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So... Who's handling the bets for "How long until they nerf Druids and Feral Hunters to make the Shifter look better"?
I've been trying to generate discussion about how much added benefit combining natural attacks and unarmed strikes has for the class, especially if you start as a race that can take Multiattack.
An unchained monk dip gets you improved unarmed strike, a bonus feat, 1d6 unarmed damage and stunning fist with no drop in BAB.
If you're using the Shifter's Edge feat you have the dex for Two Weapon Fighting. Pick up Multiattack.
That means by level 6, your Tiger attack routine is: [BAB-2],[BAB-2], BAB-2, BAB-2, BAB-2, [BAB-7] for [1d8+str], [1d8+0.5str], 2d4+0.5str+0.5lvl, 2d4+0.5str+0.5lvl, 2d6+0.5str, [1d8+0.5str]
How does this compare to other damage boosting feats they could take instead?
So... Who's handling the bets for "How long until they nerf Druids and Feral Hunters to make the Shifter look better"?
Shhhh.... pointing this out might make it happen quicker...
I've been trying to generate discussion about how much added benefit combining natural attacks and unarmed strikes has for the class, especially if you start as a race that can take Multiattack.
Ragebred Skinwalker [hoof, hoof, gore] if you're adding tiger.
Out of curiosity, for all the builds of classes that are out-shifter-ing the shifter, what books are being used? Are these builds accomplished with just core and APG? Or ACG if it includes hunter? Or do they rely on several others? How do things look when limited to just core and UW?
Core druid and feral hunter dumping wisdom and selecting feats and gear from the core book do it better then Shifter. Sometime later I'll throw up a 20th level wis dump druid for comparison.
Out of curiosity, for all the builds of classes that are out-shifter-ing the shifter, what books are being used? Are these builds accomplished with just core and APG? Or ACG if it includes hunter? Or do they rely on several others? How do things look when limited to just core and UW?Core druid and feral hunter dumping wisdom and selecting feats and gear from the core book do it better then Shifter. Sometime later I'll throw up a 20th level wis dump druid for comparison.
I know with my Metamorph Builds I limited myself to only the Bestiaries, core, UI, UW, and the APG.
A 20th level Metamorph build using all the same equipment (swapping scythe for Morningstar, buying stat belt and not druid vestments) with the same point buy, has 48 Strength, 28 Dex, 36 Con, has a final AC of 48 (Touch 23, Flat-Foot 39). Has permanent heroism from eternal potion. Saves are decent, Fort at +34, Ref at +28, Will at +16. Offense consists of 1 bite at +36, dealing 3d6+32, and 2 Claws, 2 Slams at +36, dealing 2d6+32 each. Optionally, they can use their Melee weapon at 36/31/26 for 3d6+45.
Oh, and he's immune to crits and nonlethal damage. And can fly.
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It screams "partial wild shaping", such as gaining animalistic aspects instead of normally changing shape, but it doesn't. The Major Form Aspects only apply in Wild Shape... when let's face it, it should have been the opposite, albeit using a Wild Shape usage to do so.
For instance, you must turn into a Bear to gain its Major Form, when you should have been able to become a human with bear traits.
I was hoping for a rage-style pool of Wacky Shapes and Morphs™ usable for 4+Con Mod (+2/lvl) per day in addition to and independent of Wild shape.
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Thought borrowed from elsewhere: the Shifter is like what would have happened if the core Rogue was first published in Ultimate Intrigue (and unchained didn’t exist). It would technically be filling a niche relevant to the book theme, but in a world with bards, alchemists, slayers, ninjas, and investigators with sophisticated archetype support, what’s the point?
I haven't actually been following everything in the Ultimate Wilderness thread; it has gotten way too long and too many conversations. What I do note is that the example is not using the incredibly powerful Shifter's Edge feat (which may or may not be being nerfed). I would suggest revising the comparison shifter using this feat (and maybe yet another version with the proposed nerf), and slashing grace... I suspect that this will significantly effect the results - class level to damage being what allows viable (if not optimal) swashbuckler builds.
It is definitely getting nerfed, Mark Seifter said so himself. Slashing Grace would deactivate Shifter's Edge, after the nerf.
For s$*!s and grins I built up a 20th level Shifter. Feel free to compare it to other builds.
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Someone said Wolverine would be your go to form, yeah rage powers are nice but you just aren't going to get the same damage output as a dire tiger, especially when you are not using any attack at 1-1/2 str modifier.
