Shifter (5e Class)

Shifter

Shifters are creatures that are capable of transforming themselves into other creatures. They share their love of nature with druids, as they also receive their powers through the supernatural forces of nature. However, shifters forego the use of magic in exchange for a more aggressive means of combat, transforming into creatures far more powerful than even druids of the Circle of the Moon. Because of their close understanding and empathy of animals, they are able to physically alter themselves to take on the form of these beings and even fuse them together.

Creating a Shifter

Before creating a shifter character, it's always important to explain why and how your character has the supernatural ability to transform. Are they a descendant of a druid or shifter? Were they granted their power by a Fey or another forest creature? How proficient is your character at transforming? Is it something they're terrified of or only do in the most dire of circumstances?

Quick Build

You can make a Shifter quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength or Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the Outlander or Hermit background.

Class Features

As a Shifter you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: —
Weapons: Natural weapons
Tools: —
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Strength
Skills: Nature and choose 2 from Athletics, Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Perception, Stealth, Intimidation, 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

Table: The Shifter

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Shifter Weapon Damage
1st	+2	Shifter Aspect, Shifter Weapons, Unarmored Defense	1d6
2nd	+2	Shifter Shape, Wild Empathy	1d6
3rd	+2	Woodland Stride	1d6
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	1d6
5th	+3	Extra Attack	1d8
6th	+3	Shifter Weapons (2), Shifter Shape (2)	1d8
7th	+3	Speed Shift, Additional Aspect	1d8
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	1d8
9th	+4	Chimeric Aspect, Aspect Improvement	1d8
10th	+4	Additional Aspect (2)	1d10
11th	+4	Extra Attack (2)	1d10
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement, Shifter Shape (3)	1d10
13th	+5	Additional Aspect (3)	1d10
14th	+5	Multi-Shift	1d12
15th	+5	Chimeric Aspect (2)	1d12
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	1d12
17th	+6	Additional Aspect (4)	1d12
18th	+6	Shifter Shape (4)	2d6
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	2d6
20th	+6	Master of Many Forms	2d6

Shifter Aspect

At the 1st Level, you can use an action to magically transform part of your body, granting you some of the benefits of a chosen animal. Choose one animal from the Aspect List below. While you are are in your humanoid form and your Shifter Aspect is activated, you gain certain benefits as described in the Aspect List. Once you choose an animal, you cannot change your choice. Whenever you activate your Shifter Aspect, your physical appearance is greatly altered, making your appearance look less like your character's race and more like a hybrid between your race and the animal you chose. This gives you disadvantage on any skill check made to appear as a member of your race. Active aspects last indefinitely or until you deactivate them as an action.

