Primordial Shifter
The primordial force that begat all being- the chaotic substrate slumbering at the core of all that is. The primordial shifter seeks to awaken this force, to stir the beast that lies within and in so doing risks being utterly consumed by it.
Risen from the wellspring of chaos and potential, the primordial shifter is an amorphous and ever-changing being. The flesh, ever responsive to need, instinctively adapts to any conditions antithetical to its survival and ability to thrive. Through each transformation, the primordial shifter seeks to understand and master the connection between self and the primordial strands that intersect and unify all life and consciousness.
A powerful soul and an iron will are required to safely weave the primordial strands into the infinite forms of life slumbering within the womb of creation. A primordial shifter must practice her art with caution; if her weaves are too complex she risks being consumed by them, forever lost. However, as her talent and strength grow she is able to form more complex weaves, eventually becoming one with the primordial forces underlying all creation. At this point form becomes irrelevant, there is only being.
Game Rule Information
Alignment: Any chaotic
Hit Die: d8
Class Skills
The primordial shifter’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str)
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4+ Int modifer) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifer
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Primordial Shifter.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Primordial Shifters are proficient with all simple weapons. They are also proficient with all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form they assume with morph.
Morph (Su): This ability functions like the polymorph spell except as noted here. A primordial shifter can use the morph ability to transform once per day per level and can remain morphed for a total number of hours each day equal to her level. Changing form or reverting to her natural form is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. She may only assume the form of a creature she is familiar with. She has familiarity with any “living” creature (including constructs and animate undead) she has touched (melee touch attack) or has been touched by. She doesn’t regain lost hit points when she changes form. She can designate at the time of the change which pieces of her equipment meld into her form and which do not. Nonmelded equipment alters its size to match that of her new form, but retains its functionality. She gains the ability to assume the form of additional creature types and sizes as she rises in level (see table for details), though she cannot choose a form that has more hit dice than her level. She may become incorporeal if she adopts the form of a creature with that ability. She may assume the form of a creature with a template provided that the creatures hit dice + level adjustment for the template doesn’t exceed her level.
Intuit Form (Ex): A primordial shifter may make a special knowledge check to intuit information about any creature she is familiar with as if she possessed ranks in the appropriate skill equal to her level. The primordial shifter rolls 1d20 and adds her primordial shifter level and her Intelligence modifier to determine the intuit form check result.
Primordial Shock (Su): Whenever a primordial shifter attempts to assume the form of a specific creature for the first time, she must make a successful Will save with a DC equal to the Challenge Rating of the creature. If the primordial shifter’s level is 10 or more higher than the Challenge Rating of the creature, the save automatically succeeds. If the save is failed, the primordial shifter loses familiarity with the creature and falls unconscious for a number of hours equal to its Challenge Rating.
Shifter’s Speech (Ex): A primordial shifter maintains her ability to speak normally (including verbal components of spells) regardless of the form she takes. Furthermore, she can communicate with other creatures of the same kind while morphed, as long as such creatures are normally capable of communicating with each other using natural methods.
Track: At 2nd level, a primordial shifter gains Track as a bonus feat.
Eldritch Form (Su): At 4th level, a primordial shifter continues to benefit from one magical item even when it is merged into her form. She chooses the magical item to receive this benefit when she changes form. Every four levels thereafter, she may benefit from one additional merged magical item. The primordial shifter must be proficient with a weapon in order to benefit from it in eldritch form. A weapon in eldritch form has the base damage, threat range and critical multiplier of the natural attack form. A single weapon merged into her form will confer its qualities to all of her primary attacks. A second weapon merged into her form will confer its qualities to all of her secondary attacks.
Purity of Body (Ex): At 6th level, a primordial shifter gains control over her body’s immune system. She gains immunity to all diseases except for supernatural and magical diseases (such as mummy rot and lycanthropy).
Primordial Surge (Su): Starting at 8th level, a primordial shifter learns how to weave the primordial strands into more complex and powerful forms by momentarily tapping directly into the primal forces of creation. Primordial surge is incredibly strenuous to use and may only be performed a limited number of times each day as shown on the table below. Primordial surge is a free action to use and may be activated multiple times when morphing. Some weaves have minimum level requirements.
Weave Adept Form:
When morphing, the primordial shifter gains the form’s feats.
Weave Deceptive Form:
When morphing, the primordial shifter’s true form becomes impossible to detect with divination magic. Only a Wish or Miracle will reveal her true form.
