Pathfinder Homebrew Class: Wild Shaper

[LordErebus12]

Wild Shaper

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Wild Shapers... little is said about these strange shifting loners, some believe them blessed by the moon goddess, as few in battle are as graceful or as deadly as them. These warriors are gifted (or cursed) with the ability to change into any number of creatures, be they flora or fauna, material or elemental, becoming whatever they might require at lightning speed.

Often in the beginning a wanderlust begins to trouble the shaper, pushing him from normal society into the vast unexplored wildernesses in search of varying reasons, many out of self-reflection. Many shapers spend so much time with the wildfolk that they lose touch with society and they become tied up with any number of situations, from living with beasts to careing for the lands they call their home.

Shapers often are found assisting druids and rangers, though they mantain a certain amount of secrecy and freedom. No one can be sure a shaper's true motives but without a doubt his allegiance lies with only one: themselves.

Alignment: Any Non-Lawful
Hit Dice: d12
Suggested ability scores: Wis, Dex, Str or Con

Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Geography and Nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Survival (Wis)
Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier

Note: if Athletics isnt used in your campaign, subsitute it with climb, jump and swim.

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Fast Movement
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	Wild Shape, 1st Wild Adaption	—
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	Strong Senses, Terrain Mastery	—
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Sixth Sense +1, Wild Speech	—
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Enhanced Mobility, Shapechanger	—
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	2nd Wild Adaption	—
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Fast Movement, Sixth Sense +2	+10 ft.
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	Intuitive Defense	+10 ft.
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	Uncanny Dodge	+10 ft.
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Sixth Sense +3, 1st Primal Adaption	+10 ft.
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	Able Explorer, 3rd Wild Adaption	+10 ft.
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	Wild Shape (At Will / Move Action)	+10 ft.
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	Fast Movement, Sixth Sense +4	+20 ft.
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	Live in Comfort	+20 ft.
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	Beast Stride (Favored Terrains Only)	+20 ft.
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5	Sixth Sense +5, 4th Wild Adaption	+20 ft.
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	Improved Uncanny Dodge	+20 ft.
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	2nd Primal Adaption, Acuity and Grace	+20 ft.
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	Fast Movement, Sixth Sense +6	+30 ft.
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	Precognition	+30 ft.
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	Nature’s Revelation, 5th Wild Adaption	+30 ft.

Special Abilities

Armor and Weapon Proficiency:
The shaper is proficient with all simple weapons plus any natural attacks it uses in its wild shape but no armor or shields. The shaper loses all class abilities except adaptions, terrain mastery, precogition, sensory abilities and the nature's revelation if wearing armor or a shield.

Bonus Languages:
A Shaper's bonus language options include Sylvan, the language of woodland creatures. This choice is in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of his race.

A shaper also can learn Druidic, a secret language known only to druids, which he might learn upon befriending and undertaking an oath. He is treated as a druid for the purposes of teaching nondruids and cannot teach other shapers this languages. Only Druids can lead the ritual to bind them.

Wild Shape (Su):
The wild shaper gains the ability to turn himself into any Small or Medium animal and back again 3 + his wisdom modifier per day, gaining one more use per day at 6th, 12th and 18th levels. His options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the beast shape I spell, except as noted here.

The effect lasts for 3 hours + one for each level after first, or until he changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of an animal with which the shaper is familiar.

A shaper loses his ability to speak while in animal form because he is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but he can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as his new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)

As a shaper gains levels, this ability allows the shaper to take on the form of larger and smaller animals, elementals, and plants. Each form expends one daily use of this ability, regardless of the form taken.

At 6th level, a shaper can also use wild shape to change into a Large or Tiny animal or a Small elemental. When taking the form of an animal, a shaper’s wild shape now functions as beast shape II. When taking the form of an elemental, the shaper’s wild shape functions as elemental body I.

At 8th level, a shaper can also use wild shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive animal, a Medium elemental, or a Small or Medium plant creature. When taking the form of animals, a shaper’s wild shape now functions as beast shape III. When taking the form of an elemental, the shaper’s wild shape now functions as elemental body II. When taking the form of a plant creature, the shaper’s wild shape functions as plant shape I.

