How would you have handled druid wildshape? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

How would you have handled druid wildshape?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
julescarv
Jan 21, 2009 15:01:08 I'd say that wildshape from the PHB II druid as we've seen it so far -- admittedly, only the first three levels -- looks to be pretty much a sham, but I think that there was something to it which could work. ~~Wildshape~~ Beast form as a keyword makes sense. I think that the best approach might have been to break wildshape up into distinct powers: Form of Tiger, Form of Mouse, Form of Swan, Form of Elephant, Form of Shark, etc, with distinctive levels, usage frequencies, etc. While wildshaped, powers wouldn't be accessible. A druid who envisioned himself more as a cunning, sneaky, evasive mouse than as a fierce jungle-cat could take the mouse wildshape power but not the tiger one. Some druids might not take any wildshape powers at all and take weather-oriented powers instead. Some druids might be extremely wildshape focused without many powers in their normal humanoid form.

A more modular, but perhaps more difficult to manage, approach might be to give a comprehensive list of animals, from aardvarks to zebras (okay, maybe not that thorough, but a fair number), and then have very abreviated sketch of the wildshape power that would accompany each one: maybe just a single number: "wildshape power," which would serve as the appropriate level for the power, modified upward or downward by making it at-will, encounter, or daily. (This would also, of course, create a list of animals usable for other purposes.)

What do you thinK?
#2
rikiji
Jan 21, 2009 15:25:32 Looking at the level 2 utility powers, it looks like the druid class will have shapeshifting powers of the nature you're describing in addition to the wildshape power (which works out very nicely in play - I can't agree that it's a sham). I'd really want to see more of the class before even considering any modification.
#3
kuonji
Jan 22, 2009 11:28:20 I liked the 3.5 PHB2 wildshape variant rules. I'm pretty OK with the 4ed rules we've seen so far.
#4
kkdragonlord
Jan 22, 2009 15:33:36 I would have stated in the powers description that the character must take a "fast form" to move fast or a "deadly form" to perform attacks. Having a character that can shapeshift into a giant turtles and use that ability that makes him run like the wind is kinda silly.

other than that, i believe wildshape is now the most broken roleplay ability i've ever seen. The character may change into a dog, a pony, a pig, anything, meaning he can become the greatest spy or thief alive at level 1.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 julescarv Jan 21, 2009 15:01:08	I'd say that wildshape from the PHB II druid as we've seen it so far -- admittedly, only the first three levels -- looks to be pretty much a sham, but I think that there was something to it which could work. ~~Wildshape~~ Beast form as a keyword makes sense. I think that the best approach might have been to break wildshape up into distinct powers: Form of Tiger, Form of Mouse, Form of Swan, Form of Elephant, Form of Shark, etc, with distinctive levels, usage frequencies, etc. While wildshaped, powers wouldn't be accessible. A druid who envisioned himself more as a cunning, sneaky, evasive mouse than as a fierce jungle-cat could take the mouse wildshape power but not the tiger one. Some druids might not take any wildshape powers at all and take weather-oriented powers instead. Some druids might be extremely wildshape focused without many powers in their normal humanoid form. A more modular, but perhaps more difficult to manage, approach might be to give a comprehensive list of animals, from aardvarks to zebras (okay, maybe not that thorough, but a fair number), and then have very abreviated sketch of the wildshape power that would accompany each one: maybe just a single number: "wildshape power," which would serve as the appropriate level for the power, modified upward or downward by making it at-will, encounter, or daily. (This would also, of course, create a list of animals usable for other purposes.) What do you thinK?
#2 rikiji Jan 21, 2009 15:25:32	Looking at the level 2 utility powers, it looks like the druid class will have shapeshifting powers of the nature you're describing in addition to the wildshape power (which works out very nicely in play - I can't agree that it's a sham). I'd really want to see more of the class before even considering any modification.
#3 kuonji Jan 22, 2009 11:28:20	I liked the 3.5 PHB2 wildshape variant rules. I'm pretty OK with the 4ed rules we've seen so far.
#4 kkdragonlord Jan 22, 2009 15:33:36	I would have stated in the powers description that the character must take a "fast form" to move fast or a "deadly form" to perform attacks. Having a character that can shapeshift into a giant turtles and use that ability that makes him run like the wind is kinda silly. other than that, i believe wildshape is now the most broken roleplay ability i've ever seen. The character may change into a dog, a pony, a pig, anything, meaning he can become the greatest spy or thief alive at level 1.