At what level would you allow a ranger to change into a grizzly bear (Beast shape 2) at will for as long as desired? This instead of the animal companion. Mainly for out of combat usage and roleplaying flavor.
Or would you say.. NO don't do it :-)
Still looking for the best way to approach my desired build... this is just a quick question I got :-)
I would say lv 6 is ok... but not sure this would break the game balance...
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Well, beast shape II is a forth level spell so level seven is the earliest it will come into play, at level 8 a Druid can stay in wild shape (beast shape III) for 24 hours, not exactly at will buy close enough. This would be powerful at level 6 because he would be large, gain a few natural attacks. More balanced might be to give the player beast shape as a spell like ability 1/day at first and increase the number of times per day every few levels and increase to beast shape 2/3/4 as he levels as well.
Edit: forgot what level the spell was.
It all depends on the animal shape you permit the character to take. If he's got a CR1 animal form that doesn't advance with him (other than HP/stats/etc) then he's not really gaining much and he's got a potential RP issue on his hands.
Shift the bear to a CR1 bear and reskin it as a grizzly bear? Sure, go to town.
-Ben.
Give it to him as early as you want and limit it to making fewer natural attacks than he could make iteratives. (0 until 6th, 1 until 11th, etc.) That makes it bad for combat, and it doesn't grant a new type of movement.
Well, your question is basically, "At what point would you allow a player to be a werebear?"
Thus, my answer would be, either, when a werebear mauls you or if you wanna skip 2 levels vs the other players.
This
Being able to shift into a grizzly bear form at will is no where near as powerful as being a werebear.
I would say personally that a black bear form is probably about as cool as a ranger animal companion. A grizzly bear form at will is probably about as cool as a druid animal companion. So I would let him trade the AC for a beast shape 1 bear, and offer a feat for beast shape 2 grizzly.
With inflicted lycanthropy, you have to make a will save on the first full moon, it doesn't say whether or not you get to change at will after that, or if you have to save on subsequent full moons...
Anyone know?
Beast Shape 2
+4 STR
-2 DEX
+4 Natural Armor
Large Size
Grab
Low Light
ScentLycan
23 STR
21 CON
13 DEX (or your own if it is better)
+8 Natural Armor
+2 WIS
-2 CHA
Grab
Low Light
Scent
DR 5/silverSo depending on your base stats, Beast Shape is much better. The DR is a little unbalancing prior to level 7-9. The Natural Armor is strong, but the Beast Shape gives half as much.
I will give you that they are different. However I maintain that if you want the "Turn into a Bear, At Will" your choices would still be, drop 2 levels vs party or get mauled by a werebear.
Silly idea :-) How about a beast shape light?
No modifiers for increased size, just keep the scores of the PC. He does get:
Large Size
Grab
Low Light
Scent
Natural attacks of the bear
Or would you say.. NO don't do it :-)
This.
How about being a bear skinwalker? How much you can look like a bear needs to be discussed with the GM but as bears are roughly humanoid that should be less of a problem that allowing at will beastshape 2.
Yep, which means no alignment change. Lycans have no alignment restrictions like undead do. The werewolf in the book is CE, but that does not mean every werewolf is. They are still humanoids after all.It also means that if you conciously embrace the change, you shift into it's alignment.An afflicted lycanthrope can assume animal or hybrid form as a full-round action by making a DC 15 Constitution check, or humanoid form as a full-round action by making a DC 20 Constitution check. On nights when the full moon is visible, an afflicted lycanthrope gains a +5 morale bonus to Constitution checks made to assume animal or hybrid form, but a –5 penalty to Constitution checks made to assume humanoid form. An afflicted lycanthrope reverts to its humanoid form automatically with the next sunrise, or after 8 hours of rest, whichever comes first.So you have to make a check to change, and get a bonus to go wild when there is a visible full moon. Thus, they never "need" the moon to change, it just helps.
However, you must be aware of the condition to make the change, which an afflicted is not until the morning after their first moon, and even then, they must make a will save to remember/be aware.
Well, lycans have a natural alignment that is sorta forced on them, they have to make will saves every time they shift to avoid shifting one step towards that alignment
For reference a lunar oracle with the best FCB in the game has beast shape 2 at level 6 and many say this is top notch quality without getting into GMs banning it. Make of that what you will.
The Oracle (and the Druid for that matter) is also a 9th level caster.
Wildshape is probably the best ability your Ranger will have, but it will fall quite short from being OP. Swapping the animal companion for Wildshape=Druid level with the stipulation that you can only shape into bear forms would be just fine (bears aren't even the strongest wild shape).
How about being a bear skinwalker? How much you can look like a bear needs to be discussed with the GM but as bears are roughly humanoid that should be less of a problem that allowing at will beastshape 2.
Be a bear skinwalker, and then grab the Animal Shape and Improved Animal Shape feats from the "Under a Hunter's Moon" article in Wayfinder #13 (free!).
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Consider going Feral Hunter, more ranger like but getting Wild Shape at level 4.
Beast of the Society trait allows you to double the duration of small/medium wild shapes.
Vestments of the Druid gives you 1 wild shape per day and cost 3750 gp.
This would allow a level 4 Druid or Feral Hunter to be in animal shape for 16 hours a day.
At level 6, with the vestments they could be in bear form for 18 hours/day or 12 hours plus one use for small/medium for 24 hours total.
Considering you need to sleep for 8 hours as a caster, that means in most cases you can be a bear all day (albeit medium) starting at 4th level.
Feral Hunter also gives you access to constant Animal Focus to grant you bear like abilities til you get to 4th level, when it can still be used to augment your bear abilities.
In our Kingmaker campaign, my PC has the Stag's Helm, at 9th level I gained a power for it. Custom GM table for possible BD bonus D%, I rolled 100, which was player's choice from the table.
What I chose off his table was "add to the Staglord's Helm the ability to turn into a stag twice per day", as Beast Shape II.
It only allows a tiny, small, medium, or large stag - male, my PC is female. It also retains my PC's white hair color as its primary fur color.
Overall, it has been useful roleplaying-wise, once or twice in combat, and occasionally when the party gets split up in the wilderness.
It also lasts longer than the spell, I think its a few hours or something.
Not exactly a bear, but you could do something like that. A bearskin cloak that would grant a scaling Beast Shape ability a level or two behind when the spell would be available. Limited times a day, 10 minutes per level duration, or just "X" hours a day.
The cost of the ability added to the Stag's Helm we calculated to be about 15,120 gp (it needed to be calculated for campaign reasons).