Changes to the Shifter


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion

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captain yesterday wrote:
Can you prove that, I live in a pretty backwards state I can honestly say no one I've ever met would argue about the shape of the Earth.

google flat earth once. There is some dude that built his own rocket to prove us all wrong and Celtics guard Kyrie Irving is pretty famous for 'learning all about the flat earth' on instagram videos. :P


QuidEst wrote:
Player Killer wrote:
QuidEst wrote:


The dead levels have been filled in.
Hi QuidEst - have the dead levels been filled? If so that's great to hear. Do you know what abilities, feats, etc. were added to fill them? Going over the posts that have been made so far, it looks to me like levels 7, 12, 13, and 17 are empty. I may have missed something so.
Nah, not the "scaling only" levels, the ones that were fully dead now, 6 and 18.

Ahhh. Thanks for the clarification QuidEst.


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Wei Ji the Learner wrote:

Okay, so Sara asks politely and respectfully to dial it back a bit and the response is... to turn it UP a few notches?

Seriously, WTF, folks?

This thread was going forward with mostly positive suggestions and ideas as well as thoughts to make things work better, and now we're back to trying to death-spiral it into being locked?

Some of us are frustrated, some of us are glad that we're seeing changes, we don't need the hyperbole.

Let's work together, keep the positive ideas coming, and back off the rhetoric a bit, okay? Eesh.

Let's make this better, come up with positive solutions that can do that, rather than trying to chase other routes, please?

100% agreed Wei Ji the Learner! The developers are working to make the shifter better and there have been some really great suggestions and analyses to inform improvements. Let's keep it up and reinforce the developer's willingness to incorporate our feedback (something not all companies are even interested in doing).


captain yesterday wrote:

Can you prove that, I live in a pretty backwards state I can honestly say no one I've ever met would argue about the shape of the Earth.

They'll argue everything else science tells them...

My personal favorite b+*$$#* crazy argument was when a minister tried telling me god created the dinosaurs 2,000 years ago.

Funny stuff!

Do you want me to direct you to some youtubers?

They have followers as well. So likely they too believe in a flat earth.


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No need, someone already linked, I'm good! No need to continue the derailment, I'm convinced.


QuidEst wrote:
Player Killer wrote:
QuidEst wrote:


The dead levels have been filled in.
Hi QuidEst - have the dead levels been filled? If so that's great to hear. Do you know what abilities, feats, etc. were added to fill them? Going over the posts that have been made so far, it looks to me like levels 7, 12, 13, and 17 are empty. I may have missed something so.
Nah, not the "scaling only" levels, the ones that were fully dead now, 6 and 18.

I feel like the "scaling only" levels are unlikely to get filled since there's precedent. Like, the Swashbuckler gets nothing but "one more use of charmed life" for 25% of its levels (it's not nothing, but this ability is strictly worse than Divine Grace, which a Paladin gets at level 2.)

Probably the end goal for the Shifter would be to have it end up in a similar place as the Swashbuckler- Perfectly playable, but limited and not strong.


PossibleCabbage wrote:
QuidEst wrote:
Player Killer wrote:
QuidEst wrote:


The dead levels have been filled in.
Hi QuidEst - have the dead levels been filled? If so that's great to hear. Do you know what abilities, feats, etc. were added to fill them? Going over the posts that have been made so far, it looks to me like levels 7, 12, 13, and 17 are empty. I may have missed something so.
Nah, not the "scaling only" levels, the ones that were fully dead now, 6 and 18.

I feel like the "scaling only" levels are unlikely to get filled since there's precedent. Like, the Swashbuckler gets nothing but "one more use of charmed life" for 25% of its levels (it's not nothing, but this ability is strictly worse than Divine Grace, which a Paladin gets at level 2.)

Probably the end goal for the Shifter would be to have it end up in a similar place as the Swashbuckler- Perfectly playable, but limited and not strong.

At the risk of sounding ignorant, what is the difference between a scaling level and a "regular" level and their relation to the current dead levels in the shifter. I don't understand and haven't encountered those terms before.


So, going forward with more suggestions before the thread gets tanked:

Since the shifter uses variable choices, could we get a 'advanced weapon training' style mechanic to add more options in later publications? Because we already have a precedent of using this system with other classes as well through the 'advanced versatile performances' on bards.

Of course, this might seriously restrict the options of the shifter (people might just grab tiger and spend the rest of the aspects on this advanced feature)- maybe allow players to grab the features without spending an aspect in the same way that fighters can spend a feat on the "Advanced weapon training" feat.

