Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Utik 10-12-05, 10:45 AM	A firend of mine is building a druid and I think some part of the rules got confused in the translation to the Italian (or we are unable to understand correctly, I don't know I'm not an expert in druids), so this are the questions: 1. when a druid use wild shape to became an animal he retains his normal hit dice an HP (plus the new cos..), so we think that a 6th level druid would Wildshape into a large wolf and not a medium one because of his 6 hit dice, right? 2. if he activate an animated shield (but not a wild shield) and then change shape I believe the shield continue to work normally, fluctuating (like an ioun stone) an not polymorphing because it's not actually wielded by the character. Any help would be appreciated
DocBeard 10-12-05, 11:11 AM	1) is definitely incorrect. First, a druid does not gain the ability to wild-shape into a Large animal til level 8. Second, when wild-shaping, you use the basic version of the creature as the base, not any advanced versions. (Well, if you're the DM, I suppose you could allow wild shaping into an advanced wolf if you *wanted*, but it's probably not a good idea. Wild shape's powerful enough as it is.) 2) I believe is correct. Since only the items you can't actually use in your new shape meld into your body, and you can still use an active animated shield without having to hold it. (As that's the entire *point* of an animated shield.)
Utik 10-12-05, 12:57 PM	I understand your point, but what about a 8° level druid that wild shapes into a Large wolf? I believe it would be legal by the rules because he can shape into a large animal, and a wolf with 8 HD (if any) would be Large, I mean if he prefers trip to improved grapple..
Jaid 10-12-05, 04:11 PM	no. you become a completely average specimen of the creature type in question. a large sized wolf is an exceptional specimen, not average. however, should be able to assume the form of a dire wolf by the time you can become a large creature. specifically, wild shape is based on polymorph, which is based on alter self, which says:You can freely designate the new form’s minor physical qualities (such as hair color, hair texture, and skin color) within the normal ranges for a creature of that kind. The new form’s significant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and gender) are also under your control, but they must fall within the norms for the new form’s kind. You are effectively disguised as an average member of the new form’s race.
solbergb 10-12-05, 05:15 PM	You can't be an "advanced wolf" You can however be a "dire wolf" which starts out at size "large" and is of type "animal". This is a form reasonably good at tripping, and also has "track" as a racial feat, which can be handy for a druid. It isn't a bad form - fast and with useful abilities, its only real downside is that it isn't a huge damage dealer for its size. Your limit with wildshape is three things. 1. Must be "animal" type (in the Monster Manual, this means "Animal Appendix" or "Dire Animals" or "Dinosaurs". There may be some others, but these are your main pool". Your str, con and dex are replaced with whatever is in the Monster Manual statblock, unadvanced. Otherwise you get whatever the Polymorph spell says you get of their abilities, you get some things (eg, improved grab for brown bear, pounce for lion) and not others (eg, low light vision). At high enough level you can also turn into plant-type monsters and the four pure elementals, of which the Monster Manual has a few. 2. "size" limit from the class abilities. Medium or small only at first. Large at L8, then eventually you get the ability to go to huge. 3. "hit dice" limit. You keep your own hit dice, but you can't turn into anything with MORE hit dice than you. A L8 druid can turn into a dire lion (8hit dice) but not a dire tiger (16 hit dice). That same L8 druid could also choose to turn into an eagle (1 hit die) but would still keep all 8 of his own hit dice for all purposes (hp, resistance to Blasphemy, etc)