D&D 5E Sussing Out Wild Shape

[pukunui]

Hi all,

While I've DMed for moon druids before, I'm still not sure I fully understand how they're supposed to work. The main point of uncertainty for me is with skill bonuses. Since a druid takes on the beast's physical stats, do physical skill modifiers get recalculated when they transform?

By way of example, let's say I'm playing a 3rd level druid with Str 10 and proficiency in Athletics. My normal Athletics bonus is +2. Now I know that if I were to transform into a beast that also has proficiency in Athletics, then I am supposed to just use the beast's bonus if it is higher than mine ... but what if I transform into a beast that doesn't have proficiency in Athletics but *does* have a higher Strength score? Do I recalculate the Athletics bonus? If the beast had Str 14, for instance, would my Athletics bonus become +4?

Or is wild shape always an either/or thing? That is, you only ever use a number that's either on your sheet or in the beast's statblock, in which case the above druid's Athletics bonus would stay at +2, even if a given beast form has a higher Strength.

How do other people handle this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[jaelis]

I use the beasts's skills for physical checks, the player's for mental. Just easier that way

 

[pukunui]

I use the beasts's skills for physical checks, the player's for mental. Just easier that way

Sure, but what about cases where the PC has a physical skill that the beast doesn't have, but the beast's relevant physical stat is higher, as in my example above?

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Put the druid character sheet away, and just look at the animal sheet. If you turn into an Ape, then your Athletics bonus is +5 and your Perception bonus is +3.

 

[pukunui]

Put the druid character sheet away, and just look at the animal sheet. If you turn into an Ape, then your Athletics bonus is +5 and your Perception bonus is +3.

That still doesn't answer my question, since the ape is already proficient with Athletics, and the rules already say to use a beast's skill modifier if both you and it share that proficiency but the beast's modifier is higher.

I'm talking about when you have proficiency in a skill that the beast doesn't have, but its relevant physical stat is higher. Do you just stick with your bonus, or do you recalculate based on the beast form's physical stat?

Another example: Let's say we have a 12th level moon druid. It has Str 10 and proficiency in Athletics. Its proficiency bonus is +4, so its Athletics modifier would also be +4 in humanoid form. Let's have the druid wild shape into an elephant, which does not have proficiency in Athletics but does have Str 22.

According to the rules for wild shape, the druid uses the elephant's Strength score in place of its own, but also retains its proficiency in Athletics. In this case, is the druid's Athletics modifier still +4 as normal, or does it become +10 to take into account the elephant's higher strength?

 

[jaelis]

Sure, but what about cases where the PC has a physical skill that the beast doesn't have, but the beast's relevant physical stat is higher, as in my example above?

At my table, you ignore the pc's skill proficiencies. Just use the beast's.

 

[pukunui]

At my table, you ignore the pc's skill proficiencies. Just use the beast's.

OK. I guess that's a legitimate answer to "how do other people handle this?", but it doesn't really help me understand the RAW any better. Thanks, though.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

The rules say, "You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature."

So, if the druid is proficient in Athletics then they need to recalculate it in beast form, using their own proficiency modifier and the beast's ability score modifier.

 

[77IM]

Would the druid retain their own proficiency modifier, or use the beast's?

 

[jgsugden]

Use the druid's proficiency modifier.