D&D 5E Druid 20 = Infinite Hit Points

[77IM]

I'd rule that wild shape hit points do not stack, according to the general rules about stacking similar effects.

So, yes, a 20th-level druid can change shape each round to replenish their bonus hit points, but they couldn't just sit there racking up hit points between combats and exceed the normal maximum of a CR 6 beast.

 

[drjones]

The way I read the rules you need to use a bonus action to change into your shape and one to change back to normal. I would rule that you can't change from one animal to another without switching back to normal. So while you would have infinite HP in some situations, you would always have one round of being normal in-between and would need to heal yourself in normal form since casting healing spells while transformed would not heal your base HP. This might make you very hard to kill, but it is not making you invulnerable or anything. In fact it makes for some fun tactical decisions. For level 20 seems fine.

 

[Mouseferatu]

It's not hard, at high levels, to bring even the toughest beasts down to zero. Almost every time you do so, you'll be causing some overflow damage to the druid. So attrition is a lot harder, but it's still a factor.

Save or die still works. Hit point-dependent abilities are more likely to work. (Power Word Kill, anyone?) Conditions still carry over. Casting in melee is still a problem.

It's an incredibly potent ability, but it's not immortality.

 

[pming]

Hiya.

Dr.Jones pretty much got it right.

You don't get "free HP"...your HP total just changes. You don't "heal damage" when you change, you just change HP totals.

You need to change back to change into a different form; you can use your changes to keep the same form for a longer period of time (re: change into a dog for a few hours...and when it is set to run out, use another wildshape to stay as a dog). In other words, you can't turn into a dog, then change straight into a falcon; it would go human --> dog --> human --> falcon.

You KEEP ALL DAMAGE that you have taken in your forms. If you have 50hp as a human druid, change into a wolf, take 10 damage, change into human, change into tiger, take 35 damage, change back into human....you would have 5hp left (50, -10, -35 = 5). You don't "heal" anything. If you had changed into a brown bear in stead of a dog, and taken 30 points there, you'd be in real trouble after changing back into human from tiger...you'd change back with less than 0hp (50, -30, -35 = -15). So, basically, you never have "more" hp than your actual character does, but you can try and save your butt if your 'actual' hp are low. In other words, you have 50 max, have taken 47, so you have 3hp left; turn into a tiger and you now have 37hp (tigers average)...you could make a run for it, take some damage, then when the shape runs out, revert into human form with less than 0hp...hopefully in front of another druid or cleric or someone who will be able to try and save your unconscious butt.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Vowtz]

Another limitation is that it requires a bonus action to revert to your normal form. Therefore, unless the form's hp is reduced to 0 (in which case you'll probably take damage), you can only refresh your Wildshape hp every other round.

I don't think a druid will have to revert back to shape again,
since by raw class features can be used while in wild shape.


It would be a good houserule thou.

 

[Sunseeker]

Max level druid being a little OP? I'm not particularly surprised.

Still, it's max level.

Also: I like the idea of restricting wild-shape to-and-from the base form only.

 

[bganon]

Even if it works (it's not absolutely clear to me that it does), infinite hp is usually not that great a combat ability. Being the perfect punching bag does not subdue the ancient dragon any faster, nor does it close that portal to the lower hells, nor does it stop the lich-king's ritual from draining the life force from an entire nation.

It helps preoccupy something that dishes out massive single-target damage - but if such a foe is your biggest worry at 20th level, well, congratulations at having made the world such a safe place to begin with.

 

[Vowtz]

Even if it works (it's not absolutely clear to me that it does), infinite hp is usually not that great a combat ability. Being the perfect punching bag does not subdue the ancient dragon any faster, nor does it close that portal to the lower hells, nor does it stop the lich-king's ritual from draining the life force from an entire nation.

It helps preoccupy something that dishes out massive single-target damage - but if such a foe is your biggest worry at 20th level, well, congratulations at having made the world such a safe place to begin with.

You are not just the gratest punching bag.
You are a full caster too, with access to 9th circle spells.
you can assume a 100~200 hp shape as a bonus action
then cast spells or attack as an action.

if someone really strong deals more than 100 damage
to you, you will assume 100~200 hp shape as a bonus
action and you are still an awesome caster.

On top of that there is the versatility of having many
different forms.


When I saw that for the first time I thought I
misinterpreted the rules, but thanks to the internet
People now I know it was no mistake.

 

[ambroseji]

Hiya
You KEEP ALL DAMAGE that you have taken in your forms. If you have 50hp as a human druid, change into a wolf, take 10 damage, change into human, change into tiger, take 35 damage, change back into human....you would have 5hp left (50, -10, -35 = 5). You don't "heal" anything. If you had changed into a brown bear in stead of a dog, and taken 30 points there, you'd be in real trouble after changing back into human from tiger...you'd change back with less than 0hp (50, -30, -35 = -15). So, basically, you never have "more" hp than your actual character does, but you can try and save your butt if your 'actual' hp are low. In other words, you have 50 max, have taken 47, so you have 3hp left; turn into a tiger and you now have 37hp (tigers average)...you could make a run for it, take some damage, then when the shape runs out, revert into human form with less than 0hp...

This isn't accurate at all.

From the PHB pg. 67: "When you transform, you assume the beast's hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed."

 

[RangerWickett]

I think they just underpowered the other classes' level 20 abilities.

A druid 20 can wildshape each round.

A bard 20 can . . . get one use of bardic inspiration at the start of each encounter if he's already out.

Screw that. Let the bard 20 have unlimited inspiration.