Wild Shape

[Flatus Maximus]

0.) Any good summaries of exactly how the new wild shape works, or Pathfinder druids in general?
1.) Do you gain the animal's monster feats, such as Multiattack?
2.) If not, can my druid take these feats himself, even though he doesn't satisfy the prerequisites unless wild shaped?

 

[Dredan]

0.) Any good summaries of exactly how the new wild shape works, or Pathfinder druids in general?
1.) Do you gain the animal's monster feats, such as Multiattack?
2.) If not, can my druid take these feats himself, even though he doesn't satisfy the prerequisites unless wild shaped?

Wildshape has been completely changed, Pathfinder now has the druid ability equivalent to a "polymorph" type of spell, IE Plant shape, elemental shape, dragon shape and so on. It is a spell that a wizard can do or a druid can use, the spell specifically states what you get. Pretty much you get stat increases and a few abilities. I don't have in front of me but the old school wildshape isn't the same.

 

[frankthedm]

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document
Pathfinder SRD (Pathfinder_OGC)

Wild Shape (Su): At 4th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the beast shape I spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of an animal with which the druid is familiar.

A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)

A druid can use this ability an additional time per day at 6th level and every two levels thereafter, for a total of eight times at 18th level. At 20th level, a druid can use wild shape at will. As a druid gains levels, this ability allows the druid to take on the form of larger and smaller animals, elementals, and plants. Each form expends one daily use of this ability, regardless of the form taken.

Beast Shape I
School transmutation (polymorph); Level sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a piece of the creature whose form you plan to assume)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 min./level (D)
When you cast this spell, you can assume the form of any Small or Medium creature of the animal type. If the form you assume has any of the following abilities, you gain the listed ability: climb 30 feet, fly 30 feet (average maneuverability), swim 30 feet, darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, and scent.
Small animal: If the form you take is that of a Small animal, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Dexterity and a +1 natural armor bonus.
Medium animal: If the form you take is that of a Medium animal, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Strength and a +2 natural armor bonus.

Beast Shape II
School transmutation (polymorph); Level sorcerer/wizard 4
This spell functions as beast shape I, except that it also allows you to assume the form of a Tiny or Large creature of the animal type. If the form you assume has any of the following abilities, you gain the listed ability: climb 60 feet, fly 60 feet (good maneuverability), swim 60 feet, darkvisionlow-light vision, scent, grab, pounce, and trip.
Tiny animal: If the form you take is that of a Tiny animal, you gain a +4 size bonus to your Dexterity, a –2 penalty to your Strength, and a +1 natural armor bonus.
Large animal: If the form you take is that of a Large animal, you gain a +4 size bonus to your Strength, a –2 penalty to your Dexterity, and a +4 natural armor bonus.

Polymorph: A polymorph spell transforms your physical body to take on the shape of another creature. While these spells make you appear to be the creature, granting you a +20 bonus on Disguise skill checks, they do not grant you all of the abilities and powers of the creature. Each polymorph spell allows you to assume the form of a creature of a specific type, granting you a number of bonuses to your ability scores and a bonus to your natural armor. In addition, each polymorph spell can grant you a number of other benefits, including movement types, resistances, and senses. If the form you choose grants these benefits, or a greater ability of the same type, you gain the listed benefit. If the form grants a lesser ability of the same type, you gain the lesser ability instead. Your base speed changes to match that of the form you assume. If the form grants a swim or burrow speed, you maintain the ability to breathe if you are swimming or burrowing. The DC for any of these abilities equals your DC for the polymorph spell used to change you into that form.

In addition to these benefits, you gain any of the natural attacks of the base creature, including proficiency in those attacks. These attacks are based on your base attack bonus, modified by your Strength or Dexterity as appropriate, and use your Strength modifier for determining damage bonuses.

If a polymorph spell causes you to change size, apply the size modifiers appropriately, changing your armor class, attack bonus, Combat Maneuver Bonus, and Stealth skill modifiers. Your ability scores are not modified by this change unless noted by the spell.

Unless otherwise noted, polymorph spells cannot be used to change into specific individuals. Although many of the fine details can be controlled, your appearance is always that of a generic member of that creature's type. Polymorph spells cannot be used to assume the form of a creature with a template or an advanced version of a creature.

