The Wildling (Shapeshifting Base Class)

[Grod_The_Giant]

The Wildling

HIT POINTS:
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Wildling level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Wildling level

PROFICIENCIES
Armor: Light armor, hide armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: Herbalism kit
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival

EQUIPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a shortbow or (b) any simple weapon
(a) an explorer's pack
10 darts

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Primal Surges	Max CR	Max Spell Level
1st	+2	Change Appearance, Shifter's Knowledge	--	--	--
2nd	+2	Wild Shape, Primal Surge	2	1	1
3rd	+2	Beast Speech, Shifting Specialty	2	1	1
4th	+2	Ability Score Increase	2	2	1
5th	+3	Augmented Forms	3	2	2
6th	+3	Specialty Feature	3	3	2
7th	+3	Wild Wings	3	3	2
8th	+3	Ability Score Increase	3	4	2
9th	+4	Metabolic Control	4	4	3
10th	+4	Specialty Feature	4	5	3
11th	+4	Primal Surge (Adaptation)	4	5	3
12th	+4	Ability Score Increase	4	6	3
13th	+5	Primal Surge (Primal Healing)	5	6	4
14th	+5	Stable Form	5	7	4
15th	+5	Primal Surge (Share Shape)	5	7	4
16th	+5	Ability Score Increase	5	8	5
17th	+6	Extended Surge	6	8	5
18th	+6	Timeless Body	6	9	5
19th	+6	Ability Score Increase	6	9	5
20th	+6	Dragon Shape	6	10	5

Change Appearance. As a bonus action, you can transform your appearance or revert to your natural form. You can’t duplicate the appearance of a creature you’ve never seen, and you revert to your natural form if you die.

You decide what you look like, including your height, weight, facial features, the sound of your voice, coloration, hair length, sex, and any other distinguishing characteristics. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change. You also can't appear as a creature of a different size than you, and your basic shape stays the same; if you’re bipedal, you can’t use this trait to become quadrupedal, for instance. Your clothing and other equipment don’t change in appearance, size, or shape to match your new form.

If you choose to equip your new form with fangs, claws, or other natural weapons, you unarmed strikes deal a base damage of 1d6, and gain the Light and Finesse qualities.

If you choose to equip your new form with scales, bony plates, or other sorts of natural armor, your armor class equals 12 + your Dexterity or Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Shifter's Knowledge: You have Advantage on Intelligence checks to recall information about Beasts, as well as any other creature type whose shape you gain the ability to take via Wild Shape.

Wild Shape: Starting at 2nd level, you can use a bonus action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before. Your new form's Challenge Rating must be no greater than half your Wildling level. If it has a fly speed, you may not use it.

You stay in your new form until you use another bonus action to revert to your normal shape or to assume the shape of a different beast, if you fall unconcious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

• Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your hit points, alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them.
• You can't cast spells or speak, unless your new form is normally capable of such actions, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Transforming doesn't break your concentration on a spell you've already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as Call Lightning, that you've already cast.
• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.
• You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature's shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.
• If your new form has spellcasting abilities--innate or otherwise-- or abilities with a Recharge, you may not use them without expending a use of your Primal Surge (see below).

Primal Surge: At second level, you gain the ability to tap into a surge of magical power and inner will. You may use one of the following abilities as a bonus action, or as part of the bonus action used to Wild Shape.

• Shifter's Endurance: You gain temporary hit points equal to twice your Wilding level.
• Primal Weaponry: For ten minutes, your unarmed strikes become magic weapons, with a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to half your Proficiency bonus, rounded down.
• Tap Magic: If you assume a form with spellcasting abilities--innate or otherwise-- or abilities with a Recharge, you may expend one use of your Primal Surge to use the Recharge ability, or to cast a spell with a level no greater than shown in the table above. You may use this ability as part of the action used to cast the spell or use the Recharge ability.

Once you have used this ability two times, you may not do so again until you have completed a Long Rest. As you advance in levels, you may use this ability more often before needing to rest-- three times at 5th level, four times at 9th, five times at 13th, and six at 17th level.

Beast Speech: Beginning at 3rd level, you may communicate with Beasts as though under the effects of a Speak With Beasts spell.

Shifting Specialty: As Wildlings grow in power and practice, they begin to master unconventional types of alternate shapes. At 3rd level, you pick your Shifting Specialty. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th and 10th level.

Ability Score Improvement: When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Augmented Form: Beginning at 5th level, your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution receive a +2 bonus while Wild Shaped, and your natural weapons and unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Wild Wings: Beginning at 7th level, you may use any fly speed possessed granted by your Wild Shape ability.

