Author Topic: Becoming the Beast - A Shifter Player's Guide  (Read 34949 times)

Offline Argent Fatalis

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ***
  • Posts: 315
  • Nature, red in tooth and claw.
    • View Profile
Becoming the Beast - A Shifter Player's Guide
« on: April 26, 2014, 03:07:48 AM »
Becoming the Beast
A Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 Edition Shifter Player's Guide



Guide Information - The Intent and the Rating System

The purpose of this guide is not to tell you how you must play your Shifter, or what you must take as a Shifter or why you must take it, but why you should or should not; it is advice at its best, and a second opinion at worst. Shifters themselves are not an extremely optimized race; there isn't a lot of cheese or rules debate that can take place about them -  they're fairly straight forward. However, do not take "not an extremely optimized race" as "not worth looking at". They're a unique, flavorful, and thematic to a fault race that does a few things quite well.

If you've ever wanted a bestial character or a zoanthrope - the term that should be used in place of lycanthrope when talking about werebeasts in general - the Shifter is a great start. They have all the tools to flourish with that concept, especially with the Weretouched Master prestige class which effectively grants them their full zoanthrope heritage manifest over a few levels.

The Rating System - Savage Advice
Following in the footsteps and conduct many handbooks before this one favor, I will be using a color coding scheme to identify more (or less) favorable options for Shifter characters.

Gold:
By not taking something labeled gold you're likely holding your character back to some degree because these options are just that good of a choice. Ratings of this quality can easily define major portions of your character and can be wicked game changers now and then. You should always consider gold suggestions.
Blue:
Great choices are rated with this color. These choices are likely to always be of your benefit for your character, though your mileage, as always, varies with your campaign, Dungeon Master and play style. Many of these selections are almost always bound to benefit your character at little to no cost. You should consider blue suggestions.
Black:
This color denotes an average choice. It isn't outstanding - except for in maybe a few niche builds - but it isn't terrible either and other black choices are (often) prerequisites to better things that greatly outweigh taking just an "average" choice at the time. You're not placing a handicap on your character, but you're also not likely making the most beneficial choice. You should consider black suggestions based on your character and goals.
Purple:
A below average selection is rated purple. This feature, be it a feat, a class, an alternate class feature, etc, is either too situational to ever be useful most the time, or is just a poorly written or functioning mechanic. You should avoid choosing purple suggestions unless they have a distinct and decided benefit to your character in particular.
Red:
A negatively impacting or severely below average choice is always rated red. Whatever is rated red in this guide is safer to avoid - these selections will usually hamper you more than help you. There are rare occasions where a red rating can be of use, but these are entirely specific to a certain build, character or scenario. You should always avoid red suggestions unless you have a near perfect idea of how such an option can and will benefit your character.

Introduction - The Weretouched
Eberron
Shifters, or the Weretouched, are a race derived from human and lycanthrope blood and are part of the Eberron Campaign Setting. According to their lore they are a distinct race all their own despite their relatively low numbers and human heritage; whatever population they did have, though still small, was dwindled further by an overly zealous and fanatical crusade led by the Silver Flame. The few Weretouched who are in any sizable numbers can be found in the Eldeen Reaches, and those who aren't tend to live alongside humans in their settlements.

As a people, the Weretouched are savage and feral, and emit a presence of predatory intimidation - to quote the Eberron Campaign Setting, "Many races feel uncomfortable around shifters, the same way they feel around any large predator." They are hunters and predators at heart, as reflected in their favored class, the Ranger as well as much of their artwork. Many Shifters have a distinct physical appearance which is often hairy, unkempt and barbaric. Most Weretouched have golden eyes, pointed ears, flat noses, and elongated hair on their forearms and legs.

They prefer to be in the outdoors, and many find closed environments or crowded places with numerous people uncomfortable.

Adaptation
While Eberron has a very decided set of Shifter lore the adaptation for Shifters outside Eberron is extremely vague, only really remarking how they mechanically work within the rules easily and that a Dungeon Master need just find a way for them as a race to be established socially. My personal advice on this matter is to make Weretouched characters a rarity and unusuality where appropriate as well as make them effectively human in appearance and mannerisms. In this given example their Shifting racial ability acts as a paradigm shift in their normal qualities - they become savage killers from seemingly common people in a brief instant, tying them in stronger with their inborn lycanthropic heritage and underlying (perhaps entirely unknown) beastly tendencies. Seeing as such characters would transform physically, as well as mentally, could lead to interesting events or encounters where players - likely unfamiliar with such a thing in the campaign - could be given a plot hook or story element.

Again, such is only my advice but I find it a reasonable presentation that keeps the spirit of the Weretouched race very much alive in other games.

Race Overview - Animal Qualities
Shifters are, at first glance, dealt a below average hand - a net total of negative ability score adjustments, a very limited daily use of a racial ability, and the Humanoid type. However, they have some very unique qualities for just a race alone in the form of the Shapechanger subtype and the aforementioned racial ability called Shifting.

Let us see their racial abilities...

Humanoid (Shapechanger Subtype)
The Humanoid type is and isn't friendly; a lot of nasty abilities target it, but at the same time, a lot of nice benefits do as well. It's no worse than what most playable races contend with, but it certainly has its benefits for Shifters given their subtype - that of the Shapechanger. Not only does the Shapechanger subtype qualify the Shifter for Warshaper, a thematic and powerful prestige class, but also allows them to revert some hostile (and otherwise devastating) Transmutation effects as a standard action.

+2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
The bonus to Dexterity is a nice, if not small touch - a tiny increase to Armor Class, Touch, Reflex saves and ranged attacks, but also Initiative as well. However, the penalties to Intelligence and Charisma are a bit more painful; not only between them both does a Shifter have a negative ability score adjustment, but they make poor Wizards, Sorcerers and harm a Cleric's Turn Undead uses.

Size: Medium
With 30ft land movement speed and Medium creature size, a Shifter has no real benefit or drawback to be proud of. Your character is entitled to blame the human side of their bloodline.

Shifting (Su)
The defining racial feature of the Shifter is their Shifting ability of which is specifically stated to be, at minimum, at least superficially similar to a Barbarian's Rage. It takes no action, but can only be accomplished on their turn, and has a once a day use, with a duration equal to 3 + the Shifter's (new, if improved) Constitution modifier rounds. Not only that, but each Shifter feat extends the duration by one round, and every two Shifter feats also grants another daily use of Shifting too.

Shifting is the defining feature of the race, and it's a good feature at that. Not great, but it is good, and the reason it's labeled gold for this handbook is because it is that distinct, unique feature of the race which much of their ability and identity revolves around. So much so that I'll specify what would reduce this racial feature (or improve it) in another section all its own later on.

Yet, while Shifting in itself is great there are some downsides, particularly that the benefit provided is removed in an antimagic field, and that it has so few uses per day unless many feats are spent on Shifter feats.

Low-Light Vision
Not only is it free, it's useful, especially at low levels of play where magical items and other forms of sight aren't super plentiful. It's always active and always there, but rapidly loses comparative value as the game advances to higher levels. Still a nice benefit.

+2 Racial bonus to Balance, Climb, and Jump
A small but notable addition to making your character's life just a bit easier. Though you should have five ranks in Balance to avoid the suck that is Grease and like effects, I'm sure you'll find another time for your very physical centric race to make use of it again. The same goes for Climb and Jump - free bonuses, especially for the latter because of Leap Attack, are always nice.

Shifting - Manifesting the Feral Side
Shifting itself could represent a sudden change in personality and the Weretouched character's behavior, personality, and emotional state, or simply a feral keening - enhancing - of qualities already present in that individual; a sudden sharpening of their already lethal, predatory ability. No matter you handle your Weretouched character's Shifting it is as much a part of the person as it is part of their race - effectively unavoidable.

Shifting comes with some unusual boons for a racial ability - natural weapons, ability score adjustments, new movement modes, added sensory forms, and so on. It is an activated supernatural ability that is a free action which can be initiated on the Shifter's turn. It relies heavily on the Shifter taking multiple Shifter feats, racial substitution levels and Shifter prestige classes to reach the peak of its viability and usefulness.

Below is an overview of the Shifting ability's mechanics, with the next section after covering the list of specific Shifter traits available.

Shifting (All Shifters)
- Supernatural Ability
- Free action, usable on the Shifter's turn.
- Usable once per day, plus one additional time for each two Shifter feats.
- Lasts for rounds equal to 3 + (improved, if any) Constitution modifier, plus one additional round for each Shifter feat.
- Grants a Shifter an ability score adjustment for its duration, as well as another racial feature (or features).
- Grants a Shifter any added Shifter feat specific benefits that only function while Shifting.

Shifter Traits - Identifying the Beast
Choosing an initial Shifter trait largely defines who your Shifter is in terms of mechanics, usefulness and fluff. Though this site is largely dedicated to full on optimization, remember that your character should always be a major consideration, but that's for you and you alone to decide. While you need not follow the lore explicitly about which Shifter trait has which lycanthropic heritage, it's easy enough to realize that the Razorclaw Shifter is your feline heritage, the Longtooth Shifter your classical werewolf, the Beasthide Shifter a wereboar or werebear, and so on.

A Shifter trait, at its most simple, is the form of Shifting the Shifter receives using the aforementioned rules stated in the Shifting - Manifesting the Feral Side section. Once this trait is chosen it cannot be changed, and the Shifter only receives one Shifter trait normally, ever. Only Shifter prestige classes and the Extra Shifter Trait feat can grant another Shifter trait.

Below is each regular Shifter trait.

Beasthide Trait
- +2 bonus to Constitution
- +2 Natural Armor bonus to Armor Class

Notes: Beasthide isn't the most impressive Shifting ability, but it makes an excellent tertiary option due to providing a boost in Shifting duration, hit points, Fortitude saves and Armor Class. The downside is, that as written it does not increase your Natural Armor, but instead only gives you it, making this a poor option if you already have greater than a +2 bonus of Natural Armor to Armor Class. If you already have a source of Natural Armor, this trait becomes red rather than black seeing as any novel benefit it offers is now non-existent.

Cliffwalk Trait
- +2 bonus to Dexterity
- Gain 20ft Climb speed.

Notes: Far too circumstantial no matter what environment you're in. Climb speeds are nice when they're effectively free (like the Anthropomorphic Leopard from Savage Species) - this is not "effectively free". This is your one and only default Shifter trait - it will cost you a feat or require you to enter a Shifter specific prestige class to get another. Additionally, it has no real synergy with the +2 Dexterity bonus unless your character is a ranged attacker who tries to get to high ground during combat. Still, I advise not taking this option.

Dreamsight Trait
- +2 bonus to Wisdom
- Gain continuous Speak with Animals effect.
- Permanent +2 bonus (even outside of Shifting) to Handle Animal and Wild Empathy.

Notes: If you're going Shifter Druid and plan on going Moonspeaker (you're a Shifter Druid, so your answer should be yes) this trait effectively gives you a free and permanent +2 bonus to Wisdom if you get to the 6th level of that prestige class. On top of that, this option allows the Druid to take Dreamsight Elite - a full-round action that grants passive See Invisibility and a +5 bonus to Spot checks - all for a feat... Combine this with the 11th level bonus of Moonspeaker and that feat's benefits becomes permanent as well. Overall, this is probably your best Shifter trait option on a Druid since natural attack modes are so easy to attain with Wild Shape.

Gorebrute Trait
- +2 bonus to Strength
- Gain a natural gore attack on charge only that deals 2d6 damage (plus an additional 1 damage for every 4 character levels). This attack may not be used with any other attacks that can regularly be made as part of a charge (such as with Pounce).

Notes: The fact that this ability, as written, does not allow any other attacks as part of charge - even naming Pounce in particular - kills any use it might really be. It is so limited in use that the only real reason to take this option is for thematic reasons for your character. The Gorebrute Elite trait redeems it slightly (making this choice black rather than purple) because knocking enemies prone is very effective, especially since it's just a Strength check - not a trip attempt.

Longstride Trait
- +2 bonus to Dexterity
- Gain an increase to base land speed of +10.

Notes: This Shifter trait's ability can be replicated with a first level spell or a dip in Barbarian (a class you're likely to have a level in anyway given that you're a melee combat themed race) that said, a 10ft bonus to land movement speed is nothing impressive. Outright avoid this Shifter trait - Cliffwalk is better than this by virtue of simply giving you something decently unusual and circumstantially helpful. This trait? Close to useless, and even in low level games it won't be of much help ever. The Longstride Elite feat does nothing to redeem this trait or improve its usefulness at all as it uncreatively adds only another 10ft of land movement speed.

Longtooth Trait
- +2 bonus to Strength
- Gain a natural bite attack that deals 1d6 damage (plus 1 additional damage for each 4 character levels).

Notes: The trait of choice for Shifters trying to emulate most animals that don't utilize claws or horns as their primary attacks. One of the most well known and commonly used Shifter traits (as it has one of the best natural attack modes) with the added benefit of having one of the best Shifter Elite feats. If you aren't taking it initially and are focusing on melee combat then take this via Extra Shifter Trait when you can. In the case of the Longtooth Elite feat it causes you to deal 1 Constitution damage on each successful bite attack; no save or anything, just automatic Constitution damage. If your bite critically hits this Constitution damage is doubled - that's a win all its own.

Razorclaw Trait
- +2 bonus to Strength
- Gain two natural claw attacks that deals 1d4 damage (plus 1 additional damage for each 4 character levels).

Notes: For the Shifter focusing on melee combat and didn't wish to select a bite attack, this is the best and only real option. This trait's Elite feat gives pseudo-Pounce, but if you're going Weretouched Master ignore the Razorclaw Elite feat and just take the tiger heritage (if you want to be a weretiger, that is) - you get real Pounce as part of that prestige class then and that's far superior in every way to the feat. If you're not going Weretouched Master (or dipping Spirit Lion Barbarian) for some reason and are still melee heavy, feel free to take Razorclaw Elite.

Swiftwing Trait
- +2 bonus to Dexterity
- Gain 20ft fly speed with average maneuverability.

Notes: Though it is flight for a short amount of time, it is also flight... for a short amount of time; it could be too short to be useful, or a situation where while flying would be useful, spending a Shifting use (or most likely multiple uses) is extremely costly and dangerous due to requiring some actual flying distance. Worse yet, you can't fly while wearing (or encumbered with) any armor or equipment counting as medium or heavy. Sadly this is among your best options for a Dexterity focused Shifter because it is still flight.

