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I actually just looked at other guides with the previous comment in mind and here is a link to a gdoc version so that the formatting might be a bit better and more simple. Sorry for the WoT style above if it bothers you.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B87Q13EKjfi7UU0tNVgyQ0N1Rmc/view?usp=shari ng


Last note before I push off and leave this to be torn to pieces:

The combat adjustment I described earlier and tried to implement involved redefining mostly the defensive element of combat. I always thought there was a terrible waste that PC's could very rarely (without the use of spells) achieve a high enough DR value to actually make it more than truly a waste of time. Barbarian could only receive DR 4-8 if they really really tried and PrC'd. I wanted a class defensively designed not to have the binary hit-or-miss nature of AC, but to incorporate some of the ideas behind the "AC as DR" variants without disrupting or changing the whole game system.

However, I hit a brick wall in that pathfinder enemies hit hard.

So, besides just the scaling of the AC, I also wanted to include the re-introduction of the healing mechanic from 3.5's wild shape (in Wild Form above but basically involves healing equivalent to rest when shifting).

This ability really seemed to dovetail nicely as this class is really designed with the mindset of a character shifting multiple times per fight and, while able to take a few hits now and then, isn't quite as beefy as a pure fighter/barb/cav/paladin archetype. The simple idea that flexibility (shifting) is payed for by survivability (Among many other balance points).

Another point of this was to try and reduce the ridiculousness of AC stacking considering that the MoMF can gain the Nat Armor of its new form and could (with the properly enchanted armor) stack full AC bonuses from Armor onto some pretty tanky forms (looking at you bulette, earth elemental, Giant Crab, etc).

So, I settled the numbers where they are with a concern for their appropriate-ness. I am interested to hear your ideas and responses so thanks again for reading this far and I hope to get some feedback soon!


Some material is copy/pasted from the PFSRD and the d20SRD and I believe is available for use. I will be happy to adjust the format and descriptions if this is not true. I do not intend to sell or otherwise profit from any IP I may have quoted here. (IDK if this is necessary or not or if I have put something here that I shouldn't have but the mods can let me know if I have.)

Master of Many Forms:

BAB: Full
Fort: High
Refl: High
Will: Low
HD: 1d10
Skills: 4+INT
Class Skills: Acrobatics, Climb, Craft, Fly, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Know (Dung), Know (Geo), Know (Nature), Perception, Profession, Ride, Stealth, Survival, Swim
Proficiencies: Martial and Simple Weapons, Light Armor

Level:
1
Track, Minor Animal Aspect, Wild Empathy, Beastkin
2
Combat Style Feat, Woodland Stride
3
1st Favored Terrain, Wild Form
4
Shifter's Speech, Imp Wild Form: Humanoid and Monstrous Humanoid
5
Imp Wild Form: Large, Lesser Animal Aspect
6
Combat Style Feat, Fast Wild Form, Imp Wild Form: Vermin
7
Imp Wild Form: Tiny,
8
Imp Wild Form Giant, 2nd Favored Terrain
9
Imp Wild Form: Fey, Evasion, Aspect of the Beast
10
Combat Style Feat, Imp Wild Form: Aberration
11
Swift Wild Form, Imp Wild Form: Plant
12
Imp Wild Form: Huge, Extraordinary Wild Form
13
3rd Favored Terrain, Imp Wild Form: Ooze, Major Animal Aspect
14
Combat Style Feat, Imp Wild Form: Diminutive
15
Improved Evasion, Imp Wild Form: Elemental
16
Improved Wild Form: Dragon,
17
Improved Wild Form: Gargantuan
18
Combat Style Feat, 4th Favored Terrain, Free Wild Form
19
Improved Wild Form: Fine, Eternal Aspect
20
Improved Wild Form: Colossal, Evershifting Form

Class Ability Descriptions:

Track (Ex)
A ranger adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow tracks.

Wild Empathy (Ex)
A ranger can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacycheck to improve the attitude of a person (see Using Skills). The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his ranger level and his Charisma bonus 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 ranger and the animalmust be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.

Minor Animal Aspect (Su):

Duration: Uses/day = Class Level + Wis
Activation Time: Swift
Options (only one up at a time).
Notes: Only in base form

Minor (1 use):

+10 land speed (1 round)
DR1/ (1 minute)
Scent (10 minutes)
Camouflage (+4 to stealth if outdoors) (1 minute)
Low Light Vision (1 minute)
+1 Atk (1 round)
+2 Melee Damage (1 round)

Lesser (2 uses):
+20 Land Speed (1 Round)
DR3 / (1 minute)
20 ft Climb Speed (1 minute)
20 ft Swim Speed (1 minute)
Darkvision (1 minute)
+2 Attack (1 round)
+4 Melee Damage (1 round)

Major (3 uses)
+30 Land Speed (1 round)
DR5/ (1 minute)
Enlarge Animal (self only) (1 minute)
Glide (1 minute)
Tremorsense (1 minute)
+3 Attack (1 round)
+6 Melee Damage (1 round)

Aspect of the Beast: Also may be used/maintained during Wild Shape

Eternal Aspect – Pick one aspect at the start of every day and it's duration lasts 24 hours with no expenditure of Aspect Points

Beastkin (Ex)
May take animal/monster feats even if not racially allowed. When Wild Shaped, so long as you are wearing non-metal armor, that armor may add it's AC as a DRX/ where X is 1/2 the armor bonus of that armor. If this is chosen to be used, it cannot add it's AC to your actual AC under any circumstances and it also imposes ½ of the Armor check penalty. The Wildshaper always counts as an Animal for the purpose of spells and abilities in addition to whatever it's form's type.

