Gahh!! Wild shape!?

[HawaiiSteveO]

I did a search and couldn't find anything . . . wild shape getting ridiculous!

So druid levels 4-7 can wild shape into MAX CR 1/2, at 8th and up MAX CR 1 with a flying speed.So any 'beast' in the MM is open - have monster by CR list from WOTC site but of course doesn't tell you creature type you have to look at each one and see which are 'beasts' . . ? Some are of course obvious.

Can a druid turn into another creature that is not in the MM that would logically be a 'beast'? Are there any size restrictions? A druid can wild shape into anything from an ant or tiny spider to a camel or an elephant?

The max CR is 1 the wild shape ability is not meant to be used to turn into nastier & nastier creatures as the druid goes up in levels, it's for utility? That makes sense to me . . . why would a party have a rogue if the druid can just turn into a fly and buzz around and scout?

 

[Horwath]

Fly has, what? 1 HP?

Fly cant use tools.

Wild shape has limited usage.

Yes, it's very usefull but you still need expertise in perception/th.tools to deal with nasty traps.

As for beasts not in MM, wait for MM2 or find the most similar beast in MM and use it's stats or modify a little.

 

[Sacrosanct]

You also can't talk in wild shape. Between that and Horath's items above, and using wildshape to replace a rogue isn't the best idea. Good for emergencies, but highly limited in actual play.

 

[TwoSix]

1) There are several sites out there that have spreadsheets with monster type and CR, I keep one handy for personal use. Makes it pretty simple to generate a list of allowable druid forms. Also, here's a link to a site with every possible druid form sorted by level. https://rpggeek.com/thread/1295985/beast-shapes-druid-level

2) As to turning into anything, I'd say a pretty simple rule is if you want to turn into it, the DM needs stats for it. So if you want to turn into something outside the bounds of the MM, you need to sit down with your DM and hash out a stat block.

 

[HawaiiSteveO]

Thanks for link, will check it out!

 

[mellored]

A fly has to be worried about attacks from a sparrow. Or a normal sized spider.

It's hardly safe to be a fly.

 

[HawaiiSteveO]

Mellored, I agree although players try weird stuff . . .

 

[TerraDave]

You can certainly scout with wild-shape. You can do lots with it. It makes an already versatile character more versatile.

I don't think its broken, but it is sort of fun.

 

[Illithidbix]

I did a search and couldn't find anything . . . wild shape getting ridiculous!

Yep, Wild Shape has always been incredibly powerful if used with some degree of creativity.

So druid levels 4-7 can wild shape into MAX CR 1/2, at 8th and up MAX CR 1 with a flying speed.So any 'beast' in the MM is open - have monster by CR list from WOTC site but of course doesn't tell you creature type you have to look at each one and see which are 'beasts' . . ? Some are of course obvious.

Almost all the monsters are in the list at the back (except dinosaurs?)
Amongst the resources on this page: http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/rules-answers-january-2016
Are a list of monsters by type: http://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/DnD_MonstersByType_1.0.pdf

Can a druid turn into another creature that is not in the MM that would logically be a 'beast'? Are there any size restrictions? A druid can wild shape into anything from an ant or tiny spider to a camel or an elephant?

That's up to the DM.
I think it's fairly reasonable for a DM to say "If there are no statistics for it (or no ones that could be equivalent) then you can't turn into it".
Note there is the restriction "to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before"

The max CR is 1 the wild shape ability is not meant to be used to turn into nastier & nastier creatures as the druid goes up in levels, it's for utility? That makes sense to me . . . why would a party have a rogue if the druid can just turn into a fly and buzz around and scout?

Circle of the Moon Druids get far more effective combat shapes (and are considered by many to be down right overpowered at levels 2 and 3) but yes it's main use is in it's utility.

 

[famousringo]

. . . why would a party have a rogue if the druid can just turn into a fly and buzz around and scout?

Why have a rogue when you have a shadow monk? Or a ranger with Pass Without Trace? Or a wizard with a familiar, Invisibility and Arcane Eye? Or anybody with the Criminal or Urchin backgrounds?

The four roles are toast. It's the three pillars now, and with the right build, pretty much any class can play a strong role in exploration. If your party rogue feels put out, he should cheer up when he flubs a stealth check and the druid buddy he was carrying in his pocket is there to help bail him out. (Same goes for the druid that gets mauled by a housecat at an awkward moment.)