Truedive Trait
- +2 bonus to Constitution
- Gain 30ft swim speed and +8 racial bonus to Swim checks.
- May hold breath for rounds equal to 5x Constitution score rounds. This benefit applies even when the Shifter is not Shifting.

Notes: Far too situational. If your campaign is aquatic then this Shifter trait won't help you enough to be valid - you're going to go places and do things where, at least once, your 5x Constitution score rounds hold breath ability won't be enough. If your campaign is around a lot of water or relies heavily on it, this might not be too bad, making it purple rather than red. But for your average campaign? Avoid the water and avoid this trait.

Wildhunt Trait
- +2 bonus to Constitution
- Gain Scent ability.
- Gain a +2 bonus to Survival checks. This benefit applies even when the Shifter is not Shifting.

Notes: Scent is a powerful and useful ability, and the bonus to Constitution has nice defensive benefits as mentioned for Beasthide Shifters - the bonus to Survival is just added and appropriate flavor. If you aren't planning on going Weretouched Master or Bloodclaw Master, this choice remains blue. But if you are then this trait drops to red because it becomes redundant as both those prestige classes receive Scent as a class feature; this is also true for any other prestige class that grants Scent. Otherwise, this is your "tracker" archetype and fits well with the Ranger class as a whole. On a final note, although the Wildhunt Elite feat grants Blindsense out to 30ft... it's not the same as Blindsight and not nearly as good.

Winterhide Trait (Secrets of Sarlona)
- +2 bonus to Constitution
- +1 Natural Armor bonus to Armor Class
- Gain Resistance to Cold 5
- Gain +2 racial bonus to Fortitude saves versus environmental effects of extreme cold.

Notes: While it is unique to Tashana Shifters only there should be little debate if a Winterhide Shifter is playable at all given that Secrets of Sarlona is explicitly an Eberron book. It is a fairly decent option if you are in a campaign that will make use of additional supplements dealing with cold environments such as Frostburn and still want to play a Shifter, and my advice is to combine it with the Arctic (+0) template. In such a case these circumstances upgrade the Winterhide trait to blue from black. Outside of specific scenarios, the Winterhide trait isn't a terrible option and isn't really any weaker than a Beasthide Shifter's trait; the loss of Armor Class is very minor compared to the resistance to Cold damage - which is rarer. Like Beasthide, this trait is pushed into a lower category if you have a source of Natural Armor, but only to purple rather than red because you still have something to show for it in the form of a minor bonus to specific saves and a general, albeit minor increase in protection versus Cold damage.
« Last Edit: December 17, 2014, 05:46:07 AM by Argent Fatalis »

Offline Argent Fatalis

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ***
  • Posts: 315
  • Nature, red in tooth and claw.
    • View Profile
Re: [WIP] Becoming the Beast - A Shifter Player's Guide
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2014, 06:29:16 PM »
Classes - Being the Best of Beasts
It should be of absolutely no surprise that some class choices work well in conjunction with the Weretouched, whereas others are penalized by them. There are many options, some of which are much more lucrative, appropriate or useful than others. While I will not cover all base classes, I'll note the obvious synergies, pitfalls or oddities that arise from a playing a Shifter.

You may notice that most of these classes are physical classes and that there are hardly any arcane classes at all, with the only spell casters mentioned being divine. This quality is owed to the fact that Shifters have penalties to the standard arcane casting ability scores. This can be remedied by using the Lost Tradition feat from the book "Bastards and Bloodlines", which lets you choose what ability score you cast with instead. Given that this is an unusual book, and allows for unusual choices, most Dungeon Masters aren't likely to accept it as a valid option. If you are attempting this route, do your best to approach with a valid reason and another spellcasting ability score such as Wisdom instead.

Psionics and Shifters tend to mix well for the most part, even where they regularly shouldn't like in the case of the Charisma based Wilder - which the Shifter actually has (very good) racial substitution levels for. The only true exceptions of course are the psychic classes that obviously favor not suffering any penalty to their Intelligence score such as the Psion, Erudite or Psychic Rogue.

According to the lore of the Weretouched, most are wildmen and women - Barbarians - who favor the savageness of close combat where their claws or fangs can bite and tear into flesh alongside their weapons - others yet relish the thrill of letting an arrow fly free from their bow and true to its mark as Rangers. Those who don't follow these well tread paths are quite often instead spiritually tied to beasts, favoring the way of the Druid. Some, like those of enormous mental might, let their inner feral passion rage out of control as Wilders while others contrarily accept, control and utilize that same beast within as Monks of the Shackled Beast...

Who might your Weretouched be? Perhaps the following can help you decide.

Ardent
The Ardent is more or less your psionic Cleric with worse saves and HD, but overall a similar concept - it has a good Will save and focuses on Wisdom as its primary ability score. Its ability to assume Mantles gives it a lot of versatility, as does the alternate class feature that lets you add in new powers to a Mantle as long as they fit thematically and that the total array of powers within that Mantle does not exceed ten. Some notable Mantles are the Conflict, Freedom, Magic and Fate Mantles, which are all good for various reasons but the Magic Mantle potentially being the most powerful of those listed in a campaign where magic and psionics are not the same thing.

Many psionic powers play nice with Shifters and do fit well with the race as a whole, but the real power of an Ardent Shifter comes from the fact that the Practiced Manifester feat can essentially give them +4 effective Ardent levels, which is quite strong in its own right.

Barbarian
Among the default melee classes there are few who truly are as fearsome - or surprisingly diverse - as the Barbarian. With all of the variants of Barbarian that exist, some great combinations arise in conjunction with the Shifter race. Rage, in its unaltered form, will add two rounds to Shifting if it is used first, but the Ferocity and Whirling Frenzy alternate class features are excellent choices for their own reasons; one boosting Dexterity instead of Constitution, and the other granting a bonus attack. If for whatever reason you aren't getting Pounce from another class or pseudo-Pounce (Razorclaw Elite) taking the Spirit Lion alternate class feature as a Barbarian will grant you it instead of increased movement speed, and that's an excellent trade.

Additionally the Barbarian has Survival as a class skill, albeit lacking Knowledge: Nature, making Weretouched Master an easy class to enter if you took Ranger levels beyond 1st level at some point and invested five ranks. Seeing as Barbarians also have Jump as a class skill (and often utilize large boosts to Strength) a Warblade or Swordsage and Barbarian hybrid can relatively easily enter and utilize Bloodclaw Master - a thematic prestige class from Tome of Battle that also includes specific boons for Shifters.

If there's one feat that's an absolute must for a Razorclaw or Longtooth Shifter Barbarian, it is the Shifter Savagery feat - it improves the critical threat range of your natural attack(s), and moreover, grants two effective increases to their damage dice as if you grew in size two times. The downsides are that this feat does not stack with Improved Natural Attack or "...other effects that increase the base damage of your natural weapons..." unless your size actually increases through some means (like Enlarge Person). Throw in Whirling Frenzy and Spirit Lion Totem Pounce and things can get very silly if not thematically appropriate.

Sadly, and strangely, there are no racial substitution levels for a Shifter Barbarian despite what one would expect.

Druid
Alongside the Barbarian and the Ranger, there is little debate that the Weretouched Druid is among one of the most flavorful, and great combinations of race and class. Everything about this combination works, and unsurprisingly, the substitution levels blend extremely well with the class, and the prestige class essentially built for it - the Moonspeaker. The only real downside to being a Weretouched Druid (aside from fewer skill points) is that your Charisma score penalizes your Handle Animal and Wild Empathy checks - and that's assuming you didn't take the racial substitution levels.

Below are the Shifter Druid's racial substitution levels.

Add Balance, Climb and Jump (Any Druid Level)
Three free class skills? Balance included? That's really generous and there's no reason not to make use of them - especially Balance.

Beast Spirit (1st Druid Level)
This removes one of the most iconic and powerful features of a regular Druid - the Animal Companion - and replaces it with something about on the same level, if not more. It provides buffs to the Weretouched Druid directly in the form of Strength, Dexterity or Constitution, increases Shifting duration, grants a bonus feat, a bonus to Handle Animal and Wild Empathy checks, enable secondary save attempts against some effects, buff summons, grant additional spells, increase summon speeds, and grant another Shifter trait. A perfect candidate for a summoning centric Druid - I would only rate this red if you were to focus on making your Animal Companion as awesome as possible, simply because your Shifter Druid levels no longer count toward your Animal Companion, and that you lose it altogether.

Reckless Nature (4th Druid Level)
Unless you're in a Fey heavy game Resist Nature's Lure isn't bound to prove useful often, but at the same time, this gives a penalty to a very important save - Will. To your fortune, you have good Will saves and are largely Wisdom based, but you're lacking in Reflex. That isn't so much why you're taking this though... it's for the Initiative bonus most likely, and that's understandable. This is a decent trade.

Wild Shifting (5th Druid Level)
The real reason this is purple (rather than red) is because you can get Wild Shape back via the Moonspeaker prestige class - if only later and with much fewer uses - and this option ultimately still gives the Elemental forms even if you don't take that prestige class. However, you get much more inferior forms total and the actual bonuses provided by Wild Shifting itself aren't too large themselves. The exception to this is if you need many uses of Shifting per day for one reason or another, and I can't readily think of many of those.

If you're going to specialize in Wild Shape (or not bother with Moonspeaker or another prestige class that grants or advances Wild Shape) this option is obviously red because Wild Shape is extremely powerful as you're well aware, and there is no contest between the two. Wild Shifting does however allow a very different theme and approach to a Druid, requiring positive physical ability scores (outside of Constitution) and granting advanced natural weapons and ample uses of Shifting itself.

Duskblade
The best of both worlds for a Shifter who wishes to dabble in the arcane whilst still being a ferocious melee combatant, it combines the two to great effect through its Arcane Channeling class feature; this class feature allows the Duskblade to "channel" (cast) certain melee touch spells through their weapon as part of an attack. Even better, the Duskblade requires only an Intelligence score of 15 to cast its highest level spells, and by the time that becomes truly relevant you have likely negated the penalty from your Shifter racial ability score adjustments in order to compensate for it.

Given that Duskblades at 4th level can wear medium armor through their Armored Mage class feature your bonus to Dexterity will still be relevant and helpful; Mithral Fullplate has a larger maximum amount of Dexterity than the normal variant and also counts as medium armor, making it something you will want to use. This allows you, as a Duskblade, to focus on AOOs through reach weapons and still threaten the area around you with your natural weapons (if you chose a trait that grants them) while Shifting. If you go the reach route consider also being a lockdown build through Improved Trip, Thicket of Blades and Knockdown among other means.

No racial substitution levels, but easily among the best for a Shifter wishing to have some arcane power alongside their melee talent.

Cleric
While the Dexterity bonus is largely wasted, the penalty to Intelligence annoying, and the penalty to Charisma painful - seeing as it saps uses of Turn Undead - the Cleric is not a terrible choice for a Shifter. It is still a very strong class even in such circumstances with its heavy armor proficiency, good Fortitude and Will saves, decent hit dice and obvious ability to cast a plethora of divine spells and have a multitude of good prestige classes.

Additionally, a Cleric with the War Domain gains proficiency and the Weapon Focus feat with the weapon of their deity, allowing the Shifter in question to make better use of their racial melee combat focus if they wish to pursue that career. Moreover, the Shifter Cleric has access to the Transformation Domain and the Dreamsight Shifter trait can offset the Charisma penalty with a more important boost to Wisdom. These unique and good options can make a Cleric a blue rather than black class and absolutely worth considering.

Alongside the Druid, the Cleric is able to qualify for the Moonspeaker prestige class if they wish to do so, even if they don't readily excel in it.

Fighter
The Fighter itself is not worth staying straight classed in as you're well aware, and only a dip or two for the bonus feats are worthwhile, but what makes the Fighter possibly more worthwhile to a Shifter is the access to several Shifter themed feats (which will be discussed later, and shown in slightly more detail in the Monk section below) and actual Shifter feats as Fighter bonus feats; all of these options can be found in Dragon 355. The best of these is easily Beast Strike, which a dip into Fighter can make that single dip worthwhile and make this class option gold for that level, and that level only if you're an unarmed and claw focused combatant.

Otherwise? Do your best to avoid Fighter levels unless you need their combat oriented feats and full BAB for some reason.

Monk
The Way of the Shackled Beast instructs its Weretouched students not to unleash their inner primal fury, but to instead set it free; while this way is specific to the Weretouched, it actually makes a few levels of Monk not too terrible, but not undeniably desirable and optimal either. The bonus feats provided as part of this fighting style are decent enough in a shapeshifter heavy campaign, and enable the Shifter Monk to stack their claw (or slam) damage with their unarmed strike damage. Additionally the Shifter Monk learns to Flurry of Blows as part of a charge in yet another version of pseudo-Pounce.

You can ignore most of what's below if you're using the Martial Monk from Dragon 310 (and are treating it as ignoring the prerequisites), because these feats are also all Fighter bonus feats.

Here is my personal rating on the Way of the Shackled Beast fighting style for Shifter Monks from Dragon 355:

Skill Bonus: +2 Jump (1st Way of the Shackled Beast Fighting Style Level)
It is a small but useful benefit to Shifter Monks, especially those who plan on utilizing other classes that focus extensively on the Jump skill such as the Swordsage's (or Warblade's) Tiger Claw maneuvers and or the Leap Attack feat in conjunction with the Fist of the Forest prestige class seeing as you had to have Power Attack anyway for it.

Fear No Binds (1st Way of the Shackled Beast Fighting Style Level)
This removes the -4 attack roll penalty suffered for attacking in a grapple, lets you attack while in non-magical bindings, removes the penalty to Dexterity and attack rolls while entangled, and if you are netted but win the opposed Strength check, you can move the attacker as stated in this quote, "...(moving him) anywhere within the limit of the trailing rope he holds.", but he can let go as a free action. This feat is full of neat things, but aside from the ability to suffer no attack penalty in a grapple and suffer no Dexterity or attack roll penalty while entangled, don't expect to see a lot of use. Quite decent for a grapple focused Shifter.

Beast Strike (2nd Way of the Shackled Beast Fighting Style Level)
This is an amazing feat for any unarmed fighter who has a claw attack as it lets their claw damage stack for any unarmed attack or attack made as part of a grapple using the "Damage Your Opponent" option. If this isn't more reason to be a Tashalatora with the Claws of the Beast power if you aren't a Razorclaw Shifter, I don't know what is. Additionally, seeing as you ignore the regular prerequisites, you can get this feat far earlier than you would normally, adding even more to its value.

