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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hawk Diesel" data-source="post: 7310752" data-attributes="member: 59848">As I stated in my original post, my approach to Wild Shape is simplified and anti-simulationist. Besides, how do a bunch of numbers give you a better sense that you are a dog versus a wolf versus a badger? All beasts have a set of common traits that separates them (in general) from humanoids. Including types of movement, keen senses, and stealth. All I've done is distill them down into their common traits, and allow the player to just describe how their change presents itself. This way if you want to be a hawk, be a hawk. If you want to be an arrowhawk or pseudodragon, you can describe being those things. Not only that, but now you have a standardized power capacity that will be the same across every form. Taken another way, what difference does it make if you describe magic missile as bolts of invisible force versus screaming skulls rocketing through the air from a portal to the Nine Hells? Do those 3 1d4+1 missiles inherently make them anything other than an end result of damage? Would we really need a different spell write up for one versus the other? Also, lets say you want your druid to specialize in Wild Shaping into a wolf. If they only use wolf, or dire wolf, at some point that becomes a sub-optimal choice if you stick to the idea that each stat block inherently feels or separates it from being anything other than the creature it is labeled as.</blockquote>