Shapeshifter

Some natural philosophers believe that the essence of nature is change: night into day, new moon to full moon, beaver pond to meadow to forest, caterpillar to butterfly. Shapeshifters are the embodiment of this philosophy -- they advocate the idea of nature as the essential agent of transmutation. Moreover, they personally embrace this philosophy and use the deeply fundamental power of nature -- the same power tapped by druids to cast spells -- to change and transmute their own bodily forms.

Shapeshifters are usually druids, but a few arcane naturalists have learned the art of shifting form. The techniques of the shapeshifter are demanding, and include extensive study of the anatomy and physiology of other living things -- few arcanists have the devotion to natural study that shifting demands. Moreover, shifting places great stress on the shifter's body, and most arcanists are not capable of withstanding the stresses which druids often take for granted.

As NPCs, shapeshifters are usually loners and introverts. They seldom come to settled lands, where they might be hunted or scorned unless they remain exclusively in humanoid form. Ignorant folk, unaware of the shifter's true nature, tend to attack "monsters" in their midst. And even if their nature is known, some confuse shapeshifters with lycanthopes and so treat them with contempt or attack them with simple herbs and silver weapons! Only in tolerant places are shapeshifters accepted as respected scholars of nature or as comrades in adventuring groups.

Hit die: d8

Requirements

1. Base Will Save: +4
2. Base Fortitude Save: +3
3. Skills: Survival 6 ranks AND Knowledge [nature] 6 ranks
4. Skill: Knowledge [arcana] 12 ranks OR druidic Nature Sense OR clerical Animal Domain
5. Feat: Spell Focus (Transmutation)
6. Special: Must be able to use Druidic Wildshape OR cast Animal Shapes spell OR spontaneously cast Polymorph Self OR be a Wizard Specialist (Transmuter) who has taken the Spell Mastery Feat for Polymorph Self.

Table -- The Shapeshifter

Lvl...Att...Will...Refx...Fort...Special Abilities
.1.....+0....+2.....+0.....+2.....Wild shape (animal), Wild Empathy, +1 spellcast lvl
.2.....+1....+3.....+0.....+3.....Bonus Feat, +1 spellcast lvl
.3.....+2....+3.....+1.....+3.....Wild shape (ooze & vermin), +1 spellcast lvl
.4.....+3....+4.....+1.....+4.....Bonus Feat, +1 spellcast lvl
.5.....+3....+4.....+1.....+4.....Wild shape (plant & magical beast), +1 spellcast lvl
.6.....+4....+5.....+2.....+5.....Speak in Form, +1 spellcast lvl
.7.....+5....+5.....+2.....+5.....Wild shape (humanoid, giant & monsterous humanoid), +1 spellcast lvl
.8.....+6....+6.....+2.....+6.....Fast Change, +1 spellcast lvl
.9.....+6....+6.....+3.....+6.....Wild shape (elemental & fey), +1 spellcast lvl
10.....+7....+7.....+3.....+7.....True Shapeshifter, +1 spellcast lvl

Class Skills

The shapeshifter's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge [Arcana, Dungeoneering, Local, Nature, Planes] (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points per level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

Weapon & Armor Proficiencies: Shapeshifters gain no new proficiency in weapons or shields. They are proficient with leather, padded, and hide armor. They are fully proficient with all natural attacks of the forms they assume.

Spellcasting: When a new shapeshifter level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does NOT, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (animal companion or familiar advancement, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of shapeshifter to the level of some other spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day, spells known, and caster level accordingly. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before she became a shapeshifter, she must decide to which class she adds her shapeshifter levels for purposes of determining spells per day when she first adopts the PrC.

Spellcasting Restrictions: The shapeshifter loses the ability to cast spells except those from the Transmutation and Divination schools. The shifter loses the ability to cast low level spells from other schools that the shifter used to cast before becoming a shifter. Spells from other schools are not on the shifter's class list, and even scrolls, staves and wands with those spells cannot be used. However, druid shifters can still spontaneously cast Summon Nature's Ally in place of a prepared spell; cleric shifters can still spontaneously cast cure spells; and witch and cleric shifters can still prepare domain spells. If the shifter is a bard or sorcerer, then as a first-level shifter, he must rechoose spells known so that only those from the two allowed schools are available.

Sect: Shapeshifters organize, using the term loosely, when common interests bring them together. Sometimes they form secret societies in places where they are persecuted or outlawed. Some live in communities far from those who cannot change shape. Even those who are averse to organizations are generally aware of neighboring shifters living nearby.

Special Abilities

Wild shape (animal): The shapeshifter can use Wild Shape ability just like a druid -- assuming the form of any creature with the animal type with which the druid is familiar (see below) -- once per level per day. If the shifter has wild shape ability already, the number of changes per day stack, and the duration of each change is based on both total levels of classes that grant the ability. For example, a third level shifter with five levels of druid can make four shifts per day for up to 8 hours in each shift. A shapeshifter has no size restriction on forms you can assume, although the standard restriction still applies that the assumed form can't have more hit dice than your shifter levels plus your druid levels. The ability functions like Polymorph except as noted here. The effects last for 1 hour per level or until the Shapshifter changes back. Changing form to animal or back is a standard action and does not provoke an attack of opportunity. (PHB 37).