Disruptive Strike (6th Way of the Shackled Beast Fighting Style Level)
Strangely, seeing as how you don't by default have the Stunning Fist feat, you actually can't even use this ability, and that alone should make it red, but the reasons this is listed as black is because your DM should give you a Stunning Fist usage pool specifically for this feat, and unless you take Stunning Fist later, and just track these uses separately. Carrying on, the usage of this feat is great against anything that likes to shapechange, but that isn't a common enough issue to really warrant being anything other than black, as you're not being hurt by having this bonus feat, but at the same time it's not really too useful. Obviously if your game focuses a lot on shapeshifters or has some major shapeshifting enemies, this easily becomes gold. As another added bonus, this fighting style feat counts as a Shifter feat.

Bonus Ability: Flurry of Blows on Charge (6th Way of the Shackled Beast Fighting Style Level)
This feature is easily gold because it's basically Pounce - it really is, and combined with Razorclaw Elite, yes, it is now 90% Pounce. Why else is this good? The requirements are really easy to meet. 9 ranks in Jump? You probably were going to do that anyway. Two-Weapon Fighting? You also were likely to do that too. Just remember that you don't get that bonus unarmed attack through Two-Weapon Fighting when you charge through this bonus ability - it's only Flurry of Blows. The bad news is, is if you're pursuing real Pounce from another source, this bonus ability is red because of redundancy.

Psychic Warrior
Between the bonus feats of the Fighter and the ability to utilize some of the strongest psionic powers, the Psychic Warrior is an excellent class for a Shifter that allows the up close and visceral combat they favor to be just that much more efficient. Some good options for a Shifter Psychic Warrior is to take the Mantled Warrior alternate class feature which then gives them access to the Mantles from the Ardent class in place of their 2nd level bonus feat. An additional and worthwhile consideration - as mentioned previously in the Monk section - is for them to become a Tashalatora, advancing all of their major Monk features while progressing as a Psychic Warrior instead - with Beast Strike and the Claws of the Beast power, this combination becomes a very efficient hybrid.

If you do opt for the Mantled Warrior variant, consider using the alternate class feature rules for the Ardent as well, specifically the "Substitute Powers" option. A good example is to add to Natural World (the most fitting theme for a Shifter) the Greater Metamorphosis power if you wish to go that route.

Ranger
Not only the favored class of the race, but one recurring several times in their artwork and lore, the Ranger is a respectable choice. With full BAB, good Fortitude and Reflex saves, ample skill points, and a very wilderness centric set of abilities, ideals and benefits, there is no reason to hate the Shifter Ranger. It is unfortunate that the Ranger itself isn't very strong of a class on its own - especially compared to other options like that of the Barbarian, Swordsage or Psychic Warrior. In its favor though, it can easily grant access to Weretouched Master and or Warshaper, just as the Barbarian can.

The best portions of the Shifter Ranger are easily the racial substitution levels which I will rate below.

Add Balance (Any Ranger Level)
Nothing taken, only gained - and something useful gained, at that. Adding Balance to the Ranger's class skill list for Shifters is a nice benefit.

Wild Empathy (1st Ranger Level)
Wild Empathy, if it matters at all to you and your character, is now based off your Wisdom rather than Charisma, making Charisma even more of a stat that has little value to you as a Shifter. Yet another benefit at zero cost.

Share Shifting (6th Ranger Level)
If you intend on making excellent use of the various Shifter feats then this is a worthy and blue racial substitution level. If not, or you intend to utilize spells more than anything (and thus share them with your Animal Companion), this becomes a purple choice, as it isn't really making you weaker, but you likely could be stronger without it.

However, depending on how you read this ability (and more importantly your Dungeon Master) then this feature becomes gold in the hands of a Weretouched Master. Why? It states, and I quote, "The animal companion gains all the benefits of shifting (including any shifter feats or class features in effect for the shifter ranger), though it does not gain any new natural weapons." Weretouched Masters may, instead of normally Shifting, "...shift into animal form..." - this applies to the unerrata'd version and I wouldn't advise trying to argue it given its flimsiness and the fact this statement is lacking from the errata'd (and bad) version of Weretouched Master. If you can get away with it though, by all means do so as it opens up hilarity.

Enhanced Shifting (9th Ranger Level)
If for whatever reason you have nine levels of Ranger as a Shifter, this isn't a terrible benefit. It has a few effects - based on the initial Shifter trait you have. The downside is, is that you have nine Ranger levels and lose your Evasion class feature.

The first being that your natural weapons overcome DR/Adamantine for Strength trait Shifters while shifting; this is a black effect because while its useful, it isn't bound to be something that will appear extremely often in most games, but your mileage may vary. If the Shifter has a Dexterity based trait, they gain Improved Evasion instead while Shifting, making this another black benefit; both the effect and the Shifter traits that grant this aren't that great to begin with.

If the Shifter's primary trait was Constitution based, they gain Fast Healing while Shifting equal to 1 + one for each Shifter feat they possess, making this effect blue instead because Fast Healing is awesome and helps reduce your down time. Lastly, if they had a Wisdom based primary Shifter trait, they gain immunity to enchantment while Shifting, making this blue as well - but remember that you want immunity to all Mind Affecting, not just enchantment effects, making this choice still not great most the time and later on making it a black option.

Rogue
A Shifter Rogue hasn't the best combination of traits - a bonus to Dexterity is good, but the penalty to Intelligence on a highly skill focused class doesn't settle well, neither does the Charisma penalty which makes Use Magic Device and social skills less effective. While not a terrible option for a race and class combination, there is nothing favoring the Shifter Rogue above a Rogue of another race or one with racial substitution levels or better ability scores.

A very average pick if there ever was, and the only real benefit a Shifter offers for a Rogue is more attacks through their various Shifter traits' natural weapons, making a Shifter Rogue have a higher potential damage output through Sneak Attack damage than others. If you're going to be a Shifter Rogue and want to rack up Sneak Attack damage, ensure you grab the Craven feat to boost those damage numbers even higher.

Scout
The Scout is a mobility focused class that is a blend between the Ranger and the Rogue, so it's hardly a surprise that Shifters make decent Scouts. The racial ability scores provided by a Shifter favor a Scout's penchant for ranged or two-weapon combat, and the penalty to Intelligence is negligible with such a large amount of skill points provided, but there's not too much actual synergy. Compared to the Rogue, the Scout is roughly on the same ground in melee due to the application of natural weapons and Skirmish yet having better survivability at the cost of damage, and more or less superior on some ground in Ranged combat versus a strictly ranged Ranger.

Overall, the Shifter Scout is flavorful and decently effective, but not noteworthy and generally inferior to a Rogue due to the wider array of alternate class features available to the Rogue and how Sneak Attack is less difficult to trigger than Skirmish.

Sadly this class' reliance on mobility (which can become scarce), precision damage, and role as a party scout/tracker places it in ever declining relevance as a game progresses - as usual for martial classes, and the Shifter race itself doesn't provide too much more of interest.

Swordsage
While there isn't a single alternate class feature to be found specifically for the Weretouched Swordsage the option to be an Unarmed Swordsage is quite valid in combination with Beast Strike, taking an already good class and making it even better. Additionally, the Swordsage receives ample skill points and hardly utilizes Charisma and isn't Intelligence based at all, making the racial penalties of a Shifter less noticeable whilst the Dexterity bonus can be put to good use through Shadow Blade and Weapon Finesse; that combination of feats makes Dexterity entirely replace Strength for combat related rolls.

Out of all martial initiators, this class likely pairs the best with the Shifter race.

Totemist
Totemists are a class that adores the natural attack method of combat and utilizes it to great effect. Aside from the Magical Beast and overall spiritual theme, the real reason Totemist is as good as it is for Shifters is because of the Totem Rager option - it is exactly how it sounds. Totemist and something that rages... Whatever could that be? Combined with Power Attack and Cobalt Rage, the Totemist (and Totem Rager in particular) can make a Shifter even more fierce. This is also one of the few times, ever, where you will see Vow of Poverty from Book of Exalted Deeds be a viable option as your Soulmelds don't violate your vow; this also helps make the incredible Saint template (from the same book) a more streamlined (and thus available) option.

While lacking in a racial substitution level the Totemist is still a valid option for a Shifter.

Warblade
Despite the penalty to Intelligence as a Weretouched character, the Warblade is still a powerful melee class given its status as a martial initiator with one of the best, if not possibly the absolute best recovery mechanic. With Iron Heart, Diamond Mind, Tiger Claw and White Raven maneuvers all available, the Weretouched Warblade can easily pose a serious threat, especially for builds focusing on large amounts of Dexterity and or the Tiger Claw discipline - even more so if they wish easy entry into the Bloodclaw Master prestige class.

While not the absolute best choice, it is far from one of the worst choices a Weretouched character can make, Intelligence penalty or not.

Wilder
The feral, uncontrolled animal nature of Shifters creates a unique and unanticipated result in Wilders - their Shifting replenishes the Weretouched psychic's reserves and they are masters at controlling their own bodies, getting them to respond in unfathomable ways through psychometabolism. Moreover, they fall deep within a euphoria that seems to sustain their Shifting for awesome lengths at a time. As a class, the Wilder is not as strong as the Psion or the Psychic Warrior for multiple reasons, but it has appropriate flavor and concept for the Shifter as a race - the downside being that the Wilder's manifesting stat takes a penalty from the Shifter's racial bonuses.

A way around this Charisma penalty is to take the Magic-Blooded template; you'll have a Wisdom penalty instead of a Charisma penalty, as well as gain a few bonuses to skills (which you can now make checks on, even untrained) and get a few spell-like abilities per day. Being a Phrenic creature is another wonderful option (combine with Magic-Blooded to even greater effect) - the template itself bases all the difficulty classes of its psi-like abilities off Charisma... the same stat that you as a Weretouched Wilder use to manifest with already.

The following are the racial substitution levels for a Shifter Wilder:

Add Survival (Any Wilder Level)
While Survival isn't as universal or useful as some other skills, it is a nice benefit for the Wilder and offers some additional options, however small. No reason to complain about free additions - it simply isn't rated higher because it has limited uses compared to other skills. If you're entering a prestige class (or want to be the party's tracker) that notes Survival as a Shifter Wilder, this becomes gold.

Wild Psychometabolism (1st Wilder Level)
Gain the ability to learn powers from the Psion's Egoist list? This is an awesome racial substitution level with no downside - at all. It is entirely free and opens up great powers like Hustle, Metamorphosis, Fission, Fusion and more. If you're going to be a Wilder, Weretouched characters actually make for a valid option if you can grit through the Charisma penalty (or circumvent it altogether).

Savage Renewal (2nd Wilder Level)
Regain power points equal to the cost of the highest level power you know when Shifting ends? Not bad. Elude Touch isn't too great because of the fact "...touch AC can never exceed Armor Class against normal attacks." So this is a valid, but not great trade. It adds longevity of power points, but relies on you having a lot of uses of Shifting to make this really worthwhile - if you do, this racial substitution level becomes blue.

Personally, I would make this trade regardless because someone thought having your touch AC higher than your normal AC was overpowered, and it really isn't... at all.

Euphoric Shifting (6th Wilder Level)
This is only blue instead of black because it is free - nothing is traded, but at the same time Surging Euphoria isn't that great. It's a morale bonus, and to anyone who has read these forums before, you know that such bonuses are fairly common. But I digress back to Euphoric Shifting, which in itself, is a nice benefit to help prolong Shifting in combat. Between wanting multiple Shifter feats to help fuel Savage Renewal and sustain your actual Shifter trait benefits, this isn't a bad thing to receive for free.
« Last Edit: May 27, 2014, 04:22:42 PM by Argent Fatalis »

Offline Argent Fatalis

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ***
  • Posts: 315
  • Nature, red in tooth and claw.
    • View Profile
Re: [WIP] Becoming the Beast - A Shifter Player's Guide
« Reply #2 on: April 27, 2014, 06:32:32 PM »
Prestige Classes - Honing the Beast Within
The Weretouched race, as you've witnessed, favor the classes and combat styles that are more visceral and much less magically inclined. While not outright carrying an aversion to magic, Shifters tend prefer to specialize in their dedicated strengths, many of which are of the savage, animal vein, and what magic they as a race do specialize in focuses largely on it. Because of this I will do my best to clarify why a choice is as good as it is, and what's so valuable about making such a choice as a Shifter - I'll even include some thematic opinion, since a lot of Shifter prestige classes are very much steeped in it, but that shouldn't so much sway your opinion as just give you a bit of personal feeling on what's appropriate in my eyes for making a Shifter just that much more of a character.

Additionally, I'll include what I believe to be useful or appropriate prestige classes as well with the racial ones.

Bear Warrior
This prestige class was effectively built for a Barbarian in every sense, and it shows. What's funny about this prestige class is that its capstone - Dire Bear Form - gives such absurd bonuses and no one paid any real attention to the class' real and raw power. You can take ten levels of Bear Warrior or you can take five levels of Weretouched Master; between the two for a Shifter with a werebear heritage, its fairly evident which is stronger, especially with the errata on the latter of the two classes - the Bear Warrior by a long shot.

Why is Bear Warrior as good as it is? Your various Bear Forms all grant you the abilities, size, reach, natural armor, weapons, etc of the bear you become and instead make your Rage provide you with their ability score adjustments - not their actual ability scores. You also increase the effectiveness of those qualities if you're a Shifter through your Shifting ability; you can enhance your Bear Form with say, Shifter Savagery - which given that you're a Shifter Barbarian, you should have. If you're a Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian, your Bear Form can also charge and make a full attack, courtesy of Pounce.

Best of all? This prestige class takes effectively zero effort to qualify for - all the "requirements" are essentially just part of being a Barbarian, so you can spend your time focusing on boosting your Shifting abilities instead.

Blackblood Cultist
This class is designed to grapple and do it well - it has the potential to really inflict serious harm on your enemies if you're built around grappling.

If you're a Barbarian with at least a single Ranger level you essentially qualify for this prestige class, needing only to take Improved Unarmed Attack - if you desire, you can circumvent that requirement altogether by using the City Brawler alternate class feature for Barbarians from Dragon 349; if you do you're basically strictly an unarmed fighter as it takes away your martial weapons and medium armor usage, so I'd advise just taking the feat.

