U47 Preview 2: New Iconic Race: Razorclaw Shifter

[Cocomajobo]

Description
Razorclaw Shifter is an Eberron Iconic (starting in Sharn) that represents a third Subrace of Shifter, one focused on attacking things with claws. They get a unique set of attack animations when using Handwraps. This animation set is timed similar to Monk Handwrap animations.

• Starts with 1 level of: Barbarian
• Stats: +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence
• Autogranted Feat: Dismiss Rage
• Autogranted Feat: Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Handwraps
• Autogranted Feat: Razorclaw Shifter: Passive: +1 STR. Active: Activate this Shifter ability to shift your form, granting you a +4 Rage bonus to Strength and Dexterity, a +2 Morale bonus to Fortitude saves, and a -2 penalty to Wisdom. When the form ends, however, you will become fatigued. Your form will last for 30 seconds plus an additional amount of time based on your Strength. You can prematurely end your form by using the Dismiss Rage feat. This shares charges with Barbarian's Rage feat, and anything that grants bonuses while Raging will grant bonuses with this. Shifting your form in this way prevents Spellcasting.
• Past Life: Not featured in this preview.

How to Access
You can access the Razorclaw Shifter Iconic Eberron Race on the Preview server by speaking to Lord Poincelot in the center of the Test Dojo and then purchasing it in the Lamannia DDO Store. Note: Clicking get now on the Iconic Race selection screen will not find Razorclaw Shifters in the store, however, clicking Get Now on the final screen of character creation will. Alternatively, if you search the store manually you can find the Razorclaw Shifter Iconic Race.

Enhancements

• Cores
  
  1. Extra Shifting +1 Rage uses per rest. (You expend Rage uses to activate your Shifting).
  2. Ability Score Multiselector
     
     • Constitution +1 Constitution
     • Dexterity +1 Dexterity
     • Strength +1 Strength
     • Wisdom +1 Wisdom
  3. Extra Shifting +2 Rage uses per rest.
  4. Ability Score Multiselector
     
     • Constitution +1 Constitution
     • Dexterity +1 Dexterity
     • Strength +1 Strength
     • Wisdom +1 Wisdom
  5. Regenerating Shift You Regenerate 1 Rage use every 90 seconds.
• Tier 1
  
  • Hone Claws +1/2/3 to Attack with Handwraps
  • Hunt & Track +1/2/3 Spot, Listen, and Intimidate
  • Extend Shifting Your Shifting and Barbarian rages last 25/50/75% longer.
  • Hardy Shifting +1/2/3 Constitution while Shifting or Raging.
• Tier 2
  
  • Piercing Claws While Raging with Handwraps, you bypass Piercing DR.
  • Natural Armor +2/4/6 to Natural Armor
  • Howl Nearby Allies gain +2 to Attack per 5 Character Levels you have for 20 seconds. You can use this once per Rest.
  • Extra Howling +1/2/3 use of Howl per rest
  • Magic Fang Spell Like Ability. Spell Points: 10/8/5. Cooldown: 20/15/10 Seconds. Increases the Enhancement Bonus of the target's natural weapon by 1, plus 1 per five caster levels. An item can have only one temporary item enchantment at a time. Only works on players, hirelings, or pets, and only if they are Animals, Vermin, Magical Beasts, Dragons, or Fey. Equipping a new weapon cancels the effect.
• Tier 3
  
  • Pounce Cooldown: 18 Seconds. Rush forward, dealing +2/4/6W to targets near you when you land. Rank 2: +1 Critical Threat Range with this attack. Rank 3: +1 Critical Multiplier with this attack.
  • Augment Summoning Grants the Augment Summoning feat: Your summoned creatures, charmed minions, pets, and hirelings have +4 to all ability scores, increased health, and increased fortification.
  • Stronger Howl When you Howl, nearby enemies take -2 to Armor Class per 5 Character Levels you have for 20 seconds.
  • Favored Enemy Feat Multiselector
    
    • Animal
    • Fey
    • Magical Beast
    • Plant
    • Reptilian
    • Vermin
• Tier 4
  
  • Destructive Shifting While Shifting, you gain Improved Destruction and trip enemies for 2 seconds on a Vorpal hit. Your Razorclaw Shifting now Uncenters you.
  • True Hunter You gain Freedom of Movement, +2 to Saves vs. Enchantments and Illusions, immunity to Petrification, and +10 to Spot.
  • Howl of Terror Spell Like Ability. Spell Points: 45/40/30. Cooldown: 20/15/10 Seconds. You utter a terrifying howl, filling your foes with a paralyzing fear. Foes around you are paralyzed for 6 to 24 seconds. Will save negates.

