Description
Shifters are sometimes called the “were-touched” They were a hybrid cross between humans and lycanthropes. When the Anvil of Creation was rung by Malefon, other anvils birthed races into existence at the same time as tieflings and dragonborn. The Anvil which long before gave rise to humankind, brought forth shifters. They lost their lycanthropic abilities and are now perpetually stuck in limbo between human and a were-animal. Shifters cannot fully change shape but can take on animalistic features - a state they call shifting. Shifters have become a unique race that breeds true. They have a distinct culture with its own traditions and identity.
Religion
They initially felt abandoned by all gods and became secretive and secular. Herew, the combined deities of Hoofshaw, Ktisis, and Tehana, heard their cries of anguish and revealed himself to them as Alyon. Alyon has shaped and directed the shifters to do his will in Pondaera. Alyon speaks in dreams to the leaders of each tribe of shifters.
Personality
The personality and behavior of shifters are influenced by their animal natures. some are boorish and crude, while others are quiet, shifty and solitary. Just as most lycanthropes are carnivores, shifters have a predatory personality and think of most activities in terms of hunting and prey. They view survival as a challenge, striving to be self-reliant, adaptable and resourceful.
Physical Description
Shifters are basically humanoid in shape, but their bodies are exceptionally
lithe. They often move in a crouched posture, springing and leaping while their companions walk normally alongside. Their faces have a bestial cast, with wide, flat noses, large eyes, and heavy eyebrows, pointed ears, and long sideburns (in both sexes). Their forearms and lower legs grow long hair, and the hair on their heads is thick and worn long.
Relations
Many races feel uncomfortable around shifters, the same way they feel around any large predators. Of course, some grow to appreciate individual shifters despite their natural aversion, and halflings, in general, get along well with them. For their part, shifters are accustomed to distrust and don’t expect better treatment from members of other races. Some shifters, at the prompting of Alyon, seek out other races or individuals to help them in their walk or to introduce them to Alyon.
Shifter Names for Others
Common Homelands
Shifters have no land of their own. Being descended from human stock, they live in human lands. Unlike changelings, however, shifters often live in rural areas away from the crowded spaces of the cities. They tend to lead a nomadic lifestyle never staying in the same area for more than a few weeks. They will usually remain within their assigned territories, however. Many shifters earn their way as trappers, hunters, fishers, trackers, guides and military scouts.
Adventures
Moving from the rugged, self-reliant life of a shifter trapper or hunter to an
adventuring life is not a big step. Many shifters find themselves embarking on adventuring careers after something happens to disrupt their everyday routines. It may be an incursion of monsters into their village or forest, a guide job gone sour, or prompting from Alyon.
Ability Score Increase: +2 Dexterity, + 1 Constitution, +1 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Shifters are lithe and agile, but their fundamental bestial nature detracts from both their reasoning ability and social interaction.
Ages: 15, 35, 53, 70, 110
Alignment: Shifters are usually Good after the Alyon intervention, viewing the struggle to survive as more important than moral or ethical concerns about how to survival is maintained.
Size: 5'6"-6'2", 135-220 lbs., Medium
Type: Humanoid (shapechanger)
Speed: 30 feet
Low-Light Vision: 30 feet darkvision and see twice as far in dim lighting. This includes seeing color.
Proficiency (pick 2): Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Medicine, Stealth
Shifting: On your turn, you can shift as a bonus action. Shifting lasts for 1 minute or until you end it on your turn as a bonus action. While shifting, you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution bonus (minimum of 1). You also gain a feature that depends on your shifter tribe, described below.
You must finish a short or long rest before you can shift again
Languages: Common and Sylvan
Names: Shifter surnames match their tribal names. Given names may sound and be human but often sound rustic to city-dwellers.
