New base class - Shapeshifter (First Draft)

[Leviathan]

So, I've always like shapeshifting classes, and after thinking "I wonder what tier the druid would be if we stripped Wild Shape from it, and I wonder what tier Wild Shape only would be", I came up with this. Please let me know what you think, I know this is very rough and needs a lot of refinement

PS: If someone can tell me how to make tables work properly, I can clean this up dramatically.

[spoiler]

Shapeshifter

*Picture to be located*

What am I? Is that a trick question..

Many classes dabble in shapeshifting, Druids can become animals and elementals, mages use arcane power to turn themselves into many different shapes, but it takes far more dedication than either to master this powerful artform. A true shapeshifter can be anything, powerful melee combatant, scout, infiltrator, conman, or just about anything else he or she desires.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Shapeshifters have the following game statistics.
Abilities: A Shapeshifter changes forms so often that their physical ability scores often take a back seat to their mental stats. A high Charisma is necessary for social builds, and a high Intelligence is useful for the Knowledge skills required to occupy a new form.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: As druid
Starting Gold: As druid

Class Skills
The Shapeshifter's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

BaB: Full
Saves: Fort & Ref high, Will low
Abilities by Level:
Shapeshifting Note: While shifted into another race, you gain +10 to Disguise checks to mimic your assumed race.
When mimicing another race you lose any and all characteristics or abilities of your previous race, barring bonus feats.
If your new race has an ability useable a limited number of times per day, this is your total for that race. You cannot use the ability, change into a different race and then back again to gain new uses.
You require a certain amount of knowledge of a creature to be able to transform into it. Whenever you change race you must succeed at the same DC Knowledge check required to Identify the creature (ie, DC 15+HD). Alternatively if you spend an hour investigating an intact corpse of the creature (alive or dead) you may make an Int Check (DC = creature's HD). If you succeed you may freely shapeshift into this creature for one day per shapeshifter level. If you have a living creature to investigate, the DC= 10+HD (it's harder to figure out how to change into something if you can't see its insides).
You may not use Mimic Race and True Shapeshift at the same time, one overrides the other.

1) Mimic Race (Su): A shapeshifter may transform into any LA+0 race that lacks Racial HD. While shifted your own racial abilities with an Ex or Su tag are supressed, and you take on all of the new race's characteristics. (Note: I'm mostly just trying to not have this ability knock out feats etc). You may freely designate your new form's physical characteristics, within the norm of your new race.
This ability may be used at will as a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity and lasts until the Shapeshifter assumes a new form.
2) Your Mimic Race feature improves. You may now assume any +1LA race with no Racial HD, or any +0LA race with one Racial HD. Additionally, when you mimic a race you may choose any one Racial Feat appropriate for your new race that you meet the pre-requisites for.
3) Your Mimic Race feature improves again. You may now assume any race whose LA and Racial HD add up to two.
4) True Shapeshift (Su): You learn how to truly transform your body. You may now shapeshift into any Humanoid with HD no higher than your Shapeshifter level.
While in the new form you retain your own mental stats, feats, saves, skills, base HP and class abilities.
You gain the following features of your new form: Physical ability scores, gross physical characteristics (size, weight, number of limbs, etc etc), Ex special attacks, Subtype, Immunities and resistances (without an Su tag). Once you can turn into other creature types, you also gain their creature type.
You do not gain any Ex, Su or Sp abilities of the new form.
You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to your class level without penalty. Additional uses cause you to become Fatigued, or Exhausted if you are Fatigued. You cannot use this ability if Exhausted.
5) Shapeshift Abilities: At lvl 5 and every three levels thereafter, you may choose one ability from the list below. All abilities work in all forms:
[spoiler]
Physical Boost: You gain +4 to one Physical ability score, and +2 to two others. You may alter which stat is highest whenever you shapeshift.
Organ Shift: By moving your organs around, you gain 25% fortification. This may be taken up to three times
Improved Speed: Increase your base move speed by 50%. This does not stack with any magical movement mode or any spell/magical effect that increases speed.
Improved Armor: You gain a bonus to your Natural Armor equal to one quarter of your Shapeshifter level
Improved Stealth: You gain a racial bonus to your Hide & Move Silently skills equal to one half of your Shapeshifter level.
Improved Physique: You gain a racial bonus to your Balance, Jump and Tumble skills equal to one half of your Shapeshifter level.
Enhanced Sense: Choose one of the following senses. You have this ability in all forms. If your form already has this sense, increase the range by 50%. Low Light Vision. Darkvision. Scent. Blindsense. Tremorsense.

