New Shifter Aspects: Butterfly & Swan

Soon on The Bardess’ Library #8!

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New Shifter Aspects

Butterfly

Butterflies are known for their beauty, but they also can use the patterns on their wings to fool predators, and are able to see colors that the human eye can’t see.

Minor Form: You gain a +4 bonus on Will saves against illusion effects. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.

Major Form (vermin shape II): Your shape changes to that of a giant butterfly. This ability uses the vermin shape spell, rather than beast shape, for the purposes of wild shape. While in this form, you gain a fly speed of 40 feet (average), two claw attacks (1d6 damage), and a +4 bonus on Will  saves against illusion effects. At 8th level, this fly speed increases to 60 feet (good), and your racial bonus on Will saves vs. illusions increases to +6. At 15th level, your fly speed increases to 80 feet (good), and you can attempt to perform a fascinating flying dance as a standard action. As long as you continue your flying dance without doing anything else, one or more creatures within 90 feet that fail at a Will save (DC = 10 + ½ your shifter level + your Charisma modifier) are fascinated as per the fascinate bardic performance.

Alternate Natural Attacks: Wing (B)

Swan

The swan is seen as a symbol of beauty and grace, but it is actually very aggressive and stronger than it seems. Swans are migratory fowl, and their sense of direction is unparalleled.

Minor Form: You gain a +4 competence bonus on Survival checks to avoid getting lost. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.

Major Form (beast shape II): Your shape changes to that of a trumpeter swan. While in this form, you gain a base speed of 30 feet, a bite attack (1d4 damage), two wing attacks (1d3 damage), a fly speed of 60 feet (average), low-light vision, and a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks to avoid getting lost. At 8th level, you gain know direction as a constant spell-like ability, and your racial bonus on Survival checks increases to +6. At 15th level, you are immune to effects that would cause you to get lost or lose your orientation, and your fly speed increases to 80 feet (good).

Alternate Natural Attacks: Bite (B, P, S), wing (B)

Spheres Shifter Archetype

This was missing from Spheres of Power, so I created it!

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Sphere Shifter

Casting: At 4th level, the sphere shifter may combine spheres and talents to create magical effects. The sphere shifter is considered a Low-Caster. (Note: All casters gain 2 bonus talents and a casting tradition the first time they gain the casting class feature.)

This replaces shifter aspect.

Spell Pool: The sphere shifter gains a small reservoir of energy she can call on to create truly wondrous effects, called a spell pool. This pool contains a number of spell points equal to her class level + his casting ability modifier. This pool replenishes once per day after roughly 8 hours of rest.

Wild Heart: The sphere shifter gains the Alteration sphere or a talent from the Alteration sphere as a bonus sphere at 4th, 9th, and 14th level. When spending a spell point to allow a shapeshift on herself and only on herself to endure without concentration, the effect lasts for up to 10 minutes per caster level instead of 1 minute per caster level. At 20th level, the effect can be made permanent until dismissed. This replaces wild shape, chimeric aspect, and greater chimeric aspect.

Magic Talents: A sphere shifter gains one magic talent at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter. This replaces all further instances of shifter aspect and final aspect. 

Shifter Simple Creature Template

Even monsters can be shapeshifters of sorts.

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Shifter Creature (CR +1 or +2)

A shifter creature gains shapechanging powers and some more druidic abilities.

A shifter creature’s CR increases by 2 if the creature has 7 or more HD.

Quick Rules

+2 on all rolls based on Str and Wis; can use shifter aspect for a number of minutes per day equal to 3 + ½ its HD; can use wild shape (if it has 7 or more HD, using its HD – 3 as its shifter level to determine the duration and effect of the wild shape); gains defensive instinct (treating its HD as its shifter levels to determine the bonus) and track.

Rebuild Rules

Defensive Abilities defensive instinct (treating its HD as its shifter levels to determine the bonus); Special Attacks shifter aspect (for a number of minutes per day equal to 3 + ½ its HD), wild shape (if it has 7 or more HD, using its HD – 3 as its shifter level to determine the duration and effects); Special Qualities track; Ability Scores +4 Strength and Wisdom.

Shifter Variant Multiclassing

Omygosh THIS was missing too?! I can’t allow that.

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Shifter Variant Multiclassing

A character who chooses shifter as her secondary class gains the following secondary class features.

Code: At 1st level, she gains Druidic as a bonus language and must abide by the druidic code of conduct—respecting nature, not teaching the Druidic language to outsiders, not wearing metal armor, and so on.

Shifter Claws: At 3rd level, she gains the shifter claws ability, treating her character level as her shifter level.

Shifter Aspect: At 7th level, she gains one shifter aspect and can shift into her aspect’s minor form for a number of minutes per day equal to her character level.

Wild Shape: At 11th level, she gains the wild shape ability for a number of hours per day equal to 3 + her Wisdom bonus.

Improved Shifter Aspect: At 15th level, she gains a second shifter aspect.

Greater Wildshape: At 19th level, she can use wild shape for a number of hours per day equal to ½ her level + her Wisdom bonus.