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How do you effectively use the Stone Plate armor since Shifters are not proficient in heavy armor.
Thanks.
Non-proficiency just means you take the armor check penalty to attacks and skills. Enhancement bonuses remove some of the penalties, but when using wild armor you get to benefit from the armor bonus with none of the penalties. Hindsight I should have put it in the base form but its a good start to do comparison calculations.
Non-proficiency just means you take the armor check penalty to attacks and skills. Enhancement bonuses remove some of the penalties, but when using wild armor you get to benefit from the armor bonus with none of the penalties. Hindsight I should have put it in the base form but its a good start to do comparison calculations.For s$*!s and grins I built up a 20th level Shifter. Feel free to compare it to other builds.
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Someone said Wolverine would be your go to form, yeah rage powers are nice but you just aren't going to get the same damage output as a dire tiger, especially when you are not using any attack at 1-1/2 str modifier.
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How do you effectively use the Stone Plate armor since Shifters are not proficient in heavy armor.
Thanks.Not true. See this FAQ - it specifically says that the wild armor property makes you behave as if you were wearing the armor normally.
So, for a Shifter, that would reduce your AC bonus and lower your speed even if you were proficient. In fact, even if it wasn't wild armor, you still count as wearing the armor (so lower that AC bonus.)
Ah! So it does, I recall another ruling that said otherwise but that was awhile back. Fair enough, just swap out one of the later feats with heavy armor proficiency then. Maybe use some of the leftover gold to apply comfort to his armor and shield then.
You might want to consider wearing druid friendly armor anyway.
If you are not wearing armor, you get a bonus to AC equal to Wis mod plus 1/4 of your Shifter level.
If you are wearing druid friendly armor, you get a bonus to AC equal to half your Wis mod plus 1/4 of your Shifter level -- as best I can tell, the level based bonus does not get reduced in this case.
In addition to not giving you an AC bonus for wisdom or shifter level, non-druid friendly armor also costs you most of your Shifter class abilities for 24 hours.
So, unless your wisdom is really high, you may get the best possible AC from wearing non-metal armor.
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So I got my PDF this morning...and have been looking at the Shifter on and off as time permitted at work.
I'm not at this point going to go into what I thought the Shifter would be...or why. That boat has more or less sailed....it is what it is.
I'm just going to look at what I think it does poorly/questionably as to what it appears to be. I'm no sort of min maxer/optimizer....so if I'm misunderstanding the scope of something please feel free to point that out to me (might help me understand why they built the class the way they did)...at the same time....just so my personal biases are right out there....I always look at a class as a stand alone, I never assume certain equipment (in particular), and although archetypes and feats are great for fleshing out a character, I never assume them as needed to feel good about the base class.
So......
Claws: Obviously meant to be their main schtick and go to form of combat. At will use is perfect...but the base damage is underwhelming to me....I would expect it to be at least on-par with Monk unarmed damage. Also rules clarification....as I am reading it....it is not a claw/claw attack correct ? It's one attack until your BA is sufficient to have iterative attacks ?
If that's the case it looks even worse to me. Whish they would have added a flurry type effect....
Aspect: The pay off for the minors is way to small to have such a limited use per day. Many of the abilities don't even strike me as combat specific...so resource wise your spent in no time. They should be "at will" or constant much like the Skinwalker abilities which are of about the same power level (in most cases).
Wild Empathy, Defensive Instinct, Track, Woodland Stride: All good there as far as I'm concerned.
Wild SHape: ....deep breath.....OK. So, they have chosen to limit Wild Shape to the Aspects you can accrue while leveling in the class...after much thought....I think I'm actually OK with that....however....outside of the claws, this is your main schtick...a Drui has spells to fall back on...the Shifter does not. Some kind of bump in uses per day is an almost "must have". A mechanic I think could be neat (at the risk of further MAD) is to add Con Modifier to uses per day, so that depending on what your body can handle....you can shift more frequently.
Chimeric Aspect: I think this needs to come on line close to when you gain your second aspect....the minor aspects are not that big a deal, you should be able to stack them almost from the get-go.
Greater Chimeric Aspect: As above, should come on line close to when you get the third aspect......really you could just get rid of both Chimeric Aspect class features and just state that minor aspects stack....
I like the Weretouched archetype, the Fiendskin is.... OK as well....I wan't to like the Ooze one....but it's still seeming way to debilitating to me....maybe after more suggestions have come out I will change my mind...