Combat Style Feat (Ex)
At 2nd level, a ranger must select one combat style to pursue. The choices depend on if the APG is being used.
Core Rules only: archery or two-weapon combat.
Core Rules + APG: crossbow, mounted combat, natural weapon, two-handed weapon, and weapon and shield).
The ranger's expertise manifests in the form of bonus feats at 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. He can choose feats from his selected combat style, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites.
The benefits of the ranger's chosen style feats apply only when he wears light, medium, or no armor. He loses all benefits of his combat style feats when wearing heavy armor. Once a ranger selects a combat style, it cannot be changed.

Woodland Stride (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level, a druid may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect her.
Trackless Step (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, a druid leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Favored Terrain (Ex)
At 3rd level, a ranger may select a type of terrain from Table: Ranger Favored Terrains. The ranger gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when he is in this terrain. A ranger traveling through his favored terrainnormally leaves no trail and cannot be tracked (though he may leave a trail if he so chooses).
At 8th level and every five levels thereafter, the ranger may select an additional favored terrain. In addition, at each such interval, the skill bonus and initiative bonus in any one favored terrain(including the one just selected, if so desired), increases by +2.
If a specific terrain falls into more than one category of favored terrain, the ranger's bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

Shifter's Speech (Ex):

 A master of many forms maintains her ability to speak normally (including verbal components of spells) regardless of the form she takes. Furthermore, she can communicate with other creatures of the same kind while in wild shape, as long as such creatures are normally capable of communicating with each other using natural methods.
Wild Form (Su)
Uses - Class Level/2 + WIS/ day
Duration - 10 min/level
Effect: Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability, except as noted here. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time you use wild shape, you regain lost hit points as if you had rested for a night.
Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the druid reverts to her true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on her body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the druid's feet.
The form chosen must be that of an animal the druid is familiar with.

Alternate Form
A creature with this special quality has the ability to assume one or more specific alternate forms. A true seeing spell or ability reveals the creature’s natural form. A creature using alternate form reverts to its natural form when killed, but separated body parts retain their shape. A creature cannot use alternate form to take the form of a creature with a template. Assuming an alternate form results in the following changes to the creature:
The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form. It gains the size of its new form. If the new form has the aquatic subtype, the creature gains that subtype as well.
The creature loses the natural weapons, natural armor, and movement modes of its original form, as well as any extraordinaryspecial attacks of its original form not derived from class levels (such as the barbarian’s rage class feature).
The creature gains the natural weapons, natural armor, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its new form.
The creature retains the special qualities of its original form. It does not gain any special qualities of its new form.
The creature retains the spell-like abilities and supernatural attacks of its old form (except for breath weapons and gaze attacks). It does not gain the spell-like abilities or attacks of its new form.
The creature gains the physical ability scores (Str, Dex, Con) of its new form. It retains the mental ability scores (Int, Wis, Cha) of its original form. Apply any changed physical ability score modifiers in all appropriate areas with one exception: the creature retains the hit points of its original form despite any change to its Constitution.
The creature retains its hit points and save bonuses, although its save modifiers may change due to a change in ability scores.
Except as described elsewhere, the creature retains all other game statistics of its original form, including (but not necessarily limited to) HD, hit points, skill ranks, feats, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses.
The creature retains any spellcasting ability it had in its original form, although it must be able to speak intelligibly to cast spells with verbal components and it must have humanlike hands to cast spells with somatic components.
The creature is effectively camouflaged as a creature of its new form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise.
Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its new form instead falls to the ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match the new size. (Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and vice versa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped.

Improved Wild Form:

Starting at level 4, the Wild Form ability gains more flexibility in the forms that may be shifted into. Each new creature subtype and size category is additive to the options presented under the ability and do not replace or alter the capability of the Master of Many Forms to use the forms allowed by the original or previous Improved Wild Form abilities.

Fast Wild Form:

At level 6, the Master of Many Forms may use its Wild Form ability as a move action rather than as a standard. At level 11, he/she also has the option of using it as a swift action. At level 18, he/she may use Wild Form as a free action once per round.

