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Klepty_McKlepto
2007-03-06, 11:22 PM
Ok, so I'm playing a (as of now) straight fighter in my current campaign. And for prestige requirements I need to pick up the ability to shapechange. The prestige class in question is the warshaper which grants some (I think) really cool abilities.

Anyhow, I'm stumped as for how to pick up the needed special req according to the cw I need to be able to either: have the change shape supernatural ability, have the shapechanger subtype, be able to cast the polymorph spell, or have the wild shape or a simillar ability.

Preferably I'd like to be able to only dump 1 level into this, and I'd love to be able to roleplay it (so "aquiring the lycanthrope template randomly" is out).

For what its worth the character is currently a level five human fighter, and due to some houseruling with the level progression, I'll be getting 2 feats and a ability point at level 6. I'm not sure how the DM justifies the discrepancy, but i'm not arguing.

Thanks in advance.

brian c
2007-03-06, 11:37 PM
Just curious, but do you mean 2 feats, plus the figher bonus feat? Because a fighter normally gains 2 at 6th level.

As per your predicament, these are the ways I can think of to shapeshift/wildshape/polymorph:

Be a druid - 5 levels required for Wild Shape 1/day
Unearthed Arcana ranger variant with shifting: as Druid, 5th level
Bear Warrior: PrC in Complete Warrior shifts to a Bear at level 1, but requires Rage and BAB +7.

If you take two level of barbarian (or somehow get a class with Rage or rage-equivalent, and there was a whole thread on that here) then you can go bear warrior and you're set for warshaper. I normally am not an advocate of 1 level dips in classes (in this case 1 and 2), so if you've just created the character please consider being a barbarian instead of fighter; Barbarian/Bear Warrior/Warshaper is a neat combo. If not, then it shouldn't be impossible to roleplay a fighter being more of a barbarian, although the DM will have to help you out by having you meet a tribe of friendly, bear-worshiping barbarians.

edit: I'm sure there are other ways to gain a shapeshifting ability, but I can't imagine there are any within 2 levels.

cupkeyk
2007-03-06, 11:39 PM
How about the Psuedo natural template from complete arcane. You get Truestrike once per day and you turn into a horrible tentacled mass. And you can go all emo: Am I real?

Collin152
2007-03-06, 11:46 PM
Just Go wear-fox hunting. Then capture one... tickle it! Hey, you said no randomly gaining lycanthropy template, not methodical gaining it! Other then that, die, get a druid to reincarnate you, and Limited Wish it into a doppleganger. Or any other Shape-changer, but I like doppelgangers.

The_Snark
2007-03-07, 12:15 AM
Take one level of druid. Use the PHBII's shapeshift variant. Then go into warshaper.

Fizban
2007-03-07, 12:46 AM
I'm pretty sure changelings can pull off warshaper, be one of those. (see Ebberon CS or MMIII for details).

Hamster_Ninja
2007-03-07, 12:49 AM
Or shifter (I think they have the shapechanger subtype, might just be a foggy memory)

Jack Mann
2007-03-07, 12:52 AM
Yep, both shifters and changelings qualify.

brian c
2007-03-07, 12:56 AM
Take one level of druid. Use the PHBII's shapeshift variant. Then go into warshaper.

ohhhh i forgot all about the PHBII. schwing! I still like the bear warrior route, but druid is a lot faster (though still not easy from a roleplaying perspective)



also, guys, I got the impression from the original post that it's an ongoing campaign, so it's a little hard to say "oh, by the way, I'm a changeling now". Just for the record though, doppelgangers work also.

Vaynor
2007-03-07, 12:56 AM
Or, maybe just consider another PrC? :smalltongue:


ohhhh i forgot all about the PHBII. schwing! I still like the bear warrior route, but druid is a lot faster (though still not easy from a roleplaying perspective)

Maybe he could just say he saw the path of nature and decided to follow it. :smallbiggrin:

The_Snark
2007-03-07, 01:01 AM
The bear warrior's not bad, but I prefer Frostburn's primeval, I think; that would require some wilderness-related skills, BAB +8, and three nominally useful feats, however, and the signature ability is useful only once a day at first level.

Shapeshift is pretty good because it's a swift action, useable at will, but then you can't use weapons, most armor, or magic items in alternate form. Might be limiting to a fighter. And it's also difficult to justify becoming a druid, sorta...

You know what would be a cool way to do this? Discovering only now that your character's a changeling. Statwise, it's not hard to do—you give up your human bonus feat and bonus skill points and replace it with the unobtrusive changeling racial traits. RPwise, it works out nicely—you've been a changeling all your life, but you didn't know it. I rather like it; I may have to steal that idea for a changeling sometime.

PinkysBrain
2007-03-07, 01:31 AM
Although quite expensive the Skin of Proteus from the XPH/SRD works.

brian c
2007-03-07, 02:16 AM
Or, maybe just consider another PrC? :smalltongue:



Maybe he could just say he saw the path of nature and decided to follow it. :smallbiggrin:

And then just as quickly decided not to follow it anymore and become a warshaper? It's possible, just not the smoothest thing you could ever do.

Jack Mann
2007-03-07, 02:38 AM
Or he stayed with it and became a warshaper. None of the warshaper's abilities are incompatible with a nature-loving warrior.

cupkeyk
2007-03-07, 03:20 AM
I am suddenly keen on making Eve from BlackCat (http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve_%28Black_Cat%29) as a psuedonatural fighter warshaper.

Collin152
2007-03-07, 05:10 PM
ohhhh i forgot all about the PHBII. schwing! I still like the bear warrior route, but druid is a lot faster (though still not easy from a roleplaying perspective)



also, guys, I got the impression from the original post that it's an ongoing campaign, so it's a little hard to say "oh, by the way, I'm a changeling now". Just for the record though, doppelgangers work also.
Just say you were lways a changeling, just in disguise the whole time. It should work, right? RetConning is all the rage these days.