What race should I be?

[Jodah]

The grand irony of this is that the original idea was centered on the race. The changeling warshaper thread inspired me and so I wanted to make one. I instead ended up with this monstrosity of a base class:

Ranger
Wildshape variant (drop combat styles)
Shapeshifting variant (drop wildshape)
Favored enemy arcanist
Spiritual connection (drop wild empathy)
Spirit guide (give up animal companion)

The goal would be a skinwalker who shifts among primarily animal forms and only occasionally is humanoid at all.

This class no longer needs changeling because it has infinite indefinite length time in alternate forms. The question I have is this: what race do I now want? I figure that I want natural armor, Con and Str, maybe speed. Any suggestions?

[Coidzor]

Eh? I thought shapeshift variant druids gave up their animal companion and wildshape, which was why it was viewed as so balancing. So doing that would give up one's ranger animal companion as well if it could be managed. So spirit guide should be out.

As for race, human is always good, of course, for the extra feat, perhaps Wild Cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a), even.

[Feytalist]

Dropping one variant for another... you can do that?

Shapeshift variant does give up your companion, yes.

Human is always good. How about shifter, for extra lulz.

[Jodah]

Right you are. I missed that. Fortunately it was the ability I didn't care much about as it fit the flavor much less than the others. Thank you for catching that.

As far as human is concerned, I thought about it and considered it for awhile. The problem is that I would remain forever as squishy as a naked human without some sort of con boost or AC boost, since my armor is absorbed.

[Andion Isurand]

You could try grabbing yourself a few Wilding Clasps (MIC 190)