Shifters

CrazyJ · Post by **CrazyJ** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:09 am

May as well start a new one rather than necro-posting in the old thread.

One problem shifters have is that some of their better forms (Azer, Risen Lord, Kobold Commando) use weapons that a Shifter does not have proficiency in. This means that it costs a Shifter two feats to get Improved Crit: Scythe, and another two feats for IC for the Azer or the Kobold.

Shifters are supposed to be versatile...locking them into one or two shapes by virtue of feat starvation does not help this.

Can we give at least all the Epic shapes the Improved Crit feats to help them compete?

Death Dealer1 · Post by **Death Dealer1** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:13 am

druid/shifter can't get weapon prof. feats......you have to get another class in there which loses those epic shapes.

CrazyJ · Post by **CrazyJ** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:16 am

Pretty sure I saw Weapon Proficiency Exotic as a choice when I hit level 3. Almost to 6, so I'll find out tonight.
If so, then this is definitely a problem. Shifters will crit less often than even monks, who have the worst crit range on the server (19-20, no hope of upgrading due to lack of Keen).

Shifters are supposed to be versatile.

Post by **Binkyuk** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:59 am

DD1 is right - neither druid nor shifter can take weapon proficiency feats.

i don't think this is a major problem. all your epic feats will be taken up with great wis and shapes, and with my shifter builds i usually only have 1-2 feats left after the alertness, extend and general combat feats, which both go on unarmed foci.

i certainly don't think that being unable to _specialise_ significantly impacts your _versatility_.

note that you can take ic: unarmed, which counts for 2/3 undead shapes, construct and dragon shapes. much better bargain anyway.

(oh and why do you want ic for your kobold? he's a sneak attacker)

CrazyJ · Post by **CrazyJ** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:07 pm

Against high DR creatures, crits are how you do the damage quickly.... a scyther will greatly out perform my WM Kama user against Alzaara and others due to the higher damage on crits. Even the Risen Lord only can get 19-20 crit range (Keen weapon merging).
Unarmed doesn't carry the same bonus damage, and it doesn't merge in weapon properties. You're still left with a crit range of only 19-20.

You're shifting into the form, which means you know how to do pretty much everything the form can--breathe fire, suck blood, turn invisible at will, mess with the enemy's mind (illithid)--yet you can't use its melee weapon as though you have any skill with it (no improved crit)?

watchwood · Post by **watchwood** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:35 pm

On top of those problems, shifters are the UPC for one of the weakest factions. Personally, I see little reason why the factions who have manpower shortages can't be given a nudge here and there to help them compete against the more popular factions.

EIT: Better thought, make those feats bonuses for toons who put high amounts of thier levels into shifter classes.

CrazyJ · Post by **CrazyJ** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:42 pm

I don't think they can add feats or auto-giving of feats... that's why all of the special abilities are user-activated tokens. I suspect the pure-class bonuses will be that way too. They can, however, edit the shifting scripts/skins to add feats.

-BannyD- · Post by **-BannyD-** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:54 pm

pure class bonuses can be given via leto, just like books and subraces

CrazyJ · Post by **CrazyJ** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:19 pm

That would include feats as well as stat changes?
And that would also allow a character to be locked into a single class?

Not familiar with the capabilities of Leto.