Aspect List

• Armadillo: You gain a +1 bonus to your AC. Once you reach the 9th Level, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC instead.
• Bat: You gain Blindsight with a range of 40 feet. Once you reach the 9th Level, you also gain 20 feet of tremorsense.
• Bear: You may add a bonus to Athletics checks you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Bull: During your turn, if you move your entire movement speed in distance and hit a creature with a natural weapon, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 2). Once you reach the 9th level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Cat: You have resistance to falling damage and always land on your feet when you fall. Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add a bonus to Acrobatics skill checks you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded up, min. 1).
• Chameleon: You may add a bonus to Stealth checks you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Crocodile: You gain advantage on Athletics checks made to grapple a creature. Once you reach the 9th Level, you gain a swimming speed of 60 feet.
• Deinonychus: Whenever you roll for initiative, you may add a bonus equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Dolphin: You gain a swimming speed of 30 feet and may add a bonus to Insight checks you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Falcon: You may add a bonus to Perception checks you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead. Additionally, In conditions of clear visibility, you can make out details of even extremely distant creatures and objects as small as 2 feet across.
• Fox: You may add a bonus to Deception checks you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Frog: Your maximum jump height is doubled. Once you reach the 9th Level, you gain a swimming speed of 30 feet and can breathe in air and water.
• Lizard: You may add a bonus to Constitution saving throws you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Lion: You may add a bonus to Intimidation checks you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Mantis: Your natural weapons have Reach. Once you reach the 9th Level, creatures within 5 feet of you provoke opportunity attacks from you even if they take the Disengage action before leaving your reach.
• Monkey: You may add a bonus to Acrobatics checks you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Mouse: Your size decreases by 1 size and you get a +1 bonus to your AC. Once you reach the 9th Level, you get an additional +1 bonus to your AC. If you take this aspect, the damage of your natural weapons decrease by 1 size (1d6 becomes 1d4, ect).
• Narwhal: You gain a swimming speed of 30 feet and can breathe in air and water. Once you reach the 9th Level, when you hit a creature with your Shifter Evolution natural weapon, you may add a bonus to the damage roll equal to your Wisdom modifier.
• Octopus: You gain advantage on Acrobatics skill checks made to escape a grapple or become unrestrained by an non-magical force. Once you reach the 9th Level, you can no longer be grappled or restrained.
• Owl: You may add a bonus to Stealth checks you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Porcupine: You grow spikes on your back. If a creature hits you with a melee attack from behind, they must make a Constitution saving throw or take piercing damage equal to your Wisdom modifier. The DC for this saving throw is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. Once you reach the 9th Level, creatures your size or smaller automatically fail this saving throw.
• Raccoon: You add a bonus to Sleight of Hand checks you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Shark: You gain a swimming speed of 30 feet and can breathe in air and water. Once you reach the 9th Level, while you are underwater, you get a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with natural weapons.
• Snake: Whenever you make an attack of opportunity, you gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th level, whenever you provoke an attack of opportunity, the creature you provoked has disadvantage on the attack roll.
• Squirrel: You gain a climbing speed of 40 feet. Once you reach the 9th Level, you gain a climbing speed of 60 feet instead.
• Stag: Your base walking speed increases by 10 feet. Once you reach the 9th Level, your base walking speed increases by another 15 feet.
• Tiger: You gain a bonus to Dexterity saving throws you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Wolf: You may add a bonus to Survival skill checks you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.
• Wolverine: You may add a bonus to Strength saving throws you make equal to half your Wisdom modifier (rounded down, min. 1). Once you reach the 9th Level, you may add your full Wisdom modifier instead.

Shifter Weapons

At the 1st Level, while you are in your humanoid form and have a Shifter Aspect activated, you gain access to that animal's natural weapons. These natural weapons deal an amount of damage as described in the Shifter class table. They also take on different forms and deal a different type of damage depending on the Shifter Aspect you currently have activated:

• Claws (Slashing Damage): Armadillo, Bear, Cat, Fox, Lion, Mantis, Porcupine, Tiger, Wolf, Wolverine
• Talons (Slashing Damage): Deinonychus, Falcon, Owl
• Horns/Antlers (Piercing Damage): Bull, Narwhal, Stag
• Fangs (Piercing Damage): Bear, Bat, Cat, Crocodile, Fox, Lion, Monkey, Mouse, Lizard, Raccoon, Shark, Snake, Squirrel, Tiger, Wolf, Wolverine
• Tongue (Bludgeoning Damage): Chameleon, Frog
• Tail/Tentacle (Bludgeoning Damage): Chameleon, Crocodile, Deinonychus, Dolphin, Lizard, Narwhal, Octopus, Shark, Snake

When you reach the 6th Level, while you are in your humanoid form, your natural weapons are treated as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance and immunity.

Unarmored Defense

Also at the 1st Level, while you aren't wearing any armor or a shield, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Shifter Shape

At the 2nd Level, you gain the ability to turn yourself into an animal and back again. This feature functions in the same way as the druid's Wild Shape feature, except for a few key differences:

• If the creature has a natural weapon attack that deals less damage than your Shifter Weapon Damage, it deals damage equal to your Shifter Weapon Damage instead of the damage listed on the creature page.

