Druid AC per the "Wild" armor mod.

Jesuit

First Post
I'm curious about the Wild armor/shield mod from the DMG. It's a +3 mod which allows the Druid to retain the Enhancement bonus and armor bonus from their armor/shield when they wild shape. My question is what about the other characteristics of the armor? It seemed pretty clear to me that any other mods on the armor would not transfer, since it names the enhancement/armor bonus by name. If it also transferred Light Fort or Ghost Touch or whatever it would have said so. If that's true, however, and no other aspects of the armor transfer, does that mean that there would be no max dex for whatever piece they Wildshaped while wearing?

As in, if they don't actually get "armor" while wildshaped, and just the actually armor bonus via the +3 Wild mod, does that mean that they aren't actually armored at all?

Insights welcome.
 

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I was thinking about this enchantment for a werewolf character and came to this conclusion:

If you don't get the armor bonus while shapeshifted, it's a frickin' waste of money. A +3 advantage ain't cheap, you know.
 

Savage Wombat said:
I was thinking about this enchantment for a werewolf character and came to this conclusion:

If you don't get the armor bonus while shapeshifted, it's a frickin' waste of money. A +3 advantage ain't cheap, you know.

You get the armor bonus, so +5 Wild Leather (for example) would give the Druid 7 points of armor. What I want to know is whether it counts as armor or not, and if you have armor check penalties and a max dex issue.
 

Jesuit said:
You get the armor bonus, so +5 Wild Leather (for example) would give the Druid 7 points of armor. What I want to know is whether it counts as armor or not, and if you have armor check penalties and a max dex issue.
Since it doesn't say, and given the way wild shape normally works, I would rule that it only works as it is written. Just the armor bonus and enhancement are retained in wild shape. So no armor check penalty, and no limited dex bonus.
 

sledged said:
Since it doesn't say, and given the way wild shape normally works, I would rule that it only works as it is written. Just the armor bonus and enhancement are retained in wild shape. So no armor check penalty, and no limited dex bonus.

I guess that means Monk AC would work fine with it then? Seems like a really good +3 mod, particularly since there is no point to putting any other mods on (since they don't transfer).
 

Jesuit said:
I guess that means Monk AC would work fine with it then?

That's a good question. It depends on whether the character counts as "wearing" armor while in wildshape form - in which case they lose their monk bonus to AC.

Seems like a really good +3 mod, particularly since there is no point to putting any other mods on (since they don't transfer).

Not following this one. What other mods don't transfer? The bonus to AC for the Wild Armor/Shield should still be an Armor/Shield bonus, so it won't stack with other Armor/Shield bonuses but will stack with other bonuses to AC.
 

Wait-a-tic, I don't see the sentence on the absorption of armor by a Druid that wildshapes anywhere in the 3.5 version. Does this really happen anymore? If not, does that make Wild an armor special ability a relic of 3.0? Egads.
 

Wild: The wearer of a suit of armor or a shield with this ability preserves his armor bonus (and any enhancement bonus) while in a wild shape. Armor and shields with this ability usually appear to be made covered in leaf patterns. While the wearer is in a wild shape, the armor cannot be seen.

Moderate transmutation; CL 9th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, baleful polymorph; Price +3 bonus.


by strict interpritation you gain the armors benefit without hinderances

Leather +5? i would be more concerned with the Dragonhide Plate +5

Monk?, werewolf? It doesn't look like the armor helps you if you are not in a wild shape.

Wild Shape (Su): At 5th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the polymorph spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity.

The form chosen must be that of an animal the druid is familiar with.

Polymorph

Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4 Components: V, S, M Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Touch Target: Willing living creature touched Duration: 1 min./level (D) Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No

This spell functions like alter self, except that you change the willing subject into another form of living creature. The new form may be of the same type as the subject or any of the following types: aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin. The assumed form can’t have more Hit Dice than your caster level (or the subject’s HD, whichever is lower), to a maximum of 15 HD at 15th level. You can’t cause a subject to assume a form smaller than Fine, nor can you cause a subject to assume an incorporeal or gaseous form. The subject’s creature type and subtype (if any) change to match the new form.

