theVoidWatches
2019-06-04, 10:27 AM
The Skinwalker
(Ranger Subclass Using Wild Shape)
Not all rangers work in harmony with the natural world - some see it as a resource to be used. Animals are not friends, but tools, things that a clever man can make use of for their own talents. These rangers hunt down animals and use the art of transfiguration to assume their shape, using the talents and abilities of animals as their own. Many of them travel even farther down the path of transfiguration, taking the shapes of anyone they choose, and perhaps even forgetting their own. The most powerful of these skinwalkers are barely humanoid anymore, having taken on so many animalistic qualities that they don't remember what they once were.
Skinwalker Magic
Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Skinwalker Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.
Skinwalker Spells
Ranger Level
Spell
3rd
Disguise Self
5th
Alter Self
9th
Gaseous Form
13th
Polymorph
17th
Seeming
Wild Shape
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before as described in the Druid feature, with the following exceptions.
You cannot transform into a beast with a swim speed until level 7.
You cannot transform into a beast with a fly speed until level 11.
You can use Wild Shape as a bonus action, not an action.
You can transform into a beast with a CR as high as your ranger level divided by three, rounded down.
To transform into a beast, you must possess the skin of that beast. You do not have to have killed the beast personally, but you do need to have skinned it personally. You can use the same skin multiple times, but if you are reduced to 0 HP in a beast shape, you must roll a d20. On a 1, the skin is too damaged to be used again.
You transform into the specific beast whose skin you wear, not simply an average example of the species.
When you acquire this feature, choose the skins of two beasts that you have killed in the past which you already own the skins of - these beasts are assumed to have been hunted at some point in the past, during downtime. Each time you reach an odd-numbered level in this class, you may choose one additional beast to have hunted in your downtime and to possess the skin of.
You can only maintain a number of skins equal to your ranger level. If you decide harvest an additional skin when you are already at this limit, you must also choose one of your current skins to discard.
Additionally, you have a form called your favored form, which must be a beast of CR 0. You can assume your favored form without expending a use of your Wild Shape, and you do not need to possess a skin from your favored form in order to assume it. Each time you level up in this class, you may change your favored form. Your favored form must still follow the limitations regarding swim speed and flying speed.
Skinning a beast can be done by making a survival check with a DC equal to 10 + the CR of the beast. Skinning a beast takes time depending on the size of the beast - 1 minute for a Tiny beast, 5 minutes for a Small beast, 10 minutes for a Medium beast, 30 minutes for a Large beast, 1 hour for a Huge beast, 2 hours for a Gargantuan beast, and 8 hours for a Colossal beast.
Monstrous Form
Beginning at level 7, your skill at assuming the shapes of other creatures has grown to the point that you can assume the skins of unnatural beasts. You can assume the shape of a dead creature of Huge size or smaller with a CR no greater than half of your ranger level, by spending an hour skinning it and donning the skin. Doing so works the same as your Wild Shape ability, with the following exceptions.
The skin of the creature you transform into cannot be used multiple times - it is destroyed by the process of transforming.
If the creature you transform into has special abilities which can only be used a limited number of times, you have the same abilities already spent as the creature whose skin you wear. E.G. if your target can innately cast a spell 3 times per day and cast the spell once before dying, you can cast the spell only twice.
If the creature you transform into has special abilities which work on a recharge, they do not recharge as shown in the stat block. Instead, you can use the ability only once.
You can only use special abilities which are innate to the creature, not abilities which are the result of training.
Rather than being able to transform for a number of hours equal to half of your ranger level (rounded down), you can remain transformed only for one hour.
Improved Wild Shape (I)
Beginning at level 7, your attacks when you are transformed using your Wild Shape ability count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Additionally, you may now use Wild Shape to transform into beasts with a swim speed.
Thousand Forms
Beginning at level 11, you have changed shape so much that even your natural form is not fixed. You can cast the alter self spell on yourself at will, can do so even if you are transformed using your Beast Shape or Monstrous Form abilities, and it does not take your concentration.
