D&D 5E Shapeshifting and the Druid Class

[SkidAce]

If you were attempting create a class using the circle of the moon druid as a base, and all you wanted was the shapeshifting, what would you do to compensate for the removal of spellcasting?

I'm trying to make a class/archetype that the whole concept is "natural" shapeshifting, and was considering using druid as a frame. Thus deleting the spellcasting.


Feels like I should ad something to make up for it, mechanically.

Game/Lore wise...no problem, they aren't spellcasters....just shapeshifters.

 

[steeldragons]

You divy up and spread out the shapeshifting to something comparable to spellcasting.

1st level: Shapeshifting: You can change shape to assume the shape of normal-sized animals, that don't have a swim or fly speed, no more than 1/2 your level CR. You can change shape level + Wisdom modifier times per day. Each change is individual, i.e. you must use one of your "shifts" to turn into the animal and then another "shift" to turn yourself back into you. You must return to your normal shape before you can assume another animal. You get the healing yourself thing, however that works in 5e.

3rd level: You can now turn yourself into animals with a swim or fly speed.

5th: You can now transform only part of yourself to take on nature abilities or weaponry and alter your physical appearance, as per the Alter Self spell.

7th: You can now use a "shift" to give yourself the appearance of a humanoid, no more than half to half-again the size of your normal shape, and taking on the physical characteristics normal for the chosen humanoid.

9th: You can now change from one shape, directly, to another (without returning to your normal form).

Once you get over 10th level...I dunno, add in giant versions of animals?

Over 15th I'd throw in the elemental forms.

That should do it.

 

[Unwise]

That idea sounds good. Looking at utility spells at the upper end of what a druid could cast, then giving them as short rest abilities seems about right. They lose out on flexibility, but can do the cool shifting stuff more often.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Casters get a new spell level at every odd level, so look for replacement abilities to put in those odd levels. A quick graft from the barbarian (shifting a couple of abilities by a level) gets you:

3rd: Danger Sense, Spirit Seeker
5th: Extra Attack
7th: Feral Instinct
9th: Spirit Walker
11th: Relentless Shift (as Relentless Rage, but with Wild Shape -- keeps you shifted, very handy)
13th: Brutal Critical (1 die)
15th: Totemic Attunement (bear) (again with Wild Shape instead of Rage, of course)
17th: Brutal Critical (2 dice)

I might also kick the Hit Die up to d10 or d12.

 

[S'mon]

You divy up and spread out the shapeshifting to something comparable to spellcasting.

1st level: Shapeshifting: You can change shape to assume the shape of normal-sized animals, that don't have a swim or fly speed, no more than 1/2 your level CR. You can change shape level + Wisdom modifier times per day. Each change is individual, i.e. you must use one of your "shifts" to turn into the animal and then another "shift" to turn yourself back into you. You must return to your normal shape before you can assume another animal. You get the healing yourself thing, however that works in 5e.

That seems weaker than Moon Druid shapeshifting, except perhaps at very high level. Moon Druid 2 can turn into a CR 1 creature twice per rest, eg 6/day in a typical 2 short & 1 long rest day.

 

[Herobizkit]

Hengeyokai (not in 5e presently) and Werebeasts have natural animal transformations, among others, probably. In addition, they get to stay in their animal forms for longer.

Based on that, you could allow a Druid to pick one or a handful of shapes and stay in them for longer while keeping the same shifts per rest. Trade-off, changing back to a humanoid now 'costs' a shift instead of being automatic or forced when dropped to 0 HP.

I'm also tempted to use the Spell-less Ranger from the Modifying Classes article as the backing for this.

Give him the powers of Hawk, Wolf, Puma, and Bear.

Make him a champion of justice.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

We kept the spells but tried to present them as abilities that are the result of the shapeshifter's control over their own and other's flesh/form.

So we ensured to play up the flesh, mysticism and blood of form shaping and changing, with spellcasting being connected to an appropriate magical focus and representing their connection to all forms, beyond where other's flesh may end.

Never been a fan of the labelling that given rule set "Druid" as a catch all thematic bundle for all settings!

Spells were re-fluffed accordingly. For example, Entagle became living tendrils of flesh, Charm Person was the character altering their pheromone production for manipulation, Darkvision was them altering their eyes/sense and so on. Some of the spells didn't change much - Flame Sphere was still a sphere of flame, for example. But overall, the class felt more shapeshiftery, more fleshy crafting focused.

If you wanted to go a step further, you could see how creative you could get with re-fluffing the spells or customise the list to consist of only spells that could be fluffed as a shapeshifting power/flesh crafting.

 

[KahlessNestor]

You divy up and spread out the shapeshifting to something comparable to spellcasting.

1st level: Shapeshifting: You can change shape to assume the shape of normal-sized animals, that don't have a swim or fly speed, no more than 1/2 your level CR. You can change shape level + Wisdom modifier times per day. Each change is individual, i.e. you must use one of your "shifts" to turn into the animal and then another "shift" to turn yourself back into you. You must return to your normal shape before you can assume another animal. You get the healing yourself thing, however that works in 5e.

3rd level: You can now turn yourself into animals with a swim or fly speed.

5th: You can now transform only part of yourself to take on nature abilities or weaponry and alter your physical appearance, as per the Alter Self spell.

7th: You can now use a "shift" to give yourself the appearance of a humanoid, no more than half to half-again the size of your normal shape, and taking on the physical characteristics normal for the chosen humanoid.

9th: You can now change from one shape, directly, to another (without returning to your normal form).

Once you get over 10th level...I dunno, add in giant versions of animals?

Over 15th I'd throw in the elemental forms.

That should do it.

Druids don't get Swim forms until 4th and no flight until 6 (?) So putting both at 3, I don't know.

Considered something like this for making lythari, a very limited shifting ability.

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[DEFCON 1]

We kept the spells but tried to present them as abilities that are the result of the shapeshifter's control over their own and other's flesh/form.

So we ensured to play up the flesh, mysticism and blood of form shaping and changing, with spellcasting being connected to an appropriate magical focus and representing their connection to all forms, beyond where other's flesh may end.

Never been a fan of the labelling that given rule set "Druid" as a catch all thematic bundle for all settings!

Spells were re-fluffed accordingly. For example, Entagle became living tendrils of flesh, Charm Person was the character altering their pheromone production for manipulation, Darkvision was them altering their eyes/sense and so on. Some of the spells didn't change much - Flame Sphere was still a sphere of flame, for example. But overall, the class felt more shapeshiftery, more fleshy crafting focused.

If you wanted to go a step further, you could see how creative you could get with re-fluffing the spells or customise the list to consist of only spells that could be fluffed as a shapeshifting power/flesh crafting.

This is a good conceptual idea. If I was to adapt this sort of direction, I personally might say to pre-select druidic spells that can directly come out of the formshifting, give them out as "class features" at their respective levels maybe usable on a once per short rest, and allow them to be used (or "cast") while in shapeshifted form. So for instance... Jump, Longstrider or Speak With Animals given as a shapeshifter class feature for 1st level; Barkskin, Darkvision, or Pass Without Trace given out at 3rd level; Conjure Animals or Meld Into Stone at 5th; Freedom of Movement or Stoneskin at 7th; etc. etc.

You get less spells and only certain ones (things that are adaptable and might come out of shapeshifting), but you get to just use them on the short rest mechanic like Wildshaping is. It saves you from having to come up with a bunch of new abilities, since the spells already give you the ability to do all these special things.

 

[SkidAce]

Thanks EVERYONE!

There have been a lot of possibilities listed here, and thoughts that hadn't occurred to me, so this is exactly what I needed.

Gonna have to think a while now, research time.