger - Wildhunt shifters have found their home. A class that is completely based on tracking and living and hunting in the wild? Yes, please. The Int penalty is softened by the racial bonuses to skill checks you'll be using in the wild, as well as by the ranger's impressive skill points per level. The Dex bonus will help you qualify for all the archery feats that you don't get for free, if you choose to be an archer. Max out your Spot, Listen, Knowledge (Nature) and Survival checks, and put a few points in Knowledge (Geography), and be the party's map and ranged DPS specialist. A shifter ranger who wants to focus on spellcasting can grab the Mystic Ranger variant from Dragon Magazine and take the dreamspeak shifter variant, which will not only give you a boost to your casting stat (and to several important ranger skills), but the addition of speak with animals allows you to skip preparing that spell and use one of your vital spell slots for something more useful.

Rogue - For those who know me a little, it's no secret, I hate rogues. That said, the shifter does have a little bit of option here. A low-level rogue will greatly appreciate the early flight of the swiftwing shifter, and the +4 Dexterity bonus will certainly help. However, the rogue class itself is very feat-dependent, and with the Intelligence and Charisma penalties together, you're probably not going to have much room to put a high Constitution score in, so chances are, you'll only be shifting for 5-6 rounds per day, and only one time per day. You could do worse, especially if you pick up the wilderness rogue variant for the flavor and for K:N, Survival, Camoflauge and Hide in Plain Sight, but you can do a whole lot better too.

Sorcerer - Same boat as the bard, only a little bit less, since the sorcerer isn't nearly as Intelligence-dependent as the bard. The Dexterity bonus helps with ranged touch spells, but not enough to offset the hit to your Charisma score. If you really want to play a shifter sorcerer, take a lot of ray spells that don't offer saving throws so you can make the most out of your Dexterity without worrying about your lower save DC.

Wizard - The absolute worst choice for a shifter. Abysmally low skill points, and a penalty to an ability score that the wizard is famous for being SAD in, combined with the fact that the wizard is already altering self at level 2, polymorphing at level 7, and shapechanging when he gets 9ths, and you have no room left for the power of the wild. Low hit dice and no armor proficiency means melee is a bad choice for you, though a shifter wizard could have fun as a gish. Wizards are one of the single most feat-dependent base classes in the entire game, so don't be surprised if you can't fit a single racial feat into your build, making your entire racial features overshadowed starting at level 5, and obsolete by level 7. There is no shifter trait that the wizard cannot duplicate with a low-level spell, and a +2 bonus to a single physical ability score is far outshined by animalistic power. The wizard just doesn't have anything to gain from the shifter, and he loses too much (either -4 Int, because he could have taken a +2 Int race, or -2 Int and a bonus feat if he had been human)

PHB II Classes

Beguiler - As far as arcane casters go, the beguiler is probably one of your best choices, crunch-wise. Yes, you get a penalty to your casting stat, as well as a penalty to the social stat that beguilers use when they're being a party face, but unlike most casters, beguilers have a ridiculous number of skill points in addition to their Intelligence-dependency, so you won't miss that 2 extra Int too much. The higher BAB helps a shifter maintain his combat focus, while Cloaked Casting helps with his lowered DC. All in all, a solid option.

Dragon Shaman - This is something I wasn't really expecting to run into when I made this handbook, but for a base class, dragon shamans have some really specific fluff. Makes it hard to play a race with really specific, and very conflicting, fluff alongside it. So, you are descended from a werewolf, and now you're trying to become a dragon? Why, exactly? Crunch-wise is decent, because of the high hit points, and the shared Con dependency. Dragon shamans, unlike dragonfire adepts, are encouraged to stack as many meta-breath feats as they can onto their weapon and shoot the biggest blast of fire they can all at once, once per battle. So you can shift into beasthide and grab an extra boost to your DC, then let loose a Maximized Entangled Lingering Empowered electricity breath. There are no auras that boost your combat skill (the healing aura keeps you alive, but it doesn't add to your ability to tear things up). All in all, the dragon shaman is a pretty poorly designed class, and really doesn't give you much that you couldn't get from taking dragonfire adept instead.

Duskblade - This is quite possibly the highest rating any arcane class is going to get from me in this handbook. Full BAB, medium armor proficiency, and the ability to channel blasting spells through your melee attacks means that you can actually really benefit from Strength bonuses from your shifting.

Knight - The Charisma penalty for a shifter may not be too high, but the knight uses it for so many things that you will definitely notice it, even more often than a sorcerer would, because you have less reason to pump Charisma after character creation. Lower daily uses of Knight's Challenge and lower DCs for your challenges are not fun. The heavy armor proficiency, poor Reflex save, melee focus, and small skill list means the Eberron shifter is getting very minimal returns out of his racial Dexterity bonus, and the martial weapon proficiency means that natural attack shifters won't be getting much either. My suggestion? Be a Saurian shifter and take the Junglerunner variant, so that you can effectively move across the battlefield even in plate. The +2 Str, +2 Con will help soften the blow against your Charisma by letting you put a higher initial score into that without hurting your melee too much. Still, with the lack of bonus feat options, the knight is worse than a fighter for a shifter.



Racial Substitution Levels (AKA- How Wild Can You Go?)

Druid - Ah, the shifter druid substitution levels. This is perhaps the only time that you will not regret giving up your animal companion. First, let's take a look at what you gain:

Shifter druids have Balance, Climb, and Jump added to their skill lists during their racial substitution levels. Not bad, if you ask me. Jump and Climb aren't really necessary unless you take the 5th level substitution, but if you do, you'll be glad you have them. As always, if you are able to put 5 ranks in Balance, you should do it.

The first racial substitution level for druids is pure, orangey Gold. You get something called a Beast Spirit, which is rather like having a familiar or an animal companion, except it's you. As you level, you grow in power as if you were your own companion, including receiving a growing untyped bonus to your physical ability score that you can reassign every day, the slippery mind feature of the rogue, a free +2 rounds to your shifting duration, and a second Extra Shifter Trait feat, among other really nice goodies.

Scaling class features are always amazing, and while the animal companion is a powerful class feature, it's not always desirable to keep up with that much bookwork, and of course you might make someone in the party feel bad. I highly recommend grabbing Beast Spirit if you are a shifter druid.

The second druid substitution level is really nice. A great benefit, which will come up much more often than Resist Nature's Lure, and with your good Will saves and Wisdom-dependency, the penalty is not something you're likely to miss.

The 5th level substitution level gives people pause. For good reason, it takes away Wild Shape. Instead, you gain additional daily uses of your shifting ability, and it reduces some MAD by letting you base the duration of your shifting off your Wisdom instead of your Con. This might seem a bit odd to a lot of you, as, well, without Wild Shape, you'll actually have to play a druid with....positive physical ability scores! (dun dun dun!)

Personally, this one is no contest crunch-wise. Wild Shape is an incredibly over-powered ability and Wild Shifting is nothing compared to it. That said, Wild Shifting has the advantage of saving your feat slots by giving you free daily uses of your shifting so you can shift all day without fear, and also increases the size of your natural attacks that you gain from shifting, twice. (Of course, this part of the ability is irrelevant if you selected one of the 10 shifter traits that does not grant you a natural attack, but then, you probably should just stick to Wild Shape). If you want to keep Wild Shape, there is nothing stopping you. You can take both of the first two racial substitution levels and leave the third one behind, no problem.


Ranger - The shifter ranger is also Gold with a capital G, mostly because of how racial substitution levels work. They take the crap and throw it out, then give you shiny abilities that you just want to hug. The shifter ranger is no exception.

Shifter rangers get all normal skills/skill points, plus Balance. Nothing lost, one skill gained in a skill-monkey role, so it's a definite win here.

1st Level - Trade wild empathy for...wild empathy. But using your Wisdom instead of your Charisma modifier. Why not? The real attraction here is Balance as a class feature at 1st level, so you can start the game with a +6 to it, letting you deal with those grease spells that can happen at first level. Still, it's the exact same class feature, but based on an ability score you actually care about, instead of one that you got a racial penalty to and were probably going to dump anyway. This right here is the definition of blue.

4th Level- This is pretty much a no-brainer. You get the ability to give your animal companion small buffs, access to your shifter feats, and possibly a new form of movement, depending on your trait(s), and in exchange, you give up the ability to share spells. Unless you really really really want to share swift haste with your wolf, I suggest you grab this. The only reason I wouldn't is if I was playing a Mystic Ranger variant (and even then, I say that without having looked at the spell list. I don't know how many decent spells there are for an animal companion when you're casting as a ranger)

9th Level- Whoa. Yes please. Give up a class feature you can buy for 25 k or a 2 level rogue dip and in exchange, your natural weapons overcome DR/Adamantine, or if you're a Dex-based shifter you gain Improved Evasion instead, or if you're a Con based shifter you gain Fast Healing. And if you're a dreamspeak shifter, you gain immunity to enchantment. All while shifting. This is a really nice addition that will help your shifter ranger fight and customize his character. If your DM will let you take 3 shifter racial feats instead of your Combat Style, you're all set!

