Shifter Class

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The trio of thugs thought they had him, cornering the wizened old man in a shadow-draped alley. They were three, he was one. They were armed, he was not. Too late did they realise their folly. They were found the next day, bodies ravaged by fang and claw, mouths hung open in silent screams echoing with a warning to never judge a book by its cover.

Master of Shapes

Shifters sacrifice the raw spellcasting power of druids in order to offer a more 'martial' approach to shapeshifting. While some do so via embracing adaptability with the Call of the Beast, others do so by embracing the singularly powerful forms of the Dragon or Griffon.

Most Shifters are able to manifest their powers only through careful training from other Shifters, Druids, or others who have a strong focus on changing their forms. Yet some others manifest these powers naturally, without any outside training. Lycanthropes and the Shifter race of Eberron are two natural groups who could manifest Shifter powers without training. Likewise, a dragon's servant may be granted a modicum of the dragon's power, allowing them to manifest the Call of the Dragon even without any directed training, similar to a sorcerer's power manifesting.

Druidic Allies

Many Shifters, embracing nature in the way they do, find natural allies among the druids of the wild. It's not unusual at all to find Shifters living among druids in their Circles as merely another representation of nature's blessings, and its defenders. Though not universal, these are some of the few non-druids allowed to learn the secretive druidic language. Shifters who adhere to the Calls of the Beast and Griffon especially find places among druids, while those who follow the Call of the Therian are sometimes seen among the more shadowy druid sects.

Shifters are likewise natural trackers and able to move through the undergrowth with preternatural swiftness, making them fast friends of rangers.

Savage and Free

Shifters are brutal combatants, ripping and tearing their way through the enemy with tooth and claw, and favouring an up-close and personal fighting style. With heartier bodies than most others, save the equally brutal barbarians, a Shifter is a deadly force in melee, even able to tap into the magic of items to enhance their natural abilities in ways that others cannot.

While many Shifters tends towards embracing the chaos of nature unbound, others find solace in using meditation and other methods of control to keep their transformations at bay and to prevent them from overrunning them.

Shifter Quirks

Almost all Shifters manifest animalistic aspects even in their 'normal' forms as the primal magics within their body run wild. If you want your Shifter to manifest such a trait, you may roll or choose options from the table below.

Shifter Quirks

d8	Quirk
1	Your eyes change to become more animalistic - typically thin or horizontal irises.
2	Your body hair grows thick, almost like fur.
3	Your ears elongate and change shape into that of an animal.
4	Somehow, you always smell vaguely of wet fur.
5	You have a fondness for napping in sunspots.
6	Your table manners never quite recovered - you prefer to eat with your hands over any knife or fork...or even spoon.
7	Your teeth are longer, sharper, and hungrier.
8	You have an inexplicable and occasionally irresistable desire to howl at the moon.

Class Features

As a Shifter, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Shifter level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per Shifter level after 1st level.

Proficiencies

Armor: Light and Hide armour.

Weapons: None

Saving Throws: Strength and Constitution

Tools/Languages: Choose one: (a) a type of artisan's tools, (b) a musical instrument, or (c) the Druidic language.

Skills: Choose two skills from the following list: Acrobatics, Athletics, Animal Handling, Nature, Perception, Stealth, Survival.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) Leather or (b) Hide Armour
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• One Tool or Instrument of your choice.

Shifter's Fury

From 1st level you can manifest natural weapons such as claws or fangs as a bonus action on your turn. These weapons deal 1d6 + your strength modifier in damage, and you are considered proficient with them. When you take the Attack action with them, you can make a Two Weapon Fighting attack with them as a bonus action, even though they are not normally a viable target for Two Weapon Fighting.

Once manifested, the weapon lasts indefinitely, until you choose to suppress them as another bonus action, or die. There are no limits to how many you can manifest at once, save for what your limbs would allow.

Some Shifter features call for saving throws. With the exception of Call of the Therian spellcasting, the DC for these is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier.

Primal Body

From 1st level you can calculate your armour class as 10 + your strength modifier + your constitution modifier. If you are wearing magical armour you are proficient in, you can benefit from its magical enhancements (including numerical enhancements) while still using Primal Body to calculate your armour class.

Leader of the Pack

Also from 1st level when you deal damage with your Shifter's Claws your can use your Leader of the Pack feature, depending on whether you rolled minimum or maximum damage with your claws.

If you rolled minimum damage, Leader of the Pack provokes a defensive posture from your allies. The next ally to hit the same target with an attack gains temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your Constitution modifier. If they are below half hit points, they can choose to regain normal hit points instead. If you rolled maximum, Leader of the Pack encourages them to kill faster. The next attack roll from your ally against the creature is treated as hitting, even if it misses. In addition, if it would normally have hit, it is instead treated as a critical strike. If the attack would have critically struck anyway, the benefit is passed on to the next ally in turn.

