Can I build up the shower base and use elbows to route the shower drain to the right location, or do I have to rip the floor out, or custom build my own shower base... I believe it was placed for a tube, and I can't find any shower bases that the drain lines up with... any suggestions?

If you have the head room, it may work. Make sure you use the longer DWV elbows instead of the regular ones. Two 45's would be less likely to clog than 90's, but take more vertical distance for the same horizontal travel. At least any clogs would be close if you have to snake them out.

Hey Chuck,
The more angles in a drainage line the more the flow is retarded and the more clogs will develop. Having said that, if it's feasible I would install a clean out as close to the trap as possible. But as Labman advised, use 2" long sweep elbos to line the drain up. Good luck, Tom