EDIT...additional thought....I can see this class (especially in it's current state) being extremely feat starved in order to get it to keep pace with other martial classes....the addition of bonus combat feats would be (IMO) highly desirable.
I wasn't going to do this but I didn't really care for the response about discussing the Shifter on the product page, hope they enjoy deleting comments for a week from people unaware of what was happening in the thread. So here's a Warrior for comparison to the Shifter. Is it petty? Yep! But lets shine a spotlight on the poor design of the Shifter. Just assume the Warrior is something silly like some dude working for a mad transmuter and he's disallowed from wearing armor and using weapons. He's not a smart man but he tries his best. He does it.
25 point buy
Race: Half-orc
Base: Str 16(+3), Dex 16(+3), Con 16(+3), Int 7(-2), Wis 9(-1), Cha 14(+2)
Damage (min/avg/max)** spoiler omitted **
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Wait, how is your Warrior with +6 UMD (4 from level, +2 Cha) managing to use a Beast Shape II scroll. Doing that requires either a DC 28 UMD (If you're using a Sorcerer Scroll) or a DC 29 check (to emulate 14 Intelligence) followed by a DC 27 check (if you're using a wizard scroll). All of which is impossible.
Unless I'm missing something, that is.
Claws: Obviously meant to be their main schtick and go to form of combat. At will use is perfect...but the base damage is underwhelming to me....I would expect it to be at least on-par with Monk unarmed damage. Also rules clarification....as I am reading it....it is not a claw/claw attack correct ? It's one attack until your BA is sufficient to have iterative attacks ?
My understanding is that they are normal claws like everyone else's and thus get two make an attack with each as soon as you get them.
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Wait, how is your Warrior with +6 UMD (4 from level, +2 Cha) managing to use a Beast Shape II scroll. Doing that requires either a DC 28 UMD (If you're using a Sorcerer Scroll) or a DC 29 check (to emulate 14 Intelligence) followed by a DC 27 check (if you're using a wizard scroll). All of which is impossible.
Unless I'm missing something, that is.
You're not missing anything, you're right. I honestly just churned something out half-heartedly in disgust.
Edit: a potion of beast shape I would be a fairer comparison.
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Claws: Obviously meant to be their main schtick and go to form of combat. At will use is perfect...but the base damage is underwhelming to me....I would expect it to be at least on-par with Monk unarmed damage. Also rules clarification....as I am reading it....it is not a claw/claw attack correct ? It's one attack until your BA is sufficient to have iterative attacks ?My understanding is that they are normal claws like everyone else's and thus get two make an attack with each as soon as you get them.
Given the situation....and wording....I'm hoping for clarification. It usually specifically states you get claw/claw....if that's not the case...it's a frontline fighter using a dagger for the first few levels :P
A 20th level Metamorph build using all the same equipment (swapping scythe for Morningstar, buying stat belt and not druid vestments) with the same point buy, has 48 Strength, 28 Dex, 36 Con, has a final AC of 48 (Touch 23, Flat-Foot 39). Has permanent heroism from eternal potion. Saves are decent, Fort at +34, Ref at +28, Will at +16. Offense consists of 1 bite at +36, dealing 3d6+32, and 2 Claws, 2 Slams at +36, dealing 2d6+32 each. Optionally, they can use their Melee weapon at 36/31/26 for 3d6+45.
Oh, and he's immune to crits and nonlethal damage. And can fly.
For comparison the Shifter I just created in about 30 minutes has
(Piranha strike active for -6 to hit and +12 damage)AC 55 Touch 38 flat 44, Fort +20 Ref +29 Will +20
Bite +30 2d6+28 +1d6 acid +2d6 Holy (amulet of mighty fists agile, bane(not active), Holy, Heatseeker. Deliquescent gloves)
2 Claws 2d8+48 +1d6 acid +2d6 holy
Rake 1d10+26 +1d6 acid +2d6 holy
claws crit 19-20 and *3 multilplier
This was with full equipment , not entirely sure what the metamorph build included as equipment including permenanced Greater magical fang +5 on claws and Bite
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Wait, how is your Warrior with +6 UMD (4 from level, +2 Cha) managing to use a Beast Shape II scroll. Doing that requires either a DC 28 UMD (If you're using a Sorcerer Scroll) or a DC 29 check (to emulate 14 Intelligence) followed by a DC 27 check (if you're using a wizard scroll). All of which is impossible.
