Character creation help asked for

[Infernal Teddy]

I'll soon be handing over my Eberron Campaign to one of my players, and will finally get to play once more. I've been given free hand to build my character, which is good, because I'd like to show the other players the possiblities of D&D. However, I need a bit of help:

At the moment, I'd like to play a Shifter, as I'd like to "show off" one of the new races of Eberron, and the SHifter appeals to me. I need my feats to select Shifter feats, but on the other hand, this Party lacks an arcane spell caster of some sort. Psionics might be another idea, or Shadow Magic, however, there's that feat thing again.

Any ideas what I could do?

 

[Arkhandus]

Hmmm..... A Shifter Egoist-Psion or Shifter Psychic Warrior (maybe Egoist/Psychic Warrior, kept roughly even in level, or Psychic Warrior/Wilder, or Psychic Warrior/Kineticist-Psion?) could be effective and provide some bit of the utility lost in the absence of an arcane caster.

Also, this will give you some extra feats to spend on psionics and/or combat stuff. PsyWar feats for Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack, for instance (or Psionic Fist, Ghost Attack, Psionic Meditation, Greater Psionic Fist, and Unavoidable Strike, to make your natural weapons more effective; Aligned Attack might also be useful eventually, if you encounter too many demons etc. and need to make your claws semi-holy or whatnot).

Could be interesting to come up with a background for a Shifter who was trained by Kalashtar or something, eh? Maybe even tried to tame his/her beast within, though probably unsuccessfully, and at least taught 'em how to channel that beast spirit towards some kind of useful end.

 

[The Lost Muse]

A shifter/psychic warrior would be awesome.

 

[Stormborn]

Shifters are great, but dont ignore some of the other new races:

Warforged Warlock or Shadowcaster with a mute gnome artificer cohort - Known as Umbral you have no memories of the Last War or your place in it. You were awakened by a mysterious gnome somewhere on the edge of the Demon Wastes. Since that time you have learned of a mysterious prophecy that refers to the "Hellforged" and a band of black clad figures that seem to follow you around - often providing unlooked for assistance (essentially the followers from the leadership feat) but never speaking to you. You also have rare fits where you enter into a trance like state and have visions - memories? - of a human (you in the visions) who slaughters innocents in strange rituals. You have been given the impression, on at least one occasion, that your origins lay with the Lords of Dust, but you are determined to make your own destiny in spite of strange beginings and wierd visions.

Psiforged would be an interesting choice as well.

Barring that a shifter bard/rogue with lots of UMD ranks could sub for an arcane caster and be fun to play.

The quintessential Eberron PC, IMO, is the Cannith Dragonmarked Artificer with lots of contructs or a Lyrander Sorcerer commanding a small air ship.

 

[WarlockLord]

For shadowcasters, there are some ways to break umbral touch. It requires most of your feats, but you can go on a crazy killing rampage through the land of BBEGs!

Use Rapid Shot w/Reach, Empower, and Maximize Mysteries. Get Boots of Haste, and any other way to increase the number of attacks. You can really dish it out that way.

Alternately, go for spring attack, the Cloak of Shadows path, and Touch of Twilight path. Fun skirmishing!