Metamorph (5e Class)

Metamorph

All is quiet on the marsh. The smells of natural gas and stagnant water fill the air. A halfling man appears through the haze, and looks to the ground. His quarry's trail is going cold, and will be lost soon. In an instant, the halfling's face turns to that of a wolf, and long claws grow from his fingers. A scent fills his nose, not from that of the swamp. With a mighty leap, he clears the treacherous water of the marsh, and is soon back on the trail of the one he is chasing.

An elvish woman sits patiently at a tavern, eavesdropping on a nearby conversation. The women at the table next to her are waiting for something. One mentions a delivery meant for them. Unknown to them, the nearby elf had already acquired said delivery, and eliminated the man taking it to them. From the dark corner where she sits, nobody notices the elf suddenly take the form of the man meant to deliver their package. Naturally as ever, the elf gives the two women what they seek, and follows them to their base of operations.

Creating a Metamorph

How did your character become a metamorph? Were they simply born with their abilities? Were they granted to them as a curse or as a gift? Were they taught by a master? Are they a part of a secret circle of druids, who specialize in greater transformation powers?

Quick Build

You can make a Metamorph quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity, then Constitution. Second, choose the Outlander background. Third, choose an explorer's pack and 2 daggers. Fourth, choose Nature and Survival.

Class Features

As a Metamorph you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Metamorph level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Metamorph level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light, Medium
Weapons: Natural Weapons, Simple Weapons
Tools: One Artisan Tool
Saving Throws: Wisdom and Constitution
Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• (a) a simple weapon or (b) 2 daggers
• leather armor and 10 darts
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 2d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Metamorph

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Shifter Claws	Features
1st	+2	1d6	Shifter Claws, Wild Shape
2nd	+2	1d6	Wild Defense, Chameleon
3rd	+2	1d6	Shifter Path, Expertise
4th	+2	1d6	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	1d8	Monstrous Shape
6th	+3	1d8	Path Feature, Blood Drinker
7th	+3	1d8	Multiattack, Magic Fang
8th	+3	1d8	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	1d10	Quick Shape
10th	+4	1d10	Altered Shape
11th	+4	1d10	Path Feature
12th	+4	1d10	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	1d12	Shifter Hide
14th	+5	1d12	Diamond Soul
15th	+5	1d12	Abberation Shape
16th	+5	1d12	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	2d10	Path Feature
18th	+6	2d10	Timeless Body
19th	+6	2d10	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	2d12	Everyshape

Shifter Claws

• As a bonus action, you can extend claws from the ends of your fingers. You can retract these claws at any time. These claws are natural weapons with a damage die as shown on Table: Metamorph. To attack with a claw, you must not be holding anything in that hand. You may only extend these claws while in your normal form or while in a form with no other natural attacks.
• Immediately after taking the Attack action on your turn, you may make one attack with a natural weapon as a bonus action.
• You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your natural weapons.

Wild Shape

Starting at 1st Level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before. You can use this feature twice, thirt on level 3, fourth on level 6, fifth on level 12, sixth on level 17. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or Long Rest. you can use your Wild Shape to transform into a beast with a challenge rating as high as 1. Starting at 5th level, you can transform into a beast with a challenge rating as high as your metamorph level divided by 3, rounded up. You may spend a number of hours in Wild Shape equal to your Metamorph level plus your Wisdom modifier (these do not have to be consecutive but they must be spent in 1 hour increments) after which you must complete a short or long rest before you can use Wild Shape again.

If you run out of hours of Wild Shape you immediately revert to your normal form. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

• Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, hit dice, hit points, and Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and AC scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them.
• When you transform, you gain temporary hit points equal to the beast's maximum hit points
• Your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Usually this will prevent you from casting spells.
• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so.
• You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the GM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature's shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Wild Defense

Beginning at 2nd level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your wisdom modifier + your Constitution modifier. While you are instead wearing armor you are proficient with but not wielding a shield, you gain +1 to your AC. This feature is usable in conjunction with wild shape.