Leader of the Pack can be activated a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain one expended use on a short rest and all uses on a long rest.

Wild Empathy

From 2nd level your connection with the world allows you to bond with creatures that might otherwise be hostile on instant. Beasts and Monstrosities type creatures are less likely to initiate hostilities, and as an action on your turn you can make an Animal Handling (Constitution) ability check against a creature with a DC of 10 + their CR. A successful check Charms the creature for 1 hour, or until you or your allies do something hostile against them or the creature's allies.

When the Charm expires, the creature nevertheless thinks of you fondly - their attitude cannot be worse than Indifferent unless you actively attacked them or did them other harm, and if treated well is more likely to be Friendly/Helpful.

Beastial Senses

Also from 2nd level you gain Darkvision out to 60ft. If you already had Darkvision from another source, its range increases by 30ft instead.

Shifter's Calling

Shifters at 3rd level dedicate themselves to a specific Calling, to which they dedicate their abilities as a subclass. These Callings allow them to manifest their true forms as beastial creatures, able to transform into animals and other creatures of the Wild.

These Callings - Beast, Dragon, Griffon, Manticore, and Therian - are detailed in full at the end of the class description.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 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.

Primal Claws

From 6th level your Shifter's Fury weapons are now treated as being magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistances and immunity.

In addition, if you have a magical weapon on your person, you can spend one hour meditating on it (which you can do as part of a short or long rest) in order to imbue your Shifter's Weapons with its power temporarily. So long as you carry the weapon on your person, your Shifter's Fury weapons benefit from the enchantments on the weapon. This lasts until you die, until you are no longer carrying the weapon, or until you choose to meditate on another weapon to replace the old one. You can only imbue your Shifter's Fury weapons with the power of one magical weapon at a time.

If the magical weapon requires attunement to use its features, such as a Flametongue weapon, you likewise need to attune to it to imbue your Shifter's Fury weapons with it.

Woodland Stride

From 7th level, the Shifter can move through natural undergrowth (such as briars, natural thorns, or other overgrown areas) without taking damage or suffering any movement impairment, including difficult terrain. Magical growths (such as Entangle or Spike Growth) still affect them as normal.

Well of Life

From 9th level your beastblood allows you tap into reserves of energy beyond that which normal people can possess. As an action or a bonus action you can expend hit dice up to your proficiency bonus to heal yourself, adding your constitution modifier to each dice rolled as normal.

In addition, whenever you expend a hit dice roll a d4. On a roll of 4, the hit dice is immediately regained.

Track

From 10th level your nose is more able to detect creatures your familiar with. You have advantage on Perception (including passive perception) checks related to scent and Survival checks to detect both Humanoids and one other creature type based on your calling (Beast: Beast/Therian, Monstrosity: Manticore/Griffon, Dragon: Dragon).

At 15th and 20th level in this class this expands to one additional creature type each of your choice.

Improved Shifter's Fury

From 11th level when you take the Attack action on your turn with your Shifter's Fury claws, you can make three attacks instead of two.

In addition, you can choose to unleash the peak of your fury. Once per turn when you hit with an attack, you can make another attack against the same creature with a cumulative -3 to the attack roll and cumulative +3 to the damage roll. This repeats until you miss with an attack. All the attacks must be focused on a single target creature, and it ends if the target creature dies.

The peak of your fury can be unleashed a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain one expended use on a shrot rest and all uses on a long rest.

Inner Beast

From 13th level your beastblood allows you to slip away from things that would otherwise inhibit you. As a reaction when targeted by a spell or other feature that has an effect based on your creature type (such as Hold Person) or Intelligence score (such as Tasha's Hideous Laughter), you can choose to temporarily embrace your inner animal. This changes your type to Beast and lowers your Intelligence score to 3, until the start of your next turn.

Shifters with the Calls of the Manticore or Griffon instead change their type to Monstrosity, and Shifters with Call of the Dragon change their type to Dragon.

Inalienable Form

From 14th level you become immune to any spell or effect that would change your form against your will, such as the Polymorph spell.

In addition, while in your Calling's Shape, you have advantage on saving throws made at the end of your turn to end effects currently affecting you.

Swift Shape

Also from 14th level as a reaction when Initiative is rolled, so long as you are not Surprised you can immediately activate your Calling's Shape feature if you have a use available, instead of its normal bonus action requirement.

A Thousand Faces

From 17th level the Shifter can cast the Alter Self spell at will, without requiring verbal or somatic components, or Concentration. Its duration is also unlimited. They can only do so when they are not affected by their Calling's 'Shape' feature.

