Metamorph - shapeshifting martial class by Cleftes

# Metamorph

The captain of the city watch commands her soldiers to search the city for a reported burglar. As soon as they depart, the captain’s face transforms back into that of the burglar. She smiles to herself and leisurely begins pocketing all the valuables in the captain’s office.
 
 
A hulking figure with a patchwork of disparate body parts stands in the midst of an angry mob. Arrows deflect off his gleaming carapace, spears are caught by his grasping tentacles, and his arms stretch to keep his attackers far at bay. With a shuddering breath, he belches acid from his fanged maw over all of the crowd, and they flee in terror.

The way of the Metamorph is a weird and wild path, and no two creatures take up the practice in the same manner. Perhaps they were born with the gift, they struck a bargain with a demon, they learned the art through careful experimentation, or perhaps they simply gained the power after they found a glowing green rock in their backyard. From these unique beginnings, each Metamorph is the master of their own evolution.

You can make a metamorph quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength or Dexterity your highest ability score, depending on whether you plan to fight with brute force or precise blows. Your next-highest scores should be Constitution and Wisdom.

##### Metamorph
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Shift Points | Features |
|:---:|:---:|:---|:---:|
| 1st | +2 | 6 | Shift Points, Attack Adaptation, False Face |
| 2nd | +2 | 6 | Offhand Offense, Odd Dodge |
| 3rd | +2 | 7 | Unnatural Selection |
| 4th | +2 | 7 | Cryptic Cure, Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | 8 | Extra Attack |
| 6th | +3 | 8 | Attack Adaptation Improvement |
| 7th | +3 | 9 | Exotic Essence, Unnatural Selection feature |
| 8th | +3 | 9 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | 10 | Shifter’s Kin |
| 10th | +4 | 10 | Malleable Mind |
| 11th | +4 | 11 | Attack Adaptation Improvement, Unnatural Selection feature |
| 12th | +4 | 11 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | 12 | Attack Adaptation Improvement |
| 14th | +5 | 12 | Variable Vitality |
| 15th | +5 | 13 | Unnatural Selection feature |
| 16th | +5 | 13 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | 14 | Attack Adaptation Improvement, Shifter’s Kin Improvement |
| 18th | +6 | 14 | Unnatural Selection feature |
| 19th | +6 | 15 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | 15 | Protean Form |

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## Class Features
As a metamorph, you gain the following class features:

#### Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per metamorph level
 Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
 Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per metamorph level after 1st
 
#### Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor
 Weapons: Natural weapons, simple weapons
 Tools: None
 Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
 Skills: Choose three from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival
 
#### Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
 • two simple weapons
 • (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two javelins
 • (a) leather armor or (b) scale mail
 • (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
 
### Shapechanger
When you choose this class, the tag “shapechanger” is added to your race. You retain this tag regardless of any effect that would otherwise remove it. (This is relevant in the case of certain effects or spells, such as Polymorph.)
### Shift Points
Your ability to mold your physiology is represented by shift points. You have a pool of shift points as shown in the Shift Points column above, which are expended as you use features granted by this class. You regain all expended shift points when you finish a long rest.

Whenever you expend shift points for a feature with a limited duration, at any time during that duration, you may expend an equal amount of shift points to refresh the duration of that feature without any lapse. For example, if you’re disguised by your False Face feature, you may expend another shift point just before the hour ends to extend the disguise for another hour. You can continue to do this as long as you have shift points to expend.
### Saving Throw DC
For all metamorph features that require a saving throw, the DC is 8 + proficiency bonus + Wisdom modifier.
### Attack Adaptation
As a metamorph, your greatest weapon is your own body. If you’re not wearing heavy armor, you may use a bonus action and expend 1 shift point to grow knuckles, claws, fangs, spines, horns, or a different natural weapon of your choice.

This transformation lasts for 1 hour or until you end it as a bonus action. Your natural weapons (either obtained through this feature or any other effect) are finesse melee weapons that deal 1d6 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, as appropriate to the weapon.
### False Face
You have the ability to mold your features to an uncanny degree. As an action, you can expend 1 shift point to physically transform your appearance. You decide what you look like, including your height, weight, facial features, sound of your voice, hair, and distinguishing characteristics, if any.