At 10th level, a shaper can also use wild shape to change into a Large elemental or a Large plant creature. When taking the form of an elemental, the shaper’s wild shape now functions as elemental body III. When taking the form of a plant, the shaper’s wild shape now functions as plant shape II.

At 11th level, a shaper can use wild shape at will.

At 12th level, a shaper can also use wild shape to change into a Huge elemental or a Huge plant creature. When taking the form of an elemental, the shaper’s wild shape now functions as elemental body IV. When taking the form of a plant, the shaper’s wild shape now functions as plant shape III.

Furthermore, the Shaper may also wild shape as a move action, at 12th level.

Wild Adaption (Ex):
The shaper gains one of the following, then one more every five levels, to the max at 20th level. These adaptions apply even when wild shaped.

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Aquatic Adaption (Ex): The shaper gains a bonus to athletics (swim) checks equal to half its Hit Dice when in water. Starting at 10th level, the shaper gains a swim speed equal to its normal movement speed. the shaper can also take 10 on swim checks, even when rushed or in danger.

Beast Hide (Ex): The shaper gains a +3 natural armor bonus as the skin grows tougher. This bonus stacks with any natural armor bonus that is gained from wild shape. Starting at 10th level, it increases the natural armor bonus by +3.

Night Senses (Ex): If the shaper's base race has normal vision, he gains low-light vision. If his base race has low-light vision, he gains darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If his base race has darkvision, the range of his darkvision increases to 90 feet. Starting at 10th level, it increases once again to 120 ft.

Claws of the Beast (Ex): The Shaper grows a pair of permanent claws. These claws are primary attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage (1d3 if you are Small). Starting at 10th level, it increases to 1d6 and are treated as magic weapons. (1d4 for small)

Predator’s Leap (Ex): You can make a running jump without needing to run 10 feet before you jump. At 10th level, you can jump double the vertical height than normal

Wild Instinct (Ex): You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks and a +2 bonus on Survival skill checks. Starting at 10th level, you gain Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.

Powerful Scent (Ex): You gain the scent ability. He gains a bonus on tracking equal to half his shaper's level.

Strong Senses (Ex):
At 2nd level, a shaper’s life among the wild has sharpened his senses. He gains a +2 bonus on Perception checks. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels after 2nd (to a maximum of +5 at 18th level).

Terrain Mastery (Ex):
At 2nd level, a shaper selects his first favored terrain as the ranger's favored terrain ability. He gains another one at 3rd level, and then every five levels thereafter (for a maximum of five favored terrains at 18th level).

Sixth Sense (Ex):
At 3rd level, the shaper gains a +1 bonus on initiative and a +1 insight bonus to AC during surprise rounds. This bonus increases by +1 for every three levels after 3rd.

Wild Speech (Ex):
At 3rd level, the shaper gains wild speech as a bonus feat.

Enhanced Mobility (Ex):
Starting at 4th level, when no armor and not using a shield, a shaper gains an additional +4 bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity caused when he moves out of a threatened square

Fast Movement (Ex):
Starting at 6th level, then every 6 lvl's after that, the wild shaper's movement types all increase by 10 ft. This ability does not function when in wild shape, as many are vastly superior to the movement speed of its natural form (especially at higher levels).

Intuitive Defense (Ex):
Starting at 7th level, when wearing no armor and not using a shield, a shaper adds 1 point of wisdom bonus (if any) per shaper class level to his Dexterity bonus to modify Armor Class. This ability functions in wild shape as well. If a shaper is caught flat-footed or otherwise denied his Dexterity bonus, he also loses this bonus. uncanny dodge and improved uncanny dodge affects this ability once gained.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex):
At 8th level, a shaper gains the ability to react to danger before him senses would normally allow him to do so. He cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A shaper with this ability can still lose him Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against him. If a shaper already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Primal Adaption (Ex):
Starting at 9th level, a shaper gains one of the following (applying during wild shape, as with wild adaptions), then one more at 17th level:

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Back to the Seas (Ex):The shaper gains the aquatic special ability, allowing the shaper to breathe both water through gills and air through normal means. The shaper must have selected the Aquatic Adaption ability.

