The goal with this is to give players more options for playing shapeshifters aside from druids and the skinwalker. It was inspired by the Trickster books by Tamora Pierce and hoping to get a few more eyes on it for rules balance and clarity. Also not entirely sure on the name, since it applies more to humans able to change into animals than the other way around (see flavor text).
Physical Description: Therians are human with subtle hints of their animal nature, such as large eyes and pronounced incisors belonging to someone who can change into a cat. Although born in their animal form, they quickly master their ability to shapechange and dress according to local custom. It is difficult to discern a therian from a normal animal of its kind by means other than magic. However, they are at times betrayed by acting unusually while in animal form and find difficulty suppressing their intelligence.
Society: Therians have no attachment to their “birth parents,” as most are abandoned or cast out of the litter as soon as they are weaned. They therefore go to live near or among humans as wild children and orphans. With a curious nature and a lifespan not much greater than the animals they are born from, therians are often on the move and try to take in as many experiences as they can.
Relations: They get along best with other humans but learn early on the importance of keeping their identities a secret, as most react with fear out of misplaced hostility towards lycanthropes. Elves and gnomes are often fascinated by their magical nature and their wandering ways often brings them close with halflings.
Alignment and Religion: Therians are fiercely independent, strongly leaning toward chaos and equal pulled by the forces of good and evil. Good therians will often perform small deeds in their animal form while evil therians feel cheated by fate and prey upon the weak. Therians are more interested in the magic that worship brings than prayer itself and tend not to recognize no one deity as their patron.
Adventurers: Most see their traveling companions as their only real family, and are fiercely loyal when their trust is earned. Many therians also have “live fast, die young” mentality that lends itself well to the adventuring.
Names: Fuzzy, Lucky, Mange, Paws, Scamp, Shadow, Sniffer, Whiskers.
Random Starting Age
Adulthood: 2 years
Intuitive: 1d2 (3-4 years)
Self-Taught: 1d4 (3-7 years)
Trained: 2d4 (4-10 years)
Random Height and Weight
As human.
Therianthrope
Quirk or curse, you are able to change between human and animal form.
Requirements: Must be taken at 1st level, human
Benefit: As a standard action, you can take the form of a Tiny non-flying animal of your choice at-will. This is supernatural ability similar to a polymorph spell.
You gain a +4 size bonus to Dexterity but suffer a –2 size penalty to Strength while in animal form. You gain a +2 size bonus to AC and attack rolls, +8 size bonus on Stealth checks, and a –2 size penalty on CMB and CMD. You gain the movement modes (climb, swim, or burrow) of your animal form and gain a +10 bonus on Disguise checks to pass as a normal animal of your type.
All gear merges into your animal form. Constant bonuses (except those affected by changing size) remain but activation items can't be activated. Material components are not accessible while merged into your animal form and you are unable to speak or cast spells with verbal components.
Lastly, you gain the shapechanger subtype and are immune to lycanthropy.
ummmm so its a form of hengyokai?
It's way too much. If it was limited to a single time a day and did not include gear, it might start being doable, but not at 1st level. I think you need to make a chain of feats if you want this to work at all.
1st level you could maybe pick up some animal-like options, like what a cat-folk can pick up. 3rd level feat with the 1st level feat as a prerequisite, a very restricted shape change with absolutely no bonus other than the shape changing, but with the penalties (like the -2 to strength), 5th level perhaps a feat that would let you gain the missing dex bonus... 9th level could pick up a feat to fly (wings), etc...
As is, I can't imagine any GM would let this into play. :/
ummmm so its a form of hengyokai?
Admittedly, they are similar. In terms of flavor, they are not a true race onto themselves which is unlike hengeyokai. I'm not sure if 3E hengeyokai did this, but I looked them up after reading your comment and if you're referring to this version published by Rite Publishing, they are also not organized into formal clans. The feel of what I am going for with this design is more like in Cinderella where Fairy Godmother turns mice into coachmen or the witch making a goat into an innkeeper in Stardust. In the Tamora Pierce books I mentioned, crows are able to go back and forth between human and crow form, but they prefer their animal for and I wanted to limit the scope of it. I'll get more specific about that with my response to Sphynx.
In terms of crunch, they lack a hybrid form and have a wider variety of animals to choose from at character creation. They also can take advantage of all the archetypes, feats, and other options accessible by human characters, since they are human.
It's way too much. If it was limited to a single time a day and did not include gear, it might start being doable, but not at 1st level. I think you need to make a chain of feats if you want this to work at all.
1st level you could maybe pick up some animal-like options, like what a cat-folk can pick up. 3rd level feat with the 1st level feat as a prerequisite, a very restricted shape change with absolutely no bonus other than the shape changing, but with the penalties (like the -2 to strength), 5th level perhaps a feat that would let you gain the missing dex bonus... 9th level could pick up a feat to fly (wings), etc...