Timeless Body

From 18th level the shifter no longer ages, either naturally or magically, and suffer no penalties for ageing that they might have accrued (including dying from old age).

Improved Leader of the Pack

Also at 18th level, whenever you activate your Leader of the Pack feature roll a d4. On a 4, you regain a use immediately.

Weakness Defied

From 20th level your body's adaptations have made up for some of your weakest areas. You gain a +6 to your lowest ability score, +5 to your second lowest, +4 to your third lowest, and +3 to your fourth lowest. These increases can allow an ability score to exceed 20, but not 30.

Call of the Beast

Those who follow the Call of the Beast are more adaptable than other Shifters, but sacrifice raw power and specialisation to do so. Those who follow the Call of the Beast may still find one shape they prefer to take, being drawn towards the Bear or the Boar, for instance, but rare indeed is one that neglects all its myriad forms. Owing to their variable forms, Shifters who follow the Call of the Beast are some of those most able to blend into civilisation, slipping into forms otherwise completely usual to find in urban cities.

Beast Shape

As a bonus action on your turn you can assume the shape of a beast from the list below, gaining special features based on which beast you choose. When you reach 3rd level you can choose up to two Beast Shapes to know, gaining an additional shape known at 5th, 8th, 13th, 17th, and 20th level. You can exchange one Beast Shape you know for another you qualify for whenever you gain a level in this class.

You can remain in your Beast Shape for a number of hours equal to half your Shifter level, reverting to normal either by using another bonus action or when you fall unconscious.

While in your Beast Shape you cannot speak, cast spells, or use any features/items that require fine manipulation. Your statistics otherwise only change as specified for each animal entry below, with all other aspects (eg. health, ability scores) remaining the same. These forms enforce what kind of Shifter's Fury weapon type you have (such as claws or bite) and can affect its damage dice size.

Items you are wearing/carrying merge with your new form, and any magic items you are benefiting from continue to function in your Beast Shape.

Some Beast Shapes are restricted by Shifter level, likewise detailed below.

Beast Shape can be used twice, with all uses refreshing on a short or long rest.

But what about this animal?

As much as I would like to provide examples for every animal out there, unfortunately there's only so much time and space! If there's an animal missing, the below examples should provide adequate templates to for players and DMs to find adjust and fit the desired animal - a pigeon might use Falcon or Owl stats or you could make a Dolphin Small/Tiny to simulate a salmon, or the like.

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Bat

Prequisite: 8th Level

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• Size: Tiny.
• Walking Speed: 5ft.
• Fly Speed: 30ft
• Damage Dice (Bite): D4 Piercing (Finesse)
• Blindsight: 60ft.
• Agile Body: Your Strength and Dexterity scores are swapped. Primal Body uses Dexterity and Constitution instead of Strength and Constitution.

Bear

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• Size: Large
• Damage Dice (Bite/Claws): D10 Piercing/Slashing
• Thick Hide: Whenever you take damage, the damage is reduced by an amount equal to half your Strength score (rounded up).

Boar

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• Size: Medium
• Walking Speed: 40ft
• Damage Dice (Tusks): D8 Piercing
• Charge: If you move more than 20ft directly towards an enemy and then hit them with an attack, they take an additional 2d8 damage. This damage can activate Leader of the Pack.

Cat/Rat

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• Size: Tiny.
• Walking Speed: 40ft.
• Climb Speed: 30ft
• Damage Dice (Bite): D4 Piercing (Finesse)
• Move Silently: You have advantage on Stealth ability checks.
• Agile Body: Your Strength and Dexterity scores are swapped. Primal Body uses Dexterity and Constitution instead of Strength and Constitution.

Crocodile

Prerequisite: 5th level

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• Size: Large
• Walking Speed: 20ft
• Swim Speed: 30ft
• Damage Dice (Bite): D8 Piercing
• Snapping Jaws: On a hit with your with Shifter's Fury weapon, you immediately grapple the damaged creature with your bite. Biting another creature immediately ends the grapple. While grappling the target, your bite has advantage on further attacks agains the grappled creature.

Dog/Wolf

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• Size: Medium
• Walking Speed: 40ft
• Damage Dice (Bite/Claws): D6 Piercing/Slashing
• Pack Tactics: You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
• Bring Down: When you hit a target with your Bite, they must succeed on a strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Dolphin

Prerequisite: 5th level

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• Size: Medium
• Walking Speed: 0ft
• Swim Speed: 60ft
• Damage Dice (Slam): D6 Bludgeoning
• Underwater Breathing: You can breathe water as if it were air.

