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I am looking for thoughts and critiques on the new base class I've created for my next campaign. Note: I am the DM and will not be playing this class, so my motivations are NOT power gaming. They are, if anything, the opposite of that. My goal is to facilitate new and interesting character concepts that my players will find fun and flavorful without breaking the game. As a group, we ban the summoner & gunslinger (this is more for flavor reasons) and have a restriction on the number of archetypes that can be taken - 1 per character across all classes - because the Beastmorph Vivisectionist Alchemist {AM ALCHEMIST} is stupidly overpowered. So keeping characters at a relatively standard power level is important to us. Or maybe it's just me, lol. As such, I've tried to balance this new base class with Core Rulebook classes - particularly the Barbarian.
Please rate this class in the following two categories in any responses that you make.
1) Flavor - Is this class something that you or another player at your table, if the feel or a Barbarian/Monk/Ranger (depending on the archetype) is not your thing would like to play?
2) Power - Does it seem in line with core rulebook stuff, or more or less powerful? I'm 90% sure I'm in a good spot, as I've run the DPR numbers and compared them to an Earth Breaker wielding, power attacking Barbarian. Please see the last page of the .pdf link for a graph on this. I am, however, concerned that I may have overlooked some possible feat paths, etc. As of now, I have paid little attention to and for the time being, I would not allow this class to be multiclassed, but advice on this is welcome as it will be a problem eventually.
For those of you who want a .pdf, here's a Google document.
For those of you who'd rather have it laid out on the boards, here you are:
Role: The huntsman excels in combat, posessing the ferocity necessary to take on foes seemingly far superior to themselves. With their ancestry granting them the cunning and instincts of their distant animal kin, they charge ferociously into battle and maul all who would oppose them.
Alignment: Any non-lawful. Huntsmen value the laws of nature above those of civilization.
Hit Dice: d12.
Class Skills
The Huntsman class skills are Climb (Str), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (geography) (int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int Modifier
Level.....BAB............Fort....Ref....Will.....Special
1st......+1...............+2.....+0.....+0.....Shapeshift, Animal Senses
2nd......+2...............+3.....+0.....+0.....Bonus Feat, Animal Defenses +1
3rd......+3...............+3.....+1.....+1.....Experienced Hunter, Animal Tactics
4th......+4...............+4.....+1.....+1.....Animal Defenses +2, Shapshifters Escape
5th......+5...............+4.....+1.....+1.....Hybrid Form
6th......+6/+1............+5.....+2.....+2.....Bonus Feat, Improved Animal Senses
7th......+7/+2............+5.....+2.....+2.....Quick Shapeshift
8th......+8/+3............+6.....+2.....+2.....Animal Defenses +3
9th......+9/+4............+6.....+3.....+3.....Animal Pounce
10th.....+10/+5...........+7.....+3.....+3.....Bonus Feat
11th.....+11/+6/+1........+7.....+3.....+3.....Powerful Shapeshift
12th.....+12/+7/+2........+8.....+4.....+4.....Animal Defenses +4, Greater Animal Senses
13th.....+13/+8/+3........+8.....+4.....+4.....Natural Weapon Insight
14th.....+14/+9/+4........+9.....+4.....+4.....Bonus Feat, Extended Shapeshifting
15th.....+15/+10/+5.......+9.....+5.....+5.....Advanced Animal Tactics
16th.....+16/+11/+6/+1....+10....+5.....+5.....Animal Defenses +5
17th.....+17/+12/+7/+2....+10....+5.....+5.....Master Animal Tactics
18th.....+18/+13/+8/+3....+11....+6.....+6.....Bonus Feat
19th.....+19/+14/+9/+4....+11....+6.....+6.....Natural Weapon Mastery
20th.....+20/+15/+10/+5...+12....+6.....+6.....Master Shapeshifter, Animal Immunities
The following are the class features of the Huntsman.
A huntsman can end his shapeshift as a move action, returning to human form and becoming fatigued for a number of rounds equal to 2 times the number of rounds spent in shapshift. A huntsman cannot shapeshift while fatigued or exhausted but can otherwise shapeshift multiple times during a single encounter or combat. If a huntsman falls unconscious, his Shapeshift immediately ends.
