How To Do Wildshape

[Steely_Dan]

Actually combat is not at all inherent to druids. The only problem is that combat is pretty much mandatory in D&D so that non combat classes have no place in it.

Ludicrous.

 

[whearp]

If they used this approach, I wouldn't have animal affinity be the first level benefit. That makes more sense for a beast master specialty, and doesn't lead obviously on to the ability to shapechange.

I'd give them some "drift" representing their ability to channel animal spirits into themselves. Not quite shapechanging yet, but something more than human nonetheless. Things like scent, night vision, or the ability to hold your breath for fifteen minutes at a time are along the lines of what I'm thinking of.

Wow, excellent workshopping there. That's a fantastic idea! I wasn't really sure what would go in that spot, but I think you nailed it. The idea being that the character is becoming increasingly more attuned with the beast world. Awesome stuff.

 

[MarkB]

Personally, I favour the idea of making Wildshape a series of spells. But it occurs to me that there is another approach, if you really think that wildshape and animal companions and animal summoning are central to the Druid concept.

Drop spellcasting.

A perfectly viable druid class could be built simply from the ability to Wildshape, to summon and control animals and plants, and to call a totem animal to your side as a long-term companion.

You'd still need some wider, more subtle nature-based magical effects in order to round out the class concept, but there's no vital need for those effects to be combat-ready spells. Ritual casting, or something similar, could complete the class concept.

 

[Derren]

Ludicrous.

What is ludicrous?
That mythological druids are not combatants or that D&D, a system where 90% of the rules are combat related and where every character is by default a competent fighter, is heavily combat focused?

 

[slobster]

Personally, I favour the idea of making Wildshape a series of spells. But it occurs to me that there is another approach, if you really think that wildshape and animal companions and animal summoning are central to the Druid concept.

Drop spellcasting.

Interesting idea. I'd xp you if I could.

A lot of the ideas in this thread are pretty intriguing. There's more than one way to skin a druid, I guess.

 

[Yora]

I really like the Pathfinder way of making it a spell-like ability.

Is has the mechanics of a spell, but a druid can not decide to prepare it more often or use the spell slots for something else.

 

[Mattachine]

Spells make the ability easy to balance, and it also makes it easy to make a druid character that either favors wildshape or doesn't use it at all.

 

[billd91]

I like formatting wildshape options like spells, but without actually making them spells. The Pathfinder model, I think, can work pretty well (though they are actually spells there - the druid's ability uses the spell rules in a non-spell fashion). I think giving them a duration (ideally level-based) indicating how long the druid can hold an alternative form would work pretty well.

Like with PF, I'd like to see tiers of effect - the weaker tiers including smaller differences for the druid, the more powerful ones leading to more powerful creatures or radical transformations.

I'd like some way to pace how often a druid can wildshape that isn't based on number of times per day. A pool to draw from like the sorcerer's willpower may be a good way to pace it. Charge 1 point for a transformation within the same tier. Charge more for higher wildshape tiers.

One thing I don't want - for all wildshaping to be combat focused. I want non-combat applications including things like better aquatic movement, flight, and spying as innocuous small critters.

I also wouldn't want to strip the druid of all spellcasting. Maybe ritual spellcasting + wildshape could work. But some druid spells are pretty iconic to the game like call lightning and heat metal, so I'd like to find some better medium path to follow. It's possible a blend of the warlock and sorcerer structures could work - with ritual magic, minor magic, iconic druid spells as a set of invocations, and wildshaping running off a willpower pool? That seems too complex, though.

 

[CleverNickName]

Do you want all clerics to be heavily armored undead hunters? All rogues to be stealthy backstabbers? All rangers to use archery or TWF?

Nope, I do not.

I don't think it makes any sense to disconnect the druid from wild shape unless you similarly break down all the classes, which I agree sounds good, but which they don't seem to be doing.

But they sort of are, though. I am excited to see the Cleric's turn undead ability as a spell, since we have been houseruling it as a spell for years. And who knows? Maybe they will make those clumsy Bardic Music abilities into spells as well. Fingers crossed, anyway.

The non-spellcasting classes will be a little bit trickier, though. Rogues and Fighters can't really swap out their abilities for "spells" without it feeling contrived and artificial. (This was most obvious in 4E, when Fighters were essentially Sorcerers with weird spells.) But for spellcasting classes that also have magical or supernatual abilities, it's a perfect fit.

 

[slobster]

One thing I don't want - for all wildshaping to be combat focused. I want non-combat applications including things like better aquatic movement, flight, and spying as innocuous small critters.

This bit I certainly agree with. Half the fun of shapechanging is using it in creative ways that don't involve ripping someone to tiny shreds.