Shifter

"In my youth, I had sought to process a temporary lycanthropy spell from the magic involved in the shifters. This was folly; there is nothing of the were in them. Their bodies are infused with magic, very similar to changelings. I did develop a method for reliably birthing shifters, but as of yet I haven't thought of a good use for it."   ~Archmage Dulacar

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Vulpina, Swanmay, Selkie, Dove, Mouse, Python, etc.

Masculine names

Wulf, Bear, Griffin, Eagle, Hawk, etc.

Family names

Badger, Bear, Cat, Fang, Grace, Grim, Moon, Rain, Red, Scar, Stripe, Swift, Whiskers, Wolf

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

Shifters are the only race on Kobos that the majority of its members belong to the Primal Cults

Shared customary codes and values

Shifters value their own freedom. Paradoxically, they also value loyalty and most have a strict sense of honor.

Common Dress code

Shifters prefer either loose clothes that can accommodate their abilities, clothing made from straps that can shift around when they do, or clothes that are easily discarded. When entirely amongst themselves and not expecting trouble, many shifters prefer nudity.

Art & Architecture

Many shifters have a 'spirit animal', a creature that they enjoy watching and seek to emulate. They often take up hobbies such as whittling, sculpting or painting (even if it's cave art). In these, their spirit animal is often depicted.   For architecture, they usually prefer nonpermanent homes, or circular 'winter lodges' made by digging a circle four or five feet down and twenty five feet wide or so, piling the dirt into walls just outside the hole, and laying bundles of sticks in an alternating pattern. They'll then lay more dirt (or preferably clay) overtop to prevent rain penetration. These lodges are scattered around the Northrealm and used by passing shifters as a sort of public house when the weather is bad.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Shifters celebrate the birth of a new shifter in the area by hunting large, dangerous, or valuable game and having a feast.

Coming of Age Rites

Funerary and Memorial customs

Some nomadic tribes of shifters practice endocannibalism. Funerals are usually observed with competitive games and consumption of scandalous amounts of alcohol.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Shifters are attracted to full-sensory beauty, symmetry, scent, textures, etc.

Gender Ideals

Shifters tend towards a very animalistic viewpoint for gender roles, though this only really applies to the isolated nomadic shifter clans. They adopt whatever gender ideals their parent culture has.

Courtship Ideals

Shifters have a mating season ranging from Midspring to Midsummer. This isn't as much a biological need as a tradition, though shifter males swear that females smell better in this time frame.

Relationship Ideals

Shifters ideally mate for life, with the male providing for the family and the female managing the home front. In practice, this happens about as often as it happens for humans at large.

Major organizations

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Shifter

Ability Score Increase +1 Dexterity
Size Medium
Speed 30ft.

Age. Shifters are quick to mature both physically and emotionally, reaching young adulthood at age 10. They rarely live to be more than 70 years old.   Alignment. Shifters tend toward neutrality, being more focused on survival than concepts of good and evil. A love of personal freedom can drive shifters toward chaotic alignments.   Size. Shifters range from 5 to almost 7 feet tall, depending on their subrace. Your size is Medium.   Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.   Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.   Keen Senses. You have proficiency with the Perception skill.   Shifting. As a bonus action, you can assume a more bestial appearance. This transformation lasts for 1 minute, until you die, or until you revert to your normal appearance as a bonus action. When you shift, you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point). You also gain additional benefits that depend on your shifter subrace, described below.   Once you shift, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.   Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common.   Subrace. Choose one of the following subraces, representing the beast within: beasthide, longtooth, swiftstride, or wildhunt.   Beasthide   Stoic and solid, a beasthide shifter draws strength and stamina from the beast within. Beasthide shifters are typically tied to the bear or the boar, but any creature known for its toughness could apply.   Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.   Tough. You have proficiency with the Athletics skill.   Shifting Feature. Whenever you shift, you gain 1d6 additional temporary hit points, and while shifted, you have a +1 bonus to your AC.   Longtooth   Longtooth shifters are fierce and aggressive, but they form deep bonds with their friends. Many longtooth shifters have canine traits that become more pronounced as they shift, but they might instead draw on tigers, hyenas, or other predators.   Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.   Fierce. You have proficiency with the Intimidation skill.   Shifting Feature. While shifted, you can use your elongated fangs to make an unarmed strike as a bonus action. If you hit with your fangs, you can deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.   Swiftstride   Swiftstride shifters are graceful and quick. Typically feline in nature, swiftstride shifters are often aloof and difficult to pin down physically or socially.   Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Charisma scores both increase by 1. Graceful. You have proficiency with the Acrobatics skill.   Swift Stride. Your walking speed increases by 5 feet.   Shifting Feature. While shifted, your walking speed increases by 5 feet. Additionally, you can move up to 10 feet as a reaction when an enemy ends its turn within 5 feet of you. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.   Wildhunt   Wildhunt shifters are sharp and insightful. Some are constantly alert, wary for possible threats. Others focus on their intuition, searching within. Wildhunt shifters are excellent hunters, and they also tend to become the spiritual leaders of shifter communities.   Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.   Natural Tracker. You have proficiency with the Survival skill.   Mark the Scent. As a bonus action, you can mark one creature you can see within 10 feet of you. Until the end of your next long rest, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make to find the marked creature, and you always know the location of that creature if it is within 60 feet of you. You can’t use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest.   Shifting Feature. While shifted, you have advantage on Wisdom checks

Languages. Common


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