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Shifter Class Details | Aspects | Archetypes

Aspects

Description Source: Ultimate Wilderness
A shifter draws her primary strength from an association with a specific type of animal. As a result, when a shifter uses her shifter aspect or wild shape class features, she can assume only the forms of her chosen aspects. Until reaching 5th level, a shifter has only a single aspect, but as she increases in level, she gains more control over her metamorphosis, allowing her to take on multiple aspects and even merge aspects.

All shifter aspects have a minor form and a major form. The minor form grants a shifter a few of the animal’s physical traits, while the major aspect is the form she takes on when she uses wild shape to fully transform into an animal. The list of abilities gained with the major aspect include those gained from the wild shape class feature, but the benefits gained from any resulting changes to size are not listed here (see beast shape II).

The following options represent only the most common choices used by shifters. Other aspects based on different animals certainly exist, and might grant similar powers or entirely new abilities based on the animal’s themes and nature. You can use the following aspects as guides for developing aspects of your own design, but if you wish to do so, you must secure your GM’s permission.

Description Source: Wilderness Origins
Shifters with a vermin aspect, such as dragonfly or spider, assume these major aspects with vermin shape II rather than beast shape II.

Alternate Natural Attacks

A shifter can draw on her chosen animal aspect to transform her hands into deadly weapons, as represented by the shifter’s claws class feature, but not every animal has prominent claws. The following list provides alternate natural attacks for the shifter claws class feature. Each time the shifter activates her shifter’s claws ability in her natural form, she can manifest one of the alternate natural attacks listed below for any of her chosen aspects, or those that relate to her archetype. Each alternate natural attack replaces one of the shifter’s claw attacks. The shifter can gain up to two different alternate natural attacks with this method. These alternate natural attacks modify only the damage type of the shifter’s natural attacks and otherwise function exactly as the shifter claws class feature.

Giant Wasp

Source Heroes of Golarion pg. 22
The aspect of the wasp grants flight and a venomous sting, as well as great mental resistance. A giant wasp’s alternate attack is sting (P).

Minor Form: You gain a +4 bonus on Will saves against mind-affecting affects. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.

Major Form (vermin shape II): Your shape changes to that of a giant wasp. This ability uses the vermin shape spell, rather than beast shape, for the purposes of wild shape. While in this form, you gain a fly speed of 40 feet (clumsy), and swarms and vermin do not attack you unless magically commanded to do so. At 8th level, this fly speed increases to 60 feet (average), and you gain a sting attack usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier, which applies the following poison.

Wasp Venom (Ex) Sting—injury; save Fort DC = 10 + half your shifter level + your Constitution modifier; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d3 Dex damage; cure 2 consecutive saves.

At 15th level, your fly speed increases to 80 feet (good), and you can attempt to gain control of a mindless swarm as a full-round action. To gain control of the swarm, you must succeed at a Charisma check against a DC of 10 + the swarm’s CR. You can direct the swarm to disperse, remain in a designated location, or attack an opponent. This control lasts for a number of rounds equal to half your shifter level.

Alternate Natural Attacks: Sting (P)