• You cannot transform into a Swarm of creatures and you cannot transform into creatures with "Giant" in their name.

• If the creature you transform into has a flying, climbing, or swimming speed, that speed is equal to your base walking speed in your humanoid form.

• When using your Shifter Shape to shift to and from your humanoid form, your Shifter Aspects are deactivated.

At the 2nd Level, you may transform into any Tiny, Small, or Medium creature with the beast type and a CR of 1/4 or less.

At the 6th Level, you may transform into any Tiny, Small, Medium, or Large creature with the beast type and a CR of 2 or less. If the creature you transform into has a flying, climbing, or swimming speed, and that speed is more than 50 feet, you can move 50 feet with that speed.

At the 12th Level, you may transform into any Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, or Huge creature with the beast type and a CR of 4 or less. You may also transform into a hippogriff, a griffon, a basilisk, an owlbear, and a girallon. You may also transform into creatures with "Giant" in their name as long as they fit the previous criteria. If the creature you transform into has a flying, climbing, or swimming speed, and that speed is more than 60 feet, you can move 60 feet with that speed.

At the 18th Level, you may transform into any Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, or Huge creature with the beast type and a CR of 6 or less. You may also transform into a hippogriff, a griffon, a basilisk, an owlbear, a bulette, and a girallon. You may also transform into creatures with "Giant" in their name as long as they fit the previous criteria.

Wild Empathy

Also at the 2nd Level, now that you've transformed yourself into an animal, you better understand the emotional well-being of animals around you. If you are within 5 feet of a creature with the beast type and that creature hasn't been attacked by you or your party members, you can use an action to make a DC 15 Animal Handling skill check. On a success, if the creature is indifferent towards you, it is now friendly towards you. If the creature is hostile towards you, it is now indifferent towards you. It can still be provoked into being hostile by you or your party members. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, afterwards you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Woodland Stride

At the 3rd Level, while you are in your humanoid form, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard.

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.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class.

Speed Shift

At the 7th Level, you gain the ability to use the Shifter Shape feature on your turn as a bonus action, rather than an action.

Additional Aspect

At the 7th Level, and again at the 10th, 13th, and 17th levels, you can choose another Shifter Aspect that you have the ability to take on. You cannot choose the same Aspect twice. In order to change between two aspects, you must still use an action to revert to your humanoid form and use another action to activate a different one.

Chimeric Aspect

When you reach the 9th Level, whenever you activate your Shifter Aspect feature, you may choose to have two of your available aspects be active at once. This alters your appearance to cause you to take on physical features of both creatures. If you choose two aspects that aren't in the same category of animal (i.e. lizard and monkey), you look like a monster, and as a result strangers will be hostile towards you while you have two or more aspects active at once. You may choose to deactivate one of your active aspects as an action, but not both at once.

When you reach the 15th Level, you may choose to have three of your available aspects to be active at once.

Multi-Shift

When you reach the 14th Level, you may use your Shifter Shape feature three times, afterwards you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Master of Many Forms

At the 20th Level, you may use the Shifter Shape feature as many times as you like and may freely change aspects at will. Additionally, you may remain in your animal form indefinitely. Finally, you are treated as a humanoid shapechanger, becoming immune to any transmutation spell that would unwillingly alter your form.

Multiclassing

You cannot multiclass into the Shifter class.

Alternate Class: Draconic Shifter

Rather than having a connection to the natural world, some shifters find themselves more closely connected to dragons. These kinds of shifters are even more rare than the already-scarce shifter, being able to transform into a chromatic or metallic dragon that matches their personality and moral code. Just like the dragons that they transform into, they tend to isolate themselves from the world, hoarding treasure and defeating anyone that would ever oppose them.

