Best Class/Subclass for Shifters?

[werescythe]

I'm merely curious what are some good classes/subclasses for Shifter characters?

At one point I have thought Barbarian, however since they are also bonus action heavy on the first turn (RAGE) it makes it tricky since you'll probably want to use your first bonus action to shift.

I had thought maybe fighter or monk would be a good way to go.

What do you all think? Do you have any ideas?

[LudicSavant]

I'm merely curious what are some good classes/subclasses for Shifter characters?

At one point I have thought Barbarian, however since they are also bonus action heavy on the first turn (RAGE) it makes it tricky since you'll probably want to use your first bonus action to shift.

I had thought maybe fighter or monk would be a good way to go.

What do you all think? Do you have any ideas?

Wizards are relatively undemanding when it comes to round one bonus actions, and Shifter defenses are sufficient to make them tankier than many other characters. And they can definitely bring the threat level needed to make those extra HP count.

[prototype00]

There was a YouTube vid about how Longtooth Shifter synergizes quite well with Moon Druid, especially in T1 where you are one of the two classes with easy access to 3 attacks per round and you’re a lot more tanky than say, a monk. (They called it the most powerful build you could be at lvl 2, lol.)

Granted it does take a minor action to shift, but since you can make the bite attack as the same minor action, you really aren’t eating into your action economy any more than a comparable wildshape Druid.

Round 1: Cast Spell (Action)/ Wildshape (Minor action)

Or

Round 1: Wildshape (Minor Action)/ Multiattack (Action)

Round 2: Shift and bite (Minor Action) / Multiattack (Action)

It doesn’t get much better at higher level (except for extra uses) but it’s a darn sight more useful than what most other Moon Druids were going to use their minor action for.

[stoutstien]

I'm merely curious what are some good classes/subclasses for Shifter characters?

At one point I have thought Barbarian, however since they are also bonus action heavy on the first turn (RAGE) it makes it tricky since you'll probably want to use your first bonus action to shift.

I had thought maybe fighter or monk would be a good way to go.

What do you all think? Do you have any ideas?

Well for barbarian it stretches out your rage pool. At low lvs it is easy to use the shifts and reckless with the potential THP carry over for when you do want to rage.

Armorer artificer is an interesting pick. You have two sources of THP to rotate and high to insane AC and saves so they hold a higher value.

Clerics are pretty open with bonus action. If you like to drop a big spell round one it mostly sits empty.

Most fighters have only minor bonus action conflicts

Past that you could probably make them fit any class if you desire. It's a strong enough option to fill in when needed.

[RogueJK]

At one point I have thought Barbarian, however since they are also bonus action heavy on the first turn (RAGE) it makes it tricky since you'll probably want to use your first bonus action to shift.

That's not much of a conflict. You can either Rage in Round 1 and then Shift in Round 2, or vice versa. You miss out on either Rage/Shift benefits for 1 round, but it's still a great combo.

Or, you could also utilize one or the other at times, choosing to just Shift for one combat and then just Rage for the next combat. (Which is especially handy at early levels when you don't have enough daily Rages and Shifts for every combat.)


Longtooth for the BA "TWFesque" attack or Wild Hunt for cancelling out the enemy's Advantage from Reckless Attack are both excellent Shifter choices for a Barbarian.



There's also a potential for an interesting nontraditional STR-based Monk build, utilizing a Longtooth Shifter going Cleric 1/Monk X or Fighter 1/Monk X, wearing medium/heavy armor and wielding a Greatsword or Sword-and-Board. Wearing armor negates your BA Martial Arts unarmed strike, but while Shifted you gain that back with your racial BA unarmed strike Bite. And you can also spend Ki to Flurry with your unarmed strike Bite while shifted. Plus starting at Monk 6, your Bite becomes magical.

For example, a heavily armed and armored weredragon warrior, with a dragon-like bite and breath weapon, the dragon-like agility to run up walls, fall without damage, and occasionally fly, and the dragon-like magical abilities to frighten and stun foes:
Longtooth Shifter
War Cleric 1/Ascendant Dragon Monk X
STR 14+2
DEX 14
CON 13+1
INT 9
WIS 14
CHA 8
Going +2 WIS, +2 STR, then +2 STR or GWM

[Psyren]

At one point I have thought Barbarian, however since they are also bonus action heavy on the first turn (RAGE) it makes it tricky since you'll probably want to use your first bonus action to shift.

I'd say you're not really thinking about this the right way. For most combats, shift + rage is overkill. For the ones where both are needed, they're likely either tougher fights that are going to last 4+ rounds (so an extra BA is worth it), and/or deadly fights where not using both might result in burning even more party resources on healing/revival, if not outright resurrection. This is especially true at low levels where you only have 2-3 rages and 2-3 shifts per day - a non-shifter with only the former could expect to have at least one fight where they aren't able to rage. Now you have a second cool option you can use instead. And note that both rage and shifting boost your defense as well - the former through DR, the latter through THP.

So for a shifter barbarian, what shift allows you to do on most days is stretch out your rages by always giving you a "power mode" you can toggle on. And for major combats or boss fights, you nova with both.

