Alternate Form and Wild Shape w/errata [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alternate Form and Wild Shape w/errata [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
lavyan
02-11-07, 09:15 PM Since I have a druid I decided to put together the Alternate Form and Wild Shape with errata. I guess I just want to make sure the infomation is current (or whats going to be current).

I have also emailed the Sage (WotC) about what officially happens to a Periapt of Health when a druid Wild Shapes. I assume that this is a D&D question and not a campaign question for Britt?

Rufus Thorngage
Aspirant Druid of the Gnarley Forest

Wild Shape (Su): At 5th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability (see the Monster Manual), except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time you use wild shape, you regain lost hit points as if you had rested for a night.

Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the druid reverts to her true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on her body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the druid's feet.

The form chosen must be that of an animal the druid is familiar with.
A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)

A druid can use this ability more times per day at 6th, 7th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level, as noted on Table: The Druid. In addition, she gains the ability to take the shape of a Large animal at 8th level, a Tiny animal at 11th level, and a Huge animal at 15th level.
The new form’s Hit Dice can’t exceed the character’s druid level.

At 12th level, a druid becomes able to use wild shape to change into a plant creature with the same size restrictions as for animal forms. (A druid can’t use this ability to take the form of a plant that isn’t a creature.)

At 16th level, a druid becomes able to use wild shape to change into a Small, Medium, or Large elemental (air, earth, fire, or water) once per day. These elemental forms are in addition to her normal wild shape usage. In addition to the normal effects of wild shape, the druid gains all the elemental’s extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities. She also gains the elemental’s feats for as long as she maintains the wild shape, but she retains her own creature type.

At 18th level, a druid becomes able to assume elemental form twice per day, and at 20th level she can do so three times per day. At 20th level, a druid may use this wild shape ability to change into a Huge elemental.

Player’s Handbook 3.5 - UPDATED

Alternate Form (Su): A creature with this special quality has the ability to assume one or more specific alternate forms. A true seeing spell or ability reveals the creature’s natural form. A creature using alternate form reverts to its natural form when killed, but separated body parts retain their shape. A creature cannot use alternate form to take the form of a creature with a template. Assuming an alternate form results in the following changes to the creature:

—The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form. It gains the size of its new form. If the new form has the aquatic subtype, the creature gains that subtype as well

—The creature loses the natural weapons, natural armor, and movement modes of its original form, as well as any extraordinary special attacks of its original form not derived from class levels (such as the barbarian’s rage class feature).

—The creature gains the natural weapons, natural armor, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its new form.

—The creature retains the special qualities of its original form. It does not gain any special qualities of its new form.

—The creature retains the spell-like abilities and supernatural attacks of its old form (except for breath weapons and gaze attacks). It does not gain the spell-like abilities or supernatural attacks of its new form.

—The creature gains the physical ability scores (Str, Dex, Con) of its new form. It retains the mental ability scores (Int, Wis, Cha) of its original form. Apply any changed physical ability score modifiers in all appropriate areas with one exception: the creature retains the hit points of its original form despite any change to its Constitution.

— Except as described elsewhere, the creature retains all other game statistics of its original form, including (but not necessarily limited to) HD, hit points, skill ranks, feats, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses.

—The creature retains any spellcasting ability it had in its original form, although it must be able to speak intelligibly to cast spells with verbal components and it must have humanlike hands to cast spells with somatic components.

—The creature is effectively camouflaged as a creature of its new form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise.

—Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its new form instead falls to the
ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match the new size. (Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor
designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and viceversa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped.

—Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its new form instead falls to the
ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match the new size. (Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor
designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and viceversa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped.

Monster Manual - UPDATED
clannagh
02-11-07, 10:47 PM i also am curious about wondrous items .. the DMG says wondrous items resize for the users size so technically they may actually stay functional thru a wildshape to large .. at least as far as the size issue goes
solbergb
02-11-07, 11:03 PM You can't use the DMG rules for size changes. The LGCS has rules on this that override them. One of the things it says is that the wildshape description trumps the generic rules in the LGCS.

