malonkey1
2014-01-09, 01:32 PM
I saw the playtest not too long ago for the Advanced Classes Guide for Pathfinder (link to the announcement HERE (http://paizo.com/paizo/news/v5748eaic9rdw?Paizo-Publishing-Opens-Worldwide-Playtest-For)), which is a book whose centerpiece is 10 new base classes, all formed from combining aspects of two existing classes, similarly to a Bard combining some aspects of Rogue and Sorcerer, or more directly, a Magus melding Wizard and Fighter. The class presented here is intended to be a mix of the Ranger and Summoner, providing frontline combat ability out of the box, ties to nature, and an animal companion a la the Ranger, plus some of the summoning ability and a new twist on the Summoner's Eidolon Evolutions. Please take a look at it, tell me what you think, and if you see a place where it seems broken, or needs rewording, or could simply be cooler, better, or more fun, please tell me! Enjoy!
Wild Shifter:
Wild Shifters are uniques shapeshifters and masters of beasts, having the ability to mutate themselves and their animal companions into newer, more powerful forms. They often have rather bestial natures, but aren't necessarily uncivilized so much as blunt.
Role: Wild Shifters generally are best as frontline combatants, working in concert with their animal companions to take down game much bigger than themselves, as well as hunters, scouts and trackers. Depending on their specific choices, they can fill other roles to a limited extent as well.
Ability Scores: Strength can be important for dealing damage, seeing as you're a frontline combatant more often than not. After that you may want to invest in Constitution and/or Dexterity for survivability (although certain choices in evolutions can ameliorate this). After that, Charisma is useful for certain evolutions, as well as how often you can use summon nature's ally.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d10
Starting Wealth: As Ranger
Starting Age: Trained
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points: 4+Int
BABFortRefWillSpecialEvolution Points
1+1+2+2+0Bond of the Beast, Track, Wild Empathy–
2+2+3+3+0Summon Nature's Ally I–
3+3+3+3+1Bonus Feat–
4+4+4+4+1Bestial Form (1/day, 2 forms)7
5+5+4+4+1Summon Nature's Ally II8
6+6/+1+5+5+2Bestial Form (2/day), Bonus Feat9
7+7/+2+5+5+2Animal Speech10
8+8/+3+6+6+2Bestial Form (2/day, 3 forms), Summon Nature's Ally III11
9+9/+4+6+6+3Bonus Feat13
10+10/+5+7+7+3Bestial Form (3/day)14
11+11/+6/+1+7+7+3Summon Nature's Ally IV15
12+12/+7/+2+8+8+4Bestial Form (3/day, 4 forms), Bonus Feat16
13+13/+8/+3+8+8+4Animal Senses, Beast Strike17
14+14/+9/+4+9+9+4Bestial Form (4/day), Summon Nature's Ally V19
15+15/+10/+5+9+9+5Bonus Feat20
16+16/+11/+6/+1+10+10+5Bestial Form (4/day, 5 forms)21
17+17/+12/+7/+2+10+10+5Summon Nature's Ally VI22
18+18/+13/+8/+3+11+11+6Bestial Form (5/day), Bonus Feat23
19+19/+14/+9/+4+11+11+6Animalistic Power25
20+20/+15/+10/+5+12+12+6Bestial Form (at will, 6 forms), Summon Nature's Ally VII, Primal Power26
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Wild Shifters are proficient in all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields (excluding tower shields).
Bond of the Beast (Su): At level 1, you receive an animal companion, as per the Druid class feature, except that its Intelligence score becomes 3 if it was not at least 3 already.
Track (Ex): As the Ranger class feature.
Wild Empathy (Ex): As the Druid class feature.
Summon Nature's Ally (Sp): When you just aren't enough, you can use your primal bond with nature to call for aid. This is identical to the Summoner's ability to cast Summon Monster, allowing you to cast a summon nature's ally spell of the level given for your class level 3 + your Charisma Modifier times per day, using your class level as the caster level.
Bonus Feats: At every 3rd level, you may choose a combat feat or one of the following feats for which you qualify as a bonus feat. You may take monster feats listed below as bonus feats if you or one of your Bestial Forms (below) meets the requirements, but if you only meet the requirements of a feat while in a Bestial Form, said feat only functions in that Bestial Form.
Ability Focus, Alertness, Animal Affinity, Aspect of the Beast, Flyby Attack, Hover, Improved Natural Attack, Multiattack, Multiweapon Fighting, Quicken Spell-Like Ability, Snatch, and Wingover.