Now, for what you actually get for this 'advanced aspect training'... Well, earlier in the thread I suggested the use of thematic SLAs related to the aspects (such as web spells if you had some hypothetical spider aspect). You could also offer a version of 'Warrior spirit' from AWT, which would apply enhancements to your natural attacks (perhaps to a specific major form; maybe call it a 'totem spirit'?). (PS- aspect specific methods are chosen, I hope the archetypes are not forgotten- signed, an Elementalist fan).

The primary advantage of this approach is that it would allow you to update the class without the complications of reprintings/erratas- you could just include it in another publication.


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Player Killer wrote:
100% agreed Wei Ji the Learner! The developers are working to make the shifter better and there have been some really great suggestions and analyses to inform improvements. Let's keep it up and reinforce the developer's willingness to incorporate our feedback (something not all companies are even interested in doing).

While I agree we should encourage the dev's in fixing things and it's best to offer suggestions politely, I understand someone getting upset when their newly bought book already has sections that already changed, especially if that section was the reason they picked up the book.

PossibleCabbage wrote:
Probably the end goal for the Shifter would be to have it end up in a similar place as the Swashbuckler- Perfectly playable, but limited and not strong.

I hope we can do better than swashbuckler... It's a perfectly fine class for a dip but I've never thought of it as an actual straight class pick.

lemeres wrote:
Since the shifter uses variable choices, could we get a 'advanced weapon training' style mechanic to add more options in later publications?

I like it.

lemeres wrote:
Of course, this might seriously restrict the options of the shifter- maybe leave it as an option for the 4th or 5th aspect options, and allow players to grab the features without spending an aspect in the same way that fighters can spend a feat on the "Advanced weapon training" feat.

I'd prefer it well before 4th-5th.


graystone wrote:
lemeres wrote:
Of course, this might seriously restrict the options of the shifter- maybe leave it as an option for the 4th or 5th aspect options, and allow players to grab the features without spending an aspect in the same way that fighters can spend a feat on the "Advanced weapon training" feat.
I'd prefer it well before 4th-5th.

Sorry, I edited out that part of the comment before I saw your post. I referred to those late aspects because I wanted this to be 'something to trade away the remaining aspects after you grabbed everything you need'.

I'd like the option to trade feats for it more though. It allows me to get access to the content early on without severely limiting my options (since trading away an aspect is a big move when you only have access to two).


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Player Killer wrote:
At the risk of sounding ignorant, what is the difference between a scaling level and a "regular" level and their relation to the current dead levels in the shifter. I don't understand and haven't encountered those terms before.

So from where I sit the most exciting level ups are when you get to pick something- a new arcana, a new revelation, a new discovery, etc. Less exciting than that but still good are when you get a new ability that is forced by a previous choice (e.g. bloodline powers, domain powers) or baked into the class (new deeds, a paladin's auras, etc.)

At the very bottom of the list of "exciting level-ups" are those where all you get is an incremental bonus to an ability you already have. Particularly late in the Shifter's career, (going off the book version here) they have a bunch of levels (6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19) where the only things you get are some combination of: another use of Wild Shape, an increase in your AC bonus, or your claws improve.

Of those three things the first was eliminated through errata (creating completely dead levels which were later filled) but the latter two just aren't very exciting. I mean, the unchained monk gets scaling unarmed strike damage and a scaling AC boost that increments, it's just that the Unchained Monk gets ki powers every other level and style strikes every fourth level, with bonus feats and other class features sprinkled in.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

If there's going to be an insistence and persistence on having Shifter Wild Shape not be equivalent to Druid Wild Shape, then perhaps those could be levels where the Wild Shape could be 'opened up' a bit?

NOTE: This route still does not address synergy thoughts between Druid and Shifter, and why someone who would want a truly versatile shapeshifting class wouldn't just go Druid in the first place. The better idea would be to 'take the training wheels off'.


graystone wrote:
PossibleCabbage wrote:
Probably the end goal for the Shifter would be to have it end up in a similar place as the Swashbuckler- Perfectly playable, but limited and not strong.
I hope we can do better than swashbuckler... It's a perfectly fine class for a dip but I've never thought of it as an actual straight class pick.

Nonetheless there are 20 levels of it that one can take, which is not something that seems to bothers people anymore. I just hope that the Shifter ends up in a place where people aren't bothered by "there is a class I don't want to play because it's not particularly strong" and leave the class to the people who like it enough to be more interested in figuring out how to make it work rather than complaining. Admittedly, the odds of that are low because there are people complaining about the Kineticist for some reason in the front part of this thread.

But I did play a Swashbuckler from level 1 to level 20 Mythic tier 10. It was... a character I enjoyed RPing.


Wei Ji the Learner wrote:
The better idea would be to 'take the training wheels off'.

