Wildshape FAQ

Valavien

First Post
Greetings,

In the following post I am going to post my compiled version of Wildshape, it contains each part of Alter Self and Polymorph that make up Wildshape as a whole. Certain parts of the text have been changed such as "subject" to "druid" and words like Spell etc.

I hope to possibly add questions and answers but with all the info compiled in this form it's a lot easier to understand how it works to start with. Information like - can I use full attack and what modifiers are there? If anyone has anything they want to add then just post and I may add it to the main post. I especially encourage any official advice gained from emails to customer service. I am doing this to help others and because I currently play a 7th level druid in Living Greyhawk so I require specific answers and can't just go by DM opinion. This probably also relates to answers provided by Andy Collins on his message board. But feel free to post links to rules interpretation.

For Customer Service Submission Updated 21/10/2003
1. Do the wild shaped (polymorphed) characters' hitpoints increase because of an increased CON score?

Current Discussion Threads
How many attacks does the druid get?http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=65587
 
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Compiled Wildshape, Polymorph & Alter Self

1. At 5th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. (WS)
2. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. (WS)
3. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. (WS)
4. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. (WS)
5. The form chosen must be that of an animal the druid is familiar with. (WS)
6. The new form’s Hit Dice can’t exceed the character’s druid level. (WS)
7. Upon changing, the druid regains lost hit points as if it had rested for a night (though this healing does not restore temporary ability damage and provide other benefits of resting; and changing back does not heal the subject further). If slain, the subject reverts to its original form, though it remains dead. (P)
8. The druid gains the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of the new form but retains their own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores.
9. They also gain all extraordinary special attacks possessed by the form but does not gain the extraordinary special qualities possessed by the new form or any supernatural or spell-like abilities. (P) …special qualities not noted above under physical qualities, such as darkvision, low-light vision, blindsense, blindsight, fast healing, regeneration, scent, and so forth. (AS)
10. You retain your class and level, hit points, alignment, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses all remain the same. (AS)
11. You retain all supernatural and spell-like special attacks and qualities of your normal form, except for those requiring a body part that the new form does not have (such as a mouth for a breath weapon or eyes for a gaze attack).(AS)
12. You keep all extraordinary special attacks and qualities derived from class levels, but you lose any from your normal form that are not derived from class levels. (AS)
13. You acquire the physical qualities of the new form while retaining your own mind. Physical qualities include natural size, mundane movement capabilities (such as burrowing, climbing, walking, swimming, and flight with wings, to a maximum speed of 120 feet for flying or 60 feet for nonflying movement), natural armor bonus, natural weapons (such as claws, bite, and so on), racial skill bonuses, racial bonus feats, and any gross physical qualities (presence or absence of wings, number of extremities, and so forth). (AS)
14. You can freely designate the new form’s minor physical qualities (such as hair color, hair texture, and skin color) within the normal ranges for a creature of that kind. The new form’s significant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and gender) are also under your control, but they must fall within the norms for the new form’s kind. You are effectively disguised as an average member of the new form’s race. (AS)
15. When the change occurs, your equipment, if any, either remains worn or held by the new form (if it is capable of wearing or holding the item), or melds into the new form and becomes non-functional. When you revert to your true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on your body they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items you wore in the assumed form and can’t wear in your normal form fall off and land at your feet; any that you could wear in either form or carry in a body part common to both forms at the time of reversion are still held in the same way. Any part of the body or piece of equipment that is separated from the whole reverts to its true form.
16. A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)
17. A druid can use this ability more times per day at 6th, 7th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level, as noted on Table: The Druid.
18. In addition, she gains the ability to take the shape of a Large animal at 8th level, a Tiny animal at 11th level, and a Huge animal at 15th level.
19. At 12th level, a druid becomes able to use wild shape to change into a plant creature with the same size restrictions as for animal forms. (A druid can’t use this ability to take the form of a plant that isn’t a creature.)
20. At 16th level, a druid becomes able to use wild shape to change into a Small, Medium, or Large elemental (air, earth, fire, or water) once per day. These elemental forms are in addition to her normal wild shape usage. In addition to the normal effects of wild shape, the druid gains all the elemental’s extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities. She also gains the elemental’s feats for as long as she maintains the wild shape, but she retains her own creature type.
21. At 18th level, a druid becomes able to assume elemental form twice per day, and at 20th level she can do so three times per day. At 20th level, a druid may use this wild shape ability to change into a Huge elemental.
 

