Playable 1-40 in PvE - Low-magic worlds preferred. Not PvP-recommended.

This is one of several experiments I've been toying with regarding shifters. In this case he's a Con-based shifter with Terrifying Rage. Interestingly, no other builds have combined Barbarian and Shifter, but I found it works at least reasonably well.

Human, Non-Lawful, must be Neutral

Str 10
Dex 10
Con 18
Wis 12
Int 14
Cha 8

1 Dru (1): Knockdown, Armor Prof (Heavy)*
2 Bar (1):
3 Dru (2): Weapon Focus (Long or Short Sword)%
4 Dru (3): +1 con
5 Dru (4):
6 Dru (5): Alertness
7 Shi (1):
8 Shi (2): +1 con
9 Shi (3): Expertise*
10 Shi (4):
11 Shi (5):
12 Shi (6): +1 con, Blind-Fight
13 Shi (7):
14 Shi (8):
15 Bar (2): Improved Knockdown
16 Bar (3): +1 con
17 Bar (4):
18 Bar (5): Improved Expertise*
19 Bar (6):
20 Bar (7): +1 con
21 Shi (9): Epic Prowess
22 Shi (10):
23 Shi (11):
24 Shi (12): +1 con, Epic Weapon Focus (Long or Short Sword)%
25 Shi (13): Undead Shape+
26 Shi (14):
27 Shi (15): Epic Damage Reduction 1
28 Shi (16): +1 con, Epic Energy Resistance+
29 Shi (17):
30 Bar (8): Epic Damage Reduction 2
31 Bar (9):
32 Bar (10): +1 con
33 Bar (11): Epic Damage Reduction 3
34 Bar (12):
35 Bar (13):
36 Bar (14): +1 con, Armor Skin
37 Bar (15):
38 Bar (16):
39 Bar (17): Terrifying Rage
40 Dru (6): +1 con

* - Optional feat, but recommended
% - Longsword is recommended to use for specializing in drow shape, however shortsword for specializing in kobold shape also works pretty well.
+ - Shifter epic bonus feat

Skills - Discipline, CC Tumble, Spellcraft, Intimidate, Taunt, enough left over to max another 2 skills.

Ending Vitals (Human)
Con 28

AB +30 w/ mundane longsword
AC 16 naked, 27 with mundane plate and tower shield
932 max hp
Fort 34, Will 19, Reflex 19 (+8 vs spell)
DR 12/-

Epic Drow Warrior Form (w/ longsword focus) (unbuffed)
AB +43
AC 35
958 max hp
Fort 33, Reflex 26, Will 19 (+8 vs spell)
DR 12/-

Epic Kobold Commando Form (if you pick shortsword focus)
AB +44
AC 36
1002 max hp
Fort 34, Reflex 27, Will 19 (+8 vs spell)
DR 12/-

Greater Rage effect +6 str/con, +3 will save, -2 AC. Adds +3 AB to drow form and +120 hp to all forms.

FAQ:
Q: This build is certainly unique, but I think maybe it's unique for a reason - does it really work?
A: I wouldn't be posting it if I didn't have at least moderate success testing it in combat. It's not the most powerful shifter build possible, obviously (no dragon), but you do make one heckuva tank in several of your forms and you can deal out at least average melee offense in whichever of the epic humanoid shapes you pick to focus on.

Gargoyle, Manticore, Drider, and Risen Lord can be very tough as damage sponges with your high hitpoints and their innate DR.

Q: Why do you recommend drow warrior shape for this build's specialty?
A: Since it's a non-monk shifter, it pays to specialize in one of the armed forms that wouldn't get an unarmed attack progression. Since I'm not raising wisdom, Azer Chieftain is out - and he's not a very powerful shape anyway. The Rakshasa, of course, would rely on spells for offense and not melee.

This narrows down my options to Minotaur (Axe), Drider (Spear), Whipmaster (Whip), Kobold (Shortsword), Drow (Longsword) and Risen Lord (Scythe). Minotaur was eliminated right away because he lacks the special powers and innates of the other shapes, and because he overrides constitution with a lower value than I have already. Drider has some attractive properties and innates, but also overrides con with a lower value and isn't anything to write home about in the AC department either. The risen lord has great innate properties, but generally can never get much of an AB and also overrides con.

That puts the focus squarely on the three epic humanoids, and really any of them will work for this build. But the kobold is a finesser, so your rage strength bonus won't improve his AB, while the lizardman needs you to change a feat to exotic proficiency to get a focus in whip, and he only gets a +5 weapon while the other two get +6. That's how I ended up with drow. I think kobold would do well too though - you'll be able to get a few free rounds of sneak attacks on enemies that fail their save vs your rage.

Q: Doesn't terrifying rage come extremely late in the build though?
A: Yes it does, but I had to front-load the shifter levels to make the build more playable. It's hard to claim a build like this as being playable if the shape it specializes in isn't achieved as soon as practical. So, in order to get the epic humanoid shape before level 30 I had to put terrifying rage (and the bulk of the barbarian levels) on the back burner.

You can get some very juicy additional AB out of the build if you build it as a straight 40, with a 16/4 barb/druid split preepic.

Q: What other tactics and tricks can this build use?
A: The drow and drider forms get Darkness as an innate spell, and you get Ultravision as a druid spell. This lets you layer an extra level of defense by inflicting attacker miss chances on your opponent while you can still see.

By shifting into a form with an innate attack, like wyrmling breath or manticore spikes, and running improved expertise, you can use the innate power as offense while increasing your AC by 10. This is a good tactic to use if you come across enemies with weak saves, or that you are finding too hard to fight in melee.

