Shapeshifter

Version 0.33: This article is up to date for the latest stable release of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.

For the monster, see shapeshifter (monster).

Shapeshifters use talismans to shift their body into different forms, granting them uncanny power but making them unable to use some items. They enter the dungeon with a beast talisman and a potion of lignification.

Shapeshifters are wanderers who specialise in Shapeshifting, using talismans to shift their physical form.

Preferred Species

Naga, Merfolk, Draconian, Troll, Demonspawn, and Demigod are the recommended species if you pick a Shapeshifter Background.

Racial restrictions

Poltergeists and Revenants are forbidden from becoming Shapeshifters, as they cannot use talismans to transform themselves.

Starting Equipment

Some species may receive different items based on their unique restrictions.

• +0 animal skin
• Potion of lignification
• Quill talisman
• Protean talisman
• 3 flux baubles

Shapeshifters start the game in Quill Form.

Starting Skills and Stats

These are adjusted by your species' aptitudes.

• Fighting: 2
• Unarmed Combat: 3
• Dodging: 2
• Shapeshifting: 3

Choosing Shapeshifter adds 6 to your starting Strength, 2 to your starting Intelligence, and 4 to your starting Dexterity.

Strategy

Quill Form is a very balanced form — it doesn't put restrictions on weapon use and helps a decent amount against melee enemies, which comprise the brunt of early game threats). Flux baubles can be a lifesaver against early dangerous encounters, such as with threatening uniques or bands of enemies; and will last for multiple encounters afterwards (or until you use the ability End Transformation), allowing you to mostly steamroll early floors after a single use.

Strategy may diverge significantly after you're able to stabilize your protean talisman by reaching Shapeshifting 6: Yak Form and Scarab Form give incentives to learn Ice or Fire Magic, respectively, meld all weapons and armour, and enable new tactical options; while Medusa Form and Maw Form are less polarizing and easier to pilot as conventional melee characters, though not without their upsides. Skill investment is heavily influenced by what the protean talisman has the potential to give you, what it actually becomes once you level your Shapeshifting, and what other talismans (if any) you've found in the Dungeon.

Skill investment

In the early game, players have to decide whether to invest skill points into Unarmed, a weapon skill, or Shapeshifting itself.

• Unarmed: Shapeshifters start with 3 Unarmed Skill, making UC better than plain daggers, spears, and other simple weapons. While you are limited to Quill Form, UC has a stronger immediate benefit than Shapeshifting.
• Weapons: Weapons of a strong brand, such as short swords and whips of either venom or electrocution, are very strong early, generally better than unarmed. The lower investment weapons can be switched to (at least for the early game), and if a good enough weapon for the medium term is found, it may be worth investing in.
• Shapeshifting: Quill Form has relatively poor skill scaling, so the skill is not the best in the early game. After you can comfortably fight, it can be good to train the skill 'all at once' to level 5-6, in order to access flux baubbles and reveal the protean talisman.

History

• Prior to 0.33, Shapeshifters started in Beast Form, had the flux talisman instead of a stack of flux baubles, did not have the protean talisman, and their Fighting skill was 1.
• Shapeshifters was introduced in 0.31, replacing the Transmuter background.