[Ebberon] Shifter Feats

[Hitman187]

So I'm making a Shifter Barbarian and I was looking for some oponions on the better shifter feats, or if they are even worth using. My DM is allowing DR to stack btw and I will be 13th level. I will probably be taking the sent or natural armor shift, possibly the bite. (11 Barb. 2 Warshaper).

 

[Duke Arioch]

IMHO, shifter feats aren't that awesome, simply because you could get much better things for the measly 8 feats you get w/ barbarian. But, if you are like me, and like shifter fluff, you will do it anyway XD
In that case, you will burn almost half of your resources easily, for getting that 2nd shifter trait is a good thing. For one XXX Elite feats seem a nice choice.
Now on traits. Beasthide is nice for barbarians. +2 Nat AC (4if you take elite feat) offsets the AC loss while raging, and +2 CON is one more round raging AND +1 hp per level. Gorebrute is awesome if you plan on making a charger build (not if you have pounce ability, though). Longstride provides +1 AC and 10 more ft of speed (20 if you take elite feat). Longtooth gives you +2 STR and additional attack (is better than razorclaw, cos you will be most likely wielding a two hander). Wildhunt gives you scent and CON, which are nice but not all that awesome.
I would probably take longstrider with elite feat (for 20ft speed increase) and either beasthide or loongtooth.
As for feats, if you take longstride, take elite. As second shifter feat go for reactive shifting or shifter savagery if you gain natural weapons.

 

[Hitman187]

Well the sent ability really goes well with my background since I'm a tracker/guide in Xen'Drik.
Razorclaw is definitely out of the question because by the end of the second session I will be receiving an artifact 2-handed weapon (my DM told me only so I dont build duel wield or sword and board)
Longstider is cool but I would rather have a shift that gives Str or Con than Dex, and as a barb I already have 40ms with another 10 coming from boots to hit 50, 60-70 seems overkill.
Longtooth seemed cool especially since with my high BaB I might be able to actually hit with it and with the elite 1 con dmg a bite is pretty bad ass.
Since my DM is allowing DR to stack I was thinking of Shifter defense as well.

 

[Duke Arioch]

Longstider is cool but I would rather have a shift that gives Str or Con than Dex, and as a barb I already have 40ms with another 10 coming from boots to hit 50, 60-70 seems overkill.

Not if you take different totem... Lion comes to mind with always awesome pounce (which fits the theme marvelously). W/ longstride, you will have 50 without any items.

Longtooth seemed cool especially since with my high BaB I might be able to actually hit with it and with the elite 1 con dmg a bite is pretty bad ass.

! CON dmg isn't all that awesome as it sounds... It may have some role if you take it as soon as you can, but that is it.
Now, if I were you, I would still get longtooth, but I wouldn't get wildhunt, but longstride instead XD
So, all in all, shifter feats are fine. Not great, but not bad either, and you could do worse.

P.S. Look into getting pounce. 10ft speed are well worth it

 

[irdeggman]

Check out Races of Eberron for some more shifter feats.

Reactive Shifting looks interesting - prerequisites - Improved Initiative (sorry for that one). But it allows shifting as an imediate action and specifies that you can even do it while flat-footed in the text of the feat (even though the author seems to assume that you can normally use an immediate action when flat-footed, which you can't)

 

[irdeggman]

Well the sent ability really goes well with my background since I'm a tracker/guide in Xen'Drik.

If you are a tracker/guide - why be a barbarian?

Look at being a ranger instead - fits role better.

Races of Eberren has some good racial substitution levels for shifters.

The ranger ones are pretty good (share shifting especially).

The shifter druid ones are even better, but being a druid doesn't seem to match your tracker/guide role.

 

[Hitman187]

I'm a barb because my party screwed me over and each choose a caster. So I'm pretty much the tank

 

[irdeggman]

I'm a barb because my party screwed me over and each choose a caster. So I'm pretty much the tank

Then be a warforged fighter instead - much better "tank" build.

No way a shifter barbarian can adequately serve the guide/tracker mode. Not enough feats or skill points to get there.

I say if you need to go tank then drop the guide/tracker role.

 

[Hitman187]

We need a tank and a tracker/guide as we will be traveling over half of Xen'Drik. I can't go warforged because another player is playing one and his character would distrust me.

 

[irdeggman]

What is the rest of the party make up?

Perhaps someone else should be the guide instead of your PC.

It is near impossible to be a good guide/scout (skill monkey) and a tank (high hit points and feat intensive) at the same time.