Shifter race from Eberron campaign setting.

Shifters

Shifters, sometimes called "the weretouched", are descended fom humans and natural lycantropes, now nearly extinct on Khorvaire. Shifters cannot fully change shape but can take on animalistic features - a state they call shifting. Shifters have evolved into a unique race that breeds true. They have a distinct culture with its own traditions and identity.

Personality: The personality and behavior of shifters are influenced by their animal natures. any are boorish and crude, while others are quiet, shifty and solitaary. Just as most lycantropes are carnivores, shifters have a predatory personality and think of most activities in terms of hunting and prey. They view survival as a challenge, striving to be self reliant, adaptable and resourceful.

Physical Description: Shifters are basically humanoid in shape, but their bodies are exceptionally lithe. They often move iin a crouched posture, springing and leaping while their companions walk normally alongside. Their faces have a bestial cast, with wide, flat noses, large eyes, and heavy eyebrows, pointed ears, and long sideburns (in both sexes). Their forearms and lower legs grow long hair, and the hair on their heads is thick and worn long.

Relations: Many races feel unconfortable around shifters, the same way they feel around any large predators. Of course, some grow to appreciate individual shifters despite their natural aversion, and halflings in general get along well with them. For their part, shifters are accustomed to distrust and don;t expect better treatment from members of other races, although some shifters try to respect and companionship through acts and deeds.

Alignment: Shifters are usually neutral, viewing the struggle to survive as more important than moral or ethical concerns about how to survival is maintained.

Shifter Lands: Shifters have no land of their own. Being descended from human stock, they live in human lands. Unlike changelings, however, shifters often live in rural areas away from the crowded spaces of the cities. They are most commonly encountered in the Eldeen Reaches and other remote areas that can be found in all the nations. Many shifters earn their way as trappers, hunters, fishers, trackers, guides and military scouts.

Dragonmarks: The fact that none of the dragonmarked houses includes shifters cements thir place outside the mainstream of society.

Religion: Most shifters incline toward the druid-based religion of the Eldeen Reaches, believing in the divine power of earth itself, the elements and the creatures of the earth. Tose shifters who revere the pantheon of the Sovereign Host are drawn toward the deities Balinor and Boldrei, while others follow the Traveller. Shifters rarely worship the Silver Flame.

Languages: Shifters speak Common and rarely learn other languages.

Names: Shifters use the same names as humans, often ones that sound rustic to city-dwellers.

Adventures: Moving from the rugged, self-reliant life of a shifter trapper or hunter to an adventuring life is not a big step. Many shifters find themselves embarking on adventuring careers after something happens to disrupt their everyday routines - a monstrous incursion into their village or forest, for example, ar a guide job gone sour.
SHIFTER RACIAL TRAITS

    Shapechanger Subtype: Shifters are humanoid with the shapechanger subtype.
    +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Shifters are lithe and agile, but their fundamental bestial nature detracts from both their reasoning ability and social interaction.
    Medium: As Medium creatures, shifters have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
    Shifter base land speed is 30 feet.
    Shifting (Su): A shifter can tap into their ycantropic heritage to gain short bursts of phusical power. Once per day, shifter can enter a state that is similar to a barbarian's rage. Each shifter has one of their six shifter traits - characteristics that manifest themselves when a character is shifting. Each shifter trait provides a +2 bonus toone of the character's physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity or Constitution) and grants some other advantage as well. Shifter traits are described in the following section.
    Shifting is a free action and lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the shifter's Con modifier (If a shifter  trait increases the character's Con modifier, use a newly improved modifier). A shifter can take feats to improve this ability. These shifter feats are described in Chapter 3: Heroic Characteristics.
    Every shifter feat a character takes increases the duration of shifting by 1 round. For every two shifter feats a character takes, the number of times per day he can tap into the ability increases by one. So, a character with two shifter feats can shift two times per day (instead of usual one) and each use of the ability lasts for a number of rounds equal to 5 (instead of 3) + shifter's CON modifier.
    Shifting, though related to and developed from lycanthropy, is neither an afflication nor a curse. It is not passed on by bite or claw attaks, and a shifter can't be cured - shifting is a natural ability for the race.
    Low-Light Vision: Shifters can see twice as far as human in starlight, moonlight, torchligh and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
    +2 racial bonus on Balance, Climb and Jump checks: A shifter's animalistic heritage enhances many of her physical skills.
    Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Elven, Gnome, Halfling and Sylvan.
    Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass shifter's ranger class does not count when determining wheter he takes an experience point penalty for multicalssing.

Shifter Traits

Each shifter has one of the following special traits, which is selected when a character is created and cannot be changed thereafter.

Beasthide (Su): While shifting, a beasthide shifter gains a +2 bonus to Constitution and a natural armor that provides a +2 bonus to AC.

Longtooth (Su): While shifting, a longtooth shifter gains a +2 bonus to Strength and grows fangs that can be used as a natural weapon, dealing 1d6 damage (+1 additional point for every four character levels he has) with a successful bite attack. He cannot attack more than once per round with his bite, even if his base attack bonus is high enough to give him multiple attacks. He can use his bite as secondary attack (taking a -5 penalty on his attack roll) while wielding a weapon.

Cliffwalk (Su): While shifting, a cliffwalk shifter gains a +2 bonus to Dexterity and has a climb speed of 20 feet.

Razorclaw (Su): While shifting, a razorclaw shifter gains a +2 bonus to Strangth and grows calws that can be used as natural weapons that deal 1d4 damage (+1  additionall point for every four character levels he has) with each successful attack. He can attack with one claw as a standard action, or with two claws as a full attack action (as a primary natural weapon). He cannot attack more than once per round with a single claw, ven if his base attack bonus is high enough to give him multiple attacks. He can attack with a claw as a secondary attack while wielding a weapon in his primary hand, but takes -2 penalty to all his attacks in that round.

Longstride (Su): While shifting, a longstide shifter gains a +2 bonus to Dexterity and a bonus +10 feet to his land speed.

Wildhunt (Su): While shifting, a wildhunt shifter gains a +2 bonus to Constitution and the scent ability. This ability allows the shifter to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes and track by sense of smell. A wildhunt shifter can indentify familiar odors just as human identifies familiar sights.

A wildhunt shifter can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range. These stronger scents can block other scents, so they can sometimes be used to confuse or hamper this shifter trait.

When a wildhunt shifter detects a scent, the exact location of the source isn't revealed - only its presence somewhere in the range. The shifter can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. Whenever the shifter comes within 5 feet of the source, he pinpoints the source location.

While shifting, a wildhunt shifter who has the Track feat can follow tracks by smell, making Survival checks to find or follow trail. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (regardless of the surface that holds the scent). This DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry's odor is, the number of creatures producing the odor, and the age of trail. For each hour that the trail grows ols, the DC increases by 2. This ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Shifters tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.

When not shifting, a wildhunt shifter gains a +2 bonus on Survival checks, due to the lingering effects of the scent ability.