Wild Shape Combat

[Pielorinho]

Best form I've seen so far for a Shifter would be a Planetar.

Str 25, AC 32 (you could wear armor or bracers to up it even higher), SR 30, Regen 10 (or has that been errata'd to Fast Healing, Immunity to Cold/Acid, Resistance 20 to Fire, Plus darkvision.

Dwarmaj

Wow! I didn't realize that SR and regen were extraordinary powers. That's craziness!

Cool.
Daniel

Edit: that means that the gold dragon form also gains a fear aura (DC 20 + CHA modifier), blindsight to 150 feet, and SR 21. Not shabby; it could give the planetar a run for its money.

Daniel

 

[Dwarmaj]

Gold Dragon looks good, but because of the HD limit you'd have to be 20th level. You'd only have to be 14th for the Planetar.

Dwarmaj

 

[bob_the_bard]

A single level of psion or psychic warrior is a nice touch. If you take a level in psion, make sure it is when you gain a feat. The "inertial armor" feat is a +4 to AC, which will work in animal form. I think that a psychometabolist/egoist makes perfect sense, as both a wildshape capable druid and such a psion endeavor to reshape their bodies into other forms. Plus, the 3 times per day d8 healing that Lesser Body Manipulation (which could also be done in animal form) would be useful.

 

[The Furious Puffin]

A single level of psion or psychic warrior is a nice touch. If you take a level in psion, make sure it is when you gain a feat. The "inertial armor" feat is a +4 to AC, which will work in animal form. I think that a psychometabolist/egoist makes perfect sense, as both a wildshape capable druid and such a psion endeavor to reshape their bodies into other forms. Plus, the 3 times per day d8 healing that Lesser Body Manipulation (which could also be done in animal form) would be useful.

It's also a very good way to get killed. If the DM throws 8 brain moles (VERY LOW CR encounter) even at Lvl 16 you are still toast due to your lack of Power points. With the need to raise that many defenses you will be out of PP and the brain moles (who don't have to worry about PPs) will hammer your ability scores.

It's been said before - If the DM is going to put Psi-encounters in, you need to go entirely Psion, or not at all.

However if your DM swears to never put a brain mole on the same continent as you, it's a mighty fine idea

 

[Speaks With Stone]

The MotW also provides a few other choice upgrades (for the lower level druid who may never gain the ability to shift into gold dragons). Such as: Nature's Favor which provides a luck bonus so it stacks with Magic Fang (and Greater Magic Fang). If you can stack mage armor with Barkskin, you should have a respectable AC. My party has a sorceror with mage armor that boosts all of my critters (and me) and with Barkskin, I can have a +6 AC at this point (certainly adjusted by the natural armor of the critter).

There are a number of new spells that provide a +4 bonus to one stat at the cost of a -2 to another in MotW. I haven't really used any of those, but chosen carefully, those could further pump up your defense or offense. Some of the critters have weapon finesse, which could doubly benefit from a dex boost.

 

[merc]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I'm fairly certain that you don't get a creature's extraordinary abilities when you wild shape. From what I've read, wild shape works like polymorph self (with the exceptions given in the wild share description). The polymorph self spell in the Player's Handbook was replaced with the polymorph self spell in Tome and Blood. It states (among other things) that you can't assume the extraordinary or supernatural abilities of a creature, and that you can't change into a creature that has more hit dice than you.

Is it written anyplace that this isn't true for druids or shapers?

 

[Dwarmaj]

My party has a sorceror with mage armor that boosts all of my critters (and me) and with Barkskin, I can have a +6 AC at this point (certainly adjusted by the natural armor of the critter).

I don't believe Barkskin stacks with the natural armor of animals or other creatures.

From PHB: Since the AC bonus is a natural armor bonus, it does not stack with any natural armor the subject may already have.

The description in the SRD doesn't mention the non-stacking part though.

Dwarmaj

 

[Dwarmaj]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I'm fairly certain that you don't get a creature's extraordinary abilities when you wild shape. From what I've read, wild shape works like polymorph self (with the exceptions given in the wild share description). The polymorph self spell in the Player's Handbook was replaced with the polymorph self spell in Tome and Blood. It states (among other things) that you can't assume the extraordinary or supernatural abilities of a creature, and that you can't change into a creature that has more hit dice than you.

Is it written anyplace that this isn't true for druids or shapers?

Yes, MotW has a new description of Wild Shape that doesn't mention Polymorph. It also states that the druid gains all racial abilities, feats, and extraordinary abilities. Spell-like and Supernatural are not gained.

Dwarmaj

 

[Greatwyrm]

Depending on the amount of natural armor the animal form provides, barkskin may provide a greater bonus. It doesn't stack, but it may be better.

From my experience, lower level druids' options for wild shape are usually better used for scouting and getting out of combat. Owls are good when it's your turn to keep watch. A wolf is good if you need to track or outrun something. Personally, I didn't really feel comfortable in combat until the brown bear became an option.

Sure, a brown bear's AC isn't all that great. Let me tell you, though, not many intelligent creatures will do something that leaves them within a 5' step of one of those things. 3 attacks and nasty damage and improved grab. They might take one swing at you, but very few opponents at your level want to go toe-to-toe with something like that.