Falcon/Hawk

Prequisite: 8th Level

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• Size: Tiny.
• Walking Speed: 10ft.
• Fly Speed: 60ft
• Damage Dice (Claw): D6 Slashing (Finesse)
• Keen Sight: You have advantage on Perception ability checks relying on sight.
• Agile Body: Your Strength and Dexterity scores are swapped. Primal Body uses Dexterity and Constitution instead of Strength and Constitution.

Giant Frog

Prerequisite: 5th level

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• Size: Medium
• Walking Speed: 30ft
• Swim Speed: 30ft
• Damage Dice (Bite): D6 Bludgeoning
• Swallow: If you hit a creature that is Small size or Smaller with your Bite attack, you automatically grapple it. If you then hit it with another bite attack while the grapple remains, the target is Swallowed by you. The swallowed target is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside your stomach, and it takes 5 (2d4) acid damage at the start of each of your turns. You can have only one target swallowed at a time. A creature can escape the Swallow with a successful contested Athletics (Strength) ability check to force their way out.

Horse

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• Size: Large
• Walking Speed: 60ft
• Damage Dice (Hoof): D8 Bludgeoning
• Trampling Charge: If you move at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature and then hit it with a hoof attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is knocked prone, or is already prone, you can make another attack with your hooves against it at no action cost.

Lion/Tiger

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• Size: Large
• Walking Speed: 40ft
• Damage Dice (Bite/Claws): D8 Piercing/Slashing
• Running Leap: When you make a longjump with a 10ft headstart, your jump distance is tripled. It still cannot exceed your movement speed during a turn.
• Pounce: When you make a longjump directly towards a target and then hit it with a Shifter's Fury attack during the same turn, you deal an additional +2 damage for every 5ft you jumped.

Octopus

Prerequisite: 5th level

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• Size: Small
• Walking Speed: 5ft
• Swim Speed: 30ft
• Damage Dice (Tentacle): D6 Bludgeoning (Finesse)
• Agile Body: Your Strength and Dexterity scores are swapped. Primal Body uses Dexterity and Constitution instead of Strength and Constitution.
• Tentacle Grab: Hitting a creature with your tentacle automatically grapples them. You may have up to eight creatures grappled at once. If you attack the same creature with a tentacle more than once, you can choose to add an additional tentacle to the grapple. Each additional tentacle grappling after the first adds a cumulative -2 to the target's ability check to escape the grapple.
• Underwater Breathing: You can breathe water as if it were air.

Owl

Prequisite: 8th Level

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• Size: Tiny.
• Walking Speed: 5ft.
• Fly Speed: 60ft
• Damage Dice (Bite): D4 Piercing (Finesse)
• Flyby: You do not provoke opportunity attacks when you fly out of an enemy's reach.
• Silent Wings: You have advantage on Stealth ability checks.
• Agile Body: Your Strength and Dexterity scores are swapped. Primal Body uses Dexterity and Constitution instead of Strength and Constitution.

Giant Scorpion

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• Size: Large
• Damage Dice (Claws): D8 Bludgeoning
• Stinger: Once per turn you can use your stinger in place of your claws. Your stinger deals 1d6 piercing damage + 1d6 poison damage. The poison damage can activate Leader of the Pack.
• Grab: Hitting with your claws allows you to make a free grapple attempt against the target, at no extra action cost. You may only have two creatures grappled at a time.

Snake

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• Size: Tiny.
• Walking Speed: 30ft.
• Swim Speed: 30ft
• Damage Dice (Bite): D4 Piercing (Finesse)
• Blindsight: 10ft
• Agile Body: Your Strength and Dexterity scores are swapped. Primal Body uses Dexterity and Constitution instead of Strength and Constitution.
• Poison: Once per turn when you hit with your Bite, you deal an additional 1d4 poison damage. The poison damage can activate Leader of the Pack.

Spider

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• Size: Tiny.
• Walking Speed: 20ft.
• Climb Speed: 20ft
• Damage Dice (Bite): D4 Piercing (Finesse)
• Darkvision: 60ft (90ft with Bestial Senses)
• Agile Body: Your Strength and Dexterity scores are swapped. Primal Body uses Dexterity and Constitution instead of Strength and Constitution.
• Spider Climb. You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
• Web Sense. While in contact with a web, you know the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
• Web Walker. You ignore movement restrictions caused by webbing, and your careful feet allow you to ignore all difficult terrain.

Adaptive Initiative

From 7th level your myriad forms are more adapt at sensing danger. You add your proficiency bonus to Initiative checks.

