D&D (2024) New Wild Shape

[Xamnam]

the druid would be best to cast a summon, turn into a dog, and run around healing people. (Insert St. Bernard picture here).

If you wanted to make this sound unappealing, you did a terrible job

 

[Bill Zebub]

Would it be bad of you could just cast all spells in beast form from level 1?

Well, I think it's worth considering but it's a separate thing. (Admittedly, I strayed from the path with my addendum about faerie fire.) I was thinking of using spell slots to enhance beast form combat. If the druid has to use their action to cast a spell, they aren't engaging in beast combat. Sort of like Smite: it enhances the weapon attack instead of replacing it.

 

[Clint_L]

I could get behind the template idea - I have tried...but I still fear that we are taking a ton of creativity away from players in exchange for simplicity and standardization. The problem with moon druids being OP at low levels is a separate issue that could be addressed in a number of ways.

Things I currently like and would hate to lose:

1. the freedom druid players have to be creative and come up with wild shapes to solve problems. This emphatically includes being able to become something tiny with 1HP and all the risk that entails.

2. the ability of moon druids to tank effectively.

3. wild shapes being explicitly tied to specific animal forms.

4. elemental form being a significant upgrade.

 

[Captain Panda]

What?
Ranged attacks. Free chosing fighting style?
How do they ignore them?

I was referring to the multiclassing requirement mandating 13 strength, not 13 strength OR dex. That's something Fighters get that, for some reason, Paladins don't. Real sad. Though yeah, you can ranged smite now.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I could get behind the template idea - I have tried...but I still fear that we are taking a ton of creativity away from players in exchange for simplicity and standardization. The problem with moon druids being OP at low levels is a separate issue that could be addressed in a number of ways.

Things I currently like and would hate to lose:

1. the freedom druid players have to be creative and come up with wild shapes to solve problems. This emphatically includes being able to become something tiny with 1HP and all the risk that entails.

2. the ability of moon druids to tank effectively.

3. wild shapes being explicitly tied to specific animal forms.

4. elemental form being a significant upgrade.

The only one that I think has to go is #3.

I’d like to see elemental forms restricted to a subclass.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Sure. 3 options off the top of my head.
-until your THP runs out
-+Wis to the save
-automaticlly save x times

Haven't done the math, but I was thinking a turn or 2 of being attacked. More than that and you probably have too much THP.

Artificers can hand that out to anyone.
But this is getting a bit off-topic.

At level 3.
At level 6, you get something else. Like new forms.

I'm low energy right now, so not much I feel like I can add here

Concentration was the only thing I could think of. But that doesn't seem to be working. So maybe just don't use wild shape in combat.

How about

1: Wild shape: Scout or Travel forms that someone else mentioned.

5: Expend a use of channel nature to turn a failed concentration save into a successful one.

And leave "combat wildshape" as a moon druid thing.
3: Bonus action transform, scaling THP, bonus action unarmed strike
6: chose a special features (web, venom, reach, fly by attack, ect...)
10: elemental resistance and damage
14: transform as a reaction

I'm really not sure why you are so big on the concentration saves, it seems to be a major focus for you and I don't understand why.

Other than that, I do want the multi-attack for the Moon druid, but the rest seems somewhat decent at least.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I was referring to the multiclassing requirement mandating 13 strength, not 13 strength OR dex. That's something Fighters get that, for some reason, Paladins don't. Real sad. Though yeah, you can ranged smite now.

Probably they should just remove str from the requirement.

 

[mellored]

I'm really not sure why you are so big on the concentration saves, it seems to be a major focus for you and I don't understand why.

Because wildshape + concentration is a trap in many cases. Just look how many people suggested barkskin, and consider forum goers are above average in game mechanics.

So I'm trying to untrap it.

 

[Enrahim2]

Because wildshape + concentration is a trap in many cases. Just look how many people suggested barkskin, and consider forum goers are above average in game mechanics.

So I'm trying to untrap it.

This made me thinking. Wouldn't getting a scaling barkskin like effect while in wild shape solve the combat issue while not adding more complexity than wizards already have accepted with barkskin? For instance when first wild shaping, and at the start of each turn while wild shaped, you get 1 temporary hp per level. Double that if moon druid. And of course no concentration condition. (Exact number can be tweaked)

 

[mellored]

This made me thinking. Wouldn't getting a scaling barkskin like effect while in wild shape solve the combat issue while not adding more complexity than wizards already have accepted with barkskin? For instance when first wild shaping, and at the start of each turn while wild shaped, you get 1 temporary hp per level. Double that if moon druid. And of course no concentration condition. (Exact number can be tweaked)

What if you cast spiked growth, turn into a ram, and headbutt enemies into it?
Or if you summon a wolf, turn into a wolf?

Low AC causes 2 problems.
One is hit points, which an be solved with temporary ones. Either per turn or just a bucket at the start. I keep flip flopping on which I like better.

Two is concentration.
Which I'm leaning towards just +Wis to concentration checks in wild shape as the simplest.

And Druid spells are about 50% concentration, the highest in the game (excluding paladin smites, which are changing. And paladins have both high AC and +Cha to their saves).