Wilder - Yep, this one is gold too. The reason why will become incredibly apparent.

For some reason, wilders already have Balance, Climb, and Jump on their class skill lists. Does anyone else find that odd? Just me? Okay. Anyway, shifter wilders gain Survival as a class skill.

1st level- You gain the ability to learn egoist powers. You trade absolutely nothing for this. It is totally free. The egoist discipline isn't bad, so why not?

2nd level- This one is kind of a toss-up. It really depends on your DM. Do you think you'll be fighting a lot of creatures who use touch attacks? Do you think it will really matter if you pump your touch AC against those attacks? Free power points are always nice, but it really depends on whether you plan to take shifter feats and get extra uses per day. If you do though, 2 shifter feats becomes Extra Power Points, in addition to its other abilities.

6th level- While you are surging in euphoria and gaining small bonuses to your attack and damage rolls, you are also shifting for free. Again, you trade absolutely nothing for this. 2 of the 3 shifter racial substitution levels, you get free abilities and Survival. One of them even fills in a dead level. If you're going to play a shifter wilder, you might as well grab levels 1 and 6, and it's up to you about level 2.


And now, I must complete my work on this guide for tonight, as I am sick with a cold. To be continued...

[NeoSeraphi]

Shifter Prestige Classes

First of all, if you turn to page 133 of Races of Eberron, you will see what I can only describe as a werebat shifter, mid-pounce. You're welcome.


Moonspeaker

This is the fabled shifter-only druid prestige class. Gaze upon its awesome beauty. Gaze upon it! For starters, it is a 12 level prestige class that can be entered by druid, cleric with the Knowledge Domain, divine bard, or ranger at level 8 each. Let me cover everything real quick so you can understand the greatness.

Chassis - For some reason, despite being a shifter prestige class, the moonspeaker does not have Balance, Climb, or Jump as a class skill, but no matter. 4+Int skill points per level, with Listen, Spot, Concentration, Spellcraft, Know (Nature), and Survival. Everything a growing druid needs. The BAB, HD, and saves are identical to the druid.

Full Casting - Not only do you not give up 9ths, you don't give up anything. Very nice so far.

No Animal Companion Progression - This should seriously encourage you to take the Beast Spirit RSL if you are going to be a moonspeaker. An 8th level animal companion's usefulness will slowly diminish as you level, but don't worry. You get lots of summoning goodies to make up for it.

Augment Summoning as a bonus feat - Oh, wow. Yes, you have to wait til 9th level to get it, but this saves you two feats (you don't need Spell Focus (Conjuration)). Combine that with the fact that there is absolutely no feat tax for this class and you have freedom like a caster has never had before. You can spend these extra feats on Shifter feats, or metamagic, or whatever you want!

Moonspeaker Shifting - This breaks my mind. As was mentioned in this thread already, a lot of shifter feats are mediocre at best, some are just plain terrible. The real reason to load up on them? Qualifying for Extra Shifter Trait, and also upping the duration and times per day of your shifting. This ability changes that, to basically "Any feat you would want to take other than Augment Summoning is a shifter feat". Very nice.

Extended Summoning - I'm sorry, huh? A class feature that doubles the duration of my summons for free, that stacks with both Extend Spell and Ashbound? Depending on how you stack doubling when it's not crits this could mean that your summons stick around for between 80-120 rounds at level 20.

Thelanis Tie - Wow. I had no idea this ability even existed. This is the stuff that Tier 0s are made of. For a seventh level druid spell, you can now summon a nymph, who casts druid spells as a seventh level druid. You can effectively double your actions per round, as far as low-level spells are concerned. With the free extend, this could well change into "end this combat, then I sit back while my nymph uses up her slots on cure serious wounds". Healing your entire party back up to full health is a much better use of a 7th level spell slot than on a single heal.

Wild Shape - Either gain the ability to Wild Shape once per day, or continue your Wild Shape progression at -4. If you chose Wild Shifting as a variation, this is great. You get Wild Shape back. (Also, if you're a bard or a cleric, it's pretty nice that they give it to you instead of just progressing it) If you stuck with Wild Shape, well, very few druid PrCs progress both Wild Shape and give you full casting, so the -4 penalty isn't that bad.

Shifter Integration - At level 19, you no longer have to shift. You have your ability score bonus and your trait even when not shifting. The only reason you shift is to gain abilities that specifically activate while you're shifting (like your extra traits from the Extra Shifter Trait feat, or the Shifter Savagery feat, etc)

Lamannia Calling - Capstone. You are a druid with gate. It's got a limited, nature-based list. But it's gate. Have fun.

Also as a sidenote, the moonspeaker prestige class has a typo in the combat section, referring to razorclaw shifters as "sharpclaws". I don't know if I like that better than razorclaw yet, but it's interesting to me nonetheless.

I didn't want to do a breakdown of the whole class, but there are plenty of other good abilities in that class (12 levels, none of them dead).



Reachrunner

The reachrunner prestige class is a huge disappointment. I would never take it over straight ranger.

Prerequisites - Unlike the moonspeaker, you're pretty much guaranteed to be a ranger here. The forced base class isn't a bad thing, and of course, if you really can't stand being a ranger, you can qualify as another class (but don't)

4 Skill Points Per Level - This is a skill-heavy class, from a skill heavy base class. It doesn't offer much in the way of combat techniques, and it doesn't advance spellcasting. So why cut the skill points down from a ranger's?

Athletics - A +5 untyped bonus to my shifter racial skills? Absolutely! (Though I would have preferred to have Balance as a class skill)

Fast Movement - Okay, this is just kind of...bad. A barbarian gets this at first level, and you get it in parts, finishing at 9th level, and in light or no armor only. The only thing keeping this from being red is the wording. It's not a bonus to your land speed, it "increases your base land speed". So I guess if you used this increase for something base-speed calculated (like having a flight speed equal to double your base land speed or something) then the bonus becomes noticeable. So it has potential, which makes it purple.

Wild Sense - Okay...A +5 untyped bonus to Spot and Listen. Sure. I don't really know why this is separated from Athletics though...

First Level - Personally, I don't like how prestige classes are so dip-friendly. In a perfect world, prestige classes would encourage players to take them to the end. But they don't. That said, instead of comparing this first level to my ideal, I have to compare it to other base classes, and I have to say, I'm not impressed. +1 to five skills, and +5' land speed, and fewer skill points. It's not helpful.

Nature's Stride - I'm not really sure what this has to do with being a shifter, but it's decent. The only problem is that it becomes bad if you actually take a suboptimal movement speed shifting class. Difficult terrain doesn't matter to you if you're climbing trees, flying, or swimming. So this class feature actually gives you even less reason to take those shifter traits over the stronger ones like natural attacks or wildhunt.

Swift Tracker - I could have gotten this at this exact same level if I stayed in ranger, along with animal companion progression, spell progression, and 2 extra skill points.

Shifter Endurance - This basically boils down to a +2 bonus on Fort saves and 2 extra rounds of shifting. Meh. It's decent.

Run - It's nice to see that of all the things they could have progressed as a ranger, the one thing they chose was giving the player feats he doesn't want.

Pouncing Ambush - The single combat ability of the reachrunner. Requires flat-footed, which means it's basically first-round only, can only be used while shifting, so limited times per day (or time, if you haven't taken any shifting feats), requires you to melee, which rangers rarely do, and is once again available in a far simpler, far better form by simply dipping barbarian.

As far as fluff goes, the reachrunner is par for the course. But crunch-wise, it's just awful.




Weretouched Master

This is the stuff that legends are made of. When this PrC was first published, it was the real deal. 5 levels lets you change your shifter into an actual lycanthrope, no more bsing about it. Now, thanks to errata it has been nerfed to high heaven, but let's take a look at it anyway. (I was fortunate enough to be in a game where the DM was willing to ignore the errata for me and thus I played a real weretiger. It was awesome)

Prerequisites - The prereqs for this class couldn't be easier. 4 levels of barbarian, one level of bookworm. Choose your poison. I believe ranger is a popular 2nd level for this class, getting you the necessary Know (Nature) ranks, while simultaneously netting you full BAB and the Track feat, so you have good use for those ranks in Survival. If you don't want to be a ranger and you want full BAB, the duskblade is another option for a 1 level dip, though unless you spend cross-class ranks as a barbarian, you'll need 16 Intelligence to get enough skill points to get all the ranks in one level (really, if you have less than 16 Int, it's probably not worth it to take a level of duskblade anyway)

If you're willing to take the BAB hit, you can grab a level of bard, which will open you up to Inspire Courage abuse (slightly, but you'd be surprised how many items you can use to up that ability, and if you want, the Extra Music feat will give you 4 extra uses so you can keep it going as long as your rage)


Chassis - The weretouched master prestige class is intended to take the place of the animal Racial Hit Dice you would have had if you had played an actual lycanthrope. Therefore, it has an animal's chassis. D8 Hit Dice, good Fort and Ref saves, 3/4 BAB, 2+Int skills. The skill list is nice and workable, rather large for the number of points per level, actually. (I don't really agree with a class that has Handle Animal but not Ride, but oh well) So it's decent. You give up some skill points and +2 BAB, and in return you get...this.