This is an alternate version of the Shifter class which focuses on dragons rather than beasts. Your character may take this class instead of the normal shifter class, however class features cannot be taken from both classes at the same time. Characters of the Dragonborn race or any other dragon-related race cannot take this alternate class.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: —
Weapons: Natural weapons
Tools: —
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Strength
Skills: Nature and choose 2 from Athletics, Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Perception, Stealth, Intimidation, and Survival

Table: The Draconic Shifter

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Dragon Weapon Damage
1	+2	Draconic Aspect, Dragon Weapons, Unarmored Defense	1d6
2	+2	Draconic Shape	1d6
3	+2	Dragon Breath	1d6
4	+2	Ability Score Improvement	1d6
5	+3	Extra Attack	1d8
6	+3	Dragon Weapons (2), Draconic Shape (2)	1d8
7	+3	Speed Draconic Shift, Additional Draconic Aspect	1d8
8	+3	Ability Score Improvement	1d8
9	+4	Color Fusion	1d8
10	+4	Additional Draconic Aspect (2)	1d10
11	+4	Extra Attack (2)	1d10
12	+4	Ability Score Improvement, Draconic Shape (3)	1d10
13	+5	Additional Draconic Aspect (3)	1d10
14	+5	Multi-Shift	1d12
15	+5	Color Fusion (2)	1d12
16	+5	Ability Score Improvement	1d12
17	+6	Additional Draconic Aspect (4)	1d12
18	+6	Draconic Shape (4)	2d6
19	+6	Ability Score Improvement	2d6
20	+6	Master of Draconic Forms	2d6

Draconic Aspect

At the 1st Level, you can use an action to magically transform part of your body, granting you some of the benefits of your dragon's color or metal. The color or metal of the dragon that represents you is based on your alignment, as shown in the table below. If your alignment is Lawful Neutral or Chaotic Neutral, you may choose a dragon of any lawful or chaotic alignment, respectively. If your alignment is Neutral Good or Neutral Evil, you may choose a dragon of any good or evil alignment, respectively. If your alignment is True Neutral, you may choose from any dragon color or metal.

While you are are in your humanoid form and your Draconic Aspect is activated, you can speak Draconic and gain resistance to a type of damage based on your dragon color or metal. Whenever you activate your Draconic Aspect, your physical appearance is greatly altered, making your appearance look less like your character's race and more like a hybrid between your race and a dragon. This gives you disadvantage on any skill check made to appear as a member of your race. Active aspects last indefinitely or until you deactivate them as an action.

Alignment	Dragon Color/Metal	Damage Resistance
Lawful Good	Bronze	Lightning
Lawful Good	Gold	Fire
Lawful Good	Silver	Cold
Chaotic Good	Brass	Fire
Chaotic Good	Copper	Acid
Lawful Evil	Blue	Lightning
Lawful Evil	Green	Poison
Chaotic Evil	Black	Acid
Chaotic Evil	Red	Fire
Chaotic Evil	White	Cold

Dragon Weapons

At the 1st Level, while you are in your humanoid form and have a Draconic Aspect activated, you gain access to three of that dragon's natural weapons. These natural weapons deal an amount of damage as described in the Draconic Shifter class table. These weapons take on the form of claws which deal slashing damage, a bite which deals piercing damage, and a tail attack which deals bludgeoning damage.

When you reach the 6th Level, while you are in your humanoid form, your natural weapons are treated as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance and immunity.

Unarmored Defense

Also at the 1st Level, while you aren't wearing any armor and you aren't wielding a shield, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Draconic Shape

At the 2nd Level, you gain the ability to turn yourself into a dragon and back again. This feature functions in the same way as the druid's Wild Shape feature, except for a few key differences:

• If the dragon you transform into has a flying, climbing, or swimming speed, that speed is equal to your base walking speed in your humanoid form.

• When using your Draconic Shape to shift to and from your humanoid form, your Draconic Aspects are deactivated.

• If the creature has a natural weapon attack that deals less damage than your Dragon Weapon Damage, it deals damage equal to your Dragon Weapon Damage instead of the damage listed on the creature page.

