Shifter PrC house rules

[ruleslawyer]

OK: Upon reading the description of the Shifter class, I am persuaded that this is a great PrC with wonderful RP potential; however, I do still see the class as being slightly outclassed compared with a druid, wizard, etc. of comparable level. I was thinking of adding ONE of the following to reflect the shifter's comparative advantage at shapeshifting:

1) Fighter BAB progression, to reflect the fact that the shifter actually can fight well in an assumed form, even better than the shapechanging wizard or druid.

2) Bonus feats at 4th and 7th level from the following list: Flyby Attack, Hover, Multiattack, Multidexterity, Multiweapon Fighting, and Snatch.

Suggestions?

 

[Crothian]

I don't think it's needed. In our party we have a druid 12/Shifter 1, and so far it's looking good. THe shapechanging powers are amazing and he's doing a great job of using all the forms to their biggest advantage.

 

[Daag]

I personally don't think it needs it. The fastest you can get this PrC is as a druid, and a Drd 5/Shifter 2, can turn into a Dekanter goblin, from the Magic of Faerun. It has decent stats, and has Fast Healing 3, which in my opinion makes up for any of the spells he may be giving up.

Also, i think the only thing that Druids will be behind in compared to fighters is HP, since a lot of the forms they take have 3 or more natural attacks, and Str is usually higher.

Not to mention, eventually the Shifter will be able to turn into a Marilith. Just imagine, 6 scimitars...now imagine you have 6 +1 keen scimitars and improved critical. I would think a Fighter of the same level would have a hard time to keep up. 7 attacks + a tail slam is good. And because you gain a lot of the feats mentioned above when you take a new form, I think they would be a bit redundant.

And it's almost gaining immunity to anything you want, depending on the form. So really they don't need the extra attack bonuses and feats. They get good skill selection too.

Well, that's it for now I guess.

 

[CRGreathouse]

When I saw this thread, I thought, "Oh great. Someone who's gone and nerfed the Shifter PrC because he thinks it's too powerful."

Do you actually think it's weak? They give up spellcasting, sure, but their shifting is near-limitless, giving them immunities at will, limitless healing, many attacks, great stats, etc.

 

[fba827]

I'd be cautious about this. While true, the first level or so of the Shifter class doesn't gain the character much beyond the ability to assume one more form(when compared to the fact that he has given up a level of spell casting), the later levels really do give a lot

Basically, the character can at later levels choose from most any form - whatever suits the occasion and gains abilities of that form. Not to mention the healing they get from changing.

So if you really did feel something needed to be added, I would recommend it be only one addition and even then, have it be at the first or second level (not something that scales such as increased BAB progression). Perhaps a feat of an appopriate list? or some such thing ...

just my thoughts.

 

[thundershot]

Actually, after you're done with the 10 levels of Shifter, you can go back and start picking up your druid levels again... I think Shifter is powerful enough as-is, though it hasn't been playtested by my group yet. (long way to go at the rate they go up in level)


Chris

 

[ruleslawyer]

Thanks for the input, guys!

I'll confess that I've only playtested a Drd5/Shifter10, a Drd7/Shifter10, and a Wiz7/Shifter10, and that too only in a theoretical context (basically handing my player a pregenerated shifter in place of his usual druid character and running a couple of previously-played battles). I just find that any primary caster of equivalent level (15th or 17th) not only is capable of using poly self, shapechange, and buffing spells to achieve abilities equal to the shifter's, but still has lots of leftover versatility to boot and is much better at ranged combat than the shifter.

If y'all think it ain't broke, though, I won't fix it much. I probably will hand out one feat at 1st level from the list I posted earlier.

Cheers!