Lycanthropic Heritage: Once per day, a shifter can enter a state that is similar to a barbarian's rage. Each shifter has one of their six shifter traits - characteristics that manifest themselves when a character is shifting. Each shifter trait provides a +2 bonus to one of the character's physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity or Constitution) and grants some other advantage as well. Shifter traits are described in the following section. Shifting, though related to and developed from lycanthropy, is neither an affliction nor a curse. It is not passed on by bite or claw attacks, and a shifter can't be cured. Shifting is a natural ability for the race.
Bonus Action: Shifting is a bonus action and lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the shifter's Con modifier (If a shifter trait increases the character's Con modifier, use a newly improved modifier). A shifter can take feats to improve this ability. These shifter feats are described later.
Skill Bonus: Shifting gives +2 racial bonus on Balance, Climb and Jump checks: A shifter's animalistic heritage enhances many of their physical skills.
Shifter Subclass Traits
Each shifter has one of the following special traits, which is selected when a character is created and cannot be changed thereafter.
Beasthide: While shifting, a beasthide shifter gains a +2 bonus to Constitution and a natural armor that provides a +2 bonus to AC.
Cliffwalk: While shifting, a cliffwalk shifter gains a +2 bonus to Dexterity and has a bonus climb speed of 20 ft above normal movement.
Longstrider: While shifting, a longstrider shifter gains a +2 bonus to Dexterity and a bonus +10 feet to his land speed.
Longtooth: While shifting, a longtooth shifter gains a +2 bonus to Strength and grows fangs that can be used as a natural magic weapon, dealing 1d6 damage (+1 additional point for every four character levels the shifter has) with a successful bite attack. He can use the bite attack at -2 on attack as a bonus action while wielding a weapon.
Razorclaw: While shifting, a razorclaw shifter gains a +2 bonus to Strength and grows claws that can be used as natural magic weapons dealing 1d6 damage (+1 additional point for every four character levels he has) with each successful attack. He can use the claw attack at a -2 on attack bonus action while wielding a one-handed weapon.
Wildhunt: While shifting, a wildhunt shifter gains a +1 bonus to Wisdom, +1 to Dexterity, and the scent ability. This ability allows the shifter to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes and track by sense of smell. A wildhunt shifter can identify familiar odors just as human identifies familiar sights. A wildhunt shifter can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting
garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range. These stronger scents can block other scents, so they can sometimes be used to confuse or hamper this shifter trait. When a wildhunt shifter detects a scent, the exact location of the source isn't revealed - only its presence somewhere in the range. The shifter can take a move action
to note the direction of the scent. Whenever the shifter comes within 5 feet of the source, he pinpoints the source location. While shifting, a wildhunt shifter who has the Track feat can follow tracks by smell, making Survival checks at advantage to find or follow trail. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (regardless of the surface that holds the scent). This DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry's odor is, the number
of creatures producing the odor, and the age of trail. For each hour that the trail grows old, the DC increases by 2. This ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Shifters tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility. When not shifting, a wildhunt shifter gains a +2 bonus on Survival checks, due to the lingering effects of the scent ability.
Shifter Feats
Every shifter feat a character takes increases the duration of shifting by 1 round. For every two shifter feats a character takes, the number of times per day rounded down he can tap into the ability increases by one. So, a character with two shifter feats can shift two times per day (instead of usual one) and each use of the ability lasts for a number of rounds equal to 5 (instead of 3) + shifter's CON modifier.
Beasthide Elite
Prerequisite: Beasthide Shifter.
Benefit: The natural armor from beasthide shifter increases to a total of +4 to AC. Your nose elongates and you can make a horn attack -2 on attack as a bonus action for 1d6 + 1 for each shifter feat slashing damage. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your
shifting ability.
Cliffwalk Elite
Prerequisite: Cliffwalk Shifter.
Benefit: The climb speed from cliffwalk shifter is increases to a total of 30 ft. You may featherfall from a height of 60 ft. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Extended Shifting
Prerequisites: Shifter, at least one other shifter feat.
Benefit: Add 6 rounds to the duration of your shifting ability. These additional rounds stack with other increases to the duration of your shifting ability. This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time it is taken, its effects stack.