Chimeric Shape

From 10th level whenever you use your Beast Shape, you can add one feature from one shape you know and add it to the Shape you are taking, for example you could add Water Breathing to your Bat, Thick Hide to your Crocodile, or a flight speed to your Dog. Your shape automatically adjusts, growing the relevant organs/appendages as required, in order to facilitate this - which could mean growing wings, additional tentacles, or a scorpion's stinger. Size, Speed, and Damage Dice size are all viable options to modify your chosen shape.

Beast Speech

Also from 10th level you are permanently affected by the Speak with Animals spell. You can choose to suppress this as a bonus action. This also allows you to speak normally while in your Beast Shape.

Adaptive Defense

From 15th level you are so adept at changing your body you are able to do so at the speed of thought. As a reaction whenever you take damage you can gain Resistance to that damage type until the start of your next turn. If the source of damage dealt more than one type of damage (eg. Piercing and Poison) you choose which damage type you gain Resistance to.

Mastered Beast Shape

From 20th level you no longer have a usage limit on your Beast Shape. You can also change your form at no action cost, at any point during your turn

In addition your body's adaptive healing allows you to overcome great weariness. Whenever you expend a hit dice to regain hit points, you lose one level of exhaustion.

Call of the Dragon

Dragons have fascinated mortals for millenia, and those who follow the Call of the Dragon seek to emulate a fraction of their power. Able to shift into scaled creatures of every colour, these Shifters are often deeply subservient to dragons, basking in their knowledge, wealth, and power as they grow closer to attaining a draconic form. While they may not ever truly become the dragon they wish to be, they can certainly become close, even attaining a legendary status at the peak of their power.

Dragon Shape

Those who follow the Call of the Dragon are able to assume a dragon's form, wielding its powers as if it were their own. From 3rd level this only grants them a measure of power, though it grows as they gain in level. You may assume your Dragon Shape as an action or a bonus action on your turn and can remain in your Dragon Shape for a number of hours equal to half your Shifter level, reverting to normal either by using another action or bonus action, or when you fall unconscious.

While in your Dragon Shape you cannot cast spells, or use any features/items that require fine manipulation. Your statistics otherwise only change as specified below, with all other aspects (eg. health, ability scores) remaining the same.

Items you are wearing/carrying merge with your new form, and any magic items you are benefiting from continue to function in your Dragon Shape. Dragon Shape can be used twice, with all uses refreshing on a short or long rest.

A number of features refer to your dragon's scale colour, a table of which is referenced below:-

Colour	Energy Type	Breath Shape
Black	Acid	5' by 30' Line (Dex save)
Blue	Lightning	5' by 30' Line (Dex save)
Brass	Fire	5' by 30' Line (Dex save)
Bronze	Lightning	5' by 30' Line (Dex save)
Copper	Acid	5' by 30' Line (Dex save)
Gold	Fire	15' Cone (Dex save)
Green	Poison	15' Cone (Con save)
Red	Fire	15' Cone (Dex save)
Silver	Cold	15' Cone (Con save)
White	Cold	15' Cone (Con save)
Amethyst	Force	15' Cone (Con save)
Crystal	Radiant	5' by 30' Line (Dex save)
Emerald	Psychic	15' Cone (Wis save)
Sapphire	Thunder	15' Cone (Con save)
Topaz	Necrotic	5' by 30' Line (Con save)

Dragon Shape offers the following benefits:-

• Breath Weapon (Recharge 5-6): In place of one of your Attacks or as a bonus action, you can exhale a damaging breath with a size and damage type as detailed on the table above. This deals 2d8 damage, or half as much on a successful saving throw. At 5th, 11th, and 17th level the damage of your Breath Weapon increases by 1d8. At 11th and 17th level, its size doubles (so a 15ft cone becomes 30ft, and then 60ft).
• Glider Wings: You take no fall damage, gliding safely to the ground, so long as you are not forced to fall (such as by being knocked prone).
• Size: At 3rd level your size is Medium. At 11th, 15th, and 20th level you can increase this when you take Dragon Shape to Large, Huge, and Gargantuan respectively. You choose what size you take whenever you assume Dragon Shape.
• Shifter's Fury Weapons: While in Dragon Shape, you can take advantage of Claws (Slashing), Bite (Piercing), and Tail (Bludgeoning) weapons freely. The damage dice for these increases to d8, d10, and d12 when you are Large, Huge, or Gargantuan, again respectively.

Draconic Resistance

From 7th level when you use Dragon Shape, you gain Resistance to the energy type associated with your Dragon's colour.

Draconic Wings

From 10th level your wings become usable for proper flight. You gain a flight speed equal to your walking speed plus 10ft. You additionally can exchange one of your attacks when you take the Attack action for a Wingburst. This provokes a Dexterity saving throw from all creatures within 10ft. A failed save deals 2d6 bludgeoning damage, and knocks them prone. A successful save negates the prone and deals only half damage. The damage dice increases to d8/d10/d12 based on your Dragon Shape's size, as with your other weapons.