Minimum Level 10
Fast Healing: You gain fast healing equal to 1/4 your Shapeshifter level
Bodily Repair: Requires Fast Healing ability: As a standard action you can concentrate on repairing your damaged body, restoring a number of hit points equal to 2x your Shapeshifter level. This can be used at will
Improved HD: You add two to the maximum HD you can Shapeshift into (can be taken multiple times)

[/spoiler]
6) At level six, and every level thereafter you may choose a creature type from the below list. You may now transform into this creature type using your Shapeshift ability.

[spoiler]
Animal
Monstrous humanoid
Giant
Lycanthrope
Fey

Minimal Level 10
Vermin
Aberration
Plant
Ooze
Magical Beast

Minimal Level 15
Elemental
Dragon
Outsider
Construct
Undead
[/spoiler]

7) You gain the Shapeshifter subtype. Additionally you may now shapeshift into Large creatures
8) Your body is now so accustomed to shapeshifting that you can attempt to hold onto your form when in an area that would normally supress Su effects, such as an Antimagic field. If you suceed at a will save (DC= Spell save DC, or DC20 for effects not cast by another individual) you may retain your shape for a number of minutes equal to your Shapeshifter level. You may not change shape inside such an area.
9) Using your Shapeshift and Mimic Race abilities is now a move action and does not provoke an attack of opportunity. You may now shift into Huge and Tiny forms
10) At level ten you gain all Ex special abilities and qualities of your new form.
11) You gain immunity to all Transmutation effects that you do not wish to accept
12) From level 12 you may now use your shapeshift ability at will
14) You may now shift into Diminutive and Gargantuan forms
15) Your mastery of Shapeshifting has now reached an ease that few others could ever achieve. Your Shapeshift and Mimic Race abilities are now Ex rather than Su. You no longer have a 'base race' and any effect trying to discern your true shape shows your current form as your true one. Any effect that would force you into your 'true form' instead prevents you from changing form for a number of rounds equal to the spell level of the effect.
16) Using your Shapeshift and Mimic Race abilities is now a swift action
18) You now gain all Supernatural abilities of any race you emulate
20) You have reached the pinnacle of your shapeshifting. Your Shapeshift and Mimic Race abilities can now be used once per round as a free action, and you gain all Spell Like Abilities of the new form.

[/spoiler]

[Havok4]

You need to move up the ability to select different creature types, as this base class should not fall behind a druid/master of many forms in terms of abilities. Maybe a good way to do it would be start giving extra types at level 5 and give one more type per level, that way the shapeshifter could get every type available in the game and will almost always be ahead of a wizard who just took the right spells. You should also add magical beast to the list of types in the 10th level slot.

 An example of this problem is the fact that you can turn into large creatures at level 6 but you can only turn into humanoids, there are almost no large humanoids in the game.

You should also not lose your base races ex special qualities sp and su qualities when you use true shapeshift. You should clarify that point.

Are you supposed to be able to stack your mimic race and true shapeshift abilities, because it looks like you can currently.

You also need to add some rules regarding which forms you know. A simple rule like knowing a number of forms of a type equal to your ranks in the relevant knowledge skill would work. Another option would be requiring a 10+hd knowledge check.

Also you should add more shapeshift abilities and tier them by level so you can add more level appropriate ones, like fast healing, spell resistance, or a read thoughts sla.

This class would end up being high tier 3 most of the game. It would be fairly nicely balanced for most levels.

[Leviathan]

You need to move up the ability to select different creature types, as this base class should not fall behind a druid/master of many forms in terms of abilities. Maybe a good way to do it would be start giving extra types at level 5 and give one more type per level, that way the shapeshifter could get every type available in the game and will almost always be ahead of a wizard who just took the right spells. You should also add magical beast to the list of types in the 10th level slot.

You raise a good point, I hadn't calculated what shapes other classes get at what levels. And somehow had forgotten Magical Beasts..

You should also not lose your base races ex special qualities sp and su qualities when you use true shapeshift. You should clarify that point.

Actually, the plan is that you *do* lose all your base race's abilities. The idea with this class is that your new race completely overwrites your old one, no carryover.

Are you supposed to be able to stack your mimic race and true shapeshift abilities, because it looks like you can currently.

Well spotted, the mimic race is mostly just there to tide you over until the major shapeshift gets running.

You also need to add some rules regarding which forms you know. A simple rule like knowing a number of forms of a type equal to your ranks in the relevant knowledge skill would work. Another option would be requiring a 10+hd knowledge check.

Already have that one . Right under "Abilities by Level"

Also you should add more shapeshift abilities and tier them by level so you can add more level appropriate ones, like fast healing, spell resistance, or a read thoughts sla.

I do plan to add more, just need to come up with thematic ones. Unsure if I should start adding in Master Trasmographist style abilities of mixing critters or not.