You can have up to 2 options of Alter Self active at once.
If you use the Natural Weapons option of Alter Self, your natural weapons do 1d10 damage instead of 1d6.
You gain an additional option for Alter Self - Flight. If you use this option, you gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed for ten minutes. After using this option, you cannot do so again until after a short or long rest.
Improved Wild Shape (II)
Beginning at level 11, you may use Wild Shape to transform into beasts with a fly speed.
Partial Transformation
Beginning at level 15, you are so skilled at shapeshifting that you can change only partially rather than completely. When you use your Wild Shape or Monstrous Form abilities, you may choose whether or not to replace each individual stat or ability of your stats with those of the creature you are taking the shape of, with the following exceptions:
You may not choose to discard any of your natural abilities which you normally lose when using Wild Shape (your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores).
If you choose not to replace your health, you do not retain your normal health. Instead, your health becomes equal to two times your Ranger level.
You may not choose resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities separately - you must either retain all of the resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities of your natural form, or take on all of the resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities of the target form.
If you choose to retain your hands and thus ability to grasp weapons, you must discard any claw-based abilities of the target shape. If the target shape has no claw-based abilities, you must choose one other action-based ability they have to discard instead.
If you choose to retain the ability to speak, you must discard any bite or breath-based abilities of the target form. If the target shape has no bite or breath-based abilities, you must choose another action-based ability they have to discard instead.
If you choose to retain your ability to cast spells, you must also have chosen to retain your hands and speech. Additionally, each time you cast a spell thanks to this feature, you lose health equal to the level of the spell. Cantrips count as spell level 0 for this purpose. If your health is reduced to 0 by this feature and you must roll to see if the skin you are using survives, you make the roll with disadvantage.
v0.1
Initial Release
v0.2
Removed Animalistic Smite.
Moved Thousand Forms to level 11.
Added Partial Transformation to level 15.
(Ranger Subclass Using Wild Shape)
Not all rangers work in harmony with the natural world - some see it as a resource to be used. Animals are not friends, but tools, things that a clever man can make use of for their own talents. These rangers hunt down animals and use the art of transfiguration to assume their shape, using the talents and abilities of animals as their own. Many of them travel even farther down the path of transfiguration, taking the shapes of anyone they choose, and perhaps even forgetting their own. The most powerful of these skinwalkers are barely humanoid anymore, having taken on so many animalistic qualities that they don't remember what they once were.
Skinwalker Magic
Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Skinwalker Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.
Skinwalker Spells
Ranger Level
Spell
3rd
Disguise Self
5th
Alter Self
9th
Gaseous Form
13th
Polymorph
17th
Seeming
Wild Shape
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before as described in the Druid feature, with the following exceptions.
You cannot transform into a beast with a swim speed until level 7.
You cannot transform into a beast with a fly speed until level 11.
You can use Wild Shape as a bonus action, not an action.
You can transform into a beast with a CR as high as your ranger level divided by three, rounded down.
To transform into a beast, you must possess the skin of that beast. You do not have to have killed the beast personally, but you do need to have skinned it personally. You can use the same skin multiple times, but if you are reduced to 0 HP in a beast shape, you must roll a d20. On a 1, the skin is too damaged to be used again.
You transform into the specific beast whose skin you wear, not simply an average example of the species.
When you acquire this feature, choose the skins of two beasts that you have killed in the past which you already own the skins of - these beasts are assumed to have been hunted at some point in the past, during downtime. Each time you reach an odd-numbered level in this class, you may choose one additional beast to have hunted in your downtime and to possess the skin of.
You can only maintain a number of skins equal to your ranger level. If you decide harvest an additional skin when you are already at this limit, you must also choose one of your current skins to discard.