I think the only possible way that'd happen is an unchained version. Maybe we can get an unchained 2 and toss this and a few other classes like swashbuckler in it to spruce them up. ;)

PossibleCabbage wrote:
Admittedly, the odds of that are low because there are people complaining about the Kineticist for some reason in the front part of this thread.

Oh, I'm still salty about the Kineticist. I'm more than willing to complain some more about it! :P

PossibleCabbage wrote:
But I did play a Swashbuckler from level 1 to level 20 Mythic tier 10. It was... a character I enjoyed RPing.

Well I could have fun RP just about anything: I once played a commoner for 10+ levels. That doesn't mean I was thrilled with the mechanics...


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Player Killer wrote:
At the risk of sounding ignorant, what is the difference between a scaling level and a "regular" level and their relation to the current dead levels in the shifter. I don't understand and haven't encountered those terms before.

Basically while not truly 'dead' in the traditional sense, a level where you gain +1 damage with claws or +1 AC still isn't very exciting.

People started bringing it up because classes like the Monk put their scaling bonuses in a separate column and if you do that to the Shifter there's a ton of empty space.

PossibleCabbage wrote:
I just hope that the Shifter ends up in a place where people aren't bothered by "there is a class I don't want to play because it's not particularly strong" and leave the class to the people who like it enough to be more interested in figuring out how to make it work rather than complaining.

I don't see why anyone should have to 'leave the class to the people who like it'. If someone was excited for the Shifter and let down by its execution they absolutely shouldn't stay quiet about it.


Alright actual concrete solutions let's go then.

Profiencies: They are martially oriented class, and just like paladin has better profiencies than the cleric, so should shifter have better than druid. Lack of a bow is big issue given that unless you happen to be a halfling you are always limited to 1 ranged attack per turn or pay the feat tax of quick draw(which you could simply spend to get the bow profiency) but then the range is so poor that it barely counts as a ranged attack. Of coarse you later have the option of flying form to deal with some of this, but that is again a tax. Granted the ranged issue has a lot to do with that in PF bow is the only ranged option that is worth anything. Still it is an oversight and conflict in the premise of a class.

Bonus languages: Yeah standard fare here. Lot of wasted word count though.

Aspects: These are in no way shape or form balanced against each other. The enchament bonus to stats is a huge mistake.(Who wants class abilities that are worthless?) You also get way too few and way too late.

Claws: First limiting them to claws is a problem, some people may never want to associate with an animal that even has claws. If options existed there would have to be bit fidling to make them balanced admitedly. Also 1d4? Really? That is pathetic.

Wild empathy: I am not sure aren't these guys supposed to be the warriors, leave the talking to druids. However it isn't that big of a deal as a filler ability.

Defensive instict: Oh something actually good for a change. Nice to see some support for unarmored concepts, and with the limitation of medium armor some more AC certainly does not hurt, especially given that they have to give up their amulet of NA for amulet of MF.

Track: Yeah this one makes perfect sense. Bit of a filler ability but every class has those.

Woodland Stride: Basicly the excat same as above.

Wild shape: Okay the big one. So this is the big issue. These guys should be better than druids at it, period no ifs or buts about it. And given that they have an adtional limitations to number of forms they should be a LOT better than what druid can do. Also 4th level is too late. And their effective druid level regarding wild shape should count as higher than their character level.

Trackless step: Again filler ability. It fits sure, but it isn't going to be relevant that often and unless they are built to be a scout it isn't going to help a whole lot unless everyone else has the ability too.

Chimeric aspect: Decent enough idea, the problem is that the aspects ability sucks.

Greater chimeric aspect: Change this to allowing combination of 2 major aspects and you are onto something.

Final aspect: See comment on chimeric aspect. Also they should get permanent(duration wise that is cancellable) wild shape as their capstone too.

So let's summarize: Defensive instict was good, some filler abilities were ok. Everything else needs work. And saying that starting from scratch is the better solution is unreasonable? If you 100% are commited to using the existing material, then all you really will be left with is the same names for the abilities, the print versions are totally worthless as 90% of the class needs fixing.


swoosh wrote:
I don't see why anyone should have to 'leave the class to the people who like it'. If someone was excited for the Shifter and let down by its execution they absolutely shouldn't stay quiet about it.

I feel like the goal for the designers should be to ensure that there are enough people who like a class that it gets enough traction that it's worth supporting in future releases, not to make sure everybody who was initially excited is no longer disappointed. After all, the former is an achievable goal, the latter is, realistically, not.


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PossibleCabbage wrote:
Player Killer wrote:
At the risk of sounding ignorant, what is the difference between a scaling level and a "regular" level and their relation to the current dead levels in the shifter. I don't understand and haven't encountered those terms before.

