Calemyr
2007-03-25, 03:03 PM
I've been toying with a character design for a long time and I was wondering how it would sit in the minds of veterans.
In Baldur's Gate II, the Druid class had a kit named the Shapeshifter. Unlike normal druids, who enjoyed a wide range of forms, the Shapeshifter chose instead to master a single form. In BGII's case, this form was that of a werewolf. I was wondering, could such a thing be arranged in 3.5 without becoming particularly over-/under-powered?
The thought I had was to make it so that instead of animal forms, the 3.5 shapeshifter assumed hybrid forms akin to that of Lycanthropy. This would function exactly like traditional wildshape, except that the shapeshifter could only adopt hybrid forms whose animal hit dice were at most the shapeshifter's level - 4 (i.e. only a were-rat form at level 5).
Unlike real lycanthropes, the shapeshifter does not gain the +2 wisdom, the damage reduction, or the ability to inflict lycanthropy on others. Like lycanthropes, the transformed shapeshifter gains bonuses to their stats instead replacing them (i.e. no dump stats). Though they can speak in hybrid forms, they cannot cast magic except through the natural spell feat. Like normal druids, a shapeshifter's gear melds into the new form.
Could an idea like this work in the D&D 3.5 framework? I'm trying to work out the kinks before I pester my DM with this idea, so I'd welcome any suggestions on how to better balance it.
In Baldur's Gate II, the Druid class had a kit named the Shapeshifter. Unlike normal druids, who enjoyed a wide range of forms, the Shapeshifter chose instead to master a single form. In BGII's case, this form was that of a werewolf. I was wondering, could such a thing be arranged in 3.5 without becoming particularly over-/under-powered?
The thought I had was to make it so that instead of animal forms, the 3.5 shapeshifter assumed hybrid forms akin to that of Lycanthropy. This would function exactly like traditional wildshape, except that the shapeshifter could only adopt hybrid forms whose animal hit dice were at most the shapeshifter's level - 4 (i.e. only a were-rat form at level 5).
Unlike real lycanthropes, the shapeshifter does not gain the +2 wisdom, the damage reduction, or the ability to inflict lycanthropy on others. Like lycanthropes, the transformed shapeshifter gains bonuses to their stats instead replacing them (i.e. no dump stats). Though they can speak in hybrid forms, they cannot cast magic except through the natural spell feat. Like normal druids, a shapeshifter's gear melds into the new form.
Could an idea like this work in the D&D 3.5 framework? I'm trying to work out the kinks before I pester my DM with this idea, so I'd welcome any suggestions on how to better balance it.