Primal Hide (Su):The shaper skin becomes even harder, gaining DR/---- equal to half of the Wild shaper's Hit Dice. The shaper must have selected the Beast Hide ability.

Eyes of Midnight (Su):The shaper can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, including that created by deeper darkness. The shaper must have selected the Night Senses ability.

Poison (Ex):The shaper gains poison in his claws. —injury; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Wis modifer; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Con damage; cure 1 save. The shaper must have selected the Claws of the Beast ability.

Predator’s Pounce (Ex): The shaper gains the pounce special ability. The shaper must have selected the Predator's Leap ability.

Primal Instinct (Ex):The shaper applies his wisdom modifier as well as his Dexterity modifier on initiative rolls (minimum 0). The shaper must have selected the Wild Instinct ability.

Powerful Scent(Ex): The shaper gains a +2 to scent-based perception checks and adds a +2 bonus to saves against illusion spells and effects if they lack a scent if the image would normally have one. As a swift action, the shaper may inhale deeply, locating the presence of fainter scents with greater accuracy. This doubles the distance of the scent ability and allows him to pinpoint any invisible or hidden targets within 30 ft. The shaper must have selected the Scent ability.

Primal Tongue (Ex): a shaper with this ability can speak with any animal, even if it isnt similar to the shaper's current shape, as if under a constant speak with animals effect.

Able Explorer (Ex):
Starting at 10th level, when making an Acrobatics, Athletics, Fly or Ride check in any of his favored terrains, a shaper can make two skill checks and take the higher.

Live in Comfort (Ex):
At 13th level, a shaper is truly at home within his favored terrains. He knows all the signs of the wilderness. He rarely gets lost. He can easily live off the land in comfort, and can provide for companions. The shaper can take 10 on any Survival check involving any of his favored terrains, even when in immediate danger and distracted. If the shaper is not in immediate danger and distracted, he can take 20 even if the check has a penalty for failure.

Beast Stride (Ex):
At 14th level, you can move through any sort of difficult terrain (such as thorns, steep hills, overgrown areas, etc.) at your normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Terrain that have been magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect you.

Deceptive Strike(Ex):
At 15th level, when a shaper strikes a creature that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, or that he has successfully pinned with a grapple check, he can attempt a dirty trick or trip combat maneuver against that target as a swift action.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex):
At 16th level, a shaper can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the shaper by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has shaper levels.

If a shaper already has uncanny dodge (see above) from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

Acrity and Grace:
At 17th level, the shaper has become so proficient and fast at shifting that the shaper can now wild shape as a swift action. If the shaper wild shapes during the same round as an attack, the attacked foe is denied a part of its dexterity bonus to AC and CMD, equaling the shaper's dexterity modifier (if any, but never reducing the target's Dex bonus below 0).

Precognition (Ex):
At 19th level, the shaper initiative roll is automatically a natural 20 and he is never surprised.

Natural Evolution:
At 20th level, you have discovered the intrinsic secrets of life itself, granting you incredible control over your own body. Once per day, you can surround yourself with an organic cocoon as a full-round action. While enclosed in the cocoon, you are considered helpless.

Eight hours later, you emerge having changed your type to plant, animal, or humanoid, gaining superficial physical characteristics as appropriate, such as natural attacks or skin characteristics (fur, scaled, feathered, thorns, flowered or other camouflaging patterns).

Some of these might add racial bonuses if they somehow affect the environmental conditions. These should all be skill bonuses of increments of +4; such as blending in to the surroundings of the landscape (+4 stealth), aid in flight (+4 fly) and gain access to a wonderful assortment of alchemical components, both from floral and fauna sources (+4 Craft [alchemy]).

(Many other combinations exist, these bonuses are partially based on the types of creatures the shaper is exposed to in their wanderings, how these changes might affect the shaper and a little negotiating between DM and players.)