Upon changing, the subject regains lost hit points as if it had rested for a night (though this healing does not restore temporary ability damage and provide other benefits of resting; and changing back does not heal the subject further). If slain, the subject reverts to its original form, though it remains dead.

The subject gains the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of the new form but retains its own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. It also gains all extraordinary special attacks possessed by the form but does not gain the extraordinary special qualities possessed by the new form or any supernatural or spell-like abilities.

Incorporeal or gaseous creatures are immune to being polymorphed, and a creature with the shapechanger subtype can revert to its natural form as a standard action.

Material Component: An empty cocoon.

Alter Self

Transmutation
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2 Components: V, S Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 10 min./level (D)

You assume the form of a creature of the same type as your normal form. The new form must be within one size category of your normal size. The maximum HD of an assumed form is equal to your caster level, to a maximum of 5 HD at 5th level. You can change into a member of your own kind or even into yourself.

You retain your own ability scores. Your class and level, hit points, alignment, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses all remain the same. You retain all supernatural and spell-like special attacks and qualities of your normal form, except for those requiring a body part that the new form does not have (such as a mouth for a breath weapon or eyes for a gaze attack).

You keep all extraordinary special attacks and qualities derived from class levels, but you lose any from your normal form that are not derived from class levels.

If the new form is capable of speech, you can communicate normally. You retain any spellcasting ability you had in your original form, but the new form must be able to speak intelligibly (that is, speak a language) to use verbal components and must have limbs capable of fine manipulation to use somatic or material components.

You acquire the physical qualities of the new form while retaining your own mind. Physical qualities include natural size, mundane movement capabilities (such as burrowing, climbing, walking, swimming, and flight with wings, to a maximum speed of 120 feet for flying or 60 feet for nonflying movement), natural armor bonus, natural weapons (such as claws, bite, and so on), racial skill bonuses, racial bonus feats, and any gross physical qualities (presence or absence of wings, number of extremities, and so forth). A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal.

You do not gain any extraordinary special attacks or special qualities not noted above under physical qualities, such as darkvision, low-light vision, blindsense, blindsight, fast healing, regeneration, scent, and so forth.

You do not gain any supernatural special attacks, special qualities, or spell-like abilities of the new form. Your creature type and subtype (if any) remain the same regardless of your new form. You cannot take the form of any creature with a template, even if that template doesn’t change the creature type or subtype.

You can freely designate the new form’s minor physical qualities (such as hair color, hair texture, and skin color) within the normal ranges for a creature of that kind. The new form’s significant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and gender) are also under your control, but they must fall within the norms for the new form’s kind. You are effectively disguised as an average member of the new form’s race. If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on your Disguise check.

When the change occurs, your equipment, if any, either remains worn or held by the new form (if it is capable of wearing or holding the item), or melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When you revert to your true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on your body they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items you wore in the assumed form and can’t wear in your normal form fall off and land at your feet; any that you could wear in either form or carry in a body part common to both forms at the time of reversion are still held in the same way. Any part of the body or piece of equipment that is separated from the whole reverts to its true form.


 
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"Becomes nonfunctional" being the important part. The +5 Leather was just an example, and I was thinking more of 9 armor 0 Max Dex Stone Armor.

I know how Wild Shape works, I'm asking about the Wild Armor mod. It says specifically that the armor bonus and enhancement bonus transfer during Wild Shape. However, if no other qualities transfer, it seems as though that would include the weight and actual encumberance of the armor.

So, to be blunt, it seems as though a Druid could have +5 Stone Armor with the Wild Mod and gain full dexterity with it, as well as a +5 Large Shield with the Wild Mod for a grand total of +21 to AC, with no Max Dex issue and the ability to use a Monk's Belt and gain full use out of their wisdom. (Or if you are a purest, the Druid would have to also have the Heavy Armor Feat and/or actually be a monk for the belt to work).

Any official info?
 


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