Weave Enduring Form:
When morphing, the primordial shifter’s form becomes enduring. An enduring form lasts for 1 day. Even if she changes form again or reverts to her natural form, she may resume her enduring form. An enduring form does not count against the number of hours the primordial shifter can remain morphed each day. Additionally, by activating primordial surge a second time, the enduring form becomes extraordinary in nature and is not suppressed in an antimagic field or dead magic zone.
Weave Resilient Form:
When morphing, the primordial shifter protects her vital organs from critical hits and stunning.
Weave Skillful Form:
When morphing, the primordial shifter gains the form’s skills.
Weave Composite Form: Must be at least 10th level to use this form.
When morphing, the primordial shifter may add any one subtype or template she is familiar with to the base form. The level adjustment of any template is added to the hit dice of the base form as usual to determine whether or not she can assume the creature’s form.
Weave Construct Form: Must be at least 15th level to use this form.
The primordial shifter may choose to assume the form of a construct she is familiar with for 1 hour when morphing. Alternatively, the primordial shifter may expend 2 uses of primordial surge and assume the form of a construct she is familiar with for the entire duration of morph.
Weave Outsider Form: Must be at least 15th level to use this form.
The primordial shifter may choose to assume the form of an outsider she is familiar with for 1 hour when morphing. Alternatively, the primordial shifter may expend 2 uses of primordial surge and assume the form of an outsider she is familiar with for the entire duration of morph.
Weave Supernatural Form: Must be at least 15th level to use this form.
When morphing, the primordial shifter gains the form’s supernatural abilities for 1 hour. Supernatural abilities that manifest as magical items (such as a Balor’s vorpal sword) are never gained. Alternatively, the primordial shifter may expend 2 uses of primordial surge and gain the form’s supernatural abilities for the entire duration of morph.
Weave Undead Form: Must be at least 15th level to use this form.
The primordial shifter may choose to assume the form of an undead she is familiar with for 1 hour when morphing. Alternatively, the primordial shifter may expend 2 uses of primordial surge and assume the form of an undead she is familiar with for the entire duration of morph.
Weave Colossal Form: Must be at least 20th level to use this form.
The primordial shifter can morph into a colossal creature that is (other than size) within her ability to morph into.
Weave Primordial Form: Must be at least 20th level to use this form.
When morphing, the primordial shifter may expend 3 uses of primordial surge to gain all of the form’s abilities (including spell-like but not spellcasting) for 1 hour. The primordial shifter becomes an exact duplicate of the original creature in almost every way but retains her own alignment, mind and mental ability scores. Spell-like abilities that duplicate spells with an XP cost still require XP’s to use. Spell-like abilities that duplicate spells with an expensive material component (but not a focus) cost a number of XP’s to use equal to the gold piece value of the component ÷ 5. Alternatively, the primordial shifter may expend 5 uses of primordial surge to gain all of the form’s abilities for the entire duration of morph.
Fast Healing (Su): At 10th level, a primordial shifter gains fast healing 1. Her fast healing improves by 1 every 3 levels thereafter.
Shifter (Su): At 10th level, a primordial shifter gains the extraordinary special qualities of any form she assumes with morph and may morph as a move-equivalent action. In addition, when morphing she may choose to appear as any creature, real or imagined while retaining the abilities of a base form she is familiar with. The imagined form must be within one size category of (but not larger than) the base form. If the imagined form is smaller than the base form, reach is determined according to the imagined creatures size but all other abilities remain the same. If the base form’s anatomy requires a specific feature to use an ability (such as claws or wings), the imagined form must possess that feature in order to use the ability as well. An imagined form can never have an ability or perform an action unavailable to the base creature.
Venom Immunity (Ex): At 12th level, a primordial shifter gains immunity to all poisons.
True Shifter (Su): At 15th level, a primordial shifter may morph as many times per day as she wishes but is still limited to 1 hour per level of morphing each day. She also gains the shapechanger subtype, no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue and she still dies of old age when her time is up.
Greater Purity of Body (Ex): At 18th level, a primordial shifter gains immunity to supernatural and magical diseases, as well as the sickened and nauseated conditions.
Primordial Shifter (Ex): At 20th level, a primordial shifter gains the outsider type (native). As a native outsider, she can still be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be, and remains native to the Material Plane. She can no longer die of old age and becomes immune to any transmutation effect unless she is willing to accept it.
