Predatory ponies? (shapeshift druid)

[Cheiromancer]

I was reading about the shapeshift druid (PHB II). It trades away wild shape and animal companion for what appears to be a rather substandard at will shapeshift ability. However, I am interested in the following line.

Each time you use this ability, you can choose the exact look that your shapeshifted form takes.

So at 1st level the druid gains a predator form, which is "traditionally that of a wolf, panther or other predatory mammal". However it seems like it could be anything that is a medium (long) creature, like, say, a pony. (I'm assuming a medium sized druid) A pony with a 1d6 primary bite attack, but a pony nonetheless. Is this legitimate?

Also, am I mistaken that a shapeshift druid is much weaker than a standard druid? Just look at the Fleshraker Dinosaur (MM3) and the Desmodu Hunting Bat (MM2), both available at level 5. Even if restricted to core (and no dinosaurs) there are better animals than Shapeshift Druid has (the Druid handbook suggests leopards and eagles at level 5). Even if the wildshape forms were equal, the loss of an animal companion is a big loss.

I was thinking of a nerf to druid; animal companion is geared off of half the druid's level (as Ranger is currently) and Natural Spell reduces your effective wild shape level by 3 (but you can still access small and medium animal forms, even if your wild shape level is less than 5). Even this nerf looks better than the shapeshift druid.

The big advantage to the shapeshift druid (besides its at will swift-action shifting) is the fact that it can play a predatory pony. I find the image hilarious. :smallbiggrin:

Thoughts?

[Piggy Knowles]

Yes, it's a definite downgrade from Wild Shape. It's also a far more balanced ability, as the bonuses it can give you are fixed.

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Yes, it's a definite downgrade from Wild Shape. It's also a far more balanced ability, as the bonuses it can give you are fixed.

It's a druid nerf. Wizards disguises balance fixes as character options sometimes. For example, in Mind's Eye they had some very powerful alternate abilities for the Soulknife to make it stronger.

[Grayson01]

I have never herd of Minds Eye, where can I find it I would like to see the options for teh Soulknife.

[Metahuman1]

Yes, you could theoretically do this, but I'd ask the DM.

If you do go for this, ask if you can fluff the bite attack as a kick with out changing any damage or anything else mechanical.

[Spuddles]

I have never herd of Minds Eye, where can I find it I would like to see the options for teh Soulknife.

Use google. Mind's Eye was a series of 3.0 & 3.5 online articles from WotC regarding psionics. It has things in it like educated wilders and spell-to-power erudites, as well as circuitry rules for psionic tattoos, which is cool, albeit, complicated, stuff.

[Grayson01]

Is a bite and a Kick the same damage type (slashing/bludgining)

Edit: Suppdles Thank you I will have to check that out.


Yes, you could theoretically do this, but I'd ask the DM.

If you do go for this, ask if you can fluff the bite attack as a kick with out changing any damage or anything else mechanical.

[Spuddles]

Bites do slashing AND piercing AND bludgeoning. Hooves are only bludgeoning.

[sleepyphoenixx]

If you want to nerf the animal companion the best bet is to remove it completely.
The rangers AC is absolutely useless and no one needs a class feature that adds nothing but paperwork.

Another option would be to replace it with the Urban Companion ACF from the Cityscape web enhancement.
That way it would still be useful out of combat at least.

As for nerfing Wild Shape, i'd rather take the Swift Hunter ACF than the Shapeshift variant and rely on spells for my shifting.
Just having Natural Spell reduce WS level is not gonna do much, a lot of useful spellcasting forms have relatively low HD.
Just remove Natural Spell entirely if you want to limit Druid power. That way the player has to decide what to focus on instead of doing it all at once.