The Shapeshifter sucks. Not the class mechanics, but its rationale / description...
I quote (from the kit description)
"The Druid has willingly allowed himself to be infected with lycanthropy, but due to intense study and training he has the ability to control this affliction. The creature he becomes is that of the werewolf, the most famous of lycanthrope shape changers."
Maybe I'm just old and cranky (is 31 old?) , but in the AD&D I played (mostly 1st edition) lycanthropy is described as a magical curse. It is supposed to suck, and being a curse, there is no amount of "training" or "studying" (seriously - wtf is that?) that you can do to control it. You're never willingly infected... Lycanthropes cast fear into the hearts of adventurers because of how horrible it is - not cool. On top of this, the True Neutral druid turns into a Werewolf. Yeah... they are the most famous of lycanthropes. They are also *evil as hell*, at least in AD&D. Why would a druid who wishes to maintain the balance, be willingly infected by a disease that turns him into an evil killing machine?
... but maybe I'm too Gygaxed for my own good.
I quote (from the kit description)
"The Druid has willingly allowed himself to be infected with lycanthropy, but due to intense study and training he has the ability to control this affliction. The creature he becomes is that of the werewolf, the most famous of lycanthrope shape changers."
Maybe I'm just old and cranky (is 31 old?) , but in the AD&D I played (mostly 1st edition) lycanthropy is described as a magical curse. It is supposed to suck, and being a curse, there is no amount of "training" or "studying" (seriously - wtf is that?) that you can do to control it. You're never willingly infected... Lycanthropes cast fear into the hearts of adventurers because of how horrible it is - not cool. On top of this, the True Neutral druid turns into a Werewolf. Yeah... they are the most famous of lycanthropes. They are also *evil as hell*, at least in AD&D. Why would a druid who wishes to maintain the balance, be willingly infected by a disease that turns him into an evil killing machine?
... but maybe I'm too Gygaxed for my own good.