[Yakmala]

At one point I have thought Barbarian, however since they are also bonus action heavy on the first turn (RAGE) it makes it tricky since you'll probably want to use your first bonus action to shift.

As someone that has recently been playing a Longtooth Shifter Beast Barbarian, I've been very happy with the results.

Yes, it takes two rounds to both rage and shift, but if the fight looks like it's only going to last one round, then there was likely little reason to do both in the first place.

Once you get both rolling though, it's a force to be reckoned with. Starting at Level 5, between Beast claws and Longtooth bite, you're doing four attacks per round, all of which get your strength and rage bonus. The combination of rage damage reduction and shifter temp HP is also very nice.

One level later, you are running and clinging to walls and ceilings. Honestly, it feels like playing a Monk that doesn't have to spend Ki to get results.

[Mad Puppy]

I kinda like the idea of an Alchemist Artificer Longtooth shifter....
Play this character like A Dr. Jekyll /Mr. Hyde character.

You gain temp HP when shifting and the WereWolf or any beast form you choose really, makes this an interesting dual personality character. Perhaps the alchemy is an attempt to remove the Beast inside? or the beast inside is a result of experimentation? like in the book.
A well to do Alchemist with Medicine ability and makes healing potions. By night he transforms into a beast and preys on the seedy sides of town... a secret Jack the Ripper maybe.

[solidork]

I really enjoyed my Beasthide Shifter Armorer Artificer. It was a LOT of temp HP generation, but my bonus action was very crowded.

[Kane0]

I'm merely curious what are some good classes/subclasses for Shifter characters?

At one point I have thought Barbarian, however since they are also bonus action heavy on the first turn (RAGE) it makes it tricky since you'll probably want to use your first bonus action to shift.

I had thought maybe fighter or monk would be a good way to go.

What do you all think? Do you have any ideas?

Fighter and Paladin generally have mostly free Bonus Actions; Ranger and Warlock also if you forego the default assumption of Hunter's Mark /Hex.
Artificer, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer and Wizard largely depend on spell and subclass choice in terms of BA usage.
Bard, Barbarian, Rogue and Monk will definitely have their BA tied up.

[Arial Black]

As someone that has recently been playing a Longtooth Shifter Beast Barbarian, I've been very happy with the results.

Yes, it takes two rounds to both rage and shift, but if the fight looks like it's only going to last one round, then there was likely little reason to do both in the first place.

Once you get both rolling though, it's a force to be reckoned with. Starting at Level 5, between Beast claws and Longtooth bite, you're doing four attacks per round, all of which get your strength and rage bonus. The combination of rage damage reduction and shifter temp HP is also very nice.

One level later, you are running and clinging to walls and ceilings. Honestly, it feels like playing a Monk that doesn't have to spend Ki to get results.

I'm in the midst of creating this right now!

I'm adding one level of Fiend Pact warlock to constantly (re)generate THPs.

[RogueJK]

I'm in the midst of creating this right now!

I'm adding one level of Fiend Pact warlock to constantly (re)generate THPs.

I wouldn't bother.

Fiendlock gets CHA+Warlock level in Temp HP when they down an enemy.

As a Barbarian, you're unlikely to be able to afford much more than a 13ish CHA. And you're not going to take more than 1 Warlock level because you don't want to further delay your Barbarian levels.

Therefore you're getting like 2-3 Temp HP when you down an enemy. That's negligible, and not worth being a whole level behind.

[Waazraath]

Nobody mentioned Rune Knight yet? In addition to having quite martial stats (ignoring new ability score (optional?) rules), a RK can get very easily both resistance to all melee damage (b/p/s), and can use heavy armor master (-3 from each attack), and shifter can get easily temp hp. That's a nice little combo you can use to stay in a melee fight for a very long time.

[Arial Black]

I wouldn't bother.

Fiendlock gets CHA+Warlock level in Temp HP when they down an enemy.

As a Barbarian, you're unlikely to be able to afford much more than a 13ish CHA. And you're not going to take more than 1 Warlock level because you don't want to further delay your Barbarian levels.

Therefore you're getting like 2-3 Temp HP when you down an enemy. That's negligible, and not worth being a whole level behind.

Already made and played: Longtooth shifter Bar 3/War 1, Beast barbarian for two claw attacks, Fiendpact for 4hp per downed foe, Str 16, Cha 16, Dex 14, Con 12. Casts Armour of Agathys before combat. First round bonus action rage plus two claw attacks at +5 with advantage from reckless attack. When I'm hit damage is halved, so my 5 THP is worth 10-12 thp and does 10 cold damage.

Round 2 bonus action shift to give bite attack plus two claws, each does 1d6+5, and 4 thp worth 8-10. When they go get 4 more each time I down a foe.

It worked spectacularly well. Those (more than) doubled THPs shielded my actual HPs brilliantly, leaving my 35 hit points letting me absorb over 100 damage all told.

Sure I could have put 16 into Con and gone Bar 4, but those 10 extra hit points I would have got from the higher Con and the d12 instead of the d8 were dwarfed by the 5 from AofA and the multiples of 4 from Dark One's Blessing, let alone the cantrips etc. from that warlock level.

I plan to go Bar 5/War 1, then maybe getting another warlock level for the second spell slot and two Invocations.