You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your statistics change. You also can’t appear as a creature of a different size than you, and your basic shape stays the same; for example, if you’re bipedal, you can’t use this feature to become quadrupedal. This feature doesn’t alter or conceal your equipment.

This transformation lasts for 1 hour or until you end it as a bonus action. You can end this transformation and activate your Attack Adaptation using the same bonus action.
### Offhand Offense
Starting at level 2, you can push your body beyond natural limitations to maul your target. When you use the Attack action with a natural weapon on your turn, you can make one additional natural weapon attack as a bonus action.
### Odd Dodge
Also starting at level 2, your anatomy can contort impossibly to avoid danger. If you’re not wearing heavy armor and not wearing a shield, you may use your reaction and expend 1 shift point when you are hit by an attack or fail a Dexterity saving throw. You gain a bonus to your AC and Dexterity saving throws equal to your Wisdom modifier until the start of your next turn, including against the triggering event.

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### Unnatural Selection
At level 3, you choose to refine your personal evolution towards a singular purpose.

Choose one of the following Unnatural Selections. This choice grants features at levels 3, 7, 11, 15, and 18.
#####       • Faceless             • Monster

### Cryptic Cure
Starting at level 4, your stamina is replenished as your wounds knit together. For each hit die you expend during a short rest, you regain 1 shift point.

You can use this feature to regain a total number of shift points equal to your Wisdom modifier. You regain all expended uses of this feature when you finish a long rest.
### Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

### Attack Adaptation Improvement
Starting at 6th level, your natural weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Starting at level 11, your strikes are tipped in venom. Your natural weapons deal an extra 1d6 poison damage on a hit.

At level 13, this extra damage increases to 1d8. At level 17, this extra damage increases to 1d10.
### Exotic Essence
At level 7, your biology has become alien enough to resist earthly contagions. You are immune to disease, you have resistance to poison damage, and you have advantage on saving throws against poison.
### Shifter's Kin
Starting at level 9, you can sense others of your kind at a glance. As an action, you can expend 1 shift point to open your senses until the end of your next turn. You know the location of any shapechanger you can see within 60 feet of you. This feature does not reveal the shapechanger’s identity.

At level 17, this feature has no cost and is always active.

### Malleable Mind
At level 10, even your thought processes have become strange, forming curved lines of logic that reach conclusions via unusual paths. You have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.

Whenever you fail an Insight or Investigation check, you may expend 1 shift point to reroll the check once.

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### Variable Vitality
Starting at level 14, you can adapt to adverse conditions by a conscious effort of will. Whenever you take damage that is not bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, you may use your reaction and expend 2 shift points to gain resistance to that damage type. (This occurs after the triggering damage is taken.)

This adaptation lasts for one hour or until you use this feature again. You can only have resistance to one damage type at a time through this feature.
### Protean Form
At level 20, your ability to shapeshift is truly unlimited. As an action, you can expend 5 shift points to innately cast *Shapechange* without components. You have advantage on concentration checks to maintain this spell, and you do not need to have seen a creature before to transform into it.

While you are transformed in this way, you have access to all of your class features except for False Face. If you have the Mutated Flesh feature from the Monster subclass, your prepared mutations remain prepared and visible and can be exchanged as normal.

After you use this feature, you must complete a long rest before you use it again.

## Unnatural Selections

### Faceless
When you choose this Unnatural Selection at 3rd level, your evolution is guided more towards subterfuge than strength. You can blend into any crowd and assume any identity. With practice, your mimicry becomes strong enough to copy even the most intrinsic abilities of your targets.

#### False Face Improvement
Your False Face feature now requires no shift cost to activate and has an unlimited duration. You can now use this feature to appear as any Small or Medium creature, and you can change the appearance of your clothing and equipment.

#### Master of Lies
You gain proficiency in Deception. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any Deception check you make.

#### Adaptive Skill
You can alter your skills as easily as your skin. As an action, you can expend 1 shift point to gain proficiency in a single skill, tool, weapon, or armor for 1 minute or until you gain another proficiency through this feature.