Once you qualify you'll gain claws while raging and later a bite attack - the claws are superior in all senses, so the best Shifter to use is a Longtooth Shifter, especially since the bite is comparatively very weak; if you're Dungeon Master is very lenient (or understands that this prestige class isn't overpowered at all) he'd let Improved Natural Attacks just advance your effective size by one. It's important to note that the Improved Natural Attacks class feature is not the same as the Improved Natural Attack feat - they stack.

The real prizes in this class is the free rend on two claw attacks and the Savage Grapple class feature, the latter of which can allow for huge damage spikes as you're grappling.

I suggest taking this class after or as part of a non-errata'd Weretouched Master if you're planning on savaging people with grappling.

Bloodclaw Master
If you're a Warblade or Swordsage with heavy use of Tiger Claw maneuvers then this prestige class should come to you with effectively no effort at all. Only requiring ranks in Jump and Multiattack (or Two-Weapon Fighting), this class is a good candidate to enter because of its large hit dice, decent saves, but most of all the Shifter specific bonuses.

If you aren't a Razorclaw Shifter you now officially gain that Shifter trait for free just for taking one level in the class - and you gain the bonus to Strength from it no less! You also gain two daily uses of Shifting and five additional rounds of Shifting. To sweeten the deal even more you now add full Strength to your off-hand weapon damage and ignore the penalty for fighting with two weapons. Part of the class is another pseudo-Pounce that costs you a readied maneuver, and the other is a bonus +2d6 damage that costs you a readied boost. While these other features aren't too amazing, a single dip in this class for a free Razorclaw Shifter trait, one daily use of Shifting, and one bonus round of Shifting easily is. Consider using a single level dip to springboard into Weretouched Master if you're not already a Razorclaw Shifter and want to play a weretiger.

Fist of the Forest
Most easily entered by a City Brawler alternate class feature Barbarian from Dragon 349 this prestige class has a lot of power behind it. Constitution to AC, a large jump in unarmed damage, Fast Movement back (you should have traded it for Pounce), a bonus to Dexterity and unarmed damage, and all for almost no effort while getting full BAB. While a Monk can enter this prestige class as well, a Barbarian does it one better and offers some abuse.

For Weretouched who are opting for claw and fang combat this prestige class - and the Beast Strike feat - can easily be a force to be feared. To make this combination less multiple attribute dependent take Endurance and Steadfast Determination; your Fortitude, Will, AC and hit points are all based off of your Constitution now. Better yet, after qualifying for this class and capping it out after being a Barbarian, be an Unarmed Swordsage; all those previously used HD now count as half initiator levels, gain increased unarmed damage, and you can use maneuvers (so long as they're not Concentration based) and gain Wisdom to AC while you're at it, in addition to further improving your Will and Reflex saves.

On a bonus note, Shifter Savagery improves your unarmed by two steps, which is fairly significant if you're an unarmed Barbarian Fist of the Forest.

Frenzied Berserker
This prestige class needs no real introduction, at all - it's one of those classes you play a Barbarian for. It is truly (in)famous for being a ticking time bomb and one of the most absolutely brutal upgrades to the Barbarian chassis, so much so that groups have actually planned around having one among their party just to use its power.

A second not-Rage ability (that grants a bonus attack), an improvement to Cleave, the ability to keep fighting well past -10 HP, and most notably, an improvement to Power Attack; the last of these qualities is borderline legendary for a Barbarian, as it gives a 50% then a 100% effectiveness increase to the feat. The downside to all this power is that a Frenzied Berserker who runs out of enemies turns on his friends, but if you took Endurance and Steadfast Determination, your ability to break out of your killer wrath is improved.

If you want to play a Shifter who can't control the beast within, and when it's loose they turn into an absolute killing machine, this is your way to do it. Throw in Shifter Savagery, Beast Strike, and Fist of the Forest, you're likely to murder anything you even touch with a single unarmed attack; your Power Attack is actually valuable now too, given the ratio for light weapons is -1 attack for +2 damage with the improved Power Attack bonus.

If you're going this route ensure you are a Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian; you want to maximize the crushing power this prestige class provides on a charge.

Moonspeaker
As a Shifter Druid you almost automatically qualify for this prestige class, and there is not a single reason to ignore it's power. It's one of maybe three or four improvements to the base Druid, and that's saying a lot; you're taking a powerful, iconic class and putting that dial to eleven.

What makes the Moonspeaker essentially a must for a Weretouched Druid? The combination of your racial substitution levels and this prestige class can make you an absolutely devastating summoner. Druid summons are already raw power made manifest, even more so are Druids who are built around it. Free bonuses to it are even better, such as the fact that the Moonspeaker has Knowledge: Religion among it's skills, making further prestige classing an option if you wish to pursue another prestige class like that of Contemplative.

Just to name a few boons your Item Creation, Metamagic and Wild feats now count as Shifter feats, you gain Augment and Extended Summoning (the first as a bonus feat, the second as a bonus effect that emulates that feat and stacks with that feat), additional Summon Nature's Ally creatures, Wild Shape, and integrated Shifting; the last being that your starting racial Shifter trait becomes permanent.

Some of the real power of this class comes from the fact you get the Gate spell as a Druid at the 12th level, but taking the entire prestige class past 4th means you're not getting the full benefit of your Beast Spirit (if you took the racial substitution level at 1st); either you're going for the Gate spell or the Rapid Summons feature from your Beast Spirit, so think wisely about which you're going to pursue.

Just go read this prestige class and plan accordingly - there's not a single reason to avoid it (you should at least take it as a four level dip) if you want to be a Weretouched Druid who favors summoning and wants some sizable improvements to their class.

Primeval
Another class that favors Barbarian entry, the Primeval is almost a variant of the Bear Warrior - it favors using a modified version of Wild Shape for the character to assume animal form. It does a few things better, and a few things worse than the Bear Warrior, namely it eliminates your typical dump stats and gives them a penalty while providing benefits to stats you'd actually use. Other benefits include improved Low-Light Vision, Scent and increasing improvements to the Primeval Form.

Overall, it can make a Weretouched character who wants to actually be the beast his heritage stems from surprisingly effective. While it's very niche and not as highly effective as any caster, it's thematically appropriate and gives large bonuses to those who opt for it.

Reachrunner
Compared to the other Shifter only racial prestige classes, the Reachrunner is a very poor attempt to upgrade the basic Ranger class to a superior tracker who is more mobile. Why is this prestige class red? By the time you qualify for this prestige class your casters can learn spells that do this better to an extent, and the fact that being the tracker is boring most of the time; you get two cool things you can do, which is basically track people down and move faster overall - neither of which is absolutely essential in most games.

Originally I made this class purple because it was only sub-optimal at a glance, but having re-read it, it's actually a downgrade from your regular Ranger, which is saying a lot. It provides zero direct damage upgrades except for it's capstone, which is a very bad knock-off of Pounce that basically requires you to surprise a target. You could just go be a Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian for a single level dip and get a bigger HD, Pounce, and Rage (or a Rage variant) for less work and bigger result!

If you're in a zero or nearly zero magic campaign that has a lot of wilderness and harsh environment and relies extensively on survival, this class is actually purple, and if that same campaign involves a lot of hunting, tracking and or following, this actually is black. But for every other game? Avoid this prestige class - it's a very, very sad representation of the Weretouched's ideals of self reliance and hunting prowess.

Thayan Gladiator
The Thayan Gladiator is a natural weapon heavy, full BAB class that provides some really unusual benefits. The downside to this class is that it's Evil - a whole ten levels of Evil - which basically bars it from use in many games and it's roped into being a one trick pony. The positives to the class are plentiful, however:

A free effective size increase to a natural weapon (that stacks with the Improved Natural Attack feat because it gives the benefits of that feat not the actual feat itself), free Improved Critical to that natural weapon (which also stacks with the associated feat of the same name), a free (Strength based!) Fortitude save or stun effect on a critical hit, effective two-weapon fighting with that natural weapon, the ability to enhance your chosen natural weapon for free as if it were a magic weapon, a larger critical multiplier on that natural weapon, and a bunch of weapon material types your natural weapon can qualify as to overcome Damage Reduction.

Overall it's not too overpowering on it's own and would really blend well when combined with your standard Shifter fair of classes.

Totem Rager
The Weretouched - at least those who live in clans dispersed through the wilderness - are known for having a very animal and tribal blood in their veins, which makes this prestige class a great mix of flavor and prowess. Meldshaping itself works well with Shifters because they're using their own souls - which throughout their lore is decidedly a very powerful force, just see the Druid racial substitution levels for an example - and they can forgo the more refined things in life, such as actual equipment, making Vow of Poverty even viable.

The lynchpin of this prestige class is Cobalt Rage, which is an excellent feat for any Barbarian who uses Incarnum at all, as it gives damage bonuses and Will save bonuses on it's own. When used with the Totem Rager, a Shifter can basically cap this feat out on demand and increase the potency of the Totemist's (and most Shifter's as well) favorite mode of attack - natural attacks.

Between having access to Rage and more reason to take Steadfast Determination, a Totem Rager Shifter can put out a large number of attacks (and subsequently damage) while effectively having excellent defenses and decent utility given that Soulmelds are as flexible as they are.

This prestige class requires effectively no effort to enter and only loses two levels of Meldshaping, and borderlines gold - in fact, it is if you're a Shifter Totemist who wants to keep the beastly and tribal theme as a constant.

Warshaper
Some Shifters fight against their inner primal nature, others make peace with it, but few readily channel it, and that's what this prestige class does really well. Everything about this choice should be lucrative to a Shifter for at least a single or two level dip if they're going to be in melee and make any use of their natural weapons, ever.

For a one level dip you get immunity to stunning and critical hits (thus immunity to precision damage as well) and the ability to improve your natural weapons on demand. There's only one (significant) limit to this ability... you as a Warshaper need to be "... in a form other than her (your) own ... " as it says in the small section above proficiencies. This boils down to only while you're Shifting or in Alternate Form for most Shifters aside from the obvious entries such as Druids who can just Wild Shape. Carrying on, for a two level dip your Shifting gains a permanent bonus to Constitution and Strength; for three levels you get reach, and for four, you get Fast Healing 2. Don't bother with the fifth level - it does absolutely nothing for a Shifter.

The mechanics of the class is that only while shapeshifted you gain these benefits, but the overall theme, fluff and approach would otherwise suggest the contrary; it is marginally disappointing that, for a class which doesn't directly advance most any feature that normally provides these benefits, that it limits itself to only while you're Shifting.

Thus your best option is to combine it with a pre-errata Weretouched Master, as you're going to be in Alternate Form all the time and or Shifting, so try to qualify for that prestige class as fast as possible (I suggest Barbarian entry with a Ranger dip) then focusing more on improving your new alternate form with Warshaper levels.

People complained about the weretiger heritage for a reason - because it was, and is, completely bad ass.

Weretouched Master (Errata)
If you've read this far you know I've hyped up the Weretouched Master - perhaps even more than the Moonspeaker - but this is not the Weretouched Master you're looking for. If you want the real Weretouched Master, go down one more prestige class level - that's where the true power of a Shifter lies.

Oh how the mighty have fallen... This is a terrible, terrible prestige class for a Shifter, I'm not even kidding. They took a good, powerful melee prestige class and absolutely crushed it down into being a beginner's trap because "Mundanes can't have nice things." I'm not going to bother discussing anything else but the capstone of this class because all the good in it is sucked out (trust me) - I'll go over the benefits and positives in the pre-errata version.

The biggest issue is with the capstone itself, Alternate Form, and wow there are major issues with it. First, it costs two daily uses of Shifting, which is really expensive for what it does - for perspective, that's at least four Shifter feats worth, and this class doesn't give bonus daily uses of Shifting either, it only gives two bonus Shifter feats, so unless you're pouring all of your feats into Shifter feats you can do this trick once or twice a day at best. For comparison a basic Druid of equal level (meaning 10th) has four uses of Wild Shape a day, and can even take a feat for two more (Extra Wild Shape)! That's in addition to being any animal up to Large he wants to be, not just one kind.

The second issue is much bigger than the first... it's the fact the feature itself is explicitly based off the Polymorph spell. Why does that matter? To quote the Polymorph spell directly;

Quote
"The subject gains the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of the new form but retains its own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores."

Unlike the power of Bear Warrior or the Primeval (who add their shapeshifted form's bonuses), this entirely invalidates your ability scores in everything but Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. I will remind you that this is a melee prestige class. This "benefit" is worthless and absolutely horrible. This also causes enormous mechanical issues because you have no hybrid form, at all! You officially cannot use your manufactured weapons! All of your magic gear is now more or less worthless, and given you're bound to be a martial class, you absolutely need your equipment to function.

The third issue is just mean, like someone was intentionally opting to pour salt in the wound:

Quote
"The Weretouched Master doesn't gain any of the normal benefits granted by Shifting while this ability is active, and the Weretouched Master can't use this ability at the same time that he is Shifting."

This invalidates half of the prestige classes' benefits, and makes some options downright useless. Why would I ever bother turning into an actual tiger when my Razorclaw Shifting is just better overall now? What's the point of being any of these Lycanthropic heritages when they're all bad - even the bear and tiger options? Just look at the Dire Rat monster entry. Is that remotely worth being Polymorph'd into at the cost of five levels and two daily uses of Shifting?

The class' chassis itself is not great (if you somehow managed to swallow how bad the errata made the class); medium BAB, good Fortitude and Reflex saves, minimum skill points and a small skill list. Why? These are Animal HD without being called that, which makes it clear this was the more or less settled on way for Lycanthropes to be playable without the silly Level Adjustment or huge handfuls of useless Animal HD floating around. So there isn't a real reason to even use the class for anything else.

Overall I'd say this is a very mean spirited re-write of a good prestige class - like someone felt it was their personal goal to make it as weak is it is now. It is not remotely worth looking at if you can't convince your Dungeon Master to let the non-errata version be played, and you might as well avoid going the whole "I want to be a real Lycanthrope with my Shifter!" route as there's no hope of doing so without it.

Weretouched Master (No Errata)
This prestige class is why you played a Shifter, and you're lying to yourself if you said you didn't want to play an actual (good) Lycanthrope character. The Weretouched Master doesn't have to deal with all the flaws and mechanical issues regular Lycanthropes have - it's a better flowing choice in every sense and gives you exactly what you want in the shape of a big bad hybrid form.

