Shifters from Eberron

[Dingo333]

So, I have seen some people looking and comparing conversions for warforge but nothing for other races, specifically Shifters.

Well I kinda have one in mind, and I wanted to know what people think
Here goes:

Abilities: +2 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Int, -2 Cha.
Trying to give the shifter simular stat as normal races, yes they have an additional + and - but I think these fit for the race. Might end up changing it to +2 Str instead of Con.

Medium, speed 30. No problem there

Shifting: I think this is fine as is over all. Various Shifter Feats need changes (cleaning up skills mostly) and of course, this is slightly stronger due to the number of feats you can get in PF vs 3.5

Lowlight, Languages: Both fine IMO

Skill bonus: Change to acrobatics and climb

So, as I alluded to in the Shifting part of racial, more feats means more rounds of Shifting and more uses per day. Over all, I think this is great to help bring the power of shifters up to the level of everyone else.

Thoughts are welcome, including how shifter feats should change.

 

[Xorial]

My campaign

This is what I use for the shifters. I used the Playtest Advanced Race Builder over at Paizo when working on this.


SHIFTER RACIAL TRAITS (PFRPG)

• +2 Wis, -2 Cha. One physical ability score gets a +2 bonus based on the primary shifter bloodline.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, Shifters have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Shifter base land speed is 30 feet.
• Shifting (Su): A shifter can tap into their lycanthropic heritage to gain short bursts of physical power. Each shifter has one of six shifter traits—characteristics that manifest themselves when a character is shifting. Each shifter trait provides a +2 bonus to one of the character’s physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution) and grants some other advantage as well. Shifter traits are described in the following section.
  Shifting is a free action and can last for a number of rounds equal to 4 + the shifter’s Constitution modifier. Temporary increases to Constitution such as those gained from bear's endurance do not increase the total number of rounds that a shifter can maintain shifting per day. A shifter can take feats to improve this ability. These shifter feats are described in Eberron Campaign Setting and Races of Eberron.
  Every shifter feat a character takes increases the duration of his shifting by 2 rounds. So, a character with two shifter feats can shift for a number of rounds equal to 8 (instead of 4) + the shifter’s Con modifier.
  Shifting, though related to and developed from lycanthropy, is neither an affliction nor a curse. It is not passed on by bite or claw attacks, and a shifter can’t be cured—shifting is a natural ability for the race.
• +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics, Climb, and Jump checks: A shifter's animalistic heritage enhances many of her physical skills.
• Low-Light Vision: Shifters can see twice as far as a race with normal vision in conditions of dim light.
• Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Elven, Gnome, Halfling, and Sylvan.
  
  Shifter Bloodline Traits:
  
• Beasthide (Su): +2 Con. While shifting, a beasthide shifter gains a natural armor that provides a +2 bonus to AC. Even when not shifting, a beasthide shifter gains a +2 racial bonus on Fortitude saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
• Longtooth (Su): +2 Str. While shifting, a longtooth shifter grows fangs that can be used as a natural weapon, dealing 1d6 + Str Bonus points of damage with a successful bite attack. She cannot attack more than once per round with her bite, even if her base attack bonus is high enough to give her multiple attacks. She can use her bite as a secondary attack (taking a —5 penalty on her attack roll) while wielding a weapon. Once per day, when a longtooth shifter is reduced to fewer than 0 hit points but is not killed, it can fight on for 1 more round as if disabled. At the end of its next turn, unless brought to above 0 hit points, it immediately falls unconscious and begins to die. If the longtooth shifter is shifting, she can continue to fight until 1 round after the shifting ends, or until lowered below negative Constitution score of hit points.
• Cliffwalk (Su): +2 Dex. While shifting, a cliffwalk shifter gains a climb speed of 20 feet. ft., and gain a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. When not shifting, a cliffwalk shifter gains a +2 bonus on Climb checks due to the lingering effects of the climb ability.
• Razorclaw (Su): +2 Str. While shifting, a razorclaw shifter gains claws that can be used as natural weapons. These claws deal Id4 + Str bonus points of damage with each successful attack. She can attack with one claw as a standard action or with two claws as a full attack action (as a primary natural weapon). She cannot attack more than once per round with a single claw, even if her base attack bonus is high enough to give her multiple attacks. She can attack with a claw as a light off-hand weapon while wielding a weapon in her primary hand, but all her attacks in that round take a —2 penalty. Even when not shifting, a beasthide shifter gains a +2 bonus on Strength checks to break objects and a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks to sunder.
• Longstride (Su): +2 Dex. While shifting, a longstride shifter gains a bonus of+ 10 feet to her base land speed, and gains a +4 to Initiative checks.
• Wildhunt (Su): +2 Con. While shifting, a wildhunt shifter gains the scent ability. When not shifting, a wildhunt shifter gains a +2 bonus on Perception checks due to the lingering effects of the scent ability.