At 6th level, the huntsman gains two secondary claw attacks in his animal form. These claw attacks deal damage one die smaller than his bite attack. Secondary natural attacks take a -5 penalty to attack rolls and deal only 1/2 times Strength modifier bonus damage.
At 11th level, the huntsman's claw attacks becomes primary natural attacks. Primary natural claw attacks are made at a creature's full base attack bonus and add 1 times Strength modifier in bonus damage.
The following ancestries represent only some of the possible sources of power that a huntsman can draw upon.
Class Skill: Stealth
Bonus Feats: Skill Focus (Stealth), Great Fortitude, Weapon Finesse, Improved Feint, Moonlight Stalker, Extra Shapeshift, Stealthy, Step Up, Combat Reflexes, Shapeshifter Foil, and Improved Natural Attack.
Animal Form (Su): When using the shapeshift ability, you take the shape of a small rat. The rat has a primary bite attack that deals 1d4 damage plus 1-1/2 times your strength modifier and has a movement speed of 20 feet. While in animal or hybrid form, you gain a +4 morale bonus to Dexterity and a -2 penalty to Strength. While in animal form you gain a +1 natural armor bonus.
Animal Senses (Ex): At 1st level, you unlock the primal senses of a rat. You gain Darkvision to a range of 60 feet in all forms. If you already have Darkvision, it's range increases to 90 feet.
Animal Defenses (Ex): At 2nd level, you learn the rat's resistances to poisons and diseases. You gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against poisons and diseases while in any form. Additionally, at 2nd level, your animal form's natural armor bonus increases by +1. At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by +1 up to a maximum of +6 each at 20th level.
Animal Tactics (Ex): At 3rd level, your bite attack gains the ability to sicken your foes for a short period of time. Any creature who is bitten must suceed on a Fortitude save or become sickened for 1d4 rounds. Further applications of the sickened condition through the bite attack refreshes the duration of the sickened condition, taking the longer of the two options. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your huntsman level + your Constitution Modifier.
Improved Animal Senses (Ex): At 6th level, you gain the quickness of the rat. You gain evasion and can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility in all forms. If you make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, you instead take no damage. Evasion can only be used if the huntsman is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A helpless huntsman does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Greater Animal Senses (Ex): At 12th level, you gain the quickness of the rat. You gain improved evasion in all forms. This ability works like evasion, except that while you still take no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, you henceforth take only half damage on a failed save. A helpless huntsman does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.
Advanced Animal Tactics (Ex): At 15th level, you gain the ability to automatically latch onto any target you successfully strike with your bite attack gained through the Shapeshift ability. When using this ability, the save DC against your sickening bite is increased by +5. While attached to a creature, you are considered grappling, but the target is not. The target can attack or grapple you as normal, or break the attach with a successful grapple or Escape Artist check. You gain a +4 racial bonus on checks to maintain a grapple while latched onto a target in this way. In addition, you can still attack with your claws each round, but cannot make a bite attack. You may release this grapple as a free action.
Master Animal Tactics (Ex): At 17th level, while latched onto a target with your bite attack, you gain the ability to bite down, dealing your bite damage each round on a successful bite attack. If you miss with the bite attack, you do not release the creature, you simply failed to penetrate deep enough to deal damage this round.
Additionally, while attached to an enemy, you no longer take penalties to your Dexterity, nor do you take the usual -2 penalty on attack rolls and combat maneuvers.
Animal Immunities (Ex): At 20th level, you gain mastery over poisons and diseases, as the rat. You become immune to poisons and diseases in all forms.
Class Skill: Acrobatics
Bonus Feats: Skill Focus (Perception), Lightning Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Trip, Moonlight Stalker, Extra Shapeshift, Alertness, Run, Drag Down, Shapeshifter Foil, and Improved Natural Attack.
Animal Form (Su): When using the shapeshift ability, you take the shape of a medium wolf. The wolf has a primary bite attack that deals 1d6 damage plus 1-1/2 times your strength modifier and has a movement speed of 40 feet. While in animal or hybrid form, you gain a +2 morale bonus to Dexterity and a +2 morale bonus to Strength. While in animal form you gain a +2 natural armor bonus.
Animal Senses (Ex): At 1st level, you unlock the primal sense of a wolf. You gain low-light vision and scent in all forms.