By observing a creature speaking a language for 1 minute and expending 2 shift points, you learn that language for 1 hour or until you learn another language through this feature.

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#### Adaptive Reflexes
Starting at level 7, you can slip into your opponent’s rhythm, using each successful attack to create an opening for another. When you deal damage to a creature with an attack, you can use your reaction and expend 1 shift point to gain advantage on the next attack roll made against that creature by you or an ally of your choice.

#### Form of the Mimic
Beginning at level 11, your skill with shapeshifting allows you to assume inorganic forms. When you use your False Face feature, you can expend 2 shift points to transform into a nonmagical object of Small or Medium size.

#### Mimicked Magic
At level 15, you gain the ability to copy the use of spells by pantomiming the movements of spellcasters. When you see a spell of 7th level or lower with a casting time of 1 action, bonus action, or reaction being cast within 60 feet of you, you can use your reaction and expend 1 shift point to attempt to commit the casting to your short-term memory. Make a Perception check against a DC equal to 10 + the spell’s level. If the creature casting the spell is friendly, they can choose to make their movements and incantation clear enough that you automatically succeed on this check.

On a success, within the next 5 minutes, you can expend shift points equal to a memorized spell’s level to innately cast that spell. (Cantrips cost 1 shift point.) All spells are cast at the same level that the original caster used. This casting does not require material components, except that you must provide a material component if the casting of the spell would consume it; for example, the spell Revivify still requires the expenditure of 300gp of diamonds. After you cast a spell with this feature, you must complete a short or long rest before you use it again.

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#### The Sincerest Form of Flattery

Beginning at level 18, you bring new meaning to the term “identity theft”. By touching a humanoid (either living, or dead for less than an hour) for 1 uninterrupted minute and expending 5 shift points, you become a perfect copy of that creature until you finish a long rest, you drop to 0 HP, or you end this transformation as an action.

All your features and statistics are replaced with the target’s for the duration, with these exceptions: you retain your HP, alignment, and personality. During this transformation, you can recall the creature’s memories as if they were your own. If the creature had prepared spells, you have those spells prepared, and any spell slots the creature previously expended are expended for you too. The creature’s possessions are not duplicated by this feature.

After you use this feature, you must complete a long rest before you use it again.

### Monster

When you choose this Unnatural Selection at 3rd level, you choose to shed any semblance of normalcy. You are no longer content with mimicking nature as it is, but nature as it could be. You pick those powers that serve you well and have turned your own body into a grotesque patchwork of limbs, all for the sake of battle.

#### Attack Adaptation Improvement
Your Attack Adaptation feature now requires no shift cost to activate and has an unlimited duration.

#### Mutated Flesh
At level 3, you gain the ability to choose specific mutations that grant ongoing abilities. Whenever you finish a long rest, choose an amount of mutations equal to your proficiency bonus. These prepared mutations are active until the end of your next long rest, though they are temporarily suppressed if you are under the effects of your False Face feature. (You must meet the prerequisites for these mutations.)

Each mutation has an activation cost. You do not need to pay this activation cost when you prepare mutations at the end of a long rest; instead, as an action on your turn, you can activate an unprepared mutation by expending that many shift points and ending one of your current mutations. This activation cost is separate from the shift points that some mutations require for their use.

#### Revolting Flesh
Starting at level 7, you can expel toxic bile at will. As an action on your turn, you can expend 2 shift points to vomit acid in a 5 by 20-foot line in front of you. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d8 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Any object in that area that isn’t being worn or carried automatically fails this saving throw.

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#### Grasping Flesh
At level 11, you can spontaneously manifest tentacles to ensnare your enemies. As an action on your turn, you can expend 3 shift points to grow tentacles from anywhere your body. Each creature of your choice within 5 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be restrained.

Each restrained creature counts towards your carrying capacity if you attempt to move. At the start of your next turn, or if a restrained creature uses their action to make a Strength check against your metamorph DC and succeeds, the creature is released and those tentacles wither away.

#### Aberrant Flesh
Starting at level 15, you can briefly mutate your biology beyond any conventional anatomy, turning your body from meat to slime. As an action, you can expend 4 shift points to become an ooze for 1 minute or until you end this transformation as a bonus action. While you’re an ooze, you can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing, you become immune to the prone condition, and you gain the Engulf attack (listed below).

