In fairness, specific shapeshift forms are accepted as very strong in BG. The avenger's spider form, polymorph self's mustard jelly, and shapechange's mind flayer and iron golem forms are all frequently mentioned in a powergaming context. The shapeshifter just doesn't get the ones people generally like.
@subtledoctor Some forms could give thief abilitites, kinda like familiars get stealth, pickpockets etc. That way you could perhaps try to simulate the way shapeshifting might work in PnP (which I know nothing of though) in the only way it can be done in BG, by making your shapeshifter being able to solo the game.
So some kind of shapeshift could gain trap finding (cats maybe?), another could get pickpocketing (dunno what), a third would get set trap (maybe a spider to simulate setting a snare or something like that), a fourth could get detect illusion, etc. That would make each shapeshift situational, like the wyvern's ability to 'fly' over web and entangle. A dog shapeshift could get detect evil (dogs are said to be able to sense that, hehe), a golem could get 'berzerk' or chaotic command to simulate the lack of "brain", etc.
@subtledoctor, I would definitely agree with @Skatan in giving other forms some thief abilities, although I would be careful not to tread on the thief's toes too heavily. Abilities like detect illusions (on a bat, say), stealth (anything small/stealthy, really), and set traps (spiders) work well. Abilities like find/remove traps, pickpocket, and debatably open lock are more questionable, because those are abilities that are otherwise completely and totally unique to the thief (or rogues more generally, for pickpocket).
It would also be interesting to try and simulate the tactical advantages of flying creatures by giving flying creatures bonus move speed and AC vs. melee attacks in addition to web/entangle immunity. I also wonder if you could implement something like the ankheg's burrowing, which would allow a shapeshifted druid to retreat into the ground/air to avoid attacks?
I also wonder if you could implement something like the ankheg's burrowing, which would allow a shapeshifted druid to retreat into the ground/air to avoid attacks?
I don't think it's possible to actually give thief abilities - shapeshifting cannot change the basic abilities bar unless it performs a class-change script... and I don't want to go near that, I have no idea what the unintended consequences would be.
Instead of lockpicking, add Knock spell. Instead of traps add the divine trap finding spell. There's no disamr trap equivalent, but then you can shapechange to some form to absorb the trap instead of disarming it.
Any other thoughts? Think in terms of existing spells in the games. Which spells could make good utility abilities or passive bonuses, without being game-breaking?
A howler monkey with chant/horror/vocalise? A puppy with charm and friends? Or any enchantment/illusion spell really. If an adorable puppy says it's invisible, even a mind flayer wouldn't be heartless enough to disagree
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So some kind of shapeshift could gain trap finding (cats maybe?), another could get pickpocketing (dunno what), a third would get set trap (maybe a spider to simulate setting a snare or something like that), a fourth could get detect illusion, etc. That would make each shapeshift situational, like the wyvern's ability to 'fly' over web and entangle. A dog shapeshift could get detect evil (dogs are said to be able to sense that, hehe), a golem could get 'berzerk' or chaotic command to simulate the lack of "brain", etc.
It would also be interesting to try and simulate the tactical advantages of flying creatures by giving flying creatures bonus move speed and AC vs. melee attacks in addition to web/entangle immunity. I also wonder if you could implement something like the ankheg's burrowing, which would allow a shapeshifted druid to retreat into the ground/air to avoid attacks?
A puppy with charm and friends? Or any enchantment/illusion spell really. If an adorable puppy says it's invisible, even a mind flayer wouldn't be heartless enough to disagree