Druid shape-changing question

[Cav73]

I've reached level 5 with my druid and took the Primal Wolverine power. Now the power says you transform into a Dire Wolverine, and most Dire creatures are large size and I'm only medium. My question is this:

Is this power under the ristrictions of the Druids Wild shape ability which states: "The beast form is your size, resembles a natural beast or a fey beast, and normally doesn't change your game statistics."

Do I become a small version of the Dire Wolverine or do I actually become its size, and how long would you (If you were DM'ing) allow the Druid to stay that size?

 

[weem]

Well, let's see...

In the PHB (p.58)...

Duration: Most powers take effect and then end—their effects are instantaneous, perhaps as brief as a single swing of your sword. Some powers last beyond your turn, however—for instance, until the end of the current encounter or until the end of your next turn. If you use a power outside combat, it lasts for 5 minutes unless otherwise noted...

...from page 278...

Unless otherwise noted, a power is instantaneous and has no lasting effect.

In my eyes, it lasts up to 5 minutes after the encounter/combat.

As for size, there is no Dire Wolverine (that I can find) but even if it were large (which sounds right), I would adhere to the beast form rules unless the power stated otherwise (which it does not) and say you are as big of a medium as you could be .

 

[spayne]

You transform into a dire wolverine, snapping and biting at any foe foolish enough to attack you. Your fierce attack on a nearby foe rips muscle and tendon, slowing its movement.

This is just fluff/flavor text for the power, it is irrelevant as far as rules and the effect of the power go. You do not change size.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Doing a quick scan of the druid beast form powers, I can't find any that change your size except Skittering Sneak and Black Harbinger.

For an example of a power that changes a character's size, see the Sorcerer's Wyrm Form power on page 41 of Arcane Power: "you take the form of a huge black... dragon".

On a related tangent, does anyone know if there is a rule regarding what happens when someone increases size while surrounded? Are enemies pushed out of the squares you now occupy or does the effect fail?