***Engulf.*** As an action, you move up to 5 feet in any direction into a Medium or smaller creature’s space. If you enter a creature's space this way, the creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a successful save, the creature can choose to be pushed 5 feet back or to the side of you. A creature that chooses not to be pushed suffers the consequences of a failed saving throw.

On a failed save, you enter the creature's space, and the creature takes 2d6 acid damage and is engulfed. The engulfed creature can't breathe, is restrained, has total cover, and takes 3d6 acid damage at the start of each of your turns. When you move, the engulfed creature moves with you. You can only engulf one creature at a time.

An engulfed creature can try to escape by using an action to make a Strength check against your metamorph DC. On a success, or when this transformation ends, the creature emerges and enters a space of its choice within 5 feet of you.

#### Immortal Flesh
At level 18, your eldritch organs can knit together rapidly in the heat of battle. As an action, you can expend X shift points to spend X hit dice (all at once) and regain that many hit points. (This feature does not trigger your Cryptic Cure feature, and spending hit dice in this way does not include your Constitution modifier.)

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### Monster Mutations

#### Anglerfish Lure
*Activation cost: 2*
 You grow an antenna-like appendage. You can expend 1 shift point to innately cast the Light cantrip on the tip of it. While the lure is lit, any creatures that start their turn within 20 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage when attacking creatures besides you. Once a creature passes this save, they are immune for 1 hour.
Regardless of whether a creature has passed the save or not, attacks against you have advantage while the lure is lit.

#### Chameleon Skin
*Prerequisite: 15th level* 
*Activation cost: 2* 
You can expend 3 shift points to innately cast Invisibility without components, targeting yourself.

#### Climbing Claws
*Activation cost: 1* 
You have a climb speed of 30 feet.

#### Corrosive Blood
*Prerequisite: 11th level* 
*Activation cost: 4* 
Whenever you’re hit by a melee attack that deals slashing damage or a Bite attack, the attacker takes half that amount (rounded up) of acid damage. Your Attack Adaptation now deals acid damage rather than poison.

Whenever you regain HP from a spell, potion, or hit dice, the amount you regain is reduced by 2.

#### Darkvision
*Activation cost: 2* 
You have darkvision to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, the range of your darkvision is increased by 60 feet.

#### Dragon Breath
*Prerequisite: 15th level* 
*Activation cost: 2* 
You've learned to create dragon's fire. As an action, you can expend 4 shift points to breathe fire over a 15-foot cone in front of you. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 5d6 fire damage on a failed save and half as much damage on a successful one.

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#### Eel Touch
*Activation cost: 1* 
You can expend 1 shift point to innately cast *Shocking Grasp* without components.

#### Enhanced Smell
*Prerequisite: 11th level* 
*Activation cost: 4* 
You have blindsight to a range of 30 feet. This feature is suppressed for one round if you're targeted by a smell-based effect, such as a ghoul's Stench.

#### Extra Elbows
*Prerequisite: 7th level* 
*Activation cost: 3* 
Unnatural joints are added to your limbs. Your natural weapon gains the reach property.

#### Eyes of the Couatl
*Prerequisite: 15th level* 
*Activation cost: 2* 
You have darkvision to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, the range of your darkvision is increased by 60 feet.

As a bonus action, you can expend 4 shift points to gain truesight to a range of 60 feet until the end of your next turn.

#### Fearsome Visage
*Activation cost: 2* 
You have advantage on Intimidation checks, advantage on saving throws against being frightened, and disadvantage on Persuasion checks.

As an action, you can expend 2 shift points to let out a feral howl. Each creature of your choice within 60 feet must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the start of your next turn. A creature that succeeds on this save is immune to this effect for 24 hours.

#### Fish Fins
*Activation cost: 2* 
You grow gills and elongated feet that propel you swiftly through the water, though they’re awkward to use on land. You can breathe in water and air, and you have a swim speed of 60 feet and a walking speed of 15 feet.

#### Flumph Bladder
*Prerequisite: 7th level* 
*Activation cost: 2* 
You can expend 2 shift points to innately cast *Levitate* without components, targeting yourself.

