Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Aresmoonshadow2 Jan 16, 2015 13:02:07	I have a player running a Druid (Circle of the Moon). He wildshapes into a bear and eviscerates everything in his path. That's great and all, but I find that the encounters aren't challenging for his character and too much so for other players. I've been DMing a while, yet draw a blank about how to deal with this ability. I don't want to attack him/his character specifically, but I want the encounters to be challenging and fair for all without them all being, "Let X turn into a bear and kill everything." End encounter. Any advice?
#2 AaronOfBarbaria Jan 16, 2015 13:19:49	Advice point 1: Let the ability be what it is - don't try to counter or invalidate it.   Advice point 2: Present a variety of challenges so that the best way to the goal is not always "be a bear"   Advice point 3: Have many encounters happen through an adventuring day, so that there might be some chance at lower levels that the duration of wild shape has expired by the characters haven't found opportunity for a rest.   Advice point 4: If you think the monsters shouldn't be reacting to the bear in the party as if it is the biggest, scariest threat, and needs more attention than the other threats present - it had better be because it isn't the biggest, scariest threat, and not because of some sense that you aren't supposed to have his extremely durable and extremely dangerous character soaking more than an even share of whatever damage that the enemies are flinging the party's way.   remember, fair and equal are not always the same thing - and in this case being fair to the other players is having the enemies lay into the druid a bit heavier than they do the other characters.
#3 bawylie Jan 16, 2015 13:29:09	All of what Aaron said. Plus, when you design an encounter, look to push the party off their main strategy and into their backup plan.    Their A game will always win, by design. Probably so will their B game. But their B game is closer, deadlier. Thus, if you have encounters that aren't throwaway, push them into the B game.
#4 BRJN Jan 16, 2015 15:57:19	- Garlic repels vampires - or so I'm told.  What would make a bear think twice about getting up close?  (Troglodyte Stench might be overdoing it.) - Somehow get the PCs to attack a merchant caravan.  One guy pulls out the Trade Good of black pepper and blows a pinch into the bear's eyes.  Blinded for a turn ! - Drowning doesn't care about HP or AC.  Put him in a rowboat in the middle of Lake Michigan.  (See if the player is aware of animal forms with Swim speeds.) - Drowning Mk II: The PCs sign up as crew on the Edmond Fitzgerald. - Putting a ball-and-chain around this guy's ankle is probably useless, because he can turn into a snake and get out of it. - Unlike 4e, Druids do run out of wild shapes now.  Have them face N+1 encounters, so the Druid can learn about the other cool features of his class.  He may surprise himself and you ! - Send in swarms of minions, more than the bear can take down swiftly by himself. - Shoot at the other PCs from across a bridge over a chasm or a river.  Or maybe where there is NO bridge. - Assassination attempts should only be used after a recurring intelligent villian has been introduced.  Don't just nuke him because he's strong. - Have somebody (a Paladin?) challenge the Druid to a one-on-one duel.  This way the other PCs are not at risk. - Turning into a bear and clawing everything that won't run away does not help if the other guy is a Police Officer (too many allies) - or the Godfather (protected by society) - So lure the bear away with honey (split the party) and then send the remaining PCs a challenging fight. - Have a Team Evil NPC mock the bear form as being "Winnie-the-Pooh-Bear".  He will doubtless get what's coming to him. - Traps can be tough for a Druid to deal with; he does not have the tools. - Send a Tough Guy in with orders to beat up another member of the party.  The Druid can feel cool and powerful protecting his friends. - Seduce the Druid character.  This will keep him busy for a while.  Variation on "split the party". - I suspect that when the other PCs attain the same level as a natural bear, the bear form won't be so much of an overpowering problem.  Patience. - Offer the Druid's player a list of everything he can possibly change into that has been published so far, so he has the option of variety.  He may not do anything with it, of course.
#5 Ninja_Ferret Jan 16, 2015 16:19:36	I have a problem with my druid who seems to do everything. From turning into bear and eating face to turning into spiders to scout and uses it as an excuse to find all the traps and hidden doors (making the poor rogue useless).
#6 iserith Jan 16, 2015 16:28:08	Aresmoonshadow2 wrote:
(Reply to #5) AaronOfBarbaria	Ninja_Ferret wrote:
#8 Coredump00 Jan 16, 2015 19:37:20	I don't see any reason why a spider would be very good at finding traps and hidden doors
#9 Ashrym Jan 16, 2015 19:51:32	Break out a political intrigue adventure. The druid isn't going to blend into a ballroom gathering information and roleplaying social settings by turning into a bear for hit points. During other adventures provide incentive to not be in bear form in a similar method. Remember, the beast cannot speak, bears don't have hands, and spell casting is not possible.
(Reply to #8) Ninja_Ferret	Coredump00 wrote:
#11 Coredump00 Jan 16, 2015 22:20:36	Well, assuming he has seen a lot of different sized spiders.... that shouldn't be a problem.   But being that small may make it harder to recognize things that are not in the open, a trap may not be easy to spot when you are that small, even with darkvision.    But really.... this type of searching should take F.O.R.E.V.E.R......  spiders that small move really really slow, and if he is purposely checking out every single crack and crevice.... is the party going to wait for an hour or two while he searches a small room?  I know the speed is listed as 20ft.... but that's crazy, and does not account for such a ridiculously detailed search.
#12 Sands666 Jan 17, 2015 3:09:30	I have a player who is playing the Druid (Circle of the Moon). He's barely 3rd level, catching up to the rest of the group who is currently 4th level going on 5th. I had them hunting a cyclopse in the mountains last game.   They found the giant cavernous entrance to his home and decided to have the Druid change into a Bear to try and lure the cyclopse out as "food bait" so that the rest of the group could jump out and ambush it.  The group made some noise as they wen to hide. Perception check let me the DM know that Cyclopse heard noise. The Cyclopse miraculously made a stealth check to get closer to the cave entrance. Cyclopse saw the bear. Druid player says, "do I see anything as I appraoch?" I say, "nope... nothing seems to be going on." When Druid in Bear form decides to move closer the Cyclopse tosses a massive boulder at the bear at nails it. Bear/Druid runs away injured as hell and Cyclopse runs out. Group jumps out of hiding and attack Cyclopse to death. Everyone had fun. That is how I have 'dealt' with Wild Shape so far. Just let it be how it is.   Some combats the Druid is going to turn into a Bear and it's going to be helpful. Other times...he's going to turn into a Bear and get hit by a boulder and almost die!
#13 CCS Jan 17, 2015 18:34:36	Of course encounters where being a bear isnt the best answer, or using up the wildshape uses will work. But nobody ever mentions just designing encounters that include both "things to challenge x (in this case a bear)" + "things to challenge the rest of the party". It's always just one extreme or the other.... you KNOW the druid will go into bear mode in a fight. So make sure there's something there that'll keep him occupied.