Level BAB Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1 0 2 0 2 Morph (Small or Medium, humanoid shape), Intuit Form, Primordial Shock, Shifter’s Speech
2 1 3 0 3 Track
3 2 3 1 3 Morph (animal shape)
4 3 4 1 4 Morph (Tiny, vermin shape), Eldritch Form
5 3 4 1 4 Morph (monstrous humanoid shape)
6 4 5 2 5 Purity of Body
7 5 5 2 5 Morph (Large, giant shape)
8 6 6 2 6 Morph (aberration shape), Primordial Surge 1 x day
9 6 6 3 6 Morph (Diminutive, fey shape)
10 7 7 3 7 Shifter, Fast Healing 1
11 8 7 3 7 Morph (Huge, plant shape), Primordial Surge 2 x day
12 9 8 4 8 Morph (magical beast shape), Venom Immunity
13 9 8 4 8 Morph (Fine, ooze shape), Fast Healing 2
14 10 9 4 9 Morph (elemental shape), Primordial Surge 3 x day
15 11 10 5 9 True Shifter
16 12 10 5 10 Morph (Gargantuan, dragon shape), Fast Healing 3
17 12 11 5 10 Primordial Surge 4 x day
18 13 11 6 11 Greater Purity of Body
19 14 12 6 11 Fast Healing 4
20 15 12 6 12 Primordial Shifter, Primordial Surge 5 x day
Primordial Surge Specialist [Morphic]
Gain mastery with one weave with a chosen creature type.
Prerequisites: Wisdom 17, Primordial Surge 1 or more times per day, Bluff 12 ranks, Concentration 12 ranks, Disguise 12 ranks.
When taking this feat, choose one weave (adept form, deceptive form, enduring form, skillful form or resilient form only) and one creature type you can morph into at your current level without using a weave. The cost to use the weave is reduced by one when morphing into a creature of the chosen type. This feat can eliminate the cost of using a weave.
Special: You can gain Primordial Surge Specialist multiple times. Its effects stack if applied to the same weave and creature type more than once.
Primordial Surge Master [Morphic] [Epic]
Gain mastery with one weave.
Prerequisites: Wisdom 21, Primordial Surge 5 or more times per day, Bluff 24 ranks, Concentration 24 ranks, Disguise 24 ranks.
When taking this feat, choose one weave. The cost to use the weave is reduced by one. This feat can eliminate the cost of using a weave.
Special: You can gain Primordial Surge Master multiple times. Its effects stack if applied to the same weave more than once.
The primordial force that begat all being- the chaotic substrate slumbering at the core of all that is. The primordial shifter seeks to awaken this force, to stir the beast that lies within and in so doing risks being utterly consumed by it.
Risen from the wellspring of chaos and potential, the primordial shifter is an amorphous and ever-changing being. The flesh, ever responsive to need, instinctively adapts to any conditions antithetical to its survival and ability to thrive. Through each transformation, the primordial shifter seeks to understand and master the connection between self and the primordial strands that intersect and unify all life and consciousness.
A powerful soul and an iron will are required to safely weave the primordial strands into the infinite forms of life slumbering within the womb of creation. A primordial shifter must practice her art with caution; if her weaves are too complex she risks being consumed by them, forever lost. However, as her talent and strength grow she is able to form more complex weaves, eventually becoming one with the primordial forces underlying all creation. At this point form becomes irrelevant, there is only being.
Game Rule Information
Alignment: Any chaotic
Hit Die: d8
Class Skills
The primordial shifter’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str)
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4+ Int modifer) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifer
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Primordial Shifter.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Primordial Shifters are proficient with all simple weapons. They are also proficient with all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form they assume with morph.
Morph (Su): This ability functions like the polymorph spell except as noted here. A primordial shifter can use the morph ability to transform once per day per level and can remain morphed for a total number of hours each day equal to her level. Changing form or reverting to her natural form is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. She may only assume the form of a creature she is familiar with. She has familiarity with any “living” creature (including constructs and animate undead) she has touched (melee touch attack) or has been touched by. She doesn’t regain lost hit points when she changes form. She can designate at the time of the change which pieces of her equipment meld into her form and which do not. Nonmelded equipment alters its size to match that of her new form, but retains its functionality. She gains the ability to assume the form of additional creature types and sizes as she rises in level (see table for details), though she cannot choose a form that has more hit dice than her level. She may become incorporeal if she adopts the form of a creature with that ability. She may assume the form of a creature with a template provided that the creatures hit dice + level adjustment for the template doesn’t exceed her level.
Intuit Form (Ex): A primordial shifter may make a special knowledge check to intuit information about any creature she is familiar with as if she possessed ranks in the appropriate skill equal to her level. The primordial shifter rolls 1d20 and adds her primordial shifter level and her Intelligence modifier to determine the intuit form check result.