So from where I sit the most exciting level ups are when you get to pick something- a new arcana, a new revelation, a new discovery, etc. Less exciting than that but still good are when you get a new ability that is forced by a previous choice (e.g. bloodline powers, domain powers) or baked into the class (new deeds, a paladin's auras, etc.)

At the very bottom of the list of "exciting level-ups" are those where all you get is an incremental bonus to an ability you already have. Particularly late in the Shifter's career, (going off the book version here) they have a bunch of levels (6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19) where the only things you get are some combination of: another use of Wild Shape, an increase in your AC bonus, or your claws improve.

Of those three things the first was eliminated through errata (creating completely dead levels which were later filled) but the latter two just aren't very exciting. I mean, the unchained monk gets scaling unarmed strike damage and a scaling AC boost that increments, it's just that the Unchained Monk gets ki powers every other level and style strikes every fourth level, with bonus feats and other class features sprinkled in.

Thanks for explaining scaling levels PossibleCabbage :)


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swoosh wrote:
Player Killer wrote:
At the risk of sounding ignorant, what is the difference between a scaling level and a "regular" level and their relation to the current dead levels in the shifter. I don't understand and haven't encountered those terms before.

Basically while not truly 'dead' in the traditional sense, a level where you gain +1 damage with claws or +1 AC still isn't very exciting.

People started bringing it up because classes like the Monk put their scaling bonuses in a separate column and if you do that to the Shifter there's a ton of empty space.

Thanks for the example using the Monk, Swoosh. That makes much more sense to me now.


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To catch up for me.

1. Earth is round, as is Galorion because the inner sea guide book tells me so.

2. I like a lot about the book past the shifter, the harvest rules alone are amazing.

3. I ran a game for a swashbuckler and she rocked it to 15th and it devastated. It's damage was lower than the bloodrager but the debuffs were common and incredible.

4. To go back to main topic the only thing is really like for the shifter is some things it can do by itself, only this class. It's an overfocused druid (or to me exactly like a hunter with no pet) and I would love to see more "only we get this". A reason to dip, or a reason to be only shifter. Both ideallt.


The problem is that there isn't much really there to play as or dip into. However that is only a problem as the shifter is written now, and it is actually being looked into at least. I'm unsure what will come of this FAQ, but I'm still hopeful.


LittleMissNaga said wrote:
At this point, I'm most interested in knowing who has tested things (base Shifter, Oozemorph, etc.), and how that's gone. Actual play, not just speculation.

Last night, I had my second session as a level 8 Rageshaper. I'm having fun playing him even if he isn't necessarily optimized. Although the archetype does have some annoying drawbacks, they aren't crippling and can be compensated for. I surprised my GM by punching a demon for over 70 damage on my turn due to Devastating Form, Haste and Power Attack.

My only annoyance from playing was failing my Will save to end my Devastating Form 3 times in a row (I had a +10 modifier) and losing the remainder of my rounds for the day. Thankfully, I saved before the confusion effect kicked in.

I did have a previous post with suggestions for the Rageshaper archetype. I'm sure whatever additions/alterations they make will be good.


Wultram wrote:

Bonus languages: Yeah standard fare here. Lot of wasted word count though.

Claws: First limiting them to claws is a problem, some people may never want to associate with an animal that even has claws. If options existed there would have to be bit fidling to make them balanced admitedly. Also 1d4? Really? That is pathetic.

Defensive instict: Oh something actually good for a change. Nice to see some support for unarmored concepts, and with the limitation of medium armor some more AC certainly does not hurt, especially given that they have to give up their amulet of NA for amulet of MF.

Completely Agree on All of these Points.

Wultram wrote:
Aspects: These are in no way shape or form balanced against each other. The enhancement bonus to stats is a huge mistake.(Who wants class abilities that are worthless?) You also get way too few and way too late.

This one Not so much, the enhancement bonuses are good, the real problem is the small amount of time you actually get to use them. That in my opinion is what can make them worthless, why couldn't they have had permanent until turned off like the Feral Hunter's?

Wultram wrote:

Wild shape: Okay the big one. So this is the big issue. These guys should be better than druids at it, period no ifs or buts about it. And given that they have an additional limitations to number of forms they should be a LOT better than what druid can do. Also 4th level is too late. And their effective druid level regarding wild shape should count as higher than their character level.

Final aspect: See comment on chimeric aspect. Also they should get permanent(duration wise that is cancelable) wild shape as their capstone too.