Currently Known Bugs

• Neither male nor female shifters have had an animation polish past yet. There are numerous small animation issues. Let us know what you find, though, as a list of individual issues is helpful.
• Character Generation text is all currently placeholder (copied from Tiefling Scoundrel)
• Clicking get now on the Iconic Race selection screen will not find Razorclaw Shifters in the store, however, clicking Get Now on the final screen of character creation will. Alternatively, if you search the store manually you can find the Razorclaw Shifter Iconic Race.
• Razorclaw Shifters don't currently have their iconic cosmetic armor.
• Shifters don't yet correctly count as Humanoid Animals and so certain effects that only apply to humanoids will not apply to them in this preview. (Such as Hold Person)
• Stronger Howl currently is the Beasthide version in this tree and thus can not be taken at all.

[Cocomajobo]

Post Reserved for changes mid preview

[droid327]

The Uncenter is interesting...Do you really think there will be a big issue with people burning a heart and an alignment change just to add trip-on-vorp to their monks? Why would you want to penalize shifters from running in gmof? Shouldn't rage effects uncenter you anyway, for that matter?

[Steelstar]

Shouldn't rage effects uncenter you anyway, for that matter?

They don't, and never have. A few specific things specifically say they Uncenter you (such as Orcish Rage), but Barbarian rage, among others, doesn't.

[SpartanKiller13]

Pounce Cooldown: 18 Seconds. Rush forward, dealing +2/4/6W to targets near you when you land. Rank 2: +1 Critical Threat Range with this attack. Rank 3: +1 Critical Multiplier with this attack.

Super great! I'm so down for more movement abilities

Augment Summoning Grants the Augment Summoning feat: Your summoned creatures, charmed minions, pets, and hirelings have +4 to all ability scores, increased health, and increased fortification.

Do Barbarians get Summons somewhere I missed? This feels really out of place.

Howl Nearby Allies gain +2 to Attack per 5 Character Levels you have for 20 seconds. You can use this once per Rest.
Stronger Howl When you Howl, nearby enemies take -2 to Armor Class per 5 Character Levels you have for 20 seconds.

This is IMO more like what a Howl should do; +12 to attack and -12 AC as a party buff is pretty solidly worth using for endgame content where that's roughly equal to another hit/20.

Destructive Shifting While Shifting, you gain Improved Destruction and trip enemies for 2 seconds on a Vorpal hit. Your Razorclaw Shifting now Uncenters you.

This looks really nice, a little bit of extra CC

Howl of Terror Spell Like Ability. Spell Points: 45/40/30. Cooldown: 20/15/10 Seconds. You utter a terrifying howl, filling your foes with a paralyzing fear. Foes around you are paralyzed for 6 to 24 seconds. Will save negates.

What stat is the DC based on, is the DC boosted by Enchantment gear, and does it cast as an 8th level spell? Could be pretty cool to build around. If it's Charisma, could go pretty well with the new Illusionist tree.

You can't use this while raged though, can you? Slightly awkward lol.

------

I'd buy this

[Logicman69]

The Uncenter is interesting...Do you really think there will be a big issue with people burning a heart and an alignment change just to add trip-on-vorp to their monks? Why would you want to penalize shifters from running in gmof? Shouldn't rage effects uncenter you anyway, for that matter?

I was thinking the same thing. Shouldn't that work in reverse? Shifting uncenters you in general UNTILL you take this, and then you stay centered while shifting? Not sure why anyone would take this otherwise.

[thedip]

What is the synergy between drood bear and shifter? Do you change from bear to shifter form to get the rage?

[Noircere]

The Uncenter is interesting...Do you really think there will be a big issue with people burning a heart and an alignment change just to add trip-on-vorp to their monks?

Yes, absolutely. As a monk main, I burn a tier 3 twist of fate slot on Balanced Attacks, which is the same on-vorpal trip effect. Getting that early in heroics, or just getting a free tier 3 twist slot is pretty big. I legitimately don't know if it would work out better than Aasimar for monks. While I do think monks have been rendered underpowered in levels 1-25 or so by the recent buffs to Sorcs and Two-Handed Fighting, and the addition of Alchemists, I'm still glad I won't be tempted to try and roll a 20 Monk Razorclaw, because using +1 hearts to make a build work just sucks.

To SSG: Thanks for adding that uncenter effect where you did. It's in the perfect place.

[droid327]

Getting that early in heroics...

