Guild Wars 2

I think a shape-shifter would be a very fun and versatile profession. They would be able to shape shift into different creatures, that have there own set of skills and specially abilities. Kinda like the Dervish Elite Avatar Forms.

This would be good because you could remain in that shape until either the time runs out (like 10mins to an hour), death, or you wish to change back. (Or you could have a similar system to the Norn Animal Spirit skills in guild wars 1, and you change back when you run out of energy). Though I don’t see the issue with the form being strictly a “When you Wish to turn back” kind of thing making it solely based around your beast forms.

The main forms should either follow the spirits of the wild, making any who use this specialization/class devotes of those spirits. We see people from all of the races learning and following the animal spirits just as the norn do, so it’s not too far-fetched. Bear/warg? should be a tankish/raw damage sort of form, as we could have snow leopard/raven for bleeds and condi damage. Wolf could be a raw dps with tons of burst, each form offering unique utilities while in that form.

Now the biggest Idea here is a Dragon form? Why, well because of Glints baby and it being born untainted into the natural cycle, sort of following in gilts footsteps.So It’s not too far fetched to have us turn into a wyvern/Dragon since we have both as actual inhabitants of tyria’s surface. This could offer Arena-net that “We don’t want to be like any other mmorpg” sort of feel too a pre-existing fantasy profession.

The Trait Lines could be as follows If it were its own class.
Shape-shifting- Increases the power of and the length of each form. Most forms dedicated to this attribute.

Ancestral Grace- Increases length and power of enchants that buff forms/player. enchantment skills that buff player dedicated to this attribute.

Ferocity- Increases Damage output of each form AND your weapon. Some- more damage orientated forms- could be dedicated to this attribute

Instincts- (PRIMARY) Increases Energy and Health a little, and gives you a bit of a health regen boost for 6 seconds, +3 seconds per rank in Survivability, when a form ends. Some forms, like healing or buffing ones, could be dedicated to this attribute.

Alpha- Increases forms chance to gain health or energy when they hit a target (like critical strikes but for health/energy instead of extra damage). Skills and shouts that buff player are dedicated to this attribute.

If it became a simple elite spec, you could have simply shape-shifting and make the spec involve all that is listed above. Either way it still works and will bring those shapeshifter players from all over, with your combat engine and beautiful world paired with the ability to become beasts of power? Who needs anything else, Shape-shifting is what kept me in WoW as long as I was there because to me the idea of being a big creature is freaking awesome. I know im going to get those “Ew no don’t do it, please thats just dumb” People in here. But I know you have players who would really enjoy this spec, not every spec/class is for everyone but to add this would appeal to a spectrum you have yet to give anything toward. To make up for the norns lacking Lycanthropic forms, which are pretty much useless in-game this would be a good alternative. It also would be for ALL races meaning each races forms may look different, giving shapeshifters a feeling of “dude look at me, My charr bear/dragon looks amazing!! Holy kitten look at that norn shape-shifter, they look so cool.”

If you do go for the route of each race having their forms look different, I suggest asurans get Bob-cats for their bleeds. And maybe either baby wyverns/dragons, Or a wolverine for their bear like shape. (( wolverines are notorious for bringing down prey four times their size, just throwing that out there.))

This is kind of an interesting idea, but it needs a bit more fleshing out. First off, what armor class would it be? It feels like an adventurer or scholar class, but I suppose it could be a soldier… That right there would set the standard.

Second, I think I would make the shapechange ability either like an attunement for Elementalists, where attack skills change slightly depending on the form and weapon, or like Engineer toolkits, where you transform indefinitely with utility skills. It’d be super interesting if you could learn new forms similar to how rangers tame pets, but I don’t know if that’d be practical the way the game’s set up these days.

As far as the trait lines go, I wouldn’t call one Ferocity when it’s a stat. That could get confusing when a skill or trait says it affects ferocity, and you don’t know which one it means.

I didn’t read it all because it’s kind of densely written and I’m just not in the headspace to fully analyze it right now, but those are my initial impressions.