Some Druid questions. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Some Druid questions. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
rockondon
12-27-06, 01:01 PM My druid char is gonna start wildshaping next level and I don't know much about it.

1) When you wild shape, some of your gear is melded (and ceases to function), some of your gear does not. What types of gear will appear on your animal form and therefore continue to function? rings, amulets, cloak?

2) You can take on the form of animals that you are familiar with. What does one have to do to be "familiar with" an animal (no redneck jokes please ;)). I'm making a list of each animal I interact with in each adventure record - is this an appropriate method for determining what animals I can later turn into? Can I turn into every animal I can summon?

3) What attributes do you take from the new form? I'm presuming you take all physical attributes from the new form (natural armor, attacks, movement) but still keep your str/dex/con/etc. Is that correct?

4) If I have a tower shield with the wild enchantment on it, would my new shape have a -2 on attack rolls because of it?

5) Has there ever been an official ruling on whether or not the monk bonus to AC for high wisdom counts for druids in wild shape?

6) What are some of the best animals out there? Are there any animals I can be that aren't on this list: http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/theraven_stephenh/monsters/animals.html

thx,
--Don
Reylance
12-27-06, 01:32 PM My druid char is gonna start wildshaping next level and I don't know much about it.

1) When you wild shape, some of your gear is melded (and ceases to function), some of your gear does not. What types of gear will appear on your animal form and therefore continue to function? rings, amulets, cloak?

2) You can take on the form of animals that you are familiar with. What does one have to do to be "familiar with" an animal (no redneck jokes please ;)). I'm making a list of each animal I interact with in each adventure record - is this an appropriate method for determining what animals I can later turn into? Can I turn into every animal I can summon?

3) What attributes do you take from the new form? I'm presuming you take all physical attributes from the new form (natural armor, attacks, movement) but still keep your str/dex/con/etc. Is that correct?

4) If I have a tower shield with the wild enchantment on it, would my new shape have a -2 on attack rolls because of it?

5) Has there ever been an official ruling on whether or not the monk bonus to AC for high wisdom counts for druids in wild shape?

6) What are some of the best animals out there? Are there any animals I can be that aren't on this list: http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/theraven_stephenh/monsters/animals.html

thx,
--Don

1. Although it's not clear, I keep the same slots that both an animal and a humanoid are allowed to have, which is just cloak and amulet. I also would keep any ioun stones.

2. Any animal you've seen would certainly be open to wild shaping, without argument. However, I have not seen a judge complain about any wild shape form. You presumably study animals as a druid, and you do have Knowledge Nature, right?

3. You take the new form's movement, attacks, extraordinary special attacks, natural armor, Str, Dex, and Con.

4. It's unclear. Since the armor check penalty doesn't apply, it would make sense that the -2 penalty wouldn't apply, but expect variation.

5. If your form is not wearing armor? Yes. If your form is not wearing armor because it's molded into your form? Probably. If your form is benefitting from wild armor? That's unclear. The wording on the wild armor ability would imply that all you get is the armor's bonus, and you wouldn't get the armor penalty or anything else. For example, you would, I think, be subject to critical hits while wild-shaped when wearing +1 wild heavy fortification armor. It's safe to assume no benefit in the last case.

6. I think the SRD has all the animals you can change into without access.

Best animals:

Level 5
Black Bear
Cheetah
Crocodile

Level 8
Dire Ape
Dire Lion
Dire Wolf
Polar Bear
Tiger

Level 12
Dire Bear
Lupo
12-27-06, 03:24 PM My druid char is gonna start wildshaping next level and I don't know much about it.

1) When you wild shape, some of your gear is melded (and ceases to function), some of your gear does not. What types of gear will appear on your animal form and therefore continue to function? rings, amulets, cloak?

cloak, amulet and unslotted items like ioun stones, rods are a grey area

2) You can take on the form of animals that you are familiar with. What does one have to do to be "familiar with" an animal (no redneck jokes please ;)). I'm making a list of each animal I interact with in each adventure record - is this an appropriate method for determining what animals I can later turn into? Can I turn into every animal I can summon?

monster manual animals only, unless you have AR or meta-organization access

3) What attributes do you take from the new form? I'm presuming you take all physical attributes from the new form (natural armor, attacks, movement) but still keep your str/dex/con/etc. Is that correct?

you switch your body stats - str, dex, con - for the animal's but keep your mentals

4) If I have a tower shield with the wild enchantment on it, would my new shape have a -2 on attack rolls because of it?

most probably yes, as long as you get the benefit, you have to take the penalty as well.