Dragon Speech

Also from 10th level you gain permanent knowledge of the Draconic language, if you did not already have it, and advantage on Charisma ability checks when dealing with dragons.

Frightening Presence

Whenever you adopt your Dragon Shape, each creature of your choice within 120ft must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become Frightened of you for 1 minute, making a new save at the end of each of their turns to end the effect early. Once they succesfully save against it, they become immune to your Frightening Presence for 24 hours.

Draconic Immunity

Also from 15th level, your Draconic Resistance becomes Immunity to the associated damage type.

Legendary Dragon Shape

From 20th level you inherit just a fragment of the dragon's legendary strength and will. If you fail a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. You must complete a long rest before being able to use this again.

In addition, you no longer have a use limit on your Dragon Shape.

Call of the Griffon

Few creatures match the soaring majesty and regal awe that a griffon inspires when seen from the ground. These soaring creatures find their way into the heraldry of many a country and noble house for just such a reason, and those Shifters who take up the Call of the Griffon often find themselves among peers who hold great respect for the creatures.

Griffon shifters form a potent frontline for any adventuring party, able to withstand more strikes than others, draw enemy's ire to themselves, and carefully pick off priority targets with their enviable flight speed.

Griffon Shape

Shifters who heed the Call of the Griffon are able to assume its majestic form. From 3rd level this only grants them a measure of power, though it grows as they gain in level. You may assume your Griffon Shape as an action or a bonus action on your turn and can remain in your Griffon Shape for a number of hours equal to half your Shifter level, reverting to normal either by using another action or bonus action, or when you fall unconscious.

While in your Griffon Shape you cannot speak, cast spells, or use any features/items that require fine manipulation. Your statistics otherwise only change as specified below, with all other aspects (eg. health, ability scores) remaining the same.

Items you are wearing/carrying merge with your new form, and any magic items you are benefiting from continue to function in your Griffon Shape. Griffon Shape can be used twice, with all uses refreshing on a short or long rest.

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• Griffon's Body. Your size becomes Large. You can only use Claws (d10 Slashing) or Beak (d10 Piercing). When you hit a creature with your claws, you automatically grapple them if they smaller than you, at no action cost or ability check. You also have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks to maintain a grapple.
• Keen Eyes. You have advantge on perception checks that rely on sight.
• Fresh Wings. You gain a flight speed equal to your walking speed, however your wings are not yet able to maintain full flight, and you must still end each turn on the ground, or risk suffering fall damage, as you're not able to hold yourself aloft

Layered Mane

From 7th level your thick fur coat helps stave off the pain. Each time you take damage, you roll a 1d6, and reduce the damage taken by that amount. As a reaction, you can also add your Strength modifier to this reduction. Your AC is also treated as being 2 higher against ranged attacks.

Griffon Flight

Also From 7th level your wings are now powerful enough to bear you without falling. You gain a flight speed equal to your walking speed + 20ft. Furthermore, while grappling another creature that is at least on size category smalelr than you, your flight speed is not reduced.

Challenging Roar

From 10th level when you take the Attack action on your turn, you may issue a challenge to a creature that can hear you within 60ft, at no extra action cost. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or spend their next turn making you the sole target of their hostilities, whatever they may be. They are also unable to move further away from you than they already were.

Challenging Roar can be used once, refreshing whenever you roll initiative, or whenever you activate your Leader of the Pack feature.

Monster Speech

Also from 10th level you are permanently affected by the Speak with Animals spell, but instead of Beast type creatures you can converse with Monstrosities. You can choose to suppress this as a bonus action.

Even More Layered Mane

From 15th level, your Layered Mane is even thicker. The dice size increases to d12, and the AC bonus against ranged attacks is increased to +4. Furthermore, you gain a +2 to all saving throws provoked by creatures who are not adjacent to you.

Mastered Griffon Shape

By mastering the Griffon you become a peerless hunter while defending your flock. Your Challenging Roar now affects all creatures of your choice within 60ft instead of just one, and whenever you take damage you gain temporary hit points equal to half the damage you took (after Layered Mane reductions).

Furthermore, you no longer have a use limit on your Griffon shape.

Call of the Manticore

Though oft maligned and rarely respected, those who follow the Call of the Manticore are nevertheless potent forces on the battlefield, able to unleash barrages of weaponised spines against their enemies at a range that most Shifters find themselves quietly envious of.

Manticore Shape

From 3rd level you can assume your Manticore Shape as either an action or a bonus action, and can remain in this shape for a number of hours equal to half your Shifter level, reverting to normal either by using another action or bonus action, or when you fall unconscious.