Valavien said:
10. You retain your class and level, hit points, alignment, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses all remain the same. (AS)
I would like to append this by saying... You retain you class & level, Base hit points, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses, which are all then modified by your new STR, CON, & DEX as appropriate. (P)


Mike
 

Although we use MOTW rules instead of 3.5, this looks good to me. One question: Mike, are you sure that your hit points are modified by your new CON score? I was pretty sure they weren't, but maybe this changed in 3.5.

Daniel
 

Pielorinho said:
Mike, are you sure that your hit points are modified by your new CON score? I was pretty sure they weren't, but maybe this changed in 3.5.

Daniel
Wel, it specifically states you get the STR, CON & DEX of your new form, as per Polymorph. Why would it spell this out if it didn't want you to get the benifits for the new abilities?

It also says, Polymorph functions like Alter Self... And Alter Self says...
You retain your own ability scores.
And it also says...
Your class and level, hit points, alignment, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses all remain the same.
which is redundant in my opinion BECAUSE it already said...
You retain your own ability scores.
YMMV


So, the lower level spell states you don't change stats... the higher level spell states you do change stats.

Why would they give them to you if they didn't want you to use them?

I am assuming no one would argue that a Druid wouldn't be able to use the Dire Bear's STR... then why can't he also get the use of the CON while in that form?


YMMV


Mike
 

Mike, the part where it says, "Your hit points...stay the same" seems pretty clear to me -- it doesn't say your BASE hit points stay the same, as it says for attack bonus, saves, etc.

Your changed con affects your Fort save, certain skills, your ability to hold your breath, etc. It just doesn't affect your hit points.

That's my reading, any way.
Daniel
 

Pielorinho said:
Mike, the part where it says, "Your hit points...stay the same" seems pretty clear to me -- it doesn't say your BASE hit points stay the same, as it says for attack bonus, saves, etc.

Your changed con affects your Fort save, certain skills, your ability to hold your breath, etc. It just doesn't affect your hit points.

That's my reading, any way.
Daniel
But Alter Self says your hitpoints stay the same, because you retain your original stats... but Polymorph is giving you new stats... so you get ALL the benifits of those stats. This is the difference between a 4th and a 1st level spell.


Mike
 

mikebr99 said:
But Alter Self says your hitpoints stay the same, because you retain your original stats... but ...
Nope.

Alter Self doesn't say that per se. It says:
SRD_3.5e said:
You retain your own ability scores. Your class and level, hit points, alignment, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses all remain the same.
Note the lack of a "because" statement.

In fact, they say that hit point remain the same after they have already said abillity score remain the same. No causation is implied or required.
 

My DM and I have wrestled with the wildshape CON/hp issue. He has ruled that your hit points aren't affected by the new CON score, because he feels it would be too powerful. I don't agree, but I'm hardly unbiased - I'm playing a druid. I freaking wish someone from WotC would just come out and clarify this already.
 

Nail said:
Nope.

Alter Self doesn't say that per se. It says:
Note the lack of a "because" statement.

In fact, they say that hit point remain the same after they have already said abillity score remain the same. No causation is implied or required.

They are just stating the implications of...
You retain your own ability scores.
by following it with...
Your class and level, hit points, alignment, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses all remain the same.
for those youngsters out there that haven't mastered the english language... ;) (not you...)

YMMV


Mike
 
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