Additionally, you have a form called your favored form, which must be a beast of CR 0. You can assume your favored form without expending a use of your Wild Shape, and you do not need to possess a skin from your favored form in order to assume it. Each time you level up in this class, you may change your favored form. Your favored form must still follow the limitations regarding swim speed and flying speed.
Skinning a beast can be done by making a survival check with a DC equal to 10 + the CR of the beast. Skinning a beast takes time depending on the size of the beast - 1 minute for a Tiny beast, 5 minutes for a Small beast, 10 minutes for a Medium beast, 30 minutes for a Large beast, 1 hour for a Huge beast, 2 hours for a Gargantuan beast, and 8 hours for a Colossal beast.
Monstrous Form
Beginning at level 7, your skill at assuming the shapes of other creatures has grown to the point that you can assume the skins of unnatural beasts. You can assume the shape of a dead creature of Huge size or smaller with a CR no greater than half of your ranger level, by spending an hour skinning it and donning the skin. Doing so works the same as your Wild Shape ability, with the following exceptions.
The skin of the creature you transform into cannot be used multiple times - it is destroyed by the process of transforming.
If the creature you transform into has special abilities which can only be used a limited number of times, you have the same abilities already spent as the creature whose skin you wear. E.G. if your target can innately cast a spell 3 times per day and cast the spell once before dying, you can cast the spell only twice.
If the creature you transform into has special abilities which work on a recharge, they do not recharge as shown in the stat block. Instead, you can use the ability only once.
You can only use special abilities which are innate to the creature, not abilities which are the result of training.
Rather than being able to transform for a number of hours equal to half of your ranger level (rounded down), you can remain transformed only for one hour.
Improved Wild Shape (I)
Beginning at level 7, your attacks when you are transformed using your Wild Shape ability count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Additionally, you may now use Wild Shape to transform into beasts with a swim speed.
Thousand Forms
Beginning at level 11, you have changed shape so much that even your natural form is not fixed. You can cast the alter self spell on yourself at will, can do so even if you are transformed using your Beast Shape or Monstrous Form abilities, and it does not take your concentration.
You can have up to 2 options of Alter Self active at once.
If you use the Natural Weapons option of Alter Self, your natural weapons do 1d10 damage instead of 1d6.
You gain an additional option for Alter Self - Flight. If you use this option, you gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed for ten minutes. After using this option, you cannot do so again until after a short or long rest.
Improved Wild Shape (II)
Beginning at level 11, you may use Wild Shape to transform into beasts with a fly speed.
Partial Transformation
Beginning at level 15, you are so skilled at shapeshifting that you can change only partially rather than completely. When you use your Wild Shape or Monstrous Form abilities, you may choose whether or not to replace each individual stat or ability of your stats with those of the creature you are taking the shape of, with the following exceptions:
You may not choose to discard any of your natural abilities which you normally lose when using Wild Shape (your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores).
If you choose not to replace your health, you do not retain your normal health. Instead, your health becomes equal to two times your Ranger level.
You may not choose resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities separately - you must either retain all of the resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities of your natural form, or take on all of the resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities of the target form.
If you choose to retain your hands and thus ability to grasp weapons, you must discard any claw-based abilities of the target shape. If the target shape has no claw-based abilities, you must choose one other action-based ability they have to discard instead.
If you choose to retain the ability to speak, you must discard any bite or breath-based abilities of the target form. If the target shape has no bite or breath-based abilities, you must choose another action-based ability they have to discard instead.
If you choose to retain your ability to cast spells, you must also have chosen to retain your hands and speech. Additionally, each time you cast a spell thanks to this feature, you lose health equal to the level of the spell. Cantrips count as spell level 0 for this purpose. If your health is reduced to 0 by this feature and you must roll to see if the skin you are using survives, you make the roll with disadvantage.
v0.1
Initial Release
v0.2
Removed Animalistic Smite.
Moved Thousand Forms to level 11.
Added Partial Transformation to level 15.