While in your Manticore Shape you cannot spells, or use any features/items that require fine manipulation. Your statistics otherwise only change as specified below, with all other aspects (eg. health, ability scores) remaining the same.

Items you are wearing/carrying merge with your new form, and any magic items you are benefiting from continue to function in your Manticore Shape. Manticore Shape can be used twice, with all uses refreshing on a short or long rest.

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• Manticore's Form. Your size becomes Large. Your Shifter's Fury weapons are Claws (d6 Slashing, Finesse) and Tail Spikes (Ranged, d6 Piercing, 50/150ft.)
• Agile Body. Wile in this shape your Strength and Dexteriy scores are swapped, and your Primal Body feature uses Dexterity and Constitution instead of Strength and Constitution.
• Leap Wings. Your wings are not yet able to carry you through the air but do benefit your jumps. While in Manticore Shape your jump distances (both long and high) are tripled.

Thorns

From 7th level a thousand, thousand tiny thorny spines grow up from your fur. Whenever a creature strikes you with a melee attack while adjacent to you, they suffer 1d12 piercing damage, which is considered magical for the purposes of damage resistance and immunities. This damage can activate Leader of the Pack.

Wings

Your wings are now strong enough to carry you aloft. From 10th level you gain a flight speed equal to your walking speed. While in the air, you have advantage on any saves or ability checks against an effect that would forcibly move you or knock you prone.

Monster Speech

Also from 10th level you are permanently affected by the Speak with Animals spell, but instead of Beast type creatures you can converse with Monstrosities. You can choose to suppress this as a bonus action.

Evolutionary Divergence

When you use your Manticore Shape, you're now able to choose one of three divergent paths which modify your Spines.

• Bouncing Spike. When you hit a creature with a Spike attack, it bounces to another enemy creature of your choice within 10ft of the initial target, dealing half damage to the second target with no attack roll required.
• Soaring Spike. Your spike's range is increased to 150ft/600ft.
• Sundering Spike. When you hit a creature with a Spike attack, the spike tears at their defences. The target's AC is reduced by half your proficiency bonus, until the start of your next turn. This does not stack with itself.

Your chosen improvement lasts until you use Manticore Shape again.

Counterspike

Also from 15th level, whenever a creature within 120ft casts a spell, you may use your reaction to fling a tailspike at them, dealing damage as normal on a successful hit. If it does hit, the target must succeed on a Concentration save, the DC of which is 5 + the damage dealt. A failed save causes the spell to fizzle with no effect, and any spell slot expended to be lost.

Counterspikes benefit from your Evolutionary Divergence feature also. If you have the Soaring Spike active, Counterspike's Range increases to 200ft.

Counterspike can be used twice, regaining its uses whenever you activate Manticore Shape.

Mastered Manticore Shape

You no longer have a limit on your Counterspikes. Additionally, your spines now critically strike on a roll of 18, 19, or 20.

In addition, you no longer have a use limit on your Manticore Shape.

Call of the Therian

Also referred to as 'Lycanbloods' and 'Weretouched', those who follow the Call of the Therian bridge the gap between beast and man, assuming the shapes most commonly associated with those cursed with Lycanthropy and similar beastman afflictions. Moreso than the other Shifters, these Therians strike a balance, and in so doing become all the more dangerous for it. Unlike other Shifters, this balance between man and beast allows them a modicum of spellcasting ability, albeit only when they embrace their hybrid form.

Therian Shape

While Beast Shifters embrace true flexibility, Therians dedicate themselves to a single weretouched to embody and adhere to that to the exemption of all else. You choose one of the following options, which affects your features and abilities later in this subclass: Werebear, Wereboar, Wererat, Weretiger, or Werewolf. Once chosen this cannot be changed.

From 3rd level you can assume your Therian Shape as either an action or a bonus action, and can remain in this shape for a number of hours equal to half your Shifter level, reverting to normal either by using another action or bonus action, or when you fall unconscious.

While in your Therian Shape - unlike other Callings - you can still speak, cast spells, and use any items that require fine manipulation. Your statistics otherwise only change as specified below, with all other aspects (eg. health, ability scores) remaining the same.

Items you are wearing/carrying merge with your new form if you so choose, but can remain separate, allowing them to still be used. Any magic items you are benefiting from continue to function in your Therian Shape. Therian Shape can be used twice, with all uses refreshing on a short or long rest.

Therian Type	Benefit
Werebear	Advantage on Strength saving throws and Strength ability checks
Wereboar	When moving towards an enemy creature, you cannot be slowed by difficult terrain.
Wererat	Your Strength and Dexterity scores are swapped. Primal Body uses Dexterity and Constitution instead of Strength and Constitution. Your Shifter's Fury weapon is treated as being Finesse.
Weretiger	Shifter's Fury weapon dice is increased to d10.
Werewolf	You gain proficiency with Perception - if you already had this, you gain Expertise instead.

