The core rulebooks (PHB, DMG MM1), MM2, Fiend Folio, BoED, BoVD, Eberron Campaign Setting, Explorer's Handbook, Magic of Eberron (living Dragonmark ftw), Lords of Madness, Expanded Psioncs handbook. Then a couple of online goodies (mostly to expand on stuff like Psionic Tattoos or Dragonmarks). I'm also toying with adding in the 3.5 Expedition to Castle Ravenloft as well since it has some interesting goodies in it (along with some undead not found in the MM1/MM2).
So none of the completes or the weather based settings? Nothing else whatsoever? No Complete Psionic? None of the odd magic systems like Incarnum or anything? No Oriental Adventures? None of the Races of books? None of the other Eberron books?
Alright then,
@Unders, given the constraints you mentioned, her best mobility form is likely the Young Adult White Dragon, getting her 60 speed, burrow 30, flight 120 perfect, swim 60, and possibly Icewalking. Glitterhaunt (
The Far Corners of the World: Monster of the Mountains)
might get her earthglide 30, and an Oread (FF), might get burrow through stone 30. The best climber is a Forest Sloth but
fuck that, so try the Murderjack (
The Far Corners of the World: Monsters of the Woodlands) or the Girallon (MM1, also a decent combat form) or the Monstrous Centipede (also one of her biggest forms, MM1) or the Spirit of the Air (FF). Some good, relatively high mobility (at least 40 speed) combat forms with Pounce, at least 3 attacks, decent strength (18+), are: Megaraptor (MM1), Hound of the Gloom (FF), the Three Headed Leskylor (BoED), the Dragonne (MM), the Gravbeast (
Monster Mayhem: The Gravbeast), the Dire Lion (MM1), the various Sphinxes (MM1), the Griffon (MM1), and the Swamplight Lynx (MM2). Her biggest form other than that Centipede is the Sea Drake (FF) or the Cachalot and Baleen Whales (MM1). Her flying forms that can carry the most stuff at a decent speed are the Quetzelcoatlus (MM2), the Aerial Aboleth (LoM), and the Skybleeder (FF), and Dragonhawk (
Five Nations Excerpt, also a pretty solid combat form, and fast too), unless the dragons are doing something especially weird to be able to fly that doesn't show up in stats (they probably are). Her form with the highest normal and flat-footed AC are the Overseer Beholderkin (LoM) and Slaymaster Kython (FF). The highest Touch AC is Will-O-Wisp (MM1, possibly with invisibility) or Silthilar (LoM). The best forms for Grappling (having high strength, improved grab, non horrible movement speed, more than two attacks, constrict or pin or or rake or swallow whole, Huge size, and very high grapple checks) are the Ironglass Rose (
Psionic Bestiary: Ironglass Rose) or the Megatherium (FF) or the Skybleeder (FF). There's the three types of Deathless, but one is pretty much strictly better than the other, so that leaves the Crypt Warden (BoED) and the Undying Councilor (EbCS). Neither is amazing, but you aren't turning into a Deathless for the combat stats, you are turning into it for the type benefits of Deathless itself!
Some of the best many-attacks combat forms for use in a relatively enclosed space where you don't need to move too especially fast are the 12-Headed Hydra, the 12-Headed Cryohydra, the 12-Headed Pyrohydra (all MM1), or the Darktentacles (MM2). Some of the best Trample forms are the Allosaurus (MM2) and the Grizzly Mastodon (MM2). Some of the smallest forms that are not actually a swarm, with decent dexterity and movement modes, are the Rime Sprite (
Far Corners of the World: Monsters of the Frozen Lands) or the Grig (MM1). Some 'roughly humanoid sized and shaped, of Humanoid or Monstrous Humanoid or Giant or Fey type, with useful hands, above baseline human average strength, constitution, at least average dex/speed, some natural armor, not horrible looking to other humans, etc.' forms are Jackal Lord (FF), Khaasta (FF), the Shulassakar variants of Yuan-Ti (
Dragonshards -- Shulassakar: The Feathered Servants), or even just use normal Yuan-Ti of various sorts (MM1), the Medusa (MM1), the Desmodu (MM2), Lizardfolk (MM1), the Troglizard (in
Monster Mayhem: Abominations of Praetorius, also statted up as the Tren in Serpent Kingdoms with slightly different stats), the various MM1 Giants (Frost, Hill, Stone, Fire), and the Rhek (BoED). Of note of being especially interesting in general are the Legendary Wolf, Ape, and Eagle (MM2) for the fact they look completely mundane; other than those, she can turn into badass (ie, high strength) mundane animals like the Polar Bear, Giant Crocodile, Cachalot and Baleen Whales (MM1, and sometimes having a LOT of mass is exactly what is needed!), extinct animals like the Dire Wolf (MM1), Ankylosaurus (MM2), Mastodon (MM2), or Megatherium (FF), or never existed animals like the Dire Bear (MM1, though it plausibly resembles several extinct bears) or War Bat (MM2) or the Dragonhawk (
Five Nations Excerpt).
