The Perfectly Reasonably Powered Shifter, for Pathfinder 1st edition. (Patreon)

I've been working on Horrifically Overpowered class features for all the 37 official Pathfinder 1st edition class in hardbacks. For paying members, there's a nice index with all those articles listed. While I've only gotten to 12 classes completed so far, I'm working on numerous of them at once since some take more mulling over than others.

And one of those that needs mulling, is the shifter.

Is The Shifter Bad? 

By my estimate, roughly 85% of the Pathfinder 1e GMs and players feel the shifter is both underpowered and uninteresting. Only 1% think it's overpowered. There are reasons for this.

First: the shifter did not have a public playtest. Now there are very good reasons for this, which boil down to it was not possible to take the time and resources to give it a public playtest while Starfinder was ramping up and Pathfinder 2nd edition was moving towards its print deadline. The class was absolutely playtested internally, but Pathfinder 1e's publisher really DOES take the public's feedback on its open playtests, and those playtests make for better products. In this case, it just couldn't be done, and the end result lacks some polish and corner-case consideration.

Second: the shifter never really got its day in the sun for official products to expand its options. Because it came near the end of the official Pathfinder 1st edition lifespan, the shifter has a much smaller collection of archetypes, feats, magic items, and similar material designed with it specifically in mind. If you compare the shifter to the fighter or monk using ONLY material in the Core Rulebook, the shifter does pretty well for itself. But if you compare a shifter with all the options designed with it in mind with fighters and monks that have been getting new build possibilities for the entire span of the game, AND the hunter and all its archetypes, and the unchained monk and all its options, and so on, the shifter looks limited and weak.

I don't think the shifter is a case of bad game design. I do think it needs help if it is going to hold its own as an effective and exciting class in campaigns where the entirety of official Pathfinder 1st edition rules are in play.

So, How Do You Make It Horrifically Overpowered?

The simple way for me to create Horrifically Overpowered class features for the shifter is to take it as it exists, and write stupidly upscaled versions of all its abilities. Anyone who thought that was Overpowered lipstick on an underpowered pig of a class would just shrug and note they can't blame me, there's only so much that can be done with the shifter.

But... simple isn't how I approach expanded Pathfinder 1e design. Especially not for things like an official base class that is among the least popular for the majority of the remaining PF1 fanbase.

Instead, I am going to redesign the shifter, here and now, to make it a class that sits right in line with the power and flexibility curve of he rest of the game's character classes. That's going to take some upscaling of many of its core class features, and the addition of a few more class features to add some sparkle to the class's options. I'm going to do this in two part. First will be the core class design. The second will be redesigned shifter aspects, which are going to have to come in a later article because this one is already insanely big.

Then, later, I'll use this redesigned class for the basis of the Horrifically Overpowered class features for the Revised Shifter.

(When you don't need armor, or big weapons, or furs to keep warm... art by ddraw)

Perfectly Reasonably Powered Shifter

Alignment: Any neutral.

Hit Die: d10.

Starting Wealth: 3d6 x 10 gp (average 105 gp).

Class Skills

The Shifter's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: The Perfectly Reasonably Powered Shifter

Level BAB Fort Will Ref Special1 +1 +0 +2 +2 Shifter aspect, claws, wild empathy2 +2 +0 +3 +3 Defensive instinct, fast movement, track3 +3 +1 +3 +3 Shifter claws, shifter senses                                                                             woodland stride, wild shape4 +4 +1 +4 +4 Bonus feat, defensive instinct5      +5 +1 +4 +4 Second aspect, trackless step6 +6/+1 +2 +5 +5 Shifter's fury, speak with animals7 +7/+2 +2 +5 +5 Bonus feat, shifter claw increase 8 +8/+3 +2 +6 +6 Defensive instinct (+2), shifter senses9 +9/+4 +3 +6 +6 Chimeric aspect 10 +10/+5 +3 +7 +7 Third aspect11 +11/+6/+1 +3 +7 +7 Bonus feat, shifter claw increase12 +12/+7/+2 +4 +8 +8 Defensive instinct (+3), shifter senses13 +13/+8/+ 3 +4 +8 +8 Bonus feat, shift claw increase14 +14/+9/+4 +4 +9 +9 Greater chimeric aspect15 +15/+10/+5 +5 +9 +9 Fourth aspect16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +5 +10 +10 Defensive instinct (+4), shifter senses17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Bonus feat, shifter claw increase 18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +11 A thousand faces 19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +11 Timeless body20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +12 Defensive instinct, final aspect

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A shifter is proficient with the following weapons: blowgun, bolas, boomerang, club, dagger, dart, great club, lasso, long spear, machete, quarterstaff, net, scimitar, scythe, short bow, sickle, shortspear, sling, spear, and whip. She is also proficient with the natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) from the shifter claws class feature.

