D&D General The Owlbear Druid: How Would You Do It? (A Poll)

[OB1]

I'm fine with Owlbears being beasts in the next MM
I'm fine with Owlbears being monstrosities (as in having a magical origin) and DMs allowing Druids to wildshape into them as they see fit
I'm partial to a Circle of Monsters subclass that specifically allows this - Just because it seems like such a fun design space for a circle

I'm absolutely unconcerned about why the Druid in the movie can do it, cause it was way too enjoyable to watch (almost as much as watching the Barbarian chuck armored soldiers around like rag-dolls... maybe more, I can't decide which moment I like better).

 

[CleverNickName]

My favorite part about this poll is that we've had dozens of votes and almost a thousand views, and not a single person has voted for the "I wouldn't allow it because rules" option.

Rock on, you beautiful nerds.

 

[tetrasodium]

I've long allowed druids to wear metal & wildshape into most true breeding beastlike creatures (owlbear/hellhound/blinkdog/winterwolf/etc). Basilisk & cockatrice has never come up so I haven't had to consider them. The vast majority of the beast-like not-beasts are pretty poor choices for wildshape unless the party needs that beast's gimmick like a winterwolf making an ice bridge/elementals/etc.

edit: I say "most" just to leave an out where I can look at something & say no if it seems crazy

 

[Umbran]

So how would you do it, for your gaming group? There are no wrong answers.

Remind the Druid that they get access to Polymorph when they reach 7th level....?

 

[Deset Gled]

I can think of at least two ways to pull it off legally in 3.5e. I'm pretty sure there are a couple more that I'd be able to figure out with more research.

 

[CleverNickName]

Remind the Druid that they get access to Polymorph when they reach 7th level....?

"But...but...bonus action!" -Circle of the Moon

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Remind the Druid that they get access to Polymorph when they reach 7th level....?

I thought you could only polymorph into beast with polymorph, not monstrosities.

 

[ersatzphil]

I thought you could only polymorph into beast with polymorph, not monstrosities.

That's correct - wildshape lets you turn into a beast you've seen before, polymorph lets you turn into a beast of HD equal or less to your class level, but doesn't have the '...that you've seen' restriction.

edit: I should add, at least in 5e and most versions of the game that I've played; note that I haven't played every edition. From the 3e PHB:

From the 2e PHB:

...that being said, I'll admit that it was a cool moment in the trailer.

 

[Umbran]

I thought you could only polymorph into beast with polymorph, not monstrosities.

By the time you get polymorph, you can already take the form of a CR 7 Giant Ape, and are one level away from being a CR 8 Tyrannosaurus Rex.

It would seem to me that the absolute smallest rule change available to us to allow it would be to allow Polymorph to handle a CR 3 owlbear.

 

[DND_Reborn]

EDIT: Ah crud. In the poll options, I typed "to allow all Beasts" in a couple of options, when I should have typed "allow all Monstrosities." Sorry about that; change your votes if necessary.

Nope, wouldn't allow it. (I just wanted to be the first to vote that. )