Animal Defenses (Ex): At 2nd level, you learn some of the wolf's tactics for overcoming fear. You gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against fear spells and effects while in any form. Additionally, at 2nd level, your animal form's natural armor bonus increases by +1. At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by +1 up to a maximum of +6 each at 20th level.
Animal Tactics (Ex): At 3rd level, you learn many of the deceptive tactics the wolf uses to take down their foes. Your bite attack gains the trip special quality. On a successful bite attack, you deal damage normally and may attempt to trip your target as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, you are not tripped in return.
Improved Animal Senses (Ex): At 6th level, your sense for danger improves. You gain Uncanny Dodge which allows you to react to danger before your senses would normally allow. You cannot be caught flat-footed, nor do you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. You still lose your Dexterity bonus to AC if immobolized. You can still lose your Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against you.
If you already have uncanny dodge from a different class, you automatically gain improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.
Greater Animal Senses (Ex): At 12th level, your wolf senses allow you to thwart normal pack attacks. You gain Improved Uncanny Dodge and can no longer be flanked.
This defense denies another character the ability to sneak attack you by flanking, unless the attacker has at least four more sneak attack granting class levels than you have huntsman levels.
If you already have uncanny dodge from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum sneak attack granting class level required to flank you.
Advanced Animal Tactics (Ex): At 15th level, you gain the ability to rend your opponents as a wolf does. If you hit the same creature with both claw attacks in a single round, you can cause tremendous damage by latching onto the opponent's body and tearing flesh. This damage occurs automatically and deals 1d10 damage plus 1 times your strength modifier and can be dealt only once per round.
Master Animal Tactics (Ex): At 17th level, your wolf like tearing motions become move powerful. The damage on your rend increases to 1d10 plus 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier. This damage can still only be dealt once per round.
Animal Immunities (Ex): At 20th level, you fear nothing, as the wolf. You become immune to fear spells and effects in all forms.
Class Skill: Intimidate
Bonus Feats: Skill Focus (Intimidate), Iron Will, Power Attack, Improved Grapple, Moonlight Stalker, Extra Shapeshift, Intimidating Prowess, Athletic, Felling Escape, Shapeshifter Foil, and Improved Natural Attack.
Animal Form (Su): When using the shapeshift ability, you take the shape of a large bear. The bear has a primary bite attack that deals 1d8 damage plu s1-1/2 times your strength modifier and has a movement speed of 30 feet. While in animal or hybrid form, you gain a +4 morale bonus to Strength and take a -2 penalty to Dexterity. While in animal form you gain a +4 natural armor bonus.
Animal Senses (Ex): At 1st level, you unlock the primal sense of a bear. You gain low-light vision and scent in all forms.
Animal Defenses (Ex): At 2nd level, you adopt the willpower of a bear. You gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against compulsion spells and effects while in any form. Additionally, at 2nd level, your animal form's natural armor bonus increases by +1. At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by +1 up to a maximum of +6 each at 20th level.
Animal Tactics (Ex): At 3rd level, you learn to latch onto your enemies as the mighty bear does. Your bite attack gains the grab special quality. On a successful bite attack, you deal damage normally and may attempt to start a grapple against any foe your size or smaller as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. You have the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use your bite to hold the opponent. If you choose to do the latter, you takes a –20 penalty on your CMB check to make and maintain the grapple, but do not gain the grappled condition yourself. A successful hold does not deal any extra damage. Each successful grapple check you make during successive rounds automatically deals bite damage.
Improved Animal Senses (Ex): At 6th level, your physical resilience is unmatched by normal humanoids. You gain Endurance and Toughness as bonus feats.
Greater Animal Senses (Ex): At 12th level, your physical resilience and determination in combat matches that of the mighty bear. You gain Diehard and Improved Natural Armor as bonus feats.
Advanced Animal Tactics (Ex): At 15th level, you further adopt the ways of the bear, mimmicking their fighting style with terrifying results. You gain the ability to rake any opponent who you are grappling at the start of your turn. When raking, you can make two free claw attacks against the grappled creature.
Master Animal Tactics (Ex): At 17th level, you learn to strike with the true fury of a bear. When grappling an opponent, your rake attacks deal 1-1/2 times strength modifier in bonus damage.