Primordial Shock (Su): Whenever a primordial shifter attempts to assume the form of a specific creature for the first time, she must make a successful Will save with a DC equal to the Challenge Rating of the creature. If the primordial shifter’s level is 10 or more higher than the Challenge Rating of the creature, the save automatically succeeds. If the save is failed, the primordial shifter loses familiarity with the creature and falls unconscious for a number of hours equal to its Challenge Rating.
Shifter’s Speech (Ex): A primordial shifter maintains her ability to speak normally (including verbal components of spells) regardless of the form she takes. Furthermore, she can communicate with other creatures of the same kind while morphed, as long as such creatures are normally capable of communicating with each other using natural methods.
Track: At 2nd level, a primordial shifter gains Track as a bonus feat.
Eldritch Form (Su): At 4th level, a primordial shifter continues to benefit from one magical item even when it is merged into her form. She chooses the magical item to receive this benefit when she changes form. Every four levels thereafter, she may benefit from one additional merged magical item. The primordial shifter must be proficient with a weapon in order to benefit from it in eldritch form. A weapon in eldritch form has the base damage, threat range and critical multiplier of the natural attack form. A single weapon merged into her form will confer its qualities to all of her primary attacks. A second weapon merged into her form will confer its qualities to all of her secondary attacks.
Purity of Body (Ex): At 6th level, a primordial shifter gains control over her body’s immune system. She gains immunity to all diseases except for supernatural and magical diseases (such as mummy rot and lycanthropy).
Primordial Surge (Su): Starting at 8th level, a primordial shifter learns how to weave the primordial strands into more complex and powerful forms by momentarily tapping directly into the primal forces of creation. Primordial surge is incredibly strenuous to use and may only be performed a limited number of times each day as shown on the table below. Primordial surge is a free action to use and may be activated multiple times when morphing. Some weaves have minimum level requirements.
Weave Adept Form:
When morphing, the primordial shifter gains the form’s feats.
Weave Deceptive Form:
When morphing, the primordial shifter’s true form becomes impossible to detect with divination magic. Only a Wish or Miracle will reveal her true form.
Weave Enduring Form:
When morphing, the primordial shifter’s form becomes enduring. An enduring form lasts for 1 day. Even if she changes form again or reverts to her natural form, she may resume her enduring form. An enduring form does not count against the number of hours the primordial shifter can remain morphed each day. Additionally, by activating primordial surge a second time, the enduring form becomes extraordinary in nature and is not suppressed in an antimagic field or dead magic zone.
Weave Resilient Form:
When morphing, the primordial shifter protects her vital organs from critical hits and stunning.
Weave Skillful Form:
When morphing, the primordial shifter gains the form’s skills.
Weave Composite Form: Must be at least 10th level to use this form.
When morphing, the primordial shifter may add any one subtype or template she is familiar with to the base form. The level adjustment of any template is added to the hit dice of the base form as usual to determine whether or not she can assume the creature’s form.
Weave Construct Form: Must be at least 15th level to use this form.
The primordial shifter may choose to assume the form of a construct she is familiar with for 1 hour when morphing. Alternatively, the primordial shifter may expend 2 uses of primordial surge and assume the form of a construct she is familiar with for the entire duration of morph.
Weave Outsider Form: Must be at least 15th level to use this form.
The primordial shifter may choose to assume the form of an outsider she is familiar with for 1 hour when morphing. Alternatively, the primordial shifter may expend 2 uses of primordial surge and assume the form of an outsider she is familiar with for the entire duration of morph.
Weave Supernatural Form: Must be at least 15th level to use this form.
When morphing, the primordial shifter gains the form’s supernatural abilities for 1 hour. Supernatural abilities that manifest as magical items (such as a Balor’s vorpal sword) are never gained. Alternatively, the primordial shifter may expend 2 uses of primordial surge and gain the form’s supernatural abilities for the entire duration of morph.
Weave Undead Form: Must be at least 15th level to use this form.
The primordial shifter may choose to assume the form of an undead she is familiar with for 1 hour when morphing. Alternatively, the primordial shifter may expend 2 uses of primordial surge and assume the form of an undead she is familiar with for the entire duration of morph.
Weave Colossal Form: Must be at least 20th level to use this form.
The primordial shifter can morph into a colossal creature that is (other than size) within her ability to morph into.
Weave Primordial Form: Must be at least 20th level to use this form.