So..LGCS > PHB+Eratta, but delegates authority to any power's own description that covers what happens to items.

PHB+Eratta+MM reference in Wildshape > DMG with respect to item melding during wildshape, because wildshape is a druid class ability.

Therfore ALL items meld with a druid when he wildshapes. Doesn't matter if you change size or not. Every single item.

Unless LGCS says otherwise in the final draft.
Mithreinmaethor
02-11-07, 11:05 PM Because of this - "Wild Shape (Su): At 5th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability (see the Monster Manual), except as noted here."

This - "Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the druid reverts to her true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on her body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the druid's feet."

Replaces this - "—Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its new form instead falls to the ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match the new size. Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and viceversa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped."

I think its pretty straight forward there. The 1st part says Wildshape functions like Alternate Form except were noted here. The sentence right under that says Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. This is as per the 1st part a difference between Wildshape and Alternate Form
blood_kite
02-11-07, 11:37 PM An important thing to find out is if a wildshaped druid has the same magic item slots that the LGCS gives to animals and magical beasts. I didn't see it explicitely stated anywhere and is important since druids keep their type while wildshaped. I'm pretty sure that if it isn't mentioned explicitely that there will be judges that say that a wildshaped druid has absolutely NO magic item slots, despite the fact that his animal companion is wearing an amulet an cloak.
Mithreinmaethor
02-12-07, 12:01 AM An important thing to find out is if a wildshaped druid has the same magic item slots that the LGCS gives to animals and magical beasts. I didn't see it explicitely stated anywhere and is important since druids keep their type while wildshaped. I'm pretty sure that if it isn't mentioned explicitely that there will be judges that say that a wildshaped druid has absolutely NO magic item slots, despite the fact that his animal companion is wearing an amulet an cloak.

