The Shapeshifting Druid

[AlanBruce]

Greetings! Player's Handbook 2 brought us class variants. Amongst them the Shapeshifting druid.

No longer eligible for natural spell, the shapeshifting druid can, as a swift action, change into many combat forms indefinitely. In the case of our game, the druid is a large brown bear-like predator that grapples and treas through everything in his path, never resorting to spells until after combat.

However, he has now acquired the Forest Avenger form, which is described as "treant-like" with slam attacks and a massive strength and NA boost, as well as bonuses to Will and Fortitude, which are always good.

My question is twofold:

1. the druid bought a dragon hide full plate and I allowed him to add the Wild property from the DMG, so he would benefit from a higher AC when so wildshaped.

Which lead me much later to realize: This druid isn't wildshaping, he's shapeshifting. Should he still benefit from such a property or is there an armor that benefits shapeshifting druids, or could I just change the property (I'm the DM in this game).

2. As mentioned earlier, the druid now can change to a treant-like creature, rampaging through enemies. Slamming them to a bloody pulp, very LOTR-like.

Then it hit me: The party is in a dungeon where the ceiling, at best, has a 10ft. height. the book never expressed size for this new form. It does say it has reach. If I go by his previous form, where they use a brown bear as an example, then yes, the druid would be large and on four legs, meaning a 10ft. ceiling should not be an issue. Previous forms are that of an eagle and wolf- like creatures, which I assumed were medium sized, as per the MM.

The treant, however, is Huge, and 30ft. tall! Is that what the PHB 2 had in mind with this variant? Then either the druid has been tearing through the ceiling or has a massive headache from bonking his branches on it.

[TuggyNE]

I don't think it would be broken to let Wild work for shapeshifting druids as well. In point of fact, letting it work for any [shapechanger] subtype is likely fine too.

As far as the ceilings, you could fudge things a bit to say that the druid's form is tall, but short enough to be able to stoop with only a small penalty (15', say?). Otherwise you're going to have to retcon things weirdly, or have a midget treant, neither of which quite makes sense.

[Valwyn]

Which lead me much later to realize: This druid isn't wildshaping, he's shapeshifting. Should he still benefit from such a property or is there an armor that benefits shapeshifting druids, or could I just change the property (I'm the DM in this game).

Shapeshifting druids, by RAW, can't use any of the usual equipment based off Wild Shape and they don't get any PrC or anything. I'd say letting him use the armor is okay, and maybe the wilding clasps.


The treant, however, is Huge, and 30ft. tall! Is that what the PHB 2 had in mind with this variant? Then either the druid has been tearing through the ceiling or has a massive headache from bonking his branches on it.

Well, Enlarge Person says:

If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, the creature attains the maximum possible size and may make a Strength check (using its increased Strength) to burst any enclosures in the process. If it fails, it is constrained without harm by the materials enclosing it—the

so maybe a bonsai treant? Fluff it as a shambling mound, which are only 10 ft tall and are specifically supported by Forest Avenger.

[Urpriest]

Forest Avenger form increases your size category by one. You don't become a 30 foot Treant. If you start Medium, you're Large, and there are plenty of Large characters that can fit in rooms with 10 foot ceilings.

[Yogibear41]

Shapeshift also never says that the form you assume has to be the same every time, for example with the ability gained at level 1 you could go dog, then go wolf, they would mechanically be the same but different situations call for different things, So he could technically be a tree of different types depending on what the situation called for. I'm sure a treant bush has happend before lol. Or even a treant Shrubbery!! NI! lol

[AlanBruce]

Thank you very much for clearing that information up! I had probably missed the text where it states the druid goes up by 1 size category. When looking at the strength and NA increases, I assumed it was also due to a larger size increase than the previous form, hence Huge.

I will allow him to keep the armor property, unless I can find something that would fit him better.

The druid in this case does change to different types of beasts when in different forms. Mostly, he has been a brown bear, but a stray dog, a wolf, a rather large crow, and an eagle have been observed.

[Fitz10019]

Forest Avenger form increases your size category by one. You don't become a 30 foot Treant. If you start Medium, you're Large, and there are plenty of Large characters that can fit in rooms with 10 foot ceilings.

To be fair, though, a Treant is Huge, and listed as 30ft tall. Large is only one size category smaller than Huge. So, wouldn't the Large version of a Treant be at least 15ft tall? I mean his head probably ends at 10ft, but he'd have upward reaching branches. I think considering the fit under 10ft ceilings is a valid question.

[Urpriest]

To be fair, though, a Treant is Huge, and listed as 30ft tall. Large is only one size category smaller than Huge. So, wouldn't the Large version of a Treant be at least 15ft tall? I mean his head probably ends at 10ft, but he'd have upward reaching branches. I think considering the fit under 10ft ceilings is a valid question.

That depends. Since Shapeshift doesn't turn you into any particular creature, the player could just turn into a Treant that happens to be small enough.