When you cast a polymorph spell that changes you into a creature of the animal, dragon, elemental, magical beast, plant, or vermin type, all of your gear melds into your body. Items that provide constant bonuses and do not need to be activated continue to function while melded in this way (with the exception of armor bonuses, which cease to function). Items that require activation cannot be used while you maintain that form. While in such a form, you cannot cast any spells that require material components (unless you have the Eschew Materials or Natural Spell feat), and can only cast spells with somatic or verbal components if the form you choose has the capability to make such movements or speak, such as a dragon. Other polymorph spells might be subject to this restriction as well, if they change you into a form that is unlike your original form (subject to GM discretion). If your new form does not cause your equipment to meld into your form, the equipment resizes to match your new size.

While under the effects of a polymorph spell, you lose all extraordinary and supernatural abilities that depend on your original form (such as keen senses, scent, and darkvision), as well as any natural attacks and movement types possessed by your original form. You also lose any class features that depend upon form, but those that allow you to add features (such as sorcerers that can grow claws) still function. While most of these should be obvious, the GM is the final arbiter of what abilities depend on form and are lost when a new form is assumed. Your new form might restore a number of these abilities if they are possessed by the new form.

You can only be affected by one polymorph spell at a time. If a new polymorph spell is cast on you (or you activate a polymorph effect, such as wild shape), you can decide whether or not to allow it to affect you, taking the place of the old spell. In addition, other spells that change your size have no effect on you while you are under the effects of a polymorph spell.

If a polymorph spell is cast on a creature that is smaller than Small or larger than Medium, first adjust its ability scores to one of these two sizes using the following table before applying the bonuses granted by the polymorph spell.

Creature's Original Size Str Dex Con Adjusted Size
Fine +6 –6 — Small
Diminutive +6 –4 — Small
Tiny +4 –2 — Small
Large –4 +2 –2 Medium
Huge –8 +4 –4 Medium
Gargantuan –12 +4 –6 Medium
Colossal –16 +4 –8 Medium

 

[Flatus Maximus]

Huh. So no monster feats?

 

[Starbuck_II]

Huh. So no monster feats?

You never did in 3.5. They just continued the tradition I guess (although you got racial bonus feats in 3.5).

 

[Flatus Maximus]

...although you got racial bonus feats...

Sorry, that's what I meant. I call them "monster feats" 'cause they're in the Monster Manual.

 

[Starbuck_II]

Sorry, that's what I meant. I call them "monster feats" 'cause they're in the Monster Manual.

True, but that confuses the terms a bit since Monster feats was also a term that meant feats found in monster manual near back like Flyby Attack, Awesome Blow, etc.

Racial feats is a clearer term (plus official name) because it comes from race.

But back on Pathfinder, Polymorph (and similar spells) doesn't gives racial feats in Pathfinder.

Even 3.5 alter self gave racial bonus feats:

You acquire the physical qualities of the new form while retaining your own mind. Physical qualities include natural size, mundane movement capabilities (such as burrowing, climbing, walking, swimming, and flight with wings, to a maximum speed of 120 feet for flying or 60 feet for nonflying movement), natural armor bonus, natural weapons (such as claws, bite, and so on), racial skill bonuses, racial bonus feats, and any gross physical qualities (presence or absence of wings, number of extremities, and so forth). A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal.

 

[risner]

Huh. So no monster feats?

You never got the feats in 3.5 or 3.p rules. If you used Enhanced Wild Shape spell or had MoMF 7 you gained Ex SQ and would gain all feats (in 3.5) marked with (B), but since you never get Ex SA or SQ in 3.p those would likely be changed by your DM.

 

[Flatus Maximus]

True, but that confuses the terms a bit since Monster feats was also a term that meant feats found in monster manual near back like Flyby Attack, Awesome Blow, etc.

Racial feats is a clearer term (plus official name) because it comes from race.

So I guess I mean "monster feats" after all -- feats like Multiattack, etc., the feats in the back of the Monster Manual that monsters have but players don't seem to have access to. I've never played a druid -- can you tell? So, when a druid (3.5 or Pathfinder) wild shapes into something that normally would have Multiattack, the druid would not get Multiattack?

 

[gamerprinter]

No, Wild Shapers cannot get monster feats like Multi-attack.