This wouldnt affect their items they are wearing when the Wildshape. It clearly states that those items meld into the form. And it would be a logical assumption to make that the new form has the slots available to its form. So if the Druids friends want to put stuff on him/her when they Wild Shape then there they go.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
lavyan 02-11-07, 09:15 PM	Since I have a druid I decided to put together the Alternate Form and Wild Shape with errata. I guess I just want to make sure the infomation is current (or whats going to be current). I have also emailed the Sage (WotC) about what officially happens to a Periapt of Health when a druid Wild Shapes. I assume that this is a D&D question and not a campaign question for Britt? Rufus Thorngage Aspirant Druid of the Gnarley Forest Wild Shape (Su): At 5th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability (see the Monster Manual), except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time you use wild shape, you regain lost hit points as if you had rested for a night. Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the druid reverts to her true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on her body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the druid's feet. The form chosen must be that of an animal the druid is familiar with. A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.) A druid can use this ability more times per day at 6th, 7th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level, as noted on Table: The Druid. In addition, she gains the ability to take the shape of a Large animal at 8th level, a Tiny animal at 11th level, and a Huge animal at 15th level. The new form’s Hit Dice can’t exceed the character’s druid level. At 12th level, a druid becomes able to use wild shape to change into a plant creature with the same size restrictions as for animal forms. (A druid can’t use this ability to take the form of a plant that isn’t a creature.) At 16th level, a druid becomes able to use wild shape to change into a Small, Medium, or Large elemental (air, earth, fire, or water) once per day. These elemental forms are in addition to her normal wild shape usage. In addition to the normal effects of wild shape, the druid gains all the elemental’s extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities. She also gains the elemental’s feats for as long as she maintains the wild shape, but she retains her own creature type. At 18th level, a druid becomes able to assume elemental form twice per day, and at 20th level she can do so three times per day. At 20th level, a druid may use this wild shape ability to change into a Huge elemental. Player’s Handbook 3.5 - UPDATED Alternate Form (Su): A creature with this special quality has the ability to assume one or more specific alternate forms. A true seeing spell or ability reveals the creature’s natural form. A creature using alternate form reverts to its natural form when killed, but separated body parts retain their shape. A creature cannot use alternate form to take the form of a creature with a template. Assuming an alternate form results in the following changes to the creature: —The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form. It gains the size of its new form. If the new form has the aquatic subtype, the creature gains that subtype as well —The creature loses the natural weapons, natural armor, and movement modes of its original form, as well as any extraordinary special attacks of its original form not derived from class levels (such as the barbarian’s rage class feature). —The creature gains the natural weapons, natural armor, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. —The creature retains the special qualities of its original form. It does not gain any special qualities of its new form. —The creature retains the spell-like abilities and supernatural attacks of its old form (except for breath weapons and gaze attacks). It does not gain the spell-like abilities or supernatural attacks of its new form. —The creature gains the physical ability scores (Str, Dex, Con) of its new form. It retains the mental ability scores (Int, Wis, Cha) of its original form. Apply any changed physical ability score modifiers in all appropriate areas with one exception: the creature retains the hit points of its original form despite any change to its Constitution. — Except as described elsewhere, the creature retains all other game statistics of its original form, including (but not necessarily limited to) HD, hit points, skill ranks, feats, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses. —The creature retains any spellcasting ability it had in its original form, although it must be able to speak intelligibly to cast spells with verbal components and it must have humanlike hands to cast spells with somatic components. —The creature is effectively camouflaged as a creature of its new form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise. —Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its new form instead falls to the ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match the new size. (Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and viceversa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped. —Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its new form instead falls to the ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match the new size. (Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and viceversa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped. Monster Manual - UPDATED
clannagh 02-11-07, 10:47 PM	i also am curious about wondrous items .. the DMG says wondrous items resize for the users size so technically they may actually stay functional thru a wildshape to large .. at least as far as the size issue goes
solbergb 02-11-07, 11:03 PM	You can't use the DMG rules for size changes. The LGCS has rules on this that override them. One of the things it says is that the wildshape description trumps the generic rules in the LGCS. So..LGCS > PHB+Eratta, but delegates authority to any power's own description that covers what happens to items. PHB+Eratta+MM reference in Wildshape > DMG with respect to item melding during wildshape, because wildshape is a druid class ability. Therfore ALL items meld with a druid when he wildshapes. Doesn't matter if you change size or not. Every single item. Unless LGCS says otherwise in the final draft.
Mithreinmaethor 02-11-07, 11:05 PM	Because of this - "Wild Shape (Su): At 5th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability (see the Monster Manual), except as noted here." This - "Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the druid reverts to her true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on her body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the druid's feet." Replaces this - "—Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its new form instead falls to the ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match the new size. Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and viceversa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped." I think its pretty straight forward there. The 1st part says Wildshape functions like Alternate Form except were noted here. The sentence right under that says Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. This is as per the 1st part a difference between Wildshape and Alternate Form
blood_kite 02-11-07, 11:37 PM	An important thing to find out is if a wildshaped druid has the same magic item slots that the LGCS gives to animals and magical beasts. I didn't see it explicitely stated anywhere and is important since druids keep their type while wildshaped. I'm pretty sure that if it isn't mentioned explicitely that there will be judges that say that a wildshaped druid has absolutely NO magic item slots, despite the fact that his animal companion is wearing an amulet an cloak.
Mithreinmaethor 02-12-07, 12:01 AM	An important thing to find out is if a wildshaped druid has the same magic item slots that the LGCS gives to animals and magical beasts. I didn't see it explicitely stated anywhere and is important since druids keep their type while wildshaped. I'm pretty sure that if it isn't mentioned explicitely that there will be judges that say that a wildshaped druid has absolutely NO magic item slots, despite the fact that his animal companion is wearing an amulet an cloak. This wouldnt affect their items they are wearing when the Wildshape. It clearly states that those items meld into the form. And it would be a logical assumption to make that the new form has the slots available to its form. So if the Druids friends want to put stuff on him/her when they Wild Shape then there they go.