Chameleon

At 2nd level, you gain the ability to alter your coloration to blend in to your surroundings. As an action, you may use this feature to gain a bonus to stealth equal to your Metamorph level. This bonus lasts as long as you remain completely still and maintain concentration; you may breathe and look around, but if you make any other movements or lose concentration, you revert to your normal coloration, and the added bonus to your stealth is lost.

Shifter Path

At 3rd level, you choose a Path. Choose between Chimera, Verdant, Elementalist, or Draconic, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th.

Expertise

Your overall mastery at metamorphing increases. So much so that your ability to change various different creatures makes you excel in certain skills. At 3rd level choose two of your skill Proficiencies, or one of your skill Proficiencies and your proficiency with Thieves' Tools. Your Proficiency Bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen Proficiencies.

At 9th level, you can choose two more of your Proficiencies (in Skills or with thieves' tools) to gain this benefit.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Monstrous Shape

Beginning at 5th level, you may use Wild Shape to take the shape of Monstrosities as though they were Beasts.

Blood Drinker

At 6th level, you gain the ability to heal yourself by drinking the blood of your enemies. Any time you use a Bite attack to deal damage to a living creature (or otherwise consume at least one ounce of fresh blood other than your own), you may regain a number of hit points equal to 2d10 plus your Metamorph level. You must complete a short or long rest before you may do this again.

In addition, you gain the ability to extend your teeth into fangs as a bonus action (or as part of the same bonus action as you extend your Shifter Claws), gaining a Bite attack that counts as a natural weapon and uses your Shifter Claws damage die, but diminished by one step (1d6 becomes 1d4, 1d8 becomes 1d6, 1d10 becomes 1d8). You may not extend these fangs any time you could not extend your Shifter Claws. You may retract these fangs at any time.

Multiattack

At 7th level, you gain the ability to take the Multiattack action, which allows you to make one attack with each of up to three natural weapons.

Magic Fang

Starting at 7th level, your natural weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Quick Shape

Beginning at 9th level, you may use Wild Shape as a bonus action.

Altered Shape

Beginning at 10th level, you gain the ability to cast Alter self at will without any spell requirements.

Shifter Hide

Countless battles has hardened your Shifter as a person but even more physically. Beginning at 13th level, you may add your strength or dexterity (your choice) modifier to your Ac Permanently. Like Wild Defense this carries on through your wild shape.

Diamond Soul

Beginning at 14th level, your mastery of metamorphing grants you proficiency in all Saving Throws.

Additionally, whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can reroll it and take the second result. You may only use this ability a number of times equal to half your Wisdom modifier rounded down (with a minimum of 1) per long rest.

Aberration Shape

Beginning at 15th level, you can use your Wild Shape to take the shape of Aberrations as though they were Beasts.

Timeless Body

Beginning at 18th level, the magical control that you wield over your body allows you to age more slowly. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year, and you can't be aged magically.

Everyshape

At 20th level, you may use Wild Shape for any number of hours without resting, and you may take the shape of Giants, Celestials, Fiends, and Fey as though they were Beasts. Your maximum CR for using Wild Shape becomes your 1/2 Metamorph level instead of 1/3. You can also use your wild shape an unlimited number of times.

Shifter Paths

Chimera

Chimera are adept at mixing the features of various creatures into new shapes.

All Chimera features are active simultaneously whilst in Chimera form.

Minor Form

Beginning at 3rd level, as a bonus action you may take one of the following features of any creature with CR equal to 1/2 of your metamorph level:

• A natural weapon (such as a bite or claw).
• A sense (such as darkvision or tremorsense).
• A movement speed.
• A special ability example waterbreathing or elemental resistance/added damage.

Your appearance changes with this feature based on the creature you are taking it from, such as sprouting eagle's wings for a fly speed or growing a wolf snout for a bite attack.