When morphing, the primordial shifter may expend 3 uses of primordial surge to gain all of the form’s abilities (including spell-like but not spellcasting) for 1 hour. The primordial shifter becomes an exact duplicate of the original creature in almost every way but retains her own alignment, mind and mental ability scores. Spell-like abilities that duplicate spells with an XP cost still require XP’s to use. Spell-like abilities that duplicate spells with an expensive material component (but not a focus) cost a number of XP’s to use equal to the gold piece value of the component ÷ 5. Alternatively, the primordial shifter may expend 5 uses of primordial surge to gain all of the form’s abilities for the entire duration of morph.
Fast Healing (Su): At 10th level, a primordial shifter gains fast healing 1. Her fast healing improves by 1 every 3 levels thereafter.
Shifter (Su): At 10th level, a primordial shifter gains the extraordinary special qualities of any form she assumes with morph and may morph as a move-equivalent action. In addition, when morphing she may choose to appear as any creature, real or imagined while retaining the abilities of a base form she is familiar with. The imagined form must be within one size category of (but not larger than) the base form. If the imagined form is smaller than the base form, reach is determined according to the imagined creatures size but all other abilities remain the same. If the base form’s anatomy requires a specific feature to use an ability (such as claws or wings), the imagined form must possess that feature in order to use the ability as well. An imagined form can never have an ability or perform an action unavailable to the base creature.
Venom Immunity (Ex): At 12th level, a primordial shifter gains immunity to all poisons.
True Shifter (Su): At 15th level, a primordial shifter may morph as many times per day as she wishes but is still limited to 1 hour per level of morphing each day. She also gains the shapechanger subtype, no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue and she still dies of old age when her time is up.
Greater Purity of Body (Ex): At 18th level, a primordial shifter gains immunity to supernatural and magical diseases, as well as the sickened and nauseated conditions.
Primordial Shifter (Ex): At 20th level, a primordial shifter gains the outsider type (native). As a native outsider, she can still be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be, and remains native to the Material Plane. She can no longer die of old age and becomes immune to any transmutation effect unless she is willing to accept it.
Level BAB Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1 0 2 0 2 Morph (Small or Medium, humanoid shape), Intuit Form, Primordial Shock, Shifter’s Speech
2 1 3 0 3 Track
3 2 3 1 3 Morph (animal shape)
4 3 4 1 4 Morph (Tiny, vermin shape), Eldritch Form
5 3 4 1 4 Morph (monstrous humanoid shape)
6 4 5 2 5 Purity of Body
7 5 5 2 5 Morph (Large, giant shape)
8 6 6 2 6 Morph (aberration shape), Primordial Surge 1 x day
9 6 6 3 6 Morph (Diminutive, fey shape)
10 7 7 3 7 Shifter, Fast Healing 1
11 8 7 3 7 Morph (Huge, plant shape), Primordial Surge 2 x day
12 9 8 4 8 Morph (magical beast shape), Venom Immunity
13 9 8 4 8 Morph (Fine, ooze shape), Fast Healing 2
14 10 9 4 9 Morph (elemental shape), Primordial Surge 3 x day
15 11 10 5 9 True Shifter
16 12 10 5 10 Morph (Gargantuan, dragon shape), Fast Healing 3
17 12 11 5 10 Primordial Surge 4 x day
18 13 11 6 11 Greater Purity of Body
19 14 12 6 11 Fast Healing 4
20 15 12 6 12 Primordial Shifter, Primordial Surge 5 x day
Primordial Surge Specialist [Morphic]
Gain mastery with one weave with a chosen creature type.
Prerequisites: Wisdom 17, Primordial Surge 1 or more times per day, Bluff 12 ranks, Concentration 12 ranks, Disguise 12 ranks.
When taking this feat, choose one weave (adept form, deceptive form, enduring form, skillful form or resilient form only) and one creature type you can morph into at your current level without using a weave. The cost to use the weave is reduced by one when morphing into a creature of the chosen type. This feat can eliminate the cost of using a weave.
Special: You can gain Primordial Surge Specialist multiple times. Its effects stack if applied to the same weave and creature type more than once.
Primordial Surge Master [Morphic] [Epic]
Gain mastery with one weave.
Prerequisites: Wisdom 21, Primordial Surge 5 or more times per day, Bluff 24 ranks, Concentration 24 ranks, Disguise 24 ranks.
When taking this feat, choose one weave. The cost to use the weave is reduced by one. This feat can eliminate the cost of using a weave.
Special: You can gain Primordial Surge Master multiple times. Its effects stack if applied to the same weave more than once.
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