Bestial Form (Su): You can change your body, subtly at first, but then more overtly later in your career, temporarily becoming more bestial in nature. At level 4, you acquire your first Bestial Form, a set of Evolutions that you (and your animal companion) can take on once per day (gaining an additional use at level 6 and every 4th level thereafter, until you can use it at-will at level 20). You must select each evolution for this form upon gaining it, and may not change them. These evolutions must be applied to you or your animal companion from this class, and the form's Evolution Pool is counted for the total value of evolutions applied to you and your animal companion in the form. As you acquire more evolution points, you can add or improve your evolutions. You may not remove evolutions from a Bestial Form, but you may add new ones, or replace existing ones with superior versions (replacing Basic Magic with Minor Magic, replacing Resistance with Immunity, etc.). Any effects that rely on your summoner level use your Wild Shifter level instead. The Bestial form lasts for 1 minute per Wild Shifter level, or until you dismiss the effect. You and your animal companion can not enter your Bestial Form separately, and if it takes effect on you, it also takes effect on your animal companion, and vice-versa. At every 4th level after 4th, you gain an additional bestial form. Each form has its own evolution pool, so evolution points spent in one Bestial Form do not affect the number of Evolution points available in another. Bestial form qualifies you for feats that require Wild Shape, provided they do not modify Wild Shape in any way in order to function. While in Bestial Form, you count as either your normal type or an Animal for all applicable effects, whichever is more beneficial. Unless you took an archetype that trades your Bond of the Beast away, your Animal Companion similarly counts as either its own type or yours.
Animal Speech (Ex): At level 7, you gain the ability to speak with animals as per the spell. You also gain a +3 bonus on Wild Empathy checks.
Animal Senses (Ex): At level 13, your eyes and ears become keen, and your nose becomes a precision instrument. You gain the scent and blindsense special abilities, and a +4 racial bonus on Perception checks and Survival checks made for tracking. You are treated as having the scent evolution for meeting prerequisites.
Beast Strike (Ex): At level 13, your body has permanently changed, granting you a natural attack. You gain one of the following natural attacks, appropriate to your size. Each can be modified by any evolution as if they were the evolution they correspond with.
A bite attack. You are treated as having the bite evolution at all times.
2 claw attacks. You are treated as having the claws evolution at all times.
A slam attack. You are treated as having the slam evolution at all times.
Animalistic Power (Ex): At level 19, as a result of your bond with nature and your tranformations, your body is permanently improved. You add a total of 4 points, split between your Dexterity and Strength scores.
Primal Power (Su): A Wild Shifter that has fully mastered his powers, he can call upon previously unknown reserves of power. As a move action, once per day, you and your animal companion each gain extra evolutions with a total value equal to or less than 10 points. This can be activated in, or out of, Bestial Form, and lasts for 10 minutes. Any evolutions may be used in this, but prerequisites for any such evolutions must still be met.
Wild Shifter:
Wild Shifters are uniques shapeshifters and masters of beasts, having the ability to mutate themselves and their animal companions into newer, more powerful forms. They often have rather bestial natures, but aren't necessarily uncivilized so much as blunt.
Role: Wild Shifters generally are best as frontline combatants, working in concert with their animal companions to take down game much bigger than themselves, as well as hunters, scouts and trackers. Depending on their specific choices, they can fill other roles to a limited extent as well.
Ability Scores: Strength can be important for dealing damage, seeing as you're a frontline combatant more often than not. After that you may want to invest in Constitution and/or Dexterity for survivability (although certain choices in evolutions can ameliorate this). After that, Charisma is useful for certain evolutions, as well as how often you can use summon nature's ally.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d10
Starting Wealth: As Ranger
Starting Age: Trained
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points: 4+Int
BABFortRefWillSpecialEvolution Points
1+1+2+2+0Bond of the Beast, Track, Wild Empathy–
2+2+3+3+0Summon Nature's Ally I–
3+3+3+3+1Bonus Feat–
4+4+4+4+1Bestial Form (1/day, 2 forms)7
5+5+4+4+1Summon Nature's Ally II8
6+6/+1+5+5+2Bestial Form (2/day), Bonus Feat9
7+7/+2+5+5+2Animal Speech10
8+8/+3+6+6+2Bestial Form (2/day, 3 forms), Summon Nature's Ally III11
9+9/+4+6+6+3Bonus Feat13
10+10/+5+7+7+3Bestial Form (3/day)14
11+11/+6/+1+7+7+3Summon Nature's Ally IV15
12+12/+7/+2+8+8+4Bestial Form (3/day, 4 forms), Bonus Feat16
13+13/+8/+3+8+8+4Animal Senses, Beast Strike17
14+14/+9/+4+9+9+4Bestial Form (4/day), Summon Nature's Ally V19
15+15/+10/+5+9+9+5Bonus Feat20
16+16/+11/+6/+1+10+10+5Bestial Form (4/day, 5 forms)21
17+17/+12/+7/+2+10+10+5Summon Nature's Ally VI22
18+18/+13/+8/+3+11+11+6Bestial Form (5/day), Bonus Feat23
19+19/+14/+9/+4+11+11+6Animalistic Power25
20+20/+15/+10/+5+12+12+6Bestial Form (at will, 6 forms), Summon Nature's Ally VII, Primal Power26
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Wild Shifters are proficient in all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields (excluding tower shields).
