DM Freindly Pure ShapeChanger

[Phasics]

Just wondering if anyone has linkies to a homebrewed shapechanger, and by shapechanger I mean a pure shapechanger no spell casting abilities.

I also add DM friendly as my DM groans every time I mention any type of offical shifter as the issues with dealing with what forms you can and cant take what abilites cross over and what dosent.

Simple is key here.

Whenever I start writing a simple idea it always becomes too complex so I'll try a dot form approach. Keep in mind these abilites are in no particular order of level gained or power.

Ability to assume any creature form that can be described
Ability to increase decrease size to assume any larger or smaller form
Fixed stat changes for bigger and smaller inlc dmg reach etc
Fixed attacks and damage regardless of form assumed
Ability to form limbs into solid objects (ala warshaper)
Ability to assume non living object forms of various sizes
Ability to gain enchament bonuses in lieu of no magic equipment
Ability to assume elemental, incorporeal and other groovy types

Now if anyone has a simple way to fit all that into a class that is "DM Friendly" linky plz

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Sounds like a cool class, hopefully it exist.

If you can't find it the Druid's alternate class feature in PHBII might be a good starting point for making it.

 

[Arkhandus]

I don't think it's possible for that to be simple.......

My only attempts at non-spellcasting, shapechanging-oriented classes (all.....2 of them....) are incomplete and rather more complex than that, because they assume creatures' forms including their special abilities and whatnot, to varying degrees (as well as being able to assume partial aspects, like a bear's strength or a scorpion's claws, etc.).

I'm not sure your idea is really any less complex in practice, and anyway, it seems hard to balance just the same.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

The class you seek has not *yet* been made. However Sean Reynolds take on Lycanthropes leans heavily in this direction in his 'Curse of the Moon' pdf. In that the character takes feats that provide specific mechanical effects while leaving the fluff pretty much up to the player/DM...

Fer example, feat named "Wereform Special Ability" grants, quite simply, one of the special ablities of the Lycanthropic base creature.


You could expand on his work to incorperate a wider range of base forms as his book focused on Animal and some Magical Beasts as base forms.

Unless your class abilities/feats grant simple fixed changes the shapechange ability becomes much too complex. Something as simple as a size change can affect too many variables, and then you need to worry about stacking those size changes { a Medium Skin changer who can assume a Large Hybrid Form becomes the target of an Enlarge spell and possesses a magical item that grants the Powerfull Build ablity..... so, whats your strength mod again?}

But yes, check out Sean Reynolds PDF and the PHB II variant Druid options.

 

[szilard]

One way of doing this that I've considered is using a spellcasting model: have a list of spell-like/supernatural abilities (levels 1-9) and allow the shapechanger to pick up new ones each level... and use them spontaneously.

-Stuart

 

[Tetsubo]

I've wanted a pure shapechanger class since 1E... I wonder why no one has done one successfully?

I could see mixing the Shapeshift and Wildshape Druid abilities... the Shapeshift ability would give you the iconic fast change forms while the Wildshape ability would give a slower change but greater diversity... of course you would still be stuck with all the flaws of Wildshape... Maybe something based on the Warlock model...?

 

[Pyrex]

I haven't read Curse of the Moon; but using Lycanthrope as a starting point seems like an excellent option.

Firstly, I'd base our Shapeshifter class off the Animal HD type:
d8, 3/4 BAB, Fort/Ref good saves, 2+Int skills, Barbarian skill list.

The signature ability would be Alternate Form.

At each level of the class, the character can add one new form to their repertoire with the limitation that the animal form chosen must have fewer HD than the character has levels in Shapeshifter. (so at 1st level they'd be limited to animals with less than one full HD, like the Weasel)

At level 6, the character can start learning Magical Beasts of, say, ClassLevel-4hd.

Over the course of the first 4-6 levels the character would gain the traits of a Natural Lycanthrope. The +3 LA would be absorbed by the first 8(ish) levels of the class having no additional class features beyond the shapeshifting and gaining the lycanthrope traits over time (i.e., DR would accumulate at the rate of 1/Silver over the first 10 levels).

 

[Arkhandus]

Hrm. Checking over my Shapeshifter base class earlier, it actually fits at least some of the OP's guidelines. Too bad I haven't gotten anything statted out for it yet except for its Shape-Shift class feature, which is a full-body shapeshifting akin to Polymorph or Willdshape (and I haven't detailed its upgrades at later levels yet; the base Shape-Shift ability doesn't give them any non-mundane qualities of the assumed form).

I have the basic outline of its abilities, and the class' 20-level advancement table is there and so's its skill list and such, and I have a few notes on how some of its other features are supposed to work.....but haven't really gotten down to finishing the meat and potatoes of it, except for the basic Shape-Shift ability. :\

I get side-tracked though, and haven't bothered working on it very much since I finished that ability's description. I really ought to finish more of it at some point.

 

[igavskoga]

http://ironheroeshouserules.pbwiki.com/index.php?wiki=DRUID

The above is an Iron Heroes conversion of the 3.x Druid, without spells and with increased shapechanging abilities tied to a token mechanic.

Personally I love it, and I've tweaked it for my homebrew d20 game. You may be able to use it for inspiration of nothing else. The token mechanic specifically is a great replacement for per day, which I think really hamstrings a class based entirely on shapechanging.

 

[Dagredhel]

While it isn't simple enough mechanically to meet all of the OPs requirements, I think there is a way to do a shapeshifter without spellcasting at least, using the published sources.

Start with Ranger, using the variant on pg. 58 of Unearthed Arcana (loses Combat Style, gains Wildshape [small or medium animals only] and Fast Movement.) The character will gain wild shape 1/day at 5th level.

By 5th, the character will have gained Endurance as a bonus feat. The only other requirement for the Master of Many Forms Prestige Class (Complete Adventurer, pg.59) is Alertness.

For a 20 level progression, that leaves 5 levels.

At least 1 level of Natures Warrior (Complete Warrior, pg.64) is great--- +1 BAB, +2 Fort, and a nice ability.

But Warshaper (CoW, p.90) is also pretty sweet, with Morphic Body at 2nd level granting +4 to Strength and +4 to Constitution while wild shaped.

The remaining 5 levels would be some combination of those two PrCs. (You wouldn't necessarily take all 10 levels of MoMF consecutively; you could mix and match to taste.)