Feral Shifter (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

Author's Note: So... what do you call a flying rat?



Introduction
Summary::The ultimate in shifter savagery, your twin daggers become a part of your body as you tear through foes.

Progression
Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): (Assuming 32 Point Buy) 10 16 14 12 16 8

Race: Race::Swiftwing Shifter

At level 20: Final Class Progression::Swordsage 10 / Bloodclaw Master 5 / Weretouched Master 5

Items of Note

 * +5 Mithral Shirt of Nimbleness
 * +5 Shadow Hand Frost Flaming Shocking Corrosive Dagger (x2)

Highlights

 * Assumed stats at level 20:
 * Dex: 16 (Base) + 2 (Racial) + 2 (Shifting) + 2 (Weretouched I) + 6 (Alternate Form) + 5 (Level) + 5 (Tome) + 6 (Item) = 44 (+17)
 * AC: 10 + 8 (Bracers of Armor) + 17 (Dex) + 6 (Wis) + 5 (+5 Ring of Protection) + 5 (+5 Amulet of Natural Armor) + 2 (Improved Two-Weapon Defense) + 1 (Shifter Agility) = 54
 * Attack Bonus: 13 (BAB) + 17 (Dex) + 8 (+5 Shadow Hand Daggers) + 1 (Weapon Focus) = +40/+40/+35/+35/+30/+30
 * Damage: 1d4 (Dagger) + 17 (Shadow Blade) + 4d6+5 (Magic) + 2d6 (Assassin's Stance) = 6d6+1d4+22
 * Total damage per attack comes out to 45.5 (on average).
 * Sample Attacks:
 * Time Stands Still + Raging Mongoose (+6 damage from Insightful Strike): +40/+40/+40/+40/+40/+40/+35/+35/+30/+30 x2 (51.5) does 896.1 damage when weighted against AC 40
 * Pouncing Charge + Inferno Blade: +42/+42/+37/+37/+32/+32 (73) does 371.3 when weighted against AC 40

Combat Sequence

 * Shift, charge, and rip the opponent to shreds.

Further Optimization

 * Add the effects of the Sword of Subtlety to your daggers for an increase to attack and damage when Assassin's Stance activates.
 * Spiritual Weapon to Dex instead of Weapon Finesse

Limitations

 * Creatures with a lot of DR or those immune to Sneak Attack

DM Counters

 * Usual melee defences apart from AC (illusions, concealment, distance, etc)

Variants

 * Can pick up Swiftwing Elite instead of Healing Factor for better maneuverability.
 * Taking the Longstride trait will give you a great move speed, which gives you better jump checks, which makes many of your Tiger Claw maneuvers more effective.
 * Two-Weapon Defense and Improved Two-Weapon Defense are basically filler feats; you can trade them out for any others that you like better. Some of these include...
 * Exotic Armor Proficiency for Twist Cloth armor (Races of Stone) for a greater AC at higher levels when your Dexterity bonus far outstrips the max allowed in most armor. You can also get this armor without taking the feat (see the particulars of the armor for details)
 * Close-Quarters Fighting (Complete Warrior) for defense against grapplers
 * Add in the Healing Factor feat (perhaps instead of Shifter Agility) to become... WOLVERINE-MANBAT. (After all, Bloodclaw Master gives you claws.) Pick up Shadow Jaunt to become... WOLVERINE-MANBAT-NIGHTCRLAWER. Add in proficiency with cards, a wand of Control Weather, and a level of Warlock to shoot beams from your eyes and you become... WOLVERINE-STORM-CYCLOPS-MANBAT-NIGHTCRAWLER-GAMBIT! And don't forget Shifter Defense; the DR allows us to be... COLOSSUS-WOLVERINE-STORM-CYCLOPS-MANBAT-NIGHTCRAWLER-GAMBIT!