Bond of the Beast (Su): At level 1, you receive an animal companion, as per the Druid class feature, except that its Intelligence score becomes 3 if it was not at least 3 already.
Track (Ex): As the Ranger class feature.
Wild Empathy (Ex): As the Druid class feature.
Summon Nature's Ally (Sp): When you just aren't enough, you can use your primal bond with nature to call for aid. This is identical to the Summoner's ability to cast Summon Monster, allowing you to cast a summon nature's ally spell of the level given for your class level 3 + your Charisma Modifier times per day, using your class level as the caster level.
Bonus Feats: At every 3rd level, you may choose a combat feat or one of the following feats for which you qualify as a bonus feat. You may take monster feats listed below as bonus feats if you or one of your Bestial Forms (below) meets the requirements, but if you only meet the requirements of a feat while in a Bestial Form, said feat only functions in that Bestial Form.
Ability Focus, Alertness, Animal Affinity, Aspect of the Beast, Flyby Attack, Hover, Improved Natural Attack, Multiattack, Multiweapon Fighting, Quicken Spell-Like Ability, Snatch, and Wingover.
Bestial Form (Su): You can change your body, subtly at first, but then more overtly later in your career, temporarily becoming more bestial in nature. At level 4, you acquire your first Bestial Form, a set of Evolutions that you (and your animal companion) can take on once per day (gaining an additional use at level 6 and every 4th level thereafter, until you can use it at-will at level 20). You must select each evolution for this form upon gaining it, and may not change them. These evolutions must be applied to you or your animal companion from this class, and the form's Evolution Pool is counted for the total value of evolutions applied to you and your animal companion in the form. As you acquire more evolution points, you can add or improve your evolutions. You may not remove evolutions from a Bestial Form, but you may add new ones, or replace existing ones with superior versions (replacing Basic Magic with Minor Magic, replacing Resistance with Immunity, etc.). Any effects that rely on your summoner level use your Wild Shifter level instead. The Bestial form lasts for 1 minute per Wild Shifter level, or until you dismiss the effect. You and your animal companion can not enter your Bestial Form separately, and if it takes effect on you, it also takes effect on your animal companion, and vice-versa. At every 4th level after 4th, you gain an additional bestial form. Each form has its own evolution pool, so evolution points spent in one Bestial Form do not affect the number of Evolution points available in another. Bestial form qualifies you for feats that require Wild Shape, provided they do not modify Wild Shape in any way in order to function. While in Bestial Form, you count as either your normal type or an Animal for all applicable effects, whichever is more beneficial. Unless you took an archetype that trades your Bond of the Beast away, your Animal Companion similarly counts as either its own type or yours.
Animal Speech (Ex): At level 7, you gain the ability to speak with animals as per the spell. You also gain a +3 bonus on Wild Empathy checks.
Animal Senses (Ex): At level 13, your eyes and ears become keen, and your nose becomes a precision instrument. You gain the scent and blindsense special abilities, and a +4 racial bonus on Perception checks and Survival checks made for tracking. You are treated as having the scent evolution for meeting prerequisites.
Beast Strike (Ex): At level 13, your body has permanently changed, granting you a natural attack. You gain one of the following natural attacks, appropriate to your size. Each can be modified by any evolution as if they were the evolution they correspond with.
A bite attack. You are treated as having the bite evolution at all times.
2 claw attacks. You are treated as having the claws evolution at all times.
A slam attack. You are treated as having the slam evolution at all times.
Animalistic Power (Ex): At level 19, as a result of your bond with nature and your tranformations, your body is permanently improved. You add a total of 4 points, split between your Dexterity and Strength scores.
Primal Power (Su): A Wild Shifter that has fully mastered his powers, he can call upon previously unknown reserves of power. As a move action, once per day, you and your animal companion each gain extra evolutions with a total value equal to or less than 10 points. This can be activated in, or out of, Bestial Form, and lasts for 10 minutes. Any evolutions may be used in this, but prerequisites for any such evolutions must still be met.