Good Shapeshift forms not in Polymorphamory

[draxar]

So, I make and update the Polymorphamory guide on good forms for shapeshifting. And I'm pretty happy with it. But I'm aware that there are cool forms I'm missing from it.

Part of this will be normal human incompetence; I don't have a Headband of Intellect, so I miss things. However, there's also the issue that I used to build it using the Pathfinder Community spreadsheet, which had all the Bestiaries, all the APs, as well as a few other things like Tome of Horrors*. And that was really useful, as you can filter by type, size, source. Search for specific abilities. Etc, etc.

Unfortunately, sometime around 2014 (IIRC), that stopped updating. I've gone through Beastiaries 5 & 6 more manually, and grabbed'n'added everything useful I could find from there.

But it's just not practical, nor something I'm interested in, to go through every single monster in every AP and Campaign setting book.

So, if you've spotted any good forms I've not got in my guide, let me know. Links to them on d20pfsrd preferred, but just the name'n'why it's so great and I'll google myself.

Don't through any and everything my way - whilst some areas of the guide have quite a few options, I'm trying to always keep it distinct - maybe a couple of options for 'lots of attacks' and 'one big attack' at each level, but not a dozen where it's clear that one has actually better damage dice or other abilities.

* I've generally left the various versions of Tome of Horrors out, as they're third party, even though they often get used in APs. I'm unsure whether in our out is the best for them, so would be open to hearing some thoughts on that.

[avr]

There's the etheroot from Planar Adventures. One attack w/15' reach, 6 w/10'. I'm not sure whether you'd get the roseling's ranged thorns but it seems at least possible. Similarly with the psychepore which has a wisdom damage poison on each of its 3 slams as well. All of these are plants.

[Avoron]

For alter self, take a look at the canopy troll (Small form with perfect senses and bite/claw/claw/sting attacks with reach on the sting) and the sewer troll (Medium form with perfect senses and bite/claw/claw attacks with reach on the claws).

[Avoron]

Okay, let's take a look at some animals.

Beast Shape I

Bull shark has the highest base damage of any medium form for Vital Strikers and the like, followed by giant porcupine if you need a land speed for some reason. And the digmaul is strictly better than the leopard at this level (which does not, in fact, have a swim speed). As small combat forms go, the dallo’s worth mentioning for its darkvision, scent, and three primary natural weapons that put it up there with the velociraptor and eagle.

Beast Shape II

Highest base damage form is now the arsinoitherium at 4d8. Meanwhile, the marax is a serious contender for the dire tiger's title of best pouncer - it doesn't have grab, but it's got four attacks and half of them have reach. I'd say the impaler shrike's 60-ft. flight speed, grab, and reach let it solidly beat giant vulture as the best large flyer, and at this level the plesiosaurus is strictly better than the narwhal. If you're going tiny, rabbit beats the fox for speed, and margay might well be the best combat form with its climb speed and cat-level attacks. Quillcat's worth noting as a small form with pounce.

Beast Shape III

The bull of zagresh has better trample damage than the mastadon. And the yolubilis heron is a better flyer than the quetzalcoatlus - not as scary in a full-attack, but more mobile and with 1.5x Str on its bite. If you're going diminutive a jerboa or horned lizard is strictly better than a hedgehog, adorableness notwithstanding. You say there's no small animals of note, but the trumpeter swan flies faster now than anything else out there. Finally, it might be worth mentioning some creatures with ferocity, like the dire badger or ceratosaurus.

[avr]

Of note: the cerynitis is a deer (large magical beast) with 180' base speed. With a spell like cheetah's sprint you'd be able to run or charge 1800' in a round. Vrooom.