Everything that was wrong with the errata the original had right, but we'll get to that later.

First off this class basically gives you a second "not Shifter trait", so if you didn't already have claws while Shifting, the tiger or bear lineage gives them to you for example. This is not a Shifter trait, however, so benefits that apply exclusively to that type of Shifter (like the Elite feats) do not apply to you or qualify you for them. For some (namely the weretiger heritage) this isn't a big deal, as there's some basic optimization you can do to really get the most out of his; for example, if you're going to be a werebear, take at least a level of Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian in order to get Pounce.

You also gain two bonus Shifter feats at 2nd and 4th level from a small but useful list; it's here you can, for free more less, grab Great Bite, Shifter Multiattack, among a few other less useful ones. If you took a lot of flaws at the beginning and have a lot of Shifter feats, you'll find yourself likely limited. If all else fails and you already have the best from the list, take the average options like Shifter Defense (and it's Greater counterpart) as their minor benefits are still benefits.

From here, you get a specific bonus while Shifting and Scent with the second Weretouched class feature; the most notable of the lot are Pounce and Improved Grab, which as you're likely well aware, both highly sought after in their own domains of uses. It is because of this you should avoid Razorclaw Elite, as it will officially do nothing for you as a Shifter with Pounce.

Fourth level gives you Frightful Shifting which if you're fear stacking and or playing a character with a good or high Charisma score, isn't too shabby, but it's more flavor than function. If you are playing something like a Charisma heavy Barbarian, then this is a great feature, as it is just another save they have to make or wind up fleeing, cowering, or at least being shaken. Sadly while it works on anyone below your character level in terms of HD or levels, it's difficulty class is at best 15 + your Charisma modifier.

Lastly we have the true capstone for a Weretouched Master, the real Alternate Form! It lacks all of the errata's, for lack of better words, utter garbage and makes you truly satisfied to play a Shifter. As per the ability itself you explicitly assume hybrid or animal form at the cost of a Shifting use, your gear is not affected (it even works in animal form, except for armor and weapons), and you add the ability score adjustments of the animal form you assume to yours. In case you didn't know, it even spells out that your hybrid form has prehensile hands, meaning you can explicitly use weapons - just like a normal hybrid form Lycanthrope.

Based on how this feature is written your size adjusts accordingly, making weretiger and werebear Weretouched Masters become Large (which grants them even more bonuses), and the effect counts as if you're Shifting, meaning any Shifting specific effects are active as well, like Great Bite, Shifter Savagery, Shifter Ferocity and so on.

Because this feature is also based off the Polymorph spell, you additionally gain the animal's special attacks per the Polymorph entry:

Quote
" It also gains all extraordinary special attacks possessed by the form (such as constrict, improved grab, and poison)..."

Meaning your hybrid form is an absolute killing machine on a charge as a weretiger, or in a grapple thanks to bonus attacks from Rake (which uses your claws to determine damage).

Overall this prestige class (in my opinion) is what truly makes a Shifter - this is the reason to play one. You have a big bad hybrid form, an equally big bad animal form, and all the benefits of both essentially on demand for the cost of one Shifting use. Just like how Bear Warrior essentially replaced your Rage with your Bear Forms, Alternate Form effectively (and truly) replaces your Shifting, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Do your best to make a convincing argument to your Dungeon Master as to why this prestige class should be accessible without errata. In comparison to full casters and some other melee builds, this doesn't hold a candle except for the raw coolness factor.
« Last Edit: December 17, 2014, 08:06:47 AM by Argent Fatalis »

Offline Argent Fatalis

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ***
  • Posts: 315
  • Nature, red in tooth and claw.
    • View Profile
Re: [WIP] Becoming the Beast - A Shifter Player's Guide
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2014, 11:05:47 PM »
Templates - Altering the Animal
Templates are one of the ways for characters to truly stand out among their peers, especially at tables where low optimization is very prevalent. Optimized template'd characters are your Magic-Blooded Sorcerers, Saintly Clerics, Feral Barbarians, Phrenic Psions, and so on; whatever "downsides" of their template they may have (if any), is pretty much entirely worth it in most cases, especially if Level Adjustment Buy-off is permitted. Level Adjustment Buy-off effectively allows a character to get rid of their Level Adjustment by spending experience in exchange for no longer having a Level Adjustment (or reducing it); +1 LAs can do this at 3rd level, +2 LAs at 6th, then 9th, and so on.

Additional information can be found in the SRD here in "Reducing Level Adjustments".

Shifters themselves have no unique templates or "must haves" to fill some niche role (like an Arctic Dragonborn Mongrelfolk). Some, like Feral, are more flavorful than functional in the case of a Shifter, but shouldn't be discounted given their overall potency.

Aquatic (+0 LA)
Why is this template red when it isn't that bad? The obvious reason being that you can't breathe on land normally and that most campaigns take place on the land, not underwater. If your campaign is centered largely on being underwater or is entirely and you are determined to play a Shifter then this option is gold because it is your only effective option; the Truedive Shifter trait is too weak to function on its own and you'd subsequently wind up drowning eventually.

Arctic (+0 LA)
By taking this template your racial abilities become +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -4 Charisma; not a terrific spread of ability scores, but if your character is a class that has no use for Charisma (at all) then consider taking this template - it is easily blue for you. The downsides are that you have weaker saves versus Fire - which resistance against is very common - but have a bonus to saves versus Cold, which is less common; you still win on this exchange.

Aside from a bump to Wilderness Lore (Survival in 3.5e) you may, once a day use Ray of Frost as a spell-like ability. Neat.

Decent template overall and combined with some others could prove even more useful. For characters in a cold environment, like a Frostfell campaign, this becomes blue, provided your Charisma score is entirely worthless to you.

Blooded One (+1 LA)
If you're a melee combatant and can take an additional reduction in Intelligence then this isn't a terrible template to apply - it's not the greatest +1 LA, but it isn't that bad either as this template grants Combat Reflexes as a bonus feat, boosts both Constitution and Strength, and gives some Natural Armor. You also get a morale bonus to attack and damage in the form of a once a day shout. This shout works best with other Blooded Ones around as it buffs them as well as if they had used it themselves. Sadly this shout is a morale bonus and never scales, always giving +1 bonuses.

If you're a Beasthide Shifter avoid this template because it's red; your Natural Armor bonus doesn't stack with it. The other bad news is that some Dungeon Masters may view the alignment of "Usually lawful evil." as instead "Always lawful evil."

Dark (+1 LA)
Improved movement speed, Darkvision, resistance to cold, bonuses to Hide and Move Silently checks, but most of all Hide in Plain Sight makes this a very good template for a Shifter who wishes to be an infiltrator type character. This version of Hide in Plain Sight is effectively the same as the 17th level Ranger ability with one additional caveat - it can't be used in daylight or when a Daylight spell is cast in its area. That's basically a non-existent penalty, and realistically, how often does anyone, ever, prepare Daylight spells? Never? You're probably safe.

A very worthy template for a Shifter Swordsage or Rogue who's trying to act as the party's sneak.

Deep (+1 LA)
This template... doesn't seem to really know what it wants to be. By taking it your ability scores will become -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma, you'll lose Low-Light Vision but gain Darkvision, have bonuses to Hide and Move Silently only in underground areas, a few (mostly useless) spell-like abilities, and then Light Sensitivity.

If you're going to be playing in the darkness and or underground a lot be a Dark or Shadow Shifter, not a Deep Shifter, because those templates are just better. If you're going to be a Wizard (or other Intelligence based class), you should take the Phrenic template to compensate for your racial penalty to Intelligence instead of this and gain a lot more benefits for your troubles.

Desert (+0 LA)
There's nothing good or bad about this template - in fact, I'd dare say it only barely qualifies to be a template. It gives you a bonus to saves versus Fire and a penalty to saves versus Cold; not bad if you're in an actual desert campaign like that of Dark Sun and somehow happen to be a Shifter in which case this is easily blue. Uniquely, this template lets you cast the spell Create Water as a spell-like ability and I find that fairly novel; if you're in a survival heavy campaign, that ability alone - having pure water at your finger tips every day - and bonuses to Survival (what Wilderness Lore became) makes this template really attractive.

In fact, I'd recommend combining both the Desert and Arctic templates and just calling it a "Survivalist" - it has no penalties to hot or cold, has noticeable bonuses to skills such a Shifter character would need and already use, and can use a spell-like ability that's essential for living.

Divine Minion (+1 or +2 LA)
Based on the deity your Shifter is a Divine Minion of you gain Wild Shape; some of these are blue others are red. I won't rate this individually, but this template's rating should be easy to figure out; it's a free action Wild Shape that lasts for as long as you desire and doesn't penalize you for wearing metal armor. Moreover, you get immunity to fear, the Outsider type, and the Extraplanar subtype.

For some characters this lets you fluff yourself as an actual Lycanthrope without the suck that comes with actually being a Lycanthrope. Some Divine Minions get multiple forms which can let you get away with playing a Panwere, or a Lycanthrope with many animal forms. Another note is that there are some Vermin forms here too, which is a pretty large unusuality.

Dragonborn (+0 LA)
This template removes everything which makes your character a Shifter, thus is not a good combination thematically or mechanically at all. Avoid this, and avoid any other dragon themed or centric template.

Feral (+1 LA)
A Feral Shifter has the racial (and template) total ability score adjustments of +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -6 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma; if you can survive the brutal hit to Intelligence and aren't a Razorclaw or Beasthide Shifter then this template is awesome and can easily become gold or blue based on your build. Free claws, your hit dice upgraded to d10s, a giant boost of Natural Armor, Improved Grab, Pounce, Rake, Rend, Fast Healing and Darkvision - all for a +1 Level Adjustment.

Combine with Longtooth Shifter for another natural attack, more Strength and Shifter Savagery for maximum effect, easily becoming gold. Don't use this option (it's red) as a Beasthide Shifter... it makes your Natural Armor bonus entirely irrelevant.

Lycanthrope (+2 or +3 LA)
There are so many reasons this combination should work, but it doesn't, at all and even the best Lycanthrope templates are super specific and or very cheesy. Unfortunate to say but necessary, a Shifter should avoid a Lycanthrope template - the Level Adjustment sucks and the Animal HD you'll get are effectively worthless.

The only exception to this is if you can buy off your Lycanthrope Level Adjustment and are playing a martial initiator such as a Crusader, Swordsage or Warblade since those Animal HD become half-initiator levels like any other non-initiator level hit dice. In any case do your best to minimize the Animal HD - they're very weak for what they are.

On an off note but still relative to this topic an Ardent with the Practiced Manifester feat can ignore 4 effective levels of Lycanthropy because of their unusual class mechanic for being a manifester - this, alongside martial initiators, is a valid option if you won't have more than a total of four Animal HD and Level Adjustment.

Magic Blooded (+0 LA)
If you're playing a Shifter who wants to utilize a class that focuses on Charisma such as a Sorcerer or a Wilder, use this template to compensate for the Charisma penalty you'd otherwise have - your racial ability scores will become +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom. Additionally, you gain small bonuses to Knowledge: Arcana and Spellcraft, but the real boon is that you can now use both of those untrained. Further more, you can cast Detect Magic, Nystul's Undetectable Aura and Read Magic as spell-like abilities once per day.

A great template for a Shifter who wants to avoid the Charisma penalty.

Mineral Warrior (+1 LA)
The Damage Reduction and boosts to ability scores that you really care about make this template a possibly useful addition, and guarantees some creative uses with its burrow speed addition. The downsides? Bigger penalties to your Intelligence and Charisma ability scores, and a new penalty to your Wisdom.

As a side note, once per day you can punch someone with your Constitution score in a sort of "not-Smite" attack where you add your Constitution to the attack roll (you have no racial HD to add the bonus damage with).

Like with the Feral or Blooded options don't use this template with a Beasthide Shifter - it becomes a red option for them.

Phrenic (+2 LA)
This template's psi-like abilities scale with level, its ability score adjustments remove your racial penalties (and gives you a bonus to Wisdom and Charisma), gives power resistance equal to HD + 10, and lets you qualify for Psionic feats. This is a great template, and if you're playing a Shifter Wilder consider combining this with the Magic Blooded template, making this combo gold; you'll wind up +2 Dexterity and +4 Charisma in that case, oh, and your Phrenic template's abilities are based off Charisma, too.

For casting (or manifesting) classes that utilize Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma this is a gold option with Level Adjustment Buy-off. For any other Shifter, it's still blue.

Saint (+2 LA)
Everything about this template is good if you can qualify for it, but you're going to have to be a good character - a really, really good character. Book of Exalted Deeds is one of those situations where good gets a little crazy... But if you qualify you gain - to name a few boons - Wisdom to Armor Class as an insight bonus, Outsider (Native) types, +2 to the DC of any spell-like or supernatural ability, Fast Healing, a ton of immunities and a twice as powerful Magic Circle against Evil/Lesser Globe of Invulnerability hybrid and some positive ability score adjustments.

There's more than just these benefits (a lot more as this template is crazy), but any Weretouched Cleric, Druid or Monk who can buy off the Level Adjustment will likely at least want to consider taking this if they can.

Shadow (+2 LA)
This is the improved version of the Dark template, which in itself is good, but this template takes that a step further. You basically get supernatural active camouflage when you're in anything less than pure daylight or a Daylight spell's radiance (and a 1st level Psionic Power lets you get rid of that daylight weakness, as does a magical item from Tome of Magic, the Dark Lantern) and otherwise as if you were invisible in terms of concealment and visibility. Better yet, it lets you choose additional benefits every 4 HD you have after 1st; +2 to all saves, Fast Healing, Plane Shift (Plane of Shadow), and a few other options. It also boosts your movement speed by fifty percent by multiplying it 1.5x alongside some other more expected benefits.

If you want to be an excellent and near impossible to discover Shifter (think the world's stealthiest werepanther), and can buy off the Level Adjustment, take this and never look back. Rolling one less check (Hide is now irrelevant, forever, to you) to scout and sneak around all while being effectively invisible (especially to creatures with Darkvision) is pretty awesome. Throw in Darkstalker and they'll never know what hit them.

