Feral Hunter (multiclassed) can use Shaping Focus?

[Baghtu]

That's the question. Shaping focus states that "this feat has no effect if you are not a multiclassed druid."

If you are a multiclassed Feral Hunter, then you have the wild shape ability of druids as stated "...a feral hunter gains the ability to change shape. This ability functions like the druid wild shape ability..."

but you ARE NOT a druid. Do you count as one? If the answer is yes, then I have another question.

I am not actually a multiclassed feral hunter. I am a wood giant feral hunter, with only 4 class levels. The rest are racial hit dice, not another class levels.

Can I count my racial dice as multiclassing?

Thanks!

[James Risner]

Racial Hit Dice is not another class, so now.

[gyrfalcon]

Q1: Does a Hunter count as a Druid for the requirements of Shaping Focus?

Yes, since Hunter's Nature Training says "A hunter counts her total hunter level as both druid levels and ranger levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats, traits, and options that modify or improve an animal companion."

Q2: Can racial HD count as Class Levels? I'm not as certain of that, but just read this quote from Monsters as PCs: "Treat the monster's CR as its total class levels and allow the characters to multiclass into the core classes."...which is inclined to make me think you can count the Wood Giant's CR (6) but *not* his HD (9) as class levels here.

[Baghtu]

Great answer, gyrfalcon, thanks!

[James Risner]

gyrfalcon wrote:

this quote from Monsters as PCs: "Treat the monster's CR as its total class levels and allow the characters to multiclass into the core classes."

That is for the "Monster as PC" balance rules. It is effectively an easier to understand version of 3.5's Level Adjustment value.

It does not make your Racial Hit Dice class levels or make them count as such. The only purpose is to limit the number of class levels you can take to attempt to balance you vs the rest of the PC's.

[gyrfalcon]

James, I think that's an entirely reasonable reading of those rules. I think they can also reasonably be read to say the CR counts toward your character level. I don't have experience DMing with monster levels so I'm not sure which makes more sense, balance-wise...and my sense is that once you include monster levels:
(1) balance is much less something you can take for granted, and
(2) the rules are not quite as clear.

Based on both of those, I figure individual DMs will need to rule for themselves...and I personally believe there are reasonable textual grounds to rule in either direction.