>Okay. Except you said "the only viable kind of combo for almost
>any kind of PK is offense/air". Lots of classes can't maledict
>strength, which seems to suggest utility forms are viable for
>killing those classes.

Of all the classes, I can't think but of a handful (healer, conjurer, most thieves) that wouldn't be able to bust out enough maledicting attacks to tame a non-offense form, which on the other hand should be more than able to just avoid or run away from them as non-offense non-air shifters lack the brutal damage and the superior chasing ability.

>This would require a massive re-balancing of the class, since
>one of its strengths has always been that shifters only
>need to gear for HP. If you want hit, dam and stats to carry
>over into form then you should be prepared for forms' innate
>hit/dam to drop dramatically.

Which would still be better than being forced to suffer the rigidness of having exactly -20 saves and the exact 18 str to use, IMHO. It's more a dramatic limit than a strength in my view.

>Indulge my literalness. You said "no amount of hp and dam
>redux is going to let you win that fight unless the warrior is
>a confused newbie." Apparently that isn't the case.
>Orangutan isn't even really a requirement; it could just as
>easily be wildcat, hyena, or possible even eagle or osprey.
>
>Personally, I think the extent to which maledictions affects
>shifters really does disadvantage the class against a
>multitude of other classes. But they're not quite as impotent
>as you make it seem.

I admit that my view on this may be skewed, as I tend to fight rager warriors most of the time whose damage reduction etc. really tilts the fight to their advantage, and my complete inability to find any kind of barrier wands anywhere makes it hard to just try to tough them out. Or it could just be that I just suck, too, but I'm not sure what else I could do than try to spam bite faster or go hang out on IRC to get some barrier rods

I just see shifters as the red-headed stepchildren of CF, whom everyone has a fun time beating on, and they really could use some loving after all the toning down they've gotten.