Description: (PRESTIGE CLASS) A shifter has no form they call their own. Instead, they clothe themselves in whatever shape is most expedient at the time. While others base their identities largely on their external forms, the shifter actually comes closer to their true self through all of their transformations. Of necessity, their sense of self is based not on their outward form, but on their soul, which is truly the only constant about them. It is the inner strength of that soul that enables them to take on any shape and remain themselves within.

Hit die: d8

Proficiencies: No additional proficiencies are gained.

Skill points: 4 + int modifier

Skills: animal empathy, concentration, craft armor, craft trap, craft weapon, heal, hide, listen, lore, persuade, spot

Unavailable feats: curse song, divine might, divine shield, extra music, extra turning, lingering song, quicken spell, spell focus, two-weapon fighting, weapon proficiency (exotic), weapon proficiency (martial), weapon proficiency (simple), weapon specialization
These general feats cannot be selected when taking a level of shifter.

Primary saving throw(s): fortitude, reflex

Base attack bonus: +3/4 levels

Requirements

To qualify as a shifter, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria:

Feats: alertness, wild shape

Spellcasting: level 3 or higher

Level progression

Lvl	BAB	Saves			Feats	HP range		Forms becoming available
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+2	+0	greater wildshape I	4-8		wyrmling
2nd	+1	+3	+3	+0		8-16
3rd	+2	+3	+3	+1	greater wildshape II	12-24		harpy, gargoyle, minotaur
4th	+3	+4	+4	+1	infinite greater wildshape I	16-32
5th	+3	+4	+4	+1	greater wildshape III	20-40		basilisk, drider, manticore
6th	+4	+5	+5	+2		24-48
7th	+5	+5	+5	+2	humanoid shape, infinite greater wildshape II	28-56		drow warrior, lizardfolk whipmaster, kobold commando
8th	+6	+6	+6	+2		32-64
9th	+6	+6	+6	+3		36-72
10th	+7	+7	+7	+3	greater wildshape IV, infinite greater wildshape III	40-80		dire tiger, medusa, mindflayer

Tip: Becoming a shifter

• Only druids can become shifters in Neverwinter Nights.

Epic shifter

The epic shifter is a true master of shapeshifting and is able to become virtually any creature imaginable by choosing epic bonus feats.

Hit die: d8

Skill points: 4 + int modifier

Bonus feats: The epic shifter gains a bonus feat every three levels. In other words, at levels 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, and 28.

Epic bonus feats: automatic quicken spell, automatic silent spell, automatic still spell, construct shape, dragon shape, epic energy resistance, epic spell focus, epic spell penetration, great wisdom, improved combat casting, outsider shape, undead shape

Unavailable epic feats: bane of enemies, epic spell: dragon knight, epic spell: epic mage armor, epic spell: epic warding, epic spell: greater ruin, epic spell: hellball, epic spell: mummy dust, epic weapon specialization, great smiting, improved ki strike 4, improved ki strike 5, improved sneak attack, improved spell resistance, improved stunning fist, lasting inspiration, mighty rage, planar turning, terrifying rage, thundering rage
These general epic feats cannot be selected when taking a level of shifter.

Epic shifter level progression

Lvl	Feats	HP range		Forms becoming available
11th		44-88		epic harpy, epic gargoyle, epic minotaur
12th		48-96
13th	bonus feat, infinite humanoid shape	52-104
14th		56-112
15th		60-120		epic basilisk, epic drider, epic manticore
16th	bonus feat, infinite greater wildshape IV	64-128
17th		68-136		epic drow warrior, epic lizardfolk whipmaster, epic kobold commando
18th		72-144
19th	bonus feat	76-152
20th		80-160
21th		84-168
22th	bonus feat	88-176
23th		92-184
24th		96-192
25th	bonus feat	100-200
26th		104-208
27th		108-216
28th	bonus feat	112-224
29th		116-232
30th		120-240

Shifter forms

When in another form, some of the benefits of the shifter's weapons, armor and other items may still apply, merging with the new form. The below table lists the shifter shapes, which item properties merge, and which feat provides the shape.