At the 2nd Level, you may transform into a psuedodragon. You lose access to the psuedodragon's sting attack and magic resistance racial trait. You instead gain a breath weapon that works in the same way as the Dragon Breath feature. However, this breath weapon is instead on a 5-6 Recharge while you are a psuedodragon. Additionally, you gain resistance to the same type of damage as your Draconic Aspect. Finally, the color of your scales change to match the type of dragon that you take on with your Draconic Aspect.

At the 6th Level, you may transform into a dragon wyrmling of a color/metal that matches one of your Draconic Aspects. Your Maximum Hit Points in this form, regardless of the dragon form you take on, is equal to 38. Your breath weapon(s) while in this form are the same size, force the same saving throw type, and deals the same amount of damage as your Dragon Breath feature and is on a 5-6 Recharge. If the dragon form you take on has a non-damaging breath weapon, it works as normal but shares the recharge of your damaging breath weapon. If the dragon you transform into has a flying, climbing, or swimming speed, and that speed is more than 50 feet, you can move 50 feet with that speed.

At the 12th Level, your Maximum Hit Points when you transform into a dragon wyrmling is equal to what is listed on the creature page. The breath weapons also deal damage equal to what is listed on your wrymling's respective creature page. If the dragon you transform into has a flying, climbing, or swimming speed, and that speed is more than 60 feet, you can move 60 feet with that speed.

At the 18th Level, you may transform into a young dragon of a color/metal that matches one of your Draconic Aspects. Your Maximum Hit Points in this form, regardless of the dragon form you take on, is equal to 110. Each breath attack that your dragon form has can only be used once while in your dragon form.

Dragon Breath

At the 3rd Level, while your Draconic Aspect is active, you can use your action to exhale destructive energy. Your Draconic Aspect's damage resistance determines the damage type of the exhalation.

When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.

If your current Draconic Aspect color/metal is Black, Blue, Brass, Bronze, or Copper, the area of the exhalation is a 5 by 30 foot line and creatures in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. If your current Draconic Aspect color/metal is Gold or Red, the area of the exhalation is a 15 ft. cone and creatures in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. If your current Draconic Aspect color/metal is Green, Silver, or White, the area of the exhalation is a 15 ft. cone and creatures in the area must make a Constitution saving throw.

You can use this feature twice, afterwards you must take a long rest before using it again.

Speed Draconic Shift

At the 7th Level, you gain the ability to use the Draconic Shape feature on your turn as a bonus action, rather than an action.

Additional Draconic Aspect

At the 7th Level, and again at the 10th, 13th, and 17th levels, you can choose another Draconic Aspect that you have the ability to take on based on your alignment. If your alignment is Good, you may choose from any dragon metal with a good alignment. If your alignment is Evil, you may choose from any dragon color with an evil alignment. If your alignment is Lawful Neutral or Chaotic Neutral, you may choose a dragon of any lawful or chaotic alignment, respectively. If your alignment is Neutral Good or Neutral Evil, you may choose a dragon of any good or evil alignment, respectively. If your alignment is True Neutral, you may choose from any dragon color or metal in the same category as the one you've already chosen. In order to change between two aspects, you must still use a bonus action to revert to your humanoid form and use another bonus action to activate a different one.

Color Fusion

When you reach the 9th Level, whenever you activate your Draconic Aspect feature, you may choose to have two of your available aspects be active at once. This alters your appearance to cause you to take on the physical features of both creatures. You gain damage resistances from each of your currently active Aspects. Because you have become a fusion between different colors and metals of dragons, you look like a monster, and as a result strangers will be hostile towards you while you have two or more aspects active at once. You may choose to deactivate one of your active aspects as an action, but not both at once.

When you reach the 15th Level, you may choose to have three of your available aspects to be active at once.

Master of Draconic Forms

At the 20th Level, you may use the Draconic Shape feature as many times as you like and may freely change aspects at will. Additionally, you may remain in your dragon form indefinitely. Finally, you are treated as a dragon shapechanger, becoming immune to any transmutation spell that would unwillingly alter your form.

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