Some of the best dragons are actually the web-based ones, the Young Ectoplasmic (
Psionic Bestiary: Ectoplasmic Dragon), the Young Adult Mercury (
Monster Mayhem: Mercury Dragon), the Young Adult Mist (
Monster Mayhem: Mist Dragon), the Temporal Drake (
Monster Mayhem: Temporal Drake), the Ululatrix (
Monster Mayhem: Ululatrix), in addition to things like the Sunwyrm (FF), the Juvenile Emerald, Crystal, and Amethyst dragons (MM2), the Juvenile Blue, Juvenile Green, Young Red, Young Adult White, Juvenile Bronze, and Young Gold (MM1). Of these, some of the toughest/strongest are the Young Red, Young Ectoplasmic, Young Gold, and the Temporal Drake. The best Black Dragon she can turn into is just the Juvenile, which is the size of an average human or an especially large dog. The oldest dragon she can turn into is the Young Adult White or the Young Adult Mist or Mercury, and of those, the most innately agile by far is the Young Adult Mercury. Some interesting utility powers can be found in the Rust Monster and Folugub (MM1), for what they can destroy/eat in a short period of time, as well as the Aranea (MM1), for the venom and web it can create, and MAYBE the Amphibious Aboleth (LoM, or the normal MM1 ones if the template makes it invalid) for it's mucus, MAYBE. Some interesting substances she can create in general for sure include Pseudodragon venom (MM1, a basic harmless sleep poison), the acid of the Delver (MM1, very high end acid), lethal poisons from the various sorts of Naga (MM1), Wyvern (MM1), the Phase Spider (MM1), the Lesser Flame Snake's (FF) weird Fiery Poison, some good techincally-nonlethal poisons from the Hound of the Gloom (LoM), or the Gargantuan Monstrous Centipede (MM1), the Huge Monstrous Spider (MM1), the Aranea (MM1, also see it's web attack), the Bonespear (FF), and the Avolakia (MM2). Some interesting Swarm forms that might possibly, MAYBE get her immunity to most types of non area or elemental weapon damage are Silithar (LoM, this swarm is also very useful in many other ways, having relatively fast perfect flight, and the shapechanger subtype) and the Crystal Beetle Swarm (
Monster Mayhem: Crystal Beetle Swarm, it can also burrow and deal large amounts of acid damage!). Also, she can presumably turn into basically any normal, smallish but not too small, animal or person, so there's that. All this from
one item.
Oh yes! Here are some interesting things you get from various types and subtypes!
Types:
*Aberration: Darkvision 60'.
*Animal: Low-Light Vision
*Deathless: Darkvision 60', Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charm compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects. Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, or ability drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution) as well as fatigue and exhaustion effects. Unlike undead, the deathless are subject to energy drain. Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save, except for energy drain attacks, effects that also work on objects, and harmless effects. Cannot use the run action. Does not need to breathe, eat, or sleep. Proficient with simple weapons.
*Dragon: Immunity to magic sleep effects and paralysis effects. Darkvision 60' and Low-Light vision.
*Fey: Low-light Vision
*Giant: Low-Light Vision. Proficient with all simple and martial weapons.
*Magical Beast: Low-Light Vision, Darkvision 60'.
*Monstrous Humanoid: Darkvision 60'.
*Ooze: Blind, with immunity to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight. Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning. Not subject to critical hits, sneak attacks or flanking.
*Plant: Low-Light Vision. Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning. Not subject to critical hits or sneak attacks.
*Vermin: Darkvision 60'.
Subtypes:
*Air: Air creatures always have fly speeds and usually have perfect maneuverability. You gain the assumed form's fly speed.
*Aquatic: Always have swim speeds and thus can move in water without making Swim checks. An aquatic creature can breathe underwater. It cannot also breathe air unless it has the amphibious special quality.
*Cold : A creature with the cold subtype has immunity to cold. It has vulnerability to fire (+50% damage).
*Fire: A creature with the fire subtype has immunity to fire. It has vulnerability to cold (+50% damage).
*Goblinoid: You speak Goblin.
*Shapechanger : Proficient with simple weapons.
*Swarm: Not subject to critical hits or flanking. A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons. A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to all weapon damage. A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of mind-affecting spells and abilities (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) if the swarm has an Intelligence score and a hive mind. A swarm takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons and many evocation spells.
*Earth: Earth creatures usually have burrow speeds, and most earth creatures can burrow through solid rock. You get the assumed form's speed.
*Water: Creatures with the water subtype always have swim speeds and can move in water without making Swim checks. A water creature can breathe underwater and usually can breathe air as well. You gain the assumed form's swim speed.
So, for example, if she wants to learn various sorts of weapons, she might wish to turn into a Half-Giant (XPH) version of herself for Powerful Build and Simple and Martial weapon proficiency, depending on how strict the no template rules are! Or if she wants to haul an autocannon around, a Stone Giant would work fine (highest dex of the Giants she can turn into), or if she wants some basic innate combat weapon proficiency, she might want to turn into something with the Shapechanger subtype. A Phasm (MM1), even without all of the extreme shapechanging abilities, has pretty good dexterity, simple weapon proficiency, and can morph into a pretty reasonable form to be a stable firing platform for whatever handheld weapon you want, possibly even crew-served ones. You could turn into a Silthilar swarm, and, with the simple weapon proficiency, use the swarm form to deliver things like pepper spray (which is a Simple weapon in D20 modern), you just need to find some substances that don't affect you when you are this swarm of weird flying hive mind abberation things. Or, if you want to speak privately with family and have several of the skins, you all should turn into Blue Goblins (XPH), which will also get you access to a language no one else on Earth should be able to speak, a decent ability with a light crossbow, a small size (and associated bonuses to dodging and stealth), a small amount of racial bonuses to stealth, and racial bonuses to riding animals.
