Adaptive Shifter Claws? How “Adaptive” are they?

[Fuzzman91]

So I’ve been reading up on the Adaptive Shifter archetype and checking a number of forums and post about the how the abilities work with one another. How Adaptive Form works with Unfetter Wild Shape (minus Giant Form as per the rules). The only issue I’m finding is the Adaptive Shifter Claws ability. I know they let you chose claws, bite, gore, tail attack when activating them and that they have their own damage and special effects, but there seems to be a debate about whether you can use your claws in your Wild Shape form. Many of the forums/posts I’ve read say you CAN’T because the ability doesn’t specifically say so, but the rules say Adaptive Shifter Claws only alter Shifter Claws not that the ability is a different one all together. To me it reads that you base form can change what your shifter attack is when manifesting them but that the Adaptive Claws default to normal Shifter Claw rules when In a Wild Shape form. Any Shifter players or GMs of shifter players that could clear this up would be some cool peeps!!

Adaptive Claws (Su)

When activating her shifter claws ability in her natural form, an adaptive shifter can instead manifest a single bite attack that deals bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage; a gore attack that deals piercing damage; or a tail slap that deals bludgeoning damage. This natural attack otherwise deals damage as the shifter’s claws.

This alters shifter claws.

[vhok]

it seems your asking if shifter claws can be used while in whildshape? you have a big box of text for such a simple question so i totally missed it the first few times i read it

Adaptive Claws (Su): When activating her shifter claws ability in her natural form

seems pretty cut and dry to me
it does give bonuses to your natural attacks though

While a shifter uses wild shape to assume her aspect’s major form, her natural attacks gain the same benefits granted by her shifter claws ability. If the form she takes has claw attacks, she can use either the base damage of her shifter claws or the damage of the form’s claws, whichever is greater. If the form does not have claw attacks, she can choose up to two natural attacks that would deal less damage than her shifter claw damage and have those attacks instead deal the same damage as her shifter claws.

[Derklord]

Fuzzman91 wrote:

there seems to be a debate about whether you can use your claws in your Wild Shape form

Both Adaptive Claws and the vanilla ability Shifter Claws mention "in her natural form". I think you're confused by the wording of Adaptive Claws that only say that the alterations it makes only work in natural form, but the regular version of the ability says the same and thus it also applies to claws, not just the bite, gore or tail slap of the archetype ability. In effect, when wildshaped any way, you can't use the ability, period. Weretouched Shifter provides an explicit exception.

vhok wrote:

it does give bonuses to your natural attacks though

Not for Adaptive Shifter, which doesn't have aspects.