Semi-Lycan build help

[Azoth]

Ok so while working on a backup character in case one of mine dies I got hit by inspiration. Well more like a manhwa I was reading had a really interesting idea I wanted to try and flesh out.

The basic idea for it is a human was experimented on and had a werewolf heart replace his own. Since then he has gained several abilities and can perform a limited transformation of sorts. I would like to recreate this as best as possible while still being effective.

Noteable Abilities:
Can change his hands into claws (which are his prefered weapons)
Incredible speed & agility by the series standards
Immense physical strength
Scent
Remarkable regenerative abilities and resistance to damage
Prefers to fight unhindered by armor and does not use weapons.

I know already of shifters, savage progressions for the were-creatures, warshapers, blood claw master, black blood hunter&cultist. I just don't know how to put it together to get what I am looking for in a mele character.

[Dr.Epic]

Well, shifter can give you most of what you're looking for:


Noteable Abilities:
Can change his hands into claws (which are his prefered weapons)

There's a shift that allows you to do this.


Incredible speed & agility by the series standards

They get +2 to dex


Immense physical strength

There's a shift that grants you +2 str for a limited time (it's the same on that let's you get claws).


Scent

There's another shift that lets you get this. There's a feat for shifters that basically let's them take a second shift.


Remarkable regenerative abilities

There's a PrC in Complete Warrior called Warshaper. It eventually gives you fast healing. In fact, Warshaper gives you a lot of the stuff you want. One class ability is a +4 to str (and con). You can grow natural weapons, and if you could before, the natural weapons increase size in weapon damage (so your claws). Also, you become immune to crits and stuns (so you're more resistant to damage). Best thing about Warshaper is the only two real requirements are +4 BAB and must be a shapesifter which shifter are. So you can enter it by level 5.


resistance to damage

As said before, immune to stuns and crits, but there's also a shifter feat that grants you damage reduction to everything but silver.


Prefers to fight unhindered by armor and does not use weapons.

There are a ton of different builds for this. It's not too hard to find one.

[Azoth]

My main problem when thinking of it using a shifter is that shifts are extremely limited in the number of uses per day unless you sink almost all of your feats into shifter feats. Which leaves little room for useful feats or combat tricks.

[Dr.Epic]

My main problem when thinking of it using a shifter is that shifts are extremely limited in the number of uses per day unless you sink almost all of your feats into shifter feats. Which leaves little room for useful feats or combat tricks.

I'd still say it's worth it. Even if you don't take the feats, you can still go warshaper level 5 and that'll give you what you want.

[Tvtyrant]

My suggestion would be a Shifter who uses one of the many classes that gets Druid casting (Druid, Spirit Shaman, Archivist, Chameleon, etc) to grab the Bite of the Were-X line of spells. They stack with your Shifter abilities and are quite potent.

One build (which would be difficult to pull off) would be Cleric 5/Warshaper 5/Chameleon 10 for persistent buffs while shifted. The Cleric doesn't have a full BaB, so you couldn't get in until level 6. :C

Hmm, how can you get turn undead on a full BaB chassis? Oh, right, Paladin 4 (BaB +4, turn undead for DMM). So the build would be Paladin 4/Warshaper 5/Chameleon 10/campaign probably won't get this far.

You need the type changing ritual from Savage Species to become a human, after you have finished Warshaper (or a scroll of Wish).

[Kazyan]

One of the online suppliments has rules for the "Quasilyncanthrope". It's an LA+1 template that provides DR 10/silver, the [shapechanger] subtype, and a shapechanging ability that doesn't really do anything. If you can convince your DM that the shapechanging ability will activate the abilities of Warshaper, you get everything you're asking for except for the speed and Scent.

It's more than a little bizarre as a race, but the Tibbit's cat form has 30 move speed, +4 Dex, and Scent. You can keep the Quasilycanthrope to retain Warshaper abilities in normal human-like form. But there are probably better ways to complete your idea besides Tibbit.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Quasilycanthrope template (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20040721a).

Lycanthrope Bloodline (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm#lycanthrope).

The Shifter base race (ECS, MM3) and certain prestige classes (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lists/prc) (Moonspeaker, Reachrunner, and Weretouched Master) that focus on their heritage.

Savage Progressions (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/sp) including Werewolf (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a), you don't have to take all those (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a) template class levels if you don't want to.

[Azoth]

I want to avoid casting with this character honestly. Maybe something like human spirit lion barb1/lycanthrope1/werewolf lord1/lycanthrope+1/werewolf lord+5/warshaper4/fotf3/xxx4. Where x is full BAB class. Spliting up the Lycanthrope/werewolflord levels by using the savage progression.

Would give me a decent BAB, con to AC, +22STR/+10CON/+8DEX when in hybrid form and using whirling frenzy.

While I don't care much for barb or fotf on this build since the guy who sparked the idea actually lived in a nice house and had a good job when not transformed...but using a Cloistered cleric dip for devotions doesn't feel right either. I know I could use monk, but wis to AC with no armor when it isn't a focus stat just seems weaker than usual for a monk dip. Blackblood hunter doesn't seem worth it either with 3/4 BAB and the only good ability coming online with its 9th level.

[Tvtyrant]

A funny one would be a Shifter Dragon Fire Adept/Warshaper, transform into humanoids and then grant yourself claws while in humanoid form. The humanoid shape invocation is at-will, so you can be permanently transformed for Warshaper.