Abusing the Shapeshift Druid

[pfooti]

So a 1-level dip of druid with the shapeshift ACF gives you predator form at will, all day. As a swift action, you shape into a wolf-looking thing with +4 AC, +4 NA and a 1d6 bite. There's no prereqs to get in, and you can switch from normal to predator form as many times as you want. You also get access to the druid spell list through wands/scrolls, a low-level animal companion (flanker, but you take no penalties if he dies, just get a new one).

I was thinking of using this as a cute ability for my Totemist. Sure, you lose access to your magic items, but you've got soulmelds going on. Plus, the Bite attack from the form can be used to fire off a free Trip attack if you have Worg Pelt bound to your hands.

You could also use it to enter Warshaper. I'm not sure how exciting that is, but fast healing at will is nice. So is buffing up your attacks and stuff. 

The totemist's other option would be to use Bear Warrior to transform, but that's a bit more limited.

Still, I've gotta think 1 level (and sacrificing a point of BAB) gets you a lot of goodies from druid. Any ideas about how to abuse this?

[Emy]

Looks like you can combine it with Druidic Avenger for Fast Movement and Rage 1/day. You give up your companion, but honestly, since your companion won't be very tough, I think it's a good trade.

[Rebel7284]

doesn't the shapeshift variant force you to give up your animal companion?

[pfooti]

Ah, crap. You're right. You don't get an animal companion either. Oh well.

Shapeshift druid seems like a real crap ability - sacrifice one significant class ability in order to weaken another. Wheeeee! I think it's just there in order to make paperwork easier for everyone involved in wildshaping. Otherwise, druidic avenger would rock my socks for totemist - an extra rage and actual fast movement (which I gave up for pounce or something).

[Emy]

doesn't the shapeshift variant force you to give up your animal companion?

Damn. I was getting my info from pfooti's post. If it didn't give up the AC, Druidic Avenger Shapeshift Druid would rock for melee builds.

[SorO_Lost]

Shapeshift druid seems like a real crap ability

It's as great as Daring Outlaw. Some people think it's just freaking awesome, others think it is more optimal to stab out your character's eyes and cut off his hands, that way you can gimp your self out while still having 20 levels to work with.

[Akalsaris]

One of my friends plays a shapeshift druid in a game with me that's run from 4th-12th.  I think his build is Half-Orc Druid 6/Nature's Warrior 3/Warshaper 3 or something similar, so he's clearly dumped his spell-casting pretty hard in order to focus on his shapeshift abilities.

He was very happy with it until around 9th level, when the wizard and (blaster) cleric started to regularly beat encounters without aid from the rest of the party, especially when wild shape starts to become a much more powerful option than his forms.  Now at 12th he's gotten very bitter, since he hasn't contributed anything very useful to the last 5 fights. 

I haven't been too useful either as the swift hunter (Scout 3/Ranger 9), though my animal companion's finally gotten strong enough to attract some attention from NPCs, which only makes the druid PC more bitter, since he could have had my animal companion 6 levels ago, and could be running around with a dire bear by now if he'd only gone straight druid. 

The problem is compounded by the game being on the extremely low end of the gear scale, so that he has an Amulet of Natural Armor +1 as his only magic item (which won't even work in his form), while I still use a masterwork bow.  But that gear loss doesn't really have anywhere near the same effect on the wizard or cleric. 

We're both more useful to the party than the Elf Monk 4/Cleric 3/Ninja 2/Homebrew Monk PrC 3 character though.  Talk about a freaking exp sponge.

[Sinfire Titan]

Wild Cohort can give you your Animal Companion back. Leadership for a Cohort who can use you as a Mount is probably better though.

[Surreal]

Looking through my notes, a random build I have using the shapeshifting druid... high speed and reach, good stats, high damage dice, no buffs, no items (except dire braids)

Shifter (razorclaw) Barbarian 2*/Druid 2**/Totemist 2/Warshaper 4/Totem Rager 10
* Wolf Totem variant (UA), gain improved trip in place of Uncanny Dodge
** PHB2 shapeshift variant

total: 14, 20/11/7 (Will save +2(rage) +?(cobalt rage))

totem meldshaper 10: 6 soulmelds, base 7 essentia, 3 chakra binds
essentia: 7 + 1(cobalt rage) + 5(totem rage) = 13

feats: snow tiger beserker lodge, cobalt rage, extra rage, shifter multiattack, extra shifter trait:longstride, longstride elite, shifter savagery, (mad foam rager), (double chakra), (endurance + steadfast determination), (open greater chakra), (bonus essentia)
**redo feats**

Str +2(razorclaw) +4(rage) +4(shapeshift) +4(warshaper) +2(dire braid)
Dex +2(shifter) -2(dire braid)
Con +4(rage) +4(Warshaper)
NA +4(shapeshift)
speed 50(shapeshift) +10(barbarian) +10(longstride) +10(elite)
reach 10' (large with dire bead) + 5(warshaper)

Get +16 Str, +8 Con, +4 NA, large size, 15' reach, fast healing 2, speed 80'

all natural weapon damage up by 4 steps (dire braid, warshaper, shifter savagery), threat range doubled

use charging/pouncing options

item: braid of dire shifting (increase one size category),

default attacks: 1 bite (shapeshift), 2 claws (shifting)

soulmelds: threefold mask of the chimera (totem), worg pelt (hands),
**problem: do I make a tripping build? a pouncing build? can I do both?

gestalt - add Weretouched Master?

[Surreal]

A related thought would be a Shifter shapeshifting druid 1/barbarian 2/totemist 2/warblade 1/bloodclaw master 5/warshaper 4/whatever 5 (maybe weretouched master to keep along with the theme)

Very strong shifting theme, tripping options from various sources, BCM qualifies you for razorclaw feats even if you took a different trait, etc.

[Ithamar]

I like the shapeshift variant, even though it is admittedly weaker.  And I find it really useful in lots of gestalt builds as well.  Though obviously gestalt changes everything.  I have a Shifter Monk || Shapeshift Druid that I'm ejoying.  He's low level at the moment, but eventually he'll be something like Monk / Fist of the Forest / Weretouched Master || Druid 20.

[Akalsaris]

Wild Cohort can give you your Animal Companion back. Leadership for a Cohort who can use you as a Mount is probably better though.

To be fair, a standard druid can do both of these things, and still have the normal AC as well.  They're still good ideas though.