#### Gliding Wings
*Activation cost: 3* 
You grow vestigial wings with the appearance of your choice. While not strong enough to fly, they can be used to slow your fall or allow you to glide. When you fall and aren't incapacitated or restrained, you can subtract up to 100 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage, and you can move up to 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you descend.

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#### Ink Spray
*Prerequisite: 7th level* 
*Activation cost: 3* 
When you take the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge action on your turn, you can expend 2 shift points as a bonus action to spray noxious ink in the eyes of an enemy within 10 feet. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw or be blinded until the start of your next turn.

#### Leeching Strikes
*Prerequisite: 11th level* 
*Activation cost: 2* 
Whenever you deal damage with a natural weapon attack, you gain that half that amount in temporary HP. (Temporary HP doesn’t stack. If you gain temporary HP while you already have temporary HP, you retain the larger amount.)

#### Long Legs
*Activation cost: 1* 
Your walking speed is increased by 5 feet.

#### Natural Armor
*Activation cost: 3* 
Your skin is your best defense, becoming thick and leathery or developing scales over vital areas. While you aren't wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity or Constitution modifier, whichever is higher.

#### Pheromones
*Activation cost: 2* 
You can expend 1 shift point to innately cast *Friends* without components.

#### Powerful Build
*Activation cost: 3* 
You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

#### Projectile Spines
*Prerequisite: 7th level* 
*Activation cost: 2* 
When you make a natural weapon attack, you can expend 1 shift point for that attack to have the thrown property, with a range of 30/90 feet.

#### Pseudopod Limb
*Prerequisite: 11th level* 
*Activation cost: 4* 
You have an extra vestigial limb growing somewhere on your body in the form of a claw or tentacle, which can be used to hold targets. This extra limb isn't dexterous enough for precise manipulation and can't wield weapons, magic items, or other specialized equipment. You can use this limb to lift, drop, hold, push, or pull an object or creature; open or close a door or a container; grapple a target; and other simple tasks as your DM allows.

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#### Scorpion Tail
*Prerequisite: 11th level* 
*Activation cost: 4* 
A large stinger emerges from your back. As a bonus action, you can expend 1 shift point to make a special melee attack. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 piercing damage and must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 3d6 poison damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one.

#### Spider Legs
*Prerequisite: 7th level* 
*Activation cost: 3* 
You have a climb speed of 30 feet. You can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings while leaving your hands free.

#### Spinnerets
*Prerequisite: 7th level* 
*Activation cost: 3* 
As an action, you can expend 2 shift points to throw spider silk at a target within 30 feet of you. The target needs to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the target is restrained until it or an ally within 5 feet uses their action to make a Strength check to break free.

#### Supernatural Agility
*Prerequisite: 15th level* 
*Activation cost: 3* 
Your walking speed is increased by 15 feet.

#### Supernatural Flexibility
*Prerequisite: 11th level* 
*Activation cost: 2* 
You can expend 3 shift points to innately cast *Freedom of Movement* without components, targeting yourself.

#### Tentacle Arms
*Prerequisite: 7th level* 
*Activation cost: 4* 
Your limbs have morphed from hands into tentacles. When you attempt to grapple a creature, you can expend 1 shift point to gain advantage on the roll.

Whenever you have a creature grappled, that creature is also restrained until the grapple ends.

#### Wings
*Prerequisite: 15th level* 
*Activation cost: 5* 
You grow a set of functional wings in the appearance of your choice. You have a flying speed of 30 feet, and your flight is steady enough to allow you to hover in place.

#### Version 1.1
##### Homebrew by Cleftes

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## Multiclassing

To qualify to multiclass in or out of the Metamorph class, you must have a Wisdom score of 13, as well as meet the prerequisites for the other class.

When you multiclass into this class, you gain proficiency in light armor, medium armor, natural weapons, and one skill from this class's skill list.

## Art Credits

* "Shapeshifter" by Nanette55 - DeviantArt
* "Mask" by Pechan - DeviantArt
* "Afflicted Werewolf" by ThemeFinland - DeviantArt