Help me build this barbarian (this piggybacks off my shapeshift post)

[tedcahill2]

Background: one of my players wants to play a warforged barbarian with a transformers style shapeshifting ability.

My thoughts: Remove rage per day from barbarian and give him a variation of the shapeshifting druid ACF. He also would not gain fast movement.

Basically he would have two forms:

Predator form would be a medium size form, like a panther or wolf looking bot. Whenever he's in predator form he's treated as having ferocity active (including the higher level versions of ferocity). Additional his land speed would increase to 50ft.

Beast form would be a medium size form, and look like an ape with claws. Whenever he's in beast form he's treated as having rage active (including higher level versions of rage). Additionally he would gain a climb speed equal to half his land speed.

So in a nutshell he gains unlimited use of both rage and ferocity. Does this move the barbarian closer to a T3 class?

[One Step Two]

T3 also gives the character some other diverse skills and utility outside their niche allowing them to contribute to the party.

If the Panther form has Scent, for example, so he can track foes, that would be pretty neat. The climb speed for the Beast form is good too.

Would he be gaining any other forms with level or feats, or would he only ever have access to those two?

[tedcahill2]

T3 also gives the character some other diverse skills and utility outside their niche allowing them to contribute to the party.

If the Panther form has Scent, for example, so he can track foes, that would be pretty neat. The climb speed for the Beast form is good too.

Would he be gaining any other forms with level or feats, or would he only ever have access to those two?

As of right now my thoughts are only with those two forms, but they could grow stronger. Scent is a great idea, was going to give beast form improved grab like the bear totem ACF gets. Probably going to give some form specific bonus feats as well.

[One Step Two]

Solid ideas, and if nothing else you can use the various Barbarian totems to give the barbarian a decent repertoire of abilities, such as wolf getting improved trip, if you wanted to go down that route. Or borrow from the animals themselves, at higher levels giving the panther form a Rake or Pounce attack.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I'd be cautious about stacking the stat boosts from Shapeshift with the boosts from Rage; while the number inflation isn't necessarily going to break your game, it might strain it, especially at low-op levels. (I'm assuming your player wants Rage in a relatively untouched form, given their desire for Barbarians). On the other hand, if you're starting from nothing, you can make some changes to the ACF to fix some of its flaws.

So, first up: I'd reduce the Strength and Con boost from the combat forms, but make them inherent boosts, not enhancement-- that way they stack with other stuff properly. Allow iterative attacks with the primary natural weapons, so you're not losing so much there. Allow Wilding Clasps and the like to work with the shapeshifting while you're at it, so that it doesn't leave you quite as helpless. Actually, better yet, allow magic items to continue providing their magical benefits when merged with you. You can tweak the bonuses while you're at it to be a little more fun, and add in some noncombat stuff.

Taking altogether, you might get something like so:

Shapeshift: As a swift action, you can shapeshift into various animal forms. Each time you use this ability, you can choose the exact look that your shapeshifted form takes. You retain all your normal statistics and abilities, with the sole exception of those requiring a body part your new form lacks. All carried and worn gear merges with your new form. Mundane gear becomes nonfunctional, but magical gear continues to provide its bonuses-- a Barbarian wearing a +2 breastplate and Gauntlets of Ogre Strength, on shifting, would continue to receive a +2 enhancement bonus to his armor class and a +4 enhancement bonus to his Strength, though he does not get a +5 armor bonus from the breastplate.

When shifted, you gain a natural armor bonus equal to your Constitution modifier plus 1/4 your Barbarian level. When you gain natural weapons from your new form, they gain an enhancement bonus to attack and damage equal to 1/4 your Barbarian level, and from 4th level on they are treated as magic for the purposes of bypassing damage reduction. Additionally, when attacking with primary natural weapons gained using this feature, you may make your full suite of iterative attacks, as though using a manufactured weapon.

Predator Form: At 1st level, you can turn into a wolf, panther, or similar such creature. You gain a primary bite attack dealing 1d8 damage, a +4 bonus to natural armor, and your movement speed becomes 50ft. In addition, you gain the Scent ability. Your bite attack counts as a two-handed weapon, adding one and a half times your Strength modifier to damage.

At 3rd level, you gain the Wolf's Trip special ability in predator form, letting you make a trip attack as a free action after hitting with your bite attack, without provoking AoOs or allowing your opponent to trip you if it fails.

Aerial Form: At 5th level, you can turn into an eagle, vulture, or similar such creature. You gain a pair of primary talon attacks dealing 1d6 damage, a +2 bonus to natural armor and Reflex saves, and you gain a fly speed of 40ft (good). You also gain a bonus to Spot and Search checks equal to your Barbarian level, and can see ten times as far as a normal member of your race. Your talon attacks are light weapons. As a full-round action you may make your full se iterative attacks with both talons, but if you do all attacks for the round take a -2 penalty.

At 7th level, you gain Flyby Attack as a bonus feats when in aerial form.

Ferocious Slayer Form: At 8th level, you can turn into a bear, tiger, or similar such creatures. You become one size category larger, gaining a +4 bonus to Strength but taking a -2 penalty to Dexterity, and your reach remains that of a long creature of your size (5ft for a Large creature). You gain a primary bite attack dealing 2d6 damage and two secondary claw attacks dealing 1d8. Your base land speed becomes 40ft, and you gain a climb speed of 30ft and a burrow speed of 10ft. Your bite attack counts as a two-handed weapon, adding one and a half times your Strength modifier to damage. When making a full attack, you get your usual set of attacks with your bite, and one attack with each claw at a -5 penalty.

At 10th level, you gain the Fast Grab ability and two Rake attacks dealing 1d6 damage.

Forest Avenger Form: At 12th level, you can turn into a shambling mount, treant, or similar such creature. You become one size category larger, gaining a +4 bonus to Strength but taking a -2 penalty to Dexterity, and your reach becomes that of a tall creature of your size (10ft for a Large creature). You gain two primary slam attacks dealing 2d6 damage each. Your base land speed becomes 20ft, and you gain DR 5/Slashing. Additionally, your type becomes Plant, gaining immunity to poison, sleep, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, polymorph (other than this effect), stunning, and critical hits. While in this form, you may speak with plants as though under the effects of the spell. As a full-round action you may make your full set of iterative attacks with both slams, but if you do all attacks for the round take a -2 penalty.

At 14th level, while in Forest Avenger Form you may use Command Plants and Tree Stride as spell-like abilities usable at will, with a caster level equal to your Barbarian level and a save DC of 10+1/2 Barbarian level+Charisma modifier.

Elemental Fury Form: At 16th level, you can turn into a giant form of air, earth, fi re, or water (your choice each time you shapeshift). You become two size categories larger, gaining a +8 bonus to Strength but taking a -4 penalty to Dexterity, and your reach becomes that of a tall creature of your size (15ft for a Huge creature). You gain two primary slam attacks dealing 3d6 damage each. Your base land speed becomes 20ft. Additionally, your type becomes Elemental, with a subtype matching the form chosen, gaining immunity to suffocation, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, critical hits, flanking, and an energy type matching the form chosen. You also gain a movement mode matching the new form.

Air: 100ft fly speed, immunity to electricity
Earth: 20ft Earth Glide, immunity to acid
Fire: 50ft base land speed, immunity to fire
Water: 90ft swim speed, immunity to cold.


At 18th level, you gain the Ex and Su special attacks of a Huge elemental of your new form. All DCs are based on 10 + 1/2 Barbarian level + Constitution modifier.