First impressions

[fatherpirate]

ok, I always start with a gut impression when I check out new stuff.
Spent a little time checking out shifter and illusionist Enhancement tree.

This is first impressions only

Shifter is just a funny term for werewolf, why not just call them werewolves?

The developers seem to confuse RAGE with SHIFT... they are not the same
or else you would simply say they go into a rage. If they are the same ... just call it RAGE

you get two flavors of shift - STR based offensive - you can not cast spells like this (at first)
fine - makes sense.

WIS based (jacks up your WIS) - you still can not cast spells like this (at first)
moronically stupid - basically ... good for monks (not that werewolves are known for being lawful [they are not])
and an absolute kick in the teeth to Druids and Clerics --- this shift will boost your ability to overcome resistance to your spells ... but we will block that.
???

The look - women with beards .... yah
AT LEAST you can choose no facial hair (strictly a person preference)

No tail option ???

If your going werewolf...go all the way.

ok Illusion Enhancement tree
Better

Ditch sprite, a light bulb makes a poor familiar.
Replace with ...Toad or Crow or Snake or Beetle

Why white? (everything is pure white except for the dragon) white overload.
How about random natural color ?

other parts of the tree are fine at first glance.

BIG PET PEEVE - as soon as you summon some monster or animal, BANG
your Familiar (or or Falconry bird) goes 'poof' gone but .... they are still 'there'.
Give me a break ... I want to see ALL my animals, and if your worried
about too much clutter in a large party (rare in itself) you can add an option to hide
other players (falconry birds, Familiars and cosmetic pets for that matter)
seeing the pets are half the fun. Do not be a joy assassin.

DISCLAIMER - this is strictly 'First Impression'

[Stravix]

Shifters are a canon Eberron race. If you don't like it, take it up with Keith Baker.

Also, considering it is a Lama thing, mind posting this on the Lama forums instead of the general ones?

[arminius]

There is a non-casting group of characters who could use a rage-like wisdom boost: Falconry users who do wisdom-based attack and damage. It is good to know that the block to casting can be overcome, because blocking things like Cocoon would be a tough pill to swallow.

[Discpsycho]

WIS based (jacks up your WIS) - you still can not cast spells like this (at first)
moronically stupid - basically ... good for monks (not that werewolves are known for being lawful [they are not])
and an absolute kick in the teeth to Druids and Clerics --- this shift will boost your ability to overcome resistance to your spells ... but we will block that

Between rage and the racial bonus, that's +5 Wis while shifted (or +2.5 to all DCs) for a race and an 11-point investment. That's roughly on par with Dragonborn, Tiefling, and Gnome racial tree bonuses in T3 and T4, which are restricted to Evocation / Conjuration / Illusion and give some caster level / spellpower / spell pen boosts too.

Caster druids have plenty of AP to spare (40-odd SH, 11 NP for heavy armor). Clerics have two caster trees, but Radiant Servant doesn't provide any DC boosts outside of Wis boosts (2 at Capstone, 1 each at T3 and T4). This seems like an obvious choice for Divine Disciples and Druid casters, even if they don't have any racial AP, because the next-best option is...Falconry?

[erethizon]

Shifters are a canon Eberron race. If you don't like it, take it up with Keith Baker.

Yes, Shifter is simply what they are called in the Eberron D&D book.

[0ldschool]

Yes, Shifter is simply what they are called in the Eberron D&D book.

And shifters are clearly defined as a separate race from lycanthropes, of which werewolf is one type.