Weretouched I - Remember what I said before about the first level of a prestige class needing to be worth it? This class does that. You get to pick from six different animals, one of whom is going to be your lycanthropic heritage. (Really, if you hadn't already done that as a shifter, you're playing it wrong)

The list might seem a little restrictive, but trust me when I say that it's worth it. And before someone says "You should have rated each one individually", they're all Gold. Each option is fantastic.

Bear/Tiger - When you shift, you get +2 Str and grow claws. This means that if you took the longtooth shifter trait, you now get the effects of the Extra Shifter Trait feat for free, on the trait you would have picked to stack natural attacks, (leaving you to use your actual Extra Shifter Trait on, say, beasthide or swiftwing) So let's recap. Starting at level 6, instead of growing a deadly pair of fangs and getting +2 Str when you shift, you instead grow claws and fangs, and you get +4 Str. Also, it's important to note that the size increase states "If you have razorclaw or the Improved Natural Attack feat". By RAW, it does not say that you need INA (Claws), so basically it's giving you a free Improved Natural Attack feat as well, if you had it on your bite.

Boar/Wolverine - When you shift, you get +2 Con and grow tusks (if a boar) or fangs (if a wolverine). Same deal as with the bear, if you have claws, you now get teeth (which is good, seeing as wolverines have a natural bite and claw attack) The INA cheese also applies here.

Wolf/Rat - When shifting, you get +2 Dex and a bite attack. I would hate to see the rat that had fangs large enough to deal 1d6 damage. Same as before with stacking natural attacks, free EST and INA, blah blah blah.

Wild Empathy - It's wild empathy, with a special +4 bonus if you're trying to use it with your chosen animal. Even with the boost, it's still Wild Empathy. Still, it's not a particularly bad ability, so moving on...

Bonus Shifter Feat - Just in case you were starting to think that a race which thrived on a set of feats was forcing a feat tax on you, their best prestige class offers you two free racial feats as bonus feats. That clause listing them is annoying though, as a stickler DM might say that means you can't select the shifter feats from Races of Eberron (He's twice as likely to do so if you're pulling INA RAW cheese on him), but that's okay. If you are able to select from RoE, though, this is the level you take Shifter Savagery. Go wild!

Weretouched II - Something unique at this level, no matter which animal you selected, they all get the scent ability (even when not shifting). This is kind of a downer for those who took wildhunt, but it's a great boon for the rest of the traits.

Additionally, you get another bonus while you shift, and I'll rate each one individually.

Bear (Improved Grab) - Of course this is what the bear gets. Since it's a class feature, it's arguable that it follows its own rules rather than being subject to the Monster Manual ability of the same name. If that's true, then you don't suffer the "Must be at least one size category smaller" clause. As a DM, I would allow this, seeing as the shifter is a Medium creature. This is flavorful, useful, the only thing keeping it from being Gold is just how terrible grappling is.

Boar (Fierce Will) - You get a +4 bonus on Will saves while shifting. Meh. It's a nice boost, but it's kind of boring, especially with all the other cool abilities that the other animals get.

Rat (Climb Speed) - If you have the cliffwalk shifter trait, you get a nerfed version that stacks, for some reason. That's kind of a slap in the face, seeing as how you are apparently committed to having this Climb Speed. If you want to be a were-rat, this is what you need, so it's good.

Tiger (Pounce) - The full ability, in all its glory. No limiting itself to natural attacks, only limited to your shifting.

Wolf (Trip) - Anyone else hate this ability? It's really really nice, but that's why I hate it. Freaking wolves man. Giving this to a player is cool though, especially if you were a wolf totem barbarian and you got Improved Trip back at level 2 (without an Int prereq or Combat Expertise)

Wolverine (Rage) - Just in case your shifting doesn't give you enough stat boosts already. What's nice about this is that it stacks with the barbarian's rage, giving you a sum total of (if you were a razorclaw shifter) +8 Str/+8 Con, at level 8, all untyped. Bonus points if your DM lets it count as rage for Shifter Savagery, because you're going to have far more daily uses of shifting than you are daily uses of rage.

Frightful Shifting - This isn't a particularly bad ability. Frightful Presence is always nice, and the duration is certainly really good. No, what gets it a purple is the DC. It's 15+your Charisma modifier. I don't think it would have been unfair to change this particular prestige DC to 10+1/2 your character level instead, seeing as it never reaches 20+mod on its own.

Alternate Form - Post errata, this is simply "When you shift, you may instead polymorph into your chosen animal, for the duration of your shifting". The problems are numerous, namely A) you are a melee fighter with +4 BAB, your entire class/race is about having a high physical ability score so you probably won't net much gain from this transformation, B) the actual polymorph spell has been available to casters for at least 3 levels now, offers way more versatility, and has a duration of minutes per level, and C) You just spent 5 levels in a class to gain the power of a lycanthrope, and now you gain the power to instead wild shape into that animal. That single animal. What's worse is that it completely invalidates your class's progression, seeing as you gain the extraordinary special attacks of the form you shift into, meaning that you no longer benefit from Weretouched II while you shift because you would have gotten it anyway.

Now, if you get the pre-errata version (and I hope this goes without saying) this ability becomes Gold Gold Gold Gold GOLD. Actual lycanthropy when you shift. From good to amazing untyped bonuses to 2 or 3 of your physical ability scores, and if you chose tiger or bear you arguably grow a Size category when you're in hybrid form (you definitely do when you're in animal form)

It says "instead of shifting", so it's not technically shifting, but I personally believe that means you can shift ontop of transforming, which would allow you to expend two daily uses in order to get your normal shifting bonuses plus those ridiculous stat increases from Alternate Form.

All in all, the weretouched master class takes everything great about shifters and makes them sooooo much better. One of my favorite prestige classes in the game.



The Warshaper

The warshaper is from Complete Warrior. It's a pretty powerful class that is the focus of a large majority of interesting builds, very few of which actually involve the intended entry (druid). The warshaper offers a large majority of power to the recipient, with the reasoning that since you can only access it while you're transformed, you can only access it so many times per day. In that respect, the fluff is just awesome. You transform, and where other characters of your same class would be strong, you become almighty, because you have a prestige class just based around augmenting your crazy form.

In practice, though, it applies a lot more often than you might think. (For one thing, it applies to a true lycanthrope's alternate forms, even though the Alternate Form ability by itself is insufficient to qualify). So if you just want Strength, and nothing else, play a werebear lord/warshaper. You'd have to be ECL 19 to pull it off if you were a natural lycanthrope, but you'll have +24 Str at-will, and you can bump it up to +30 if you choose barbarian 1 as your last level and take Reckless Rage.

Anyway, warshaper is insane. So let's see how it works with a shifter, shall we?

Prerequisites: For a shifter, the prerequisites are +4 BAB. That's it. You can use it as your last level before you get into weretouched master (Barbarian 3/Ranger 1/Warshaper 1). Use ranger to get your Know (Nature) prerequisites, and spend both your skill points from Warshaper on your last rank of survival. It will cost you one point of BAB, but it's worth it. Anyway, prerequisites that allow entry before 6th level and no skill prerequisites or feats allow you to customize your warshaper any which way you like.

Morphic Immunities: While you are shifted, you gain heavy fortification, and immunity to stunning. At level 5, you are immune to critical hits, stunning, and all forms of precision damage, for a few rounds per day, a few times per day. It doesn't matter what level you get this. Critical hits are always a threat, and precision damage just scales with level. A very nice ability, and the fact that you can get it so early makes it blue. (Would you rather have this, or Improved Uncanny Dodge if you had stayed in barbarian til 5th level?)

Morphic Weapons: This ability is red for a druid, gold for a changeling, and black for a shifter. It's all about actions. The shifter, unlike the druid, transforms as a free action, so he can afford to spend a move action to get some extra damage if he likes, but unlike a changeling, he can't sustain it NI time. Still, extra natural weapons are good for pounce, and if you don't have pounce, you can just grow your claws larger for some extra damage with that.

Morphic Body: The shifter is a physical race, the warshaper a physical class. An extra +4 to your Str and Con, untyped, is amazingly welcome. Not only do you get more damage, higher saving throws, more hit points, bonuses to a few skill checks, bonuses to all opposed Strength checks, and a better chance to hit, but your shifting time automatically extends another two rounds. An absolute must for Dex-based shifters, since they're missing out on all the awesome Strength that a razorclaw has had since first level. Stacks with all other shifting bonuses, as well as rage.

Morphic Reach: Reach allows for control. It allows for AoOs. Reach is basically "I hit you before you hit me", and melee always appreciates that.

