Shapeshifter (Character Kit)

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Shapeshifter druids master their shapechanging powers at a lower experience level than other druids. This ability takes a special gift (perhaps a taint of lycanthropic or silver dragon blood in the druid's family tree) and intense training. But, those who persevere, such as Rimi (pictured on the next page) gain unusual metamorphic powers.
Role: Shapeshifters have mercurial personalities. Although by no means chaotic, they are quick to anger, and easily moved to joy or tears. Rimi, like many Shapeshifter druids, makes an excellent spy or messenger and stands a good chance of being picked as a servant to a high-level druid, an archdruid, or a great druid.
Branch Restrictions: Only forest, plains, and mountain druids can take this kit, as druids in other branches have limits on their shapechanging powers.
Weapon Proficiencies: Recommended—staff.
Secondary Skills: Hunter, groom.
Nonweapon Proficiencies:
: Bonus—animal lore.
: Recommended—(priest) spellcraft; (warrior) endurance, survival, tracking.
Equipment: The druid should spend her initial allotment of gold pieces entirely on equipment, as she loses any unspent starting money in excess of 1 gp.
Special Benefits: As a Shapeshifter, Rimi gains her branch's shapechanging power at 1st level rather than at 7th level. However, until she reaches 7th level, the druid can assume only the form of natural creatures whose Hit Dice total no greater than half her level. (A 1st-level Shapeshifter only assumes the form of a creature with 1/2 HD or less.) Rimi can shapechange twice as often as her branch normally allows, which doubles the number of changes she can make daily. (Forest Shapeshifters, then, can change to animal, reptile, and bird form, each twice per day.) However, using this power more than the normal three times per day may have dangerous consequences. (See "Special Hindrances.")
At 7th level, Rimi the Shapeshifter can transform a portion of her body. Instead of turning into a reptile, she can give herself a snake's fangs, which she can use in an attack to cause 1d2 bite damage plus poison. Rather than turning into a bird, she can transform her arms into a bird's wings and fly at a movement rate of 21. Short of transforming into a bear (or other mammal), she can sprout a bear's claws from her fingers and make two attacks causing 1d3 points of damage each, plus Strength bonus. Each of these actions counts as one change for the day.
Special Hindrances: A Shapeshifter regains hit points only when resuming her human form, and then recovers only 1d4 hp. If the druid has 0 hp or fewer, she regains none with her human shape.
If Rimi uses her Shapeshifter power more than three times per day, she must make a saving throw vs. spell after each extra use. A failure locks her into her current form until the next day, when she can attempt a new saving throw. However, for each failed save, the druid's next one bears a -1 penalty. If Rimi fails three saving throws in succession, she keeps her current animal form permanently, as if she had been reincarnated as that creature. Only a polymorph any object, limited wish, or wish can turn her back to human or another form.
Wealth Options: 3d6x5 gp. Shapeshifters spend too much time in animal form to concern themselves with money.