Animal Immunities (Ex): At 20th level, your will becomes indomitable, as the bear. You become immune to compulsion spells and effects in all forms.
The following are new feats selectable by Huntsman.
While Shapeshifted, you are full of vigor and health.
Prerequisites: Con 15, Shapeshift class feature.
Benefit: Whenever you are shapeshifted, the morale bonus to your Constitution increases by +2. If you have no morale bonus to your Consitution score from shapeshift, you gain a +2 morale bonus to your Consitution score. Your shapeshift does not end if you fall unconscious. While unconscious you must still expend rounds of shapeshift per day each round, if required, or your shapeshift ends.
Normal: Your Shapeshift ends when you fall unconscious.
You can use your shapeshift ability more than normal.
Prerequisite: Shapeshift class feature.
Benefit: You can Shapeshift for 6 additional rounds per day.
Special: You can gain Extra Shapeshift multiple times. Its effects stack.
The following are Archetypes selectable by Huntsman.
For many huntsman, the balance between humanoid and animal desires and instincts is a difficult aspect to balance. To the feral hunter, there is no greater joy than submitting to his primal needs.
Feral Instincts (Ex): A feral hunter gains enhanced insight from his animal senses. When unarmored and unencumbered, the feral hunter adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and CMD.
These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the feral hunter is flat-footed. The feral hunter loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. This ability replaces the feral hunter's proficiency with martial weapons, medium armor, and shields.
Feral Defenses (Ex): At 2nd level, a feral hunter's affinity for his animal's natural habitat grants him more specialized defenses. A feral hunter's 2nd level animal defenses grant him a +2 morale bonus to the appropriate saving throw, but no natural armor. Further levels of animal defenses provide the normal cumulative +1 morale bonus to the appropriate saving throw and a cumulative natural armor increase of +1 each. This ability replaces the huntsman's 2nd level animal defenses.
Experienced Survivalist (Ex): At 3rd level, a feral hunter can fend for himself in the wild. A feral hunter gains Skill Focus (Survival) as a bonus feat. This ability replaces the huntsmans' experienced hunter ability.
Feral Agility (Ex): At 4th level, a feral hunter learns to avoid his enemies grasp with the speed of an animal. A feral hunter gains a +2 dodge bonus on his CMD. This ability replaces the huntsman's shapeshifter's escape ability.
Extended Shapeshifting: A feral hunter gains the Extended Shapeshifting ability at 5th level. This ability replaces hybrid form.
Feral Speed (Ex): At 14th level, a feral hunter's speed exceeds that of the normal animal he resembles. While in animal form, the feral hunter gains the effects of the Run feat.
The big game hunter applies his animal instincts to the art of tracking and trapping, searching out larger and larger beasts to hone his skills on.
Class Skills: A big game hunter adds Disable Device & Craft (Trapmaking) to his list of class skills.
Expert Tracker (Ex): At 2nd level, a big game hunter has learned to use his attuned animal senses to better track his enemies. You gain a +5 bonus on survival checks made to track. This ability replaces the huntman's first bonus feat.
Trapfinding (Ex): At 3st level, a big game hunter learns to better find and disable traps, even those of a magical nature. A big game hunter adds 1/2 his huntsman level on perception skill checks made to locate traps and Disable Device skill checks. A big game hunter can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps. This ability replaces the huntsman's experienced hunter ability.
Favored Quarry (Ex): At 6th, a big game hunter learns the ways of those he hunts most frequently. At 6th level and 14th level, the big game hunter selects a creature type from the ranger's "favored enemies" table. He gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against creatures of his selected type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them. A big game hunter may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures. He may not select the same creature type twice. If the big game hunter chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on the ranger's favored enemy table. If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the big game hunter's favored quarry bonuses do not stack. This ability replaces the huntsman's 6th and 14th level bonus feats.
Big Game Hunter (Ex): At 12th level, a big game hunter learns to quickly identify the most dangerous foes in the land. Once per day, a big game hunter may study a creature of large or larger size as a swift action, automatically gaining information as if he had make a knowledge roll of 20 plus his huntsman level plus his wisdom modifier. This ability cannot be used to identify outsiders or other extraplanar beings as they are from lands the big game hunter is unfamilar with. When a big game hunter has identified a creature in this way, he treats this creature as if it were his favored enemy for 1 hour gaining the usual bonuses as well as a +2 dodge bonus to armor class and CMD against his new quarry. A big game hunter may use this ability twice per day at 16th level and three times per day at 20th level. This ability replaces the huntsman's greater animal senses.
