D&D 4E Mass Wildshape for 4e druid ?

[Phasics]

I am a warlock, having made a pact with a powerful being of the feywild. I wield eldritch energy to curse my foes, to flit from place to place on the battlefield, and to send my enemies tumbling in all directions.

And some crunchy, granola-eating treehugger wants to turn me into a frickin' dog?? Nuh uh.

As the 10'000 strong army rolls toward the party the druid shifts everyone into the form of a bird. The warlock too headstrong for his own good resists the change and remains in his true form shaking his fist at the flock of birds as they fly away. He turns to his oncomming doom and prepares an eldrich blast.

Meanwhile one of the flock chirps what could only be loosely translated as "we're going to need another warlock BWAHAHAHA"

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I could see it working, but... I would see it be a very high-level ability, and also something where the Druid has some sort of system (such as sustain minor) to show that he is having to will the other characters to stay in that form (given that it isn't natural like it is with a Druid to be in that form).

 

[Incenjucar]

Ritual. Dur.

 

[Scrollreader]

I find it highly unlikely the druid will turn into animals, as a regular thing. Maybe as a utility power, I guess. but I'd suspect we'll see something much more similar to the PHB II Shapeshift druid.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I find it highly unlikely the druid will turn into animals, as a regular thing. Maybe as a utility power, I guess. but I'd suspect we'll see something much more similar to the PHB Shapeshift druid.

Well shapeshifting is the main focus of the 4e Druid. So I suspect there will be a fair amount of shapeshifting.

 

[SmCaudata]

As a "hybrid" of sorts, my guess is that he will cover controller type stuff. The hybrid aspect will likely be leader or striker. Other option is to make wild shape actually a significant focus of the druid. Turn into a wolf for some striker or a bear for some defending. Then some leader abilities when in humanoid form. Thus doing a lot of things but only really doing conrolling at a high level. Honestly, I hope the 4e druid has much less overlap with the clerics and wizards and is a truly unique class. I would play a druid if I could shapshift all day to fill a different role. The true master of nature.

As to the original idea in this thread, I like it. Flavor abilities/spells are always nice to have and really add to the game.

 

[Scrollreader]

Right. But shapeshift is not wildshape. Most definately not. What he's talking about is a very different thing than we've been told the focus of the 4e druid will be. Not just in the mass flavor, but also of kind, unless there's been something new I haven't seen that would allow the druid to /actually/ turn into an animal, rather than gain animalistic characteristics.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Isn't wildshape the ability to transform into an animal, ie: shapeshift into that animal?

I never thought wildshape was something where the Druid simply grew fangs, or wings, etc.

Note: If it is the way I am defining shapeshifting and wildshape in the D&D-rules sense is wrong, then I am sorry.

Though as an aside... I would LOVE to see a Druid-ritual where they would through say drinking the blood of said animal inherit a physical trait of it for say... 2 days. For example, the Druid grows the fanged, muzzle of a wolf.

 

[Scrollreader]

Wildshape, in game terms, in the ability of the PHB1 Druid in both 3.0 and 3.5 to assume animal forms. The animal stats /replace/ his own, for almost all purposes (depending on which version of which errata of which wildshape we're using)

Shapeshift was an option presented in the PHBII for druids. They lose the ability to Wild Shape, but instaed gan the ability to get bonuses based on emulating and partial shapeshifting into that type. So a druid might grow claws, or gain a bonus on jump checks, or a fanged muzzle and a str modifier, or something. These stats are /added/ to his own.

This is, I'm nearly 100% certain, what WotC means when they say the druid is going to be based around 'shapeshifting', and especially when they say things like "If you liked the druid in the PHBII, you'll like it in 4e" (not an exact quote, since it is late, and I am tired).


Now, that being said, it's possible that they'll introduce noncombat options that more closely resemble resemble wild shape, especially for things like flight. But I think the days when a druid didn't have to worry about his physical stats at all are over.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Ahh, okay... I see the disconnect, I was using the term shapeshift as just generic "turn into animal" type, not specific D&D type

Though perhaps, what WoTC meant was what I meant. Given that in the new information given, they use the term wild shape:

Not a lot of animal summoning. Plenty of wild shape.

What I would like to see personally would be if not the ritual example from previous post. Maybe wild shape having more variable, kinda like the multiple-forms a werewolf takes in WW Werewolf. So instead of just becoming the animal, you can choose to what degree you are, from nearly fully-human to fully-animal.