This change does not alter your Hit Dice, hit points, saving throws, skill points, class skills, or proficiencies. Each time the transformation is made, you are cleansed of all poisons or diseases, are restored to full hit points, and heal all ability damage. You must select a new type every time the transformation is made. Also, it is noteworthy to mention that spells and abilities that work on humanoids will not work on plants or animals.

[LordErebus12]

Pathfinder Class

[The-Mage-King]

Wrong forum. This should be in homebrew.

[LordErebus12]

Wrong forum. This should be in homebrew.

Thank you for telling me, sorry about that.
What I'd love is some creative ideas or comments on this alternate class.

[Howler Dagger]

Use the tables, luke

[Steward]

I like this class. I've always felt that the reason why the 3.5 and Pathfinder Druid is so broken is that it has basically three perfectly good classes bound up into one (the divine spellcaster, the Wild shape, and the beast-master -- you could make a perfectly good Tier 1 - 3 class out of each of those, and they gave it all to one class???)

Eyes of Midnight (Su): Starting at 17th level, a shaper can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, including that created by deeper darkness.

Is this ability good enough for 17th level? An actual Druid gets True Seeing at 13th level, and that spell lets them see through invisibility, polymorph, blur, and displacement too. Since this ability is not quite as good as that one, I think you might be able to move it down a few levels (10?)

[LordErebus12]

Is this ability good enough for 17th level? An actual Druid gets True Seeing at 13th level, and that spell lets them see through invisibility, polymorph, blur, and displacement too. Since this ability is not quite as good as that one, I think you might be able to move it down a few levels (10?).

so? druid is a caster, this is not. I mean i could add to Eyes of Midnight. Im trying to keep much of the more magical aspects from it, more melee build.

This class was meant to become more keen to the world and with its inner animal without much magical influence. To gain the devil's ability to see in darkness, is fair at such a high level, as it makes sense for its vision to highen to a point where it is unaffected by darkness.

Im comfortable with it gaining the ability at such a level but Im not comfortable with true seeing at 17th, that for sure (thought that first but decided against it).

Also, Two Campaigns (3rd lvl and 7th lvl) are currently underway with at least one wild shaper in each, so its seeing some playtesting already, to run through some issues as well. it works wonderfully right now, the shaping ability is useful again and now holds promise in my eyes.

[LordErebus12]

Im trying to keep much of the more magical aspects from it, more melee build.

I must admit, Nature's Revelation Rocks though

[jiriku]

Does the wild shaper never gain the ability to adopt extremely large or small forms, or elemental forms?

[Steward]

so? druid is a caster, this is not. I mean i could add to Eyes of Midnight. Im trying to keep much of the more magical aspects from it, more melee build.

That's an excellent point. My concern was to avoid a situation like the Monk, where she gets Slow Fall which even at its most powerful form is barely comparable to 'Feather Fall' a 1st level spell. Your class and the Eyes of Midnight class feature is much better than that one though. I agree that this class should avoid being a caster though. Maybe True Seeing is over the top, but maybe let them pierce concealment due to natural things (like fog or smoke) a little easier.

[LordErebus12]

ive did some rebuiling.
Precognition seems a little OP but its better than tremorsense :P
And at 19th level, I can imagine a complete monster :) with tremorsense, that even the air current flowing around him should be sensed.

*imagines tiny little hairs on the wild shaper's body that sense movement*

much like the insects, right? :)

[LordErebus12]

What do you all think?

[LordErebus12]

y u no Reply?

[LordErebus12]

added bonus languages rule.

[LordErebus12]

idk, something is missing...

[Vade]

Inituitive Defense (Ex): Starting at 7th level, when wearing no armor and not using a shield, a shaper adds 1 point of wisdom bonus (if any) per shaper class level to his Dexterity bonus to modify Armor Class while wielding a melee weapon. If a shaper is caught flat-footed or otherwise denied his Dexterity bonus, he also loses this bonus.

Isn't that a little late? I mean if his only ability is to take the form of animals and he can't wear armor...

Also, does that count in his animal forms? His attacks are unarmed or natural, as such their is no melee weapon.