Wild (+0 LA)
This template, though easily one of the most thematically appropriate, is actually pretty bad for a Shifter. It makes your poor Intelligence and Charisma scores even worse, but at least gives a tiny benefit to Strength, it makes you marginally faster, takes away your racial bonuses to Balance, Climb and Jump, but gives you the bonus skill points of a human. It also gives you new racial skill bonuses to Listen, Spot and Survival, but weakens your Bluff, Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks as a racial penalty. It also removes racial spell-like abilities, making it an even worse candidate to combine with other templates.

Your ability scores suffer pretty bad in this case - +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -4 Intelligence, -4 Charisma - which is a real shame. The only thing I can think of to make it not as bad is to combine it with the Phrenic template for a total of +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom. This racial ability score adjustment array isn't too bad (only the Level Adjustment is if you can't buy it off), and if you're going to be a Psionic melee character - like a Psychic Warrior or a melee Ardent - then this combination actually is gold.

Shifter Feats - Specifying the Beastly Attributes
Out of any race with a multitude of racial feats available to them and them alone, few can even come close - if at all - to the Shifter race's plethora of racial feat options. Not only do Shifters have many favorable feats, quite a few of which they were going to opt for regardless, these same feats help fuel usages of the Shifting racial as well as its duration; that's easily a three way win. While not all of the Shifter specific feats are impressive, many of them offer large benefits for only the cost of a feat - better yet, a select few of these feats count as Fighter bonus feats, making them easier to attain options through the means of a Fighter dip or a few levels of Martial Monk, Psychic Warrior, or Warblade.

There are two real, recognizable kinds of Shifter feat, the regular Shifter feat and then the Shifter Elite trait feat. The Elite options are limited to Shifters with that trait (even those who didn't take that as their first trait), meaning other Shifters cannot take it until much later when (really if) they take the Extra Shifter Trait feat or a class feature that grants them another Shifter trait. These Shifter Elite trait feats often provide a large jump in power to the Shifter benefiting from them - they can do anything from grant Scent, See Invisibility, a variant of pseudo-Pounce, or Constitution damage to a victim hit by an attack. Most of these Shifter Elite options are worth taking, with only a few exceptions where there are better options or where they still pale in comparison to alternatives.

Dragon Magazine

Disrupting Strike [Shifter] (Dragon #355)
As mentioned previously in the Classes - Being the Best of Beasts, specifically the Way of the Shackled Beast Monk section, this feat is technically not even usable by that fighting style given they have no Stunning Fist uses. For everyone else who is taking this feat (the hard way), it counts against your Stunning Fist uses, but I'd venture to say it's still useful. If you're in a campaign with a lot of shapechangers, at all, this easily becomes gold as it can knock down some of the scariest effects a few pegs and help validate your existence as a melee combatant.

Fierce Mind [Shifter] (Dragon #355)
Fear immunity and bonuses against fear effects are both common. Unless you're playing a game where fear is very common and there are few counters to it, I advise against this feat. As far as its mechanics go, it's a valid and good option for fear immunity; you can roll first, and if you fail, use this. The downside is, is that this costs one daily use of Shifting and doesn't provide blanket immunity for a duration; you can just be sent running in fear right after.

Shiftsilver Mastery [Shifter] (Dragon #355)
Only works on a critical hit against creatures with DR/Silver, requires an expensive material for a weapon, decently high craft check, +8 BAB, and a feat? Not worth it, even for 2d4 Constitution damage. Avoid this unless your campaign has many creatures with DR/Silver and you're wielding high crit range weapons with multiple attacks (such as kukris) - in that case, this is purple rather than red because it can be really effective with a crit fisher build, but the rest of the time this is always red. Far too specific of a feat to be good in most any campaign.

Eberron Campaign Setting

Beasthide Elite [Shifter]
If you're going for the tank-like Shifter who can shrug off, avoid, or outright ignore most physical attacks, you chose well with the Beasthide Shifter. This is one of two feats (the other likely being Shifter Ferocity) that you'd likely take to open up other Shifter feats such as Shifter Defense, but more importantly, Extra Shifter Trait. The bad news is, just like your Beasthide trait, Natural Armor is not too hard to get, and this doesn't scale, at all. In low level games (like E6) this feat is more akin to blue, but in full and higher level games this becomes purple with time as physical defenses start to play less of a role and magic can easily shore them up.

Cliffwalk Elite [Shifter]
There's really no reason for this feat to be taken, for if your 20ft climb speed isn't enough, a 30ft climb speed isn't going to save you. Even if this was a +20ft movement bonus to climb speed over 10ft this still wouldn't be any better. If you took the Cliffwalk Shifter trait don't even bother with this.

Extra Shifter Trait [Shifter]
This feat is priceless, it really is. You get a second Shifter trait, one additional round of Shifting and counting toward one half of an additional daily use of Shifting, all in one feat. If you're playing a Shifter you should probably take this at some point if you're making any real use of Shifting, and sooner is absolutely better than later. Thematically this fits, too - a Shifter who has a wereboar heritage should have both the Beasthide and Gorebrute traits, just like a Shifter with a weretiger heritage should have both the Longtooth and Razorclaw traits.

If you're playing a Shifter to play a Shifter, take this feat - all you need is two other Shifter feats to qualify.

Great Bite [Shifter]
This is a very true blue feat because it's good enough that you'd want it eventually, but at the same time it is nothing ground breaking... Unless you have Longtooth Elite, in which this is now gold. The Constitution damage you regularly inflict with your bite attack would be multiplied as well, dealing 3 Constitution damage on a critical hit. That's a great benefit, and when combined with Shifter Savagery, you now have an increased crit range with greatly increased based damage that also has the potential for even more effective damage because of ability score damage being inflicted as well.

Great Rend [Shifter]
Whereas Great Bite had good synergy, Great Rend is very pitiful and has a surprisingly misleading name - there's nothing really that great about it. It will always deal 1d4 damage plus one-half your Strength modifier. Even with an amazing Strength modifier of +10 (an ability score of 30) equates to merely +7.50 more damage if both your claw attacks hit. If you have feats to spare (you shouldn't), maybe consider this and retrain it later. If you're anything but Strength based, this feat is red and effectively useless.

Healing Factor [Shifter]
In a low magic and or survival (and thus limited healing) game, this feat reduces your down time and is decent in that sense, especially since it scales, but the real issue is that it scales poorly. Healing you a single hit point per hit die you have is pretty weak, more so given it occurs after your Shifting ends, meaning this shouldn't trigger, ever, while in combat. If your game has limited means of healing and you have ample uses of Shifting, this becomes black and is a good starter feat in that scenario as well.

Longstride Elite [Shifter]
In the same vein as Cliffwalk Elite, this feat provides a very marginal increase to an already subpar Shifter trait. +10ft of base land movement speed isn't going to help you, ever, really - a 1st level default Barbarian gets your Shifting ability all the time as well as the awesomeness of Rage. This feat? You're officially now faster than your average Barbarian, but only while Shifting. You shouldn't ever consider taking the Longstride trait or this Elite feat.

Shifter Defense [Shifter]
At low levels and in specific game types (like the aforementioned E6), this feat is actually decent and is blue, as physical defenses matter to a large degree and you haven't all the magical equipment or spells to really take serious abuse and just walk it off. If you're planning on being a Shifter tank, such as a Crusader, and playing at a low power level then this feat, Shifter Ferocity, the Beasthide Shifter trait and Beasthide Elite feat can make you very functional; you have good HP, Fortitude saves, Damage Reduction, Armor Class and the ability to ignore going negative until you die, on top of the power that is a martial initiator chassis. At higher levels, easily by level 8, this feat is purple and soon thereafter, red altogether.

The only good news is that some classes - like Moonspeaker or Black Blood Cultist - improve on any Damage Reduction/Silver you have, making it last you slightly longer and have a tiny bit more use.

Greater Shifter Defense [Shifter]
Unless you took quite a few flaws in trade for bonus feats at the start of your character's creation you're not bound to want this feat by the time you can take it given all of its requirements. It's a tiny upgrade, and if you can get it at roughly the same level as normal Shifter Defense (or in place of when you'd qualify normally for the lesser version), this is blue as well, but otherwise avoid this feat - more so than its precursor.

Just like before, this feat is improved by a handful of prestige classes, but you shouldn't be burning feats just for small amounts of Damage Reduction/Silver.

Shifter Ferocity [Shifter]
Diehard is a fairly bad feat on its own - the fact it requires Endurance makes it worse. Why is this better? For the same bare minimum reason any Shifter feat is - it lets you use Shifting more and longer. The other boon is that it isn't a terrible effect on its own, especially when you're starting out and more likely to die from hit point damage than anything else. Easily goes from blue to black once you go to anything beyond about level 8.

Shifter Multiattack [Shifter]
Given how frequently Shifters use their racial natural weapons, at least those that have them, then this feat is a must for the same reasons any character with multiple natural attacks wants it. What makes it worthy of being gold? It was a feat you were bound to take anyway, and it grants additional duration (ultimately uses as well) to Shifting, enhancing your viability and potency.

Player's Guide to Eberron

Shifter Acrobatics [Shifter]
If you're any of the qualifying Shifters this feat is terrible for you because there's almost no synergy between the two and your Shifter trait is bad to begin with. If this feat applied while you weren't Shifting, it'd have some use, but anyone who would want any further boosts to their Balance, Jump or Tumble would rather take offensively oriented Shifter feats and just boost the appropriate ability score and put further skill ranks in when they gain a level.

Shifter Magnetism [Shifter]
If you already have an Animal Companion as a Shifter then you really needn't worry about trying to maximize the effectiveness of your Handle Animal or Wild Empathy checks, let alone your Intimidate - all of these should be the last of your concerns. If you're trying to go for a Shifter with a big Intimidate modifier try playing a Shifter Barbarian and using the suggestion in the Masters of the Wild (a 3.0 book) that allows Barbarians to use Strength instead of Charisma to determine Intimidate when making intimidating displays. If not, I'd say between Shifting and Raging you should easily get a +4 circumstance modifier because you are scary, just by virtue of being a raging Shifter Barbarian. For further thematically appropriate bonuses, take the Large feat (Bastards and Bloodlines) and receive a +4 size bonus to Intimdate as well.

The sole "redeeming" quality of this feat is that it's not limited to while you're Shifting, making it purple instead of red.

Shifter Stealth [Shifter]
This feat is actually just useful enough to receive this rating it has in my opinion without being red and effectively useless. It boosts inherently linked skills, those being Hide and Move Silently, and is available to the scout-tracker archetype Shifter - the Wildhunt Shifter - and not just the Shifters with sub par traits. The downside? This only applies while Shifting, which has a duration that's often extremely short compared to how long scouting and sneaking can take. If you truly want to be an effective Shifter scout or stalker, just use the Dark (+1 LA) or Shadow (+2 LA) templates mentioned earlier with the Darkstalker feat - they're much better options, and if you go with them, consider this feat red.

Races of Eberron

Dreamsight Elite [Shifter]
This is a good feat, even better in the hands of a Moonspeaker given that prestige class' ability to make the benefits of a primary Shifter trait passive making it gold rather than blue in such cases. What does it do? For one full-round action, until your Shifting ends, you gain the benefit of a supernatural See Invisibility effect and an +5 untyped bonus to Spot.

If you are not going full Moonspeaker, I don't really advise taking this feat as a Druid unless you have room (you shouldn't) for a non essential feat. It's useful when you need it and it's great for what it does, but you'd get more mileage out of say, a feat that buffs your summons or beneficial spells.

Gorebrute Elite [Shifter]
This feat helps make a Gorebrute Shifter worth something. Why? The prone attempt ignores size bonuses - it is a straight up Strength check, and though most monsters have a lot more muscle than player characters, your odds are better now... a lot better. The downside to this? Not only are you a Gorebrute Shifter, but your Dungeon Master might not agree this is only a Strength check and may include size increases; this is a valid argument since most special combat actions like disarm or trip do, and since it mentions trip in its text. If he does, this feat is black rather than blue, but if you're a Gorebrute Shifter, take it anyway, as its only real weakness as written is creatures with more than two legs (or dwarves).

Longtooth Elite [Shifter]
You gain the weapon enhancement of Wounding on your bite attack while Shifting, but this feat goes one further. This isn't explicitly the Wounding enhancement - you're just dealing straight up Constitution damage, meaning that it follows the rules for ability score damage, thus is subject to being multiplied on a critical hit. As if that wasn't enough a +1 Wounding Necklace of Natural Attacks (from Savage Species, a 3.0 book) can have Wounding stacked on top of it since they're both from two separate sources for a minimum of 2 Constitution damage on a bite, with a critical hit providing a total of 3 (4, if you took Great Bite) Constitution damage.

Take this feat as a Longtooth Shifter - you're really hurting your character if you're not.

Razorclaw Elite [Shifter]
This is a quarter Pounce, but it's still a pseudo-Pounce all the same, making it an excellent choice if you're never going to get actual Pounce from another source; this feat's rating is pretty self explanatory in that case. If you are getting actual Pounce at a later date, such as through a Lion Totem Barbarian dip or Weretouched Master, this feat is red.

Worthy of note, this feat and the Way of the Shackled Beast fighting style for Monks gives effectively 90% of what Pounce is, and that's really worth it for them since Monks have mobility and Flurry of Blow issues. The downside to this route is that it still isn't actual Pounce.

Reactive Shifting [Shifter]
Technically this feat doesn't work completely as written as you can't take an immediate action while flat-footed - period - but specific trumps general in D&D and so should this feat's (intended) benefits. If you read the feat and treat it as written with the standard rules in mind (ignoring the ability to use it while flat-footed), this feat is essentially useless and purple, as having an immediate action Shifting ability isn't worth a feat - if you take the intent (or what appears to be the intent) this feat is black because you can technically start Shifting during a surprise round, and the pre-errata Weretouched Master can make ample use of that.

Improved Initiative isn't a bad prerequisite either (if you have to have one), given that Initiative can determine who wins or loses in some fights or just how effective you can be on your turn.

Shifter Agility [Shifter]
A tiny bonus to Reflex and AC does not save these bad Shifter traits from being bad. Avoid this feat like anything else with the prerequisite of Cliffwalk, Longstride, or Swiftwing Shifter trait. If you are a Shifter who has any of those traits, take this feat instead of your Elite option, seeing as at least your defenses will be tested at least once in most every combat versus your limited mobility options.

