Shifter (Eberron)

Shifters, also known as the weretouched, are a fictional race in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game's Eberron campaign setting. They are an option Dungeons & Dragons players can choose when they make their game characters.

Publication history
The shifter first appeared in third edition as a player character race for the Eberron setting in Dragon #317 (March 2004), the Eberron Campaign Setting (2004), and Races of Eberron (2005). The shifter also appeared in the Monster Manual III (2004).

The shifter appeared in fourth edition as a player character class in Player's Handbook 2 (2009).

Description
This race is featured for their ability to act in a bestial or close to nature manner, doing such things as running on all fours, climbing trees, and fighting with bare claws or teeth. Their sense of smell is also heightened, when compared to humans, but they are suggested to have worse social manners, as a race, because they are used to living "wild," outside of the villages in which most people settle.

In terms of genetic derivation, they are commonly thought to be the result of crossbreeding between humans and lycanthropes but have become a true-breeding race.

3rd Edition
The trademark ability of the race is their ability to shift; that is, to bring their more animalistic talents to the fore, gaining some useful ability and a bonus to a single, usually physical, statistic for a short time. Most shifters can only use this ability once a day and for less than thirty seconds, but feats introduced in the Eberron Campaign Setting and Races of Eberron allow a player character to shift multiple times per day and to maintain each shift for a minute or longer.


 * Beasthide shifters can increase their natural Armor Class, making them harder to damage, while gaining a bonus to Constitution and therefore extra Hit Points, making them harder to bring down.


 * Longtooth shifters can grow fangs and gain a natural bite attack, as well as an increase in Strength.


 * Cliffwalk shifters gain a bonus to Dexterity and much improved climbing ability.


 * Razorclaw shifters gain a claw attack and an increase in their Strength score.


 * Longstride shifters become fleeter of foot and gain an increase to their Dexterity score.


 * Wildhunt shifters gain the extraordinary ability to smell as well as a predatory animal, allowing them to track by scent, as well as a bonus to Constitution. Wildhunt shifters also gain a permanent bonus to their tracking ability even when not shifted, due to their residual ability to smell well at all times.


 * Dreamsight shifters are the rarest of all. While shifting, they gain a bonus to their Wisdom as well as the ability to speak with animals in a supernatural manner.  Dreamsight shifters, like Wildhunt shifters, also have a permanent bonus to their skills, but in the case of Dreamsight shifters it is an increase in their ability to communicate with animals (reflected in the skill Handle Animal).


 * Gorebrute shifters gain a pair of horns which can thereafter be used in a natural charge attack, as well as a bonus to Strength.


 * Swiftwing shifters gain a bonus to their Dexterity scores while at the same time growing leathey flaps of skin similar to a bat's wings which allow him to fly at slightly less than walking pace.


 * Truedive shifters receive a bonus to their Constitution score, a bonus to their Swim skill, and an increase in their swimming speed while shifting. Even when not shifting, a Truedive shifter can hold their breath for amazing amounts of time.

4th Edition
The trademark ability of the race is their ability to shift; that is, to bring their more animalistic talents to the fore, gaining some useful abilities and a bonus to a single, usually physical, statistic for a short time. This ability is an encounter power under 4th Edition Rules. Currently, only two traits are given for Shifters, which were introduced in the Monster Manual I for 4th edition.


 * Longtooth shifters can grow fangs and gain a natural bite attack, as well as an increase in Strength.


 * Razorclaw shifters gain a claw attack and an increase in their Strength score.