Terrifying rage can become a defensive feat in some forms - anything that gets close enough to melee you will be paralyzed long enough for you to take a shot at it and then retreat... when it comes back into range, it'll get paralyzed again... etc. So you can "paralysis kite" with terr rage. This may be especially attractive and effective if you decide to go the kobold route instead of the drow route, since you'll keep getting sneak attacks.

Your saves are mediocre, but many of your forms cover for them - the drow gets improved evasion and SR 30, for example, while other shapes are just immune to various kinds of spells.

Q: How do you like this build?
A: It's... okay. It's actually quite good if I'm not in the mood to play a character that relies on buffing and spell memorization, but the offensive stats in your melee form (whichever you pick) are pretty substandard for high-magic environments. Defensively... with your hitpoints and DR, using the right shapes you can last a long time in combat against many opponents. Your AC, however, is pretty lacking since you can only get the magical AC bonus from one item you wear and you have a -3 penalty when you rage.

In all, it's almost more of a gimmick build than anything, but it does have ways it can work.
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Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience. Very cool! Nice to see something new I'd definitely use the Drow shape with this build. A Dark Elf with a Fear Aura, is there anything better than that?
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"...
C'est un pays plus nu que la terre polaire
— Ni bêtes, ni ruisseaux, ni verdure, ni bois!

Or il n'est pas d'horreur au monde qui surpasse
La froide cruauté de ce soleil de glace
Et cette immense nuit semblable au vieux Chaos;
..." BTW, here are all the epic humanoid forms' stats.

Quote: Douglas Crews' Shifter FAQ at GameFAQs

(5.8.1) Epic Drow Warrior

ST:22 DX:22 CN:(-2)IN: WS: CH:
AC: 29 (+13 Natural +6 DX)
HP: +66
To Hit: +12
Attacks: +6 Frozen Drow Blade 1d8+6 (19-20/x2) +2d4 cold +6 slashing
OnHit: Slow [Fort DC=10+SL] Level 15
Special: SR 30
Darkness, (SL/10+1)/day, 6 rounds
Save vs. Poison +2
Cleave, Dodge, Weapon Proficiency Martial
Darkvision
Improved Evasion
Unarmed: No
Merge: Armor, Weapon, Items

(5.8.2) Epic Lizardfolk Whipmaster

ST:21 DX:20 CN: IN: WS: CH:
AC: 27 (+12 Natural +5 DX)
HP: +75
To Hit: BAB+6
Attacks: +5 Epic Shocking Whip 1d2+5 (20/x2) +2d8 electrical +5 slashing
OnHit: Stun [DC=26] 10% 4 rounds
Special: Disarm, Alertness, Ambidexterity, Weapon Finesse,
Weapon Prof Exotic, Whirlwind Attack
Freedom of Movement
DR 15/+5
DR 15/- acid
Listen +8, Discipline +15
Immune: Poison
Save Universal +4
Unarmed: No
Merge: Weapon, Armor, Items

(5.8.3) Epic Kobold Commando

ST: DX:25 CN: IN: WS: CH:
AC: 29 (+13 Natural +6 DX)
HP: +70
To Hit: BAB+13
Attacks: +6 Kobold Commando Sword 1d6 (19-20/x2) +2d4 acid +6 slashing
Massive Criticals 2d6
OnHit: Poison [DC=24] 1d2 DX
Special: Hide In Plain Sight, Weapon Finesse, Dodge, Use Poison,
Improved Evasion
Darkvision
Sneak Attack +5d6
Freedom of Movement
Hide +10, Listen +5, Move Silently +10, Open Lock +7,
Set Trap +7, Spot +5, Tumble +10
Unarmed: No
Merge: Weapon, Armor, Items

_________________
"...
C'est un pays plus nu que la terre polaire
— Ni bêtes, ni ruisseaux, ni verdure, ni bois!

Or il n'est pas d'horreur au monde qui surpasse
La froide cruauté de ce soleil de glace
Et cette immense nuit semblable au vieux Chaos;
..." Good one Xylo, Barbarian works pretty well, some DR, Uncanny, Rage, it's a strong combo.

Meh... shifters need Monk... they need Monk!!!!! damn you multiclass, let me fit 4 classes at once!!!!

When do you make your FAQs? with who? or is this all crap to give detailed information with "apparent" reason?

So awesome.
Quote: Posted 06/02/06 04:36:28 (GMT) -- Thaxll'ssyllia

Good one Xylo, Barbarian works pretty well, some DR, Uncanny, Rage, it's a strong combo.

Meh... shifters need Monk... they need Monk!!!!! damn you multiclass, let me fit 4 classes at once!!!!

I was very skeptical of the Barbarian Shifter when I first thought of it, actually. After some experimentation with shapes and level splits I came up with this build. Originally I had EWF in both short and long swords to switch equally between kobold and drow shapes, and there's still some value to that actually, though you'd have to sacrifice Epic Prowess and given the limitations on shifter item merging, the build really isn't that well-off for AB in my opinion so every little point probably does count.

As for other classes... I'm finding a lot of juicy goodness in Cleric Shifters too, and hope to have an at least moderately interesting build to post sometime soon.

Quote: When do you make your FAQs? with who? or is this all crap to give detailed information with "apparent" reason?

So awesome.

I make up the questions and answers myself, generally based on what I'd be asking if I were viewing the build with no additional info. I present it in FAQ form for easier readability and because it lets me go into more detail than a bullet list of pro's and con's.
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Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.