The only other thing I would add is a way to communicate with animals or understand them, whether it is like the speak with animal spell, something that is tied into their wild shape, or Wild empathy. Sylvan is for centaurs, fey creatures, plant creatures, and unicorns... not animals

[LordErebus12]

Isn't that a little late? I mean if his only ability is to take the form of animals and he can't wear armor...

Also, does that count in his animal forms? His attacks are unarmed or natural, as such their is no melee weapon.

The only other thing I would add is a way to communicate with animals or understand them, whether it is like the speak with animal spell, something that is tied into their wild shape, or Wild empathy. Sylvan is for centaurs, fey creatures, plant creatures, and unicorns... not animals

i see your points.
I will edit intuitive defense so it applies to melee weapons and natural attacks.

How about Speak with Animals (Su) as a constant effect? not sure what lvl though...

[LordErebus12]

i see your points.
I will edit intuitive defense so it applies to melee weapons and natural attacks.

now it is static, applying no matter what weapon or form the shaper takes.

[Vade]

How about Speak with Animals (Su) as a constant effect? not sure what lvl though...

why not tie it in with wild speech... or make it one of the wild/primal adoption?

[LordErebus12]

why not tie it in with wild speech... or make it one of the wild/primal adoption?

thought about it but be a weaker wild adaption, but i guess if its done right, the primal should be able to speak with animals of its current shape type (birds with bird, reptiles with reptiles, dinosaurs with dinosaurs, etc).

[LordErebus12]

Now they can speak with animals liek that

[Clawhound]

Here's what I don't see clearly. Please help.

How does the wildshaper deal with DR/magic necessities?
How can the wildshaper use normal magic equipment?
How does the wildshaper keep his AC competitive?

As I see it right now, the wildshaper self-nerfs himself the moment that he wildshapes, gives himself a terrible AC, and must endure all the limitation of being a druid without being a druid. Am I correct in this?

I also suggest giving him d12 hit points. In many ways, the wildhshaper as written is closer to a barbarian. He'll be losing hit points like a sieve while tanking. When he grows larger, his surface area expands, allowing even more opponents to target him.

All this is from my experience playing a bear warrior. That class is great fun, but from a design standpoint, unplayably broken. Learn its lessons well.

[LordErebus12]

Here's what I don't see clearly. Please help.

How does the wildshaper deal with DR/magic necessities?
How can the wildshaper use normal magic equipment?
How does the wildshaper keep his AC competitive?

As I see it right now, the wildshaper self-nerfs himself the moment that he wildshapes, gives himself a terrible AC, and must endure all the limitation of being a druid without being a druid. Am I correct in this?

I also suggest giving him d12 hit points. In many ways, the wildhshaper as written is closer to a barbarian. He'll be losing hit points like a sieve while tanking. When he grows larger, his surface area expands, allowing even more opponents to target him.

All this is from my experience playing a bear warrior. That class is great fun, but from a design standpoint, unplayably broken. Learn its lessons well.

Having built 2 wild shapers and seen two others built in my campaign, i can tell you it is an effective class.

Example: Str 12, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 7, Wis 18, Cha 10 (high fantasy rules for point buy (20 pts.) plus +2 Wis for human racial bonus)
Assuming Wis of 20 (spending the two pts for 8th lvl)

a lvl 8th wildshaper is typically more aware of surroundings, fast on his feet, never flat-footed with a decent AC overall. the trick is to keep moving to keep AC high.