WOW! I really like this. I have been working on my own class that is similar in concept to this but man, I am impressed with this class. Very well done. First off I would like to say that thematically I think this class works very well. it fills a nitch that needs to be filled. Secondly I think that the power of this class is right on with Existing classes from Pathfinder. very good work.
WOW! I really like this. I have been working on my own class that is similar in concept to this but man, I am impressed with this class. Very well done. First off I would like to say that thematically I think this class works very well. it fills a nitch that needs to be filled. Secondly I think that the power of this class is right on with Existing classes from Pathfinder. very good work.
Thank you - I'm extremely happy with how it turned out myself.
My friend and I will be playtesting it at 4th and 8th levels on Tuesday of this coming week. I think the 4th level character is a Big Game Hunter Bear, and the 8th level is a Huntsman Wolf that will focus on mixing it up between using a bow in hybrid form and going animal form if enemies close to melee range with minimal, if any, loss off effectiveness. I'll update this thread with a summary of how it went.
I like it and will read more on it.
The thing I see though is the fact that Huntsman doesn't fit the class...
NOTE: Huntsman were the Hunters who hunted meat for a Village. Typically living in the Village. A Woodsman does this same job for multiple Villages and typically lives between all of them.
I would maybe change it to a different name...
EDIT: I also know of this Ranger Archetype.
I think Shifters might be better for a Race rather than a class. Sort of like they were fr 3.5's Eberron Setting.
@MechE_ : There's also the Apex Warrior Multiclass Archetype you can mine for more ideas, especially the combat styles, powers and species affinities...
I like it and will read more on it.
The thing I see though is the fact that Huntsman doesn't fit the class...
NOTE: Huntsman were the Hunters who hunted meat for a Village. Typically living in the Village. A Woodsman does this same job for multiple Villages and typically lives between all of them.
I would maybe change it to a different name...
EDIT: I also know of this Ranger Archetype.
I think Shifters might be better for a Race rather than a class. Sort of like they were fr 3.5's Eberron Setting.
I'm not completely committed to the class name at this point and I know it's not perfect, but it was the best I've come up with in the ~4 days I've spent throwing this class together. I'll keep working on it and I'm open to suggestions, of course.
As for the Shapeshifter ranger, it is somewhat the inspiration for this class. The Shapeshifter ranger has some great flavor, but the daily duration of it's abilities is very short compared to what I wanted. This desire was why I chose to go with giving the class the extended shapeshifting class feature and created an archetype that got it at level 5, so you can use this cool and flavorful ability all day long.
In the end, this class is a combination of a Druid/Barbarian, flavor wise that uses more of the Barbarian mechanics. The Feral Hunter archetype shifts the class towards the monk, mechanics wise, but about as far from it, flavor wise. The Big Game Hunter archetype moves it solidly towards the Ranger class and makes a good alternative to the Shapeshifter Ranger, if you like the more "primal" feel to it.
I know shapeshifter's make a good race, but I can't exactly go giving races all these powers, lol.
@MechE_ : There's also the Apex Warrior Multiclass Archetype you can mine for more ideas, especially the combat styles, powers and species affinities...
Very interesting - I'll definitely mine through this site for some new ideas, thanks a lot. The Apex Warrior looks interesting - I like the species affinities idea, I may eventually swap out the bonus feats of my class for something similar.
I am making a race that at creation choose an Animal and their Abilities are based on that.
Azaelas Fayth - feel free to use anything from this class you feel inclined to.
Also, I think I updated the file. If I was successful, there were quite a few small changes and I added a chart onto the final page of the file. The chart shows the damage per round compared to a Barbarian wielding an Earthbreaker in two hands. All in all, this class is a bit behind while in animal from, barely overtaking the barbarian at a few key levels, but nothing to worry about. Also, as the chart reads, power attack is the ONLY feat used, and the barbarian has no rage powers active, so this a very basic comparison that leaves room for lots of optimization/personalization, but definitely more on the Barbarian side with rage power and feats. So far, I'm extremely happy with where it's at.
