MoTW: Wild Shape Help!

[reveal]

Ok... The Wild Shape ability in the Masters of the Wild supercedes what is in the PHB. It states "The druid may adopt only one animal form per use of this ability."

I think that means that, dependent on how many times the druid can shift, they get to choose one animal to become. For example, when a druid can shift once per day they can only become a wolf. When a druid can shift twice per day, that have a choice of a wolf or a dog.

Am I right on this?

 

[Crothian]

Yes. Each time you shift you turn into one animal.

 

[reveal]

See... That's where it gets fuzzy. That can be left open to interpretation, as can the paragraph. You say "Each time you shift you turn into one animal."

Of course! You can't shift and become two animal!

Seriously, though... That's why I am confused.

 

[Henry@home]

Though a little vague, I am fairly sure that you are not limited to a limited option of animal shapes. I can say that this would make use of the ability SEVERLY hampered, and would hurt the power of a druid a great deal, compared to other classes.

The interpreatation I have of this is that, each time you shift from one shape to another, except your original form, it uses up one of your wildshapes per day. You can shift into an unlimited variety of shapes, as long as they are TYPE animal, and of an appropriate size.

P.S. - One context clue from the Wildshape from MotW: "Wild Shape is one of the Druid's most useful and flexible class features." It's hardly flexible if the first shape you adopt is the only one of 4 or 5 shapes over 5 levels of time.

That's my take, and I think you'll find, the take of the majority on these boards.

 

[Suldulin]

another thing that would point more toward the choose when shift(as apposed to choose shift for all time) is the fact when you gain the elemental shifting it gives the amount of times you could choose to use one of your normal wildshaping to become any elemental

 

[rushlight]

Actually, the wording of the Wild Shape states that it functions just like Polymorph self, except you can only choose a single animal form. The spell Polymorph self allows you to shift form for the duration of the spell. So if you cast Polymorph self you could take a different form every round, but Wild Shape allows only a single form.

 

[Henrix]

The spell Polymorph self allows you to shift form for the duration of the spell. So if you cast Polymorph self you could take a different form every round,

Not any longer, according to the updated Polymorph spells in T&B.
You are quoting the PHB version of the Wild Shape ability, it has been superseded in Master of the Wild, which is what was being discussed here.

When I first read MotW it seemed obvious to me that the Druids no longer had to choose beforehand which forms she could take, but now I am not so sure.
But I think it is meant that the Druid can choose freely each time she uses Wild Shape.

 

[Dingleberry]

An example supporting the less restrictive interpretation is the druid described in the web enhancement to MotW. She is 12th level, which gives her 4 wild shapes per day. However, five of her "favorite" wild shapes are listed.

 

[Henrix]

Yes, I just remembered to check the web enhancement as well.
It seems quite clear that a druid can choose a different form each time.