Wild Empathy: The shifter has the same Wild Empathy ability that rangers and druids have. This ability stacks with levels from classes that grant Wild Empathy.

Wild shape (ooze & vermin): The shapeshifter can wildshape to the form of any vermin or ooze. A change in form counts as usual against the shifters' total allowed per day. However, the shifter can only assume the form of a creature with which she is familiar (see below).

Bonus Feat: The shifter chooses a feat from this list: Animal Affinity, Combat Casting, Greater Spell Focus (Transmutation), Improved Wild Shape, Natural Spell, Self Sufficient, Weapon Focus (Natural Attacks). The shifter may also choose from the following feats found in the Monster Manual: Flyby Attack, Improved Flyby Attack, Hover, Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack, Multiattack, Improved Multiattack, Wingover.

Wild shape (plant & magical beast): The shapeshifter can wildshape to the form of any plant creature or magical beast. A change in form counts as usual against the shifters' total allowed per day. However, the shifter can only assume the form of a creature with which she is familiar (see below).

Speak in Form: The shapeshifter can speak in any language he knows, regardless of his current form. The shifter's words may be "accented" by the constraints of the form assumed -- bark-like in dog form, tweety in bird form, very high pitched in bat form -- but the words are not hard to understand.

Wild shape (humanoid, giant & monsterous humanoid): The shapeshifter can wildshape to the form of any humanoid, giant or monsterous humanoid. A change in form counts as usual against the shifters' total allowed per day. However, the shifter can only assume the form of a creature with which she is familiar (see below).

Fast Change: The shifter can choose to change to a new form or return to his native form as a free action. The shifter can still only make one form change per round, and cannot cast a quickened spell in the same round in which he makes a fast change.

Wild shape (elemental & fey): The shapeshifter can wildshape to the form of an elemental or fey. A change in form counts as usual against the shifters' total allowed per day. However, the shifter can only assume the form of an elemental or fey with which she is familiar (see below).

True Shapeshifter: The character's type changes to "shapeshifter," offering immunity to spells that target "persons" or humanoids. The shifter also can now use all extraordinary and supernatural abilities of forms she assumes. Finally, the shifter gains the druidic Timeless Body ability.

Note on Forms Known

A Shifter (or any other character, for that matter, from a mage casting Alter Self to a wildshaping druid) can only assume familiar forms. A form is familiar if the shifter has encountered a creature of that form, through combat, conversation lasting more than one minute, or physical inspection lasting at least a minute.

It is assumed that if the character can summon a creature, then the shifter has summoned and studied that creature. Therefore a shifter is familiar with all creatures it can summon. If a friendly spellcaster in the group can summon other creatures, the shifter can be assumed to be familiar with them too.

Creatures encountered in Tapestry games, the Giggling Ghost, and the Catacombs do not count toward familiarity. the DM has final say on whether or not the PC has enough knowlege of a particular creature.

Other creatures encountered in game probably do count towards familiarity. The game archives can be used to resolve questions about creatures encountered in the shifter's past.

If a character starts after first level, the DM can work with the shifter to compile a reasonable list of creatures that have been encountered in the past.

Notes on Using Wild shape

1) Except as noted above and below, the characteristics of the Polymorph spell apply to shifting. Especially note:

* No form is allowed that has been created via template (so no lycanthropes). No form is allowed that is "advanced" by adding hit dice to its base stats (so no huge-size ankhegs). And for monsters that exist in several varieties, such as centipedes and spiders, treat each variety as a seperate form. If you have studied a 7-headed cryohydra, then you can take that form, but that does not mean you can take the form of a 6 or 8 headed one.

* In an assumed form, the character changing shape gains (1) all the sensory abilities of the form (including those such as Blindsense, Scent, Darkvision, etc.) (2) all the movement abilities of the assumed form, (3) the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of the new form but retains its own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, and (4) proficiency with all the all the natural attacks of the assumed form, including extraordinary attacks. HOWEVER, a character changing shape does NOT gain the non-sensory, non-attack extraordinary special qualities possessed by the new form or any supernatural or spell-like abilities. (Note that a 10th level Woldian shapeshifter gains all extraordinary and supernatural abilities of the new form, but not spell-like abilities.)

* A wildshaper's assumed form can't have more hit dice than your druid levels (if you have at least five levels of druid) plus your shifter levels, to a maximum of 20 HD at 20th level. This is the primary restriction on shapeshifters, since, unlike druids, they can assume the form of creatures of any size.

* Upon changing, the subject regains lost hit points as if it had rested for a night (though this healing does not restore temporary ability damage and provide other benefits of resting; and changing back does not heal the subject further).

* Any gear worn or carried by the shifter melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional (except for armor and shields with the "Wild" ability). When the shifter reverts to her true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on her body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the shifter's feet.

2) The Woldian Improved Wildshape feat gives a druid one extra change per day and one extra hour of duration on changes. A Druid's Vestment grants one additional change per day only, and does not affect duration of change.

3) Familiars and Companions. A shifter who has a familiar or animal companion from a prior class does not have to dismiss them, but Shifter levels do not count in determining the level relative of the familiar or animal companion.

4) The normal Alignment of the form chosen has no impact upon the Shifter, as alignment is not affected. The Shifter always retains alignment.

5) A Shifter who chooses a form capable of polymorph is still restricted to his normal times/day to change form.

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