Wildshape suggestions for a 5th level 7HD Druid?

[DrSpunj]

Of course, you must be FAMILIAR with the animal form in question.

Has your character seen any of these creatures? Not unless you've been adventuring in the tropics.

Or spent any real time experimenting with your Summon Nature's Ally spells. If the Druid has had any downtime to play with these over the course of a few days here and there I'm pretty sure they'd be familiar with them enough for Wildshape purposes.

Here's the list for SNA I, II & III, all of which a Druid 5 can cast:

1st Level

• Dire rat​
• Eagle (animal)​
• Monkey (animal)​
• Octopus1 (animal)​
• Owl (animal)​
• Porpoise1 (animal)​
• Snake, Small viper (animal)​
• Wolf (animal)​

2nd Level


​

• Bear, black (animal)​
• Crocodile (animal)​
• Dire badger​
• Dire bat​
• Elemental, Small (any)​
• Hippogriff​
• Shark, Medium1 (animal)​
• Snake, Medium viper (animal)​
• Squid1 (animal)​
• Wolverine (animal)​

3rd Level


​

• Ape (animal)​
• Dire weasel​
• Dire wolf​
• Eagle, giant [NG]​
• Lion​
• Owl, giant [NG]​
• Satyr [CN; without pipes]​
• Shark, Large1 (animal)​
• Snake, constrictor (animal)​
• Snake, Large viper (animal)​
• Thoqqua​

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DrSpunj​

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[Nail]

Or spent any real time experimenting with your Summon Nature's Ally spells.

..Hey! I wasn't gonna mention that! Shhhhhh!

Should a certain druid experiment with the appropriate animals from those spells as she gets them, then yes, she can wildshape into them.

So far a certain druid has Dire Rat and small Earth elemental. Perhaps Dire Badger, IIRC. And that particlar druid may include wolf, viper, and raven on her list of familiar animals. Even riding dog could go on the wildshape list, should the halfling paladin lose his mount.

Truely, an impressive list.

I'm just thankful druids can't wildshape into swarms!

 

[DrSpunj]

..Hey! I wasn't gonna mention that! Shhhhhh!

Should a certain druid experiment with the appropriate animals from those spells as she gets them, then yes, she can wildshape into them.

Well, I was pointing it out here just because the potential of exposure through SNA use doesn't come up all that often, and I think it's a very legitimate use of the druid's abilities, especially for expanding their knowledge of nature.

WRT a certain druid, I'm not going to mention it directly but that player has shown recent signs of perusing some of these "druid-oriented" threads in the last week or so. So beware!

DrSpunj

 

[Nail]

WRT a certain druid, I'm not going to mention it directly but that player has shown recent signs of perusing some of these "druid-oriented" threads in the last week or so. So beware!

Certain people pay attention to these boards more that other certain people, eh? This particular DM is glad that the other certain person doesn't play a druid, or this particular DM would have a major head ache.

In a good way, of course.

 

[Nail]

Depending on what sort of RB your DM is, he might rule that you can't wildshape out while raging . . .

...Because the Rage (Ex) ability doesn't allow you to end it voluntarily, and wildshaping would end the rage.

Seems clear to this DM.....

 

[Brekki]

Except that he is a 5th level Druid... therefore NO large animals till 8th.


Mike

Oops ... knew I forgot something ... but I haven't played druids that weren't 10th level or more

5 HD Medium Animals then:
- Dire Hawk is still good and strong for scouting
- Dire Weasel has pretty strong "Blood Drain" ability
- Dire Badger has rage, but that can get you killed really fast, not being able to flee from combat or cast spells
- Black Bear is ok for fighting with str 19
- Crocodile also has str 19 and improved grab, but that only works on small creatures
- Leopard has pounce and improved grab ... pounce is nice for widespread combats