5) Has there ever been an official ruling on whether or not the monk bonus to AC for high wisdom counts for druids in wild shape?

should be, as a polymorphed monk would keep his bonus as well, look at the tattooed monk feature

6) What are some of the best animals out there? Are there any animals I can be that aren't on this list: http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/theraven_stephenh/monsters/animals.html

thx,
--Don

first (medium and smaller) animals:

ape, cheetah, wolf, eagle, sometimes even dire rat.

then when able to change into large animals:

dire bat, tiger:), bear (brown), dire ape, dire wolf, bear (polar)

ciao

martin m.
Sieylianna
12-27-06, 07:09 PM monster manual animals only, unless you have AR or meta-organization access

No dinosaurs without specific access.

Ed
Jay_Ibero_911
12-27-06, 08:38 PM First of all, if you want to focus on Wild Shaping, Natural Spell is a MUST. Most animal forms are worthless until you can become large anyway. You may want to look into Wild Feats to give you other options. Stone Form and Serpent's Venom are my two personal favorites, from Races of Stone and Complete Divine Respectively.
Nutation
12-28-06, 02:24 PM No dinosaurs without specific access.

Ed

Source? The LGCS restricts animal companions, but not wild shape.
Howie23
12-28-06, 03:10 PM Source? The LGCS restricts animal companions, but not wild shape.

This isn't an explanation, but an extension of the conversation, so to speak. There is a core requirement that the druid be familiar with the animal that he is wild shaping into. There is no mechanism for tracking this in LG, but it is up to the player to keep this rule in mind when selecting wild shape forms.

David
(who knows of a dinosaur in an expired mod, but has never had a character encounter one in LG)
Lupo
12-28-06, 07:19 PM This isn't an explanation, but an extension of the conversation, so to speak. There is a core requirement that the druid be familiar with the animal that he is wild shaping into. There is no mechanism for tracking this in LG, but it is up to the player to keep this rule in mind when selecting wild shape forms.

David
(who knows of a dinosaur in an expired mod, but has never had a character encounter one in LG)

yea, and no druid would be able to become a t-rex, to be more precise a fiendish t-rex of legend, popping up just in charge range. and the beast wasn't hindered by the heavy undergrowth while all player characters were . . . . ;) you know, the wonderful times before the feign surprise card.

ok, the module handed out celestial templates on animal companion, but i played it with my cleric :(.