Shifters are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor. A shifter can wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as if it were steel. Shifters are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only those crafted from wood.A shifter who wears prohibited armor or uses a prohibited shield is unable to use their shifter aspect, shifter claws, wild shape, and other shifter supernatural or spell-like abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.

Shifter Aspect (Su): At 1st level, a shifter gains their first aspect—a category of animal to which their body and soul have become supernaturally attuned. They can shift into their aspect's minor form for a number of hours each day equal to her shifter level + her Wisdom modifier. It need not be consecutive but must be spent in 1 hour increments.

Shifting into a minor form is a swift action, while ending the effect is a free action that can be taken only on the shifter's turn. Until a shifter reaches 9th level and gains the chimeric aspect class feature, they can assume only one minor form at a time. Shifting to a new aspect (or aspects, in the case of chimeric aspects or greater chimeric aspects) ends all minor forms currently manifested. The minor forms of aspects are not polymorph effects, and the shifter does not lose the benefits of a minor form while affected by polymorph effects.

As the shifter gains levels, they gain more aspects; they gain their second aspect at 5th level, a third aspect at 10th level, and a fourth at 15th level.

Shifter Claws (Su): At will, a shifter in their natural form can extend their claws as a swift action to use as a weapon. This magical transformation is fueled as much by the shifter's faith in the natural world as it is by inborn talent. The claws on each hand can be used as a primary natural attack, dealing 1d6 points of piercing and slashing damage (1d4 if the shifter is Small). If they use one of their claw attacks in concert with a weapon held in the other hand, the claw acts as a secondary natural attack instead. The shifter adds half their class level to their shifter claw damage (minimum +1), including when using shifter claw damage during wild shape (this replaces, and does not stack with, the Shifter's Edge feat).

As the shifter gains levels, the power of their claws increases. At 3rd level, their claws ignore DR/cold iron, DR/magic, and DR/silver. At 7th level, their claw damage increases to 1d8 (1d6 if Small). At 9th level, their claws' threat range increases to 19-20. At 11th level, their claw damage increases to 1d10 (1d8 if Small). At 13th level, their claw damage increases to 2d6 (1d10 if Small). At 17th level, the damage die does not increase, but the critical multiplier becomes ×3. Lastly, at 19th level, the claws ignore DR/adamantine and DR/—.

While a shifter uses wild shape to assume their aspect's major form, their natural attacks gain the same benefits granted by their shifter claws ability. If the form they take has claw attacks, they can use either the base damage of their shifter claws or the damage of the form's claws, whichever is greater. They can also use the better of their claws' of the natural attack's threat range and critical multiplier. If the form does not have claw attacks, they can choose up to two natural attacks that would deal less damage than their shifter claw damage and have those attacks instead deal the same damage as their shifter claws.

Of course not all animals have claws, and some shifters are more attuned with other kinds of natural attacks. At the GM's discretion, a shifter may choose two different natural attacks than two claws, such as a bite and a slam, or two hook attacks. These may do bludgeoning or piercing damage, but they do the same damage as shifter claws and in all other ways conform to this class feature.

Wild Empathy (Ex): A shifter can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions as a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The shifter rolls 1d20 and adds their shifter level and Wisdom or Charisma modifier (whichever is higher) to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. To use wild empathy, the shifter and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another and under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.The shifter can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but they take a –4 penalty on the check.

Fast Movement (Ex): At 2nd level, a shifter's land speed is faster than the norm for their species by +10 feet. This benefit applies only when they are wearing no armor or nonmetal armor, and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the shifter's speed because of any load carried or armor worn. This bonus stacks with any other bonuses to the shifter's land speed.

If the shifter uses wild shape to assume the form of a creature that has a burrow, climb, fly, or swim speed, that speed is also increased by 10 feet.

Defensive Instinct (Ex): At 2nd level, when unarmored, not using a shield, unencumbered, and conscious, the shifter adds their Wisdom bonus (if any) to their AC and CMD. If they are wearing nonmetal armor or using a nonmetal shield, they instead adds half their Wisdom bonus to their AC (minimum 0). In addition, the shifter gains a +1 bonus to their AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 shifter levels thereafter (up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level).These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks and when the shifter is flatfooted. A shifter loses these bonuses when immobilized or helpless. These bonuses do not stack with the monk AC bonus class feature.Track (Ex): At 2nd level, a shifter adds half their level as a bonus on Survival checks to follow tracks.

