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

Ghouls and Mummies 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.

Skilling

In the very early game, Shapeshifters have more complex skill decisions than most weapon starts. What you find on D:1 - D:2 can influence the best thing to train to increase early game survival.

• At 3 Unarmed skill, your fists will be stronger than any plain short swords or spears on the ground. However, weapons with a strong brand - such as short swords and whips of venom or electrocution, are better than your unbranded fists.
• Generally, investing XP into weapon skills is a decision with multiple possible ramifications — you're likely to outscale unarmed combat for a good while, but many forms across several tiers (including Yak Form and Scarab Form from the protean talisman) will disable weapon use, making you less effective while in these forms, while characters that invest in unarmed combat keep their options more open.
  • Note that the first few levels of any skill are cheap. For Humans, going from 3 -> 4 Shapeshifting would take the same XP as 0 -> 3 in any other aptitude 0 skill. So once a skill becomes a lot more expensive than the others, you can train another useful skill - especially important when amassing multiple talismans that incentivize you to train multiple disparate skills.

Depending on what you find and what you've trained, you may want to upgrade to a different form (usually the form you get from the protean talisman), stay in Quill Form, or stay formless.

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.