Morphic Healing: Again, this is a serious gold for changelings. Fast Healing 2 is great for any melee class, it will keep you fighting, and also has plenty of fluff potential as "I am unbeatable, my wounds heal as you dish them out, Wolverine" type stuff, like all fast healing does. The emergency Concentration healing is...decent, if you have the ranks (The DC will generally be extremely high by the time you're desperate enough to waste an action using it), but note that you can't use it while raging.

In short, warshaper is fantastic for a melee shifter, but if you're planning to play a caster, it's really not worth the lost caster levels (obviously).

[NeoSeraphi]

Shifter Feats

All Shifter feats have the following effect: "As a secondary effect, the duration of your shifting racial ability increases by 2 rounds. Additionally, for each 2 Shifter feats you have, you receive one additional daily use of your racial shifting ability." in addition to their stated benefit.

Eberron Campaign Setting

Beasthide Elite - Double the effect of your shifting ability. Very nice, especially if used in conjunction with Wild Shape or heavy armor (gets you very high AC for your CR)

Cliffwalk Elite - It's...decent. However, I can't really see the need to climb faster. Not enough to spend a feat on anyway. I mean, the ability itself is decent, letting you climb up to 40 feet per round. But why is that any better than climbing 60 feet per round? If you're scaling a wall or a tower that is really high enough that 40 feet won't get you all the way up, then it's more than likely you have plenty of time to get up.

Extra Shifter Trait - From a crunch standpoint, this is obvious. You wanted Strength at first level so you grabbed razorclaws. Now it's 6th level and you feel like some defense. Grab beasthide. You want to fly? Get swiftwing. Etc. From a fluff standpoint, it's also obvious. Tigers have claws and teeth, so why should you only get one or the other when you shift? Eagles can fly and tear with their talons, and sharks can swim and bite. It is an all-around perfectly good feat that offers a whole lot to a shifter character, while also encouraging them to take other shifter feats to qualify.

Great Bite - This is a good feat to qualify for Extra Shifter Trait, as well as to fuel extra shiftings. The effect itself is decent, for a feat, but probably not very likely to come up, unless you take Shifter Savagery.

Great Rend - This feat is a good feat. They were pretty careful about balancing it. It's not quite as good as an actual rend attack (since you only get 1/2 your Strength mod) but it's a fair bit of extra damage that should come up often enough. Definitely worth the slot. What keeps it from being blue is the fixed damage. It's not "your claw damage + 1/2 Strength", it's "1d4+1/2 Strength". So even if you grab Improved Natural Attack, or Shifter Savagery, or grow a Size category, your rend attack still does 1d4. So it's good, but it's not "Great". (No pun intended)

Shifter Defense - It is damage reduction. As a feat. It also gives you extended shifting, more shifts per day, and lycanthropes have DR/Silver too, so it's just all around good. What makes it blue, though, is you can easily take the Black Blood Cultist class from Champions of Ruin and stack your DR with the DR you gain from that class. (If you take this, plus Greater Shifter Defense, you end up with DR 9/Silver. Pretty good.

Greater Shifter Defense - This is a carbon copy of Shifter Defense, that stacks with Shifter Defense. Everything that was said about Shifter Defense applies to it. The best part is, even though it only works while shifting, taking the feat extends the duration of that effect and gives you extra uses. So it's a win-win!

Healing Factor - The effect is alright. It's not terrible. What saves this from being sub-optimal is you can take it with any shifter, meaning that it's my go-to second Shifter feat that I use to qualify for Extra Shifter Trait and Shifter Defense (the other being the trait specific one).

Improved Natural Attack - This feat has been in the Monster Manual since day one. WotC did not have to do this. They did not have to be this nice to shifters. Shifters would have taken this feat anyway. But making it qualify as a shifter feat? Amazing!

Longstride Elite - Oh yay. I can spend a feat to be as good as Junglerunner is at level 1. (Not really, since Junglerunner has a racial Con bonus and gets Str instead of Dex when he shifts)

Shifter Ferocity - It's Diehard, without Endurance as a prerequisite feat, and it gives you more and longer shifting and helps you meet shifter feat prereqs. Oh yes. This is a good feat.

Shifter Multiattack - This time it wasn't a gimme, but it's still amazing. Even with that new +6 BAB prereq, Multiattack + Extend Shift + Extra Shift is definitely gold. The only real problem is that if your DM is a jerk he might rule that a widetail shifter can't take this feat, since the prerequisites are clearly "Shifter with the razorclaw or longtooth trait" (It's not a problem for gorebrute because gorebrute can't get secondary attacks with his gore anyway)


Races of Eberron

Dreamsight Elite - Okay, seriously, what the heck is the dreamsight shifter supposed to be? What animal can see invisibility? ...Unexplained fluff aside, you get a nice but random continuous spell effect and a noticeable untyped bonus to your Spot checks for the duration of your shifting.

Gorebrute Elite - When you gore someone, you knock them prone. It's a special Trip check that ignores Size bonuses and penalties and, more importantly, does not take into account the enemy's Size (meaning if you somehow beat a Colossal+ dragon's opposed Strength check, you could knock it prone). It also forces the enemy to use its Strength, even if their Dex is higher. I'd really like to see some kind of were-rhino Dungeoncrash fighter bulldozer build that uses this feat.

Longtooth Elite - Your natural bite attack gains the wounding quality. This normally costs a minimum of 8,300 gp (300 masterwork, 2000 for +1, 6000 for the +2 ability) but you get it for a feat. Feel free to fluff it as some kind of super-virulent venom that not even the stoutest dwarf can shake off, if you're a were-snake.

Razorclaw Elite - It's a limited version of Pounce, that you can get at level one. As far as Pounce-copies go, this one is pretty good (unlike the reachrunner capstone), plus you can't take Great Rend until you have +4 BAB, so this is the level 1 shifter feat for razorclaws.

Reactive Shifting - See, here is a perfectly good example of the "contradicting itself" that I mentioned earlier. For starters, make sure you mentally cross out that "even while flatfooted" part, because you can't take immediate actions while you're flat-footed. This feat was blue, but I took it down because of the Improved Initiative prerequisite. Still, the ability to grab some extra Con and AC in reaction to an attack can be pretty nice, as well as the ability to grow wings in response to someone dropping you (like a shifter's version of feather fall) but the non-shifter feat prereq is just enough to hold this back from being a great option.

Shifter Agility - This is a much better option than the "Elite" option for these shifters (except swiftwing).

Shifter Instincts - The bonuses may be small, but they do apply at all times, rather than just when shifted, which is pretty rare in a shifter feat.

Shifter Savager - The picture and caption say it all. For starters, the fact that a feat like this even exists (one that buffs you while shifting and raging) is just amazing, and proof that WotC was actually really considering how best to create a playable lycanthrope race. The feat itself is just fantastic. Not only do you get +6 to your Strength (from the shifting/raging) combo, but now you get increased damage dice, and an increased critical threat range on your natural weapons. All of them. This is the craziest feat you can take as a shifter totem rager.

Shifter Stamina - Um...okay? :smallconfused: I don't get this. They did Shifter Ferocity so well, how could they screw this up? First of all, it requires Endurance. Secondly, the effect is just not even worth a feat. Don't take this.

Swiftwing Elite - Okay, this decent. Instead of just a +10 increase, you also get a maneuverability upgrade. Now it's almost as good as fly, and you can use it as any class instead of just a wizard. It's a respectable feat.

Truedive Elite - Again, it's nice to see that you get a small bonus in addition to the increased swim speed. I can see a smart truedive shifter using this feat to give him just the advantage he needs to best normal characters underwater, making a were-shark truedive shifter a good underwater bandit encounter.

Wildhunt Elite - Holy...Now I am really glad I actually did this handbook. I was not aware of the existence of this feat until I went through all the shifter feats. So, while you are shifting, you can now locate pretty much any creature within 30 feet. And when you get up close to them, you can locate them by square with your scent ability. This is perfect for a master tracker character like a shifter ranger and can be incredibly useful when fighting creatures that can become invisible.

Battleshifter Training- So...this feat is pretty underwhelming. For one thing, what the hell does it have to do with being a shifter? Seriously, there's nothing in there about shifting or about animal instincts or anything, it's just an attrition feat that is racial for some odd reason. The feat itself is pretty bad. You can fatigue or exhaust creatures by fighting defensively, assuming they don't hit you. I suppose it's decent if you've got a miss chance, but if you don't, you're relying on AC to make your feat work, and AC scales horribly compared to attack bonuses. Exploit Weakness is just laughable. An extra 1d6 damage against a creature you've been fighting defensively against for a few rounds won't make up for not full-round attacking that same creature those few rounds. And Riposte is actually decent, but it should just be an attack of opportunity. Forcing you to spend an action point makes it have very limited usefulness, as well as solidly cementing it as only usable in games that actually use action points.

