D&D 4th Edition RulesAsk questions about 4th-Edition rules and the like in here. General discussion about 4E or any other game belongs in General RPG Discussion, above.
Curious, what is the Melee Basic Attack of a Druid in wild shape? I ask because if you multiclass in to Druid, and have only one at-will power that can be used 1/encounter, then what do you do otherwise? Do you just have the MBA, and what would it be?
Good question! I hadn't thought about it ..
Umm, you don't do much?
Hmm ..
Well, since a staff implement melds into beast form ... umm ... I'd go with allowing them to use it as a "weapon" (so long as they're not wearing a shield, wielding a totem as well .. the equivalent of using 2 hands)?
__________________ The Passion of Lovers is for Death
Just looking at all kinds of things you can do with a fighter. And it just occured to me that i could multi-druid and fight from beast form (for pure RP reasons). Now I'd get all my Marked abilities and whatnot, but that's about it, you cant use any other encounters or anything. Ofcourse since its At-will to get out of beast form if you really wanted to use an encounter you could pop out, use it, but there is no other reason to be in beast form then just to look cool apparently from a multi-class standpoint. Was hoping the dmg was at least the equivalent of whatever weapon you are wielding, or something
I am no authority by any means, if it came up in my game, I would either say ...
Option 1: Say that you're out of attacks for the encounter - you used up the only attack you had available while in that form.
Option 2: say that you are doing a melee basic attack as if you were unarmed.
Honestly? I'm inclined towards option 1 just because *the way my campaigns are*, wildshaping already provides way too much advantage. So that's how I'd do it for my own game. But your games/DM/party/game style may be different, and, of course, other interpretations are probably out there.
__________________ If you're bored and like to follow links provided by random strangers, check out my ENWorld Blog http://www.enworld.org/forum/blogs/fba827/
It will have campaign logs and random thoughts...
Yeah, this does seem kind of awkward. It makes you wonder if the developers knew this and are happy with it, or if maybe they were just using melee basic attacks in testing and not really realizing that it wasn't allowed hehe. I might allow a multiclass druid to gain an alternate melee basic attack that used Wisdom for 1d8+Wis modifier damage. Maybe.
~
__________________
Click above to see S7S's FREE Rune Soldier Heroic Tier Playtest
also check out Silent7Seven.com for information on The Lunar Scrolls,
and the Advanced Class line including "Druid — Favored Forms"
and "Sorcerer — Aberrant Blood"
1) You have three at-wills, four if you are a human druid.
2) One of those -must- be a Beast Form at-will.
3) Grasping Claws -is- a melee basic attack. Savage Rend -is- a melee basic attack. Pounce can be used instead of an MBA when charging. Those are your only three choices.
If you're Beast Form a lot, then you're taking two Beast Form at-wills, rather than one... which means it's IMPOSSIBLE not to have a melee basic attack in beast form.
The answer is you don't stay in beast form if you want to make basic attacks today. It's not your primary class, so don't expect to be milking its shtick the way a primary druid do.
Well, what you could do, is if you have quick wild shape ...
You can shift for the price of 2 free actions.
And repeat.
Err ... I think this wild shape business has some issues with insufficient playtesting.
You know, even without the quick wild shape feat, wildshape seems pretty meaningless. You just pop in and out based on what power you want to use that round and it doesn't have any real consequences. Stats, size, everything stay the same... so... why... I'd have to say it's one of the more dissapointing things about PHB2.
I think it's weird that the attacks of most animals in the Monster Manual target AC, while those of the Druid wildshaped into the same animal target Reflex...
You know, even without the quick wild shape feat, wildshape seems pretty meaningless. You just pop in and out based on what power you want to use that round and it doesn't have any real consequences. Stats, size, everything stay the same... so... why... I'd have to say it's one of the more disappointing things about PHB2.
There are a few feats that give you bonuses whilst wild shaped, so it's not invariably exactly the same.
But, to answer the OP, if you are a multiclass druid and use up your attacks, you are now completely incapable of causing any harm to a foe unless you shift back, sustain a damaging effect or are a beastmaster ranger. (commanding your pet to attack isn't an attack from you)
It makes me sad. That, and, as near as I can tell, if you are a shaman multi druid, it's always better to take the non-beast form powers... shaman do more damage and often have better effects with their striker-emulating powers, plus they are extreme range instead of melee.
I think it's weird that the attacks of most animals in the Monster Manual target AC, while those of the Druid wildshaped into the same animal target Reflex...
PCs and monsters work differently. In this case, these are PC powers that aren't weapon based; without the proficiency bonus, the usual case is to target a defense other than AC.
Reading PHB2 again today, under druid it says you can't use weapon or wondrous item properties or powers in wild shape form, but _can_ use implement and worn item powers and properties (page 83).
Under Beast Form on page 219 it says you can use a beast form power only while in beast form. On page 83 under "Wild Shape" it says "many druid powers have the beast form keyword and therefore can be used only while you are in beast form".
Nowhere (I can find) does it say you can use only Beast Form powers while in beast form, and the fact it explicitly rules out some powers implies that in general everything is allowed (the exception proving the rule and all).
So, I think a staff-wielding druid can basically stay in beast form all the time.
A staff-wielding MC druid can't use weapon powers, but if they were a wizard, for example, they could still use implement powers.
Last edited by srn; 27th March 2009 at 04:00 AM..
Reason: PHB2, not PHB. Doh.
Linear Mode
And yet another word from our sponsors
