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Message: <blockquote data-quote="doctorbadwolf" data-source="post: 7588212" data-attributes="member: 6704184">These things happen! I'm very curious what you think about the premise and goal of the thread, though!  A character that turns into other creatures (primarily animals) without losing their mental faculties and training, mechanically (and narratively, but the mechanical part is what makes Wild Shape the best fit, because it already just does the thing. A Monk/Druid can turn into a squirrel and make an unarmed attack with stunning strike, dealing monk die damage, and then move squirrel speed+monk speed bonus. That dynamic, of being able to turn into not just a squirrel or panther, but a kung fu squirrel or panther, is what I want. Filling out the concept is the idea of being able to bring that transformation back with you, into your born state, gaining gills, or even more enhanced speed, or heightened senses, or a climb speed, or whatever, and perhaps even do those things while in an animal form (fish bear land shark). Pie in the sky, I'd like to be able to turn into a dryad or treant or similar, and/or an awakened tree. I do want it to be weirder than a Druid, but be thematically Druidic in nature. They're like rangers, in that they are part of Groves, allies to the Druids, training with them without being fully initiated into the Druidic Circle.  I've no problem, for instance, with the Warlock getting Eldritch Smite. I'd have no problem with a Fighter that gets Sneak Attack, if the concept makes sense, simplifies a cool concept that would normally require multiclassing, and doesn't obviate the Rogue at the table. I think we can say with utmost confidence that a fair amount of exploration and combat buffing fits into the monk subclass structure. I'm actually quite confident that Wild Shape and some spells, so long as Wild Shape isn't as good as a full level druid of the Moon, and it's not a large spell list of powerful spells, can fit in a monk subclass. I'd entertain other options, like gaining a modified way to use Polymorph, for instance. But, making Polymorph balanced with not losing access to your race and class features seems like...you'd just end up with Wild Shape. I don't really think I'd enjoy or be interested in an option that is just "you can gain X of YZAB list of traits, change your size, etc". To me, simply becoming a cat is much simpler, and more interesting and satisfying, than that. Oh, also...I'd love to figure out a way to change shapes as part of attacking, and make that matter and be cool? I haven't landed on anything yet, though. Like, I picture parkouring over a low wall, launching yourself at a foe, and turning into a bear mid-leap, crashing into them with that heavy weight, etc.</blockquote>

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