Shifter Senses (Ex): At 3rd level, a shifter's senses become extremely keen. The shifter adds half their level to all Perception checks. They also select one sense from the following list: blindsense (10 feet), darkvision (60 feet), low-light vision, or scent. At 8th level they can select an additional sense from the previous list, or increase a sense they already have (+5 feet for blindsense, +30 feet for darkvision -- these options can be selected more than once), or mistsense. At 12th level they can select another sense from the previous two lists, or all-around vision, or (if they have 15 or more feet of blindsense), select 5 feet of blindsight. At 16th level, it can select another sense from the previous lists, or greensight, of keen scent (if it has scent), or increase its blindsight by 5 feet (if it has blindsight).

Shifter senses are not polymorph effects, and the shifter does not lose the senses while affected by polymorph effects.

Wild Shape (Su): At 3rd level, a shifter gains the ability to turn themselves into the major form of one of their aspects and back again. This ability functions as beast shape II, except as noted here. The shifter can turn into the major form of only one of their aspects at a time. Using wild shape to change to a major form or back is a standard action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. Often a particular aspect's major form grants abilities beyond the normal effect of beast shape II. Each major form details the abilities the shifter gains with that major form and at what level; they gain these instead of the form abilities from beast shape II, but still gains beast shape II abilities that are size dependent.Unlike other wild shapers, the shifter can speak and understand all the languages they know while in wild shaped form. Like all transmutation (polymorph) effects, wild shape grants the shifter proficiency with the natural attacks of forms she assumes with wild shape.

A shifter can use wild shape for a number of hours each day equal to their shifter level + her Wisdom modifier. It need not be consecutive but must be spent in 1 hour increments. For abilities that function based on ‘uses of wild shape,' each hour of wild shape counts as a use.A shifters can take feats and other abilities that require wild shape; for the purpose of qualifying for prerequisites, their effective druid level is equal to her shifter level.

*The shifter is the one facing us. Art by ddraw)

Woodland Stride (Ex): At 3rd level, a shifter can move through any sort of undergrowth (such as briars, natural thorns, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at their normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Briars, thorns, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect the shifter.Bonus Feat: At 4th level the shift gains a bonus feat. This can be a combat feat for which the shifter means all prerequisites. Alternately, the shifter can take one of the following feats, without meeting the prerequisites. Some of feats have special rules is a shifter takes them as bonus feats, noted after each feat. Aspect of the Beast (gain all benefits rather than select one), Burrowing Claw, Elemental Claws (can be used a number of times per day equal to 1 + the shifter's class level +1 per 4 levels in other classes), Extended Aspects (adds +4 hours to your shifter aspect duration per day), Raking Claws (DC to stop the bleeding is 10 + 1/2 the shifter's level + the shifter's Wisdom bonus).

The shifter gains another bonus feat at 7th, 11th, 13th, and 17th level.

Trackless Step (Ex): At 5th level, a shifter leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. A shifter can choose to leave a trail if they so desires.

Shifter's Fury (Ex): At level 6, a shifter gains the ability to make several ferocious attacks with the same natural weapon. Instead of attacking with all their natural weapons, the shifter can choose a single natural weapon and make a full attack with that natural weapon, gaining a second iterative attack at a –5 as if it was a manufactured weapon. When they does so, all their other natural attacks count as secondary attacks and don't benefit from shifter's claws. At 11th level, they gains a third iterative attack at a –10 and at 16th level, they gains a fourth iterative attack at –15.

Speak With Animals (Sp): Beginning at 6th level, the shifter can cast speak with animals a number of times per day equal to 3 + their Wisdom bonus.

Chimeric Aspect (Su): At 9th level, when a shifter uses her shifter aspect ability to take on a minor form, she can choose two aspects and assume the minor form of each aspect.

Greater Chimeric Aspect (Su): At 14th level, when a shifter uses her shifter aspect ability to take on a minor form, she can choose up to three aspects and assume the minor form of each aspect.

A Thousand Faces (Su): At 18th level, a shifter gains the ability to change her appearance at will, as if using the alter self spell, but only while in her normal form.

Timeless Body (Ex): After attaining 18th level, a shifter no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the shifter still dies of old age when her time is up.

Final Aspect (Su): At 20th level, a shifter gains access to a fifth aspect, and when they use shifter's aspect, they can assume the minor forms of all their aspects and the shifter can use her major and minor forms at will.

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