Shifter

Whether riding on the wind as a falcon or hiding in some fetid bog waiting to strike, the shifter is a true master of the wild. Both a devoted defender of druidic circles and a fierce predator, the shifter can take on the forms of nature and even fuse them together with devastating effect and unbridled savagery. By way of the druidic discipline of wild shape, they become living aspects of the wild. At first, they are able to assume only a minor aspect, but with time and practice they can fully transform into ever more powerful forms.
The shifter class offers players a way to experience a shapeshifting character that is more martially inclined than a spellcasting druid. With each new level, the shifter’s powers grow in new and surprising ways, creating a character that thrives in battle, exploration, and stealth.
Shifters are protectors of druidic circles and avengers of nature, yet a shifter’s magic is different from that of her druidic kin. Rather than invoking spells from the natural world or forging alliances with animals, shifters focus their supernatural powers inward to gain control over their own forms. Their ability to change their forms is as varied as the wonders of the wilds themselves but always remains at least partially rooted in the natural world. There are many paths to becoming a shifter; most are trained in that role by druidic circles and have their powers unlocked via rituals of initiation. Yet some stumble upon the gift naturally, as if their blood bore the secrets of shifter transformation.
For those leaning toward the causes of law and good, the path of the shifter is one of contemplation and understanding. They become one with nature through mental and physical mimicry and gain an ever deeper spiritual understanding of the ebb and flow of the natural world. Those leaning toward the chaotic and evil teachings of druidic philosophy find such enlightenment through more violent means. These are typically quicker transformations, both brutal and painful, imparting the dark lessons of nature through its most catastrophic forms. Shifters who lean toward true neutrality are the most diverse when it comes to their command of metamorphic secrets.
Role: The shifter is so attuned to nature and the wild beasts of the world that she can call upon those powers to mystically fortify her being. Fluid in form and function, she can shape herself to overcome hardships and support those she befriends or serves.
Alignment: Any neutral.
Hit Die: d10.
Starting Wealth: 3d6x10 gp (average 105 gp). In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.
Starting Age: Self-Taught.

Class Skills

The shifter’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier

Table: Shifter

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Shifter Evolution Damage
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	Shifter aspect, shifter evolution (magic), shifter shape, wild empathy	1d6
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	Defensive instinct, track	1d6
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Shifter evolution (cold iron/silver), woodland stride	1d6
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Bonus feat, defensive instinct (+1)	1d8
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	Additional aspect, trackless step	1d8
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Speed shift	1d8
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	Shifter evolution (incorporeal)	1d8
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	Bonus feat, defensive instinct (+2)	1d10
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Additional aspect, chimeric aspect	1d10
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	Lightning shift	1d10
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	Shifter evolution (alignment)	1d10
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	Bonus feat, defensive instinct (+3)	2d6
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	Additional aspect	2d6
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	Greater chimeric aspect	2d6
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5	Shifter evolution (adamantine)	2d6
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	Bonus feat, defensive instinct (+4)	2d8
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Additional aspect	2d8
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	Instant Shift	2d8
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	Shifter evolution (--)	2d8
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	Bonus feat, defensive instinct (+5)	2d10

Class Features

The following are the class features of the shifter.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A shifter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and the natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) from the shifter evolution class feature and of forms she assumes with shifter shape. Shifters are proficient with light and medium armor and shields (except tower shields).

Bonus Languages

A shifter’s bonus language options include Sylvan, the language of woodland creatures, and Aklo, the tongue spoken by certain sinister fey or otherworldly denizens of reaches of the wild rarely explored by humanity. These choices are in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of her race.
A shifter speaks Druidic, a secret language known only to druids and shifters, which she learns upon becoming a 1st-level shifter. Druidic is a free language for a shifter; that is, she knows it in addition to her regular allotment of languages, and it doesn’t take up a language slot. shifters are forbidden to teach this language to non-druids or non- shifters, although they do not suffer any consequences for doing so.
For the purposes of teaching and learning the Druidic language, shifters are considered to be druids— the nuances of the language are instrumental in teaching characters of both classes to use and control their abilities. While the rare druidic circle might bar shifters from its order, and while some eccentric shifters may view druids as competitors or even enemies, all shifters are assumed to speak it.

Shifter Aspect (Su)

At 1st level, a shifter gains her first aspect — a category of animal to which her body and soul have become supernaturally attuned. She can shift into her aspect’s form (see Aspects) as a swift action, while ending the effect is a free action that can be taken only on the shifter’s turn. A shifter can maintain her aspect indefinitely, and a shifter may switch which aspect’s form she is taking as a swift action.
Until a shifter reaches 9th level and gains the chimeric aspect class feature, she can assume only one form at a time. Shifting to a new aspect (or aspects, in the case of chimeric aspects or greater chimeric aspects) ends all forms currently manifested. The forms of aspects are not polymorph effects, and the shifter does not lose the benefits of a form while affected by polymorph effects.
As the shifter gains levels, she gains more aspects; she gains her second aspect at 5th level and an additional aspect every four levels afterwards, to a maximum number of 5 at 17th level.

