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Message: <blockquote data-quote="azarias" data-source="post: 3784931" data-attributes="member: 54755">"Azarias - 'Gameplay' in the sense how the game works mechanically cannot be 4E's sole rules consideration. Animal companions are loved by players, and enhance the game on a great number of levels. Shapeshifting, similarly, is something players love. Removing either of these things outright would seem like madness to me."Ruin - I am also very fond of both the companion and wildshaping...as a player. As a DM, the latter especially makes designing encounters spatially complex. A flying, summoning, fire-hurling, hovering, mid-level dire bat Druid is difficult to challenge (edit; on a regular basis, without pointed encounter-tailoring). And the game should be challenging to all members of the party. When I design adventures I keep this in mind, but many prepackaged adventures don't consider the spatial versatility of a hovering spellcaster at relatively low level, and many new DMs are easily wrongfooted by this level of PC potency and versatility.How the game works mechanically...well, that's the very definition of 'rules consideration', isn't it? And 'Excitement' and 'Speed' seem to be the 4E catchphrases when it comes to that consideration. Animal companions and their ilk are not conducive to the latter, and the hovering summoner may be fun to play, but I do think it may be so because it is such a powerful and comfortable position to be in - not because it is more exciting than melee. In fact, my own experience is that getting up close and dirty is much more thrilling. Mid-level flight and animal guardians are both safety nets: I like them for that, but I feel they both lessen the impact of combat.The PHBII alternate abilities replace the companion and reduce the extreme potency of shapeshifting, though. I like them less as a powergamer, but I think they work pretty well.I agree wholeheartedly that the Druid should stay distinct, though. I'm not fond of the idea of the class being reabsorbed into the Cleric. That looks a possibility however.</blockquote>

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