Evershifting Form:

 A 20th-level master of many forms has reached the pinnacle of her shapechanging abilities. She gains the shapechanger subtype and becomes immune to any transmutation effect unless she is willing to accept it.
In addition, she no longer takes ability penalties for aging and is not subject to magical aging, though any aging penalties she already may have taken remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and a master of many forms still dies of old age when her time is


Hey guys! Let's cut to the quick. If you don't care about design philosophy or goals, skip all of this Wall of Text with the TL:DR version of: Scaling, Non-Spellcasting Shapeshifter. Mashup of Druid, Ranger, and Barbarian PF classes

For those of you who care:
I designed this because I felt like Master of Many forms was a blast to play out of the box in 3.5. It really opened an entire new archetype and did it in such a way that it avoided being a poly wizard. I saw that there were already plenty of ideas and sculpts for a MoMF archetype but I wanted to see if I could make this into a base class to fit more specifically into the PF mentality of solid, scaling base classes that add mechanical backing for thematic builds without having to dip across classes (a la 3.5).

So, to that end, I had a few major goals to start:

1. Create a class that involved the progression of shapeshifting abilities found in 3.5 MoMF (shifting into an ever growing list of subtypes (vermin, giant, ooze, dragon, etc) and sizes

2. Drop Spellcasting - MoMF archetypes and even the 3.5 prestige class implied druid progression into it. There was also the option of a ranger variant that traded animal companion for Wild Shape in 3.5 and I decided to pursue this for 2 major reasons:

1. The original PrC idea didn't scale any spellcasting. This meant that druids who PrC'd into it cast as a 5th level druid all the way to 15th level at which point it was a moot point most of the time outside of some corner cases involving self-buffing.

2. Scaling a spell list with this class without gutting the shapeshifting was very much OP. In order to focus on the Shapeshifting as the key mechanic and treating this as a base class, even using a shorter spell list such as a "Druidic Paladin" might use still left the class far too many options at mid to high levels. Shapeshifting into such a wide variety of things so often is powerful and opens as many options as the GM allows sourcebooks for monster entries and there are some incredibly good monsters to change into.

From there, I worked on several things before coming to two realizations:

1. The Beast Shape Spell reference in PF's Wild Shape did not reflect or allow for the same flexibility of shifting as 3.5 and it was seriously hampering the class. To that point, I basically had to create a new "Wild Shape" class ability that encompassed a few key points from 3.5's.

2. I wanted to make this character feel distinctly different from the other melee characters in the game in terms of combat presence and capability. Offensively, you are a crazy-flexible shifter who develops the ability to shift rapidly through forms as the situations warrant. Second, defensively, you are not armored. I won't go into a huge treatise about the design thought for this but I will add a note at the end and encourage you to look at the Beastkin class ability as well as the return of healing to the process of Wild Shaping.

Ok so enough of my rambling, next post is the class and ability descriptors if it will all fit in one post effectively. Enjoy the class and thanks for reading this far! I am seriously looking to have the balance of the class examined and I am very willing to tweak the ideas within it to try and make the balance points more stable. The design goals are important to me unless they are unbalanceable. If that is what you think, I would very much like to hear a more detailed reason why because it will help show me a specific of the system I may not understand fully. Anyway, enjoy.


Thank you all and I appreciate the overwhelming feedback as well as the reference to the Magister class. I also apologize for my ignorance in posting in the wrong place. I was definitely going to not allow the classes to work in the way he was suggesting but understanding the precedents and relevant issues is very much appreciated.

I will probably give him the Magister option if he wants but I doubt he will as it definitely lacks the more exploitative nature of the build he has created. Thanks again and enjoy again!


James Risner wrote:
They need more than 1 level of Wizard unless you are allowing early entrance via SLA?

I'm not sure if that is true based on the fact that the theurge satisfies prereqs for both the arcane and divine in theory. The only reason for the 1 lvl of wizard for him is arcane bond, school spec and having a "target" for the "existing arcane school" level bonus. He wants the class abilities plus I don't think he wants to argue that he can get 2 simultaneous progressions in the theurge casting (by choosing it for both the +arcane lvls and the +divine levels from the PRC)


Hey guys, first post as I have seen nothing referencing this type of ruling.

I have a player who wants to multi-class 4 Theurge base class and 1 lvl of wizard before going 3 levels into Mystic Theurge PRC. As I am understanding it, he is choosing his Theurge class as his "existing divine spellcasting class" and the wizard as his wizard levels as "existing arcane spellcasting class."

For those of you who need it, here is a link to the Kobold Press base class: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/3rd-party-classes/kobold-press-open-design/ theurge

I am wondering exactly how this works with regards to spell slots. The Theurge's slots are split specifically between arcane and divine but they both progress over time. This seems to show that he would gain the obvious wizard progression but also more arcane slots from Theurge. More relevantly interesting is the idea that he is getting double his INT bonus to casting slots as well because of the interaction with the split casting ability.

The main question is, does anyone think this is an inherent balance problem and, secondarily, does anyone see a rules conflict with how these class abilities interact? Thanks!