Beasthide

Beasthide Shifter Features

Source: Eberron: Rising from the Last War]
Stoic and solid, a beasthide shifter draws strength and stability from the beast within. Beasthide shifters are typically tied to the bear or the boar, but this subrace could embody any creature known for its toughness.
Ability Scores Con +2; Str +1
Alignment Shifters tend toward neutrality, being more focused on survival than concepts of good and evil. A love of personal freedom can drive shifters toward chaotic alignments.
Size Your size is Medium.
Speed Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Shifting As a bonus action, you can assume a more bestial appearance. This transformation lasts for 1 minute, until you die, or until you revert to your normal appearance as a bonus action. When you shift, you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point). You also gain additional benefits that depend on your shifter subrace, described below. Once you shift, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Languages You can speak, read, and write Common.
Natural Athlete You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.
Shifting Feature Whenever you shift, you gain 1d6 additional temporary hit points. While shifted, you have a +1 bonus to your Armor Class.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Their facial features have a bestial cast, often with large eyes and pointed ears; most shifters also have prominent canine teeth.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Shifters have no language of their own and often live in blended communities. Their names typically overlap with the names of other cultures in their region. Many shifters prefer to keep their personal names for their friends and use "wandering names" with strangers. These are usually tied to a physical or personality trait. Shifter Names: Badger, Bear, Cat, Fang, Grace, Grim, Moon, Rain, Red, Scar, Stripe, Swift, Talon, Wolf

History

Shifters are sometimes called the weretouched, as many believe they are the descendants of humans and lycanthropes. Whatever their origins, shifters have evolved into a unique race. They are humanoids with a bestial aspect; while they can't fully change shape, they can temporarily enhance their animalistic features—a state they call shifting. Each shifter walks on the knife's edge between the wilds and the world around them. Do they embrace their primal instincts or the path of civilization? Early in childhood, a shifter forms a bond with a beast within, a totemic force that shapes their body and mind. Some shifters believe that these spirits are independent entities, and they may speak of Bear or Wolf as ancestors or guides. Most just see the beast within as a formidable expression of their inner nature, something that emerges as the shifter's personality takes shape. The beast within is a pool of powerful instincts, and its influence is revealed by a shifter's personality: a feline shifter may be cool and distant, driven by predatory instincts, while a shifter with a lupine spirit might be drawn to find and protect a pack. When a shifter fully embraces this beast within they physically transform for a short time.
Beasthide often signifies the bear or boar: stoic, stubborn, and thick-skinned.

Notable Characters

Scientific Name

Furry

Average Physique

Shifters are similar to humans in height and build but are typically more lithe and flexible.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

They grow fur-like hair on nearly every part of their bodies. While a shifter's appearance might remind an onlooker of an animal, they remain clearly identifiable as shifters even when at their most feral.