We are assuming the human spends all its time in huge pterradon wild shape now

Str 18; Dex 12; Con 12; Int 7; Wis 18; Cha 10
HP: 77 hp (i use maximum HP in my games, so i choose the favored class +1 bonuses in skill points instead of extra hp)
AC 21 (+1 Dodge, +1 Dex, +5 Wis, -2 Size, +6 Natural) (+4 bonus to AC if moving out of threatened square)
Touch 15
Flat-footed --- (unless you're a rogue of 12th lvl or higher)

flight speed of 90 ft. (good) with flyby attack (and since he'll bite during its move, your AoO vs him needs to beat an AC of 25

his attacks are +10/+5 bite attacks (2d8+4 piercing) plus he's got that smite ability too

Feats: Wild Speech B, Planar Wild Shape (Cold and Fire Resistance 10,
DR 5/Good or evil, plus smite good or evil, etc.), dodge B, mobility, spring attack or flyby attack (in my examples case), and Wind Stance (20% concealment vs ranged attacks if you move more than 5 ft.).

he is now a almost permanent fiendish Huge animal, during the surprise round his AC is 22. not bad for a huge creature. its melee abilities help as a tank, (the +6 Str helps too). 3 favored terrains. he is a hunter of the skies.

i agree with the bigger HD as suggested but do you think it really needs it?

i covered DR, ER, Difficult to Surprise, hit or Catch off Guard, flight, scent.

what say you, Clawhound

Note: wild shape functions slightly different for them than normal druids. the duration he can stay in form is nearly infinite at lvl 8

[LordErebus12]

All this is from my experience playing a bear warrior. That class is great fun, but from a design standpoint, unplayably broken. Learn its lessons well.

Again I agree with the health increase but i do not want to tip the scale too much.i think the class was built well and is not unplayably broken, its merely how you build the character.

Bear forms are so so at higher levels but its better to take to the wing and move constantly to gain bonuses and slight concealment. im not worried about being surrounded by average foes, as im moving 45 ft. to attack then retreating an equal distance.

if i then took this 8th lvl character towards stealth, combining magical items and rogue lvls it can begin sneak attacking foes from the air, despite the -8 size penalty that huge creatures suffer from.

Items work fine if you can work with certain gear limits. If i wanted to I could have bracers of armor made with the wild enchantment, letting the character add a deflection bonus to its shifted form as well (although funds are limited at 8th an probably cant afford it just yet).

This beast built above dominates the air above the battlefield and isn't at all easy to fight if you are grounded, or relying on overwhelming him. he is out of reach most times and the near-constant 20% concealment vs ranged attacks helps too.

[Empedocles]

There're some issues here, unfortunately This is a wonderful idea, sort of "unpackaging" the druid, although I really have no idea how it would play out. Wild shape is not my area of expertise. Rather, some things you've said concern me, not in an "I'm Offended" type of way, but rather they concern me in how they pertain to your class. I'll speak ib bold within these quotes.

Having built 2 wild shapers and seen two others built in my campaign, i can tell you it is an effective class.

That's not really helpful since we have no context of what your campaign is like. If you had a party of CW samurai and a truenamer, this would be amazing. On the other hand, in a party with optimized artificers, it obviously wouldn't be. Drawing from personal experience with your own homebrew in your own campaigns to justify things is a bad idea.

Example: Str 12, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 7, Wis 18, Cha 10 (high fantasy rules for point buy (20 pts.) plus +2 Wis for human racial bonus)
Assuming Wis of 20 (spending the two pts for 8th lvl)

a lvl 8th wildshaper is typically more aware of surroundings, fast on his feet, never flat-footed with a decent AC overall. the trick is to keep moving to keep AC high.

Keep moving to keep his AC high? How does that work? Last I checked, speed has nothing to do with AC.

We are assuming the human spends all its time in huge pterradon wild shape now

Str 18; Dex 12; Con 12; Int 7; Wis 18; Cha 10
HP: 77 hp (i use maximum HP in my games, so i choose the favored class +1 bonuses in skill points instead of extra hp)
AC 21 (+1 Dodge, +1 Dex, +5 Wis, -2 Size, +6 Natural) (+4 bonus to AC if moving out of threatened square)
Touch 15
Flat-footed --- (unless you're a rogue of 12th lvl or higher)

flight speed of 90 ft. (good) with flyby attack (and since he'll bite during its move, your AoO vs him needs to beat an AC of 25

his attacks are +10/+5 bite attacks (2d8+4 piercing) plus he's got that smite ability too

Feats: Wild Speech B, Planar Wild Shape (Cold and Fire Resistance 10,
DR 5/Good or evil, plus smite good or evil, etc.), dodge B, mobility, spring attack or flyby attack (in my examples case), and Wind Stance (20% concealment vs ranged attacks if you move more than 5 ft.).

he is now a almost permanent fiendish Huge animal, during the surprise round his AC is 22. not bad for a huge creature. its melee abilities help as a tank, (the +6 Str helps too). 3 favored terrains. he is a hunter of the skies.

i agree with the bigger HD as suggested but do you think it really needs it?

