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Post by browman on Feb 17, 2013 3:19:46 GMT
Among the Delosians there are those who lack to pure lycanthropic blood to transform into true beasts, while still capable of becoming something other than man. It is said that somewhere in excess of ¼ of a man’s blood must that that of a pureblooded lycanthrope in order to fully transform while those with at least 1/16 lycanthropic blood can achieve some level of transformation. These shifters are divided into two categories: high shifters with at least 1/8 the blood and low shifters, those with somewhat less while still able to gain something. In Delos shifters have become almost an under-nobility filling lesser positions of power and serving their pure blooded rulers as bodyguards and assistants.
Low shifters
Gain +2 to str and con, -2 to cha
Shifters have a base speed of 30
Shifters gain +2 racial bonus to survival
Shifters have low light vision
Shifters are immune to the curse of lycanthropy
Shifters have a +4 bonus to resist forced shapechanging
Shifters receive the Diehard feat for free and do not have to meet requirements
Shifters can as a racial ability change their form for a number of rounds equal to their con bonus + their character level. One benefit is chosen at character creation and cannot be changed
DR 5/ silver
Natural Armour +3
+20 to move speed
+40 to swim speed
+4 bonus to str
+4 bonus to con
+4 bonus to Dex
Lycanthropic empathy (chose one type of creature)
Scent
Grow claws
Gain bite
Will post more information on Higher shifters in the next few days, would apriciate some feedback on low shifters first.
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Post by Eyore on Feb 17, 2013 12:27:41 GMT
Did you have a level adjustment on mind for them? As currently they look more powerful than the Eberron Shifter.
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Post by browman on Feb 17, 2013 14:03:05 GMT
I was hoping to have low shifters not have a level adjustment with High shifter, ie those able to use multiple lycanthropic abilities. Low shifters chose one at character creation and cannot change it. Though maybe the low shifter should lose some of the other abilities and chose one of str or con to receive bonus? But a +1 lvl adjustment would not be the worst thing.
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Post by Dungeon Master Deveraux on Feb 17, 2013 21:26:44 GMT
I am definitely in the camp of the shifter above requiring level adjustment, as it straight away has unbalanced stat adjustments, along with some other bonuses.
I am intrigued by the idea of the higher shifters, but also wondered why not just use the shifter as written in the ECS for the low shifter?
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Post by browman on Feb 17, 2013 22:56:15 GMT
I play pathfinder which does not have shifters as far as I know. I played a little bit of 4th ed which had the idea of shifters. I will see if I can find the 3.5 rules for shifters.
For high shifters I was thinking that they could use multiple abilities while still not being true lycanthropes.
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Post by browman on Feb 17, 2013 23:26:36 GMT
Found the rules for shifters, they will work though not a big fan of the -2 Int, as I was picturing shifters doing most of the more PC class type stuff in Delos, including arcane magic.
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Post by browman on Feb 19, 2013 2:01:02 GMT
After looking through most of the ECS, I think the concept I was looking at for high shifters could be represented by being able to take up to 4 levels of weretouched master at character creation, ignoring normal requirements to enter that class, which would not be accessable any other way. Also I was thinking that both types of shifters would be prevented from taking shifter feats except during chracter creation, but that any requirement for a certain number of other shifter feats be removed. This is due to my picturing of shifters as not being able to normally increase their shifting ability after it has manifested.
What this would mean in practice is that you could see level 1 shifters with DR 2 /silver or two shifting abilities but at higher levels they could still only shift one time for a max of 4+ con rounds.
Thoughts?
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Post by Eyore on Feb 19, 2013 15:15:37 GMT
The were touched master prestige class is a great prestige class(have you seen the erratad version?). I wouldn't be keen on banning access to it myself. I like the idea of developing shifters, but can't really see a need to split them into two mechanically different races.
Only being able to take shifter feats at first level would render most of the shifter feats useless. Most of the good ones have prerequisites that a first level character cannot meet. This would also make shifters in general a much less attractive choice.
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Post by browman on Feb 19, 2013 16:59:45 GMT
I was not necessarily meaning to divide shifters into 2 races more indicating that in Delos their is a distinction made and how to represent that in the rules. It seems like some of the differences we see is how we envision shifters in the world. Perhaps for some reason it works one way with the shifters in Delos, while in other parts of the world it works differently.
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Post by Eyore on Feb 19, 2013 19:05:51 GMT
Ah I see, my mistake. Perhaps the low shifter could be the ECS shifter and the high shifter could be a shifter with certain feats or traits, or even a minor template?
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Post by browman on Feb 19, 2013 19:12:20 GMT
I feel the weretouched master could easily represent a high shifter. Low shifters would be those with only one or two shifter feats.
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Post by Dungeon Master Deveraux on Feb 20, 2013 22:54:39 GMT
I think the weretouched master is a very neat answer to that particular issue, and in my mind works. I really like what you guys have come up with there between you, and cannot wait to see what else you come up with
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