Warshaper - Reach Weapons and Natural Weapons

[Corwin of Amber]

I'm just toying around with a class that will be a doppleganger that goes into the Warshaper class. Here are some questions that I've come up with:

Morphic reach adds 5ft to the base reach of the creature, for a medium creature that's a 10ft reach. How does this work with a reach weapon? Is the base reach doubled to 20 or is the 10ft reach increased to 15?

Regardless of how the 1st questioin is answered, if said creature is using a reach weapon, and has his morphic weapon ability activated, does this mean that the morphic weapons cannot reach the maximum reach of the reach weapon? (this seems the logical case, but that rarely has bearing on the rules)

Also, is there a feat/ability that adds a natural weapon to a human character or a doppleganger in human form? It is important that this may be added to a normal human, and not just a doppleganger disguised as one, as the doppleganger is trying to keep his identity a secret.

I may make a small dip into cleric in order to gain a few buff spells, so is there any way to make a high wisdom score usefull for something besides extra spells? If I'm going to be MAD, I would like to try and maximize the effect of each score.

Thank you for any feedback.

 

[Theroc]

As a doppleganger you'll be suffering from heavy LA/HD. ECL 8 I believe. So... MAD ontop would be killer.

To maximize Wis? Dip monk 1 level.

Regarding reach: I think 15'. If my Warshaping Changeling Paladin ever picks up a reach weapon, I'll be sure to let you know my DM's ruling regarding it.

To feat-based human natural weapon: Don't think so. Unless you take the Draconic template and receive a +1 LA and get claws etc... (You could then take a feat for wings or a tail(But only one or the other.) But... that's not a simple feat a human can get.

 

[Dandu]

Regarding reach: I think 15'. If my Warshaping Changeling Paladin ever picks up a reach weapon, I'll be sure to let you know my DM's ruling regarding it.

Probably 15 ft reach.

 

[Corwin of Amber]

Wow, I feel dumb, I could circumnavigate the whole doppleganger problem be being a changeling, according to the warshaper pre reqs, all I need is shapechanger subtype. If I just go around with someone else's face all the time I can get warshaper bonuses AND take a real class...

I guess I can settle for a 15ft reach, that's still pretty good.

Would the Monk's fists count for morphic weapon increases? Or maybe I could go swordsage for the AC bonus, since I won't have a huge LA and could get the most out of class levels.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

It's 20 ft reach. Reach weapons in 3.5 double the user's reach. In 3.0, they merely added +5 ft to it, but that was changed. I think the 3.0 rule is more sane, but *shrug*

Weapons :: d20srd.org

"Reach Weapons
Glaives, guisarmes, lances, longspears, ranseurs, spiked chains, and whips are reach weapons. A reach weapon is a melee weapon that allows its wielder to strike at targets that aren’t adjacent to him or her. Most reach weapons double the wielder’s natural reach, meaning that a typical Small or Medium wielder of such a weapon can attack a creature 10 feet away, but not a creature in an adjacent square. A typical Large character wielding a reach weapon of the appropriate size can attack a creature 15 or 20 feet away, but not adjacent creatures or creatures up to 10 feet away. "

For what it's worth, I believe the reason for the "Most" at the start of the bolded sentence is because the Whip breaks that general rule.

EDIT: More rules support.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/movementPositionAndDistance.htm#bigandLittleCreaturesInCombat

"Large or larger creatures using reach weapons can strike up to double their natural reach but can’t strike at their natural reach or less."
(last line)

 

[Dandu]

Huh, well that's interesting.

I'll have to remember that.

 

[Theroc]

Wow, I feel dumb, I could circumnavigate the whole doppleganger problem be being a changeling, according to the warshaper pre reqs, all I need is shapechanger subtype.

And that's why I mentioned my Paladin. Alevyth is glad he could lift the burden of miserable ECL from your concept. The Broken God would be Pleased.

If I just go around with someone else's face all the time I can get warshaper bonuses AND take a real class...

Yep. Granted, I think some DM's would throw their dice at you for cheese if you just used that as an addon without meshing it with a concept.

I guess I can settle for a 15ft reach, that's still pretty good.

I thought it was pretty awesome, because it'd also let you have 10 ft reach with a sword and shield.

Would the Monk's fists count for morphic weapon increases? Or maybe I could go swordsage for the AC bonus, since I won't have a huge LA and could get the most out of class levels.

RAW, a monk's 'fist' counts as a natural weapon. RAW, a Warshaper can move his natural weapons up a die size.

Swordsage is also a good idea.

 

[Corwin of Amber]

Yep. Granted, I think some DM's would throw their dice at you for cheese if you just used that as an addon without meshing it with a concept.

To be honest, I just want to play a warshaper that doesn't have to deal with polymorph/wildshape nonesense. I'd like to incorporate some small spellcasting/blade magic in order to do something besides /full-attack all day.

Do you perhaps have any dairy-free ways to use warshaper?

 

[Herzog]

To be honest, I just want to play a warshaper that doesn't have to deal with polymorph/wildshape nonesense. I'd like to incorporate some small spellcasting/blade magic in order to do something besides /full-attack all day.

If you don't want to deal with polymorph or wildshape, what are you looking for in the warshaper, which is all about polymorphing/wildshaping?

To avoid complete cheese: take the Wildshape Ranger variant for a way to get wildshape with full Bab.
Then, use Master of Many Forms to get humanoid shape, and shape into any humanoid you like. Then, use your alter form power of your changeling to 'disguise' yourself as your 'basic form' human.....

 

[Corwin of Amber]

Polymorphing/wildshape is complete transformation, I want to focus on partial transformation and focused body alteration, basically I want to be Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) .