Extra Shifter Trait
Prerequisites: Shifter, at least two other shifter traits.
Benefit: Choose an additional shifter type from the six types. When you shift, you take on all shifter traits except the bonus to 6 main characteristics. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Great Bite
Prerequisites: Longtooth Shifter, 1 other shifter feat.
Benefit: Each bite does 2d6 + 1 for each four character levels. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Great Rend
Prerequisites: Razorclaw Shifter, 1 other shifter feat.
Benefit: Each claw does 2d6 + 1 for each four character levels. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Greater Shifter Defense
Prerequisites: shifter defense, 3 other shifter feats.
Benefit: While shifting, non-magical non-silver damage is reduced by 6 hp. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Incremental Shifting
Prerequisites: Shifter, at least 1 other shifter feat.
Benefit: You may use your shifting ability in 1-round increments that do not have to be consecutive. Activating and deactivating are still bonus actions. This feat doe not count towards adding the number of times a day you can use your shifter ability.
Longstride Elite
Prerequisite: Longstride Shifter.
Benefit: The bonus to your movement is a total of 20 ft. Opponents may not make opportunity attacks against you. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Longtooth Elite
Prerequisite: Great Bite feat.
Benefit: Bite attacks no longer get -2. On a successful bite attack, the opponent is petrified until the beginning of its turn. While petrified the opponent can be melee attacked with advantage. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Razorclaw Elite
Prerequisite: Great Rend Feat
Benefit: On a two consecutive successful claw attacks, the opponent is grappled. While grappling an opponent, you make 2 claw attacks without the -2 to attack and two successful claw hits will maintain the grapple. The DC to escape is 8 + strength modifier + the number of shifter feats. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Reactive Shifting
Prerequisites: Shifter, Alert Feat (will also count as a shifter feat).
Benefit: While shifting, you may use your reaction to add your dexterity modifier to you AC. You may do this twice before a short or long rest. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Regeneration
Prerequisites: Shifter, constitution of 13.
Benefit: While shifting you gain 7 hp per turn at the beginning of your turn. Damage from silver will nullify this effect. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Shifter Acrobatics
Prerequisites: Cliffwalk or Longstride Shifter, proficiency in acrobatics.
Benefit: While shifting, get a bonus to acrobatics equal to the number of shifter feats. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Shifter Agility
Prerequisite: Cliffwalk or Longstride Shifter.
Benefit: While shifting, you gain a +1 to AC and a +2 to dexterity saves. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Shifter Defense
Prerequisites: Shifter, 2 other shifter feats.
Benefit: While shifting non-magical, non-silver is reduced by 3 hp. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Shifter Ferocity
Prerequisites: Shifter, constitution of 16
Benefit: When you are reduced to 0 hit points bu not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feat again unless you finish a short or long rest. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Shifter Instincts
Prerequisite: Shifter.
Benefit: While shifting you gain a +2 bonus to initiative and a +1 to perception and insight checks. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Shifter Magnetism
Prerequisites: Shifter, proficiency in animal handling.
Benefit: You gain a bonus to your animal handling equal to the number of shifting feats you have. This counts even when you are not shifting. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Shifter Savagery
Prerequisites: Longtooth or Razorclaw, ability to rage.
Benefit: While simultaneously shifting and raging, you earn a critical hit with either a natural 19 or a 20. Add 1d6 if the critical hit was a claw or bite attack. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Shifter Stamina
Prerequisites: Beasthide or Wildhunt Shifter, proficiency in athletics
Benefit: While shifting, you are resistant to critical damage. Critical damage is treated as normal damage. Exhaustion levels are suppressed until after shifting ceases. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Shifter Stealth
Prerequisites: Cliffwalk or Longstride Shifter, proficiency in stealth.
Benefit: While shifting, you gain a bonus to stealth equal the number of shifter feats you have. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.
Wildhunt Elite
Prerequisite: Wildhunt Shifter.
Benefit: While shifting, you gain blindsense 30’. Add 2 stackable rounds to the duration of your shifting ability.