Metabolic Control: Beginning at 9th level, you gain immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

Primal Surge (Adaptation): Beginning at 11th levels, you gain new uses for your Primal Surge ability:

• Titan Size: For ten minutes, your size doubles in all dimensions and your weight is multiplied by eight. This growth increases your size by one category for the duration. While enlarged, you have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, your reach increases by 5ft, and your unarmed strikes and natural weapons deal one additional weapon die of damage.
• Eagle Wings: For ten minutes, you sprout a pair of wings, granting you a fly speed of 30ft.
• Fish Scales: For one hour, you grow fins and gills, granting you a swim speed of 30ft and the ability to breathe underwater.

Primal Healing: Beginning at 13th level, you gain a new use for your Primal Surge ability:

• Regeneration: For ten minutes, you regain one hit point at the start of each of your turns. After 5 minutes, any severed body members (fingers, legs, tails, and so on) are restored. If you have the severed part and hold it to the stump, this effect instantaneously causes the limb to knit to the stump.

Stable Form: Beginning at 14th level, you have advantage on saves against Transmutation spells, and Transmutation spell attacks have disadvantage to hit you. If your shape is changed against your will, such as by a Polymorph spell or a medusa's Petrifying Gaze, you may use an action to end the effect and return to normal. You may do so even if the effect would normally prevent you from taking actions, such as being petrified.

Share Shape: Beginning at 15th level, you gain a new use for your Primal Surge ability:

• Share Shape: When using your Wild Shape ability, you may also transform one willing creature you are touching into the same shape for up to 10 minutes. This ability otherwise functions as the Polymorph spell.

Extended Surge: Beginning at 17th level, the benefits of your Primal Surge last for 1 hour, instead of 10 minutes. If you use Tap Magic, the power lingers for one hour, allowing you to continue using Recharge abilities, and any innate spellcasting usable at will.

Timeless Body: Starting at 18th level, your mastery of your own form allows you to age more slowly. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year.

Dragon Form: At 20th level, you gain the ability to take on the ultimate form: that of a dragon. Your Dragon Form uses the stats of a Young Gold Dragon, but is Huge sized.

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Deviant

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Aberrant Shape: Beginning at 3rd level, you may use your Wild Shape ability to assume the form of aberrations, as well as beasts.

While you can take on the appearance of a specific individual, you cannot gain the benefits of any special training they might have had, preventing you from taking the forms of "advanced" versions of the creature. For example, while you could take the form of a Mind Flayer, you could not take that of a Mind Flayers Psion.

B]Dark Potency[/B]: Beginning at 6th level, you may use 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier as the save DC against abilities gained through Wild Shape, rather than what is specified in the creature's statblock.

Bizarre Anatomy: Beginning at 10th level, you learn to keep your organs in unusual places. Any critical hit against you becomes a normal hit.

Doppleganger

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Civilized Shape: Beginning at 3rd level, you may use your Wild Shape ability to assume the form of humanoids and giants, as well as beasts.

While you can take on the appearance of a specific individual, you cannot gain the benefits of any special training they might have had, preventing you from taking the forms of "advanced" versions of the creature. For example, while you could take the form of a Goblin, you could not take that of a Goblin Boss. And while you could Wild Shape into an Elf, you could not take the form of an Knight, or any other NPC archetype statted out in the Monster Manual.

Skill at Arms: Beginning at 6th level, when in the form of a humanoid or giant, you may attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn (Note that the Multiattack action is different than Attack, and thus this ability would not apply).

Giant's Heart: Beginning at 10th level, you have advantage on Strength and Constitution saves.

Savage

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Monstrous Shape: Beginning at 3rd level, you may use your Wild Shape ability to assume the form of monstrosities, as well as beasts.

While you can take on the appearance of a specific individual, you cannot gain the benefits of any special training they might have had, preventing you from taking the forms of "advanced" versions of the creature. For example, while you could take the form of a Yuan-Ti, you could not take that of a Yuan-Ti Pit Master.

Unnatural Armory: Beginning at 6th level, you can turn already-unnatural forms into true terrors. When you use your your Wild Shape ability, you may grow extra claws, fangs, horns, and so on. As a bonus action, you may make an attack with your extra weapon, dealing 1d6+Str damage if you hit.

True Monster: Beginning at 10th level, after damaging an enemy, you may make a Charisma (Intimidate) check against them, opposed by their Wisdom save. If they fail, they are frightened of you until the end of their next turn. Afterwards, or if they succeed on the save, they cannot be affected by this ability again until you have completed a long rest.

[JNAProductions]

Primal Weaponry shouldn't just give a +1 to +3 magical bonus. And it shouldn't require a use of a limited resource to make your natural weapons magic, by around the same time Monks get Ki-Empowered Strikes.