ciao

martin m.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
rockondon 12-27-06, 01:01 PM	My druid char is gonna start wildshaping next level and I don't know much about it. 1) When you wild shape, some of your gear is melded (and ceases to function), some of your gear does not. What types of gear will appear on your animal form and therefore continue to function? rings, amulets, cloak? 2) You can take on the form of animals that you are familiar with. What does one have to do to be "familiar with" an animal (no redneck jokes please ;)). I'm making a list of each animal I interact with in each adventure record - is this an appropriate method for determining what animals I can later turn into? Can I turn into every animal I can summon? 3) What attributes do you take from the new form? I'm presuming you take all physical attributes from the new form (natural armor, attacks, movement) but still keep your str/dex/con/etc. Is that correct? 4) If I have a tower shield with the wild enchantment on it, would my new shape have a -2 on attack rolls because of it? 5) Has there ever been an official ruling on whether or not the monk bonus to AC for high wisdom counts for druids in wild shape? 6) What are some of the best animals out there? Are there any animals I can be that aren't on this list: http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/theraven_stephenh/monsters/animals.html thx, --Don
Reylance 12-27-06, 01:32 PM	My druid char is gonna start wildshaping next level and I don't know much about it. 1) When you wild shape, some of your gear is melded (and ceases to function), some of your gear does not. What types of gear will appear on your animal form and therefore continue to function? rings, amulets, cloak? 2) You can take on the form of animals that you are familiar with. What does one have to do to be "familiar with" an animal (no redneck jokes please ;)). I'm making a list of each animal I interact with in each adventure record - is this an appropriate method for determining what animals I can later turn into? Can I turn into every animal I can summon? 3) What attributes do you take from the new form? I'm presuming you take all physical attributes from the new form (natural armor, attacks, movement) but still keep your str/dex/con/etc. Is that correct? 4) If I have a tower shield with the wild enchantment on it, would my new shape have a -2 on attack rolls because of it? 5) Has there ever been an official ruling on whether or not the monk bonus to AC for high wisdom counts for druids in wild shape? 6) What are some of the best animals out there? Are there any animals I can be that aren't on this list: http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/theraven_stephenh/monsters/animals.html thx, --Don 1. Although it's not clear, I keep the same slots that both an animal and a humanoid are allowed to have, which is just cloak and amulet. I also would keep any ioun stones. 2. Any animal you've seen would certainly be open to wild shaping, without argument. However, I have not seen a judge complain about any wild shape form. You presumably study animals as a druid, and you do have Knowledge Nature, right? 3. You take the new form's movement, attacks, extraordinary special attacks, natural armor, Str, Dex, and Con. 4. It's unclear. Since the armor check penalty doesn't apply, it would make sense that the -2 penalty wouldn't apply, but expect variation. 5. If your form is not wearing armor? Yes. If your form is not wearing armor because it's molded into your form? Probably. If your form is benefitting from wild armor? That's unclear. The wording on the wild armor ability would imply that all you get is the armor's bonus, and you wouldn't get the armor penalty or anything else. For example, you would, I think, be subject to critical hits while wild-shaped when wearing +1 wild heavy fortification armor. It's safe to assume no benefit in the last case. 6. I think the SRD has all the animals you can change into without access. Best animals: Level 5 Black Bear Cheetah Crocodile Level 8 Dire Ape Dire Lion Dire Wolf Polar Bear Tiger Level 12 Dire Bear
Lupo 12-27-06, 03:24 PM	My druid char is gonna start wildshaping next level and I don't know much about it. 1) When you wild shape, some of your gear is melded (and ceases to function), some of your gear does not. What types of gear will appear on your animal form and therefore continue to function? rings, amulets, cloak? cloak, amulet and unslotted items like ioun stones, rods are a grey area 2) You can take on the form of animals that you are familiar with. What does one have to do to be "familiar with" an animal (no redneck jokes please ;)). I'm making a list of each animal I interact with in each adventure record - is this an appropriate method for determining what animals I can later turn into? Can I turn into every animal I can summon? monster manual animals only, unless you have AR or meta-organization access 3) What attributes do you take from the new form? I'm presuming you take all physical attributes from the new form (natural armor, attacks, movement) but still keep your str/dex/con/etc. Is that correct? you switch your body stats - str, dex, con - for the animal's but keep your mentals 4) If I have a tower shield with the wild enchantment on it, would my new shape have a -2 on attack rolls because of it? most probably yes, as long as you get the benefit, you have to take the penalty as well. 5) Has there ever been an official ruling on whether or not the monk bonus to AC for high wisdom counts for druids in wild shape? should be, as a polymorphed monk would keep his bonus as well, look at the tattooed monk feature 6) What are some of the best animals out there? Are there any animals I can be that aren't on this list: http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/theraven_stephenh/monsters/animals.html thx, --Don first (medium and smaller) animals: ape, cheetah, wolf, eagle, sometimes even dire rat. then when able to change into large animals: dire bat, tiger:), bear (brown), dire ape, dire wolf, bear (polar) ciao martin m.
Sieylianna 12-27-06, 07:09 PM	monster manual animals only, unless you have AR or meta-organization access No dinosaurs without specific access. Ed
Jay_Ibero_911 12-27-06, 08:38 PM	First of all, if you want to focus on Wild Shaping, Natural Spell is a MUST. Most animal forms are worthless until you can become large anyway. You may want to look into Wild Feats to give you other options. Stone Form and Serpent's Venom are my two personal favorites, from Races of Stone and Complete Divine Respectively.
Nutation 12-28-06, 02:24 PM	No dinosaurs without specific access. Ed Source? The LGCS restricts animal companions, but not wild shape.
Howie23 12-28-06, 03:10 PM	Source? The LGCS restricts animal companions, but not wild shape. This isn't an explanation, but an extension of the conversation, so to speak. There is a core requirement that the druid be familiar with the animal that he is wild shaping into. There is no mechanism for tracking this in LG, but it is up to the player to keep this rule in mind when selecting wild shape forms. David (who knows of a dinosaur in an expired mod, but has never had a character encounter one in LG)
Lupo 12-28-06, 07:19 PM	This isn't an explanation, but an extension of the conversation, so to speak. There is a core requirement that the druid be familiar with the animal that he is wild shaping into. There is no mechanism for tracking this in LG, but it is up to the player to keep this rule in mind when selecting wild shape forms. David (who knows of a dinosaur in an expired mod, but has never had a character encounter one in LG) yea, and no druid would be able to become a t-rex, to be more precise a fiendish t-rex of legend, popping up just in charge range. and the beast wasn't hindered by the heavy undergrowth while all player characters were . . . . ;) you know, the wonderful times before the feign surprise card. ok, the module handed out celestial templates on animal companion, but i played it with my cleric :(. ciao martin m.