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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DND_Reborn" data-source="post: 8104560" data-attributes="member: 6987520">Um... thank you?LOL but when you Wild Shape you aren't that creature, you are a Druid assuming its form, so you can toss your CR calculation worries out the window--they don't apply here. Also, you are using a second level spell for the AC buff. A CR 1 brown bear is not available until 8th level Druid (unless you go the ever popular Moon Druid route--but that is only one subclass out of the half-dozen or so out there...). Even if you insist on look at this as a Moon Druid (whose strongest feature IS wild shaping!), you are using 1: One of your two second level slots and 2: one of your Wild Shapes. Those are precious resources, so it should be effective. You can use this tactic (at most) twice a day, for an hour each use since you only have two 2nd-level slots.But in all other subclass cases, considering all the things an 8th level Druid can be doing, a CR 1 Brown Bear, even with AC 16, is hardly game breaking at all. When you consider the fact that at level 8 you are likely encountering CR 3-5+ monsters, often higher, Wild Shaping into a CR 1 (or 2 even) beast is not going to be a big factor.I also think since you are concerned with the creature creation section of the DMG, you should really learn how it works. Having a base AC of 16 doesn't make your defense the equal of a CR 8 monster...[SPOILER="CR 1 (?) Brown Bear"]For reference:[ATTACH=full]127180[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]127179[/ATTACH]DEFENSE1. Begin with finding the HP and determining the base CR. With 34 HP, the base CR is 1/8.2. Look at the AC for the base CR. For 1/8, it is AC 13. With Barkskin and AC 16, we are 3 points of AC higher.3. Adjust the base defensive CR up (in this case) 1 level for each full two points of difference in AC. With a 3 point difference, this is only an increase of 1 level.4. So, your final defensive CR is 1/4.OFFENSE1. Begin by finding the average damage for the attacks. For the brown bear it is 19, which results in a CR 2.2. Next, look up the attack bonus for the base CR (2 in this case), and get +3.3. Compare the monsters attack bonus (+5) with the CR's attack bonus (+3), adjust the offensive CR up (in this case) 1 level for each full two points of difference in the attack bonus. With a 2 points difference, this is again a +1 increase in CR4. So, your final offensive CR is 3.FINAL CR1. Take the average of the defensive and offensive CRs, rounding normally. The average of 3 and 1/4 is 1.625, so rounded up to CR 2.Here's the kicker...BUT if you leave the AC at 11, the Defensive Rating would be CR 0, and the average of 3 and 0 is 1.5, still rounded up to CR 2.So, although the listed CR for a Brown Bear is 1, it should be 2 according to the DMG method. This is why the CR system is more about the guidelines than actual rules. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />[/SPOILER]Shrug No, I think you are paranoid and "just plain wrong" but whatever... I'll sleep just as well at night without your approval so have a nice day. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></blockquote>

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