I've seen every character sheet released, except the Shifter Druid. Anyone know where to find it?
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Not much difference from the MM entry I can tell. Apparently the bonus to Athletics and Endurance is universal rather than type-dependent and they no longer lose their shifter power when they fall unconscious.
I predict that in addition to the longtooth and razorclaw, we'll see a Con/Wis beasthide (or possibly wildhunt) shifter.
Hell if they put in a variant of a race in any book i'm sure there will be a ton of whiners going on about it.
I still don't like the eladrin/elf split and having them take up 2 precious race slots in the book, I don't need to see this with 2-3 kinds of shifters, one is enough.
They're probably going to get the same basic treatment as genasi - one race entry with a choice of powers to match the particular background.
That's what I'd really like to see, but I have a feeling that each variation of Shifter will get its own seperate racial write-up (especially since the sheet for the Shifter Druid specifically refers to it as a Razorclaw Shifter & since the Monster Manual considers them seperate.)
I mean, +2 to two atributes, +2 to two skills, and a encounter power? That's all? Really?
Couldn't make out anything else from that sheet...
We might see racial feats that enhance or expand on the shifting power - this could be done in the PHB II and/or Dragon Magazine. I could imagine an enhancement for razorclaw shifting that gave conditional claw attacks or some such (while shifting you can make claw attacks after a crit blah blah).
Yes, that is possible, but I still think that a razorclaw shifter should start out with having claws - not be a character that runs fast.
Yes, that is possible, but I still think that a razorclaw shifter should start out with having claws - not be a character that runs fast.
Natural weapons for PCs seem to be largely out. The Gnoll entry had it as a feat possibility, though, so the razorclaws may have a similar option in PH2.
Natural weapons for PCs seem to be largely out. The Gnoll entry had it as a feat possibility, though, so the razorclaws may have a similar option in PH2.
But this, once again, brings out my original beef of why are they called razorclaw? Why not call them something like, oh I don't know, Longstride - it's not like that was a shifter type in the ECS that got a bonus to their speed.. wait.. that was a shifter type, and they did get a bonus to speed.
Now, before anyone says anything about the immutable fluff, yes I know that, but when you initially read something with the word razorclaw, and *I* may be alone in this, but it conjures up the idea of someone with REALLY sharp claws.
The 4e Shifters are just a pale comparison to what they were, and the only thing that I was really hoping for in the PHB2 was that shifters would get a proper treatment, or at least an improvement. I guess they aren't. There is still a chance, as the DDXP sheet may have been done before the shifter was finalized.. but I'm not expecting much. Or anything at all, actually.
But this, once again, brings out my original beef of why are they called razorclaw? Why not call them something like, oh I don't know, Longstride - it's not like that was a shifter type in the ECS that got a bonus to their speed.. wait.. that was a shifter type, and they did get a bonus to speed.
Now, before anyone says anything about the immutable fluff, yes I know that, but when you initially read something with the word razorclaw, and *I* may be alone in this, but it conjures up the idea of someone with REALLY sharp claws.
The 4e Shifters are just a pale comparison to what they were, and the only thing that I was really hoping for in the PHB2 was that shifters would get a proper treatment, or at least an improvement. I guess they aren't. There is still a chance, as the DDXP sheet may have been done before the shifter was finalized.. but I'm not expecting much. Or anything at all, actually.
Their claws are just a standard improvised melee attack, which can, in fact, kill someone. A commoner in a single hit, in fact.
Their claws are just a standard improvised melee attack, which can, in fact, kill someone. A commoner in a single hit, in fact.
Kind of a facetious answer if you ask me. All humans should be called hammerfists instead, because they could have a punch that could kill a commoner, even though that improvised attack could be a kick as well.
What I'm trying to say, if your going to give a name to a certain type of subspecies of a race that the name is used to differentiate them, wouldn't it make just a little more sense to use a name that actually describes what they do?
Lets look at shifters of the past:
Razorclaw - They grew claws and could attack with them
Longtooth - Their teeth elongated and they could make a bite attack
Beasthide - They got an AC bonus, making them able to shrug off blows
Longstride - An increased movement speed
Wild Hunt - They were able to track with an enhanced sense of smell
See all of these descriptions of a subspecies of shifter describe more or less what they do.
With 4e shifters here's what happens:
Razorclaw - they have an increased move speed and defense when they've had the snot beat out of them (bloodied)
Longtooth - Damage bonus and regeneration when they've had the snot beat out of them.
The descriptions don't seem make a whole lot of sense and seem to give off the feeling that the designer that chose the names decided, that 'hey, this just sounds cool so I'll just name them that'.
Now, lore wise, in both 4e and 3.x shifters were described as being descended from predatory lycanthropes, many of which fight tooth and claw (pun intended) with natural weapons.
So a race descended from werewolves, one of the most common forms of lycanthropes (in fact as most know lycanthropy is most commonly known as the condition of turning into a wolf, hence the lore of the werewolf)has a claw attack, now a shifter who, lore wise, is descended form lycanthropes (like the werewolf) who is named razorclaw really seems to conjure up an image of someone with, like I've said countless times, has really sharp claws. Not someone who can reflavour they standard improvized attack to be claws instead of a kick, punch, headbutt, or Three Stooged inspired eye poke.
Look, I can deal with the mechanics, as much as I'm not a fan of the whole 'only able to tap into your lycanthrope heritage when you're getting severely beaten' mechanic, but the naming conventions which should be used to describe what the shifter DOES that make absolutely no sense just annoy me. The razorclaw shifter might as well be called a 'Bigbum' shifter because that is about as equally as effective as describing the mechanic that belongs to that type of shifter.
Perhaps we should switch the names of the earthsoul and firespoul Genasi. I mean, why not mix the names up, it's only fluff and flavour anyways and the description in NO way gives a read an idea of what the race might do. Because I know when I read the worlds half-elf I thought that that was a cross between a human and a troll.
You're right, it is just fluff. You want to rename 'em in your game, go for it. Honestly, this is just *not* important enough to expend this much energy over.
+10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Advantage = +6 item you can't lose, and you get to have natural weapons that stay competitive.
Disadvantage = Costs a feat sometimes two if there are more powerful options available, usually doesn't have the high accuracy rating of swords and their ilk, or the high damage rating of the less accurate or two handed weapons. Plus they can't be enchanted with special effects. Exceptions sometimes occur with more feat expenditures.
I've never understood why natural weapons is so difficult to handle.