Yes. Yes it does really need it


i covered DR, ER, Difficult to Surprise, hit or Catch off Guard, flight, scent.

what say you, Clawhound

Note: wild shape functions slightly different for them than normal druids. the duration he can stay in form is nearly infinite at lvl 8

Is that a good thing? I don't see a problem right off the bat, but it doesn't feel right that he's just almost permanently transformed by 8th level...

Again I agree with the health increase but i do not want to tip the scale too much.i think the class was built well and is not unplayably broken, its merely how you build the character.

By no means is it broken, either too powerful or too weak. This is a solid class. But health increase really would be good...

Bear forms are so so at higher levels but its better to take to the wing and move constantly to gain bonuses and slight concealment. im not worried about being surrounded by average foes, as im moving 45 ft. to attack then retreating an equal distance.

if i then took this 8th lvl character towards stealth, combining magical items and rogue lvls it can begin sneak attacking foes from the air, despite the -8 size penalty that huge creatures suffer from.

Items work fine if you can work with certain gear limits. If i wanted to I could have bracers of armor made with the wild enchantment, letting the character add a deflection bonus to its shifted form as well (although funds are limited at 8th an probably cant afford it just yet).

This is actually a major concern to me. Give it the ability to grant a few items it possesses the wild ability so it can maintain, say, a decent AC. Like, at 5th level 1 item it holds has the wild ability while he touches it, and every 5 levels thereafter 1 additional item can have it. However, if he isn't touching the item with some part of his body it looses the wild ability.

This beast built above dominates the air above the battlefield and isn't at all easy to fight if you are grounded, or relying on overwhelming him. he is out of reach most times and the near-constant 20% concealment vs ranged attacks helps too.

You need to make it worthwhile to play this with a non-flying animal sometimes.

Hope I helped a little. Also, don't bump (type stuff like "why no response" or "why u no say anything") so often. It's annoying to read (no offense).

[LordErebus12]

my campaign is an expedition to an uncharted and wild set of islands north of a unexplored continent. Jungles, Mountains, Oceans, and little cities to travel to without some serious magic

the class isnt really meant to tank, although it fits some parts of it, its an ambusher

speed has everything to do with my build's attack style.

to fly 100 ft. (forgot about the speed increase at 6th), passing through threatened area to attack then leaving means the feats help increase AC to said AoO's. moving into range to attack then moving back (moving out of threatened areas provokes AoO's if its further than 5 ft. you're travelling, so mobility feat adds +4 to ac when combined with this type of attack patterns that flyby or spring attack offers AND enhanced mobility ability that increases that +4 to +8 so really that AC to Hit him on an AoO is 29, not 25).

i increased the Hit Dice to d12's



The character i built had spent so much time alone with his flying lizards that he had become semi-feral himself. he spends most of his time in that fiendish form and has even raised several large clutches of half-fiend pterradons.

he sees himself as lord of the skies above 'his' island. and his children call him Terrorwing. being far larger and fiendish than standard pterradons native to the area helps him maintain dominance as well.

having lived on the wing for so long his style of fighting matches the diving attacks of the pterradons, as does his speech, favoring metaphorical speech of a predator.

[LordErebus12]

what would you suggest adding to it if it isnt good enough?

Edited it by adding in Beast and Primal Hide abilities.

[LordErebus12]

wowser... this class looks spiffy ;p

[Empedocles]

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[LordErebus12]

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i was thinking this but not sure yet, what say you, Vilpich?

yours is way too druid looking.

1. animal companion.
2. wearing armor

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obviously mine is really wolfman-like, though (hence my hesitation)