Feral Shifter (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

Author's Note: So... what do you call a flying rat?

Author: Ghostwheel (talk) Date Created: July 30th, 2009 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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File:ManBat.jpg

"I'm the goddamn Manbat!"

Introduction

The ultimate in shifter savagery, your twin daggers become a part of your body as you tear through foes.

References

• Unearthed Arcana
• Eberron Campaign Setting
• Races of Eberron
• Tome of Battle
• Complete Warrior
• Magic Item Compendium

Game Rule Components

Progression

Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): (Assuming 32 Point Buy) 10 16 14 12 16 8

Race: Swiftwing Shifter

ECL	Class/HD/LA	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Feats	Class Features	Special
			Fort	Ref	Will
1st	Swordsage 1	+0	+0	+2	+2	Two-Weapon Fighting, Shadow Blade, Adaptive Style, Weapon Focus (Shadow Hand)	Quick to Act +1
2nd	Swordsage 2	+1	+0	+3	+3		AC Bonus
3rd	Swordsage 3	+2	+1	+3	+3	Weapon Finesse
4th	Swordsage 4	+3	+1	+4	+4		Insightful Strike (Tiger Claw or Diamond Mind)
5th	Swordsage 5	+3	+1	+4	+4		Quick to Act +2
6th	Swordsage 6	+4	+2	+5	+5	Shifter Agility
7th	Bloodclaw Master 1	+4	+4	+7	+5		Shifting +1/day, Claws of the Beast
8th	Bloodclaw Master 2	+5	+5	+8	+5		Superior Two-Weapon Fighting, Tiger Claw Synergy
9th	Weretouched Master 1	+5	+7	+10	+5	Two-Weapon Defense	Weretouched I (Rat Weretouched Master)
10th	Weretouched Master 2	+6	+8	+11	+5	Healing Factor	Wild Empathy
11th	Weretouched Master 3	+7	+8	+11	+6		Weretouched II
12th	Weretouched Master 4	+8	+9	+12	+6	Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Shifter Defense	Frightful Shifting
13th	Weretouched Master 5	+8	+9	+12	+6		Alternate Form
14th	Bloodclaw Master 3	+9	+9	+12	+7		Pouncing Strike, Low-Light Vision, Shifting +2/day
15th	Bloodclaw Master 4	+10	+10	+13	+7	Improved Two-Weapon Defense	Tiger Claw Synergy (Strike)
16th	Bloodclaw Master 5	+10	+10	+13	+7		Rending Claws, Scent, Shfiting +3/day
17th	Swordsage 7	+11	+10	+13	+7		Sense Magic
18th	Swordsage 8	+12	+10	+14	+8	Greater Two-Weapon Fighting	Defensive Stance (Shadow Hand)
19th	Swordsage 9	+12	+11	+14	+8		Evasion
20th	Swordsage 10	+13	+11	+15	+9		Quick to Act +3

At level 20: Swordsage 10 / Bloodclaw Master 5 / Weretouched Master 5

Items of Note

• +5 Mithral Shirt of Nimbleness
• +5 Shadow Hand Frost Flaming Shocking Corrosive Dagger (x2)

Highlights

• Assumed stats at level 20:
  • Dex: 16 (Base) + 2 (Racial) + 2 (Shifting) + 2 (Weretouched I) + 6 (Alternate Form) + 5 (Level) + 5 (Tome) + 6 (Item) = 44 (+17)
  • AC: 10 + 8 (Bracers of Armor) + 17 (Dex) + 6 (Wis) + 5 (+5 Ring of Protection) + 5 (+5 Amulet of Natural Armor) + 2 (Improved Two-Weapon Defense) + 1 (Shifter Agility) = 54
  • Attack Bonus: 13 (BAB) + 17 (Dex) + 8 (+5 Shadow Hand Daggers) + 1 (Weapon Focus) = +40/+40/+35/+35/+30/+30
  • Damage: 1d4 (Dagger) + 17 (Shadow Blade) + 4d6+5 (Magic) + 2d6 (Assassin's Stance) = 6d6+1d4+22
  • Total damage per attack comes out to 45.5 (on average).
  • Sample Attacks:
    • Time Stands Still + Raging Mongoose (+6 damage from Insightful Strike): +40/+40/+40/+40/+40/+40/+35/+35/+30/+30 x2 (51.5) does 896.1 damage when weighted against AC 40
    • Pouncing Charge + Inferno Blade: +42/+42/+37/+37/+32/+32 (73) does 371.3 when weighted against AC 40

Combat Sequence

• Shift, charge, and rip the opponent to shreds.

Further Optimization

• Add the effects of the Sword of Subtlety to your daggers for an increase to attack and damage when Assassin's Stance activates.
• Spiritual Weapon to Dex instead of Weapon Finesse

Limitations

• Creatures with a lot of DR or those immune to Sneak Attack

DM Counters

• Usual melee defences apart from AC (illusions, concealment, distance, etc)

Variants

• Can pick up Swiftwing Elite instead of Healing Factor for better maneuverability.
• Taking the Longstride trait will give you a great move speed, which gives you better jump checks, which makes many of your Tiger Claw maneuvers more effective.
• Two-Weapon Defense and Improved Two-Weapon Defense are basically filler feats; you can trade them out for any others that you like better. Some of these include...
  • Exotic Armor Proficiency for Twist Cloth armor (Races of Stone) for a greater AC at higher levels when your Dexterity bonus far outstrips the max allowed in most armor. You can also get this armor without taking the feat (see the particulars of the armor for details)
  • Close-Quarters Fighting (Complete Warrior) for defense against grapplers
• Add in the Healing Factor feat (perhaps instead of Shifter Agility) to become... WOLVERINE-MANBAT. (After all, Bloodclaw Master gives you claws.) Pick up Shadow Jaunt to become... WOLVERINE-MANBAT-NIGHTCRLAWER. Add in proficiency with cards, a wand of Control Weather, and a level of Warlock to shoot beams from your eyes and you become... WOLVERINE-STORM-CYCLOPS-MANBAT-NIGHTCRAWLER-GAMBIT! And don't forget Shifter Defense; the DR allows us to be... COLOSSUS-WOLVERINE-STORM-CYCLOPS-MANBAT-NIGHTCRAWLER-GAMBIT!

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