[Havok4]

It might be simpler to have just a forms known table for the true shapeshift ability along with your whole analysis rules to determine what you can turn into, it would make the class easier to run and more understandable while still allowing flexibility to shift into new things if necessary. It also does not come up with the whole issue of forgetting a form you plan to use often like your current rules could cause. Perhaps a sorcerer like forms known table with different numbers known for different ranges of hd.

 

The analysis of a creature also should not be an int check, but a knowledge check or other skill check as an int check would not scale usefully and would soon become nearly impossible, unless it was a modified int check or something like int+shapeshifter level.

Mimic Race should not have a limit on how many form you know.

[Leviathan]

It might be simpler to have just a forms known table for the true shapeshift ability along with your whole analysis rules to determine what you can turn into, it would make the class easier to run and more understandable while still allowing flexibility to shift into new things if necessary. It also does not come up with the whole issue of forgetting a form you plan to use often like your current rules could cause. Perhaps a sorcerer like forms known table with different numbers known for different ranges of hd.

Hrm. I did initially think the 'forgetting a form' thing could be amusing "Ah carp it, where does a Troll put their second head again? Wait, no, that's Ettins, aargh!", but you're right it could be very annoying.
How about you must have a knowledge bonus = the monster's HD? Relatively the same as above, but it assumes you roll a 15.

The analysis of a creature also should not be an int check, but a knowledge check or other skill check as an int check would not scale usefully and would soon become nearly impossible, unless it was a modified int check or something like int+shapeshifter level.

Mimic Race should not have a limit on how many form you know.

Mimic Race doesn't have a limit, I'd assume people can hit the check required for LA+0 races very easily.

The reason why I'm using an Int check is that if you add shapeshifter level or something, then you're automatically passing (since you can't assume a form with more HD than your level anyway). The Int check is supposed to be a way to assist those who don't have an appropriate knowledge for the creature type (or it's too advanced for them).
Do you think you should be able to autopass such a check?

[Havok4]

Hrm. I did initially think the 'forgetting a form' thing could be amusing "Ah carp it, where does a Troll put their second head again? Wait, no, that's Ettins, aargh!", but you're right it could be very annoying.
How about you must have a knowledge bonus = the monster's HD? Relatively the same as above, but it assumes you roll a 15.

The issue with that is it basically forces the character to invest constantly in the knowledge skills, which is just a tax for the character and limits customization. A better option might be to have a list of forms known (which is better from a bookkeeping perspective as the player can more easily work out the stats for a given form beforehand and not bring the game to a halt to work it out). Augment the forms known by being able to improvise a form with a knowledge check or via analysis of the creature. Maybe worded like the following. Gain it at level 5 maybe?

Improvised form(Ex): You can temporarily add a form to your forms known list by making a knowledge check of a knowledge skill appropriate to that creature type of a DC equal to15+ racial HD of the creature whose form you want to assume. You gain a +5 bonus if you can observe a living example of the creature for a minute, you gain a +10 bonus if you can study a corpse of the creature for 5 minutes. You can retain a single improvised form at a time starting at level 5, you can retain an additional form for every 5 levels thereafter (2 at 10, 3 at 15, 4 at 20). You can retain a improvised form for a number of days equal to your shapeshifter level, after this time has passed you forget how to assume that form unless you can make the knowledge check again to improvise the form, you can also forget a form to learn a new one. This ability is usable once per day starting at level 5 and you gain additional use per day at level 15.

This ability combines parts of the current system you have with a forms known list. That way you have the forms you just picked up to deal with specific situations and the forms you know by heart. Also it makes the knowledge skills useful but not necessary.

As to the forms known list you would probably be fine with a new form known every level with the ability to swap out a form every 4th level. You just know these forms much like a sorcerer knows his spells.

You might want to make it so that the animal type is available by default to the true shape shift ability. Because currently there is some serious overlap between assume race at levels 4 and 5 due to the lack of good humanoid forms with racial HD, which becomes problematic if you decide to use a forms known system as you would often be better off just using mimic race.

Mimic Race doesn't have a limit, I'd assume people can hit the check required for LA+0 races very easily.

I know, I was just suggesting that if you implemented a forms known system it should only affect the true shapshifting ability.


Also you should clarify whether the abilities work like alternate form where you retain your original HP values or if it changes when your forms con score changes.

Also suggestions for additional shapeshift abilities.
Shifters speech: like in MoMF
Consume: You can now Consume a helpless creature 1/day and its body is absorbed into your form, that creature's form is added to your forms known for one day and you can gain the memories of the creature, these memories are fragmented and distorted but can be used to assume the role of the creature more effectively giving you a +10 insight bonus to disguise and bluff to impersonate the consumed creature, also you learn the answer to one simple question that can be answered from the consumed creature's memory in a manner similar to the divination spell.