Ragewild Fighting- No surprise that two feats who are "inimical to each other" would receive completely opposite ratings. Again, this feat has nothing to do with being a shifter, but if I'm judging the feat by itself and not its fluff, it's surprisingly decent. Instinctive Strike is amazingly useful and will probably come up more often than you would think. (Even if you're not in melee range of the caster, chances are you were in melee range of something and the feat does not specify you must attack the creature who cast the spell on you). Rattle the Weakling...well, it depends on how strictly RAW your DM is. If he's pretty strict, he might say that Rattle the Weakling's wording "The FIRST round and the SECOND round" would mean that you could only use it at the beginning of combat, and therefore limit its usefulness to once per encounter. Still, dazing is a pretty serious condition, and the DC is nothing to laugh at. Brutal Charge is more damage, and melee could always use that, but again, the action points limit its effectiveness.


Player's Guide to Eberron

Shifter Acrobatics - This feat provides a decent boost to Balance, Jump, and Tumble checks while shifted. What makes it red is two things: First of all, it requires 4 ranks in Balance, Jump, and Tumble, and then boosts those skills. Balance, Jump, and Tumble all have pretty set DCs, so generally speaking, keeping maxed ranks in each would allow you to succeed every check no problem. The other problem is that only Cliffwalk, Longstrider, and Swiftwing shifters can take it, and those are already red choices for your race.

Shifter Magnetism:- Gives a small boost to Handle Animal, Intimidate, and Wild Empathy checks. Boosting Handle Animal is useful, though if you're trying to do it for rearing shenanigans, I would take Dodge Monster Manual as your next feat. A boost to Intimidate checks is also really nice, as Intimidate is a commonly used skill and can be broken in a number of ways. All in all, a decent feat for offsetting your Charisma penalty.

Shifter Stealth: - Okay, so again, a boost to skill checks. However, we have a lot more potential here. For starters, Hide and Move Silently are joined at the hip, and I'm pretty sure every class that has one as a class skill has the other. The other main reason is that stealth checks are opposed checks, so you actually get some real use out of boosting them to the skies. Higher stealth checks means much better chances of hiding from monsters, which any good stealth character wants. Also, unlike Shifter Acrobatics, this feat is available to Wildhunt shifters. So not only do you get blindsight, blindsense, and scent if you take Wildhunt Elite, but take Shifter Stealth and Darkstalker (Lords of Madness) and you'll be able to hide from other creatures that have it really really easily. Shifter Stealth is a perfect feat for a wildhunt ranger or scout.

[Wyntonian]

Oh, this should be fun. First off, because I assume you can't post the majority of the Shifter racial stats, which book are they in? I feel like it's probably Races of Ebberon or Faerun or something like that.

[NeoSeraphi]

Oh, this should be fun. First off, because I assume you can't post the majority of the Shifter racial stats, which book are they in? I feel like it's probably Races of Ebberon or Faerun or something like that.


The shifter is a customizable race from the Eberron Campaign Setting

What do you mean, "I can't post the majority of the Shifter racial stats"? Is that not allowed by copyright or something?

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Things that I know: Moonspeaker is awesome, but that's largely because it is druid 20 but different. Warshaper is sweet, but more a changeling game. Before the errata, I want to say Tiger Weremasters were godlike, now less-so.

Ranger variants: dear god ranger variants. They deserve mention. A dragon magazines have both mystic (wizard casting more-or-less 1->10, but that eats Sword of the Divine, an FR feat) and I want to say a variant that gives you the power attack into great cleave feat line.

Most spell list options are jank, but that's just the nature of d20, sadly.

EDIT: Sword of Arcane Order, not Divine. My bad.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

What do you mean, "I can't post the majority of the Shifter racial stats"? Is that not allowed by copyright or something?

Mention them, but be vague. It's very, very "broad strokes." Most shifter traits give bonuses to physical stats, but I know the dreamsight gives a wisdom bonus. As long as you don't just copy and paste stat lines, you should be fine. Best idea is to just ask a moderator or an admin.

It's probably best to mention which ones give natural attacks, too.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I love shifters, they are definitely one of my favourite races ever, my only complain about them is that sadly they are not that good... why on earth does a +2 Dex or Con or Str or Wis for a pitiably low amount of rounds per day was considered to be balanced with a -4 mental stat penalties. :smallsigh:

They make pretty sweet Swordsages and you can get up to three shifter traits if you dip blood claw master with a non-razorclaw shifter and take extra shifter trait feat.

Edit:Also as per MM III Shifters are not Eberron specific so you can technically play them in any setting.*

Edit #2: I suggest you use another colour other than yellow for your code as it is really difficult to read properly.

*(DM restrictions may apply, please consult your local DM for any situation where shifters are not available. Dusk Eclipse and associates are not liable for any problem that may arise from trying to introduce shifters into a setting in which they are not native such as Athas)

[NeoSeraphi]

Mention them, but be vague. It's very, very "broad strokes." Most shifter traits give bonuses to physical stats, but I know the dreamsight gives a wisdom bonus. As long as you don't just copy and paste stat lines, you should be fine. Best idea is to just ask a moderator or an admin.

It's probably best to mention which ones give natural attacks, too.

So, wait, is what I have now for the basic traits too specific? How should I edit it?

[Thrice Dead Cat]

So, wait, is what I have now for the basic traits too specific? How should I edit it?

What you have looks good. Handbook righting is difficult, which is why I say run it past moderators to be safe. Also, from a reading perspective, use a darker shade of "gold." That bright yellow just hurts to read. Yeah, highlighting works, but it's obtrusive at even a glance.

[NeoSeraphi]

What you have looks good. Handbook righting is difficult, which is why I say run it past moderators to be safe. Also, from a reading perspective, use a darker shade of "gold." That bright yellow just hurts to read. Yeah, highlighting works, but it's obtrusive at even a glance.

I just clicked the only yellow that was in the dropdown. I'll check and see if "gold" works...

[gorfnab]

The Bloodclaw Master (ToB) prestige class has an ACF for Shifters.

Edit: Ninja'd

[Zaq]

I disagree with the premise that the shifters are the only customizable race out there. Illumians are my prime counterexample, though there are also a few lesser counterexamples (dragonborn, hellbred, spellscales).

Anyway, cool guide. I can't wait to see more. It's a shame that they're so underpowered, but it's always nice to see someone paying detailed attention to underpowered stuff.

[NeoSeraphi]

I disagree with the premise that the shifters are the only customizable race out there. Illumians are my prime counterexample, though there are also a few lesser counterexamples (dragonborn, hellbred, spellscales).

Anyway, cool guide. I can't wait to see more. It's a shame that they're so underpowered, but it's always nice to see someone paying detailed attention to underpowered stuff.

Dragonborn of Bahamut is actually a template, not a race, but I see your point, though hellbred hardly fit in with spellscales, illumians and shifters (they only have two options, and it changes your racial stats, it's more like choosing between two variant races)

[Jopustopin]

A shifter is a humanoid creature that is descended from humans and natural lycanthropes (making them the first hybrid race that doesn't suck).
Changelings are the first hybrid race that doesn't suck; shifters are the second (because alphabetically shifters come after changelings).

[NeoSeraphi]

Changelings are the first descendant race that doesn't suck.

They're in the same book. Though technically, I suppose changelings come first alphabetically. :smalltongue:

[Jopustopin]

They're in the same book. Though technically, I suppose changelings come first alphabetically. :smalltongue:

Wow you beat my edit (which took all of thirty seconds or two minutes whatever).

[NeoSeraphi]

Wow you beat my edit (which took all of thirty seconds or two minutes whatever).

I don't think changelings are as good as shifters, but it is undeniable that they do not suck. I'll change the OP.

[Jopustopin]

A shifter is a humanoid creature that is descended from humans and natural lycanthropes (making them the second hybrid race that doesn't suck, as they are alphabetically after the changelings from the same book).

Hey man, good guide! But wait, NeoSeraphi! Aren't you one of those "homebrewers" that spend all their free time posting overpowered crap that you justify by using the most unbalanced cheese in the game, just because you hate how 3.5 was really designed? Why are you acknowledging the existence of actual 3.5 material?

[NeoSeraphi]

Hey man, good guide! But wait, NeoSeraphi! Aren't you one of those "homebrewers" that spend all their free time posting overpowered crap that you justify by using the most unbalanced cheese in the game, just because you hate how 3.5 was really designed? Why are you acknowledging the existence of actual 3.5 material?

It's not done yet! There's still a lot more material to cover...I'm just dog-sick right now. x.x

And I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far.

[kardar233]

Well, I can't speak for overpowered, but that Duelist class was one of the finest pieces of homebrew I've seen.

I'm confused by your Black Blood Cultist remark though. Shifter Savagery is damn nice, but the big draw of BBC is the ability to effectively make four full attacks per round against a grappled opponent. The combination is absolutely brutal, but I'm not seeing it being a replacement.

[Cieyrin]

There's a distinct lack of Reachrunner in here, as it truly makes a Shifter Ranger oh so much more Rangery. The ACF that goes with is pretty awesome, too.

Beast Strike isn't the only good part of the Dragon article it came from, as Shiftsilver Mastery is a disgusting counter for Shifters vs. other Shifters or anything else with DR/silver (Devils Will Cry :smallamused:). There's also a Monk combat style that gives Beast Strike as part of it, so that's definitely worthwhile.