As is, I can't imagine any GM would let this into play. :/
Since I brought them up before, the examples in terms of rules balance I am going off of are Bat Shape for skinwalkers. Kitsune also have a similar shapechanging-granting feat in Fox Shape. It could be argued that these are also overpowered, especially Bat Shape which grants 1st level characters the ability to fly, or that these examples are only specific to different races. However, limiting the animal selection by size and specifically non-flying walks this back a little.
You also brought up feats and feat trees, which is something I also wanted to address and why I did not include gnomes or elves, who also might make sense having this feat. Two feats at 1st level is one of the biggest advantages for creating a human character. It not only gives them more options but also allows them to progress through feat trees and qualify for prestige classes much faster than other character races. By stipulating that in order to take this feat you need to take it at 1st level, you take this away and it needs to pay off.
That being said, the goal is not to be completely exploitive for choosing this feat. As it stands, it gives a big boost to AC (+4 total) and a bigger boost to Stealth checks that can be too much for rogues and other sneaky-types. This though is what is laid out under polymorph and further referenced in beast shape II. In hindsight, I probably should have just called out beast shape II in the feat description.
I am not entirely comfortable limiting it to a finite number per day, but how do you feel about a time of day? Being only able to shapechange at night could further make them feared for being lycanthropes. I also thought of playing up the curse aspect by basing it off of baleful polymorph, the exception being that they retain their mental stats and alignment while in animal form (they would then lose all extraordinary, supernatural, and special abilities while in animal form). Maybe making the transformation a full-round action if it is still OP?
So using Bat Shape and Fox Shape as a basis for comparison, here is what it looks like now. The stipulation that the animal form is "Small or smaller" and is "of no more than 1 HD" comes from the baleful polymorph spell.
Malimorph
Quirk or curse, you are capable of changing into an animal form.
Requirements: Must be taken at 1st level, Cha 13, human
Benefit: You can take the form of a Small or smaller non-flying animal of no more than 1 HD whose appearance is static and cannot be changed each time you assume this form. You gain a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks to appear as this animal. Changing from human to animal shape is a standard action. This ability otherwise functions as beast shape II, and your ability scores change accordingly.
Lastly, you gain the shapechanger subtype and are immune to lycanthropy.
I was about to suggest looking at Fox Shape, but that was already covered.
Seems reasonable, but I'd stick with Tiny.
I was about to suggest looking at Fox Shape, but that was already covered.
Seems reasonable, but I'd stick with Tiny.
Cool, thanks! I realized it got pretty wordy and Tiny animals fits the bill.
Malimorph
Quirk or curse, you are capable of changing between human and animal forms.
Requirements: Must be taken at 1st level, Cha 13, human
Benefit: You can take the form of a Tiny non-flying animal whose appearance is static and cannot be changed each time you assume this form. You gain a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks to appear as this animal. Changing from human to animal shape is a standard action. This ability otherwise functions as beast shape II, and your ability scores change accordingly.
Lastly, you gain the shapechanger subtype and gain immunity to lycanthropy.
Some updated flavor text with the new name, along with some potential follow-up feats. The speak with animals feat just made sense, as most other shapechangers have a similar ability. I mostly anticipate the animal form to be used for scouting, and the DR feat is to keep it relevant at higher levels, as it will likely save someone from a spike trap but not from taking a critical hit from magic greataxe.
Physical Description: Malimorphic humans demonstrate the same variety in appearance as others but with subtle hints of their animal nature, such as large eyes and pronounced incisors belonging to someone who can change into a cat. Although born in their animal form, they quickly master their ability to shapechange and dress according to local custom. It is difficult to discern a malimorph from a normal animal of its kind by means other than magic. However, they find difficulty suppressing their human intelligence and are at times betrayed by acting unusually while in animal form when doing so.
Society: Human malimorphs have no attachment to their animal “birth parents,” as most are abandoned or cast out of the litter as soon as they are weaned. They therefore go to live near or among humans as wild children and orphans. With a curious nature and a lifespan not much greater than the animals they are born from, malimorphic humans are often on the move and try to take in as many experiences as they can.
Relations: They get along best with other humans learn early on the importance of keeping their identities a secret. Most react with fear out of misplaced hostility towards lycanthropes, for which they feel no small amount of enmity. Elves and gnomes are often fascinated by their magical nature and their wandering ways often brings them close with halflings.
Alignment and Religion: Malimorphs are fiercely independent, strongly leaning toward chaos and equal pulled by the forces of good and evil. Good malimorphs will often perform small deeds in their animal form while evil malimorphs feel cheated by fate and prey upon the weak. Most human malimorphs are more interested in the magic that worship brings than prayer itself and tend not to recognize no one deity as their patron, but have a certain level of weariness or dread for Lamashtu.
Adventurers: Most see their traveling companions as their only real family, and are fiercely loyal when their trust is earned. Many malimorphs also have “live fast, die young” mentality that lends itself well to the adventuring.
