Theorycrafting: Shifter

[The_Sorting_Hat]

I also tossed into the builder, but it's possible to have a Druid5/Frenzied Berserker5 for the Enhanced Power Attack, though I'm not sure if your miserable BAB can sustain that. It also means no ICE. And you're getting toughness twice which is sad to see.

[Steve]

Now that I’ve paid attention (!!) and seen that Shifter gets Uncanny Dodge (so OP….lol), my money is on a Druid 5 / Rogue 3 / Fighter 4 / Shifter 18. You get Druid wildshape profession, Evasion + Expose Weakness, Unarmed/Creature weapon Feats (though if you have a Monk Ring granting Unarmed: Specialization, that should transfer), good BAB, Tumble, UMD to compensate for Spells loss, etc.

Good thing I got the Polymorph PvP Rules changed, else the wave of Shifter PCs in the Server in the near future would cause a PvP Free-for-all with A LOT of nasty “griefing” complaints!

Bring on the yiff!!! Lol, not, please.

[Kalgain]

Unarmed/Creature weapon Feats (though if you have a Monk Ring granting Unarmed: Specialization, that should transfer), good BAB, Tumble, UMD to compensate for Spells loss, etc.

Wait, feat items should not work shape shifted and umd is not worth a lot since you cant use them while shifted.
(it was just confirmed that unarmed feats work)
The strategy could be, shift back, use etherealness scroll, do some short term wand buffing, shift back, attack.
(just found out, druid cant use ethereal scroll without umd)

[Kalgain]

What do you think about saving throws. Since saving throw items do not merge, and you wont be able to cast spells to offset that, that will be a major weakness.

I also fear that playing a shifter might be very boring. Most of the time you stick to the same shape, pressing the attack button and using the shapes intrinsic feat.

[Steve]

Items with Save bonuses to Fortitude, Reflex and Will should apply to all Shifter Shapes.

[Kanada]

Here's my contribution. Not using Shifter to it's full extent but an example of what can be done:

https://nwn2db.com/build/?341128

[The_Sorting_Hat]

Wait, why the hell would I want to play that ogre magi warlock instead of just a pure warlock then? O.o

[Kanada]

Massive regen, awesome factor, the ability to have superior stats all the way around

[DaloLorn]

Have you guys noticed yet that Tumble is one of your class skills?

[Steve]

Have you guys noticed yet that Tumble is one of your class skills?

I said to mat-o that he’d make an OP PrC…and I was sooooo right!!

[DaloLorn]

Have you guys noticed yet that Tumble is one of your class skills?

I said to mat-o that he’d make an OP PrC…and I was sooooo right!!

Mmm, I mostly brought it up because a lot of the earlier posts made references to multiclassing specifically for Tumble.

IMO, Shifters will be hard to kill if played carefully, but not so much more so than some other builds I've heard of. The sturdiest of their forms consistently lack spell resistance sufficient to block a CL30 spellcaster (if at all), which leaves them susceptible to spells such as True Form and Reveal Thyself. Mercifully, Will is their weak save, so they'll have to stock elixirs of Owl's Insight to reliably defend from being shut down by dedicated casters.

If your proposed change goes through (and I wouldn't mind if it did!), they'd also take a great deal of damage from Moonfire, and it threatens to force them into their natural form either way... I think we might see an increase in the amount of Selunite clerics soon. 8)

[The_Sorting_Hat]

I just noticed the tumble being a class skill today yea! I'm rethinking my builds as we speak!

[Steve]

Be a Shifter…and wear a SR 32 cloak.

[DaloLorn]

Be a Shifter…and wear a SR 32 cloak.

Waste of a perfectly good regen cloak slot.

Any DC caster worthy of the title has at least 30 CL, and even many of my gishes reach that threshold. An extra 1 regeneration versus a chance that maybe I won't lose a couple of rounds going back into my natural form? I'm going to take the regeneration almost any day, especially since several of my shapes have SR equal to or better than the cloak. (Illithids go up to 40 SR at level cap, Ogre Mages are 30, and Pixies are 35. None of them are great against fighters, perhaps, but they're more than adequate to stymy a stray DC caster. The ogre mage in particular should prove quite effective against spellcasters, having up to 9 regeneration, over twice as much HP as any full caster, and ~40 AC whilst being able to consistently counterattack with an unending barrage of Orbs of Force.)

[Kalgain]

Since the quickslot bar is greyed out, can the shifter use heal or use wands directly from the inventory?