Nerfed Wildshape?

[LGodamus]

All those are (ex) abilities for dinosaurs..so nope

 

[ForceUser]

I play a druid and I've given this some thought. Let's weigh the gains and losses of the new wildshape:

Gains in 3.5

• Wild shape is now a supernatural ability instead of a spell-like ability. This means that wild shaping no longer provokes an attack of opportunity in a threatened space. This is huge.
• You can now wild shape into dire animals at levels lower than 12th.
• You can now wild shape into plant creatures at 12th.

Losses in 3.5

• You no longer gain the extraordinary abilities of the creatures you wild shape into, such as blindsight or scent.

Hmm. I think I can live with 3.5 wildshape. :b

 

[Tsyr]

Very stupid. Already house-ruled out, and I havn't even got the books yet.

 

[youspoonybard]

All those are (ex) abilities for dinosaurs..so nope

You do get the special attack routines. Those would all pass. You just don't automatically get ALL ex abilities anymore.

 

[Tsyr]

I play a druid and I've given this some thought. Let's weigh the gains and losses of the new wildshape:

Gains in 3.5

• Wild shape is now a supernatural ability instead of a spell-like ability. This means that wild shaping no longer provokes an attack of opportunity in a threatened space. This is huge.
• You can now wild shape into dire animals at levels lower than 12th.
• You can now wild shape into plant creatures at 12th.

Losses in 3.5

• You no longer gain the extraordinary abilities of the creatures you wild shape into, such as blindsight or scent.

Hmm. I think I can live with 3.5 wildshape. :b

I'd trade all of those "gains" for that one "loss", and not look back.

 

[Pielorinho]

I'd trade all of those "gains" for that one "loss", and not look back.

Power-wise, I think the gains outweigh the losses. Flavor-wise, I don't think there really *are* any gains.

Daniel

 

[youspoonybard]

Sigh...those aren't the real gains.

"The 3.5 druid doesn't want Eschew Materials, she wants Natural Spell.

This feat allows a character to complete verbal and somatic components while in wild shape, and lets her use material components and focuses even if such items are melded within her current form.

And it's not a metamagic feat, so there's no spell slot adjustment.
Andy Collins
Senior Designer
Wizards of the Coast Roleplaying R&D"

and this:

"In 3.5, when a character uses polymorph or any similar effect to change form, his equipment either remains worn or held (if possible) or melds and becomes nonfunctional. Thus, wild shaping druids should be able to "hold on to" many more items than normal.

As a DM, I'd adjudicate this as loosely as possible--if I can even conceive of the possibility that the new form could wear the item in a manner similar to the normal form, I'd let it stick around.
Andy Collins
Senior Designer
Wizards of the Coast Roleplaying R&D".

This is how Wild Shape got boosted.

 

[DM_Matt]

Basically, you can get all those weaksauce abilities like Pounce, Rend, Rake, Trample, Improved Grab, and Swallow Whole (often several at once), but not rediculously overpowered stuff like Scent or Low-Light Vision...

 

[Wolfspider]

Sure, those are powerful gains, but the one single loss is stupid, in my opinion, and illogical.

 

[Tsyr]

Power-wise, I think the gains outweigh the losses. Flavor-wise, I don't think there really *are* any gains.

Daniel

Well, yeah. From a min/max, combat-monkey perspective, sure. There's no comparison.

It's just stupid.

I become a wolf. With a human nose stuck on. Or I become an owl... with human eyeballs.