Warghests

[Little Brother]

How the hell do they work? How does Fast Wildshape, or other Wild feats that involve the phrase "You can Wildshape," or someting to that effect, interact with a Worghest's(Dr350) Change Shape ability? Does the Worghest's Change Shape ability even actually make it a wolf, or does it just give it the mentioned traits? Excluding cheese, like MOMF-esque entry, are they actually good/useful? How about lesser versions?

These guys are awesome, but totally confusing. Thank you for any clarification at all

By the way: Dr350 is where Warghests are.

[gorfnab]

Worghests meet the prereqs for Warshaper which is nice (shapechanger subtype and change shape as an SU). It can take Wildshape feats as if it were a Druid, however it does not say how these feats interact with it's change shape ability. With almost all of the Druid Wildshape feats the Druid has to spend a daily use of its Wildshape in order to activate the feat. A Worghest does not have daily uses of its Change Shape ability. As a DM I would rule that it can take the Wildshape feats but not utilize them until it gains the Wildshape ability.

Change Shape (Su)

A creature that has this special quality can assume the appearance
of a specific creature or type of creature (usually a humanoid),
but retains most of its original physical qualities. Changing
shape results in the following changes to the creature.

• The creature retains the type and subtype of its natural
form. It gains the size of its assumed form.

• The creature loses the natural weapons and movement
modes of its natural form, as well as any extraordinary special
attacks of its natural form not derived from class levels.

• The creature gains the natural weapons, movement
modes, and extraordinary abilities and attacks of its
assumed form.

• The creature retains all other attacks and special qualities of
its natural form, except for breath weapons and gaze attacks.

• The creature retains the ability scores of its natural form.

• Except as described elsewhere, the creature retains all
other game statistics of its natural form, including but
not necessarily limited to Hit Dice, hit points, skill
ranks, feats, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses.

• The creature retains any spellcasting ability it had in its
natural form, although it must be able to speak intelligibly
to cast spells with verbal components, and it must have
humanlike hands to cast spells with somatic components.

• The creature is effectively camoufl aged as a creature of
its assumed form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise
checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise.

• Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be
worn or carried in its assumed form instead falls to the
ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any
gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its
assumed form changes size to match the new size. (Nonhumanoid-
shaped creatures can’t wear armor designed
for humanoid-shaped creatures, and vice versa.) Gear
returns to normal size if dropped.

Edit: Worghest Warblade or Swordsage 4/ Barbarian (Whirling Frenzy, Pounce) 1/ Warshaper 5/ Soul Eater 10 (or Soul Eater 1/ X 9. X being more Warblade, Swordsage, Thayan Gladiator, or Totemist) - looks like a rather amusing build.

[Little Brother]

Worghests meet the prereqs for Warshaper which is nice (shapechanger subtype and change shape as an SU). It can take Wildshape feats as if it were a Druid, however it does not say how these feats interact with it's change shape ability. With almost all of the Druid Wildshape feats the Druid has to spend a daily use of its Wildshape in order to activate the feat. A Worghest does not have daily uses of its Change Shape ability. As a DM I would rule that it can take the Wildshape feats but not utilize them until it gains the Wildshape ability. Yes, but there are a couple of feats that just say something along the lines of "You can wildshape as/into/blah blah blah." How would, say, Extra Wildshape interact with it? "You can use your wildshape ability two more times peer day than you normally could. Blah blah blah." Or Fast Wildshape? "You gain the ability to use wild shape as a move-equivalent action."