These two are mostly being fixed in the errata, w/ Final Aspect, Wild Shape becomes At-Will so basically yeah, permanent and cancelable. For Wild Shape It basically is since their adding in Wisdom uses per day ontop of Class Level uses per day at lvl 4. On top of that the Forms that can be used are Stronger than the Druid's Animal Forms in the first place, just less versatility in what you can become and less length of time (the change is 1 hr uses, Class lvl + Wis Mod per day; vs the Druid's 1 limited uses but each one being a number of hours per day. This change will give the Shifter Far more versatility in which form their currently in. Also, hopefully the versatility of amount of Different forms will be somewhat fixed with increasing Aspect options in the future, I personally wanna become an Elephant.)

Wultram wrote:
Greater chimeric aspect: Change this to allowing combination of 2 major aspects and you are onto something.

This I couldn't Agree with more!


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I believe you guys are referring to my doc when talking about dead levels so I'm reposting it for reference (I also did a couple tweaks in presentation): Updated Shifter.

In my opinion there's roughly about 5 dead levels that needs attention and a few flaccid levels discarding what you get from aspects (which are not that impressive to me). 7th, 8th, 12th, 13th, and 17th levels are pretty much dead levels. The increases you get from Shifter Claws and Defensive Instinct leaves you wanting more.

You can easily do something like this
7th level: Bonus feat
8th level: Venom Immunity
12th level: Bonus Feat
13th level: A Thousand Faces
17th level: Bonus feat

There done. Now work on wild shape a bit more. Unchain it from the aspects and make the aspects abilities you can apply to your natural and wild shape form. Then chimeric aspect makes more sense. You would honestly not change the word count that much.


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Considering "Shifter's Fury" is basically "treat one of your natural weapons as a manufactured weapon for purposes of iterative attacks, and the rest of your natural attacks as secondary natural attacks", is "your BAB is congruent to 1 mod 5 again" any more satisfying a class feature than "you get another +1 to AC"?


One thing I would really like to see in the future is a feat to get another aspect. The limited options really is the biggest sticking point for me, since you only get 5 forms at level 20.


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PossibleCabbage wrote:
Considering "Shifter's Fury" is basically "treat one of your natural weapons as a manufactured weapon for purposes of iterative attacks, and the rest of your natural attacks as secondary natural attacks", is "your BAB is congruent to 1 mod 5 again" any more satisfying a class feature than "you get another +1 to AC"?

I like Shifter's Fury for it's ability to open up options for forms that are limited to one natural attack a round. Much more substantive then a +1 to AC, but don't get me wrong I appreciate every +1. You can make a really crazy trip build using wolf form and if wild shape wasn't so limited you could make a poison build by turning into various snake forms.

Just open up wild shape to be like the druid's. I want to change into a large fire elemental and then using chimeric aspect give myself bite, claws, and pounce like a tiger. Or wild shape into a lion and apply the falcon aspect to give myself flight and talons and BAM I'm a griffon.

I really, really want this.


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Pathfinder LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber
Darksol the Painbringer wrote:
graystone wrote:
Maybe we can get an FAQ to FAQ how a FAQ effects another FAQ...
If we get a FAQ to fix a FAQ that's a FAQ for another FAQ, then we'd have to get a FAQ for that FAQ that was made to fix a FAQ that's a FAQ for another FAQ, and quite frankly I think there comes a FAQ that FAQs everything so we don't have all of these FAQing FAQs.

Here a FAQ, there a FAQ, everywhere a FAQ FAQ...

And can people please learn when and when not to use apostrophes in words that end in s? You're driving me nuts! (Not you, Darksol, and not graystone either, I think, but quite a few don't seem to have retained that simple bit from grade school English — although to be honest I wouldn't be surprised if our current educational system hasn't moved it to college level. :-)


Pathfinder LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber
graystone wrote:
Wei Ji the Learner wrote:
It's almost at a point it could be playable in PFS with the corrections, it just needs some way to effectively bridge the 'communication' gap in a legitimate fashion.

"Sign languages

Several groups use sign and gesture languages to communicate. As deafness and muteness are unusually common among Varisians, many know a highly developed sign language; this method is also used by the Sczarni as a silent thieves' cant.

Pathfinders also use their own sign language to silently communicate"

You just need to play PFS with someone that also takes sign language.

What are you quoting? I don't recall reading anything in canon about deafness and muteness being "unusually common" amongst Varisians, nor do I see any reason why it should be so.


Ed Reppert wrote:
graystone wrote:
Wei Ji the Learner wrote:
It's almost at a point it could be playable in PFS with the corrections, it just needs some way to effectively bridge the 'communication' gap in a legitimate fashion.

"Sign languages

Several groups use sign and gesture languages to communicate. As deafness and muteness are unusually common among Varisians, many know a highly developed sign language; this method is also used by the Sczarni as a silent thieves' cant.

Pathfinders also use their own sign language to silently communicate"

You just need to play PFS with someone that also takes sign language.

