Motw: Shifter (and Shapechange spell)

[Andor]

Actually, No. It has to be Polymorph self as a spell. Alter self will work if it is a race/class ability.

 

[Vecna]

Actually, No. It has to be Polymorph self as a spell. Alter self will work if it is a race/class ability.

DOH!

So if I want to take it at 6th I'll have to be a Druid

Anyone has found an alternative to get the Shifter at low level?

A Wizard must wait until 7th to get Poly and hardly I will find a race with ECL +0 and alternate form.

 

[Andor]

Not ECL 0 no, but a hengeyokai from OA qualifies.
Otherwise you prettymuch have to be a 5th level druid, or a 7th level wizard or shaman.

 

[Morose]

One key thing to keep in mind about the Shifter is that Greater Wild Shape is limited to a creature of equal or less hit dice. So if you're a Druid 5/ Shifter 2... no shifting into a Green Hag for you. Even though it's a Medium Monstrous Humanoid it has 9 hit dice and is therefore off limits. Same for the Legendary Animals because of their high hit dice.

At first I thought the Shifter was insane, but now I don't think it's that bad at all. Giving up your spell progression completely to take it is a huge tradeoff. Honestly I think a straight druid would be much scarier once you hit 12th and gain access to Dire animals. The extra spells you could cast would offset the loss of shifting flexibility in most cases I think. Still... seems like it would be a lot of fun to play a Shifter even with the drawbacks. Especially in a roleplay heavy campaign.

 

[Zerovoid]

I might be wrong on this one, but the only shapes that were omitted from the shaper were fey and shapechanger, so he cannot turn into a pixie or a doppleganger.


- Z Y G [/B]

Does anyone else think its really wierd that a PrC made primarily for druids won't let you turn into fey creatures, which includes all sorts of woodsy monsters like pixies, dryads, nymphs, and satyrs?

 

[Morose]

Aye. It's definitely strange that you can't become Fey. Not really sure for the reasoning behind it (other than a possible oversight) since the really nasty Fey abilities are Supernatural and therefore not inherited.

 

[Rogue]

Shame

Tell me about, that's just pretty annoying. What did the play-testers find that could lend credit to disallowing the fey types... and I wonder how we could get around it?

Rogue

 

[Morose]

Just rule 0 it. Going to talk to my DM about it next session. I doubt he'll have a problem putting Fey in there somewhere.