Post/Author/DateTime	Post
MP707 03-17-08, 10:15 AM	I'm playing DnD for the first time and I'm using a druid (level 3 at the moment). My question is what animals will I be able to use in wild shape? The PHB says thas has to be a animal that the druid is "familiar" with but for me that is not obvious. I can only change to animals that I already seen? Do the animals in the place that I as born count? How can I become "familiar" with other animals? The DM does not know what to decide since it is the first time for him to. And I would like to know how can I use the awesome dinos ;) Help please, we are totally loss :weep:
aikimiller 03-17-08, 10:19 AM	http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=wildshape+site%3Aforums.gleemax.com google search of the forums on the topic wildshape. Easiest way to find information on here.
MP707 03-17-08, 12:05 PM	I have alredy done that. I have enconter always diferent anwsers so what we want to know is the oficial rule, or the most commun thing to decide. A list of aceptable creatures... is what i have seen the most, but my DM does not know how to make that list.
ArochanoX 03-17-08, 12:14 PM	Just a suggestion: You are familiar with a creature if: 1) You've seen it and studied it live for a short period of time. (Seeing a leopard charge and attack you (or some other creature) would be sufficient to wildshape later to a leopard). 2) You've studied it from an illustrated book that gives enough information for you to mimic the creature. For example after reading a race description and seeing a picture in PHB, you should be able to mimic Halfling, Human, Half-Orc etc etc. In game terms that could be 8 hours of study of one creature (and of course the materials, books, library fees etc.). 3) You study a creature that has died. It requires some intensive study and equipment to be able to mimic a creature whose bones you've seen. 4) Scrying or other magical means.
Daehan 03-17-08, 12:19 PM	Well, I might suggest if you haven't put ranks in knowledge (nature) that you do so. If you are changing into a fairly common animal, imo such as a leopard, you most likely wouldn't need a justify it. However, if you want something more exotic, you could do some kind of knowledge check for it. I would consider most of the basic animals in the monster manual I to be commonly known by many, barring specific homebrew campaigns.
MP707 03-17-08, 06:38 PM	I have only one rank in nature knowledge but I planed to put more there. Thanks for the sugestion. One question, if I am from the High Forest I should know all the animals there, anyone knows what animals exist there? there are dino or dire? many thanks.
Daehan 03-17-08, 07:44 PM	Hmm, not sure what the "high forest" is, but you can check out the monster manuals and see which creatures live in the forest environment. Under each monster they have a listing for environment.
Legdiwena 03-17-08, 08:11 PM	High Forest is a region on Faerun and should be in the appropriate regional book. One thing not mentioned is studying animals from summoning them.
Thief_of_Hope 03-17-08, 10:08 PM	High Forest is a region on Faerun and should be in the appropriate regional book. One thing not mentioned is studying animals from summoning them. Ooh! I like that one! I've never thought of it before! I was going to suggest the zoo for exotic animals like dinosaurs. You know...if you can find one. Or the circus! I would think there'd be SOMEWHERE you could find animals on display.
Captain_Kobold 03-17-08, 11:09 PM	How "familiar" a druid has to be with a specific creature in order to wildshape into it is left up to the DM. It is not stated anywhere. This gives individual DMs a great deal of leeway in determining what forms a druid can wildshape into. By dictionary, "familiar" means "well aquainted; thoroughly conversant". This implies a certain length of study. Some DMs allow a few minutes such as from summon spells or attacks by the animal to be sufficient. Some follow the definition a little more closely and require a few days of watching it in its natural environment. If they think a certain form is inappropriate/too powerful, they can simply not give the opportunity to become familiar with the animal. Ultimately, ask your DM for their call. If he thinks the druid class is underpowered, he can give it a boost by adopting a very lax definition of the term. If he thinks that druids are powerful enough, he can stick to a closer definition.
1 ton ghost 03-18-08, 01:22 PM	this isn't necessarilly houserule material for what it's worth, just aid i'm volunteering. that is to say, "IMO" is the operative phrase... -Assuming you designate a Home Region, The High Forest presumably being your own in this case (Feerun), most PC classes should be fairly knowledgeable w/ the species in question. Give a modicum of Knowledge Nature for ease of game play, it would be safe to assume you are familiar w/ the normal animals of you home region and a smattering of a few similar ones. High Forest being fairly similar in approximation to Cormanthyr or the Silverwood, etc., you could hip shoot quite a few. Bears in High Forest can't really be the much different from the ones in the Elven Court, you know? -Foreign regions or climates you have not actually experienced are typically off limits. A druid from the High Forest can't change into a dolphin cuz' he never saw one off the harbors of Waterdeep having never been there or studied one. Soon as he goes fishing out there, has a trip to Sea World, whatever (contact w/ a dolphin), he's competant enough to shapechange. -Knowledge Nature in terms of Know Geography might help; ex)you've studied up on scorpions of Anauroch (desert) and know them well, just haven't seen one. Should be available if, and only if, you have pre-existing knowledge. I've never seen a komodo dragon in the flesh, but w/ enough zoology under my belt, Nova, Animal Planet, etc., I'd say I'm "familiar". -If you've seen it, particularly interacted w/ it or studied it a bit, you're gold -Overall, assume if you have a few ranks in Survival and hopefully Knowledge Nature, you should be proficient enough to know all the indigenous species of normal animals in YOUR OWN region. High Forest: bears, deer, the rare red tiger (think n. american moutain lion), all manner of birds, many birds of prey, etc. Think Red Woods. Regluar deciduous forest, just incredibly huge. I'd highly recommend getting the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book. It's incredibly comprehensive, very well written, and pretty vital for a "good Faerunian adventure path".
Kursk 03-18-08, 01:52 PM	You are familiar with a creature if: Webster's: frequently seen or experienced Anyway, I use the definition of the word when deciding as a DM.
MP707 03-18-08, 08:37 PM	Thanks for all the help with the sugestion, so I am taking this chançe to put another question. I am close to reach the level 4 and I am pretending to chage the wolf in to a leopard. It is a good trade? does the choice is the best? The DM as told me that Fleshraker is of limits :P
Wheldrake 03-19-08, 10:36 AM	As a druid from the High Forest (Forgotten Realms) yuou can probably assume you are familiar with most common herbivores and carnivores found in temperate woodlands, including boars, bears, wolves, panthers and so on. As DM I would require a DC15 knowledge (nature) check for specific dire varieties of the above. You would only get one shot at each species, and only get to retry when you gain ranks in knowledge (nature). Of course if you actually roleplay hunting down some specific animal and observing it, that would work too. Or find some learned tome of lore on specific creatures. Medieval bestiaries were a popular literary genre, so why not in our fantasy worlds as well? Cheers, --- Wheldrake