Shape Weapon Items Armor greater wildshape I wyrmling (any)   Y Y greater wildshape II harpy   Y Y gargoyle   Y Y minotaur Y Y Y greater wildshape III basilisk     Y drider Y Y Y manticore     Y humanoid shape drow warrior Y Y Y lizardfolk whipmaster Y Y Y kobold commando Y Y Y greater wildshape IV dire tiger     Y medusa   Y Y mindflayer   Y Y greater wildshape II (lvl 11) epic harpy   Y Y epic gargoyle   Y Y epic minotaur Y Y Y

Shape Weapon Items Armor greater wildshape III (lvl 15) epic basilisk     Y epic drider Y Y Y epic manticore   Y Y humanoid shape (lvl 17) epic drow warrior Y Y Y epic lizardfolk whipmaster Y Y Y epic kobold commando Y Y Y undead shape risen lord Y Y Y vampire   Y Y spectre     Y outsider shape azer chieftain Y Y Y rakshasa Y Y Y death slaad lord     Y construct shape stone golem     Y demonflesh golem     Y Iron golem   Y Y dragon shape dragon (any)     Y

Item merge

• Weapon is any melee weapon in the main hand slot.
• Items are those in the ring slots, amulet slot, cloak slot, boots slot, or belt slot.
• Armor is the item in the armor slot, plus a shield if in the off-hand slot and anything in the helmet slot.
• The gloves or bracers slot and the ammunition slots never merge.
• Rules of thumb:
  • Has a weapon? Merges all.
  • Unarmed, stands on two legs? Merges items & armor.
  • Unarmed, four or more legs? Merges armor only.
  • Exceptions to the rule are epic manticore, spectre, death slaad lord, stone golem, and demonflesh golem.
• Because only the properties of the items are taken, and the item is "removed" and unavailable in the shifted form, any penalties from armor, such as penalties on skills, do not apply when shifted. This also means that a druid/shifter/monk who had been wearing armor or using a shield prior to shifting will have their special abilities reinstated because they will no longer be wearing armor or using a shield.
• Because (most of) the properties taken from items are placed on a single item (a skin item), many bonuses end up not stacking. In particular, bonuses to ability scores, skills, and saving throws will not stack with like bonuses. Armor class (AC) bonuses are even more severely restricted, as these are converted to deflection bonuses as part of the merge. So if an amulet with a +3 natural AC bonus and boots with a +2 dodge AC bonus were to merge, the result would be a +3 deflection bonus.
  • The exceptions to the above are properties on a weapon. If these properties merge, they merge onto the merged form's weapon, which is not the same place where other properties end up. So while a +2 strength bonus on armor will not stack (after merging) with a +4 strength bonus on a belt, a +2 strength bonus on a weapon will. (However, AC bonuses do not benefit from this exception, as they still end up as non-stacking deflection bonuses.)

Notes

• Requires Hordes of the Underdark.
• Shifting will retain each of a character's racial bonuses/penalties to ability scores (e.g. elven +2 Dex, -2Cons) for all its applications from saving throws to DC determination (with the exception of a few that directly get the ability score instead of the modifier, e.g. shifted half-orcs do not apply their racial bonus to strength against balagarn's iron horn) unless the ability corresponding to that particular bonus/penalty is changed either as a result of the shift (including item merge and stat overriding) or following the shift. Some hardcoded aspects where this does not apply include the weight associated without being encumbered (e.g. a shifted half-orc in kobold form has a reduced ability to carry items) and in skill points on level up (e.g. a shifted half-orc gets an additional skill point causing the build to no longer be legal).
• Spells cannot be cast while shifted, so self-buffs must be cast before shifting.
• The shifter and druid shapeshifting feats cannot be dispelled.
• Spell resistance from the shapes does not stack with the monk's diamond soul feat.
• All of the shapes which require an epic shifter actually require greater wildshape IV. Hence, they can be taken with 10 levels of shifter as opposed to 11.
• Characters cannot take the simple, martial, or exotic weapon proficiency feats on a shifter (or druid) level. An elven shifter will receive racial bonus proficiencies in longsword, rapier, longbow, and shortbow. In order to gain additional proficiencies, a level of a third class can be taken.

Previous versions

• Prior to the Enhanced Edition, when reloading a game that was saved while in shifted form, any item merges were not applied (and some items that cannot be used while shifted were removed from the quickbar). This was resolvable by re-shifting.

External links

• Zelle's Shifter Details, Version V
• Douglas Crews' Shifter FAQ (v1.15, based on game version 1.64)