So I'm working on home brewing the shifter from a hot pile of garbage into something workable. Part of what I'm figuring out, however, is just how valuable class abilities are in terms of power. Druids gain access to Beast Shape 1 with a serious time buff two levels before they could otherwise cast it. Shifters are built entirely around shifting, without spells or an AC,ergo shifters should have that same ability earlier and exceed the Druid at shifting.
To help with this, I'm trying to figure out what I can give a level 1 shifter, and the bar that I've set for myself is Barbarians Rage. +4 to str, +4 to con, -2 to AC, +2 to will saves. Lasts rounds per level, leaves you fatigued at the end, can anyone give me a guess as to how valuable barb rage is if it were a spell? Level 4? Level 5?
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Well, you've got this spell that's pretty close, I'd say. There are some differences.
+ Duration is concentration + 1 round/level.
+ Multiple targets. (I'm assuming you want a single target.)
+ Not Fatigued at the end.
- Only a +2 on Strength and Constitution
That's 3 times the spell is better than what you're suggesting, and it's worse in only 1 aspect. I'd say still a level 3 spell or something you could do at level 5ish.
rage is hard because it doesn't fit the spell paradigm. Like it's not a one time use, nor standard duration.
What I'd suggest for a reference is to use the alchemist that changes. Have a alter self effect for claws form at lv1.
Ok, so I know of the Rage spell. However it does not fit my purposes for the following reasons
1: Half power of a level 1 barbarian
2: Is technically a 3rd level spell partially because it effects a base of 2 creatures (3rd level spell, so you are level 6)
3: Disables casters.
So assuming that Barbarian Rage, as the class feature, were a spell it would do the following
Barbarian Rage
Level ???
Action: FREE
Enchantment [compulsion]: emotion, Mind Affecting
Target: Self
Duration: 1/round per level (You get a minimum of 2 rounds per level so this isn't unreasonable)
Effect: Gain a morale bonus of +4 to Str and Con, gain a morale bonus of +2 to Will Saves, take a -2 to AC. You are fatigued for a number of rounds = to 2x the time you spent in a Barbarian rage. This spell ends prematurely if you are knocked unconscious. You can dismiss this effect as a free action.
This spell is clearly more powerful than any of the second level "Animal's X" buffs, and honestly beats out most of the Level 3 spell buffs too. The closest I can find is Divine Power, which only evens out around level 12, when this spell would be upgraded in the +6/+3 version of Rage. Elemental body can come close, but is really hard to judge due to the added abilities. Basically, the barbarian Rage class ability is a 4th-4.5th level spell you can cast as a level 1 character. Except it actually has a decent duration at level one, and is a free action so its basically a quickened spell. And its usable in an anti-magic field.
Since Barbarian Rage is probably the most powerful ability at level 1, that is the bar I needed to know.
3rd level, and the effect cannot end early unless the caster dismisses it. Standard action to cast. Also, change it to the unchained version of rage.