Like I said, I think I updated the google document. If not, I'll try again in the morning.
I'm a bit concerned about your choice of comparison for the damage output. You're comparing you're class to one of the best combos in the game, and it's somewhat close up until late game. This is a bit worrying for obvious reasons. How does it compare against a less optimized case? Say, longsword and shield or TWF? Kudos for at least running the numbers though. That's smart thinking.
Also, as the creator of AMY ALCHY, I don't think limiting all archetypes to just one is the solution. It's much easier to just ban the vivisectionist, as there are a lot of balanced archetype combinations.
I would say one per class not one per character.
But even that kills my favorite build of Ranger(Guide, Skirmisher).
Comments to follow, of course. I've been looking for a good shape shifter to recommend to people, so I have high hopes.
One thing I'm a little curious about are the immunities of Bears (compulsion) and Wolves (fear).
Bears strike me as the more courageous kind of creature, in a kind of unrelenting force way, and wolves as having a greater focus on loyalty, what with being pack animals. I feel like they would make more sense reversed. Small thing though, just struck me as a bit odd.
Anyway, I really like this. In terms of flavor, I think you did a good job on that. It all comes together very well, and the animal ancestries keep it on a specific theme. In terms of power, I think it sounds pretty well balanced. Going with Barbarian as the baseline, it seems right on par for similar power - major difference being the rage powers of a Barbarian compared to the animal-specific abilities from the Huntsman. I think that balances out pretty evenly.
Overall, looks pretty cool, I think.
Edit: One thing I did find a little confusing was the difference in shapeshifting between animal and hybrid form. I don't think it was mentioned that the first shapeshift was actually considered an animal form, except through inference of the polymorph/gear meld and animal ancestries. It first struck me as more similar to Barbarian Rage, which had me somewhat confused when hybrid form was mentioned as being a separate type of shapeshifting.
Darkwolf117 is right. Though Wolves are also considered by some cultures to represent courage.
I really like what I've read so far. My only question is why use Wisdom for the rounds per day? Constitution would seem a more logical choice since you are altering your body.
@ Cheapy - While the barbarian is pretty powerful, there are also a lot of great feats & rage powers you can use to boost your effectiveness where there are significantly less options for doing so with natural attacks (short of maybe MOMS dip for dragon style & ferocity, etc.) Also, the scale of graph is very misleading. You are about on par with the bear through the first 5 levels, behind by 25% with the wolf, and behind by 50% with the rat. From levels 6 to 10, you are even further behind damage wise - 25% minimum to 50%, again, depending on animal form. The wolf only bipasses the barbarian at the very end because all he gets is damage, where the other two animal forms get VERY powerful abilities (can make a full attack while grappled/attached, basically.) In addition, amulets that combine natural armor and mighty fists are harder to come by than just a weapon, so while my numbers just assume you can get what you want, when you want, this is actually not the most likely scenario unless you have a party crafter who is willing to dedicate some time to you. For now, I think the class is in a pretty good spot. Compared to a barbarian, you are also giving up their damage reduction, and your armor class while in animal form takes a larger hit than a -2 for the raging barbarian (unless you play the rat, which never competes with the barbarian damage wise.) For now, I think the animal form is in a decent spot, but I'm going to be playtesting this tomorrow with a friend and I'm sure I will post some results. I'll build up a barbarian of the same level and see how it plays out, for comparison.
@ Cheapy + Azaelas - I may have worded my initial post incorrectly - Our "house rule" about only 1 archetype is more of a guideline. We break it on a regular basis when people present multiple archetypes that have good flavor and reasonable synergy. Our problem is that we have 2 players who are on the heavy optimization side, two who are exactly opposite and don't have a clue about how to optimize, and two in the very middle. We try to prevent extreme power gaming, but also try to help the other opposite players come up with concepts that are fun, flavorful, and useful to the group. It's a difficult balancing act. We also hvae a lawyer in our group (he's one of the power gamers, lol) and the answer "because that's too powerful/imbalanced" is an answer that draws flack from him, so to be on the safe side, we make extra rules, then regularly break them. I know it's a bit odd, but it's working for us so far.
