Wildshape

[Jester David]

Not only that, but they gained the animal stats. So if you choose a dire bear, you sudenly gain +16 to STR and +8 CON. That makes the balance jump off the window, because a Barbarian gains +4 STR and CON with rage, and the druid can cast firestorm, call lightning, barkskin and regeneration.

There was that too. But if that was all they could do it'd be good but not CoDzilla worthy. Being able to do that and summon 1d4+1 animal helpers, send your animal companion to flank, buff yourself, and more.
But all of that is fairly iconic to the druid.

Late 3e and Pathfinder showed you could keep the feel of wildshaping without making it too broken.

 

[gweinel]

I think the best way to wildshape is to the druid to invest resources that could go into spellcasting and animal companion.

The "master of shapes" druid would have few spells and a weaker animal companion.

The "beastmaster" druid would have few spells and fewer forms.

The "primal master" druid would have few forms and a weak companion.

I like this approach which is the approach (much or less) of 4e. However the realization of the 4e approach was really lame imho.
As druid fun I hated that I had my stats and abilities when I was shapechanged to animal. There was really no practical reason to be an eagle or a tiger or a hamster. All these animals were the same. There were cosmetic changes.
While I like the approach that minigiant writes, the implementation at least for the wild shape must be different. I would prefer the animal type and the abilities to be closely tied to the level of the druid. So, a 2nd lvl druid would not be able shapechange to a tiger (at least to a full grown tiger) but a 10lvl druid he might can. A 2nd lvl druid he could shapechange to a limited number of animals with small powers (ex. no flying or breath underwater).

 

[Minigiant]

I still think the easiest method is to make the druid choose.

As a DM, my house rule for 3.5 druids was to move wildshape to level 1 and untie druid level to caster level, animal companion, and wildshape. The druid was given 2 druid points a level and the ranger 1 per level. A druid point could be spent to increase caster level, the Max HD of wildshape, or your effective levels of your animal companions. With no caster level in NEXT, I don't know how I'd convert that.

 

[The Shadow]

First of all, I'm down with Wildshape being a spell, possibly an auto-prepared spell. I'm also more than okay with it limiting what stats you can get, and with not allowing spellcasting in animal form.

I think the idea of limiting the number of forms a druid can have learned is also very flavorful and cool. Not sure if that's consistent with making it a spell, though.

Animal companions just don't strike me as central to the druid class. It was generally the ranger thing in 1e. I agree that a specialty is the way to go, especially since they did it with familiars.

I *don't* think the animal companion feat will require any kind of spellcasting. Or if it does, the feat that comes before it will grant two druid cantrips and make the matter moot. (There's a bit of druidic casting for your rangers, too!) I doubt we'll see a 'primal source' in 5e.

Now you can make Grizzly Adams as a fighter, if you want to.

Now for animal summoning. I would very much like to see this either eliminated, or vastly simplified to run. Summoning, at least 3e and PF style, slows the game to a crawl. It is annoying, to the point where I sigh if I find out somebody's going to be playing a druid. Maybe something similar to swarm rules, so we don't have to roll to-hit for each of the 2-5 wolves or whatever?

 

[Drago Rinato]

I see a clear pattern in the classes:
Fighter choose Fighting Style.
Rogue choose Scheme
Cleric choose Domain
Sorcerer choose Origin
Warlock choose Pact

so probably...

Wizard will choose Specialization or Tradition
Druid will choose Druidic Style (Wild-shape/Companion/Nature Spells)
Monk will choose Martial Arts Style
Paladin will choose maybe Virtues (Courage, Humilty) and oppose Vices
Barbarian will choose an Animal Totem
Ranger will choose hmmm dunno

 

[Stormonu]

What exactly is the difference between primal and arcane magic?

It would be a mix of story and spell theme.

Arcane seems like it has a broad scope. It can do just about everything EXCEPT grant true life (you can use it to create psuedo living things - animated objects, undead and copies of living things). Nor can you use it to cure wounds or other ailments.

Primal is about the natural forces - elemental powers, command over flora and fauna. There is some power over life and death in the minor healing spells and reincarnate spell, but once something's truly dead, its beyond the druid's power to bring it back - he can move it on to a new life, but it can't go back (The "circle of life"). a druid is also ill-prepared to deal with things beyond the natural world - undead, demons, devils and the forces of the outer planes (and alignments).

Of course, there's also divine magic too. It is about providing the succor of the gods. Protections, pronouncements of judgement, calling on the favors of the gods and healing the ills of the sick and the injured. Divine magic is the lone source that can call spirits back from the beyond back to the mortal shells they shed.

At least, that's how I've seen them working in the classic versions of D&D.

 

[The Shadow]

Wizard will choose Specialization or Tradition

Welcome to EN World! And we already know this will be called a Tradition. I'm eager to see what they look like!

Druid will choose Druidic Style (Wild-shape/Companion/Nature Spells)

Possibly called 'Mysteries', or 'Circles' or something?

I'd rather *not* see an animal companion version, I think that makes a good specialty.

Monk will choose Martial Arts Style

Possibly, though this could definitely be carried too far.

Paladin will choose maybe Virtues (Courage, Humilty) and oppose Vices

Ooooooh! Me like! I hadn't thought of that, and that could win me over to the new paladin class in a heartbeat if they do it right!

You could even make a much-less-nice paladin that sees, say, Honor as a virtue and Weakness as a vice.

EDIT: If they do it wrong, however - 'wrong' being defined here as 'You can detect and smite chaos/law/good instead of evil', it will be difficult to forgive.

Barbarian will choose an Animal Totem

Possibly. I'm yet to be convinced that barbarian really works as a class at all. And animal totems might work better as specialties? I mean, why wouldn't everyone from a barbarian tribe have a totem, even if they're not warriors?

Ranger will choose hmmm dunno

Again, I'll have to be convinced that this is worth a class. I won't be convinced by a warmed-over fighter. But given the class' history, they also could pick a Fighting Style - though a different list than fighters, of course.

 

[john112364]

One option would be to do what they did with Turn Undead for the Cleric - make Wildshape a spell that's always available to the druid, but requires the use of a spell slot to cast. You could even have different level versions for more powerful wild shapes.

I had this exact same thought! (Though you beat me to the punch. ). This way a Druid who wants lots of shape shifting has to sacrifice spell casting which would hopefully balance the Druid a bit. You Could have "Wild Shape - Large" at say 7th level, "Wild Shape -Small"at 5th and so forth to reflect the ability to become different sizes etc.

And I agree that animal companions should be a specialty or something like that. I never liked the whole animal companion thing, but I recognize that this may just be my preference. It should definitely be made available to those who like it.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

I think there needs to be a core shapechange mechanicc that covers polymorph, wildshape, lyncanthropes, and other reasons...maybe even possession.


I like Sean Reynolds 3x mechanics for lycans, with feats fleshing out additional abilities.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[CM]

Not only that, but they gained the animal stats. So if you choose a dire bear, you sudenly gain +16 to STR and +8 CON. That makes the balance jump off the window, because a Barbarian gains +4 STR and CON with rage, and the druid can cast firestorm, call lightning, barkskin and regeneration.

I think this is the key to the problem with the 3e druid (that and casting spells in animal form).

I would rather see druids with wildshape have a standard "wildshape form" stat block that you flavor as whatever type of animal you want. Perhaps each general type of creature could gain one or two traits that are imparted to the druid in wildshape form--thick hide (extra AC), flight speed, swim speed, sharp claws (extra damage), fast running speed, water breathing--those sorts of things.

If the druid gains the exact stats of the creature then every new creature has to be abuse-checked against the entire druid class. That way lies madness.