Shifter Shape (Su)

At 1st level, a shifter gains the ability to turn herself into any small or Medium animal and back again, although she is limited to the following forms; badger, bird, camel, cat (small), dire rat, dog, dolphin, horse, manta ray, pony, snake (viper or constrictor), or wolf. This ability functions like the beast shape I spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for a number of hours equal to her shifter class level + her Wisdom modifier (minimum 1), and she may split the duration of this ability however she wants. Each use of this ability uses up at least an hour of its duration, regardless of how long she stays in it. A shifter can change form while in her shifter shape, but doing so reduces her total duration by 1 hour. Shifter shape is treated as wild shape for the purpose of feats which would affect it.
A shifter loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)
In addition, a shifter can change her form while in shifter shape as a standard action a number of times per day equal to 1/2 her character level + her Wisdom modifier (minimum 1 doing so does not consume any duration of her shifter shape ability.
At 3rd level, a shifter is no longer limited in which forms she can take from the options provided by beast shape I.
At 6th level, a shifter can use shifter shape to change into a Large or Tiny animal. When taking the form of an animal, a shifter’s shifter shape now functions as beast shape II.
At 8th level, a shifter can use shifter shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive animal or a small or medium magical beast. When taking the form of animals or magical beasts, a shifter’s shifter shape now functions as beast shape III.
At 12th level, a shifter can use shifter shape to transform into a Tiny or Large magical beast. When taking the form of magical beasts, a shifter’s shifter shape now functions as beast shape IV.
At 16th level, a shifter can use shifter shape to transform into a Diminutive or Huge magical beast. When taking the form of magical beasts, a shifter’s shifter shape now functions as magical beast shape.

Shifter Evolution (Su)

At will, a shifter in her natural form can extend her claws and grow out a set of fangs as a swift action to use as a weapon. This magical transformation is fueled as much by the shifter’s faith in the natural world as it is by inborn talent. These are primary natural attacks. Her claws deal piercing and slashing damage while her fangs deal bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage listed on Table: Shifter. In addition, her claw and bite attacks ignore DR/magic. If she uses one of her claw attacks and/or bite in concert with a weapon held in the other hand, the claw and bite act as secondary natural attacks instead. Due to the supernatural nature of these claws and bite, their damage does not increase or decrease due to the shifter’s size.
As the shifter gains levels, the power of her claws and fangs increases. At 3rd level, her claws and fangs ignore DR/cold iron and DR/silver. At 7th level, the shifter’s claws and bite are treated as though they had the ghost touch enhancement. At 11th level, she can select one aspect of her alignment, treating her claws and bite attacks as though they were that element for the purpose of damage reduction (if the shifter is neutrally aligned, she may select any alignment for this ability). At 15th level, the claws and fangs ignore DR/adamantine. Lastly, at 19th level, the claws and fangs ignore DR/—.
While a shifter is under the effects of a polymorph (such as change shape or shifter shape) to assume another form, all of her natural attacks gain the same benefits granted by her shifter evolution ability. If the form she takes has claw or bite attacks, she can use either the base damage of her shifter evolution claws and bite or the damage of the form’s claws or bites, whichever is greater. If the form does not have claw or bite attacks, she can choose up to three natural attacks that would deal less damage than her shifter evolution damage and have those attacks instead deal the same damage. This ability is treated as shifter’s claws for the purpose of meeting the prerequisites of feats and other abilities.

Wild Empathy (Ex)

A shifter can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions as a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The shifter rolls 1d20 and adds her shifter level and Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the shifter and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another and under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
The shifter can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check.

Defensive Instinct (Ex)

At 2nd level, when unarmored, not using a shield, unencumbered, and conscious, the shifter adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC and CMD. If she is wearing armor or using a shield, she instead adds half her Wisdom bonus to her AC (minimum 0). In addition, the shifter gains a +1 bonus to her AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 shifter levels thereafter (up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level).
These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks and when the shifter is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless. These bonuses do not stack with the monk AC bonus class feature.

Track (Ex)

At 2nd level, a shifter adds half her level as a bonus on Survival checks to follow tracks.

Woodland Stride (Ex)

At 3rd level, a shifter can move through any sort of undergrowth (such as briars, natural thorns, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Briars, thorns, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect the shifter.

Bonus Feat (Ex)

At 4th level, and every four levels thereafter, a shifter gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained by normal advancement. These bonus feats must be combat feats or feats which have wild shape as a prerequisite. She treats her shifter shape class feature as the Wild Shape class feature, and uses her shifter level as her druid level for qualifying for such feats.

Trackless Step (Ex)

At 5th level, a shifter leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She can choose to leave a trail if she so desires.

Speed Shift (Ex)

At 6th level, whenever a shifter uses her shifter shape class feature, she can use it as a move action which does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Chimeric Aspect (Su)

At 9th level, when a shifter uses her shifter aspect ability to take on a form, she can choose two aspects and assume the form of each aspect.

Lightning Shift (Ex):

At 10th level, whenever a shifter uses her shifter shape class feature, she can use it as a swift action which does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Greater Chimeric Aspect (Su)

At 14th level, when a shifter uses her shifter aspect ability to take on a form, she can choose up to three aspects and assume the form of each aspect.

Instant Shift (Ex)

At 18th level, a shifter may use her shifter shape ability as an immediate action.

Master of the Many Forms (Ex)

At 20th level, a shifter may use shifter shape at will and gains the shapechanger subtype, becoming immune to any transmutation effect unless she is willing to accept it.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Legendary Shifters. Copyright 2018,Legendary Games; Authors N. Jolly and Siobhan Bjorknas