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Pretty simple archetype that only changes wild shape. I would love to add something for the higher levels but nothing comes to mind. I appreciate any feedback on the archetype.
At 4th level the druid gains Extra Feature as a bonus feat and qualifies for Aspect of the Beast.
At 6th level, a skinwalker druid's lycan form grants him additional abilities and options. The druid gains his choice of two of the abilities listed in the beast shape I spell, which persist as long as he remains shape changed. Only Bloodmarked (werebat-kin) may select flight.
At 8th level, a skinwalker druid's lycan form grants him three of the abilities listed in the beast shape II spell, which persist as long as he remains shape changed.
At 10th level, the druid gains multiattack as a bonus feat.
At 12th level, a skinwalker druid's lycan form grants him four of the abilities listed in the beast shape III spell, which persist as long as he remains shape changed.
He may select different abilities each time he prepares his spells for the day.
This replaces wild shape.
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I really like how this takes a race that should thematically make good druids and allows them to actually grow their natural shapechanging through the class rather than making the natural ability irrelevant next to Wild Shape. However, it needs a bit of tweaking.
First, you need to refer to the skinwalker race and their normal shapeshifting rules, because otherwise it doesn't make sense to someone unfamiliar with those rules (the archetype could just be called "skinwalker"). For further posters without Blood of the Moon:
- Standard action to activate
- Lasts until dismissed (swift action)
- 3 + 1/2 level uses per day
- Gain +2 to one stat (by were-heritage), and choice of feature: d4 claws, Darkvision 60ft, +1 natural armour, others dependent on heritage eg scent, extra natural attacks, speed
Second, if you're going to allow the character to take poison you need to specify what the poison does - normally this works because you take on the poison of the specific animal you change into, but that doesn't apply here.
Third, I think it's too weak. You're giving up scouting/stealth utility since you can't turn into small or inconspicuous animals, access to the very good elemental forms, stat increases, and the benefits that come from increased size (like reach). You also give up flight unless you're werebat-kin, which is a poor choice for a druid due to its Wis penalty. In exchange, you retain the ability to use humanoid equipment while shapeshifted, get to spend more time in shapeshifted form between levels 4 and 8 (at which point I find the druid rarely runs out of shapeshifting), and get to just pick the Beast Shape abilities you get rather than finding a form that offers them. Now, some of the Beast Shape abilities are pretty good but they're not fantastic without the rest of the Wild Shape package, especially since skinwalkers can already get the sensory abilities. That doesn't seem like a fair trade to me. I'd suggest adding one or more of the following:
- Add back animal forms (but not elemental forms) at effective druid level -2, which restores some scouting utility. The reduced level and loss of elemental forms balances the new abilities, especially since the archetype encourages using racial shapeshifting as the main combat ability.
- Let them select which Beast Shape abilities to use each time they shapeshift rather than choosing one set per day during spell preparation. If you're worried about them swapping out abilities too rapidly because of their large number of shapeshifting uses/day, have taking on or changing Beast Shape qualities spend extra uses.
- Increase the skinwalker's shapechanging stat boost, natural armour bonus, and/or natural weapon die size to keep the combat bonuses more in line with what they'd get from Wild Shape. (Maybe +2 and +4 nat AC at levels 4 and 8, +4 and +6 stat at levels 6 and 12, and increased weapon die at 10.)
- Allow the skinwalker to shapechange as a move or swift action at higher levels.
- Let all of them select flight, because it doesn't make sense for a werebear to be able to constrict or secrete poison but not fly.
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Hey thanks is a lot for the critique!
I had forgotten about poision, whoops. So no poison.
I agree that some bonuses to their stats or natural armor could be helpful but a lot of the subraces like coldborn get a bonus to wisdom, and increasing wisdom on a druid in kinda dangerous. Faster shifting makes sense as well but I would probably shift it to the higher levels. What about just giving them an option to increase their size at the normal levels? Nothing would be scarier than a colossal wereboar with a greataxe.
My biggest problem with flight is that it doesn't fit most of them thematically and a skinwalker can be in their shape shifted form indefinitely.
I think if I was going to add wild shape back in it wouldn't be until 8, so -4, like the urban druid. Wildshaping really isn't the focus of this archetype. It would really only be there to turn into a bird and listen in on some bad guys.
One other idea I had was to use monstrous physique I, II, and III instead of beast shape, how do you like that idea?
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You're right, increasing Wis that much might be a problem on a druid, especially since it's effectively a permanent increase. And reserving flight for the werebat-kin is OK, it's just a decrease in versatility compared to the standard druid.
Wild Shape -4 sounds good. I wouldn't use monstrous physique - the transformation makes them superficially similar to monstrous humanoids but it's still supposed to be a bestial effect and not due to kinship with for example minotaurs.
Size increase is a good idea! You're thinking they'd get the size modifiers listed in Beast Shape without turning into an animal? Keep in mind that effect is probably better than a full transformation because you can use equipment and cast spells normally, which also means your AC will be much higher (armour still functions) and damage is potentially higher since two-handed weapons have higher base dice than natural weapons and get 1.5xStr to damage. You want the skinwalker to get useful combat modifiers, but not to outstrip a normal combat-built druid (or a barbarian!) Spacing out the size increases might be a good idea. The one other thing about a size increase is that it's not useful for Dex-based characters - and a size decrease below small comes with problems like reach 0. You might consider allowing the skinwalker to take a simple Dex increase instead of changing size.
Maybe this progression?
4 - two Beast Shape I qualities, Extra Feature OR Aspect of the Beast
6 - Become medium/small as Beast Shape I
8 - three BS II qualities and gain Wild Shape (animal only) at -4
10 - Become large as BS II or Dex +4
12 - Four BS III qualities and multiattack
14 - Become huge as BS III or Dex +6
So your bonuses are lower than than either the normal druid or the barbarian's rage, but you're humanoid (unlike the druid) and can maintain the buffs indefinitely (unlike the barbarian).
