Shifter D&D 2024: Species Optimisation Guide

Take on the heritage of lycanthropy with this animalistic species, refreshed for D&D 2024.

Born with lycanthropic ancestry, rather than being infected later in life, Shifters don’t possess the full transformations that werewolves and other lycanthropes have. Instead, they have certain animalistic attributes like fur and sharp teeth and can transform to enhance certain features ready for combat.

Because of their origins, they’re often known as “weretouched”. Unlike lycanthropes though, shifters have more control over their beastial essence with the effects being both smaller and more inherently a part of them.

Shifters were first introduced in 5e 2014 as part of the Eberron: Rising From the Last War setting book and were later refreshed as part of Monsters of the Multiverse. With Eberron character options getting an update in Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, we now have a new iteration to play with specifically for D&D 2024.

In my guide below, you can see how the Shifter has changed, what tactics you can use with them, optimal class combinations and how to play these weretouched creatures.

Is a Shifter the right species for me?

Choose a Shifter if you want to…

Be more resilient
Play a lycanthrope without being cursed
Flexible buffs

A Shifter might not be for you if…

You’re playing a druid
Are not interested in increased resilience

What’s changed?

Almost nothing. Other than some language updates, the only thing to mechanically change is the fact that Shifters can now be small in size (which makes sense as small species can also be infected with lycanthropy).

Its worth noting that unarmed strikes have changed in D&D 2024. So while the species itself hasn’t really been altered, there is an indirect buff if you take Longtooth as unarmed strikes are more powerful and flexible now.

Shifter traits

Creature Type	Humanoid
Size	Small or medium
Speed	30ft
Traits	Bestial instincts, darkvision, shifting
Resistances	None
Proficiencies	One of acrobatics, athletics, intimidation or survival
Darkvision	Yes
Innate spellcasting	None
Book found in	Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

Tactics

Shifters are primarily about their shifting ability. You’ll want to make sure when you choose the species, that you choose an option that fits your class:

Beasthide for resilience: Beasthide is great for anyone and if in doubt, this is the option to go with. More AC and temporary hit points is always great. Having said that, frontline martials are likely to benefit most from this trait as they often attract more attacks.

Longtooth for strength builds: Longtooth relies on a decent capability for unarmed strikes. As a minimum, this requires a decent strength. This means it’s best on strength classes like fighters, barbarians, paladins and rangers. You’ll also get more from it if your bonus action isn’t under heavy demand. This is more the case for fighters and barbarians than paladins and rangers.

The other thing to consider is other feats and features that might aid unarmed strikes, for example, taking the grappler feat means you can attempt a grapple when you make a Longtooth attack (though you still need a hand free).

Just be aware that despite a monk’s capabilities for unarmed fighting, that they’re a poor option for Longtooth as it relies on strength, not dexterity, and monks already get a better bonus action attack without this.

Swiftstride for speed: If you want some extra speed, say for hit and run builds, then swiftstride works well. Tactical repositioning as a reaction can be alright, but the problem is that the opponent’s turn has already ended when you can use this meaning you can’t get safely from those attacks. This leaves you trying to get safer from other enemies, but 10ft isn’t far. This might sometimes work, but not often. The other way to view it is as a way of moving out of range of melee attacks ahead of your turn to avoid opportunity attacks. This can work nicely for Spellcasters, but often they don’t need extra speed as much.

Wildhunt is also for resilience: Wisdom saving throws are common so advantage here is handy. Preventing advantage on nearby attacks is great too and will probably benefit melee builds most who might attract close range attacks more.

Choosing a class for your Shifter

Below I’ve scored how well each class works with a Shifter:

Artificer⭐⭐⭐

Barbarian ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bard ⭐⭐⭐

Cleric ⭐⭐⭐

Druid ⭐⭐

Fighter ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Monk ⭐⭐⭐

Paladin ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ranger ⭐⭐⭐

Rogue ⭐⭐⭐

Sorcerer ⭐⭐⭐

Warlock ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wizard ⭐⭐⭐

*Star ratings scored out of 5

Best classes for a Shifter

Shifters work well for pretty much any class as they have adaptable traits, but are best on frontline martial classes as they lean towards resilience and melee damage. With that in mind, your best options for a Shifter include:

But any class pretty much can be a good fit with the right shifting option.

Worst Shifter classes

There’s perhaps less synergy with Shifters for a druid due to wild shape. Because Shifter traits are combat focused, some druids may lose something in temporary hit points and enhancements if your druid is in wild shape. Mostly the crossover here is going to be a problem for moon druids as they’ll use wild shape more in combat.

I’d also be wary of classes that are highly reliant on their bonus action for other things as ideally, you’ll want to activate shifting early in combat. Monks will lose a turn of bonus action attacks, rogues may not be able to hide or disengage and barbarians will need to activate rage on their first turn of combat (but subsequent turns are more available).

About Shifters

Appearance

Shifters are humanoid in appearance, but possess animalistic features like fur, pointed ears and sharp canines. The 2014 Shifter species specified which type of lycanthrope the shifter was related to depending on the shifting trait that was taken. These were:

Beasthide: Werebear or wereboar
Swiftstride: Wererat or weretiger
Longtooth: Werewolf (wolflike)
Wildhunt: Werewolf (doglike)

Your lycanthropic ancestry would then affect your appearance.

When Shifters do transform, this is not a full transformation like for a lycanthrope. Instead, just certain features transform. Claws and teeth may become longer and sharper, skin may become hardened and so on.

While the official description states that Shifters look like Humans with animalistic features, they can actually have ancestry of pretty much any species (hence why they’re sometimes small). This means that you could have Elven, Halfling or Dwarven features or all sorts of other influences on your appearance.

Personality

Unlike lycanthropes, Shifters do not succumb to an irrepressible bloodlust. But they may still be influenced by these animalistic aspects in their ancestry and you can use this as you shape their personality. Realistically, Shifters have as varied personalities and temperaments as Humans.

How to roleplay a Shifter

I’d lean into your animalistic trait and consider how this might influence your behaviour. Perhaps you’re especially alert to danger, maybe you sense with your smell more than most humanoids or perhaps you move in an animalistic way, maybe crouching for a pounce or with skittish head movements when you sense danger.

Whatever it is, keep it something small and flavourful rather than something that overrides the personality of your character. Shifters are not beasts and the influence is not so heavy that they fail to act intelligently like other playable species.