A question about Wildshape [Archive] - Wizards Community

A question about Wildshape [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Kronno
03-15-08, 10:59 PM The Short Version: Do the objects and equipment that "meld into the new form" when you wildshape retain their MASS?

The Long Version (for those who care): In my weekly group my team was in the lair of "The Analix", a creature FAR more powerful than us, and I was examining a magical tripod of unknown origins. suddenly the Portal in the room came active and our party realized the Analix was about to return. My character is a druid, so, as I didn't want to leave the magical tripod behind (LOOT :P ), I picked it up, wildshaped into a bird and flew off down th escape path with the rest of the party. The tripod weighed about a fiftypounds which was well within the carrying capacity of my druid (it brought me to medium load, if it matters). I had assumed this would be no problem because I'd always assumed that things which melded into your animal form lost their weight and mass. My DM informed me that he'd always assumed the opposite, and a raven can't carry 50 pounds. he let me get away with the tactic at the time, but he has said that he isn't comfortable with my using that tactic again until I can show him that my interpretation is officially how it works. I have looked in the PHB, the DMG, the errata for both, and in all 4 articles on wizards which expand on the rules for using polymorph, and I can't find anything that answers this qustion. Does anyone know what the official ruling here is? It makes sense to me that things which meld lose their mass, otherwise Druids would have to strip in order to assume any of the tinier forms.
Seeker95
03-16-08, 07:38 AM The Short Version: Do the objects and equipment that "meld into the new form" when you wildshape retain their MASS?I would rule no. The original form of the druid loses its mass when it becomes a smaller creature. Its gear should operate no differently.
Merestil Haye
03-16-08, 03:42 PM I would rule no. The original form of the druid loses its mass when it becomes a smaller creature. Its gear should operate no differently.I would agree.

Hide armour, the heaviest armour a Druid can wear in the PHB list, weighs 25lb. This is a significant weight for virtually all birds the Druid might Wildshape into - enough to prevent them from flying with it. A Raven has Str 1, which means it can't carry more than 10lb. Would the DM worry about a Druid wearing hide armour that wildshaped into a raven? He should treat the two cases the same.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kronno 03-15-08, 10:59 PM	The Short Version: Do the objects and equipment that "meld into the new form" when you wildshape retain their MASS? The Long Version (for those who care): In my weekly group my team was in the lair of "The Analix", a creature FAR more powerful than us, and I was examining a magical tripod of unknown origins. suddenly the Portal in the room came active and our party realized the Analix was about to return. My character is a druid, so, as I didn't want to leave the magical tripod behind (LOOT :P ), I picked it up, wildshaped into a bird and flew off down th escape path with the rest of the party. The tripod weighed about a fiftypounds which was well within the carrying capacity of my druid (it brought me to medium load, if it matters). I had assumed this would be no problem because I'd always assumed that things which melded into your animal form lost their weight and mass. My DM informed me that he'd always assumed the opposite, and a raven can't carry 50 pounds. he let me get away with the tactic at the time, but he has said that he isn't comfortable with my using that tactic again until I can show him that my interpretation is officially how it works. I have looked in the PHB, the DMG, the errata for both, and in all 4 articles on wizards which expand on the rules for using polymorph, and I can't find anything that answers this qustion. Does anyone know what the official ruling here is? It makes sense to me that things which meld lose their mass, otherwise Druids would have to strip in order to assume any of the tinier forms.
Seeker95 03-16-08, 07:38 AM	The Short Version: Do the objects and equipment that "meld into the new form" when you wildshape retain their MASS?I would rule no. The original form of the druid loses its mass when it becomes a smaller creature. Its gear should operate no differently.
Merestil Haye 03-16-08, 03:42 PM	I would rule no. The original form of the druid loses its mass when it becomes a smaller creature. Its gear should operate no differently.I would agree. Hide armour, the heaviest armour a Druid can wear in the PHB list, weighs 25lb. This is a significant weight for virtually all birds the Druid might Wildshape into - enough to prevent them from flying with it. A Raven has Str 1, which means it can't carry more than 10lb. Would the DM worry about a Druid wearing hide armour that wildshaped into a raven? He should treat the two cases the same.