Nerfed Wildshape?

[Psion]

Here are some special qualities that the MM defines as extraordinary, and which we were very leery about letting in so easily.

Blindsight (and, to a lesser extent, blindsense)
Fast healing
Regeneration
Spell Immunity
Spell Resistance
Tremorsense

Though animals in the MM tend to possess very few (if any) of these extraordinary qualities, there's nothing saying that a book published tomorrow wouldn't include more.

Oh, I don't beleive it! We are making design decisions based on what MIGHT be released? This sounds REALLY dubious to me.

What animals (not magical beasts) have fast healing, regeneration, spell immunity, and spell resistance? The ruling could be made that those particular abilities cannot be had by animals, only by magical beasts.

I'm beginning to wonder whether either or both:
1) the Ex/Su/Sp ability breakdown is very functional if it fails to resolve fundamental question like this. Perhaps we need a fourth "Na" that describes perfectly natural abilities like blindsight and tremorsense.
2) Balling up beasts with animals was a good idea.

Another one gets added to my list...

 

[Psion]

I wish they had split Extraordinary abilities into "natural" and "extraordinary." Basic abilities such as "scent" or "low-light vision" would be natural, while others, such as "fast healing" could be extraordinary. If a given ability was deemed too good, it could always be classified as extraordinary to prevent abuse by wild-shaping druids.

Heh... I was thinking the exact same thing. I posted that before I read your post.