You may use Minor Form for a number of minutes equal to your Metamorph level plus your Wisdom modifier (these do not have to be consecutive, but they must be spent in one minute increments, meaning you can turn it off after each minute spent. Once all of the time is up you must complete a short or long rest before using this feature again.

Improved Minor Form

Beginning at 6th level, when you use Minor Form, you may take two features instead of one. They do not need to be from the same creature.

Greater Minor Form

Beginning at 11th level, when you use Minor Form, you may take three features instead of one or two. They do not need to be from the same creature.

Final Form

Beginning at 17th level, when you use Wild Shape you may take two forms instead of one, combining them into a single form and gaining all the features of both. Wherever the two forms give conflicting features, choose one or the other (for example, if the forms are different size categories, choose one of the size categories).

Verdant

Verdants gain the ability to take plant shapes.

Plant Shape

At 3rd level you gain the ability to take the form of an ordinary plant as a bonus action, from a single flower to a massive oak tree (this transformation follows the same rules as Wild Shape; your Dexterity score becomes 0, and your Strength, Constitution, and temporary hit points in this form are at DM discretion based on the size and resilience of the plant you choose). While in Plant Shape you are aware of your surroundings but cannot move or take any actions or bonus actions or do anything at all other than revert to your normal form, which takes a bonus action. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, after which you must complete a short or long rest before using this feature again.

Verdant Shape

Beginning at 6th level, you may use Wild Shape to take the shape of Plant creatures as though they were Beasts.

Improved Verdant Shape

Beginning at 11th level, your maximum CR for using Wild Shape to take Plant Creature shapes becomes 1/2 your Metamorph level instead of 1/3.

Greater Verdant Shape

Beginning at 17th level, your maximum CR for using Wild Shape to take Plant Creature shapes becomes your Metamorph level instead of 1/2.

Elementalist

Elementalists gain the ability to take Elemental shapes.

Elemental Claws

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to sheathe your Shifter Claws in elemental energy as a bonus action (or as part of the same bonus action while extending your claws). You may choose Electricity, Cold, Fire, or Acid each time you use this feature. Any time you deal damage with your Shifter Claws while they are sheathed in energy, they deal an additional 1d6 damage of the chosen elemental type. You may also use this feature in Wild Shape, sheathing whichever natural weapon(s) you chose to use your Shifter Claws die in your choice of elemental energy as a bonus action. The energy lasts for a minute and then dissipates. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, after which you must complete a short or long rest before using this feature again.

Elemental Shape

Beginning at 6th level, you may use Wild Shape to take the shape of Elemental creatures as though they were Beasts.

Improved Elemental Shape

Beginning at 11th level, your maximum CR for using Wild Shape to take Elemental Creature shapes becomes 1/2 your Metamorph level instead of 1/3.

Greater Elemental Shape

Beginning at 17th level, your maximum CR for using Wild Shape to take Elemental Creature shapes becomes your Metamorph level instead of 1/2.

Draconic

Draconics gain the ability to take dragon shapes.

Dragon Wings

Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the ability to sprout a pair of dragon wings from your back as a bonus action, granting you a fly speed of 40 feet. You can retract these wings into your skin for a number of minutes equal to your Metamorph level plus your Wisdom modifier (retracting used mainly to normalized appearance).

Dragon Shape

Beginning at 6th level, you may use Wild Shape to take the shape of Dragon creatures as though they were Beasts.

Improved Dragon Shape

Beginning at 11th level, your maximum CR for using Wild Shape to take Dragon Creature shapes becomes 1/2 your Metamorph level instead of 1/3.

Greater Dragon Shape

Beginning at 17th level, your maximum CR for using Wild Shape to take Dragon Creature shapes becomes your Metamorph level instead of 1/2.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Metamorph class, you must meet these prerequisites: Wisdom 13 or higher.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Metamorph class, you gain the following proficiencies: Natural Weapons

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