Ah, I see Augmented Form. +Prof damage, though... Might be a little much.

Overall, feels pretty simple (though I am curious what you're gonna do with Subclasses) but workable.

[Sir_Popard]

I really like what you've done here. It'd be really interesting to play-test this class (although I'm not sure when/if I'll have the opportunity).

Shifting Specialty: As Wildlings grow in power and practice, they begin to master unconventional types of alternate shapes. At 3rd level, you pick your Shifting Specialty. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

A third level feature grants you benefits at 2nd level? Maybe I'm having a moment, but the phrasing on this seems odd.

Wild Shape: [...] If it has a fly speed, you may not use it.

Is there a point where a Wilding can access a flight-capable form's fly speed without using primal surge?

[Bloodcloud]

Still missing a lot to really comment... Early impression:
Augmented Form: bonus damage to every attack on a class with such a variable number of attack is ripe for abuse/trap option. I'd change it for once a turn damage, for ease of balance. Also, maybe mention that it applies to your base and wildshaped form.

Timeless Body: Comes awfully early, compared to other classes that get such feature. It feels like it should be a high level ribbon.

Shifter's Endurance: Why put a time limit on the temp hp? Given their non-stackable nature, might as well just leave them on. One less thing to keep track of.

Lightning Jaws: Again, given the wide variation on the damage per attack between forms, this is ripe for abuse/trap option. I'd make it a stable number.

Stable Form: I feel like "use an action to end the effect" is the usual verbiage on that kind of ability.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Primal Weaponry shouldn't just give a +1 to +3 magical bonus. And it shouldn't require a use of a limited resource to make your natural weapons magic, by around the same time Monks get Ki-Empowered Strikes.

Ah, I see Augmented Form. +Prof damage, though... Might be a little much.

Still missing a lot to really comment... Early impression:
Augmented Form: bonus damage to every attack on a class with such a variable number of attack is ripe for abuse/trap option. I'd change it for once a turn damage, for ease of balance. Also, maybe mention that it applies to your base and wildshaped form.

Yeah... you guys may be right. My gut feeling is that they need something around here to keep up, but I'm not sure exactly how much. Maybe I'll move Primal Weaponry down to here? Or maybe "+2 Str, Dex, and Con when wild-shaped?"

Overall, feels pretty simple (though I am curious what you're gonna do with Subclasses) but workable.

Thanks. Their main schtick will be granting extra types of creatures as forms-- I'm thinking Monstrosities, Aberrations and Oozes, and Giants and Humanoids, though that last one will take some careful verbiage.

I really like what you've done here. It'd be really interesting to play-test this class (although I'm not sure when/if I'll have the opportunity).

Thanks! This is one of those "it's not really a missing niche, and it doesn't quite fit 5e paradigms, but I really want to play a class like this" 'brews.

A third level feature grants you benefits at 2nd level? Maybe I'm having a moment, but the phrasing on this seems odd.

Typo, whoops.

Is there a point where a Wilding can access a flight-capable form's fly speed without using primal surge?

Ah, shoot. Level 7 (Wild Wings); I just forgot to put it in the actual write-up.

Timeless Body: Comes awfully early, compared to other classes that get such feature. It feels like it should be a high level ribbon.

Fair. I'll swap it out for something else.

Shifter's Endurance: Why put a time limit on the temp hp? Given their non-stackable nature, might as well just leave them on. One less thing to keep track of.

Fair.

Lightning Jaws: Again, given the wide variation on the damage per attack between forms, this is ripe for abuse/trap option. I'd make it a stable number.

Hmm... maybe. At a quick glance, it looks like most CR 7-9 creatures are doing comparable amounts of damage with each attack, and those that aren't have nasty rider effects. On the other hand, it's a hell of a swing... maybe too much, even for this level. I still don't have the best sense of what T4 games play like.

Stable Form: I feel like "use an action to end the effect" is the usual verbiage on that kind of ability.[/QUOTE]
Fair.

[Bloodcloud]

Hmm... maybe. At a quick glance, it looks like most CR 7-9 creatures are doing comparable amounts of damage with each attack, and those that aren't have nasty rider effects. On the other hand, it's a hell of a swing... maybe too much, even for this level. I still don't have the best sense of what T4 games play like.

