Shapeshifter, 3rd Variant (5e Class)

Shapeshifter

Whether obtained through birthright being a descendant of a mutable or shifting creature, gained as a blessing from the gods themselves, or obtained through other magical and mystical means Shapeshifters are born into this world. Shapeshifters utilize the powers of creatures in the world around them in order to take control of whatever situation they find themselves in. Remarkably dangerous, Shapeshifters are feared by people far and wide due to the power they hold. Always in pursuit of new forms, Shapeshifters explore the globe in order to find new strength in the forms of creatures of all shapes and sizes.

Creating a Shapeshifter

When creating a Shapeshifter character, think about how your character's abilities have affected their life. Talk with your DM about an appropriate origin for your Shapeshifter. Were you born with these powers, and have slowly begun to control them with time? Or were you gifted with these powers by a powerful entity?

What led you to begin adventuring? Were you running away for fear of your life in hope of a better one? Do you explore the world in search of more powerful forms to study and take their shape? Why do you prefer the forms of various creatures over your own - does your character feel inadequate in their natural form? Do they wish to become stronger?

Quick Build

You can make a Shapeshifter quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Constitution, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the Faceless background.

Class Features

As a Shapeshifter you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Shapeshifter level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Shapeshifter level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, whips, shortswords
Tools: One type of artisan’s tools
Saving Throws: Constitution, Wisdom
Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, Persuasion, Stealth, and Survival.

Equipment

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

• (a) Two simple weapons or (b) a shortsword and a whip
• A light crossbow and 20 bolts
• (a) An explorer’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack
• (a) Leather armor or (b) Hide armor
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 in funds.

Table: The Shapeshifter

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	CR of Shapeshifting Creatures
1st	+2	Shapeshifter, Shifting Gaze	1
2nd	+2	—	1
3rd	+2	Shifter Mutation	2
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Friend of Fauna and Flora	2
5th	+3	Mutated Physique	3
6th	+3	Shifter Mutation Feature	4
7th	+3	Fight or Flight	5
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	6
9th	+4	Metamorphosis	6
10th	+4	Shifter Mutation Feature	7
11th	+4	Familiar Forms	8
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	8
13th	+5	Dauntless DNA	9
14th	+5	Shifter Mutation Feature	9
15th	+5	Ever Changing Ingenuity	10
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	10
17th	+6	—	11
18th	+6	—	11
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	12
20th	+6	Metamorph Mastery	12

Shapeshifter

When choosing this class at 1st level, choose two of the following lesser types of shapeshift forms: Beasts, Fey, Humanoids, Monstrosities, Oozes, and Plants.

You may shapeshift into any creature of the types chosen as an action, so long as the CR is available for your level and the creature is Large or smaller.

You cannot shapeshift into any creature made up of multiple creatures, such as a swarm of bats.

When you shapeshift into any creature, your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution ability scores are replaced by the creatures, however your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability scores, as well as your personality, and alignment do not change. You also retain all of your skill, saving throw, and tool proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of your chosen form. You can also speak, and understand the languages of the creature in addition to your own.

When in your shapeshifted form, weapons or spells that deal additional damage to a specific type of creature, such as arrows of slaying, work as though you are that type of creature. However, you always count as a humanoid when being targeted by magical effects that do not cause damage such as the charm person spell.

Shapeshifting into your natural form does not expend any uses of your shapeshift feature.

You may shapeshift from your shapeshifted form into any other without needing to return to your natural form.

You may shapeshift a number of times equal to Constitution modifier. You regiain all uses of this feature after you finish a long rest.

You may shapeshift into any form for a number of hours equal to your proficiency bonus.

You cannot take legendary actions, lair actions, or legendary resistances of any creature you shapeshift into.

When you shapeshift into any creature, you gain a separate amount of hit points that is equal to the creature's as described in the monster manual (or any other source deemed appropriate by your GM). You still retain your hit points in your natural form otherwise.

Damage Received When Shapeshifting

Taking damage in your shapeshifted form does not reduce the hit points of your natural form.

Your shapeshifted form cannot receive any healing from magic, potions, or any other source, even if the creature has a feature that explicitly recovers hit points.

When your form drops to zero hit points, you revert to your natural form and take necrotic damage equal to half of the forms total hit points, this damage cannot be reduced or prevented by any means. If this damage reduces you to zero hit points, you make death saving throws as normal. If you shapeshift into any other form before dropping to zero hit points, your natural form takes necrotic damage equal to one quarter the damage received by your shapeshifted form. This damage cannot be reduced or prevented by any means. If the damage received reduces your total hit points to zero, you must make death saving throws as normal. You may however return to your natural form at any time without taking necrotic damage.

