Correct these statements about Wild Shape

[Deaxsa]

I have a couple of questions about wild shape, which i've written as statements. let me know which are right, wrong, or otherwise need modification so that they ARE correct. i've only written the statements for things i'm unsure about, for other things, i'm not curious, or am pretty darn sure i know whats going on. just correct me, thanks. if there is no RAW for it(i'm pretty sure 6 is a case of this), say so, i'm not looking for interpretations, just clarification.

1. you can turn into any advancement of an animal, given you meet the size/HD requirements

2. you get all bonus feats the animal gets, but not any other feats. (for instance, turning into an eagle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/eagle.htm) will give you weapon finesse, but not alertness.) in particular, noting this for animals with improved natural attack, which happens quite often.

3. when you change, you gain no types or subtypes, except when changing into an aquatic plant or animal, in which case you gain the aquatic subtype, or when you turn into an elemental, where you gain the elemental type as well.

4. you do not recalculate BASE saves, HP, BAB, or skill ranks. however, changes to ability scores do mean changes to these stats. just not the base/ranks.

5. you cannot wild shape into a plant, only a plant creature.

6. Being able to stay wild shaped permanently does not allow for the acquisition of monster feats.

7. (this one is more about animals and natural attacks in general, not so much wild shape) Each animal has a designated primary natural attack form, everything else is a secondary natural attack form. the primary form gets +0 to attack, and uses the full strength modifier when calculating damage, while the secondary forms get -5 to attack and only use 1/2 strength modifier to damage.

8. you can turn into a dire animal at any level, given you meet the size/hd requirements.

[Flickerdart]

1) You can't turn into advanced animals, templated animals, or any other kind of animal except what's in the statblock.
2) You retain all the feats you had originally; no new bonus feats are granted.
3) You do not gain the elemental subtype.
4) That is correct.
5) Yes.
6) You can get whatever feats you meet the prerequisites for at the moment you level up. If you were in wild shape, you pick feats as appropriate for your current form. If you lose the prerequisites of these while outside the shape, then you lose the benefits until you shift back.
7) Some primary attacks get 1 1/2 STR, and 1 STR when used as secondary attacks. The creature's description usually points out which is which.

[Urpriest]

I have a couple of questions about wild shape, which i've written as statements. let me know which are right, wrong, or otherwise need modification so that they ARE correct. i've only written the statements for things i'm unsure about, for other things, i'm not curious, or am pretty darn sure i know whats going on. just correct me, thanks. if there is no RAW for it(i'm pretty sure 6 is a case of this), say so, i'm not looking for interpretations, just clarification.

1. you can turn into any advancement of an animal, given you meet the size/HD requirements

Wrong. You must turn into the base animal, not a modified version.



2. you get all bonus feats the animal gets, but not any other feats. (for instance, turning into an eagle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/eagle.htm) will give you weapon finesse, but not alertness.) in particular, noting this for animals with improved natural attack, which happens quite often.

True.


3. when you change, you gain no types or subtypes, except when changing into an aquatic plant or animal, in which case you gain the aquatic subtype, or when you turn into an elemental, where you gain the elemental type as well.

False. Even when turning into an elemental your type does not change.


4. you do not recalculate BASE saves, HP, BAB, or skill ranks. however, changes to ability scores do mean changes to these stats. just not the base/ranks.

True, except for HP. Changes in Con from Wild Shape do not change HP.


5. you cannot wild shape into a plant, only a plant creature.

Correct. Non-creature plants are objects.


6. Being able to stay wild shaped permanently does not allow for the acquisition of monster feats.

False. Monster feats are not a category of feats defined by the rules. You can pick up any feat that you qualify for, even if you qualify only temporarily. If you qualify only temporarily, you may only use the feat while you qualify.


7. (this one is more about animals and natural attacks in general, not so much wild shape) Each animal has a designated primary natural attack form, everything else is a secondary natural attack form. the primary form gets +0 to attack, and uses the full strength modifier when calculating damage, while the secondary forms get -5 to attack and only use 1/2 strength modifier to damage.

Largely true, but if an animal has only natural attack it will often add 1.5 Str to damage, and some animals have multiple primary natural attacks.


8. you can turn into a dire animal at any level, given you meet the size/hd requirements.

True.

[Deaxsa]

here's another one:

9. Gaining improved natural attack nets you that benefit for all uses of that type of natural attack. for instance, gaining this feat for claw attacks while you are a tiger still alows you to reap it's benefits while you are a bear or a wolverine. however, it will not give you the benefits if you turn into an eagle or owl, since the statblock considers them to be 'talons' -- a totally different type of weapon.

(the second part may be up to the DM, but i'm trying to establish what RAW says)

[Urpriest]

here's another one:

9. Gaining improved natural attack nets you that benefit for all uses of that type of natural attack. for instance, gaining this feat for claw attacks while you are a tiger still alows you to reap it's benefits while you are a bear or a wolverine. however, it will not give you the benefits if you turn into an eagle or owl, since the statblock considers them to be 'talons' -- a totally different type of weapon.

(the second part may be up to the DM, but i'm trying to establish what RAW says)

Yes, Improved Natural Attack is coded by attack type, not by creature.

[Mcdt2]

I'm fairly certain you gain the aquatic subtype from wildshaping, but no other.


If the new form has the aquatic subtype, the creature gains that subtype as well.

Technically, Urpriest did not contradict this, he only said specifically about the elemental subtype, but I wanted to clarify.

[Urpriest]

I'm fairly certain you gain the aquatic subtype from wildshaping, but no other.



Technically, Urpriest did not contradict this, he only said specifically about the elemental subtype, but I wanted to clarify.

Yes, I was only intending to comment on the elemental subtypes, you do indeed get aquatic.

[Bronk]

1. you can turn into any advancement of an animal, given you meet the size/HD requirements

There is no rule to prevent this in either the Wildshape description or the Alternate Form description. There are only two limits: the character's druid level, and the maximum HD of the animal in question.