Unless I'm missing something, that is.
You're not missing anything, you're right. I honestly just churned something out half-heartedly in disgust.
Edit: a potion of beast shape I would be a fairer comparison.
I mean, maybe, but then you never get pounce, so the shifter wins by a mile (especially when you start throwing Minor Aspects into the mix).
A different question, but how is your Feral Hunter getting 2 Animal Foci at 4th/6th level and 3 at 8th? Hunters only get their 2nd Focus at 8th level.
Given the situation....and wording....I'm hoping for clarification. It usually specifically states you get claw/claw....if that's not the case...it's a frontline fighter using a dagger for the first few levels :P
There is no need for clarification. Shifter's Claws specifically says:
"The claws on each hand can be used as a primary natural attack"
So you do get claw/claw.
From Experience the Shifter build is a more deadly melee build than the Feral Hunter build from my previous campaign (with the Feral Hunter in Question having Weretiger template added) however he is not as flexible nor can he manage good archery which the feral hunter had. Also the Hunters Wildshape was more flexible at low level and was very useful
For comparison the Shifter I just created in about 30 minutes has
(Piranha strike active for -6 to hit and +12 damage)
AC 55 Touch 38 flat 44, Fort +20 Ref +29 Will +20
Bite +30 2d6+28 +1d6 acid +2d6 Holy (amulet of mighty fists agile, bane(not active), Holy, Heatseeker. Deliquescent gloves)
2 Claws 2d8+48 +1d6 acid +2d6 holy
Rake 1d10+26 +1d6 acid +2d6 holyclaws crit 19-20 and *3 multilplier
This was with full equipment , not entirely sure what the metamorph build included as equipment including permenanced Greater magical fang +5 on claws and Bite
The equipment listed in the original 20th level build: +5 Amulet of Fists, +6 all physical stats belt, +4 all mental stats belt, +5 armor, +5 Shield, +5 protection ring, +5 cloak, +5 strength from wish/tome, +5 manufactured weapon.
Important to note: day -7 Patch to shifter's edge makes it incompatible with Agile. They care a great deal about limiting the power of Dex builds.
A 20th level Metamorph build using all the same equipment (swapping scythe for Morningstar, buying stat belt and not druid vestments) with the same point buy, has 48 Strength, 28 Dex, 36 Con, has a final AC of 48 (Touch 23, Flat-Foot 39). Has permanent heroism from eternal potion. Saves are decent, Fort at +34, Ref at +28, Will at +16. Offense consists of 1 bite at +36, dealing 3d6+32, and 2 Claws, 2 Slams at +36, dealing 2d6+32 each. Optionally, they can use their Melee weapon at 36/31/26 for 3d6+45.
Oh, and he's immune to crits and nonlethal damage. And can fly.
For comparison the Shifter I just created in about 30 minutes has
(Piranha strike active for -6 to hit and +12 damage)
AC 55 Touch 38 flat 44, Fort +20 Ref +29 Will +20
Bite +30 2d6+28 +1d6 acid +2d6 Holy (amulet of mighty fists agile, bane(not active), Holy, Heatseeker. Deliquescent gloves)
2 Claws 2d8+48 +1d6 acid +2d6 holy
Rake 1d10+26 +1d6 acid +2d6 holyclaws crit 19-20 and *3 multilplier
This was with full equipment , not entirely sure what the metamorph build included as equipment including permenanced Greater magical fang +5 on claws and Bite
Can you do these comparisons without custom picking specific feats ? Like I said earlier....if you have to take specific feats (or magic items) to make the class work....it's broken (and not in the good way)...
For comparison the Shifter I just created in about 30 minutes has
(Piranha strike active for -6 to hit and +12 damage)
AC 55 Touch 38 flat 44, Fort +20 Ref +29 Will +20
Bite +30 2d6+28 +1d6 acid +2d6 Holy (amulet of mighty fists agile, bane(not active), Holy, Heatseeker. Deliquescent gloves)
2 Claws 2d8+48 +1d6 acid +2d6 holy
Rake 1d10+26 +1d6 acid +2d6 holyclaws crit 19-20 and *3 multilplier
This was with full equipment , not entirely sure what the metamorph build included as equipment including permenanced Greater magical fang +5 on claws and BiteThe equipment listed in the original 20th level build: +5 Amulet of Fists, +6 all physical stats belt, +4 all mental stats belt, +5 armor, +5 Shield, +5 protection ring, +5 cloak, +5 strength from wish/tome, +5 manufactured weapon.
