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View Full Version : [d20r, Race] Shifter



Fax Celestis
2009-02-18, 01:33 PM
Shifters are the descendants of lycanthropes and humans who, through a unique accident of genetics, bred true. While their ancestors may have maintained a firm grasp on which lycanthrope in particular they were descended from, muddying of genetic waters has stripped most of that from shifters. Now, most shifters maintain certain common attributes, but also display the ability to spontaneously call on their unique heritage. Shifter blood is a strange, morphic thing: while two parents may share the same trait, their children may not necessarily share the same trait or traits.

No stat adjustments: Shifters do not receive adjustments to their statistics based on race.
Medium size: Shifters, being medium, receive no adjustments based on size.
Lycanthropic Heritage: Shifters are humanoids with the (Shapechanger) subtype.
Speed: A shifter's base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Usable out to 60'.
Natural Weapons: Shifters possess dangerous claws. They have two claw attacks that each deal 1d4 damage. When attacking with natural attacks, a shifter uses their claws as their primary natural attack.
Shifting: A shifter has a small pool of morphic energy they may tap into daily. A shifter has one charge per three class levels, minimum one. A charge may be spent to activate a feat with the [Shifter] descriptor or to activate a shifter quality.
Shifter Qualities: A shifter knows one shifter quality at first level and obtains one more each five levels thereafter. These abilities are activated by spending a shifting charge as a swift action, and lasts for three rounds plus the shifter's Constitution modifier. In an instance where a quality improves the shifter's Constitution, use the increased Constitution to determine duration.
Bearpaw: The shifter's hands become large bear-like paws. The shifter's claw attacks instead deal 1d8 damage. If the shifter hits with both claws, he can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Catfoot: The shifter's legs become lean and muscular. The shifter gains a +4 racial bonus on Athletics, Acrobatics, and Stealth checks and gains a +2 racial bonus to Dexterity.
Cheetahpounce: The shifter's movements become a blur, and he gains a +10' bonus to his landspeed. The shifter also gains a +2 racial bonus to Dexterity.
Dogsnout: The shifter's nose becomes keen and he can smell far beyond the range of a normal human. The shifter gains the Scent ability and also gains a +2 racial bonus to Wisdom.
Goretusk: The shifter grows a pair of tusks which can be used to make a gore attack that deals 1d6 damage. In addition, the shifter gains a +2 racial bonus to Strength.
Hawkeye: The shifter's vision improves dramatically. He gains a +4 racial bonus on Awareness checks, only suffers a -1 penalty per range increment (instead of the normal -2), and gains a +2 racial bonus to Wisdom.
Sharkbite: The shifter gains a bite attack that deals 1d6 damage. This bite attack becomes the shifter's primary attack. If the shifter hits with his bite attack and at least one claw attack one one opponent in the same round, he also inflicts 1d6 (plus his Strength modifier) rending damage.
Spiderfang: The shifter gains a bite attack that deals 1d4 damage and also delivers a potent venom. The bite's poison deals 1d4 Strength damage and has a DC equal to 10 plus half the shifter's Hit Dice plus his Constitution modifier.
Wolfbite: The shifter's mouth elongates into a muzzle full of fangs which can be used to make a bite attack that deals 1d6 damage. When striking with this bite attack, the shifter may make an immediate trip attempt as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the shifter.
Automatic Languages: Common, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Orc.
Favored Class: Barbarian.

MammonAzrael
2009-02-18, 02:41 PM
Stats, size, type and speed look fine.
Why darkvision? I believe 3.5 Shifters have lowlight, and I would think that would fit better with their slight lycanthropy as a permanent enhancement to their vision. And low-light vision is an animal trait, so all the animals the shift benefits from have it.
Natural Weapons I can get, since claws are extremely common, an easy addition to basic human makeup, and easier to work with than a bite.
Shifting I was worried about until I found you only know a certain number of qualities that increase with your level.
Shifter Qualities look good, though I'm curious why you decided not all qualities would grant a stat bonus? For an easy way to balance them?
Why is Sylvan an auto language?
Favored Class makes sense, though druid or ranger could probably fit here very well too. May warrant a re-look once all the classes are in.


I like what you've done with them. They really have the same feel of lycanthrope-light characters.

Fax Celestis
2009-02-20, 01:05 PM
Why darkvision? I believe 3.5 Shifters have lowlight, and I would think that would fit better with their slight lycanthropy as a permanent enhancement to their vision. And low-light vision is an animal trait, so all the animals the shift benefits from have it.Because I liked darkvision better for these guys? I might change it.

Shifter Qualities look good, though I'm curious why you decided not all qualities would grant a stat bonus? For an easy way to balance them?Correct.

Why is Sylvan an auto language?Why not? They're more in touch with nature due to their heritage than others, and having a common language between shifters would help in a society of them. I chose sylvan to prevent adding a new language.

Draz74
2009-02-20, 01:24 PM
Shifters aren't explicitly OGC, are they? Are you just figuring that, as long as you make your own stats for them, the basic concept is something too fundamental to violate copyright?

(Not trying to be accusatory -- I'm just trying to learn what is and isn't ok to borrow from D&D, so I can avoid getting myself in trouble if I ever try to publish homebrew material. Mettle? Homebrewed stat blocks for Beholders? I'm so confused! :smallwink:)

Lappy9000
2009-02-20, 01:38 PM
*Sigh* Seriously, giantitp.com doesn't want me to post anymore :smallsigh:

I like the Darkvision, the new Shifter Traits (much more useful as a whole), and Sylvan as a bonus language. Oh, and the lack of racial adjustment stats makes a shifter more reliant on his Shifter Traits, which should change up the gameplay nicely. As usual, the scaling is the tops!

Fax Celestis
2009-02-20, 02:02 PM
Shifters aren't explicitly OGC, are they? Are you just figuring that, as long as you make your own stats for them, the basic concept is something too fundamental to violate copyright?

(Not trying to be accusatory -- I'm just trying to learn what is and isn't ok to borrow from D&D, so I can avoid getting myself in trouble if I ever try to publish homebrew material. Mettle? Homebrewed stat blocks for Beholders? I'm so confused! :smallwink:)

The concept of a 'shapeshifter' is common in mythology, so making them differently should put them in the realm of 'okay.' A beholder's a little different, being a creature that had its origins within D&D, so I would say no. Mettle, being essentially a copypasta of Evasion, could probably pass with a different name.

Limos
2009-02-20, 02:12 PM
Oh my, I've been homebrewing racial stats, feats, and paragon paths for 15 different monster races of late. It's not like I'm selling it or anything. Would I really get in trouble for something like that?

Anyway, I like how you did the shifting. It's makes the race very flexible, which fits the shapeshifter theme very well.

Fax Celestis
2009-02-20, 02:29 PM
Oh my, I've been homebrewing racial stats, feats, and paragon paths for 15 different monster races of late. It's not like I'm selling it or anything. Would I really get in trouble for something like that?

Only if you sell it. I'm in a different sort of position here since I am planning on selling it.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-06-20, 03:13 PM
Mettle, being essentially a copypasta of Evasion, could probably pass with a different name.

Speaking of passing with a different name, the Shifter Qualities' "[animal][body part]" naming scheme seems like it would resemble the Eberron shifter too closely for the OGL's liking. It would probably be best to go with a more generic naming scheme like "[animal] Heritage" or "[animal] Aspect" or something along those lines.

Mechanically, I don't see any problems, though you might want to consider adding the ability to breathe water to the shark ability and move the rending to something else, perhaps scorpion claws or some such; a shark rending with its mouth makes sense, but the image of a shark using claws just doesn't seem to fit.