Also, I'm fairly sure its not the Tigertouched Masters that forced the errata so much as the Beartouched Masters, with their +16 Str of busting faces in.

Finally, good getting Saurian Shifters mentioned good and early, I like me Bloodclaw Masters so I can have Razorclaw, Longtooth, Widetail for a natural weapon monster. I wish there were Elite feats for the Saurian traits but that's just a matter of homebrewing, I suppose. I'l just have to get at my copies of those Dragon mags...

[The Underlord]

Why no totemist mention? Seems like it would be perfect for the shifter.

[Zaq]

Why no totemist mention? Seems like it would be perfect for the shifter.

The Totemist takes the shifter's tricks and does them better.

Admittedly, Longtooth Elite is scary on a Totemist.

[NeoSeraphi]

There's a distinct lack of Reachrunner in here, as it truly makes a Shifter Ranger oh so much more Rangery. The ACF that goes with is pretty awesome, too.

Beast Strike isn't the only good part of the Dragon article it came from, as Shiftsilver Mastery is a disgusting counter for Shifters vs. other Shifters or anything else with DR/silver (Devils Will Cry :smallamused:). There's also a Monk combat style that gives Beast Strike as part of it, so that's definitely worthwhile.


Why no totemist mention? Seems like it would be perfect for the shifter.

Calm down calm down! I will get to all of this, I promise, it's just I have to work slowly because I have a pretty serious cold right now.



Also, I'm fairly sure its not the Tigertouched Masters that forced the errata so much as the Beartouched Masters, with their +16 Str of busting faces in.


Tigertouched Masters get +12 Strength and pounce. That is much better than +16 Strength and improved grab.



Finally, good getting Saurian Shifters mentioned good and early, I like me Bloodclaw Masters so I can have Razorclaw, Longtooth, Widetail for a natural weapon monster. I wish there were Elite feats for the Saurian traits but that's just a matter of homebrewing, I suppose. I'l just have to get at my copies of those Dragon mags...

Thank you.

[NeoSeraphi]

Well, I can't speak for overpowered, but that Duelist class was one of the finest pieces of homebrew I've seen.

I'm confused by your Black Blood Cultist remark though. Shifter Savagery is damn nice, but the big draw of BBC is the ability to effectively make four full attacks per round against a grappled opponent. The combination is absolutely brutal, but I'm not seeing it being a replacement.

The Black Blood Cultist is a character who, until level 10, gets DR Silver (which a shifter can get through feats), claws, a bite, and a rend attack (which a shifter can also get) and the ability to deliver four attacks with a single successful grapple check (requires grapple optimization, which is incredibly difficult to do)

The Black Blood Cultist class also requires levels of barbarian to qualify. So, you can either take the Black Blood Cultist class all the way to level 8, or you can be a shifter, take Extra Trait to get both claws and teeth, and take Shifter Savagery, which will allow you to do close to the same damage with a full-round attack and doesn't limit you to grappling (which has its own problems, like Size restrictions)

[deuxhero]

A shifter is a humanoid creature that is descended from humans and natural lycanthropes (making them the second hybrid race that doesn't suck,

Was PGtF (lesser planetouched) after ECS? I'm not big on knowing the order of books.

[Tokuhara]

I adore shifters. Probably the coolest race WotC ever posted. I just wish that Dragonborn didn't nix the Shifting ability of Shifters. And until you posted this thread, I never seriously looked at the Saurian Shifters (though they are Halflings. Gods, I despise Halflings. Stupid Fat Hobbitses...).

[Urpriest]

Off-topic I know, but what's wrong with Devoted Performer?

[NeoSeraphi]

Off-topic I know, but what's wrong with Devoted Performer?

The alignment system is in place both as a metagame restriction and also to help encourage better roleplaying of the classes (closer to their fluff). Making a feat that allows you to simply ignore an alignment restriction (especially one that lets you take someone as free-spirited and laid-back as a bard and make him lawful) gets under my skin. I am a staunch proponent of the published alignment restrictions and it bothers me when people try to ignore them (it bothers me even more when published material helps them do it)

[deuxhero]

Too bad the iconic bard has the same reason given for them being chaotic and another iconic has for being Lawful...

[Lateral]

All right, let's take a look, here. First off, just organizational advice:

That yellow. Change it to orange and call it gold, it's too bright to read. You use it so often that it really needs to be more viewer-friendly.
Try centering the title/picture.


...That's actually it. The content so far looks good to me; there isn't much there yet, so it's hard to comment.

[NeoSeraphi]

Updated the Base Class section with the PHB II classes

[Lateral]

You're putting too much of your ratings on flavor. That's not the purview of a handbook, and isn't really helpful to someone trying to build a shifter character- fluff is always mutable, and there's always a character concept that works with the flavor in a different way.

[NeoSeraphi]

You're putting too much of your ratings on flavor. That's not the purview of a handbook, and isn't really helpful to someone trying to build a shifter character- fluff is always mutable, and there's always a character concept that works with the flavor in a different way.

Okay. I'll try and go back and give a more balanced opinion on the classes. (The traits themselves I was all crunch on)

[Keegan__D]

I don't think most handbooks do all the classes. You're looking at a big list, and some should just be left off the table due to mechanical non-compatibility. Like Lateral said, you're putting a bit too much emphasis on flavor. I understand it's the main reason to play Shifters, but being lawful isn't the end.

[NeoSeraphi]

Most handbooks wimp out then. I'm covering an obscure race, so I'll cover all the obscure combinations, from the dragonfire adept to the Magic of Incarnum. (But not the Tome of Magic classes, because I don't have that book)

Anyway, I removed the fluff discussion from the base class section, save the dragon shaman because I really felt it was relevant.

[Keegan__D]

Most handbooks wimp out then. I'm covering an obscure race, so I'll cover all the obscure combinations, from the dragonfire adept to the Magic of Incarnum. (But not the Tome of Magic classes, because I don't have that book)
Then good luck to you.


Anyway, I removed the fluff discussion from the base class section, save the dragon shaman because I really felt it was relevant.

Yeah, that's a really weird one.

[NeoSeraphi]

Okay, added a discussion about Racial Substitution levels to the Base Class section.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

You have a few grammar issues in places, by the way. A couple "there/their" issues, but small stuff.

A few things. Saurian Shifters are generally considered much better than base shifters, simply because CON gets you more HP than possible AC/Reflex saves. Both DEX and CON go to a save, but Fort saves cover a larger range of topics than just "take Xd6 damage."

If you have Magic of Incarnum, your colors can differ. Totemists are wonderful, natural attackers. However, claws are easy to come by, bites a little less so, and so on.

Also, most shifter feats are, well, mediocre. Some are much, much better than others. Depending on the shifter types, the "Elite" version-feat are nice. The fact that the multiattack line are rendered to be [shifter] feats in the ECS is godlike.

[Coidzor]

When you cover the substitution levels just go ahead and give each different substitution level each a color label in addition to the one for the group of substitution levels as a whole. It'll help break up the discussion of the substitution levels from one another visually as well.

Can't wait to see you cover the shifter feats themselves directly.

[Wings of Peace]

Mention them, but be vague. It's very, very "broad strokes." Most shifter traits give bonuses to physical stats, but I know the dreamsight gives a wisdom bonus. As long as you don't just copy and paste stat lines, you should be fine. Best idea is to just ask a moderator or an admin.

It's probably best to mention which ones give natural attacks, too.

As long as she doesn't just flat copy and paste entire feats (except relevant text to further a point) she should be fine. The fair use clause of copyrights includes using said material for educational purposes if I am remembering correctly (hence why WoTC didn't blam every handbook on their forums ever).

[Cieyrin]

I don't think there's much of a thought process to Wild Shifting via Shifter Druid, considering you get it back via Moonspeaker, so you can have your cake and eat it, too.

[NeoSeraphi]

I don't think there's much of a thought process to Wild Shifting via Shifter Druid, considering you get it back via Moonspeaker, so you can have your cake and eat it, too.

That is true, but if you go straight shifter druid, you probably don't want to take it.


As long as she doesn't just flat copy and paste entire feats

I'm am completely male over here.


When you cover the substitution levels just go ahead and give each different substitution level each a color label in addition to the one for the group of substitution levels as a whole. It'll help break up the discussion of the substitution levels from one another visually as well.

Can't wait to see you cover the shifter feats themselves directly

Sure, that works. And yes, those are coming up after I go over moonspeaker and reachrunner

[TheGeckoKing]

I don't think there's much of a thought process to Wild Shifting via Shifter Druid, considering you get it back via Moonspeaker, so you can have your cake and eat it, too.

And then you cover the -4 effective level with the Wild Shape Amulet from MoF and make your DM cry. If it's D&D, it's got a place in Eberron, right? :smallwink:

[Tokuhara]

Eberron is a weird setting, especially for players who play Shifters. Shifting to make natural weapons is far better than paying for weapons, since there are somewhere around 12+ items that can enchant your natural weapons in a metaphoric sense ("Weaponized Dentures," Metal Claw Tips, etc.) and with Totemist, you get to "flurry" with your many natural weapons.