What are you quoting? I don't recall reading anything in canon about deafness and muteness being "unusually common" amongst Varisians, nor do I see any reason why it should be so.

Pathfinderwiki, under human languages. The footnote says it's from Black Markets, p. 24.

Human languages of Golarion.

EDIT: I can confirm the quote. I found it under the secret languages section of the book, though it has slightly different wording. "Varisians likewise have a well developed sign language to accommodate their unusually high populations of deaf or mute children, which the Sczarni have appropriated into their own silent thieves’ cant."


Pathfinder LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber
graystone wrote:
EDIT: I can confirm the quote. I found it under the secret languages section of the book, though it has slightly different wording. "Varisians likewise have a well developed sign language to accommodate their unusually high populations of deaf or mute children, which the Sczarni have appropriated into their own silent thieves’ cant."

Yeah, I just found that. Makes me wonder though where the idea of unusually high incidence of deafness or muteness originated." It sounds like something that should be based in canon from some other publication, but I wouldn't be surprised if the author of that article made it up.


Ed Reppert wrote:


Here a FAQ, there a FAQ, everywhere a FAQ FAQ...

And can people please learn when and when not to use apostrophes in words that end in s? You're driving me nuts! (Not you, Darksol, and not graystone either, I think, but quite a few don't seem to have retained that simple bit from grade school English — although to be honest I wouldn't be surprised if our current educational system hasn't moved it to college level. :-)

If there is a hard and fast rule....I would love to hear it :P

I'm betting I'm one of the worst offenders :)


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Pathfinder LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber
nighttree wrote:
Ed Reppert wrote:


Here a FAQ, there a FAQ, everywhere a FAQ FAQ...

And can people please learn when and when not to use apostrophes in words that end in s? You're driving me nuts! (Not you, Darksol, and not graystone either, I think, but quite a few don't seem to have retained that simple bit from grade school English — although to be honest I wouldn't be surprised if our current educational system hasn't moved it to college level. :-)

If there is a hard and fast rule....I would love to hear it :P

I'm betting I'm one of the worst offenders :)

In general, apostrophes are used in two cases: possessives (nightree's post) and contractions (it's for it is, don't for do not). Note that contractions signify that one or more letters from the full expanded version are left out. The possessive form of "its" is an exception to the use of apostrophes for possessives, probably to distinguish it from the contraction. If you're just trying to create a plural form, generally there is no apostrophe ("coins" not "coin's").


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Wultram wrote:

Chimeric aspect: Decent enough idea, the problem is that the aspects ability sucks.

Greater chimeric aspect: Change this to allowing combination of 2 major aspects and you are onto something.

Final aspect: See comment on chimeric aspect. Also they should get permanent(duration wise that is cancellable) wild shape as their capstone too.

If I may add something: the major forms don't get "anything"...

It's called a "chimeric" aspect, but... where is it? Where's my bear/tiger/wolf/owl chimera?


Greater Chimeric Aspect and Chimeric Aspect only apply to minor form for some reason. I honestly think they should have some sort of effect on the Major Forms since that would add some interesting combinations to the class.


JiCi wrote:
Wultram wrote:

Chimeric aspect: Decent enough idea, the problem is that the aspects ability sucks.

Greater chimeric aspect: Change this to allowing combination of 2 major aspects and you are onto something.

Final aspect: See comment on chimeric aspect. Also they should get permanent(duration wise that is cancellable) wild shape as their capstone too.

If I may add something: the major forms don't get "anything"...

It's called a "chimeric" aspect, but... where is it? Where's my bear/tiger/wolf/owl chimera?

I totally agree! Allowing the shifter to combine 2 major aspects at higher levels into a true chimeric form would totally make this class a winner for me. Developers, PLEASE make this happen :)


Player Killer wrote:
JiCi wrote:
Wultram wrote:

Chimeric aspect: Decent enough idea, the problem is that the aspects ability sucks.

Greater chimeric aspect: Change this to allowing combination of 2 major aspects and you are onto something.

Final aspect: See comment on chimeric aspect. Also they should get permanent(duration wise that is cancellable) wild shape as their capstone too.

If I may add something: the major forms don't get "anything"...

It's called a "chimeric" aspect, but... where is it? Where's my bear/tiger/wolf/owl chimera?

I totally agree! Allowing the shifter to combine 2 major aspects at higher levels into a true chimeric form would totally make this class a winner for me. Developers, PLEASE make this happen :)

I'd totally support this, but it would require some huge changes to how certain abilities work.


Archmage Variel wrote:
Player Killer wrote:
JiCi wrote:
Wultram wrote:

Chimeric aspect: Decent enough idea, the problem is that the aspects ability sucks.