@Darkwolf (& Azaelas) - I originally had the wolf and bear switched, but i thought of the "pack" nature of the wolf and that this is where it's strength is usually drawn from. I guess it just made more sense to me that a single wolf would maintain his sense of fearlessness, but his will would be less strong without his pack to back him, though I guess you could say the exact same thing about will power. In the end, I feel like both bonuses are about equal, so I'm not overly worried about it. If many other people have the same suggestion, I'll change it, but I'm going to leave it as is for now. Also, I'll try to clarify the whole animal form and hybrid form thing.
@Azten - I've also went back and forth on Constitution and Wisdom for his shapeshifting. I want Wisdom to be a secondary stat, but Constitution is obviously also important. I think the reason I went towards Wisdom is just to separate this guy from a Barbarian a bit more, though I may change this to Constitution still.
Thanks everyone for your input and suggestions. I'll keep working on it and keep you all updated.
Update:
I was going through my numbers on the DPR chart and found a few mistakes, so I've uploaded a new revision. The baseline barbarian damage went down because I had included weapon focus by mistake and the animal form's damages went down significantly more because I had forgotten to take the power attack penalty to attack rolls into consideration for their primary bite attack. As a result, the Barbarian is now further ahead than previously.
On another note, the nature of natural attacks all being at full BAB and manufactured attacks not following that same trend means that any increase in attack rolls is going to benefit the manufactured weapon user more beyond about 11th level, since the natural attacks are hitting on anything higher than a 3 or 4 already, but the manufactured weapons iterative attacks are not. This includes things like inspire courage, haste, or heck, even weapon focus. Also, using a single manufactured weapon (Earthbreaker) allows a single weapon focus feat, where the natural weapons of animal form would require two weapon focus feats for the same +1 to attack rolls benefit, that actually gives less. Buffs to damage go slightly in favor of animal form, since you'll be hitting pretty consistently with 3 attacks beyond level 11, but this erodes quickly if attack roll increases are part of the equation, as with inspire courage, since the iterative attacks of the Earthbreaker become much more likely to hit.
Just some quick math theory for fun. All in all though, Cheapy got his wish (and I'm fine with it too) - the barbarian now has 70% (on average) more damage from levels 1 to 10 (maybe this is too big of a discrepancy) and 18% more damage (again, on average) from levels 11 to 20. The numbers are obviously more divergent for the wolf and rat in comparison to the bear, but the bear gives up significant armor class (-1 size, -1 dex mod, only +2 NA, loses manufactured armor) to achieve this similarity in damage.
Is Wild Shape on a martial chassis just considered too powerful?
I'd have to say yes - beyond a shadow of a doubt - it would be too powerful.
With only a single animal form and duration in rounds (until 14th level) you can't use it for scouting, infiltration or really anything but combat.
This is what the "Feral Hunter" archetype is for - you get extended shapeshifting at 5th level. I also have in mind an archetype that will allow you to shift to any of the three animal forms and additionally, it will allow you to increase or decrease your size by a single category, with the appropriate +2 and -2 to str and dex depending on if you're increasing or decreasing size. This would, however, cost double the rounds of Shapeshift. Or at least that is my concept at this point.
In any event, I'll probably work on the archetype that focuses more heavily on changing shapes - maybe that one will tickle your fancy a bit more. If not, that's ok - thanks for the comments. Not every class is something that tickles everyone's fancy, it happens.
A couple friends and I did a play test this last weekend at levels 4 and 8. The class worked out pretty well, but the free trip and grapple attempt of the wolf and bear were deemed to be too powerful at low levels, so they were reworked to something that starts out weaker, scales up reasonably, and then is replaced by the free trip or grapple at levels 13.
I've updated the Google document to reflect the current status of the class. The next play test will likely take place in the next two weeks, in which I will try out the rat ancestry base class, and then probably try out the Feral Hunter archetype, maybe with the wolf ancestry.
For those who may have already read through the class, here is a list of the abilities that have changed:
As always, please feel free to give constructive feedback - positive or negative is fine. Per previous suggestions, I am still considering switching the Shapeshift ability to functioning off Constitution modifier instead of Wisdom modifier for the base number of rounds you get, but I'm not certain on that just yet. It was also suggested that the wolf and bear's animal defenses should be switched, so that's also something I'm considering, but I'm slightly leaning away from it. Obviously, these are two topics I'm particularly interested in hearing responses on.