And the other reason Saurian Shifter is better than the Standard is that Saurian Shifter gets a virtual +2 Dexterity to AC (thanks to small size.)

My question is would it be a streach to let Shifters gain the Fang Shield Ranger substitution levels? Since Shifters are the most feral humanoids available (in a general sense, since they are born of Lycanthropes), it makes sense to let them use their natural weapons to kick some proverbial tail

[NeoSeraphi]

My question is would it be a stretch to let Shifters gain the Fang Shield Ranger substitution levels? Since Shifters are the most feral humanoids available (in a general sense, since they are born of Lycanthropes), it makes sense to let them use their natural weapons to kick some proverbial tail

It is definitely against RAW, so it's already a stretch. As a DM, I might allow it, but only allowing the shifter to gain the class features while it is shifted.

[Tokuhara]

It is definitely against RAW, so it's already a stretch. As a DM, I might allow it, but only allowing the shifter to gain the class features while it is shifted.

That was the plan

[Coidzor]

My question is would it be a streach to let Shifters gain the Fang Shield Ranger substitution levels? Since Shifters are the most feral humanoids available (in a general sense, since they are born of Lycanthropes), it makes sense to let them use their natural weapons to kick some proverbial tail

There's a reason why these things usually try to stick as close to RAW as possible. Because what's a stretch for someone is very, very different from what's a stretch for someone else.



Off-topic I know, but what's wrong with Devoted Performer?The alignment system is in place both as a metagame restriction and also to help encourage better roleplaying of the classes (closer to their fluff). Making a feat that allows you to simply ignore an alignment restriction (especially one that lets you take someone as free-spirited and laid-back as a bard and make him lawful) gets under my skin. I am a staunch proponent of the published alignment restrictions and it bothers me when people try to ignore them (it bothers me even more when published material helps them do it)

[hex0]

I'm am completely male over here.


But how male are you over there? :smalltongue:

Also, thanks for this handbook. It is shaping up nicely and I DO like you going through each class!

[NeoSeraphi]

Racial Prestige section is up, and very comprehensive.

[Optimator]

Cool guide. Makes me want to play a Shifter.

[NeoSeraphi]

I have updated the racial feats section, covering all shifter feats that I know

[NeoSeraphi]

Added the Weretouched Master from Eberron Campaign Settings to the Prestige Class section.

[Cieyrin]

I have updated the racial feats section, covering all shifter feats that I know

There's two more in RoE, in the Tactical Feats section, Battleshifter Training and Ragewild Fighting. You can't have them both on the same character by their Special clause and I find Ragewild fits Shifters better. I just wish they hadn't been designed with action point costs built in, since I don't think the costs give suitable benefits. I suppose Raging Luck would alleviate that somewhat but still annoying.

There's also 3 Shifter feats in Player's Guide to Eberron: Shifter Acrobatics, which gives double your shifter feats as a bonus to Balance, Jump and Tumble while shifted. Requires 4 ranks of Balance, Jump and Tumble + having one of the Dex + movement traits; Shifter Magnetism, which gives a bonus equal to the number of shifter feats to Handle Animal, Intimidate and Wild Empathy regardless of being shifted, for which you just need to be a Shifter; and Shifter Stealth, which gives 2xshifter feat bonus to Hide and Move Silently, which again requires 4 ranks in each and requires Longstride, Swiftwing or Wildhunt.

So yeah, kinda a grab bag but they're there.

[NeoSeraphi]

There's two more in RoE, in the Tactical Feats section, Battleshifter Training and Ragewild Fighting. You can't have them both on the same character by their Special clause and I find Ragewild fits Shifters better. I just wish they hadn't been designed with action point costs built in, since I don't think the costs give suitable benefits. I suppose Raging Luck would alleviate that somewhat but still annoying.


Oh yeah, the tactical feats. Sure, I'll get those.



There's also 3 Shifter feats in Player's Guide to Eberron: Shifter Acrobatics, which gives double your shifter feats as a bonus to Balance, Jump and Tumble while shifted. Requires 4 ranks of Balance, Jump and Tumble + having one of the Dex + movement traits; Shifter Magnetism, which gives a bonus equal to the number of shifter feats to Handle Animal, Intimidate and Wild Empathy regardless of being shifted, for which you just need to be a Shifter; and Shifter Stealth, which gives 2xshifter feat bonus to Hide and Move Silently, which again requires 4 ranks in each and requires Longstride, Swiftwing or Wildhunt.

So yeah, kinda a grab bag but they're there.

Yeesh. Those sound awful. Thanks for the heads-up though.

[comicshorse]

Oh yeah, the tactical feats. Sure, I'll get those.



Yeesh. Those sound awful. Thanks for the heads-up though.

Gotta say I've found Shifter Acrobatics great. Playing a Tiger Shifter with Pounce from Were Touched Master the huge bonus to Tumble means I can move around the combat without taking attacks of Opportunity to get best use out of the Pounce and hit anything

( Though my G.M. did allow me to take it without taking one of the Dex/Movement types )

[NeoSeraphi]

Gotta say I've found Shifter Acrobatics great. Playing a Tiger Shifter with Pounce from Were Touched Master the huge bonus to Tumble means I can move around the combat without taking attacks of Opportunity to get best use out of the Pounce and hit anything

( Though my G.M. did allow me to take it without taking one of the Dex/Movement types )

Isn't the DC for Tumbling without provoking only like...15? You can ace that check with full ranks and 20 Dex on a natural 1 by level 6. That doesn't make it worth a feat.

[Morbis Meh]

I was wondering if you are planning on expanding on your list of classes... I think it would be fun to play as a shifter warlock with eldritch claws if the DM wasn't opposed to Dragon Magazine material...

[NeoSeraphi]

I was wondering if you are planning on expanding on your list of classes... I think it would be fun to play as a shifter warlock with eldritch claws if the DM wasn't opposed to Dragon Magazine material...

I am. I just have a lot on my plate at the moment. One step at a time...

[comicshorse]

Isn't the DC for Tumbling without provoking only like...15? You can ace that check with full ranks and 20 Dex on a natural 1 by level 6.

Yes it is provided you're only passing through one opponents square (every other one adds +2) and provided the terrain is perfect ( bad terrain can add up to +5 to the target number).
Also all thats assuming you can go past the opponrent, base target is 25 if you have to through/over/under him ( and subject to increases for bad terrain and multiple opponents again)
And Shifter careers tend to be quite light on the Skill Points I want to be able to conserve them whereever I can

[NeoSeraphi]

What's that? From the shadows, an update! Have finished the review of the shifter feats!

[Grim Reader]

Interesting PrCs: Frostburns Primeval, and Unapprochable Easts Shapeshifter.

[NeoSeraphi]

Interesting PrCs: Frostburns Primeval, and Unapprochable Easts Shapeshifter.

I might cover Primeval later tonight, but the Shapeshifter isn't just campaign-specific, it's campaign-specific to a different campaign than the one that the shifter itself is campaign-specific to! I'm sorry, but I really don't see the point in covering the viability of something that would most likely never be allowed at a table.

[Greenish]

Racial Prestige section is up, and very comprehensive.Where's Bloodclaw Master? You can't leave out Bloodclaw Master!

And while we're at ToB, Tiger Blooded feat also warrants a mention.


[Edit]:
I'm sorry, but I really don't see the point in covering the viability of something that would most likely never be allowed at a table.Maybe not in your table, but you're not writing the handbook just for yourself, are you? :smallamused:

Besides, shifters are in MMIII, which is hardly a setting-specific book.

[NeoSeraphi]

Where's Bloodclaw Master? You can't leave out Bloodclaw Master!

And while we're at ToB, Tiger Blooded feat also warrants a mention.

It's still WIP, don't worry. I will definitely cover both of those.



[Edit]: Maybe not in your table, but you're not writing the handbook just for yourself, are you? :smallamused:

Besides, shifters are in MMIII, which is hardly a setting-specific book.

Fair enough, but Unapproachable East is still 3.0. Also I don't have it. :smallsmile:

[Coidzor]

I might cover Primeval later tonight, but the Shapeshifter isn't just campaign-specific, it's campaign-specific to a different campaign than the one that the shifter itself is campaign-specific to! I'm sorry, but I really don't see the point in covering the viability of something that would most likely never be allowed at a table.

You've got a strange idea of "never," NeoSeraphi. People talk about mixing things from different campaign settings all the time around here.

[Greenish]

Fair enough, but Unapproachable East is still 3.0. Also I don't have it. :smallsmile:That's okay, since Shapeshifter isn't in Unapproachable East.

It's from Oriental Adventures (also 3.0), and doesn't do anything for shifters. :smallamused:

[NeoSeraphi]

You've got a strange idea of "never," NeoSeraphi. People talk about mixing things from different campaign settings all the time around here.

Never seen a single case of that myself on this forum, actually.


