How do you decide possible Wild Shape forms?

[Pielorinho]

What is perfect accuracy? I always thought that in DnD an 'Animal' is a specific type of animal, and if a Druid can accuratly identify them, he knows about them.

Not necessarily: he may not know about them until he sees them. There is, for example, nothing to suggest that a druid can identify an animal from its spoor; if he knew all about an animal prior to encountering it, he should be able to do so, and would have incredible bonuses on wilderness lore and knowledge: nature checks.

If you rule that he only can identify an animal that he sees, and that he doesn't know details about the animal until he sees it, the rules become consistent.

Daniel

 

[hammymchamham]

hahah i re read what I wrote, I ment an "Animal" is a specific subset of a creature type (Animal, Outsider, Humanoid, Beast etc etc)

 

[Berk]

But as always, these splat books are optional rules

Not always. In T&B the polymorph self spell is official errata and states it in the book since it was published by WoTC. Same with the wildshape ability in MotW. They aren't always just optional rules. Well they can be since the DM has the final say, but the rule sets chang when they release official stuff that specifically states that a certain rule is official or supercedes something.

 

[hammymchamham]

well, polymorph is listed in the errata that I downloaded and updated in my PHB. But this Wild Shape isn't (unless I missed a reccent errata due to lazyness).

I don't own MotW, and until I do, in my games (again using rule 0) its as the PHB says

 

[Pielorinho]

If you want the revised Wild Shape rules, they're available for free on WOTC's Web site. I highly recommend them: they are internally consistent and fit the druid's flavor much better than the polymorph rules (which don't, for example, allow a druid wildshaped into a wolf to use the scent feat, or allow a druid wildshaped into a grizzly bear to do a bear hug).

Check 'em out!
Daniel

 

[Stalker0]

Considering the limitations on wildshape versus polymorphing and shapeshifting, I'd go with nature sense giving you access to all animals.

I mean if a druid encounters a polar bear for the first time, and says "oh, that's a polar bear, it can do this this and this" then that would imply that they understood enough about polar bears beforehand to wildshape into them.

 

[Pielorinho]

Considering the limitations on wildshape versus polymorphing and shapeshifting, I'd go with nature sense giving you access to all animals.

I mean if a druid encounters a polar bear for the first time, and says "oh, that's a polar bear, it can do this this and this" then that would imply that they understood enough about polar bears beforehand to wildshape into them.

This interpretation invalidates the restriction that a druid must be familiar with a form before assuming it: if a druid is automatically familiar with all animals, why mention this restriction?

However, if a druid has a supernatural connection to nature such that she can look at an animal and instantly know everything about it, whereas before looking at the animal she had no idea that it existed, the restriction makes sense.

Daniel

 

[Stalker0]

This interpretation invalidates the restriction that a druid must be familiar with a form before assuming it: if a druid is automatically familiar with all animals, why mention this restriction?

However, if a druid has a supernatural connection to nature such that she can look at an animal and instantly know everything about it, whereas before looking at the animal she had no idea that it existed, the restriction makes sense.

Daniel

Thinking more about it, that does make sense. once you see an animal, you form a natural bond with it like you do with everything in nature, and have this understanding of it. Its a supernatural thang, so I'll buy it