Shapeshifters and Favored Enemy

[The Master Elite]

Scenario: Player is a Ranger with Favored Enemy (Humans) and is facing interaction with a Shapeshifter currently assuming the form of a human. The Shapeshifter's own race is not human, of course.

Question: Although I know the GM can rule whatever way he wishes, from a rules standpoint, does Favored Enemy (Humans) grant the relevant bonuses against the Shapeshifter?

I'm presuming yes, but I don't want to presume erroneously.

Thanks in advance.

[Mathwei ap Niall]

Nope. Favored Enemy specifically will only engage if the target is of the correct type.
Same reason why when a Ranger is facing a target that looks nothing like his favored enemy but is still activates it.

Don't ask why, it's magic.

[Charender]

Polymorph does not change your type, so an outsider shapeshifted into a bear is still an outsider, and is vulnerable to any attacks that would hurt an outsider.

Likewise an elf polymorphed into a human is still an elf.

[Tarantula]

Mathwei ap Niall wrote:

Don't ask why, it's magic.

Technically, its Extraordinary, but you guys have it right. Shapechanging doesn't change your type, so the ranger would not get his favored enemy bonuses in this case.

[Lincoln Hills]

If revealing that the ranger's favored bonus isn't working would be 'giving away too much', just secretly treat the enemy's AC as 2 pts. higher and as having DR 2/- vs. him and it will balance out essentially the same. If he notices that he's missing on, say, an 18 while others are hitting, agree that it's odd but do not explain; let the group guess if they can. (In most cases, once the shapeshifter dies, the reason why will be apparent.)

[Jessica Price]

There's a duplicate of this thread here; please go there to discuss. Locking this one.