D&D 5E Hs anyone else noticed this shifter wrinkle?

[BookBarbarian]

I mean, the extra damage rider doesn't hurt. Or well, it does hurt, but just your opponents.

Shift round 1, Rage round 2. Now you're attacking at advantage on every attack, no negatives AND you get that bonus damage rider, plus whatever other benefits come from your rage based on your Primal Path.

• Ancestral Guardians, Divine Fury, Storm Aura damage riders on top of the base + to str attacks
• Wolf Totem would go well with this as well, so now YOU have effectively pack tactics and your allies all get advantage on enemies you threaten in addition to you having it from Reckless Attack.

This could get nasty, but yeah, I love it in the hands of a bad guy @CleverNickName!

Combined with my Deft Explorer-Tireless-Ranger/Berserker idea this is a real monster. Wildhunt's +2 to Wisdom is very helpful for the Ranger THP, pretty much makes the Shifter THP redundant or at least it'd just be 2 really good sources of THP over the course of an adventuring day.

1 shift and 1 frenzy per short rest sounds pretty good to me.

 

[CleverNickName]

Seems like punishing your players for playing the game well...

I guess it would depend on what you consider "punishment" and "playing the game well" to be.

 

[Undrave]

I guess it would depend on what you consider "punishment" and "playing the game well" to be.

The game assumes PC will look for advantage as much as possible and if they exploit all the ways they can should be able to make at least 1 attack at advantage between them every round, often multiple ones. Also a Rogue should get Sneak Attack every turn to keep up damage wise.

If you make the villains ALL Shifter you're basically saying "You guys are too good at using the tools the game gives you and I'm mad, so no more advantage for you. I can still use it, though".

But throwing a group of villains with Shifters among them isn't a bad idea at all. Just se the different types of Shifter to vary the challenge.

Also note that any archer or Warlock that stands more than 30 feet away can still get advantage.

 

[Parmandur]

It is a synergistic ability, and makes this a distinct and awesome combo. However, on the scale of an adventure day, certainly not broken.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Seems like punishing your players for playing the game well...

TANJ

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It is a synergistic ability,

which seems to be the problem with Longtooth, I can't find anything it synergises with - possibly Grappler feat?

RAW you can't use it with Tavern Brawler, because you can only use your bite as a bonus action, although as a DM I would allow the bite to be used as an attack action instead.

 

[NaturalZero]

which seems to be the problem with Longtooth, I can't find anything it synergises with - possibly Grappler feat?

RAW you can't use it with Tavern Brawler, because you can only use your bite as a bonus action, although as a DM I would allow the bite to be used as an attack action instead.

I ran a longtooth paladin/fighter with a greatsword and the bite was pretty handy. I had Great Weapon Master, but it wouldn't activate most rounds. On the other hand, the bite was a free Str-based attack that I could use every round to apply paladin smites and battlemaster expertise dice. I could miss twice and crit with the bite, doing 2d6 + 6d8 + Str by blowing a spell slot and a fighter die.

Keep in mind that a lot of two-handed and sword + board builds don't have a reliable bonus action attack, on demand. Having a whole extra attack to apply riders has its uses.

 

[dave2008]

Seems like punishing your players for playing the game well...

I think it would be more accurate to say "challenging" the players.

 

[Coroc]

I like it, especially for NPCs. With the proliferation of "I attack with Advantage" flying around my table, I think I'm going to make Shifters the main villains of my next campaign.

Call them the advantageless aventadors

 

[Coroc]

I ran a longtooth paladin/fighter with a greatsword and the bite was pretty handy. I had Great Weapon Master, but it wouldn't activate most rounds. On the other hand, the bite was a free Str-based attack that I could use every round to apply paladin smites and battlemaster expertise dice. I could miss twice and crit with the bite, doing 2d6 + 6d8 + Str by blowing a spell slot and a fighter die.

Keep in mind that a lot of two-handed and sword + board builds don't have a reliable bonus action attack, on demand. Having a whole extra attack to apply riders has its uses.

When you are bitten by a paladin does that turn you into an angel?