Greater chimeric aspect: Change this to allowing combination of 2 major aspects and you are onto something.

Final aspect: See comment on chimeric aspect. Also they should get permanent(duration wise that is cancellable) wild shape as their capstone too.

If I may add something: the major forms don't get "anything"...

It's called a "chimeric" aspect, but... where is it? Where's my bear/tiger/wolf/owl chimera?

I totally agree! Allowing the shifter to combine 2 major aspects at higher levels into a true chimeric form would totally make this class a winner for me. Developers, PLEASE make this happen :)
I'd totally support this, but it would require some huge changes to how certain abilities work.

Maybe move Greater Chimeric Aspect to 12th level and create a new ability called True Chimera or True Chimeric Aspect that would allow the Shifter to combine two greater aspects for a short time at 17th level?


Player Killer wrote:
Archmage Variel wrote:
Player Killer wrote:
JiCi wrote:
Wultram wrote:

Chimeric aspect: Decent enough idea, the problem is that the aspects ability sucks.

Greater chimeric aspect: Change this to allowing combination of 2 major aspects and you are onto something.

Final aspect: See comment on chimeric aspect. Also they should get permanent(duration wise that is cancellable) wild shape as their capstone too.

If I may add something: the major forms don't get "anything"...

It's called a "chimeric" aspect, but... where is it? Where's my bear/tiger/wolf/owl chimera?

I totally agree! Allowing the shifter to combine 2 major aspects at higher levels into a true chimeric form would totally make this class a winner for me. Developers, PLEASE make this happen :)
I'd totally support this, but it would require some huge changes to how certain abilities work.
Maybe move Greater Chimeric Aspect to 12th level and create a new ability called True Chimera or True Chimeric Aspect that would allow the Shifter to combine two greater aspects for a short time at 17th level?

I was think 2 major forms at Greater Chimeric Aspect and 3 forms at Final Aspect... because getting all 5 major forms would be a little OP :P

My idea is that for Chimeric Aspect, you only get 2 minor forms, but on Greater Chimeric Aspect, your 3 minor forms and 2 major forms. However, to balance everything out, it would be wiser to combine major forms that match the minor forms that you've selected when using Greater Chimeric Aspect.

Maybe, just maybe, for the regular Chimeric Aspect, the shifter could gain the ability to wild shape into a humanoid hybrid, taken from one of his major forms. Yes, I'm asking that the shifter should get a lycanthrope-like hybrid form at some point, so he isn't locked into a non-humanoid form while wild-shapen.


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Pathfinder LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber

Hm. Anyone remember the 1980s TV show "Manimal"?


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Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

A show I wanted to watch but never had the chance to for many different reasons.

...I think part of the 'disconnect' is this:

Customer base that's a bit frustrated saw and heard about Shifter and went "Oh, Beast Boy from Teen Titans! Cool!"

...and the development team was:

"So, we can make a Feral Druid from a popular MMO a playable reality in our game, how do we make that work mechanically? Cool!"

Truth in Text: I have no clue if this is what happened, but it has that sort of feel to it? It's not an attack on either side, but trying to understand perspectives by example.

And there was never a meeting of the minds until *after* initial product release when both sides went "Um... this isn't what was advertised and wow, um, we need to work on this."

Personally, and I've said it several times before, take the 'training wheels' off the Wild Shape, have Wild Shape = Wild Shape, and things become quite a bit simpler.

I suspect it would also help clean up the 'dead levels' AND help with the lack of spells and companion and whatnot.


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GodsBlister wrote:
Greater Chimeric Aspect and Chimeric Aspect only apply to minor form for some reason. I honestly think they should have some sort of effect on the Major Forms since that would add some interesting combinations to the class.

IMO, it would be easiest to pick one of your forms as your base: Pick an ability from each of your non-base forms and swap it with your base.

Example: Greater Chimeric Aspect with Tiger, Monkey and Falcon
use tiger as base
Swap tigers speed of 40 feet for falcons fly speed of 60 feet (good)
Swap scent for the ability to use your hands

So you have a tiger with falcon wings and hand-like paws... They do something like this and I'm not going to care how much I don't care for the minor aspects.

Wei Ji the Learner wrote:
...I think part of the 'disconnect' is this:

For me, it seems like everyone was on the same 'wavelength' up until it was decided that it needed to be a simple 'starter' class with shape shifting on training wheels. The preview content clearly painted a radically different class than we got, especially as for as the Chimeric Aspects go.


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Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

On the terminology 'training wheels'.

True story, my folks tried to get me for a while to learn how to ride a bike growing up. Got training wheels, tried to adjust them, but once they were not touching the ground I'd invariably dump the bicycle.