 

[Kaodi]

Why not just use +2 to any ability? It was good enough for half-orc, who were originally +2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha. And shifters (as well as changelings) are explicitly descended from humans, which the +2 to any is supposed to be the default for.

 

[Xorial]

Why not just use +2 to any ability? It was good enough for half-orc, who were originally +2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha. And shifters (as well as changelings) are explicitly descended from humans, which the +2 to any is supposed to be the default for.

Mainly because shifters are not half-lycan. They are descended, but a couple of generations removed at times. The solution I posted allows for about the same as +2 to any by letting you pick your primary trait & getting the +2 to the corresponding physical attribute. Eberron canon already establishes shifters as gruff individuals, so a -2 to Cha is appropriate. Animal instincts in game are usually representative to a bonus top Wis, so that gets a +2. Full lycanthropes don't get a negative modifier to Int, so I see no reason for the shifter to be saddled with it either. This leaves my stab at the race as balanced appropriately with other Pathfinder races.

 

[Kaodi]

Under your system, can a shifter shift as many times per day as they like? And how do you plan on handling the shifter that originally gave +2 Wis?

 

[Xorial]

Under your system, can a shifter shift as many times per day as they like? And how do you plan on handling the shifter that originally gave +2 Wis?

No, the shifter is limited to a number of rounds equal to 4 + the shifter’s Constitution modifier. I am not aware of any shifter that originally got a +2 to Wis. If there were, I would just convert to my racial stats. That is how a conversion works.

 

[Rampant]

I think the question is how would such a trait transfer to your stats.

From the races of eberron book we got a alternate trait based on mystic senses or some such that gave a wis bonus when shifting.

Do the rounds per day have to be consecutive? because otherwise it's a pretty limited ability.

 

[Kaodi]

If you only get the bonus to Str, Dex or Con when shifting, I think your conversion is way, way too weak then.

When not shifting, you have +2 Wis, -2 Cha, Low-Light Vision and +2 Acrobatics and Climb.

It is only pretty much for one measly combat a day that you do not suck compared to other races. And during that one combat, you are merely equal. If you are lucky.

Unless than ability bonus is for all the time.

 

[Glade Riven]

As I understand it, the bonus to a physical score doesn't change between shifted and non-shifted. It's just that what physical score gets augmented is determined by what type of shifter they are. Shifting itself is just retooled barbarian rage.

If I'm reading it right...

For a project I'm working on, I'm using something similar that I call a Bloodline Feat. If you use traits, a bloodline feat can be taken in place of two traits. Only one bloodline feat can be taken, and only at first level. One of them is Lycanthropic Rage, which grants rage as a first level barbarian (barbarians get +2 rounds of raging instead, since they get rage as-is) and a 1d6 natural attack (claw); cosmetically, during rage they transform into hybrid form. The description of the hybrid form (wolf, cat, etc) is really up to the player.

Of course, since Phaetos is tidally locked, I've had to figure out how Lycanthropy can work in the absence of night...

 

[Xorial]

Str, Con , or Dex gets a PERMANENT +2 depending on your first shifter trait taken. Not just while shifting. I don't intend any traits gained through feats to give a physical bonus even while shifting. If you want to say that any trait gained through feats after the first is chosen only give THAT +2 bonus while shifting, I see no problem with that. It is just not how I intended it to be.