That's okay, since Shapeshifter isn't in Unapproachable East.

It's from Oriental Adventures (also 3.0), and doesn't do anything for shifters.

Really? If it's from Oriental Adventures, sounds like it would be a hengeyokai prestige class.

[deuxhero]

Shifter Planewalker. Problem solved.

[Rossebay]

Hey, think you could add a list of non-shifter specific prestige classes that Shifters could still gain a lot from?

Such as Warshaper, etc.? It's difficult to pull those little bonuses out of books if you don't have much experience in it, so I feel that it'd be a helpful section.


Anyway, Seraphi... Thank you. So much. I've almost made Shifters, oh, 20 times now? So many times, I've had my character sheet written out, and I've thought, "Man. It's cool, but... SotAO Mystic Ranger really takes the cake here... And with that wizard in the party, I'm gonna need to catch up."

But now? I don't care. I'm definitely going to make a Shifter. If only someone would hold me to that... :P

[NeoSeraphi]

Hey, think you could add a list of non-shifter specific prestige classes that Shifters could still gain a lot from?

Such as Warshaper, etc.? It's difficult to pull those little bonuses out of books if you don't have much experience in it, so I feel that it'd be a helpful section.

Sure, I'll do that by the end of the week. (Unfortunately, this handbook isn't very high on my scattered list of priorities right now)



Anyway, Seraphi... Thank you. So much. I've almost made Shifters, oh, 20 times now? So many times, I've had my character sheet written out, and I've thought, "Man. It's cool, but... SotAO Mystic Ranger really takes the cake here... And with that wizard in the party, I'm gonna need to catch up."

But now? I don't care. I'm definitely going to make a Shifter. If only someone would hold me to that... :P

Shifters. They rule. That is all.

[Venger]

Really? If it's from Oriental Adventures, sounds like it would be a hengeyokai prestige class.

it is a hengeyokai class. they are specifically mentioned by name twice in the shapeshifter's entry, once in the shapeshifter's wild shape ability description, and once in the description of the capstone that gives you the "shapechanger type"

I think that was changed into being a subtype in 3.5, so you'd be "humanoid (shapechanger)" and could still be affected by stuff like "enlarge person" at your option while still being immune to "hold person" and the like, right? there are so few shapechangers in 3.5, I'm a little hazy on the rules for them since I think they're a subtype now and don't have their own special "type" rules


That's okay, since Shapeshifter isn't in Unapproachable East.

It's from Oriental Adventures (also 3.0), and doesn't do anything for shifters. :smallamused:

I don't really think it would do nothing for a shifter. all you need is either polymorph (written as "polymorph self" but that spell doesn't exist anymore) or have a natural alternate form, alter self, polymorph self, or shapechange ability to enter. if you could cast polymorph somehow (sor/wiz are both bad choices) or if you'd already completed your levels in weretouched master to unlock its alternate form ability, which functions like polymorph, then you can get in as a shifter. you can enter shapeshifter at lvl 8 at the earliest due to the concentration prereq.

but from then on, you add your "shapechanger level" (which from the text means your character level) onto the amount of times you're allowed to wild shape per day. it starts you off at 3 and you just get more from there, so I think that shapeshifter is actually a really solid choice for a shifter as long as he can qualify.

oddly enough, it's not possible for druids to enter on time without multiclassing since they can't cast polymorph and don't get thousand faces till level 13, and if you're in druid that long, you're not leaving.shifter druids should probably go with moonspeaker over shapeshifter since it's only half casting, anyway.

thanks for telling me about shapeshifter! this class is awesome! it's like MoMF without the wild shape prereq

[NeoSeraphi]

it is a hengeyokai class. they are specifically mentioned by name twice in the shapeshifter's entry, once in the shapeshifter's wild shape ability description, and once in the description of the capstone that gives you the "shapechanger type"

I think that was changed into being a subtype in 3.5, so you'd be "humanoid (shapechanger)" and could still be affected by stuff like "enlarge person" at your option while still being immune to "hold person" and the like, right? there are so few shapechangers in 3.5, I'm a little hazy on the rules for them since I think they're a subtype now and don't have their own special "type" rules


No. Humanoid (Shapechanger) are affected by all "person" spells, both beneficial and harmful. The shapechanger subtype does not protect you from this.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Here is the SRD entry on the Shapechanger subtype:


Shapechanger Subtype
A shapechanger has the supernatural ability to assume one or more alternate forms. Many magical effects allow some kind of shape shifting, and not every creature that can change shape has the shapechanger subtype.

Traits
A shapechanger possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

Proficient with its natural weapons, with simple weapons, and with any weapons mentioned in the creature’s description.
Proficient with any armor mentioned in the creature’s description, as well as all lighter forms. If no form of armor is mentioned, the shapechanger is not proficient with armor. A shapechanger is proficient with shields if it is proficient with any type of armor.


So it seems Shifter monks are proficient with their fists :smalltongue:

[Venger]

No. Humanoid (Shapechanger) are affected by all "person" spells, both beneficial and harmful. The shapechanger subtype does not protect you from this.

hooray! that's good news. still nothing better than enlarge person.

[IdleMuse]

I'm gonna add the chorus of well dones, this is a great handbook already! I'm always really interested to see new handbooks still being written, despite most of the simple class or concept based ones having been covered long ago. This is the kind of awesome handbook we need!

More on the topic of Shifters, I'll resuggest adding the Warshaper as the next thing you do on this book, as even a one-level dip is incredibly synergistic, and it has no dead levels for a shifter save for the last, which you simply just don't take. Levels 1-4 also grant you only 1 drop off full BAB.

I look forward to the Totem Rager section as well! Should be awesome.

[Greenish]

More on the topic of Shifters, I'll resuggest adding the Warshaper as the next thing you do on this book, as even a one-level dip is incredibly synergistic, and it has no dead levels for a shifter save for the last, which you simply just don't take.Warshaper has 5 dead levels for a shifter. :smallamused:

If the DM rules that shifting counts as "form other than your own", well, then you might get some mileage out of it if you invest heavily into shifter feats.

[NeoSeraphi]

Shifters have the shapechanger subtype, so their racial ability to alter their form should be enough to qualify for Warshaper, by RAW. It's much more balanced than letting changeling monks in, since you actually have a limit on your ability to change forms. :smallamused:

[Greenish]

Shifters have the shapechanger subtype, so their racial ability to alter their form should be enough to qualify for Warshaper, by RAW.I'm not saying they can't enter, I'm saying they can't use the class features as written. :smallamused:

[Edit]: And "weaker" doesn't always mean more balanced. Changeling monk/warshaper isn't exactly broken.

[IdleMuse]

My GMs have always gone with the ruling that you count as being in "a form other than her own" while you are shifting... as a rounds/day limited shapechanging ability, I don't think that's against RAI (or common sense), and the RAW in this case isn't conclusive. I suppose it all hinges on the words "her own"; does this mean the form you spend most of your time in? No, since you can easily spend all day polymorphed. The form you're born in? Maybe. As a DM myself, I'd say it's the natural form you assume if there are no ongoing effects on you, but again, there's no RAW for this.

At any rate, I think the majority of GMs would allow it to function as intended in a regular game, meriting inclusion in a handbook should Seraphi choose.

[NeoSeraphi]

I'm not saying they can't enter, I'm saying they can't use the class features as written. :smallamused:


Easily negated if you take Weretouched Master first, since the capstone, alternate form, is definitely a change in form.

[Grim Reader]

I might cover Primeval later tonight, but the Shapeshifter isn't just campaign-specific, it's campaign-specific to a different campaign than the one that the shifter itself is campaign-specific to! I'm sorry, but I really don't see the point in covering the viability of something that would most likely never be allowed at a table.

Most people tend to mix and match I think, and there are still a lot of people who play homebrew settings.


Fair enough, but Unapproachable East is still 3.0. Also I don't have it. :smallsmile:

That's okay, since Shapeshifter isn't in Unapproachable East.

It's from Oriental Adventures (also 3.0), and doesn't do anything for shifters. :smallamused:

You are right, it is from Oriental Adventures. I misremebered:smalleek:

However, Oriental Adventrues is 3.5, it was updated in Dragon # 318.

And what the Shapeshifter does for Shifters...well, its all good saves, 3/4 BaB, d8 hit dice...and a 1-level dip (which is probably best) gives you wild shape 3 times per day! Not only is that exceptionally convenient in itself, but it can open many doors, like PrCs and Wild Feats. Also, it is quite good fluff, for a way for a Shifter to extend and develop himself.

Finally, it seems to me that the Extra Shifting ability could interact strangely and beneficially with some stuff, depending on how your DM reads it.

[NeoSeraphi]

Warshaper review is up. Plenty of blue, just how I like it.

[Kiarthros]

Shifter Feats
...Unexplained fluff aside, you get a nice but random continuous spell effect and a noticeable untyped bonus to your Spot checks for the duration of your shifting.


Dreamsight shifter always seemed like a Were-Owl to me. A creature renown for seeing at night whilst having great wisdom.