Important to note: day -7 Patch to shifter's edge makes it incompatible with Agile. They care a great deal about limiting the power of Dex builds.
Same thing....can you ditch the equipment ? it's really not relevant. Either the class can stand toe to toe on it's own against other classes....or it can't...
From Experience the Shifter build is a more deadly melee build than the Feral Hunter build from my previous campaign (with the Feral Hunter in Question having Weretiger template added) however he is not as flexible nor can he manage good archery which the feral hunter had. Also the Hunters Wildshape was more flexible at low level and was very useful
Can you elaborate on how it was a more deadly melee build ?
Specifically....how do you see resource management between both classes ?| 14 people marked this as a favorite. |
So, is it just me or does the gag order in the product thread for Ultimate Wilderness feel like damage control so that the book's first-week sales don't get hurt? Sure, people were getting a little salty, but what with the sandbagging reviews and the general discontent, it feels like a band-aid on a sword wound.
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So, is it just me or does the gag order in the product thread for Ultimate Wilderness feel like damage control so that the book's first-week sales don't get hurt? Sure, people were getting a little salty, but what with the sandbagging reviews and the general discontent, it feels like a band-aid on a sword wound.
Yeah, it is certainly concerning that they simply said to stop talking about what for many is the main draw of a product on it's own product thread. It would have been okay imo if they at least addressed the feedback with their post, whether that be by saying they would try and change it to meet expectations or by saying that they have no plans to atm, but just saying to not talk about it sounds 100% like pr damage control to keep sales up.
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So, is it just me or does the gag order in the product thread for Ultimate Wilderness feel like damage control so that the book's first-week sales don't get hurt? Sure, people were getting a little salty, but what with the sandbagging reviews and the general discontent, it feels like a band-aid on a sword wound.
Personally...I think it's a bad call.....that said it's the call they have made. I'm not going to speak on the product page, as I don't actually like being dictated what my opinion can be on a product....and actually aside from a handful of comments the disappointed majority were far more civil than is being portrayed.
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Personally...I think it's a bad call.....that said it's the call they have made. I'm not going to speak on the product page, as I don't actually like being dictated what my opinion can be on a product....and actually aside from a handful of comments the disappointed majority were far more civil than is being portrayed.
Yeah, it honestly wasn't even that bad. Most of the posters were civil, they were just negative about one aspect of the book, which I guess people took as them being toxic? It makes the lockdown even more concerning imo.
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and actually aside from a handful of comments the disappointed majority were far more civil than is being portrayed.
It's been downright polite compared to ANY other forum that's talking about the shifter. There's a LOT of discontent over them and people haven't been shy in using quite 'colorful' speech to express it.
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and actually aside from a handful of comments the disappointed majority were far more civil than is being portrayed.It's been downright polite compared to ANY other forum that's talking about the shifter. There's a LOT of discontent over them and people haven't been shy in using quite 'colorful' speech to express it.
I would have hoped that people wouldn't have put quite so much into anticipating a new class, since past history shows us that sometimes you get the Bloodrager or Occultist and sometimes you get the Medium or the Swashbuckler, and even so the Medium and Swashbuckler are somebody's favorite classes and it's always possible to "patch" a class with material in forthcoming splatbooks.
I'm pretty bummed about how toxic this (not this thread specifically but the general discourse about the Shifter) has gotten.
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I would have hoped that people wouldn't have put quite so much into anticipating a new class, since past history shows us that sometimes you get the Bloodrager or Occultist and sometimes you get the Medium or the Swashbuckler.
Hoo boy, bringing up the Medium just reminds me that the Shifter could have gone over even worse by having a playtest and then pulling a massive bait and switch to the current version.
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Role: The shifter is so attuend to nature and the wild beasts of the world that she can call upon those powers to mystically fortify her being. Fluid in form and function, she can shape herself to overcome hardships and support those she befriends or serves.
Italicized comment emphasis mine.
Nothing in this class lends itself to 'fluid'. It instead seems exceedingly static and stale, and doesn't even give the same amount of 'fluidity' that a *druid* would have with Wild Shape.
...and druids get either a Domain or an animal companion PLUS spells.
...in exchange for a slower BAB and d8 instead of d10 hit die.