Iconics dont usually play early in Heroics

[SerPounce]

I guess I have to try it, but a slightly faster attack animation and DR piercing doesn't seem like close to enough to making handwraps attractive for a non-monk. .Am I missing something?

[Tentaki]

I guess I have to try it, but a slightly faster attack animation and DR piercing doesn't seem like close to enough to making handwraps attractive for a non-monk. .Am I missing something?

The big question is if you have to be centered to use the new handwraps attack animation. If no, then using handwraps in light/medium/heavy armor (and using it with classes that are non-lawful) becomes... an interesting idea.

[Khurse]

Supreme Cleave and Tantrum seem to be *really* slow with Handwraps equipped. Might just be me

Also going to ask about the "Barbarian Iconic with Racial AP's for Summons"
Wouldn't it make more sense to add a damage die like Monks do?

It's an interesting idea, but I think it's going to end up a long way behind Handwrap monk for DPS..

YEah super quick (and unscientific) DPS tests seem to be way in favor of a newly created Monk with the Tharak Wraps vs Shifter barb with same wraps.

Monks get a bunch of abilities and enhancements to increase HW damage, Razorfists seem to get a few points to hit.
Not sure if you can make something that won't create issues if someone makes a Razorfist monk, but.. think it needs a bit.

[Steelstar]

The big question is if you have to be centered to use the new handwraps attack animation. If no, then using handwraps in light/medium/heavy armor (and using it with classes that are non-lawful) becomes... an interesting idea.

No, you do not have to be centered to use the Razorclaw Shifter's new Handwraps attack animation.

You can use this style if you meet the following criteria:

• You are a Razorclaw Shifter
• You have Handwraps equipped
• You are not Centered with Monk levels (this would put you on Monk animations)
• You are not Centered with Grandmaster of Flowers as your active Destiny (same)

[Stravix]

The big question is if you have to be centered to use the new handwraps attack animation. If no, then using handwraps in light/medium/heavy armor (and using it with classes that are non-lawful) becomes... an interesting idea.

Well considering this race is locked into 1 barb level, non-lawful is kinda a given.

[Noircere]

Tree looks solid. Magic fang +2 to +7 enhancement bonus is actually better than Deadly Weapons for some weapon types just on the damage part. Pounce sounds lit. Love movement options. I'd be tempted to run one of these as a two-handed fighting barbarian, just for Pounce and Magic Fang.

I foresee two main ways to play this. One, ignore handwraps, use two-handed fighting, which will be fine. Should make a highly-mobile heavy melee. Two, try to make handwraps work, but two-weapon fighting's 20% doublestrike per tier just can't compete with 30/60% strikethrough and 50/100% ability mod to damage per tier. I do foresee this tree being workable like this, but probably worse than any flavor of two-handed barbarian.

I think the intended handwraps barbarian usage will be pretty good DPS, for a two-weapon build. Magic Fang is no joke. I think it could stand to have 1+ hit and damage to handwraps on that first-tier enhancement.

Edit: removed discussion of Stunning Fist; alignment restrictions.

What does the intended build use to stay alive since it doesn't have strong AoE? Just standard Barbarian defenses?

[HungarianRhapsody]

Well considering this race is locked into 1 barb level, non-lawful is kinda a given.

a pair of lesser reincarnations can fix that.

[Stravix]

a pair of lesser reincarnations can fix that.

True, but you would expect the fighting style of an Iconic to work without having to spend multiple lesser hearts on it.

[droid327]

I guess I have to try it, but a slightly faster attack animation and DR piercing doesn't seem like close to enough to making handwraps attractive for a non-monk. .Am I missing something?

Just that its a TWF-oriented class in a game where TWF is currently way behind

Now, if their T4 Racial had a Dance of Death equivalent...boy howdy

Even if it was like 5s uptime/10s CD, to make it a little inferior to actual DoD. You cant mix Tempest with Handwraps anyway so you should be able to have both coexist.

[Noircere]

Just that its a TWF-oriented class in a game where TWF is currently way behind

Now, if their T4 Racial had a Dance of Death equivalent...boy howdy

Even if it was like 5s uptime/10s CD, to make it a little inferior to actual DoD. You cant mix Tempest with Handwraps anyway so you should be able to have both coexist.

This would make monks OP again. Imagine 4-target Jade, or 4-target Quivering Palm (instakill).

[Khurse]

This would make monks OP again. Imagine 4-target Jade, or 4-target Quivering Palm (instakill).

You could code it so you have to be wearing medium armor and using handwraps