Shifters are one of the races to come out of the Eberron setting, alongside the Changeling and Warforged and oft-forgotten Kalashtar. The basic idea is that they are werewolves-lite, having similar shapeshifting into beast powers without being as utterly broken as true lycanthropes. It's commonly believed that they are the descendants of humans and lycanthropes, hence the watered down shapeshifting power.
Initially, they weren't very popular, perhaps because the art made them absolutely butt-fuck ugly. Seriously, even your typical furry wouldn't bang the Eberron corebook shifters. Perhaps noting the attempts by fans to redraw them as monstergirls, WoTC prettied them up in subsequent art and they steadily grew more popular, though Warforged have always beaten them out.
Weren't in the 5e player's guide, but were part of the Eberron web-enhancement Unearthed Arcana, which can be found on the WotC website if you're willing to sniff around. [just take it from here.]
| Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition races
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| Player's Handbook
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Dwarf • Elf • Gnome • Half-Elf • Half-Orc • Halfling • Human
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| Monster Manual I
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Aasimar • Blink Dog • Bugbear • Centaur • Giant, Hill • Gnoll • Goblin • Hobgoblin • Kobold • Lizardfolk • Minotaur • Ogre • Ogre Mage • Orc • Pixie • Tiefling • Satyr • Troglodyte • Troll • Unicorn
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| Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
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Aasimar • Dwarf, Gold • Dwarf, Gray • Dwarf, Shield • Elf, Dark • Elf, Moon • Elf, Sun • Elf, Sun • Elf, Wild • Elf, Wood • Genasi, Air • Genasi, Earth • Genasi, Fire • Genasi, Water • Gnome, Deep • Gnome, Rock • Half-Elf • Half-Orc • Halfling, Ghostwise • Halfling, Lightfoot • Halfling, Strongheart • Human • Tiefling
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| The Manual of the Planes
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Bariaur • Canoloth • Githyanki • Githzerai • Spinagon • Uridezu
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| Oriental Adventures
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Bakemono • Dwarf • Elf • Gnome • Hengeyokai • Human • Kappa • Korobokuru • Naga, Asp • Naga, Chameleon • Naga, Cobra • Naga, Constrictor • Naga, Greensnake • Nezumi • Spirit Folk, Bamboo • Spirit Folk, River • Spirit Folk, Sea • Tasloi • Tengu, Crow-headed • Tengu, Human-headed • Tsuno • Vanara • Wang-Liang • Yeti • Yuki-onna
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| Epic Level Handbook
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Mercane
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| Monster Manual II
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Abeil, Queen • Abeil, Soldier • Abeil, Vassal • Avolakia • Bladeling • Braxat • Chaond • Desmodu • Durzagon • Firbolg • Fomorian • Giant, Forest • Giant, Mountain • Giant, Ocean • Giant, Sun • Glimmerskin • Ixitxachitl • Ixitxachitl, Vampiric • Loxo • Neogi • Ocean Strider • Scorpionfolk • Thri-kreen • Yak Folk • Zenythri
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| Book of Vile Darkness
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Jerren • Vashar
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| Savage Species
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Desmodu† • Half-Ogre • Loxo† • Thri-Kreen†
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| Races of Faerun
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Aarakocra • Bugbear • Centaur • Dwarf, Arctic • Dwarf, Urdunnir • Dwarf, Wild • Elf, Aquatic • Elf, Winged • Fey'ri • Gnome, Forest • Goblin • Goblin, Dekanter • Half-Elf, Aquatic • Half-Elf, Dark • Hobgoblin • Kir-Lanan • Lizardfolk • Orc, Deep • Orc, Gray • Orc, Mountain • Tanarukk • Wemic • Yuan-ti Pureblood
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| Fiend Folio
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Abrian • Canomorph, Haraknin • Canomorph, Shadurakul • Canomorph, Vultivore • Dark Creeper • Dark Stalker • Ethergaunt, Black • Ethergaunt, Red • Ethergaunt, White • Fensir • Fensir, Rakka • Feytouched • Jackal Lord • Kaorti • Keeper • Khaasta • Maeluth • Maug • Mechanatrix • Mongrelfolk • Nerra, Karaleem • Nerra, Sillit • Nerra, Varoot • Rilmani, Aurumach • Rilmani, Cuprilach • Rilmani, Ferrumach • Selkie • Shadar-kai • Shyft • Skulk • Spriggan • Wispling • Yuan-ti Anathema • Yurian
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| Unapproachable East
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Elf, Star • Gnoll • Hagspawn • Nilshai • Spirit Folk, Mountain • Spirit Folk, River • Taer • Troll, Ice • Troll, Demon • Uthraki • Volodni
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| v3.5 revision
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| Shining South
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Cyclops† • Loxo • Tasloi • Thri-Kreen
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| Races of Stone
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Dwarf • Gnome • Goliath
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| Frostburn
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Domovoi† • Glacier Dwarf • Frost Folk† • Ice Gnome • Neanderthal • Snow Elf • Snow Goblin† • Tundra Halfling • Uldra
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| Races of Destiny
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Half-Elf • Half-Orc • Human • Illumian
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| Races of the Wild
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Elf • Halfling • Raptoran
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| Sandstorm
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Asherati • Badlands Dwarf • Bhuka • Crucian† • Painted Elf • Scablands Half-Orc
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| Stormwrack
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Aquatic Elf • Aquatic Half-Elf • Aventi • Darfellan • Hadozee • Seacliff Dwarf • Shoal Halfling • Wavecrest Gnome
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| Races of the Dragon
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Dragonborn • Draconic • Half-Dragon • Kobold • Spellscale
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| Dragon Magazine
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339 (Giff • Insectare • Scro)
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| † Pseudo-Playable
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