Shifting Gaze

Additionally at 1st level, do to your constant shifting into creatures with heightened senses your own natural senses have been amplified. Gain proficiency in either the Perception or Survival skill, if already proficient double your proficiency bonus such as with the Expertise feature.

Shifter Mutation

At 3rd level, your abilities to shapeshift have undergone a significant transformation empowering them. Choose between Chimera or Apex as your subclass both detailed at the end of the class description. your choice grants you additional features as you level in this class.

Ability Score Improvement

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.

Friend of Fauna and Flora

Beginning at 4th level, your time shifting your linguistic abilities have resulted in the ability to communicate and understand beasts and plants. (Such as if constantly under the effects of the Speak with Animals and Speak with Plants spells)

Mutated Physique

Starting at 5th level, your body has become so accustomed to shapeshifting that it’s mutated further enhancing it in the following ways:

• Your attacks while in a shapeshifted form count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunity to non magical damage.

• Choose two of the following major types of shapeshift forms and gain the ability to shapeshift into them: Aberrations, Celestials, Dragons, Elementals, Fiends, or Giants.

• You may use the Shapeshifter feature as a bonus action.

Fight or Flight

At 7th level, your shapeshifting has become so natural you may trigger them on reflex. When you roll for initiative, you may use your Shapeshifter feature as a reaction before you take your first turn.

Metamorphosis

Beginning at 9th level, your shapeshifting abilities have become as natural to you as breathing advancing your shifting to new heights in the following ways:

• You are immune to any spell or effect that would alter your form against your will.

• Choose an additional lesser and major form to add the types of creatures you can shapeshift into.

• You may shapeshift into creatures size Huge or smaller.

Familiar Forms

Beginning at 11th level, you’ve reached a level of mastery within your shape-shifting abilities. When you assume the form of a creature that has a Challenge Rating equal to or lower than half your Proficiency Bonus (rounded down), you do not expend a charge of Shapeshifter.

Dauntless DNA

Starting at 13th level, you’ve learned control over your shifting to an almost microscopic level. Whenever you transform as part of the Shapeshifter feature if your ability score would be higher than the creature you’re transforming into you retain your ability score instead. Additionally, the DNA you posses thanks to constant shifting has become almost immune to the effects of aging, you no longer age and cannot be aged magically.

Ever Changing Ingenuity

Starting at 15th level, your able to shape yourself to whatever meets your needs. You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.

Metamorph Mastery

Finally at 20th level, your understanding and grasp over your shapeshifting abilities has granted you freedom of form. You may use the Shapeshifter feature an unlimited number of times.

Chimera

Your chromosomes have undergone a special mutation thanks to the constant strain and flex they are put under from your shapshifting. This mutation allows you to manipulate all the forms at your disposal and use them in conjunction.

Chimera Gene

Beginning at 3rd level, as a bonus action while transformed as part of the Shapeshifter feature you may take two of the following features of any creature you are currently able to transform into as part of the Shapeshifter feature:

• Armor Class

• A movement speed

• A damage resistance or immunity

• A condition immunity

• A sense (such as darkvision or tremorsense)

• A trait (such as waterbreathing or pack tactics)

• A natural weapon (such as a bite or breathe weapon)

• A reaction

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/head for a bite attack. If you would gain a new natural weapon attack that could be used in multiattack you may use it in place of another natural weapon. This alteration of your transformation lasts until your transformation ends. You may only benefit from one instance of this feature at a time. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. You regain all expended charges of this feature on a short or long rest. At 5th level you may pick an additional feature when selecting from creatures for this feature. You gain another additional feature at 7th level, 9th level, and 14th level.

Contained Chimera

Beginning at 6th level, you have gained a more advanced control over your chimera genes. You may expend a use of the Chimera Gene feature and gain half the amount of features while in your natural form. This partial transformation last for a number of minutes equal to your proficiency modifier x Wisdom modifier. Additionally, you may select features from up to two creatures when using the Chimera Gene feature.

Chimera Evolution

Starting at 10th level, your chimera genes have fully matured and realized in the following ways:

• Choose an additional lesser and major form to add the types of creatures you can shapeshift into.

• You may select features from up to three creatures when using the Chimera Gene feature.

• You gain an additional attack with a natural weapon when you multiattack.

• When selecting a feature from a creature as part of the Chimera Gene feature you may select a skill or saving throw as well.

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Multiclassing

Requires shapeshifting to be gifted by magic, the gods, supernaturally, or a shapeshifting creature gives you their blood.

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the shapeshifter class, you must meet these prerequisites: Wisdom 13 and Constitution 13.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the shapeshifter class, you gain the following proficiencies: one type of artisan's tool.

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