After about the tenth or fifteenth day of trying this, I went to them in frustration and asked them to just take the things off -- the thing that was 'supposed to help' was throwing off whatever rudimentary sense of balance I had with a bike.

They took off the training wheels and I was riding fine without them within minutes.

...we won't talk about how I subsequently dumped the bike the next day and broke out one of my front teeth because low hanging branches suck at speed...

The point I was going at with the above was simply this: Sometimes in life we try to make something 'simpler' to use, and we end up making it far too complicated or difficult to use, when simply going with the easier/cleaner version would accomplish a great deal more.


Wei Ji the Learner wrote:
training wheels

LOL I never got fancy things like training wheels on my hand-me-down bike.

Wei Ji the Learner wrote:
Sometimes in life we try to make something 'simpler' to use, and we end up making it far too complicated or difficult to use, when simply going with the easier/cleaner version would accomplish a great deal more.

Yep...


graystone wrote:
GodsBlister wrote:
Greater Chimeric Aspect and Chimeric Aspect only apply to minor form for some reason. I honestly think they should have some sort of effect on the Major Forms since that would add some interesting combinations to the class.

IMO, it would be easiest to pick one of your forms as your base: Pick an ability from each of your non-base forms and swap it with your base.

Example: Greater Chimeric Aspect with Tiger, Monkey and Falcon
use tiger as base
Swap tigers speed of 40 feet for falcons fly speed of 60 feet (good)
Swap scent for the ability to use your hands

So you have a tiger with falcon wings and hand-like paws... They do something like this and I'm not going to care how much I don't care for the minor aspects.

This seems like a really simple and functional way to give the Shifter a true chimeric form. It doesn't seem OP as you could have a simple rule where movement abilities can only be swapped for a different movement ability, an attack could only be swapped for an attack, a sense for a sense, and so on. I could definitely get behind this change!


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@Dracala: Excuse for me not using the quote function but since you messed it up a bit in your post(the formatting) I will for go it. The reason that the enchament bonus is bad is because it overlaps with physical stat belts. So eventually it will become worth excatly nothing. It isn't that stat boost isn't good it is because of the bonus type that it sucks.

Regarding your comment about wildshape. Sure those help, but are nowhere near enough. And no shifter forms are not better than druids, not by a long shot. If we limited druid to the same forms then that might be the case, but even then shifter should a lot better than them not just slightly. To me if the druid is not using their spell slots a shifter should anhilate them when duking it out in wildshape. Same as a paladin would do to a cleric that is unbuffed. And given that paladin has limited spell casting where as shifter does not the gulf should be even larger under the mentioned circumstances.


Yeah I've thought about the belt problem too my solution is to make a shifter focused belt that gives them some nice bonus to make it worth not using the belt of physical perfection. So they can benefit from their class features still.


Honestly Wultram, the point of the Ability Bonuses is so you don't Need the belt and can put your money towards elsewhere, for example Wild Enchant on your armor. At least that's how I look at it, which to me just brings up the fact that we need more time per day on our Minor Aspects...

I also think I gave my stance on the needed Versatility of form that the Shifter needs. But, I do like that if the Druid and the Shifter were going at it like that, and they were only using the same forms, the Shifter would squash. That's what the Aspect set up and the change in uses per day does, we just need more Diversity in forms. And that will come with time, like more alchemist discoveries or rogue talents, right now, this is a good start.


The enchament bonus is lacking behind what you could afford gear wise.(the +6 is the main offender.) There is also the fact that it won't count as permanent increase(this matters in some cases.)

And no the shifter is ever so slightly ahead of the druid in this contest. Their only real advantage is their full bab and higher hit dice. And again this is the equilevant of a running contest with the druids shoelaces tied together. Still to avoid moving goalposts. Shifter should absolutely wreck the unbuffed druid without limiting their forms, not even mention with limiting them to the same. It is no where close where it should be. Hell they should be bit better than a druid with their buffs up.


My post from earlier continued so you can react to it without changing your post:

Because right now, the Major Aspects are set up to give us stronger forms, but the set up also requires the ability to Tailor said forms to be stronger, which is why we unfortunately have fewer forms. If we had the same shifting as a Druid, we'd have Exactly the same forms they do, except without Plants and Elemental Forms.... Which would be boring, this spices things up, so that we're More than just the stat blocks of the different animals from the Bestiaries. We just need More Aspects to choose from, so we can build ourselves better.

Then again, maybe you're right, maybe we need Regular Wild Shape and then we can have Tailored Wild Shaping on top of it.... Only with more uses per day than the Druid.... That honestly isn't a bad idea.

Also I am going to bed, its 7 am here.

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