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View Full Version : 3rd Ed Feat Suggestions for Wild Shaping and Stealthiness/Scoutiness



FerrousBueller
2015-12-03, 12:52 PM
Does anyone have any recommendations for Wild Shape a character that will prestige into Master of Many Forms and Planar Shepherd?

These two classes already give you the ability to Wild Shape into practically anything of almost any size. The only feats I can think of that would benefit Wild Shaping with these classes would be Colossal Wild Shape, Natural Spell, and Swift Wild Shape. (Already looked at Exalted, Frozen, and Primeval Wild Shape feats but not interested those). Was looking into Daggerspell Shaper, as the Dagger Claws ability at level 2 looked pretty cool, but decided against it since it doesn't progress Wild Shape HD, so I was hoping for a feat that did something similar to that if possible.

Also, I was hoping to look at feats that could make a character more stealthy, somewhat like a character that scouts and goes on recon missions. Feats for detection would be cool too. The Darkstalker feat is the only one I've been able to find that was useful. Not looking for feats that enhance damage (such as Sneak Attack or Skirmish type of things), but something like the Assassin's Death Attack would be fitting too if attainable as a feat.

Twurps
2015-12-03, 05:53 PM
For wildshaping options, you've not yet listed Dragon wild shape(Draconomicon).
Master of many forms already gives you the ability of turning into a dragon, but you don't get any (su) abilities, which is where dragon wild shape comes in.

There are items to improve your max HD for wildshaping, which cap at your CL. (Can't remember which..) This means you can take some levels in classes that don't advance wildshape. Some of my favorites:
-Fist of the forest (CC): Con to AC can be very nice with high con creatures. Downside: 3 prereq feats... Also: Primal living means restrictions to where you stay/sleep, fits nicely with a outdoorsy type though.
-Psion: use the Psion bonus feat for 'practiced manifester' will qualify you for 'Metamorphic transfer'(ExPH) to get (su) when you wildshape. Wildshaping already adds a lot of versatility to your character, but getting (su) really takes that up a knotch.

eggynack
2015-12-03, 06:47 PM
You should actually probably ditch swift wild shape. It costs two feats, which means that picking up a mantle of the beast from complete champion for the same ability plus some is a better value. Colossal wild shape will probably also wind up ditched, unless you're either in epic levels or pulling kobold cheese, because it's an epic feat. You're not getting all that much from taking both MoMF and planar shepherd either. You're only able to take on one form at a time, so generally speaking you get seriously diminishing returns from form adding things. So, I guess what I'm saying is, if you follow my advice, then your build will have even less stuff than it already has. Sorry 'bout that.

It doesn't have to be all bad though. While I wouldn't advise pushing your feat stack into stealth, at least not fully, you can always invest other stuff into it. Pick up a collar of umbral metamorphosis from tome of magic, and you get some fancy stealth powers, and you can easily combine that with some big vision mode creature for some scouting. There're a bunch of hide boosting spells, meanwhile, like camouflage, and if you also take nightbringer initiate then you get some native hidery. From there, you can just spend your feats and levels on more normal stuff. The stuff they're good at, like boosting summoning or the animal companion.

Or, you could always go all in on aberration stuff and leave everything else alone. Take aberration wild shape, cast enhance wild shape, and take dharculus form from the planar handbook, and suddenly you're casting spells and attacking folks through the ethereal plane, while remaining untouchable and undetectable to most folk. That should suffice for most stealth purposes out there. From there, I guess you take all other resources and do something else with them, or maybe augment your ability to hide from enemies that can pierce that craziness a bit.