Where is my Weremantis!?

As with the Beast shapes, there are too many Were-options to offer a full breakdown of each one. As such, the list below is limited solely to those available in 5e's Monster Manual. With that said, players who wish to embrace some of the weirder were-touched should work with their DM on finding a version that works for them.

Therian Spellcasting

While in your Therian Shape you gain access to rudimentary spellcasting, which grows in power as you gain levels, per the table below. You may only cast while in your Therian shape.

Spell Slots

The table below shows how many spell slots you have to cast your Shifter spells of 1st through 5th level. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your Shifter spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

For example, when you are 5th level, you have two 2nd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell Entangle bolt, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 2nd-level spell.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

At 1st level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the druid spell list.

The Spells Known column of the table shows when you learn more druid spells of your choice of 1st level or higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 9th level, for example, you learn a new druid spell, which can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the druid spells you know and replace it with another spell from the druid spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Constituion is your spellcasting ability for your Shifter spells, so you use your Constituion whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constituion modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a shifter spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constituion modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constituion modifier

Spellcasting Focus

Your innate Therian magic allows you to forego the use of non-costly material components for your Shifter spells.

Shifter Spells

Shifter Level	Spells Known	Spell Slots	Spell Level
3	2	2	1
4	3	2	1
5	4	2	2
6	5	2	2
7	5	2	2
8	6	2	2
9	7	2	3
10	7	2	3
11	8	2	3
12	8	3	3
13	9	3	4
14	9	3	4
15	9	3	4
16	10	3	4
17	11	4	5
18	11	4	5
19	11	4	5
20	12	4	5

Cursed Resilience

From 7th level your Therian blood increases your resilience, regardless of whether or not you are in your Therian shape. Your armour class and all saving throws are increased by +1. This feature does not apply against Silvered weapons, which you also become Vulnerable to.

Animal Form

Also from 7th level, you can assume your Therian's animal form. Unlike your normal Therian Shape, this follows the rules for the Call of the Beast's Beast Shape, and thus prevents spellcasting/speaking. It still expends a use of Therian Shape as normal to adopt this form.

Embrace or Control

At 10th level, a Therian chooses whether to embrace their lycanthropic nature and spread their curse, or to resist its call and retain their mortality. Once chosen, this cannot be changed (though DMs may be able to change this due to story events!)

Embrace. Therians who embrace their curse are able to spread lycanthropy via their Bites. Their Shifter's Fury Bite attack now deals an additional 1d4 poison damage. If this bite doesn't kill a creature, they must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become infected with the same type of lycanthropy as you chose for your Therian, which blossoms into a full blown curse and transformation on the next full moon.

A creature can willingly fail its saving throw against this effect.

Once a creature succeeds on a save against this, they do not need to save again against it for 24 hours.

Being transformed can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on your relationship with a creature - those who were previously hostile may become indifferent or friendly as they embrace their transformation, while those who were only indifferent may curse you forever for what you have done to them.

Control. Therians who reject the beast's hold on them are able to instead draw on their spellcasting's strength. As an action, they can regain one expended Shifter spell slot. This can be used once, refreshing on a short or long rest.

Beast Speech

Also from 10th level you are permanently affected by the Speak with Animals spell. You can choose to suppress this as a bonus action.

Advanced Therian

From 15th level your chosen Therian type becomes stronger, and gains an additional benefit per the table below.

Therian Type	Benefit
Werebear	Whenever you take damage, the damage is reduced by an amount equal to half your Strength score (rounded up).
Wereboar	If you move more than 20ft directly towards an enemy and then hit them with an attack, they take an additional 4d8 damage. This damage can activate Leader of the Pack. Your movement speed is increased by +10ft.
Wererat	You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action. If you made a Shifter's Fury two weapon fighting attack as a bonus action on your turn, you can instead do so at no additional action cost.
Weretiger	Your Shifter's Fury attacks tear the enemy. Once per turn when you hit an enemy creature you can choose to reduce either their AC by half your Strength Modifier until the start of your next turn, or reduce the next saving throw they make by the same amount.
Werewolf	You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Blessed by the Moon

From 20th level you regain 1 hit point at the start of each of your turns. When outside at night, this increases to an amount equal to your Constitution modifier on each of your turns. You also have advantage on all saving throws while outside at night.

These features are suppressed for 1 round if you are hit by a Silvered weapon.

Finally, you no longer have a use limit on your Therian Shape.