Cheiromancer
2013-07-05, 10:03 AM
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?
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?