Shifter Instincts [Shifter]
A straightforward Shifter feat that applies even while not Shifting, granting small bonuses to important skills and a marginal increase to your Initiative. Spot, Listen and Initiative are always valuable, and Sense Motive can prove useful in many social settings, but the issue with this feat is that these increases aren't that big. If you have left over Shifter feats you need filled, say bonus ones from a Shifter prestige class, maybe consider this before any other back up options, but choose others rated higher first.

Shifter Savagery [Shifter]
If you plan on playing a Razorclaw or Longtooth Shifter Barbarian and do not take this feat you are hurting your character, in all seriousness. This feat basically makes the already great Barbarian option just that much better, and saves you some other feats while it's at it. For example, don't bother with Improved Natural Attack, just take this feat and get it effectively doubled (which you can't normally do). This single feat also expands the critical threat range from standard 20 to a range of 19-20 which is another feat - Improved Critical - for free. Have Extra Shifter Trait and both Razorclaw and Longtooth traits? This feat applies to both of them as well.

A Spirit Lion Totem Whirling Frenzy Razorclaw Longtooth Shifter Barbarian can make a silly amount of attacks around at this level, and given how close to SAD (Single Attribute Dependency) you are as a Barbarian, this combination takes effectively zero effort for a lot of result. You're going to want Shifter Multiattack and the Extra Rage feats if you didn't pick them up already and there's a ton of synergy to be had with this combo, especially with your pre-errata Weretouched Master or Totem Rager.

On an interesting and important note for unarmed combatants since your unarmed attacks count as natural weapons this feat improves them by two steps as well.

Shifter Stamina [Shifter]
No matter which Shifter you are out of the three eligible you wouldn't want, or even need, this feat - it does nothing too useful or worthwhile for you because its benefit only applies while you're Shifting, which is typically only during combat. How often do you get attacked by people using non-lethal damage or fatigue and exhaustion? Almost never, I gather? If you are constantly attacked in this way, yes, consider this, but for any other game you shouldn't bother.

The only novel thing I can imagine this feat being used for is with the Pugilist Fighter variant (Dragon #310) for the sole and amusing fact that while Shifting you couldn't take any hit point damage, at all. But others (like Warforged) do that a lot better.

There's only one prestige class which could even marginally benefit from this feat and that's the Frenzied Berserker, since they automatically take non-lethal damage each round. While this should never be a concern for them, this only lightly offers some use. The downside? This is so specific and such a weak effect to start that this quality does not improve the value of this feat.

Swiftwing Elite [Shifter]
Just like the Swiftwing Shifter themselves this feat is right on the border of below average and average, but it remains surprisingly better than its peers - which isn't really saying much. First, it increases your movement speed like the Cliffwalk and Longstride Shifter Elite feats (which is hardly remarkable or worthwhile), but it also increases your maneuverability to good. This combination actually makes this feat average, which as stated before, isn't saying much still.

Truedive Elite [Shifter]
The improvement to swim speed while in water isn't what makes this feat decent, it's the fact that if you're playing this sort of Shifter you're likely in water and a melee combatant. For a Truedive Shifter, this feat is blue if you use bludgeoning or slashing weapons in the water, otherwise this feat becomes red as that's the only real reason to take this feat - to get rid of that penalty.

Wildhunt Elite [Shifter]
Though it is Blindsense and not Blindsight, ignoring that, it is still a very rare addition that few enemies can get around without some clever play by the Dungeon Master or custom made monsters with feats or abilities like Darkstalker. While not truly groundbreaking in terms of power, this feat helps validate the Wildhunt trait as a decent option for a Shifter. If you're going with this Shifter trait, then there's no reason not to take this feat with it.

General Feats - Expanding Savage Ability
While Weretouched characters who want to make the most of their identity as a Weretouched will likely take many Shifter feats to expand that role there are still countless other feats worth mentioning, and taking. Many (if not all) of these general options aren't unique to a Shifter, but that doesn't diminish how important they are or how they're improved to some extent by being a Shifter; Power Attack is still essentially a must for a two-handed Strength based combatant, just like how Natural Spell is still effectively mandatory for a Druid.

Some of these feats were initially directed at Shifters, others are just powerful on their own when combined with the race or further expand their ability to function.

Beast Strike [General]
Easily one of the most incredible feats written for a Weretouched who prefers to let claw and fang speak instead of bow or blade in combat. This feat can effectively double your damage output if used correctly as it adds your claw (or slam) damage to your unarmed attacks. This alone makes a Razorclaw Shackled Beast Monk dip a truly viable thing short of pseudo-Pounce; Unarmed Weretouched Swordsages benefit equally so (if not more so simply due to superior mechanics and easier SAD). Another great quality about this feat is that you can play a Shifter Psychic Warrior and use the Claws of the Beast power instead of being a Razorclaw Shifter to get the same, if not greater effect when combined with a Monk dip leading into Tashalatora. Another option is the City Brawler Barbarian alternate class feature (Dragon 349) which focuses on unarmed attacks (and free Two-Weapon Fighting feats using it).

But the best part about this feat? It counts as a Fighter bonus feat, meaning Psychic Warriors have easy access, a Fighter dip can provide it (while still giving full BAB), or better yet, a Martial Monk (Dragon 310) can get it as early as 1st or 2nd level if you take the RAW of that alternate class feature.

Fear No Binds [General]
The downside is, is that it requires six ranks of Escape Artist - a class skill that is not very common overall - but the upside is, is that it makes your attacks in a grapple suffer no penalties to attack. It doesn't stop there either and gives a load of strange but somewhat useful benefits such as being able to make unarmed attacks while bound with non-magical bindings (this lets you ignore psionic ones by RAW if your game isn't using Magic-Psionics Transparency), suffer no penalty to attack rolls or Dexterity while entangled, and most amusingly, lets you forcibly move a creature who tried to net you (and failed) anywhere within the limits of the trailing rope. If they're dumb enough to hold on, move them vertically and watch them fall flat on their face.

While not a powerful feat it is a novel one, and also counts as a Fighter bonus feat for those interested.

Improved Natural Attack [General, Shifter]
This feat is everything good in one feat for a Shifter focusing on their natural attacks. It counts as a Shifter feat (so one bonus round of Shifting and half toward another daily use of Shifting) and has a direct upgrade to the selected natural attack mode. The downside that comes with this feat is that, as written, it only technically counts as a Shifter feat for a Razorclaw or Longtooth Shifter but does not limit them to taking it once. That said you should speak with your Dungeon Master if you're a Shifter who has a natural attack but doesn't technically qualify for this feat to count as a Shifter feat - there's no reason you shouldn't. If you are a Razorclaw and Longtooth Shifter from a class feature or the Extra Shifter Trait feat then consider taking this feat twice in order to get two rounds more of Shifting and an extra Shifting usage.

Sadly this doesn't stack with the awesomeness that is Shifter Savagery, but that feat's greatness and cheapness for what it does easily outweighs the bonuses provided by this feat.

Large [Bloodline]
This feat from Bastards and Bloodlines is just silly but it's absolutely worth mentioning because for one feat you're now a Large creature and gain +10ft land speed. You only technically qualify if your "bloodline" (a very loosely defined term in the book) is size Large or larger, meaning that this realistically, if available, is only accessible by your Weretouched who have their lycanthropic bloodline animal Large or larger. It's cheaty enough to take a feat and become Large all the time, it's worse if you're trying your best to bend the rules.

Great choice for lockdown builds and Strength centric characters.

Lockjaw [General]
Ever wanted to really be a werewolf with your Shifter? Then this feat accomplishes your goal. With only requiring a natural bite attack you can qualify for this feat at 1st level as a Longtooth Shifter and abuse an already good mode of combat. Combined with Improved Trip and Knockdown you can easily keep an enemy (or group of enemies) prone while you maul them to death. If you lack access to the pre-errata Weretouched Master and still want to be a werewolf per say, this is one of those feats you want to emulate it.

Even better, this feat counts as a Fighter bonus feat.

Lost Tradition [General]
Another feat from Bastards and Bloodlines this feat single-handedly makes absurdities like the Muscle Wizard possible. How and why? This feat lets you choose any other ability score to determine spell casting with one class. While it doesn't say you can't choose say, Strength, I'd err on just choosing Wisdom given the primal and animal nature of Shifters; it blends and better fits with their established history and personality. However, that's opinion and not fact. As written this can feat can let you be a Wizard who casts using his Strength score or a Sorcerer who uses Constitution.

There's really no reason not to allow this feat for a Shifter who wants to cast spells using his Wisdom score instead of another.

Mystic Legacy [Bloodline]
There's a cheap, easy way to qualify for this feat from Bastards and Bloodlines, and that's by taking the Arctic template because it gives you a racial spell-like ability in the form of Ray of Frost. This feat is nice because it increases your bonus spell allotment, maximum spell level, and the save DC of your spells as if your primary casting score of your choice (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma) was 2 higher than it actually is - the best comparison is the Mental Might Mantle from an Ardent.

Old Blood [General]
This feat (from Bastards and Bloodlines) can only be taken at 1st level but it lets you qualify as any other one race of your choosing. Logically this should mean human, which lets you take some good human options, but the real power of this feat is that it lets you qualify as any one race. If you intend to abuse the fact you qualify as any other one race then by all means do so because this feat is gold for. But the real reason I mention this feat as the author is because it opens up non-human lineage Shifters; half elf Shifters, dwarven Shifters, etc. If you're treating "race" as "creature" then this even works for technically qualifying you as a target for spells that only target certain creature types.

For example, you're a Razorclaw Shifter with the Old Blood (Tiger) feat who's roleplaying a weretiger heritage. By extent because of how that feat is written any spells that target tigers can target you too, meaning you can technically receive spells that only target Animal type creatures while still having the Humanoid type. Broken? Yes. Iffy on the rules? Yes. I highly suggest you don't attempt this and stick with the Old Blood (Human) option as that truly is the most logical one with the least brokenness allowed, but you should ask your Dungeon Master.

Rake [General]
Similar to a Black Blood Cultist's Savage Grapple class feature, this feat essentially gives you free claw attacks in a grapple just for succeeding on grappling, even if you weren't the individual who initiated it (meaning if they attempt to break the grapple and fail, you get bonus attacks). While it only gives you claw damage the real power is that this feat can be stacked with Savage Grapple and Shifter Savagery, leading to absolutely brutal grappling against any creature unfortunate enough to find itself pitted against you and grabbed. Moreover, if you are raging, have Savage Grapple, and both your claw attacks hit from this feat triggering, you also get to rend the victim again.

This feat has absolutely brutal and perfect potential for a diehard Razorclaw Shifter grappler.

Tiger Blooded [General]
This essentially gives your attacks while raging, Shifting or Wild Shaped into an animal form and executing a Tiger Claw maneuver a small bull rush effect. The good news is that it's just a Fortitude save (so it doesn't include size bonuses or penalties) or they get moved and it costs you no action to do it, the bad news is that it doesn't cause the enemy to provoke, it's a Fortitude save, and if they were already trying to get away from you they can now do so without needing to take a withdraw action. I could see this feat being used with a lockdown build (using Thicket of Blades) as while the forced movement doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity against the target certain effects (like the aforementioned stance) don't care and punish any movement period, thus granting you a second attack with your reach weapon.

You already meet half the requirements with your Shifting racial ability and only need one Tiger Claw maneuver to complete it.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2014, 06:03:50 PM by Argent Fatalis »

Offline Argent Fatalis

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ***
  • Posts: 315
  • Nature, red in tooth and claw.
    • View Profile
Re: [WIP] Becoming the Beast - A Shifter Player's Guide
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2014, 12:16:23 AM »
Character Examples - Exemplars of Zoanthropic Heritage
Each Dungeons and Dragons campaign is a unique experience - every player has a different approach and a different goal, every die rolled has the ability to change an encounter or a story, every Dungeon Master has a different style with different intent, and every character has the potential to be someone all their own. The difference between "just a character" and "a character" is manyfold, but one essential, undeniable piece is their build; what specifically makes them tick in terms of game mechanics and helps give them an identity through that. This can be anywhere from a crazed combination of templates, feats, classes, alternate features, racial substitutions and so on, to a straight to the point narrow minded selection like Barbarian 20, and just because it isn't optimized as much as it could be doesn't mean it can't be good; so long as you, the player, enjoy your character you aren't really doing it wrong.

Moving on, Shifters do a select few things well, and what they do well isn't entirely optimized - there are better options, and many of those said better options will ultimately surpass a Shifter at a dedicated purpose through flawed mechanics, ease of optimization, powerful additional material, or just poor writing and design from the game's side... But that shouldn't deter you.

You want to play a concept realized, and that's how it should be, and in this case that aforementioned concept realized happens to be a Shifter, given you're reading this handbook.

The Pureborn Weretouched
INCOMPLETE

The Zoanthrope
INCOMPLETE

The Moonspeaker
INCOMPLETE

The Mindfang
INCOMPLETE

The Bloodclaw Master
INCOMPLETE
« Last Edit: May 01, 2014, 12:49:44 AM by Argent Fatalis »

Offline Argent Fatalis

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ***
  • Posts: 315
  • Nature, red in tooth and claw.
    • View Profile
Re: [WIP] Becoming the Beast - A Shifter Player's Guide
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2014, 12:31:21 PM »
Saurian Shifters - A Breed of Lost Beasts
Whereas the true Weretouched - the Eberron Shifters - exist as a true race with Lycanthropic heritage that reflects the fiercest and most cunning modern beasts such as the tiger or the wolf, another, far stranger and far more ancient bloodline lingers yet; it drifts ever closer to its own extinction, driven out by a calamity long lost. This legend, and those who now bear its curse, claim that horrors from the sea arose to corrupt and pervert an island nation, one whose greatest accomplishment was the city of Thanaclan - in the horrors' destructive wake many creatures, men as well, were twisted and warped into terrible new things

Those who survived with some semblance of humanity left became saurian and supernaturally changed forever...

In terms of game mechanics Saurian Shifters - found in Dragon 328 - have a few distinct, striking advantages that regular Shifters lack. One of which is the fact that they start off with two Shifter traits, rather than one, and gain a bonus to Constitution rather than Dexterity. Aside from this, they gain the Reptilian subtype which enables a few more unusual options.

For the sake of completeness Saurian Shifters are listed here separately as they are, for all intents and purposes, not related to regular Shifters but retain the same mechanics and qualify for Shifter specific racial options like prestige classes, feats and equipment.