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Doesn't help folks who bought into the 'hype' thinking that it'd be a 'fully functional' shapeshifter without spells/companion and were hoping to play it in something like PFS, though.
beast shape is personal so no potions though.
Soon my brown furred transnmuter will be doing that though.
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Same thing....can you ditch the equipment ? it's really not relevant. Either the class can stand toe to toe on it's own against other classes....or it can't...
Equipment is part of the metrics for relevancy. Short of automatic bonus progression, every class needs gear of some sort or another, but most require the BIG 6. You can remove the items and permanent spells from both, but then you're in basically the same boat as before, though finally the Shifter has advantage: they can pierce material and /-
DR with their natural attacks (but not DR Magic or Alignment). So I guess advantage Shifter when gearless?I'd say that being barely competitive with and less versatile at Shifting than a suboptimal Alchemist archetype is pretty damning.
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...especially when it was advertised as being so much more.
If only they allowed Wild Shape, y'know, to be like Wild Shape *EVERYWHERE ELSE* and allowed the aspects on top of it 'Favored Form' or somesuch...
EDIT: They could even add a 'fatigued' penalty of x number of minutes/x number of minutes used for any form that isn't the 'Favored Form' until the Chimeric stuff was reached and it'd make it much more solid and more of a choice.
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Druid's are listed as gaining proficiency too.
Weird... so it's just a cut and past situation? ok.. I've always thought the proficiency part was covered by the bit from the polymorph subschool that says, "you gain any of the natural attacks of the base creature, including proficiency in those attacks"
Q: why list natural weapons in the Shifter's weapon proficiencies? don't creatures become auto proficient if they have a natural attack or gain one via change shape / polymorph / wild shape, etc.?
Having it all the time is a prerequisite for certain feats, maybe?
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The rule 'you are automatically proficient with your natural weapons' is not obvious to everyone, since it's written in a different section. Even if just 10% miss that clause, it's worth to repeat it in the class section.
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DR with their natural attacks (but not DR Magic or Alignment). So I guess advantage Shifter when gearless?
The druid with a 13 wisdom can just pop off greater magic fangs.
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Apparently, they didn't ask the community to playtest the class because their latest playtests were plagued with insults and destructive comments. However, I fail to see how a playtest would have been detrimental to the shifter, since when they playtested the Vigilante with us, they fixed a lot of problems with the class, mostly the changing time and the fact that gaining spells was too restrictive, so they broke them down into archetypes.
Look, I see 3 things to fix with the shifter:
- Major Form should allow you to take traits from your animal aspect without becoming it, similar to a lycanthrope's hybrid form. At best, make it a variation of Wild Shape so you need to spend a daily use. You can keep your regular Wild Shape, but at least give me the option.
- Chimeric Aspect should allow you to merge Major Forms, albeit by spending additional daily Wild Shape uses per form you want to merge. Yes, you could at 20th level merge all 5 Major forms from your aspects, but it would costs 5 uses.
- Claws should be replaced by slams if desired. Some animal aspects could use claws (Bat, Bear, Deinonychus, Falcon, Lizard, Mouse, Owl, Tiger, Wolf and Wolverine), while the rest use slams (Bull, Frog, Monkey, Snake and Stag). If you're wondering how would it work for the Snake, the Diplodocus (Bestiary 4) can make 2 tail lashes... and we all know that it has only 1 single tail.
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Here’s the thing:
I would be more than happy to recommend this class to an inexperienced player who wanted to reliably turn into one kind of animal and make that animal very good at murdering.
I would not recommend this class to anybody with any sense of system mastery or looking for a character who is “fluid in form and function”.
I understand that dipping is a worry with a shapeshifter, natural weapon builds are usually crazy pants. But the Shifter needs access to more forms sooner, and needs to be able to shift shapes rapidly to suit the situation.
First, they should gain an aspect every two levels (for a total of 10 at level 19. Two levels is enough to learn the nuances of each new form gained.
Second, while wild shaped they should be able to switch from one aspect to another without spending wildshape uses.
Third, let the ability emulate beast shape III (at 6th) IV (at 8th) and Magical Beast Shape (at 10th). However, they can still only take the forms of the Aspects they have, but may use chimeric aspect to pick a single ability from the Beast Shape special ability menu, and/or the size increases/decreases. Second and third chimeric aspect lets them choose additional abilities to have active simultaneously. Also move chimeric aspect down to 6th, 9th, 14th and 17th.