Names: Most typically adopt common names according with local custom. However, they also have a tendency of accumulating oddly appropriate nicknames.
Nick Names: Fuzz, Lucky, Mange, Paws, Scamp, Shadow, Sniffer, Whiskers.
Random Starting Age
Adulthood: 2 years
Intuitive: 1d2 (3-4 years)
Self-Taught: 1d4 (3-7 years)
Trained: 2d4 (4-10 years)
Random Height and Weight
As human.
Malimorph
Quirk or curse, the strange circumstance of your birth allows you to shapeshift.
Requirements: Must be taken at 1st level, Cha 13, human.
Benefit: You can take the form of a Tiny non-flying animal whose appearance is static and cannot be changed each time you assume this form. You gain a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks to appear as this animal. Changing from human to animal shape is a standard action. This ability otherwise functions as beast shape II, and your ability scores change accordingly.
Lastly, you gain the shapechanger subtype and gain immunity to lycanthropy.
Animal Empathy
As walk among beasts, you can speak with them as well.
Requirements: Cha 15, Malimorph, human.
Benefit: While in animal form, you may speak with animals of the same type. This is a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to your character level, and you may use it for a number of minutes per day equal to your character level. These minutes do not have to be consecutive, but must be used in one-minute increments.
Resilient Form
Your animal form becomes imbued with protective magic.
Requirements: Cha 13, Malimorph, character level 3rd, human.
Benefit: You gain damage resistance 2/magic while in animal form. This damage reduction increases by 1 for every two character levels (maximum DR 10/magic at 19th level).
I know you've pretty much completed it and don't want to write it all from scratch again, not to mention likely disagreeing with me... but...
Have you considered making it -just- shape changing? Only allow them to shape change into a 1HD natural creature that is of the same size they are, with no stat adjustments at all? For a 1st level thing, this still feels like its way too much to me... But being able to change into a wolf, for example, who does not get any stat bonuses or special attacks or properties... that feels ok. Then it's about theme, not ways to min max for that high Dex you want with Natural Attacks and such...
I know you've pretty much completed it and don't want to write it all from scratch again, not to mention likely disagreeing with me... but...
Have you considered making it -just- shape changing? Only allow them to shape change into a 1HD natural creature that is of the same size they are, with no stat adjustments at all? For a 1st level thing, this still feels like its way too much to me... But being able to change into a wolf, for example, who does not get any stat bonuses or special attacks or properties... that feels ok. Then it's about theme, not ways to min max for that high Dex you want with Natural Attacks and such...
Curious: what bugs you about the Tiny version? Weapon finesse+agile is about the only thing I can think of, and the loss in dice offsets that quite a lot. Other than that, it's pretty much the same as what any kitsune can do with a feat.
Edit: hmm, the kitsune had to have BAB +3 at least, but it seems pretty arbitrary to me. You can get better AC at level 1 going with lots of armor instead, and pretty much anything is better for damage.
Well, putting aside that most people can not just go with lots of armour, since the type of character is usually decided well before deciding to get a racial feat...
Mostly utility. It's not all about combat. Being tiny also has more combat advantage than simply a bonus to armour class, including the ability to go through a square that is occupied, +8 to stealth rolls, etc, etc...
There's an awful lot here for a level 1 feat. :/
Its actually the reverse of someone wearing heavy armor that concerns me. Say a human fighter with this feat changes in order to get closer to get closer to an orc camp. Chances are, no one in the camp has a high enough Perception to detect her. Everything now looks pretty charge-worthy, but here's the rub...
When combat starts, it comes down to action economy. Take a rogue in the same situation. She would have a ridiculous Stealth check in the rounds preceding such an encounter. However, the rogue is going to have to spend her first round changing back into a human. This means even if she wins initiative, sneak attack is off the table unless she can manage to stay hidden.
The only other instance I see this being used in combat is if the healer needs to get to someone who is down. The healer would have to sacrifice a round shapeshifting and moving (which provokes an AoO, but the AC bonus helps so she's probably not too concerned about that) to guarantee success of getting over there, as opposed to moving and healing. Now, a lot can happen in that one round, including a coup de grace if the GM is looking for blood. EDIT: Forgot that the healer would have to change back in order to cast spells, so it's more like 2 rounds.
So aside from that and scouting, the only other benefit from this is being more capable of escaping. Most Tiny animals have a speed of 20 feet and since your Tiny, you won't be carrying anything away with you (including any buddies that also need help).
I guess what I am trying to say is that sure, the bonuses are big but how useful are they really? I could see potentially making it so that characters taking the feat become Small in order to scale back the bonuses, but there aren't a lot of small animals to choose from. Increasing the size to Medium gives a decent bite attack and probably better movement, which am not really sold on for sacrificing one of the main reasons I decided to make a human character.