Race Overview - The Children of Calamity
Unlike their modern and more animal cousins Saurian Shifters are of a completely different lineage and history than the "common" Shifter. Whereas the Weretouched are just that - humans with a touch of Lycanthropic blood - Saurian Shifters are not, for they are the damned and cursed; survivors or children of a calamity much larger than a potent affliction and ties to the moon's power. They are a dwindling race, one unlikely to ever recover...

But they are a strong, steadfast stock - heartier and much more primitive. With great endurance these scaled humanoids have striking echoes of their humanity left despite their seemingly consuming reptilian transformation. Because of such changes, and their natural affinity for change - like all Shifters - the Saurian Shifter is a strong, rare breed with bonus to Constitution, penalties to higher cognition in the form of Intelligence, and abrasive personalities and physical qualities, giving them a Charisma penalty.

Throwbacks as they are, seeing as they are a mingling of forced association with dinosaurs, their Shifting is stronger in some elements than extant beasts, and surprisingly almost as diverse.

Humanoid (Shapechanger, Reptilian Subtypes)
Like their modern relatives Saurian Shifters are of the Humanoid type for better or worse; its downsides and boons are fairly evenly matched, but the real gem is the unusuality of having the Reptilian subtype as well as the Shapechanger subtype. Not many +0 Level Adjustment races have either of these subtypes let alone both, and it allows access to unusual options like the Scalykind Domain for Clerics.

Thematically appropriate and decently useful, Saurian Shifters have a small but distinct advantage over their more "common" cousins as they only gain from this addition, rather than lose.

+2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
This racial ability score adjustment spread is significantly better than the regular one provided to non-Saurian Shifters as a Constitution bonus has markedly more uses than one of the Dexterity vein. Every class can benefit from a higher Constitution score; more hit points, better Fortitude saves, better Concentration checks and the like.

This set of racial ability score adjustments also, indirectly, grants a Saurian Shifter one additional round of Shifting.

Size: Medium
No change from their modern Shifter counterpart.

Shifting (Su)
This variant of Shifting gives a Saurian Shifter a distinct advantage from the start of play. And what is this "distinct advantage" you ask?

Saurian Shifters gain two Shifter traits from the start as per the "Shifter Traits" section on page 63 of Dragon 328; it's directly in the writing there that they receive this bonus from the start. This alleviates much of the issue of having a weaker but more utilitarian trait (such as many of the Dexterity or Constitution focused Shifter traits) as you effectively get one trait "for free"; this also lends itself to more easily Min/Maxing a Shifter which is a boon all its own.

The downside to being a Saurian Shifter is that you can only choose from these traits to start off with; nothing explicitly in the article however, forbids later gaining another Shifter trait that isn't listed here. You can, if you so desire, be a Raptorleap Junglerunner Wildhunt Saurian Shifter if you gain an additional Shifter trait trough the Extra Shifter Trait feat or class feature; the same applies for a Widetail Broadwing Dreamsight Saurian Shifter, or any other combination of the original two Saurian Shifter traits plus a non-Saurian Shifter trait acquired at a later time.

I would dare that seeing as Saurian Shifters are a separate race from the traditional Shifter that you cannot gain Saurian Shifter traits as a traditional animal based Shifter. Thus your traditional (non-Saurian) Dreamsight Shifter cannot take Extra Shifter Trait and select Raptorleap as the bonus trait. I say this because these two races are treated as entirely different in both the article's lore and the fact the magazine's passage is not "New Options for Shifters". Your Dungeon Master may disagree with my assessment, so by all means do inquire if you wish to attempt this route for one reason or another.

Low-Light Vision
Another common trait among Saurian and normal Shifters is the ability to see in poor lighting. A nice, if but slowly obsolete boon over the course of a game.

+2 Racial bonus to Balance, Climb, and Jump
Again, no variation from your regular Shifter and beneficial for the same reasons.

Saurian Shifter Traits -  Blood of Terrible Lizards
Saurian Shifters, with the distinct advantage of having two traits instead of just one at the start of play additionally have some alternate options for their Shifting racial ability. As stated before, two Shifter traits are much more powerful than just one Shifter trait, especially since the ability score adjustments stack from the two traits.

This ability score stacking can be extrapolated from the fact that the Extra Shifter Trait feat explicitly states you do not normally get those ability score adjustment bonuses for a second Shifter trait - Saurian Shifters do not have this clarification at all, so one can reason they gain all qualities (including ability score adjustments) of both traits when they are Shifting. This makes certain more combinations even more powerful or balances out weaker options by adding some good into the mix.

Below I will again assess, and provide my opinion on, each individual trait option available, but only for the unique Saurian Shifter options. The regular Shifter options provided to Saurian Shifters (those being Beasthide, Longtooth and Razorclaw) are not rated again; they're all still excellent choices for the aforementioned reasons, if not even better since your character gains two traits (and their adjustments) for the price of one.

Broadwing Trait
- +2 bonus to Dexterity
- May treat any fall as if it were 40ft shorter than it actually is.

Notes: Highly circumstantial (you shouldn't be falling nearly this often) but novel, this Saurian Shifter trait essentially gives you some grace if you prove to fall. For Rogue-ish types, this isn't a horrible option given you're likely to have to climb to infiltrate and that it provides a bonus to Dexterity, but it still isn't your best option. Seeing as you cannot take the Swiftwing trait at character creation as a Saurian Shifter, I say avoid this trait and take something like Raptorleap or Junglerunner. Unfortunately no Shifter Elite feats exist for Saurian Shifters, meaning there are no upgrades to these options - this is true for each new Saurian trait listed after.

Junglerunner Trait
- +2 bonus to Dexterity
- Gain an increase to base land speed of +20.

Notes: In one fell swoop you've already eclipsed the Longstride Shifter in terms of ground speed; he will need to spend a feat to match your base speed via Longstride Elite, and at least two more feats if he wishes to also have a second Shifter trait like you (one for any other Shifter feat and one for his Extra Shifter Trait). Because you have two Saurian Shifter traits (which stack, no less) rather than just one Shifter trait, this isn't a horrible option for highly mobile classes (or ones that want to be) like Scouts.

Raptorleap Trait
- +2 bonus to Strength
- Gain a +4 bonus to Jump checks and treat any Jump check made as if you had a running start.

Notes: Need more incentive to play a Leap Attacking Barbarian? Well, here it is. The sole reason this isn't gold is because it's very niche compared to say, the Razorclaw or Longtooth traits, which can really benefit any melee Shifter. But what it's niche for is silly good as most every Barbarian (barring your chain trippers or ranged Barbarians) is likely going to be wielding a two-hand weapon all day; that's what makes Power Attack work as well as it does. This trait plus the Leap Attack feat makes Power Attack even better, and as we all know, Power Attack is essentially a Barbarian class feature disguised as a feat.

Widetail Trait
- +2 bonus to Constitution
- Gain a natural tail slap attack that deals 1d6 damage (plus 1 additional damage for each 4 character levels).

Notes: There's only one thing stopping this trait from being blue rather than black, and that's the fact that it, like the rest of the unique Saurian Shifter traits, has no corresponding Shifter Elite feat. The bonus to Constitution is good for all the reasons any bonus to Constitution is good, and a secondary natural attack is never bad when it's basically free too, but what hurts is that this will never change - ever. The most you can do is take Improved Natural Attack, increase in size and or take the Shifter Savagery feat, but that's it. You can't deal Constitution damage on hit like a Longtooth Shifter or get pseudo-Pounce like a Razorclaw Shifter - or even knock people prone like a Gorebrute Shifter. If you need a lot of Constitution bonus for some reason then by all means, take this trait and Beasthide for a +4 bonus while Shifting.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2014, 10:04:46 AM by Argent Fatalis »

Offline Argent Fatalis

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ***
  • Posts: 315
  • Nature, red in tooth and claw.
    • View Profile
Re: [WIP] Becoming the Beast - A Shifter Player's Guide
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2014, 03:28:47 PM »
Weretouched Magic - Primal Power
The Weretouched have a unique relationship with their heritage and the power that runs in their blood - that which can turn and alter them. So great and established is this connection that the Weretouched have developed magic and lore around it specifically; spells that alter and enhance their latent power and guides who provide deep insight based on their supernatural connection to the moons. While these specific magical talents were invented and practiced by the Weretouched alone, they are not unheard of or unknown by those outside their culture.

As a whole Shifter specific spells are not terribly powerful and focus more on enhancing Shifting or dealing with shapeshifters.

Aspect of the Werebeast
This Transmutation spell is a decent choice for a Weretouched Druid who intends to be Shifted quite a bit (like in the case of a Druid who took Wild Shifting instead of Wild Shape). It's an alright choice for a Shifter Ranger as well if they're favoring melee combat as it gives them the much needed Pounce, but overall it's nothing special. By the time you acquire this spell it's not too relevant and for those it would be (like Rangers), it's too little, too late. The [Mindset] bonus is very minor as well, giving an additional round to Shifting while prepared.

From a theme stand point this is a way to get your likely sought after hybrid form without being a Weretouched Master, but I remind you it's just a spell and not a supernatural ability. You don't change size categories either, and not every hybrid form is an option (strictly feline, canine and ursine ones).

On another note, it's not too bad if you took the Ability Enchancer feat from Dragon Compendium - which you should look into if you're a Druid who favors buffing a lot - as it improves all the bonuses to +6 rather than +4.

Enhanced Shifting
For a third level spell this is pretty weak, especially in comparison to the much superior Aspect of the Werebeast you'll get at the next spell level. For what it does as a spell, there isn't much of a redeeming factor here - it's not even available to Shifter Rangers, further limiting any use it could have. While it is merely a swift action, it can only be cast while Shifting, will at most mildly extend the duration, provide a small increase to your Shifter trait's ability score increase, and increase movement speed or damage rolls from Shifter trait specific qualities.

While it's another Transmutation spell and Ability Enchancer will increase it's potency, at most this spell is giving you a +2 modifier to your ability scores - the same provided to a 1st level Barbarian, and they get two different bonuses, not one - on top of your pre-existing +1. For reference, if you're a Razorclaw Shifter Druid, your Strength bonus from Shifting is now a +3 modifier from that combination of spell and feat rather than a +1; it's a marginal bonus for a Druid who isn't likely to make much use of any Shifter trait aside from Dreamsight.

To make it worse, you can't combine this spell in the same round as Aspect of the Werebeast, given the latter takes a whole round to cast. At least it's still a swift action for this one.

Extend Shifting
As a 1st level spell one shouldn't ask much of the spell itself, but against other choices this option isn't too powerful - at all. While it's nice that it's a Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer and Wizard spell (all at 1st level) as well as a swift action, none of these Shifters will likely be preparing it. There's a few reasons, but one of the most significant is because the bonus is so marginal. Four extra rounds of Shifting for a 1st level spell? It'd be worthwhile if it were say, six or eight, but unless you have many long fights where you need to Shift beyond 3 + Constitution modifier rounds, this spell isn't worth the effort.

It's too little and too late for a Shifter Ranger, unlikely to see much application or necessity in a Sorcerer or Wizard's hands, and likely only a plaything for a low level pre-Wild Shape Druid. Worse off there is no increase to ability scores, making the normally helpful Ability Enchancer feat have no bonus to provide at all.

Reachwalker's Wariness
A generally bad spell, it certainly is either somewhat useful or extremely useless in every scenario where it might come into play. Blindsense, as you might recall from our Wildhunt Elite Shifter feat, is not Blindsight; it's an inferior version at best, and only lets you know something (in this case, specifically an Aberration) is in the vicinity. This is bad for a lot of reasons, the first being that it only works on Aberrations, it's Blindsense and not Blindsight, it's a 2nd level spell, and takes a standard action to cast.

This spell is only really mentioned for sake of completeness as Shifters gain a +1 bonus to caster level when casting this spell.

Shifter Prowess
Another Shifter specific spell that has some decent purpose and usefulness to it. To start, it's a 1st level spell, available to Druids, Rangers, Sorcerers and Wizards, it grants an effective +8 bonus to your racial bonuses to the Balance, Climb, and Jump skills, and is a swift action. The downside to this otherwise good spell is that it requires you to be Shifting, and only lasts until then, but an effective +10 to Balance, Climb, and Jump can be moderately useful, especially at this level. That said, it's versatile, which is a major boon and isn't that bad of an option.

I highly suggest having this spell at low levels as a Shifter caster before your options become much more expanded.

Wild Instincts
A highly, highly versatile spell that essentially gives you Uncanny Dodge when you cast it and a massive insight bonus to Spot and Listen - while the See Invisibility spell is also available at this level, it's not on any regular Druid or Ranger list, making this spell a good alternative and more multipurpose. Even better, this isn't a Shifter only spell, so others can use it, but it still is personal only.

In addition, just for having it prepared (because it's a [Mindset] spell), you as a Shifter gain a passive +2 insight bonus to Spot and Listen whereas anyone else would only receive a +1 bonus. A good option if you're not a Dreamsight Shifter and or are intending to be fighting invisible enemies, Rogues, or ones who like to hide a lot.

The Transformation Domain - Divine Shapeshifting
By virtue of just being a Weretouched character (and thus having the Shapechanger Subtype) you can access the Transformation domain, provided you have no godly calling; this is not a significant issue either, as a deity-less Cleric has no real disadvantage compared to one who is wholly devoted to a god, for better or worse. That said, there are some truly good, notable spells within this domain that quite a few would be interested in if they too were shapeshifters as Clerics.

The domain's bonus itself - casting all transmutation spells as 1 level higher - is good for self explanatory reasons. If you are going to utilize many Transmutation spells, definitely consider taking the Ability Enchancer feat from Dragon Compendium as previously mentioned - it will, in many cases, increase the bonuses you or your buffed allies will receive.

The Transformation Domain
You cast Transmutation spells at +1 caster level.

1 - Enlarge Person
2 - Alter Self
3 - Gaseous Form
4 - Involuntary Shapeshifting
5 - Polymorph
6 - Baleful Polymorph
7 - Doppelganger Transformation
8 - Polymorph Any Object
9 - Shapechange

This domain as a whole can more or less redeem a Weretouched Cleric, even if he doesn't opt to take the Phrenic template to gain further benefits and remove his racial penalties. And the three gold spells, Polymorph, Polymorph Any Object, and Shapechange are all well known in the optimization community for their incredible potential.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2014, 07:26:14 PM by Argent Fatalis »