So, I've noticed something about Wild Shape. It is very cool, and works exaclty like some spell effects (beast, elemental, and plant shapes...). Which led me to tinker with an old standby class that I really enjoy playing. The Master of Many Forms, which I really enjoy as a Player and a DM, if for no other reason than to pull something strange out of my hat. I looked at the PrC, and I decided that it really didn't fit the Pathfinder RPG design scope, so I gave some design a try. This takes a couple of things away from the MMF, namely Aberrations and Oozes (which I found unsavory), but there are some things I opened up that the original MMF did not. The biggest difference is the number of levels, which I cut to 5, and entry is as early as 11th level, not 6th. I also jumped right to a Large Dragon form at the end. This is about right compared to a Wizard, and I cut the duration of that ability as one could easily abuse it (no matter what). The giant form ability is dead on for the original PrC, and no further advancement with it is really needed, IMO.
Here we go:
Insert witty name here
Requirements:
Endurance
Disguise 5 Ranks (since this is PFRPG, Druids w/5 ranks would be fine, right?)
Ability to wild shape into a Large Plant Creature.
The Class:
HD d8
BAB: Medium
Fortitude: High
Reflex: low
Will: High
Skills: Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Disguise, Fly, Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (arcana), Linguistics, Perception, Ride, Sense Motive, Survival, Swim
4+Int Modifier skill points per level
Level 1: Greater wild shape: alter self, and include gills (water breathing)
Level 2: Greater Wild Shape: Giant form I
Level 3: Greater Wild Shape: Alter Self: Add Wings, claws, quadruped (medium to large monstrous humanoid here)
Level 4: Greater Wild Shape: Beast Shape 4, allow Magical Beasts in Beast shape Shape 3 & 4 based abilities.
Level 5: Greater Wild Shape: form of the Dragon II (ONLY large dragon, 1/2 standard duration)
Greater Wild Shape (su): This ability is the core of the MMF. At each level the MMF gains the ability to use either a Wild shape an extra time per day, or a Greater Wild shape 1/day (i.e. a Druid 10/MMF 5 would be able to wild shape 4 times per day plus 5 greater wild shapes, or may convert any number of wild shapes into normal wild shapes for a maximum of 9 wild shapes per day and 0 greater wild shapes).
At level 1 the Greater wild shape acts as Alter self, although it adds the ability to breathe underwater to the list.
At Level 2, the greater wild shape allows the use of the Giant Form I spell.
At level 3, the Alter self ability adds the ability to sprout wings, claws, or become a quadruped, or some variation thereof. This also allows a Large form with a +2 Strength modifier and a -2 Dexterity modifier (essentially allowing someone to become a Centaur or wemic without overpowering it too much. I wanted to do Monstrous Humanoid here, but didn't know how else to word it).
At level 4, the MMF is able to use the Beast Shape IV spell, and it opens the ability to shift into a Magical Beast form using Beast shape III or IV.
At level 5, the pinnacle ability is reached. The MMF is able to use the greater wild shape to transform into a Large Dragon as per the Dragon Form II spell.
If using a Wild Shape, the duration stacks with druid levels, if using a Greater Wild Shape, the duration is based only on MMF levels. (i.e. a 10th level druid/5th level MMF can Wild Shape for 15 hours, but may only utilize a greater wild shape for 5 hours, and the pinnacle ability for 2.5 hours.).
I hope you enjoy, I sure did. Critique/Tear apart as necessary. Point out specific abuses or better translations as necessary. Does this fit the same niche well? Also, naming the class... Trying to stay OGL-ish here, so Master Shaper?
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About breathing underwater with Alter Self -- it's already possible. If you read the description of the Polymorph subschool:
"If the form grants a swim or burrow speed, you maintain the ability to breathe if you are swimming or burrowing."
Thanks, Hogarth, I missed that (my face is red... well, more than usual). Anyhoo, thanks for the feedback. Any other thoughts?
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The idea was to follow the 1k faces ability, but it doesn't quite work the same way, especially when you're wild shaping into something as a disguise. The original PrC mentioned beholder cults, but had no prereqs in place to even hint at disguises and shaping into someone else (exactly). I'd say that this covers that, or should there be some sort of text that implies that combat isn't the only thing I'm thinking of?
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