I honestly haven't checked, but since I also got the sense you were introducing other creature types and considering Volo and Mordenkainen and that future monsters will be introduced, I wouldn't be surprised that somewhere there is a single high-damage attack monster who would interact too well with this. Or a large number of low-damage attack monster who would be fun but highly suboptimal given this. Hard to predict, hard to check properly, impossible to future-proof. Hence my suggestion of a more stable bonus.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I honestly haven't checked, but since I also got the sense you were introducing other creature types and considering Volo and Mordenkainen and that future monsters will be introduced, I wouldn't be surprised that somewhere there is a single high-damage attack monster who would interact too well with this. Or a large number of low-damage attack monster who would be fun but highly suboptimal given this. Hard to predict, hard to check properly, impossible to future-proof. Hence my suggestion of a more stable bonus.

Yeah, that's a good point.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Subclasses are up!

[Potato_Priest]

Why are you specifically worried about "advanced" forms of humanoids and giants, but not monsters or aberrations?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Why are you specifically worried about "advanced" forms of humanoids and giants, but not monsters or aberrations?

... mostly because I didn't think there were aberrations and monstrosities with class levels (so to speak). But looking closer, there are a few advanced Yuan-Ti and Mind Flayers floating around. I'll copy the language.

[Sir_Popard]

I like the subclasses. I was hoping one would grant access to fey forms but what you've started with looks good. The level 10 abilities I have kind of mixed feelings about, though. They don't feel... underwhelming per se, but they don't feel like they have strong/exciting subclass high level features.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I like the subclasses. I was hoping one would grant access to fey forms but what you've started with looks good. The level 10 abilities I have kind of mixed feelings about, though. They don't feel... underwhelming per se, but they don't feel like they have strong/exciting subclass high level features.

In large part, the benefit of the subclass is in the new forms they give. Sure, crit immunity is underwhelming... but at the same level, you get to turn into a mindwitness and eye-laser everything to death. Sure, there's no high-level archetype capstone... except for getting to turn into a mind flayer, or a hydra, or a cloud giant.

(That's also why I can't really do a fey or elemental subclass--not enough options for new forms)

[Sir_Popard]

In large part, the benefit of the subclass is in the new forms they give. Sure, crit immunity is underwhelming... but at the same level, you get to turn into a mindwitness and eye-laser everything to death. Sure, there's no high-level archetype capstone... except for getting to turn into a mind flayer, or a hydra, or a cloud giant.

(That's also why I can't really do a fey or elemental subclass--not enough options for new forms)

When you put it that way, it does make sense, on all counts.

*sigh* There need to be more fey.

[Grod_The_Giant]

When you put it that way, it does make sense, on all counts.

*sigh* There need to be more fey.

Could be worse. Could be Celestials. When I tried to make a Celestial-focused subclass for my Summoner, I had to write most of the options from scratch.

Looking at some actual numbers of options... fey are pretty common at low levels, beating out aberrations in number of options until CR 5-- but after that, there are only three more types of Fey at all, and none higher than CR 7. Bundling Elementals in with Fey helps a bit, but you're still left with pretty much nothing at CR 8-10 (Frost Salamanders at CR 9 and nothing else). Giants and Humanoids don't have that many options either, but the options that do have cover a wide range of roleplaying scenarios, and they do get new forms all the way up to CR 9.

[Potato_Priest]

Looking at some actual numbers of options... fey are pretty common at low levels, beating out aberrations in number of options until CR 5-- but after that, there are only three more types of Fey at all, and none higher than CR 7. Bundling Elementals in with Fey helps a bit, but you're still left with pretty much nothing at CR 8-10 (Frost Salamanders at CR 9 and nothing else). Giants and Humanoids don't have that many options either, but the options that do have cover a wide range of roleplaying scenarios, and they do get new forms all the way up to CR 9.

Speaking of humanoids, do things like the knight or the beserker in the back of the monster manual count as "advanced" forms?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Speaking of humanoids, do things like the knight or the beserker in the back of the monster manual count as "advanced" forms?

That's the intent-- it's worth specifying. (Grumble grumble I miss 3.5's specificity sometimes)

[Daghoulish]

Question on Unnatural Armory. It says "you can turn already-unnatural forms into true terrors. When you assume a new form using your Wild Shape ability". Is the intent to only be able to use this in a monstrosity form or with your beast(and later dragon) forms?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Question on Unnatural Armory. It says "you can turn already-unnatural forms into true terrors. When you assume a new form using your Wild Shape ability". Is the intent to only be able to use this in a monstrosity form or with your beast(and later dragon) forms?

Neither, sorry-- the "new form" was supposed to mean "when you transform." I'll clarify.

[Brother12]

I like it overall.

Only question, are you able to use the Multiattack action when Wildshaped?

[Grod_The_Giant]

I like it overall.

Only question, are you able to use the Multiattack action when Wildshaped?

You can indeed-- the creature's CR assumes that you're multiattacking.