Mixed forms… (Note: No differentiation is made between offense major, defense minor and visa-versa.. the same forms would be gained for either.)

Gained after reaching hero, with shapeshift skill perfected, and full knowledge of both major forms.

These forms should be very hard to perfect, about 5-10 times as long as the normal major forms. In addition, until they are perfected, they should have the possibility of 'losing focus on the form' and reverting. Perhaps rather than making it just longer to master, make the timer count only when you're in a fight with a PC.


Defense-Water
Gargantuan Lobster (Damage reduction nearly as good as an armadillo, but has a special pincer attack that hits for demo’s and 2 moderate attacks a round, swimto)

Defense-Air
Hummingbird (Dodges and distracts like a mongoose, with flyto like a falcon. Very weak attack. )

Defense-Utility
Giant Snail (Armadillo like damage reduction, can breath underwater. Has special slime attack that makes it hard for people to move, they lose mvs rapidly. Can retract itself into its shell and be impervious to attacks.)

Defense-Offense
Elephant (Damage reduction like a turtle, damage similar to a slightly weakened ram)

Water-Air
Dire Penguin (Moves so fast underwater, that they cannot be fled away from. Similar to a falcon in the air. Fights like slightly stronger sea snake.)

Water-Utility
Dolphin (Weak attack, moderate dodging ability, special ramto attack that does a swimto and special attack on a target which will either knock them out or initiate combat)

Water-Offense
Giant Octopus (Little defense, but 8 strong beating attacks a round.)

Air-Utility
Vulture (Smells blood of damaged people in PK range if they are in the area below. Can pick up whole corpses, or eat them. Fights like a hawk, flies like an albatross.)

Air-Offense
Griffin (Fights just like a weaken lion, but has all the flight abilities of a hawk.)

Utility-Offense
Giant Spider (Can set a web that acts like a rangers snare. Can hide in most places.)

Those that choose to focus on only one field gain a more powerful special form in their field.

Defense-Defense
Will-o-wisp (Dodges like a mongoose, can distract, opponents cannot re-direct away or flee from the will-o-wisp unless they save vs. charm., no attacks)

Kimono Dragon (Strong damage reduction and crawl ability similar to armadillo, heals faster than normal similar to the crocodile. One weak attack per round, but a special ‘swipe’ attack that may blind the opponent for a few hours).

Water-Water
Sea Dragon (Dodges a little better than a sea snake, damage reduction like a sea-turtle, can hide in the water, and has a bite like a shark. The most powerful non-quest form in the game.)

Whale (Damage reduction like an armadillo, massive boost to HP when shifted. No normal attacks a round, but two special attacks. ‘Ram’, heavy damage on par with an ambush or backstab and ‘Swallow’ which eats a person and holds them in the belly of the whale until its ready to spit them out. People swallowed can hurt the whale by using area spells or abilities while inside. The whale must ‘spitout’ everyone inside before reverting or it will die.)

Air-Air
Pterodactyl (Fights like an eagle with some damage reduction. Fast as a falcon, and can flyto in the air. Has a special, powerful buffet attack it can use while in the air fighting other air-forms.)

Shadow Hawk (A bird native to thera) (Falcon level of fighting, but with flyto in the air, and fastest of all birds. Can hide in the air, and has the dive ability which lets it flyto and initiate an attack from the air)

Utility-Utility
Mosquito (Too small to be seen, treated similar to duo, flying, but can be hit by area attacks which do massive damage and cause the mosquito to revert. Can bite people and distribute illnesses. If the mosquito bites a person, it carries with it all the illnesses from those whom it has bitten before. Each person bit has a chance of catching each of those illnesses, plagues, or crimson scourges. If the mosquito bites an awake person, there is a chance of the person slapping them, and causing them to fall unconscious to the ground and reverting. A sleeping victim is helpless.)

Black Widow (Makes strong webs, bad poisonous bite. When a web has been made in the room, it can hide in the web)

Offense-Offense
Wooly Mamoth (Fights like a ram, but has a special charge attack. The charge attack acts like a buffet, in that it hits fairly hard and may knock the victim out of the room and stun them).

Sabertooth Tiger (Fights like a lion hitting slightly harder, pounces more often than a normal tiger, has a mean bite special attack )

Most if not all of these sound better than existing quest forms. More maladictions for forms is what is needed. A rams headbutt should boneshatter. A great whites bite, should cause bleeding. Hamstringing already exists for panthers, just expand on them. Maladicting is what makes warriors destroy shifters (most of the time) Entwine with your tail, for a lemur...thats pushing it.

The problem with current forms is that a shifter is limited in becoming more powerful. A warrior can obtain rare weapons/preps/extra legacies/special swords, and completely tool someone. Necromancer can strive for Liches and other undead. Paladins with more virtues to strive for become pretty damn tough. Most current shifter forms need ABS at all times to even be able to stand toe to toe agaisnt Villagers, skilled paladins, prep-using warriors, and even some healers. Ive played the so called most powerful forms, and you cant stand on your own without overprepping for each fight agaisnt common characters.

The ability to mind speak would be awesome though. WHen someone sends you a tell its not like you are talking outloud but projecting your thoughts across space...whatever. SHifters in form should gain this ability too. Maybe with a bit of esays like 'Ram snorts to the group, Me need rest!' Mongoose squeeks out a 'Greetings to you'

I think that would make it pretty fun, and I cant see it disrupting game balance.

Not everyone plays shifters to be PK machines anyhow. I would rather play a roleplay oriented shifter that can hold his own in a fight if need be, but has earned some neat form that makes him unique, instead of kill everyone you fight, wolverine or something. Even the little perk of having a SIlver falcon or a Albino Lion, just kinda is cool.

All of those forms really look overpowered. Not to mention the ain problem with shifters are they are frigging boring. Let's see should I bite in this fight or shift to my other form and bite. Every class has been made stronger over the past few years, but shifters have grown weaker and haven't really gained any new skills. What I would like to see done is give more skills to forms as you become more confident in the form.

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but honestly, I'd rather have all forms be useful for fighting at all ranks via useful skills. Shifters are even more boring tactically than hero rangers IMHO and coupled with no talking in form are by a wide margin the most boring to play class. Anything to spice up their lives would tickle me most pleasurably.